Potnia Theron

Boeotian stele, 7th c. BC, representing a "Potnia Theron", (Sketch) Athens, National Museum. Pic by Julianna Lees. 

Actually, I think that this is Archaic Artemis...Here is why:

First, "Potnia Theron" is depicted with what look like Fallow deer horns. Artemis was linked with deer and particularly with Fallow deer. I talked about the link between Artemis and specifically Fallow deer since Bronze Age in my post "Fallow deer"...

Second, "Potnia Theron" is also depicted standing between two lions. Which symbolically means "in Leo", Jul/Aug...I talked about the link between Artemis and lions in my posts "Artemis Orthia", "Winged Artemis"...

What is interesting is that both Eurasia lion and Fallow deer are animal calendar markers for Jul/Aug. This is because both Eurasia lion and Fallow deer mating seasons start in Jul/Aug...

Jul/Aug, the time of Apollo (the terrible archer) and his TWIN (!) sister (also the terrible archer)...As depicted on this Athenian Red Figure Style Crater made in 450 BC and currently located in Musee du Louvre, Paris...

I talked about Apollo, Artemis and lions (Leo, Jul/Aug) in my post "Silver seal from Gonur Tepe" and in my post "Fallow deer"...

Or maybe...Just maybe...This is Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis with the twins holding on to her waste...

But how would this fit into what I said so far?

According to Delian tradition Apollo was born on the seventh day of the month Thargelion (Jan/Feb), or, according to Delphian tradition, on the seventh day of the month Bysios (May/Jun)... 

But interestingly, for some (weird) reason, Leto gave birth to Apollo either "leaning against" or "clutching" a palm tree...

Why a palm tree? 

Cause date palm tree is another, this time plant, calendar marker for Jul/Aug first appearing in Mesopotamia. Date harvest season starts in Jul/Aug, in Leo, when Lion (autumn) kills (ends) Bull (summer). I gave full symbolic analysis of this seal in my post "Lion killing bull under palm tree"...

I talked about date palm as a plant calendar marker for Jul/Aug in many of my posts...

Very very curious...Did Greeks forget the birth month of Apollo and Artemis? 

Delphic calendar started with the month of Apellaios (Jul/Aug), the month dedicated to Apollo. Why?

That's it for today. If you are interested in reading more about ancient animal and plant calendar markers, which are at the root of all our mythologies, start here…Then check my twitter threads I still didn't convert to blog post...I am way way behind...