Hera- Was the goddess of love and marriage. Hera, the Greek Goddess called the Queen of Heaven, was a powerful queen in her own right, long before her marriage to Zeus, the mighty king of the Olympian gods. The goddess Hera ruled over the heavens and the earth responsible for every aspect of existence, including the seasons and the weather. It is partly on account of Hera’s great beauty, and particularly her beautiful, large eyes, that she is linked to her sacred animal, the cow, and also the peacock with its iridescent feathers having “eyes”. The cow symbolizes her luxury, beauty and immortality. In ancient times Hera was revered as being the only one of the Greek Goddesses who went along with a women through every step of her life. The goddess Hera blessed and protected a women’s marriage, bringing her fertility, protecting her children, and helping her find financial security. Hera was, in short, a complete women, overseeing both private and public affairs. But it was Hera’s uncommon beauty that attracted the attention of her future husband, the lusty Zeus, who tricked Hera into taking him to her breast by changing himself into a small, frightened and wounded bird that elicited her pity. Once cradled in Hera’s bosom, Zeus changed back to his manly form and tried to take her… but she resisted his advances, putting him off until he promised to marry her. The delay only increased his desire for Hera and once married they had the longest honeymoon on record, lasting over 300 years. However history does repeat itself and Zeus would reform right back to his womanizing ways, which would catapult Hera to ear the title of jealous goddess. Instead of releasing her fury on her husband though she did so on his lovers alone and in doing so she would be forever immortalized as a shrew.