Lady of Unity, Lady Love, The Fair Maiden

Domains: Life

Associated with love, beauty, and the holy vows of marriage, Lada presides over all things lovely and artistic. She governs the divine element of water, for every creature needs water to survive, just as they need care and love to sustain a healthy life. Her powers are unmatched and her charms are irresistible, but her heart and love are sworn to the Bright Smith. Lada became his consort and Svarog became hers—heavenly fire and water together in unison. True love guided Svarog’s heart and not Lada’s charms, just as pure love drove hers. 

Lada’s name is invoked by young lovers who fear a broken heart. Performers, artists, sculptors, designers, and charismatic leaders look to the Fair Maiden as their muse and motivation. Couples who join hands in marriage ask for her blessing and guidance in their life together. Lada’s clerics channel her powerful charms to sway wretched minds away from dark deeds and cleanse them with her holy waters.

Temples dedicated to Lada are often galleries with elaborate fountains, mostly found in large cities. Shrines and altars are frequently shaped like water mills or statuettes of a beautiful maiden marked with Lada’s symbol. Holy feasts in her name involve dance, song, and open declarations of and meditations on love. People gather around places with running water, such as rivers and waterfalls, and celebrate the goddess by reminding themselves what is important in this life, forgiving those whom they’ve had quarrels with, and asking for forgiveness in return. As swans are commonly associated with Lada, two swan eggs are ceremoniously broken at the end of the night’s feast; if the egg white is bountiful, love will be plentiful, but if the yolk is more prevalent, heartache awaits.