Goddess of love, beauty, and water in the Armenian polytheistic pantheon; spouse of Vahagn. The transparent astral-etymology (astghik = "little star," diminutive of astgh) preserves the native Armenian Indo-European astral-feminine root, distinct from the Iranic-loan theonyms of Aramazd, Anahit, Vahagn, and Mihr. Her pairing with Vahagn in the Aštišat cult-complex parallels Indo-European warrior-and-astral-feminine pairings. The Vardavar water-festival, in which young men poured water on young women, preserves Astghik's love-and-water complex; the festival continues in modern Armenia as the Christian Vardavar (Transfiguration), retaining the water-pouring practice. The pearl-Lady (margaritavor) epithet preserved in some recensions reflects the broader Iranic-Mediterranean astral-feminine pearl-association complex.