The short answer.....from satan. Way back in he beginning. Nimrod's wife Semiramis declared him a god after his death. She had his child naming him Tammuz, the reincarnated Nimrod. A quick foot note. The worship of the cross is stemmed from the letter T of Tammuz. This is history before Christ ever died on the cross.
God split the people with different languages. They took this 'new' religion with them. The names changed down through the centuries with many twists and turns. Shrines and statues were erected depicting the 'queen of heaven' holding a baby god. (see: Jeremiah 7:18).
To the pagans, that pushed back on the restraints of the true God, Psalms 2:3, this was their goddess of choice along with a miriad of gods.
Constantine declard pagan Rome christian, renaming the false dieties with biblical names. The names of this one goddess were many. Ashtoreth, Lilith, Virgo, Artimis, Anat, Astraea, Athena, Europa, Isis, Aphrodite, Ceres, Demeter, Diana, Eos, Freya, Gaia, Hella, Hestia, Iris, Juno, Moneta...from which we get the word money, and the list of names continues right down to Mariology, the worship of Mary. Mary would be appalled to know she has been exalted as a goddess, the root being Semiramis.
Some ancient art depict this goddess riding on a beast holding a cup. See Revelation 17. Its more the whole sydtem of rebellion that engulfs the planet.
Even the statue of liberty has its roots in goddess worship. This is Rome's goddess Libertus.
We owe the veneration of Mary to Nimrod's wife.