SHH, You do not understand because you do not look into the Eyes of Devi. I cannot help someone like you, but actually I never try as I am not interested in doing so. Devi indeed comes in many forms, some are manifestations, some are emanations. All those which Shiva had leela with, yes, every single one of them is Devi, be what you think is only an Angel, or a Gandarva. He never cheated, because Devi is in THAT form every time. Also, Guru is your Brahma, your Vishnu, and your Maheswara. Even if that Guru is a human. Until you accept your position next to the Other, you will never understand.
Aup, you have peaked my interest as usual because you know so much about the vast diversity within Hinduism. There are many traditions I have encountered over the decades when visiting temples, hearing the "fables" of the Devas and Devi. Many Names. You know, they say one of the greatest skills is to remember the name of each face, or perhaps those important "people" you meet, that such recall is of huge benefit. It is considered a great skill. One day, I would like to put a name to all 330 million Devas and Devi. But sometimes just one Name can also work. Sort of like, you forget this or that name of this or that President. So you just say "Mr. (or Miss) President".
Actually, in the Brahmanda Purana, in the liaison (not consummated) of Shiva and Mohini, the spark of Shiva creates Shasta, who is called Skanda by some. More specifically, Dharma-Shasta is Ayyappa, Brahma-Shasta is Skanda, this is a South Indian “tradition”. It means Skanda knows the Vedas better than Brahma. Brahma-Shasta is without question a name for Muruga and Subrahmanya. Ayyappa is really coming from a Kerala tradition, but the spark known as the form of Shasta as Brahma Shasta (Subrahmanya < note) is Skanda in Tamil tradition. So, in the far South, we see this spark from the unconsummated Shiva-Mohini is becoming Skanda. Now we also hear, a spark from Shiva due to Mohini resulted in Hanuman (though indirectly). Keep in mind, the six babies – later joined to be the Six-Headed Kartikeya. I will get to that, but it should be mentioned, in the temple of Kumarakottam (in Kanchipuram, India), the central murti image of Murugan is Brahma-Shasta, He holds a water pot and rudraksha. When we see this form of Muruga, it is the form of the scholar child taking renunciation and Who knows the Vedas better than Brahma (Who is said to speak the Four Vedas from His Four Heads, the “Fifth Veda” is in Kashi where Lord Brahma’s “skull fell”). So, in the Six Babies, there is a version of the Bhasmasura where Mohini becomes a “mother” six times when Shiva asks Mohini to be His partner. Each time, Mohini tells Shiva to go ask Uma, when Shiva returns with Uma’s permission to bring Mohini into Her home, Lord Shiva finds a child. So Mohini asks Shiva to get Uma’s permission to bring home a woman with a child, and so Shiva gets Uma’s permission (remember, Uma is a very early consort of Shiva), then two children, etc., until there are six. How each has come, is not made clear but Shiva simply finds them each time He returns to Mohini. These babies are later formed into one Kartikeya. Now I understand, this is a mix of local traditions, temple traditions, obscure puranas, etc… But I can make it even more “confusing” – I have been told that from the original spark that is in scripture that created the six babies associated with the Pleiades in the star-sky, Each is related to an individual liaison living in the Mind of Shiva. That there is the aspect of Shiva’s Mind in each of the Six Heads of Kartikeya. One of these aspects is what was living in the Mind of Shiva and His relation with Mohini. Thus One of the Six Heads represents that, another would be not Mohini but say Ganga, and so on. What you believe may be different. But in Saiva tradition, there is a concept where two contrary “truths” can be side-by-side, where one totally contradicts the other – yet BOTH can be true. You may have read the Four Vedas. And some call the Ramayana (etc.) the Fifth Veda. But some say there is a Fifth Veda which was spoken from Brahma’s Fifth Head, this is not the Ramayana. I doubt you have read this Fifth Veda. They say if you listen carefully, you can hear this Fifth Veda in Kashi, “where the skull fell”. If you like, one day you may explore what this skull is, and the “story” behind it. But as many say, there are many, many “fables”. Indeed, there are many. Some happened exactly at the same time, in parallel. And there are many Ramayanas. And the final chapter of the Ramayana, IMHO, is still awaiting. But that's just me... I really love these traditions, and while they may only be fables to some, to others they are tirthas. Doorways. To the far shore.
Aup, you have peaked my interest as usual because you know so much about the vast diversity within Hinduism. There are many traditions I have encountered over the decades when visiting temples, hearing the "fables" of the Devas and Devi. Many Names. You know, they say one of the greatest skills is to remember the name of each face, or perhaps those important "people" you meet, that such recall is of huge benefit. It is considered a great skill. One day, I would like to put a name to all 330 million Devas and Devi. But sometimes just one Name can also work. Sort of like, you forget this or that name of this or that President. So you just say "Mr. (or Miss) President".
Actually, in the Brahmanda Purana, in the liaison (not consummated) of Shiva and Mohini, the spark of Shiva creates Shasta, who is called Skanda by some. More specifically, Dharma-Shasta is Ayyappa, Brahma-Shasta is Skanda, this is a South Indian “tradition”. It means Skanda knows the Vedas better than Brahma. Brahma-Shasta is without question a name for Muruga and Subrahmanya. Ayyappa is really coming from a Kerala tradition, but the spark known as the form of Shasta as Brahma Shasta (Subrahmanya < note) is Skanda in Tamil tradition. So, in the far South, we see this spark from the unconsummated Shiva-Mohini is becoming Skanda. Now we also hear, a spark from Shiva due to Mohini resulted in Hanuman (though indirectly). Keep in mind, the six babies – later joined to be the Six-Headed Kartikeya. I will get to that, but it should be mentioned, in the temple of Kumarakottam (in Kanchipuram, India), the central murti image of Murugan is Brahma-Shasta, He holds a water pot and rudraksha. When we see this form of Muruga, it is the form of the scholar child taking renunciation and Who knows the Vedas better than Brahma (Who is said to speak the Four Vedas from His Four Heads, the “Fifth Veda” is in Kashi where Lord Brahma’s “skull fell”). So, in the Six Babies, there is a version of the Bhasmasura where Mohini becomes a “mother” six times when Shiva asks Mohini to be His partner. Each time, Mohini tells Shiva to go ask Uma, when Shiva returns with Uma’s permission to bring Mohini into Her home, Lord Shiva finds a child. So Mohini asks Shiva to get Uma’s permission to bring home a woman with a child, and so Shiva gets Uma’s permission (remember, Uma is a very early consort of Shiva), then two children, etc., until there are six. How each has come, is not made clear but Shiva simply finds them each time He returns to Mohini. These babies are later formed into one Kartikeya. Now I understand, this is a mix of local traditions, temple traditions, obscure puranas, etc… But I can make it even more “confusing” – I have been told that from the original spark that is in scripture that created the six babies associated with the Pleiades in the star-sky, Each is related to an individual liaison living in the Mind of Shiva. That there is the aspect of Shiva’s Mind in each of the Six Heads of Kartikeya. One of these aspects is what was living in the Mind of Shiva and His relation with Mohini. Thus One of the Six Heads represents that, another would be not Mohini but say Ganga, and so on. What you believe may be different. But in Saiva tradition, there is a concept where two contrary “truths” can be side-by-side, where one totally contradicts the other – yet BOTH can be true. You may have read the Four Vedas. And some call the Ramayana (etc.) the Fifth Veda. But some say there is a Fifth Veda which was spoken from Brahma’s Fifth Head, this is not the Ramayana. I doubt you have read this Fifth Veda. They say if you listen carefully, you can hear this Fifth Veda in Kashi, “where the skull fell”. If you like, one day you may explore what this skull is, and the “story” behind it. But as many say, there are many, many “fables”. Indeed, there are many. Some happened exactly at the same time, in parallel. And there are many Ramayanas. And the final chapter of the Ramayana, IMHO, is still awaiting. But that's just me... I really love these traditions, and while they may only be fables to some, to others they are tirthas. Doorways. To the far shore.
One cannot apply Occam's Razor to myths, that is my basic position. And if we are going to accept them, then we need to accept the whole of them. 
