The seasons turn and again we reach the Winter Solstice – the longest night which marks the sun’s return to light in the northern hemisphere. Stag, in all his antlered majesty, symbolizes the return of the sun’s life-giving rays.
Myth
Seal – a Soulful Clown by Judith Shaw
Seal – ever curious – stands up in the water gazing about with her dark, soulful eyes before diving again into the enigmatic, mysterious sea. Seal initiates us into wonder by her extraordinary presence filled with playfulness, adaptability and deep… Read More ›
Elephant – Earth’s Gentle Giant by Judith Shaw
Elephants amble along through forest and savannah in unity with each other, generally causing no harm. They have long symbolized intelligence, power, wisdom and loyalty.
Spider Wisdom – Creation and Destruction Part 2 by Judith Shaw
In addition to being viewed as a Creator Goddess and a Destiny Weaver, Spider is associated with many other aspects of life. Some of these aspects fall into what we would consider the light – the good – and others… Read More ›
Spider Wisdom – Creation and Destruction, Part 1 by Judith Shaw
Spider, the eternal weaver of webs, has symbolized creation since people first began storytelling. Cultures worldwide have associated Spider with the Creator Goddess, weaving – and through association with women as they were the weavers who spent endless hours creating… Read More ›
Are Bees Begotten from Bull? by Judith Shaw
At first glance the ancient belief that bees were birthed from dead bulls seems odd. But if we delve deeply into pre-historical artifacts we discover the mythopoetic roots of this idea.
Juno—Women Need Your Power Today! by Barbara Ardinger
Just as each Roman man had his genius, or guardian spirit of masculinity, so did each woman have her juno, or guardian spirit of femininity. Juno ruled every woman’s life, every feminine occasion. In the civic life of Rome during… Read More ›
Bull, Oracle of Strength and Prosperity by Judith Shaw
Bull, with its components of aggressiveness, stubbornness, virility, and ferocity, is emblematic of masculinity. But Bull is also associated with fertility, abundance, strength, and determination. Viewed by some cultures as a solar symbol – in the oldest myths, we find… Read More ›
Wren, Herald of Dawn by Judith Shaw
Wren, the first bird to sing at dawn, is known as the Herald of Dawn. It calls out its joy as each day begins.
Sleeping Beauty: An ancient tale for these challenging times by Diane Perazzo
Fairy tales are intwined in our imagination and our spirituality. As Jane Yolan writes, one of the subtlest and yet most important functions of myth and fantasy is to “provide a framework or model for an individual’s belief system.” (1)… Read More ›
Thrice-Born Athena, Pt. 3 by Barbara Ardinger
Note: If you’ve been reading Athena’s story for the past two days (link to Part 2 here), you know what’s happened to her before her third birth. You’ve read her version as I heard it in my mind and wrote… Read More ›
Thrice-Born Athena, Pt. 2 by Barbara Ardinger
Read Part 1 here. Note: This part of the story concerns what nearly everybody who has read the mythology knows about the Goddess of Wisdom. But what you’ve read in, say, Edith Hamilton or Robert Graves is the patriarchal version…. Read More ›
Thrice-Born Athena: A Secret History (Part 1) by Barbara Ardinger
Note: Inspired by Mary Sharratt’s excellent post on February 13 about the heroine’s journey and by Elizabeth Cunningham’s beautiful novel The Wild Mother (who is Lilith), I took a dive into my archives and found this story about Athena, which… Read More ›
Rabbit, The Feminine, and The Moon by Judith Shaw
Rabbit plays in tall grasses, dances in the moonlight, nibbles on nature’s greens, then freezes if danger is sensed. With a thump as a warning, rabbit hops away in a flash, disappearing down its rabbit hole.
Aren’t We All Divine Children? by Janet MaiKa’i Rudolph
Consider the following four birth stories: A high priestess became pregnant in a manner that was forbidden in her society. She gave birth to a baby boy. Fearing for her child’s life, she fashioned a basket of rushes and cast… Read More ›
Sacred Geese by Judith Shaw
The end of winter is near in the northern hemisphere. Though the cold persists the days slowly grow longer. If you’re lucky you might soon see a skein of geese flying overheard on their way to their northern nesting grounds… Read More ›
Buddhist Misogyny Revisited – Part I by Barbara McHugh
Recently, I wrote a novel about the Buddha’s wife disguising herself as a man to join his religious community. When I showed the manuscript to a Buddhist friend, whose knowledge and practice I respect greatly, he expressed apprehension that it… Read More ›
The Via Feminina: Revisioning the Heroine’s Journey by Mary Sharratt
Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, the Hero’s Journey, is outlined in his 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Drawn from his studies of comparative mythology and Jungian psychology, the Hero’s Journey has become a foundation myth of modern culture. The… Read More ›
Delilah Reclaimed by Janet Maika’i Rudolph
*This post includes a call for stories at the end. In my previous blogpost, I wrote about the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah and why it was likely written in a manner to hide older pagan mythos. You can… Read More ›
The Magic of Winter Solstice with Polar Bear by Judith Shaw
The Winter Solstice awakens in us a sense of awe as we witness the majesty of the crisp, cold night sky spread across the heavens – whispering songs of mystery and meaning – songs meant to awaken the need for… Read More ›
Delilah, Lost by Janet Maika’i Rudolph
Delilah is a beautiful name on its own merits. As a biblical personage Delilah is forever connected to Samson for their tales are intertwined. As it is told in Judges, Samson is the clear hero of the tale and Delilah… Read More ›
Turkey – Abundance, Gratitude and Connection to Mother Earth by Judith Shaw
In the United States turkeys are equated with Thanksgiving. But there is so much more to Turkey – a gentle creature who forms strong attachments. Reputed to be dumb, Turkey is in fact quite intelligent and curious, with the ability… Read More ›
Yes, there are Goddesses in the Bible, Part 4 by Janet MaiKa’i Rudolph
This is the 4th in a series of blog posts about finding goddesses in the bible who had been hidden away through translation or denigration or other means. In my last blog post I discussed Lilith as a Great Goddess… Read More ›
Yes There are Goddesses in the Bible, Part 3
This blog post is the 3rd in a series of looking for female deities in the bible who have been translated out of easy reach or otherwise hidden within its words. In my last blog post I discussed bird imagery… Read More ›
Re-Visioning Medusa: Part II by Sara Wright
Read Part I of Re-Visioning Medusa here. Recently, I was given a wonderful gift, a small shiny black pot with Avanyu’s image carved into its micacious clay surface. I have become enamored by the images and the mythology around this… Read More ›
Salmon of Wisdom by Judith Shaw
Salmon, ancient symbol of wisdom and transformation, has been venerated by humankind since our pre-historic days.There exists one cave painting of a life-sized salmon – most likely part of a more complex composition – in the l’Abri de Poisson cave… Read More ›
Yes, There are Goddesses in the Bible – Part 2 by Janet Maika’i Rudolph
As I wrote in my last blog post, there are female deities and goddesses sprinkled all throughout the bible. They just aren’t obviously in plain sight. One example is the Goddess and Her association with birds. Many ancient creation myths… Read More ›
Butterfly – Soul Transformation by Judith Shaw
I offer this look at the life and stories of Butterfly as a healing salve for our very troubled world. In this time of great, world-wide transformation, as we grapple with the many, many racial, social, economic and environmental injustices… Read More ›
Brigit and the Cailleach by Christine Irving
Today, I bring you an old old story from Scotland. It explains how and why winter became spring. Cailleach is another name for the Hag – the archetypal Crone. She represents winter. Brigit is the forever Maiden and stands for… Read More ›
Cow, Nursemaid to Humanity by Judith Shaw
Our human connection to Cow goes back to the days of prehistory. Aurochs (wild oxen), cattle’s wild ancestors, are found in prehistoric cave art throughout Europe, India and Africa. About 10,500 years ago modern cattle were domesticated from only 80… Read More ›
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