In Crete we are always being given gifts—fresh cherries, ice cold bottles of raki, yogurt swimming in honey, and so much more. Over the years it finally hit me that this spirit of great generosity is a living remnant of… Read More ›
Source of Life
As We Bless the Source of Life in Midsummer by Carol P. Christ
August 1 is the Neo-pagan and Wiccan holiday known as Lammas. For many witches and pagans this is the time when the young male God identified with the harvest of the seasonal wheat crop is sacrificed in the interest of… Read More ›
The Mountain Mother: Reading the Language of the Goddess in the Symbols of Ancient Crete by Carol P. Christ
Before he told the story of how his people received the sacred pipe, Black Elk said: So I know that it is a good thing I am going to do; and because no good thing can be done by any… Read More ›
WOMEN AND WEEDING, THE FIRST 10,000 YEARS* by Carol P. Christ
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty little maids all in a row. From the beginning of horticulture about 8000 BCE or earlier to the present day, weeding has been… Read More ›
Who Is Jephthah’s Daughter? The Sacrifice of Women and Girls by Carol P. Christ
Last week I reflected on Angela Yarber’s insightful essay and painting on Jephthah’s daughter. For those who did not read the earlier posts, the story of Jephthah’s daughter is found in the Hebrew Bible. Jephthah’s daughter was sacrificed by her… Read More ›
WOMEN ARTISTS AND RITUALISTS IN THE GREAT CAVES: THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF INDOLENT ASSUMPTIONS by Carol P. Christ
In an earlier blog, I suggested that women might have blown red ocher around their hands to leave their marks in prehistoric caves. At the time I thought this was a rather bold suggestion. Had I been asked why I thought the… Read More ›
The Turtle Goddess from Myrtos in Ancient Crete by Carol P. Christ
“As we bless the Source of Life, so we are blessed.” Song by Faith Rogow. The strange and cheerful figure portrayed in this ancient Cretan vessel comes from the site known as Fournou Korifi near Myrtos, in Crete. Dated before 2000… Read More ›
“AS WE BLESS THE SOURCE OF LIFE, SO WE ARE BLESSED” by Carol P. Christ
Blessing the Source of Life harks back to the time when shrines were built near springs, the very literal sources of life for plants, animals, and humans. The prayer “As we bless the Source of Life, so we are blessed,” based… Read More ›
