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Bees in Folklore, Religion, and Superstition
This is an adapted extract of a video I did recently for Pagan Aid to help raise awareness of their campaign to raise money for Bees for Development, an organisation that helps some of the poorest communities in the world create livelihoods through beekeeping. You can view the original video here. There are over 250 species of bee in the UK and around 4,000 native species in the United States. Even humble bumblebees have at least 24 separate species, from orange and black red-tailed bumblebees to the classic white, yellow, and black tree bumblebees. However, it’s the honeybee that gets the most attention, generally, when it comes to…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Krishna Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism, one of the most popular and widely revered. He is worshipped as the eighth incarnation or avatar of Lord Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of love, compassion and tenderness. Hindu mythology portrays him as a prankster, gentle lover, universal supreme being and child-like God. People consider Krishna their leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend all in one. He’s influenced Indian life and culture – not only its religion and philosophy, but also its folklore, painting, sculptures, literature, music, dance, poetry, and mysticism. He is…
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Book Review – Slavic Witchcraft: Old World Conjuring Spells & Folklore by Natasha Helvin
Book Review Slavic Witchcraft Old World Conjuring Spells & Folklore by Natasha Helvin 224 Pages I was asked by the Editor of PaganPagesOrg if I would be interested in reviewing this book because my background/experience does involve some Slavic practices and traditions, and she wanted to see if I would mind giving an honest opinion based on what I’ve learned already. I most certainly agreed to it as I was curious how it might compare to what I learned while living in Croatia and what I’ve studied in the USA. Let me explain briefly a little about my perspective and experiences: My father’s family is originally from today’s…
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Book Review – The Mythic Journey: Use Myths, Fairy Tales and Folklore to Explain Life’s Mysteries by Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke
Book Review The Mythic Journey Use Myths, Fairy Tales and Folklore to Explain Life’s Mysteries by Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke 240 Pages This lovely collection of myths, fairy stories and folklore is brought to us by Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke, who collaborated on The Mythic Tarot. It appears to be a re-working of the book originally published in 2000. The tales included continue to inform our psyches today as the authors see with the eye of the mythic imagination past form into the heart of being. The stories included in the book come from many cultures and traditions: Buddhism, the Old Testament, ancient Greece, Minoan Crete, Maori…
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Book Review – Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich
Book Review Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination By Gerina Dunwich 240 pp. Red Wheel/Weiser “Herbal Magick: A Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination” is a wonderful collection of mythology, superstitions, traditions, and lore surrounding herbal medicine and magic. While there are many herbal books which include some of this type of content while dwelling primarily on medicine, foraging, gardening, or just repackaging information, “Herbal Magick” really focuses on easily-digestible tidbits of lore. Some of this lore is quite well-known to herbalists and students of the craft — like the lore of the mandrake’s shriek — but there are also some more obscure…