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Book Review – Legend of the Deer Woman & Other Tales to Warm the Hearth by Jack Finn
Book Review Legend of the Deer Woman & Other Tales to Warm the Hearth by Jack Finn Self-published 279 Pages Release Date: July 12, 2023 Author Jack Finn’s collection of folktales and retellings is titled The Legend of the Deer Woman & Other Tales to Warm the Hearth. The intriguing title initially drew me in, and I just knew I had to read it! The book contains sixteen tales that center on legendary characters like gods, goddesses, animals, and other fantastical beings. I highly suggest this book to everyone who shares my enthusiasm for mythology and folklore. Some of the chapters are fascinating and enjoyable throughout.…
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Teachings of the Mythic Past
Animals in Slavic Spirituality, Part I: Heroic Hedgehog, The Practical & Prickly Protector “If wits were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog. – Frances Hardinge “The Fox knows many things-the hedgehog, one big one.” – Archilochus Animals often make an appearance in folklore as symbols of the traits they are thought to embody. People have had a strong relationship with animals since the dawn of time. Among the many critters found in stories of yesterday, the hedgehog is more relevant than you may initially have thought – especially in Slavic spirituality and folklore. One tale tells the story of a hedgehog poking holes in the black of…
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Good God!
Meet: Mercury Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, protected travelers and transporters of goods, as well as shopkeepers and merchants, especially those dealing in grains, who would pray to him for large profits. He is chosen for this issue because Lughnasadh is the grain harvest. Mercury was the son of Jupiter, king of the gods, and Maia, goddess of the plains. He is one of the twelve major gods of the Roman pantheon. The World History website explains, “He is frequently depicted holding the caduceus, a wand used to reconcile conflicts, and winged sandals for quickly carrying messages for the gods. The wand had been given to him by…
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Book Review – Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Greatest Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Norse Myth by Peter Aperlo
Book Review Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids: A Fun Collection of the Greatest Heroes, Monsters, and Gods in Norse Myth by Peter Aperlo Publisher: Ulysses Press 256 Pages Release Date: May 11, 2021 Introduction to Norse Mythology for Kids is a great book to begin with an overview of Viking Culture, Norse Myths, Norse Gods, Heroes and Monsters. While this book was written for children, it gives a broad overview of Norse Mythology and culture that would be beneficial to anyone interested in this topic. There is also a chapter dedicated to resources to continue your self education with after this book. Our author begins…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Loki With the renewed interest in Norse mythology, Loki has gained popularity. Today he is typically portrayed as mischievous and self-serving, yet charming and lovable. While he’s sometimes an antagonist, he’s rarely a bad guy. In Norse mythology, he is all that and more; he is know as the cunning trickster god, sometimes getting the Æsir (gods of the principal Norse pantheon including Odin, Frigg, Höðr, Thor, and Bald) in trouble, other times getting them out. The son of the giant Farbauti and brother to Thor, Loki is most often in male form, but does not follow gender norms and changes both his sex and…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Horus Horus was the ancient Egyptian god of the sky, the sun, and kingship, worshiped for more than three thousand years. During that time, he appeared in many manifestations, each embodying a different facet of his being. Egyptians recognized each incarnation to be aspects of the same god. He is best known as the son of Isis and Osiris. His brother, Seth, killed their father, so to keep him safe, Isis hid Horus beside the Nile. When he grew strong, he fought his brother to retake his father’s throne, thus associating him with kingship. Considered Egypt’s first divine king, those on the throne after Horus…
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Interview With Molly Remer of Brigid’s Grove
Brigid’s Grove Represents the Integrity, Interests & Skills of Its Founding Family Molly Remer has worked with groups of women since 1996. Prior to creating Brigid’s Grove, she had a blog and a website for public outreach that ran concurrently: Talk Birth for support of birth work, and Woodspriestess about her priestessing and her life in the woods. “I was making birth art figurines and goddesses. My roots are in birth work, childbirth education, and domestic violence activism,” she said in a telephone interview in May. Her husband, Mark, spent fifteen years as a computer programmer and web developer for large state organizations. In 2013, they sat on…
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Poem – Divine Love
A poem for anyone that has ever felt pure love for or from their deities. Love All my life I wondered about Divine love I have been devoted Twice before And felt adoration Awe Terror Humility And yes, a sort of love A connection beyond The mundane I knew I loved I appreciated I was grateful. But love? I didn’t feel it In return Maybe appreciated Maybe thanked or honoured When I followed through On oaths Commitments Daily devotionals But love? I didn’t expect it I didn’t miss it I didn’t yearn for it Because I was already So fulfilled Then you came back Into my life…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Faunus As part of the festival of Lupercalia, held on February 15, the ancient Romans honored Faunus, the god of forests, fields, and plains. One of the oldest Roman deities, he epitomizes the reproductive force intrinsic in the universe. He is the essence of wild male sexual energy and the urgent biological need to procreate. Similar to the Greek god Pan, Faunus is typically depicted as an attractive man from the waist up and a goat from the waist down, with human feet and goat horns. He kept company with similar creatures, known as fauns, in the woodlands. While delicate and humble, they were also…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Anubis Anubis is the Egyptian god of the underworld, of the afterlife, and mummification. He helped judge souls after their death and guided lost souls into the afterlife. While it is generally believed Anubis is the son of Osiris and Nephthys and the product of adultery, this is not confirmed. What is known is he had a daughter known as Kebechet (or Qebehet) with the head of a serpent. A jackal-headed deity, and sometimes with the head of a dog, Anubis is the Greek name for “the guardian of the tombs.” He’s also known as the Lord of the Necropolis. For ancient Egyptians…
