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Teachings of the Mythic Past
Fairies and Plants in Slavic Folklore and Spirituality The ancient Slavs worshiped and believed in a broad range of magical creatures found in nature, and various perspectives on the male and feminine facets of divinity. Folktales from all across the world contain fantastical beings that sometimes resemble people and animals, and sometimes both simultaneously. Folklore holds the key to the numerous stories of giants, people, fairies, animals, and so on. We have referred to these stories as “fairy tales” for generations due to the relevance of these widely known and popular creatures. These beings are sometimes referred to as fairies, faeries, fey, or fae in modern English. In Slavic folklore,…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Heather Heather or ling, Calluna vulgaris, is a short, evergreen, bushy shrub with stalks of tiny purple, pink or white flowers, prolific on moorland or heathland. It’s native to Europe but has been introduced to many countries across the world. It often indicates areas of deforestation, where trees have not been allowed to grow back, so the heather and other shorter plants take over. I asked my three-year-old which plant I should explore for this month, and she said, “A pink one!”. After some pondering, I showed her some pictures of pink, purple, and white heather stretching across the moors, and she was delighted. So,…
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New Faery Story – The Land of Cassari
The Land of Cassari by Kelpie Sunpearl HI EVERYONE! MY NAME IS KELPIE SUNPEARL! Oh, oops.. hehe. Sorry for the shouting, I’m just reallllly excited that I get to tell all of you about my homeland of Cassari! A nice lady by the name of Miss Jennifer asked my human friend Cyndi Pilcher if she knew anyone that wanted to tell all the humans all about Cassari! So, she suggested ME, and sent a message to me. Let me tell you how STUNNED I was first of all. I mean of ALLL the Fae she could have chosen, she chose me!? Instead of Orchid or Petunia or even Lady…
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Book Review – Demons and Spirits of the Land: Ancestral Lore and Practices by Claude Lecouteux, Translated by Jon E. Graham
Book Review Demons and Spirits of the Land Ancestral Lore and Practices by Claude Lecouteux Translated by Jon E. Graham 212 Pages In Demons and Spirits of the Land: Ancestral Lore and Practices, Claude Lecouteux has written a fascinating and well-resourced exploration of pre-Christian Europe’s relationship with the spirits of the land. The writing is academic in nature, with many quotations from and cites to original sources deftly weaving centuries of cross-cultural traditions from Northern and Western European. Lecouteux describes the practices by which humans first respected the spirits of natural places, then colonized and “civilized” those places, changing their relationship with the local beings. With numerous references…
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Celebrating The Old Ways In New Times
Celebrating The Old Ways In New Times for April 2020 Bright Blessings! Before we know it, Beltane will be upon us, and many will be going to gatherings where Maypole is danced, and emphasis on sexuality, and the union of the Mother Goddess and Father God are celebrated. Talk about fertility, union, and all things about growth will abound! I’ve gone to multiple celebrations, all of which often have a focus on the union of things to reproduce. But the older I get, and the more people I meet, the more I realize, THIS, in particular does not apply to all people… Now, sure, we all celebrate the…