Goddess Vesta’s Enigmatic Thyrsus
By Phoenix the Elder – Vesta is the Roman Goddess of the Hearth Fire and one of the most ancient of the Roman deities, and her cult goes back to the 7th century BCE. The tradition of the cult was instituted by Numa Pompilius. The cult of Vesta was in the hands of the Vesta […]
Elements of Myth – Lunar Flares entering Luminous Phenomena
The Fable and the Myth. Careful discrimination must be made between fable and myth. A fable is a story like the Fox and the Grapes, in which characters and plot, neither pretending to reality nor demanding credence, are fabricated confessedly as the vehicle of moral or didactic instruction. Dr. Johnson narrows still further the scope of the […]
Vesta Goddess of Fire and Vulcan God of Fire
By Phoenix of Elder Mountain – This article contains two fire deities, the first, Vesta, Goddess of Fire, and Vulcan, the God of Fire. I ran across the word Velnias which led me to the first two Vestal Virgins. According to James and Dillon, two Vestals were chosen to tend to the first Sacred Hearth […]
Raven, Crow and Magpie Messengers and Totems
By Phoenix of Elder Mountain – As a dreamer I have a relationship to crow, raven and magpie through both my totem work over the last forty years and my own animism souls (that have been attained now) as an Elder. Ravens and Crows like the Jackdaw, are all cousins, and are powerful messengers of the […]
She Wolves of Midwinter, Slavic & Balkan Animism in the traditions of a Shaman (part 1/2)
By Phoenix the Elder – I begin with the Romanian traditions as an ancient Wolf Clan people. The Balkan Romanian, Serbian and Slavic traditions such as Poland and Russia also wolf clan people and this includes the more divine aspect of woman and her life, which were part of our shamanic understandings in the first […]
Voices that Breathe
Vanquishing means to conquer or subdue by superior force, as in battle, control or slavery. This video is about how the wise Grandmother who was once great leader, chief, shaman and leader of ceremonial rites of early pagan and pre-pagan worlds. Not all grandmothers bought this suppression to be vanquished. Try to understand that fairytales […]
Romanian Iele & Sânziană
The Iele are mythical young women (their soul and spirit) in Romania and there are several differing descriptions in mythology. Often they are described as Fairies (Zane in Romanian), with great seductive powers or charming abilities. They have great magical skills and attributes are similar to the ancient Greek Nymphs, Naiads and Dryads which means […]
Dreaming of Fire and the Fire Goddess Pt 2
By Phoenix of Elder Mountain – Part 1: Dreaming of Fire and the Fire Goddess is here. The great mystery is understood through a journey of self-healing, through karmic detoxing, abstinence, spiritual disciplines, sobriety, and applying new action to old issues and behaviors. This creates a new and slow process of change. Most important is compassion […]