Frau Perchta and Gryla (Chthonia Classic Remastered 8)

Chthonia

#Society #Higher Education #Religion #Podcasting Education #Philosophy #Brigid Burke

39:50

The truth is out West! We’re hopping on the ET Highway and venturing to the most notorious alien hot spots, including Roswell’s infamous crash site, Area 51’s eerie perimeter, and a mysterious desert watchtower. Join us as journalist Laura Krantz, host of the podcast Wild Thing , beams up to share stories from the front lines of UFO reporting—from strange sightings and quirky festivals to a mailbox where people leave letters to extraterrestrials. Maybe you’ll even decide for yourself: Is Earth a tourist stop for spaceships? UFO hot spots you’ll encounter in this episode: - UFO Watchtower (near Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado) - Roswell, New Mexico - Area 51, Nevada - Extraterrestrial Highway (aka State Route 375), Nevada - Little A’Le’Inn, ET Highway, Nevada - E.T. Fresh Jerky, ET Highway, Nevada - Alien Research Center, ET Highway, Nevada - The Black Mailbox, ET Highway, Nevada Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group .…

about a year ago 38:04

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Here is the re-released Frau Perchta and Gryla episode from December 2019. Both figures are part of the folklore of winter hags or "Christmas witches", who often represent the dangers of being unprepared for the winter season.

159 episodes

Frau Perchta and Gryla (Chthonia Classic Remastered 8)

Chthonia

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published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

159 episodes

#Society #Higher Education #Religion #Podcasting Education #Philosophy #Brigid Burke

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Chthonia

1
Helen of Troy: the Dangers of Beauty 46:53

10 days ago46:53

46:53

This week's episode looks at the legendary woman known as Helen of Troy, "the face that launched a thousand ships." The daughter of either Zeus and Leda or Zeus and Nemesis, the desire to possess Helen, dubbed the most beautiful woman in the world, launched the Trojan War. We discuss her abductions by Theseus and Paris, the oath of Tyndareus, and the question of whether or not Helen went with Paris willingly or against her will--and whether Paris seduced the "real" Helen at all.…

Chthonia

1
Atë, the Daimon of Deception 47:13

26 days ago47:13

47:13

This week we look at the Greek daimon Atë, the personification of deception and ruin. Atë is a prominent figure in Homer’s Iliad, and often appears in Greek tragedy as a figure associated with justice, along with Nemesis and the Erinyes. We look at Atë as an irrational force, and how the understanding of her as a daughter of Zeus in the Iliad tells us something about the pitfalls of the rational mind.…

Chthonia

1
Pandora: the Proto-Anima 1:00:49

6 weeks ago1:00:49

1:00:49

This week's podcast looks at Pandora, the first woman described by Hesiod, though her story likely predates his writings. Pandora is a gift to Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, as an act of revenge after Prometheus steals fire from Heaven and gives it to mortals. She carries a pithos (jar) that she is told to never open, but when curiosity strikes, she releases all sorts of ills into the world of humans. We examine the different aspects of this story, including the idea that the coming of woman is an evil, the question of what was actually in Pandora's jar (changed to a box in later translations), her connection to the Earth Mother, and her connection to Psyche, the personified soul.…

Chthonia

1
Eris: Goddess of Discord 50:57

7 weeks ago50:57

50:57

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon/com/chthonia This week we look at Eris, goddess of strife and discord. Hesiod declares that there are 2 Erises, one that is beneficial to humans and one that isn't. There is also the 3rd Eris of the modern "religion" of Discordianism, which highlights to problem of excluding discord from our lives.…

Chthonia

1
Frau Perchta and Gryla (Chthonia Classic Remastered 8) 38:04

9 weeks ago38:04

38:04

Chthonia

1
Enodia: the Hecate of the City 54:50

10 weeks ago54:50

54:50

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week's podcast looks at Enodia, a Thessalian goddess who has attributes of Hecate, Persephone, and Artemis, whose name means "of the street" or "in the road". Part of the dodekatheon (Cult of the 12 Olympians) local to Thessaly, she seems to clearly have a function related to protecting the household, and her own epithets suggest that she is a deity connected to cities rather than rural dwellings. We look at her relationship to the other goddesses she is connected with and visit the question of why protective deities like Enodia seemed to suddenly gain popularity in the late 6th to 5th century BCE.…

Chthonia

1
Nemesis: Daimon of Justice and Moderator of Luck 1:05:33

12 weeks ago1:05:33

1:05:33

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/c/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week's podcast looks at Nemesis, a daimon goddess said to come from Nyx (Night) alone by Hesiod, and associated with the distribution of fairness as well as envy and revenge. We look at the origin stories of Nemesis, the story of her as the mother of Helen of Troy, and her connection via Helen to the Trojan War. We look at other stories of her retribution, and the necessity of her influence in human affairs. Lastly, we touch on the recent revival of discussions of "Planet X", which according to one hypothesis began as a companion star to the Sun, and referred to as "Nemesis" in the original theory.…

Chthonia

1
The Wrath of Artemis (Chthonia Classic Remastered 7) 49:04

12 weeks ago49:04

49:04

This remastered episode looks at the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis. In particular we examine the dangerous aspects of Artemis, including the threat she posed to young women about to enter adulthood, and as a plague bringer along with her brother Apollo.

Chthonia

1
Lua Saturni: Rome's Ineffable Secret 1:04:47

13 weeks ago1:04:47

1:04:47

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week's podcast takes a deep dive into the figure of Lua, sometimes called Lua Mater, other times called Lua Saturni. Victorious Roman soldiers sacrificed the weapons of their conquered enemies to Lua, which is the only thing known about her as a cult figure. However she has many connections--to both Saturn and Mars, to the goddess Ops and her consort Consus, to the goddess Angerona, and a little known Roman deity called Robigus. We look at these connections, the idea of Saturn as the "Black Sun" and the "Star of the Sun", and the Electric Universe Theory.…

Chthonia

1
Medusa (Chthonia Classic Remastered 6) 53:33

15 weeks ago53:33

53:33

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org Here is the re-edited Medusa episode; the original episode was very quiet, so hopefully the amplifications do not end up being too loud! This episode looks at the stories of the Gorgon, with some discussion of her sisters, and the various tales of her relationship with Poseidon, her falling out with Athena, and her beheading by Perseus. No content has been changed from the 2019 episode.…

Chthonia

1
Serapis: Hades Meets Sol Invictus 1:03:36

16 weeks ago1:03:36

1:03:36

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org Books: https://chthonia.net/publications This week's episode is on Serapis, a Graeco-Egyptian deity promoted by Ptolemy I Soter (Macedonian general who became ruler of Egypt) around the 200s BCE. Serapis is a male deity that combines elements of Hades/Pluto, Dionysus, Osiris, Apis, and Helios--and may have some connections to the Jesus myth. We certainly see how Emperor worship becomes folded into the mythology of this period, and its later influence on Christianity. As our current society is going through upheavals and changes in its worldviews, it is worth considering a syncretic deity that was worshipped at another time of upheaval.…

Chthonia

1
The Hanging Virgins (Chthonia Classic Remastered 5) 41:52

16 weeks ago41:52

41:52

*Look for current podcast information at https://chthonia.net This is the re-edit of the 2019 podcast episode on the mythological stories of the Hanging Virgins. This centers around the myths of Erigone, Carya, and other girls who die by their own hand in the manner implied by the title, either because their father passes away and no one can arrange their marriage, or their parents do not approve of their marriage choice, among other reasons. There are some curious rites and songs around this danger. To read more about these stories, see: Iles-Johnston, Sarah. Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece. University of California Press, 1999. pp. 219-249.…

Chthonia

1
Hecate Part 2 (Classic Chthonia Remastered 4) 47:07

17 weeks ago47:07

47:07

Here is Part 2 of the podcast I did on Hecate in 2019. This episode focused more on Hekate Soteria, the Middle Platonic Hekate that was connected to the Moon and considered an intermediary for souls. It was also this version of Hekate that was "separated" from the Queen of Ghosts and Witches, who was called Physis by the philosophers, and associated with the world under the Earth. This was an audio cleanup and still has the original theme music and ending. For current information on Chthonia, visit https://chthonia.net.…

Chthonia

1
Pope Joan: the Controversial Legend 1:00:09

18 weeks ago1:00:09

1:00:09

Website: https://chthonia.net Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chthonia--4909143 Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week we look at Pope Joan, who is alleged to have served as the only female Pope either in the 9th century or the 11th century. We look at the facts, how scholars think her legend started, inconsistencies in the legend, and the Church's reaction to the idea of a Papess. If Joan existed, she was much smarter than her male contemporaries, secular and religious. So was her legend started as an anti-Pope narrative, is it supposed to be a critique of the various "Pope Johns" of the medieval period, or could there be some truth to the story?…

Chthonia

1
Persephone (Classic Chthonia Remastered 3) 43:15

18 weeks ago43:15

43:15

Here is the original 2019 episode on Persephone, Queen of the Underworld with cleaned up sound editing. The original theme music and original infomation from 2019 still remain in this episode; current information about the podcast and Chthonia in general is at https://chthonia.net

Chthonia

1
Joan of Arc: the Unexpected Saint 1:06:51

20 weeks ago1:06:51

1:06:51

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org Happy new year! Our first podcast of 2025 looks at Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne D'Arc, and La Pucelle (the Maid). We discuss Joan's short life, having been burned at the stake at the age of 19 after being victorious in pushing the English out of France in the Hundred Years' War, and installing Charles VII on the throne. We focus on three things: her visions of Michael the Archangel, St. Margaret of Antioch and St. Catherine of Alexandria; the heresy charges leveled against her for wearing male attire; and finally the question that plagued me as I recorded this--who exactly WAS Joan that she would be sought out for this mission?…

Chthonia

1
La Befana: the Italian Christmas Witch 55:46

22 weeks ago55:46

55:46

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org The last podcast of 2024 focuses on the grandmotherly figure of La Befana, a witch who appears on Epiphany Eve to bring gifts (or coal) and to sweep the house. Children may not look at her without suffering consequences. The origins of La Befana may lie in an Etruscan/Sabine goddess, and the paradoxical nature and perception of this witch figure may tell us something about the uneasy relationship of a patriarchal world with Nature.…

Chthonia

1
The Loireag: the Weaving and Singing Fairy 51:16

24 weeks ago51:16

51:16

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week we look at the Loireag, a "plaintative" tiny fairy associated with the traditional process of spinning and weaving cloth. The Loireag is considered to be a water spirit in the folklore of the Hebrides, as well as a spinster, making her full of apparent paradoxes when it comes to her associations as a feminine force. We look at the folklore that exists surrounding the Loireag, which also deals with singing, and the mythology of weaving and what it might represent.…

Chthonia

1
Tlazolteotl: Goddess of Filth and Purification 1:05:57

26 weeks ago1:05:57

1:05:57

This week’s subject is Tlazolteotl, the Aztec goddess of filth, lust, and patroness of adulterers. Tlazolteotl is both the disease and the cure, being a goddess of debauchery, but also the one who can purify you from debauchery. We look at the idea of “Holy S**t”, how excrement was viewed as a divine and healing substance, and how this idea compares in other cultures. We also discuss how “filth” ends up being connected with the Feminine, and how this can affect our ideas abuot sex and sensual pleasure.…

Chthonia

1
Selkies: the Mystery of the Anima 51:40

28 weeks ago51:40

51:40

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org In this week's episode we look at the seal women of fairy lore, the Selkies. Selkies are beautiful fairies who take off their sealskin to dance by the water. In the stories, a fisherman will see them and steal their sealskin so that they cannot return home. The Selkie is then compelled to be the wife of the fisherman, until she is able to find out where her sealskin is hidden, at which point she retrieves it and returns home again. This story is reflective of the traditional male relationship to the Anima, and how he can never truly possess her by conquering her.…

Chthonia

1
Hecate Part 1 (Classic Chthonia Remastered 2) 54:26

29 weeks ago54:26

54:26

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org Fans of the 2019 episodes--I am slowly, slowly working my way through re-editing these episodes. In this episode we look at the origins of Hecate from an academic standpoint, including Hesiod's lavish praise of her in the Theogony, and her role as keeper of the keys and a protective gatekeeper.…

Chthonia

1
Storm Hags of the North: The Dangers of Birth and Rebirth 56:01

30 weeks ago56:01

56:01

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ ISFM: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week's episode looks at the folkloric storm hags of Ireland, Scotland, and Lake Erie in the United States. While hag and witch figures often represent forces of nature, the Storm Hag represents a unique danger that comes at the end of winter--the fragile state of birth and rebirth.…

Chthonia

1
Nure-onna: the Female Trickster Yokai 53:31

32 weeks ago53:31

53:31

This week we look at Nure-onna, a Yokai who preys on men who try to help or rescue an apparent woman and child in need. We look beyond any social explanations of the story, to explore the realities of nature and natural forces.

Chthonia

1
Queen of Elphame: Illusions of Space and Time 1:10:06

34 weeks ago1:10:06

1:10:06

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week we look at the "Quene of Elfame", the later popular spelling being "Queen of Elphame," or the queen of the land of fairies. But what is "Elphame"--is it a kind of pagan paradise between Heaven and Hell, an interdimensional space under the sidhe (mounds) of Ireland, or a beautiful illusion created by fairy beings--or something else? And what do we mean by the term "fairy"? We look at the appearance of the term Queen of Elphame in witch trial documents, in poetry, and its use by imaginative historians of paganism. We do take a little bit of a side turn into witchcraft history and the confusions created by Robert Graves, who is responsible for our common associations with the name.…

Chthonia

1
Nicnevin: Scottish Hecate? 57:06

36 weeks ago57:06

57:06

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org This week's episode is about Nicnevin, a Scottish witch queen whose is first named in a poetic flyting (comedic poetry battle) written by Alexander Montgomerie in 1585. She is described as a fairy queen, a witch queen, a terrifying hag,the Scottish Hecate, a goddess, and/or the name of a witch burned at the stake. We examine the stories of Nicnevin and her associations; is she an ancient witch queen, or a literary invention?…

Chthonia

1
Lilith (Classic Chthonia Remastered #1) 47:57

36 weeks ago47:57

47:57

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ School: https://instituteforfemininemyth.org The old episodes are finally coming back! The sound editing issues that plagued the first year of Chthonia (2019) are being fixed, with the help of Jesse Pollack of 1289 Productions. In this episode we look at Lilith, said to be the first wife of Adam who abandoned him when he insisted she be subordinate to him rather than his equal. Lilith has a reputation as a demon, a succubus, and an Infernal Queen; she has also become a symbol of female rebellion and empowerment. This is a quintessential study in the Dark Feminine that is still relevant 5 years after it was originally recorded.…

Chthonia

1
Dearg Due: Female Sovereignty vs Family Expectation 48:47

38 weeks ago48:47

48:47

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ GoFundMe for Institute for the Study of Feminine Myth: https://gofund.me/5e24b8ec This week we look at the Waterford (Ireland) vampire, the Dearg Due. Unlike some other folkloric vampires, this one has its origins in a story about a forced marriage, star crossed lovers, and abuse of the feminine by a father and a husband. When we look at all the elements of the story, we end up with a story about the dangers of denying female sovereignty rather than a didactic tale about women who want to marry below their social station.…

Chthonia

1
Leviathan: Vilified Terror of the Deep 1:00:56

40 weeks ago1:00:56

1:00:56

Website: https://chthonia.net Books: https://chthonia.net/publications Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia This week we look at Leviathan, the deep sea monster/demon that is characterized as feminine by Enoch, though we are told by other sources that there was a male and female Leviathan, and that the female was slain to be preserved as a feast for the righteous when the Messiah comes. What exactly is the Leviathan? I argue that comparative myths support the idea of a feminine Leviathan, and why the Christian conception of Leviathan as a devil/demon to be "cast into the abyss forever" makes no sense.…

Chthonia

1
Jezebel: the Wicked Queen Archetype 1:13:21

42 weeks ago1:13:21

1:13:21

Website: https://chthonia.net Books: https://chthonia.net/publications Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia This week we look at Jezebel, Phoenician bride of King Ahab of Israel. Jezebel is the foreign queen in Samaria who brought Baal worship back to Israel, persecuting prophets of Yahweh, and the enemy of the prophet Elijah. The name "Jezebel" has been associated with wickedness, vanity, and excessive female pride, and is connected to many "wicked queen" characters in folklore and literature. But who was Jezebel really, and does she deserve her reputation? Was she truly evil, or was she no different from many other sovereigns?…

Chthonia

1
The Sirens: Tragic Figures of Feminine Seduction 1:01:56

44 weeks ago1:01:56

1:01:56

Website: https://chthonia.net Publications: https://chthonia.net/publications Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ This week's episode looks at the Sirens, bird-monsters with female heads (later represented as mermaids) whose song leads sailors to shipwreck and starvation. They are usually considered to be children of the Muses (Terpsichore or Melpomene), and the handmaidens of Persephone, who are either given bird wings to help in Demeter's search or to punish them for neglect at her abduction. Our modern use of the term "Siren" usually indicates a woman who leads a married man astray. What do we understand about the psychology of love and seduction from the stories of the Sirens?…

Chthonia

1
Durga: Creator and Destroyer of Difficulties 47:05

46 weeks ago47:05

47:05

Website: https://chthonia.net Publications: https://chthonia.net/publications Merch: https://https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia This week, we take a look at Goddess Durga. It is strange that I have covered almost every other major Shakti figure on this podcast, but have not done an episode on the star of the Devi Mahatmayam, Durga herself. Beholden to no one, Durga is a warrior called in when she is invited to battle the draining forces of greed and power. We look at the paradox of a goddess who represents both the causes of our violent and angry impulses and also the remedy to those same impulses.…

Chthonia

1
The Banshee: The Magic of Ancient Lamentations 1:07:21

48 weeks ago1:07:21

1:07:21

Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Social media: chthoniapodcast (IG, X, and YouTube), Chthonia Podcast (FB) This week's podcast looks at the Banshee, a Celtic/Gaelic female phantom fairy figure that is heard and sometimes seen weeping and wailing to portend the death of a member of an ancient Irish family. Is the Banshee an omen, a guardian spirit, or both? We look at the elements of Banshee lore and the art of keening and lamenting at funerals, comparing Irish funerary practice to that of ancient Greece.…

Chthonia

1
Sheela Na Gig: Symbol of Fertility or a Warning? 1:00:45

50 weeks ago1:00:45

1:00:45

Website: https://chthonia.net Buy Project Lethe and other books at https://chthonia.net/publications Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Social media: chthoniapodcast (IG, YouTube, X), Chthonia Podcast (FB) This week we look at the architectural grotesque figure known as the Sheela Na Gig. No one really knows why they were placed on churches, castles, and other secular buildings, but academics have many theories. They seem to originate on the European continent, with later appearances in Ireland and the UK. The lewd image recalls Greek portrayals of Baubo, and the key to understanding these figures might lie in the power of anasyrma (skirt-lifting) to avert evil. But no one really knows!…

Chthonia

1
The Harpies: Chthonic Heralds of Famine 58:07

52 weeks ago58:07

58:07

In this week's episode we discuss the Harpies, creatures with the head of a woman and the body of a monstrous bird that represent storm winds. This episode was created in the wake of a huge storm that knocked my power out for 2 days, so there's discussion of the impact of storms, unpredictability, and sudden change. The name refers to "snatching", and in the myths this refers to the snatching of food, of children--and of souls. Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Merch: https://chthoniapodcast.creator-spring.com/ Social media: chthoniapodcast…

Chthonia

1
La Llorona: Wailing Women and Betrayal of the Feminine 58:24

1 year ago58:24

58:24

This week we look at the Mexican folkloric figure of La Llorona, the wailing woman eternally searching for her dead children. She is generally seen as a dangerous figure who is alternately a child stealer, someone seducing men to their deaths, or an omen of death. While the image of La Llorona may have its roots in Aztec myth, her story is very much a variant of the European "White Lady" narrative. We explore similarities to myths about the Sirens, the Banshee, the Lamia, and even Macha of Ulster. We also look at keening or wailing as a funerary art. Ultimately the various stories of La Llorona represent a betrayal or misuse of primal Feminine power. Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Social media: chthoniapodcast (X, IG, and YouTube), Chthonia Podcast (FB)…

Chthonia

1
Agdistis: the Root of Masculine and Feminine Separation 1:06:57

1 year ago1:06:57

1:06:57

This week's topic is a loaded one! Agdistis is a Phrygian hermaphroditic daimon that is so powerful the gods fear them, and Agdistis is castrated and becomes female only, with the discarded member becoming either an almond or pomegranate tree. This myth and it's related ones (Myrrha/Adonis/Aphrodite, Gaia/Ouranos/Kronos) give us a lot of insight into why the uniting of Masculine and Feminine is considered so threatening, our culture feels the need to enforce the separation of the sexes biologically and psychologically. We also look at Agdistis' connection to Kybele, the origin of the term "hermaphrodite," and the theme of Masculine and Feminine merging as Sky and Earth.…

Chthonia

1
Queen Medb (Maeve): the Threat of Female Sovereignty 1:09:38

1 year ago1:09:38

1:09:38

In this week's episode we look at Queen Medb of Connacht in Ireland, who was legendary for her seductive power, her warlike nature, and her political power among the High Kings. Notorious for having several lovers in addition to whoever was her current husband, Medb was a kingmaker and a heromaker. Her desire to have wealth equal to her husband drove her to the destructive Cattle Raid of Cúailnge (Cooley), and she is frequently portrayed as as manipulative and promiscuous in medieval literature. We take a particular look at the question of whether Medb was a sovereignty goddess or a real legendary queen, her hatred of her first husband Conchobar mac Nessa, ancient Irish rites of sovereignty, and her connection to the trio of goddesses called Morrigan.…

Chthonia

1
The Fates: Moirai, Keres, Norns, and Spirits of Destiny 1:01:47

1 year ago1:01:47

1:01:47

Check out the Divine Feminine App! Click at the link below to view and register for free, or download the app on your phone. https://thedfapp.com/v2/dashboard#a_aid=Chthonia Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Social media: chthoniapodcast (IG, X, and YouTube), Chthonia Podcast (FB) As March closes out, we look at the idea of Fate. In mythology Fate is often represented as three women who spin the thread of life, measure it, and then cut it at the time of death. This podcast is an overview of the subject, looking at the relationship between fate and free will, the function of time and reason with regard to fate, and specific mythologies of Fate including the Greek Moirai, the Keres (Spirits of Doom and Violent Death) and the Nordic Norns.…

Chthonia

1
Julian of Norwich: God the Mother Theology 53:37

1 year ago53:37

53:37

Check out the Divine Feminine App! Click at the link below to view and register for free, or download the app on your phone. https://thedfapp.com/v2/dashboard#a_aid=Chthonia Website: https://chthonia.net Patreon: https://patreon.com/chthonia Social media: chthoniapodcast (IG, X, and YouTube), Chthonia Podcast (FB) This week we look at the final entry for now in the Female Christian Mystics series, the medieval anchorite Julian of Norwich. We don't know if her actual name was Julian, or very much else about her personal life. Some scholars believe that she wasn't even a nun, but a widowed mother who lost her family during the Great Plague and subsequently took anchorite vows. What we have is her book of Sixteen Divine Revelations, in which she describes sixteen visions of Christ that she had over two days. In this book and a subsequent interpretation, she lays out a mystical theology of Christ as Mother, and a theology of divine Love in the Via Negativa tradition of mysticism that challenges the theology of a broken creation that needs fixing.…

Chthonia

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Hildegard of Bingen: Doctrine of the Divine Feminine in Nature 59:49

1 year ago59:49

59:49

Check out the Divine Feminine App! https://thedfapp.com/v2/dashboard#a_aid=Chthonia This week we continue the series on Female Christian Mystics with the polymath saint Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard began having spiritual visions at age 3, and was in a convent by age 8, where she was taught to read and write in Latin. She was an acclaimed mystic, philosopher, botanist, natural healer, and musician. She invented her own language and alphabet called Lingua Ignota. Hildegard's mystical revelations included the idea that nature was not imperfect, but a manifestation of God as Divine Feminine in our world. She was urged to write down her visions, though she also conveyed her experience through music, believing that celestial song existed "before Eden". We look at the traits of this remarkable medieval woman, her fierce independence with respect to Church authorities, and what her experiences say about female mystical experiences. Links: Music (chant with Lingua Ignota) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua4C2mzWfNQ Lingua Ignota: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_ignota…

Chthonia

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Whats War Got to Do With It? : Love Goddesses and the Dark Feminine 1:13:40

1 year ago1:13:40

1:13:40

In honor of Valentine's Day this past week, this podcast takes a look at 4 goddesses of love and desire: Aphrodite, Ishtar, Freya, and Rati. Love goddesses are often war goddesses as well, or at least have strong connections to war--why is that the case? We look at different ideas about love, marriage, and relationship, and examine how the rati-yuddha (love battle) is just as much a part of romantic relationships as the more pleasant associations.…

Chthonia

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Brigid: Fiery Goddess of the Celts 1:02:01

1 year ago1:02:01

1:02:01

In this week's podcast we look at my namesake, the goddess Brigid, as we have just passed Imbolc (also known as Brigid's Day). This episode focuses on the goddess rather than the saint, though there are obvious crossovers between the two. Brigid is portrayed as a triple goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing,and is seen as a fire goddess. In the medieval Irish literature she is portrayed as the wife of the half-Fomorian Bres, and brings the art of keening to Ireland while mourning her son at the second battle of Maige Tuired (Moytura). Brigid is a goddess of Spring, but also has strong connections to warfare, and has a lot in common with her sister (or mother?) goddess, the Morrigan.…

Chthonia

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Catherine of Siena: a Mystical Union of Flesh 55:25

1 year ago55:25

55:25

This week we continue our series on Christian female mystics with a look at St. Catherine of Siena. St. Catherine is an incredibly complex figure, who at once represents the Christian feminine ideal of the Virgin, while also defining her mystical "marriage" in rather shockingly embodied terms. We also look at the way in which she uses fasting as a way of maintaining her own personal sovereignty, and the surprising political and religious power that she wielded as a member of the religious laity.…

Chthonia

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Teresa of Avila: the Dangerous Ecstasy of Divine Union 1:06:12

1 year ago1:06:12

1:06:12

Happy 2024! We start off the new year with the first podcast in the Female Christian Mystics series by looking at St. Teresa of Jesus, better known as Teresa of Avila. Teresa died in 1582 and was canonized a saint in 1622; she was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. Teresa was a celibate nun, but had a deep erotic current that ran through her external and internal life, making her unintentionally a kind of Tantric saint. She is particularly remembered for a mystical event known as the transverberation, immortalized in art by Bernini as "the Ecstasy of St. Teresa." We look at Teresa's very unconventional life, the threatening combination of mystical experience and poverty, and that experience discussed in the Fourth Dwelling of her book The Interior Castle known as "The Prayer of Quiet."…

Chthonia

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Despoina: Mistress of the Eleusian Mysteries 58:17

1 year ago58:17