Psychopomps: Tour Guides to the Afterlife
Psychopomps — beings who guide the soul to the afterlife — have long been part of mythology and folklore, ranging from Hermes to Anubis to birds, bees and even children’s story characters.
On Gnomes: From Alchemical Theory to a Fairy Tale Staple
Gnomes trace their origins back through alchemical theory to Greek and Roman mythology.
Snow Queens and Winter Witches from Around the World
Through myth, fairy tale and legend, powerful women are depicted as dark, cruel and calculating, and they are often naturally associated with winter – a season where all warmth withdraws, and the land is covered with snow and ice, and life is no more than a battle of survival against the elements.
Pan: Arcadian Myth, Victorian Panic
While Pan’s goat-like appearance makes him one of the most recognizable of the Greek gods, ambivalence surrounding the figure makes him harder to pin down.
Tree Folklore: Birch, the Lady of the Wood
The birch has a particularly graceful, flowing habit that always reminds me of a stream of water, extending right to the tips of its delicate black twigs in a shower of leafy droplets that tremble, suspended, in their fall.