Phoenix Rising From the Ashes
Origin of This Myth The phoenix is one of the oldest mythological symbols we have, and its origins are genuinely tangled across cultures. The deepest roots appear to lie in ancient Egypt, where the Bennu—a large sacred heron associated with the sun god Ra—was venerated at Heliopolis as a symbol of resurrection and the soul’s […]
The Myth of Sisyphus
Sisyphus was a king of Corinth, legendary for his cunning—so clever and deceitful that he cheated death itself, twice. The first time, he tricked Thanatos, the god of death, into chaining himself up, so that no mortal could die until Ares intervened and freed him. The second time, Sisyphus talked his way back from the […]
The Myth of Amor and Psyche
Psyche is a mortal woman of such extraordinary beauty that the goddess Aphrodite grows jealous and sends her son Eros (Amor) to make Psyche fall in love with something unworthy. Instead, Eros falls in love with Psyche himself and arranges for her to live in an enchanted palace, visited by him only in darkness—she is […]
Braiding Sweetgrass
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer weaves together Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge to reveal what plants have to teach us. Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, brings her dual perspective as scientist and Indigenous knowledge holder to explore the gifts of […]
The Story of Jumping Mouse
A mouse lives in a burrow with his family, but is not satisfied with his life. He yearns to know the meaning of life beyond his burrow, and so embarks on a journey to the far-off Sacred Mountains, where he believes he will find his answer. On his journey, Jumping Mouse encounters animals who offer […]
Yemaya
The story of Yemaya begins with the supreme creator, Olodumare, who tasked her with creating the world’s oceans. Yemaya poured her essence and energy into the waters, giving birth to countless sea creatures and shaping the shores. As the goddess of the ocean, Yemaya has many facets to her personality. She can be nurturing and […]
Inanna
In the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk lived Inanna, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and political power—captivating and formidable, worshipped by all who knew her name. Yet even one so powerful felt called to journey where she had never been: to the Underworld, realm of darkness ruled by her sister Ereshkigal. Before descending, Inanna […]
Descent to the Goddess: A Way of Initiation for Women
Descent to the Goddess: A Way of Initiation for Women by Sylvia Brinton Perera is a highly original and provocative exploration of women’s freedom and the need for an inner, female authority in a masculine-oriented society. Combining ancient texts and modern dreams, Perera—a practicing therapist—presents a way of feminine initiation through the Sumerian myth of […]
The Hopi Elders Prophecy
“We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For” is a text frequently called “The Hopi Elders Prophecy,” widely attributed to a gathering of Hopi elders on June 8, 2000, at Oraibi, Arizona, though some sources indicate it was published earlier in New Age magazines in the early 1990s and may appear in The Seventh Generation: […]