White Rose of Avalon

Magic

  • Lady of the Lake

    Within the Arthurian Legends there is the faerie woman known as the Lady of the Lake.    She is keeper of Excalibur, and the protectress of Avalon.    In some tales Lady of the Lake is the title given to the head of the nine sisters who practice magic on the Isle of Avalon.   …

  • La Belle et la Bete

    The old French fairytale of Beauty and the Beast is famous for its depictions of love breaking a curse.    This is a common theme amongst romantic fairytales.    In the tale a young woman goes willingly into a Beast’s castle in order to save her father, who has been imprisoned within.   He has…

  • Rhiannon: Faerie Queen

    Rhiannon was a horse goddess in ancient Wales.    This Celtic goddess had her story told in the Mabinogion.   Besides horses Rhiannon also has three songbirds that are symbols of her power.    Rhiannon seems to be related to the ancient Gallo-Roman horse goddess Epona, and a derivative, possibly of the earlier Celtic goddess…

  • The Faerie Melusine

    The legend of the faerie Melusine has its roots in medieval France.    There are also German versions of the tale where she was called Melusina.   French tradition links Melusine with noble houses, and some medieval royals and nobles claimed decent from this faerie woman. The story of Melusine is one of a faerie…

  • Apple Symbolism

    Apple Symbolism

    The symbolism of apples runs rife in legends, folklore, fairytales, and myths.   For thousands of years apples have been seen as the fruit of knowledge, and as a symbol of protection.   If you cut an apple in half horizontally you see the secret within, the seeds of the apple form the shape of…

  • Nostradamus: Court Seer of France

    In sixteenth century France there lived a great magician named Nostradamus.    We have all heard the name, and you can even read his predictions in books.   The truth is he really did live at the Royal Court of France in the sixteenth century during the reign of Henri II and Catherine de Medici.…

  • Vita Merlini

    The life of the wizard Merlin has been a matter of interest to legions of people for over fifteen hundred years.   He was the magician who played an important part in the legends of Arthur and the knights of the roundtable.     It was his magic that allowed Uther Pendragon to bed Igraine…