White Rose of Avalon

Myth

  • Sacred Objects to the Goddess Aphrodite

    Today I would like to look at sacred objects to goddesses!   In particular I will be focusing on sacred objects to Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty.  Aphrodite had two origin stories, either she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione, or she was born of sea foam.    The sea foam birth,…

  • Adonis: Lover of Goddesses

    Today I would like to talk about the Greek myth of Adonis.     He was a very beautiful young man who gained the attention of Aphrodite.   Eventually he was killed, and this is actually the story of the invention of the red rose.    When Adonis was killed Aphrodite pricked her finger on…

  • Priestesses of Aphrodite

    For today’s post I would like to take a brief look at what it meant to be a priestess to love goddesses in the ancient world!   In ancient Greece and Rome, priestesses in honor of Aphrodite and Venus (respectively) were a bit unlike those honoring other Greco-Roman goddesses.   Priestesses of Aphrodite-Venus were vessels…

  • The White Goddess

    The book The White Goddess by Robert Graves is considered one of the most influential books in modern Goddess worship.   It was even influential to men who created modern forms of paganism.    The book got its day in the sun in the 1960s among the counterculture.    It is also a very controversial…

  • Ancestral Mythology

    The concept of ancestral mythology is a very intriguing one.   This is the mythology that our physical ancestors would have believed in.   We each have a deeper connection to the myths and folktales of our own ancestors than to those of other cultures.   This makes for an innate feeling of interest (for…

  • Orpheus and Eurydice

    The tragic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice is one of the great romantic myths of the Greco-Roman pantheon.   Orpheus was the best musician of the ancient world.  He was gifted his lyre by Apollo himself!   When Orpheus fell in love and married Eurydice their happiness was short lived. Eurydice would die not long…

  • Lamia

    Lamia was a queen in ancient Greece who had an affair with Zeus, and was cursed by Hera.    Hera turned her into a half serpent woman.   Part of the curse included that Lamia killed her own children, and was tormented by this knowledge evermore! Lamia is also a species of monster that is…

  • Cupid and Psyche

    The myth of Cupid and Psyche is a romantic tale that tells the story of the love god Cupid and the beautiful princess Psyche!   Cupid had gone on a mission by his mother Venus to kill Psyche because it was said that her beauty rivaled that of Venus herself.   Venus burned with jealousy…

  • Dionysus in Other Cultures

    Given Dionysus’ reputation as a wanderer, it is not surprising that he as seen as a cross cultural deity in a way that few are.   Dionysus also has several similar deities in other cultures. Dionysus was said to have traveled through Egypt, and India, and to have engaged in a war with the Amazons. …

  • Maenads in 21st Century Pop Culture

    For any fan of the HBO television show True Blood there is no surprise that today I am going to focus on Maryann from season two.   The second season of True Blood has long been a favorite of mine due to the way they handled the maenad storyline! The books that the television show…