Orpheus- The Father of Songs

Being a musician and bard, I fancy all things musical and lyrical.

My topic today is to look at the tale of Orpheus. There are many stories, some conflicting (as doth happen in folklore and Mythology), these are the ones I like best.

The Greeks considered Orpheus to be the Greatest of all Poets & Musicians. It is said that he was the son of the God, Apollo and the daughter of the Muse of Epic Poetry, Calliope. The gifts of his parents at his birth were: a golden lyre and the ability to play it- from his father, Apollo and from his mother, the gift of being able to create lyrics and verse. Orpheus made his way with money earned as a Wizard and a Musician and courted for himself, Thalia, the Laughing Muse of Comedy.

Surely, with lineage such as this, I have to research him a bit in my quest for knowledge on these topics!

A magickal tale it is! One of Invention, Enchantment, Melody, Muse and Inspiration with a bonus of a wild Greek tragedy ending!

While Hermes may have invented the lyre (see my earlier post on Hermes) it was Orpheus who made it perfect. He could charm wild animals and birds and even make the rocks and trees dance!

How wondrous! Jason and the Argonauts were even saved by Orpheus on their voyage. Unlike Odysseus and his men who fell prey to the Sirens, Orpheus heard the Sirens calls of entrancing lure and played his lyre LOUDER and drowned out the Sirens. ( Like Nigel Tufnel says in "Spinal Tap": "this knob goes to 11..and that's one louder, isn't it?" :)

One day Orpheus's wife Eurydice, was confronted by a Satyr (I'm thinking in a an overtly sexual way, as...well.... that's how Satyrs roll...) and to avoid the rape, Eurydice unfortunately fell into a pit of vipers (how symbolic) and was bitten and died. Orpheus went to the Underworld to win her back. He is the only mortal to have gone into the Underworld and come back alive. His music so charmed Hades and Persephone that he was given his wife back and told that they should proceed to the surface. IF Orpheus was able to emerge to the top surface WITHOUT looking back at his wife, she would be free and alive again. He led her home and to a new rebirth.

 Of course, he was so excited when he saw the sunshine and their destination, he looked back to make sure that she was still with him at the last minute... and lost her forever.

The last tale is about his end of life.
It's really pretty wild.

Orpheus as he aged, withdrew his belief in the Gods, all save Apollo (or the Sun). In a fit of wild frenzy the Dionysius (Bacchus) Maenads tore him to shreds (as wild Maenads are wont to do).

His head and his lyre were thrown into the water, and as they floated along, still singing....(pretty kewl and creepy, that..). His head and fragments of his body was buried beneath Mount Olympus and nightingales still sing over his grave.

His lyre was whisked away to the heavens and placed among the stars.

Orpheus.

A musician's musician with all the tales of a life well loved....
well lived...
and well played.

HUZZAH.

Nosegays (and the Secret Language of Flowers.....)

Nosegays.
You know... those lovely wee bouquets that brides and bridesmaids carry?

I'll let you in on a SECRET.

They are a LOVE CHARM.
Yes, we brides charmed you men.
Right up to the altar.
And afterwards as well.

Later on in Victorian days these little bouquets were called "Tussie Mussies".

There is a language of flowers, you know,  and in days of olde people knew it far better than we do today. Oh, of course we all know that roses mean "Love" ( FYI~ the color red=true love, white=innocent love, pink=sweet love,  yellow=intense emotion...etc) and that daisies are "Innocence" and so on...)

I am a minstrel and in saying that, I know for a fact, that flowers are oftimes more than just the name identification. They have meaning in their words.

In the lovely song, "Scarborough Faire", the herbs "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" all have particular significance. There is a nosegay mentioned in this lillting love ballad as a symbol of what the author of the song was looking for in a mate.

Let's look at them one by one and you'll see what I mean:

Parsley is an herb to remove "Bitterness". I you have stomach or gall bladder ills, just eat some raw parsley. Good for removing the bile in more ways than one. In marriage, having a way to dispel bad feelings in a constructive way is a very helpful way to continue working and loving someone that you live with.

Sage is the herb for "Wisdom" and "Protection", "Long life" and "Virtue". Indeed, the reason why the word "Sage" is identified with older wise people, is because it is said that "those that drink sage tea never grow old."

Rosemary is for "Remembrance" and for "true love". It is said that if a maiden leaves a plate of cornmeal under a rosemary bush on a full moon night, that in the morning, her true love's name will be scratched into the cornmeal by the branches of the rosemary bush. :)  Also rosemary is for "feminine love" which, like the plant grows strong and sturdy...but slowly.

Thyme is the herb for Fertility. It is also for bravery, courage and strength. Knights would often wear it emblazoned on their shields during the renaissance for their lady's favor.

So....if someone handsome, gives you a Primrose....he wants to love you forever.

And if he gives you Coriander....well...consider it a desire to bed you ASAP :)

Have fun in your garden of love out there!

Click here for a great list of Flowers and their Meanings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_flowers

http://askville.amazon.com/significance-parsley-sage-rosemary-thyme-English-ballad-Scarborough-Fair/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=1225503

The Legend of Robin Hood

This month our StoryBook Club visited our goodly mates in green, the merry men of Sherwood Forest to dig for clues and enjoy the tale of Robin Hood!

Formerly known as "Robin of Luxley" he was a Yeoman, born neither rich... nor poor.

Robin answered King Richard the Lion Hearted's call for men and went off to join the Third Crusade. (there were several Crusades during the High Middle Ages...)

When Robin came back home (alive and well-seasoned as a fighter and happy to be back on his home soil) he found that times had changed.

Well, if you traipse off for several years, things do change. Especially if many of the nobility goes off with you, it doth leave the homeland unprotected and ripe for villians and brigands.

These brigands though, the ones that took over the land and stole property while the rightful owners were away fighting goodly causes (in their mind, at least) were of Noble blood.

Aye, they were high born vilians, chief among them was King Richard's own brother, Prince John. Let me set you up with a wee bit of English history, Richard and John were the sons of  Eleanor of Aquitane and King Henry II. Queen Eleanor was actually, historically, the regent to Prince John while King Richard was away.

(So....Queen Eleanor was the Sir Hiss "technically"....

and Prince John did eventually become one of the worst Kings ever)
This of course, made us all want to watch again, the classic "The Lion in Winter" with Katherine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole.

But surely I digress.

After digging into this olden tale, our gathered Storycologists have demised that Robin Hood was the peasant's saviour answer to Feudalism. Robbing the rich to give to the poor, was just the exact opposite of what Feudalism's "Pyramid Scheme" was doing to the masses. It was a way of getting "even" with the unjust system of not being able to own anything and being "owned" by others. A turning of the tables of sorts.

Robin is everyman....or every woman :)

Robbed of his inheritance, he tries to take it back and instead of claiming it for himself, gives to others. Of course, Robin was most likely a composite of several people in history, and he and his men were also thought of as robbers and thieves and did live off the land by stealing.
("It's the violence inherent in the system!")

and "There's a lovely bit of muck over here!")

But no matter.
One man's hero is another man's outlaw.
(for instance: Robin Hood, Jesse James, the guy from Wikileaks, Rodney King, Dr. Kevorkian....etc...)

We celebrate the little guy with the big dream.

And we celebrated too!
Here is our table set for us at Heather's house:

With "Forest Greenery",  a ransom chest fit for a Prince, candles, bows and arrows, tapestries!

Our wondrous repast brought by those gathered featured: Shepherds' Pies, Assorted Cheeses (Stilton, Goat Cheese, Brie), Raspberries, Fruited crusty bread, "Merry Men Grape Salad" (delicious with grapes, vanilla yogurt and sugared pecans!) and "Chocolate Stout Cupcakes", Wine and Guinness.

It was a WONDROUS feast.

And for dessert? Why....The classic Disney's Robin Hood of course!

Next month's Story?


Scheherazade and the tales of the Arabian Nights!
Opa! Opa!

Narcissus~ Addicted to Love....of Self.

It's good to love ourselves....
and it's good to know what we want so that we can better serve others.

Yes. But we must be careful. All things in moderation.

Greek Mythology teaches us that there is a tragic tale of self love, taken to extremes.

It is the tale of Narcissus~

Narcissus was the son of a river God and a Nymph. They had a handsome child they named Narcissus.

Oh, he was beautiful, yes.
Very handsome he was.

Many fell in love with Narcissus and yet...he spurned all of them. He only loved himself and no one was good enough for him.

Once a Nymph named Echo fell for him too. So in love for him was she, that she pined away for him, hoping to have her love messages returned....but he would not, did not, could not return her love.

Echo wasted away until nothing was left of her but her lonely whispered unanswered call....
(which you can still hear echoed back to you when you call.)

So tragic were her pleas for his love, and cries for help to the Gods... that when unanswered, her broken  heart turned to vengeance. She sought justice for her pain and the way that she'd been treated. The Goddess Nemesis took pity on the lovesick nymph and her tragic tale of love given but unrequited from so selfish a man.

The Goddess sought out Narcissus and found him, yet again, gazing lovingly at himself in a quiet pool of water. It was his favorite pastime....so in love with his own self, that is all he did. The Goddess then put a fitting spell on him.
"If you love yourself so much, and spurn others, then SO BE IT. Love yourself forever and no one else."

Narcissus was then so magically engaged and enthralled with his own reflection that he could not leave it...
he was spell bound to his own projected image....and he died there, gazing at his own mirrored self.

A flower grew where he died.

It is the Narcissus....which is often seen gazing head down at the water.

So it is that there are those among us who are afflicted thusly, even today.
This ultra self love is now officially and scientifically and psychoanalytically called a "Narcissistic Personality Disorder"

Those afflicted disdain the real love from others, have an over emphasized image of self, put themselves on pedestals, use others only to fulfill their needs, and the afflicted are never satisfied with what affection they receive because their need for adoration is too great.

While they may feel that the accolades and affection that come their way is their due....
in reality, though, they are starving themselves to death- by not partaking of LIFE and not being able to digest what love is given freely, nor are they able to return it to anyone.
They die a vain glorious life just gazing at themselves and never learning about the world or others.

In sooth, the majority of those afflicted actually do not love themselves as much as they hate themselves inside, and they project an image that they think others will like instead. They then try to be a chameleon for whomever will find them attractive, so that they will have their needs met by others.

I feel sorry for the person that was Narcissus...
No one could tear him away from himself much to his own demise.
He ruined his own life. The Goddess just made it happen faster based upon the injustices and harm he caused to others.

While I do feel sorry for those afflicted with this disorder as well, nothing is incurable IF they want to break the pattern. Psychotherapy is the only means to do this. That, and a lot of work on their part, and true love by those willing to aid them.

Otherwise, they will lead a fruitless life, which is a disservice to themselves, and to the world.

Let's learn from this tragic tale to be open to others, listen and learn from them, and to take ourselves lightly.
For it is in the giving of ourselves that we truly receive love. 

Topics: Merlin.... and Moon Phases~

I'd like to chat about "Merlin"    (whom I am named after)....
and (bonus!)
I will teach you a goodly way to remember Moon Phases!

MERLIN

Ever since I first learned to read, I was interested in magic stories and those of legend and myth.
Arthurian legend, and those tales about Merlin,  in particular, had me spellbound.
I always had my nose in a book and would love to wander around thinking (and truly believing) that I was a Magickal person and could make my own magick.

I am a Magickal person.
You are too.
We all are.

While my thoughts were indeed influenced by Mary Stewart (I think I have read the "Crystal Cave" and "The Hollow Hills" at least 5 times each....among many other books about him).
"The Book of Merlyn" is probably my all time favorite and evidently, Disney was also inspired to tell his tales based upon T.H. White's stories!

I even did my HS senior research paper on Merlin, citing references from "Morte de Arthur".  It wasn't hard for my friends and classmates to transform my given name (Marilyn) into my current moniker of Merlyn.
"Merlyn" is even in my HS yearbook under my picture way back in 1978!

Personally, I find a lot of hope in the figure of Merlin.
His legend says that he came from royal lineage, a bastard child of King Merlinus Ambrosius, to be precise, yet he preferred to live among the lower classes and even by himself and nature more.
He studied much.
Loved books.
Traveled extensively throughout Britain (but could not traverse water well).
He could play the lyre.
Knew the Pagan ways and the ways of the Church.
Passed on his knowledge to those interested enough to learn and study and grow.
Always hoped in the future, even though by knowing the past could've been dismal.
There is always hope in his way of thinking, because of the fact that man has free will.

Merlin influenced politics, and help to guide the monarch of Arthur as his adviser.
He also did dabble occasionally in manipulation of people and events for the greater good.
Or at least...what he believed to be the greater good.

Merlyn also fell prey to the one vulnerable chink in his armor.

LOVE.

He knew that he was being beguiled by Morgause (or Morgana/Morgan depending on which version you read....). Merlin took the ultimate risk. He showed her the spells he knew, even the one that would entrap him forever.

I've done that too.

I guess we offer ourselves so willingly to the one we love, and we open our hearts up so fully for them to learn of our inner workings, that we give them the key to our door. It is in their power now to imprison us or to set us free. Merlin did that too. He was trapped in the forest sealed magickally in a tree by his own strong binding spell that he freely gave her...knowing she had the power...He was waiting to see how she behaved with it. (obviously, not well...)
He is there, locked within the spell, still waiting for the right time to be set loose to come forward again, when we need him the most.

So it is with ourselves as well.
We trap our ownselves by our own doing or by love... and with nature and magick we can hide or heal and be reborn.

Merlin was wisdom that risks itself emotion.
He is head ruling the heart....but sometimes....

The Heart WINS.

Now....onto  MOON PHASES 

The moon goes through it's monthly cycle, forcing us to follow along by watching it's ever changing faces.

New Moon 
(sometimes known as the Dark Moon) is actually a time of darkness. 
If you can't see the moon....then it's the New Moon.
It is beginning to be reborn. A goodly time for new beginnings, starting projects, cutting your hair to make it grow faster, and it's the best time to plant your garden.

Yes, but HEY! 

Sliver moon....are you Waxing or Waning???

Know how to tell the difference?

Here are two easy ways to remember by looking at the moon sliver to tell if the moon is:
Waxing (growing) or Waning (shrinking):

1)
If you imagine the moon is a sliver like a backwards "c" (don't have one on the keyboard...)
then imagine adding the stick of an 'l' to its open side
you would make the lower case "b" for "baby moon" or "beginning" or WAXING MOON.

If you imagine the moon is a sliver like a letter "c",
then imagine adding a stick of an "l"to it's open side...
you would make the lower case "d" -for "dying moon" or "decreasing" or WANING Moon.

2)
You can also recant this poem I made up (being a Bard like Merlin) to remember which is which:

"LIGHT on the RIGHT is MIGHT" (growing/waxing)
"LIGHT on the LEFT is LEAVING" (shrinking/waning)


Then there is the Gibbous Moon. (a fun word to say too :)
This moon wins the "Oh So Close Award" and is the "almost full moon" on either side of the Full Moon.

Waxing Moons-
good for constructive magic. Growing things.

Waxing Gibbous Moon

Waning Gibbous Moon

Full Moon is Just that.

FULL!
The 2nd full moon in a month is a "Blue Moon".
Full moons are good times to grow your hair fuller, cut it now by trimming/or layering.
Time for prophesy, divination, extra power. Culmination.

There are some fun names of the full moons to go by too:

January                  Wolf Moon or Cold Moon

February                Snow Moon

March                     Windy Moon or Worm Moon

April                       Flower Moon or Pink Moon

May                        Milk Moon or Flower Moon

June                       Rose Moon or Strawberry Moon

July                        Mead Moon or Corn Moon

August                   Lightning Moon or Harvest Moon

September             Harvest Moon or Singing Moon

October                 Hunters Moon

November             Dark Moon or Beaver Moon

December              Long Night Moon or Full Cold Moon

Waning Moon- for banishing magic...ridding yourself of habits, addictions, negativity. Releasing.

Merlin helps remind me of the Old Ways....

and the Moon tells of both the Old Ways ...and where we are today.


Merlyn thinks you ought to know this important natural information :)

M is for Medusa....

Medusa.

The word sends a thrill through your body a bit doesn't it? So much for "Silly Mythology", eh?

Medusa's story is an interesting one. I actually feel kind of sorry for her.

Some tales say that Medusa was a monster from the beginning. A Gorgon with her other two Gorgon sisters.

Other tales say that Medusa was actually a beautiful woman, was SO beautiful that anyone who looked on her was "Paralyzed by her beauty", even Posiedon HAD to HAVE her. So he bedded her in Athena's temple. (Poseidon, Poseidon! Naughty Naughty! It's not nice to fuck in other God's temples!!! (and of course, this made Athena VERY jealous and ANGRY....who then turned Medusa's hair into snakes)

Another tale tells that a wee bit differently.....in that Medusa wasn't consenting, but was raped by the God Poseidon by Athena's temple and Athena was so pissed that she turned Medusa's hair into a nest of vipers.(same ending)

Man, that just adds insult to injury, don't you think??
I mean, Athena!
WTF didn't you go mess with Poseidon instead?
I mean, REALLY, honey.....HE was the troublemaker there.
It's like blaming the victim for the crime!

And then, being CURSED by a Goddess....
Medusa has to wear this monstrous curse the rest of her days. Anyone who looked at her, would be turned into stone. Her eyes would glow and as soon as your eyes made contact with her, you were toast.

Perseus, was sent to kill Medusa, and received a mirrored shield from Athena (still holding that grudge Athena?) and winged sandals from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus, and a helmet of invisibility from Hades.

Kewl Super Power Assortment there, Perseus!

She was even potent AFTER death....Perseus would show her severed head to anyone he wanted to slay and even then they would continue to be turned into stone. He turned ATLAS into stone.
It is said Perseus killed a Kraken in this way. Think of THAT! A glimpse of Medusa's eyes could KILL A KRAKEN.
Her blood was poisonous if it dripped on anyone or anything.

 
SYMBOLISM

In some theories of Psychoanalysis, Medusa represents FEMALE RAGE.

If you asked a woman what a raging woman would look like, mayhaps a picture of someone like Medusa would come to mind. Wild thoughts like snakes, uncontrollable wave around in our heads. If you were to really look into the gaze of a raging woman, you too, would see the dagger eyes and be turned to stone.
Her blood, like bile, is poisionous to the bitter end.

Hell hath no fury of a woman scorned.
And scorned by the Gods she was. Used, abused and then punished for it.
She RAGES.
Let's face it, SHE IS POWERFUL.
It's a terrible power, but you can't deny, there IS POWER there.

Fess up. When you have been SO ANGRY....SO MAD....
Didn't you feel like Medusa??

Interesting that the only way Perseus could kill Medusa was sneak up on her is to look at his reflection in a mirror and then she was slain by avoiding her hatred and looking at a reflection of himself in his magickal shield... then looking past himself to see her.

This shows us that it is the TRUTH about ourselves that slays us.
Even if we have to see it reflected in others as we are too chicken shit to confront it head on by looking at our own rage and despair.

It is said that 2 drops of Medusa's blood were given to Ascleplius from Athena.
You know Asclepius. He's the Healer w/ the rod. The medical symbol.

One drop from the right side of her head....has the power to cure and heal...even to RESURRECT!

The drop from the left side has the power to kill.

So that snake there on the MEDICAL SYMBOL....is MEDUSA'S SNAKE!

(And if you remember from my earlier writings and research here...that the Rod with 2 snakes- the Cadducues is HERMES...and NOT the medical symbol as some people think....)

And so it is with medicine and power. It to, has the power to heal or kill.

But wait, before all this, Medusa was made pregnant by Poseidon. (still at her, even so, eh Poseidon? Oh what a Peyton Place was Mount Olympus!)

So when all was said and done, people slain, Kraken killed, Perseus threw Medusa's head into the ocean and from it was born?

PEGASUS




So it is, we can also transform ourselves, by overcoming the anger and rage, we can be set free with our passions and our sexuality and FLY

Medusa.
Gorgon.
Beautiful Woman.
ANGRY Woman.
Healer.
Killer.
Birth mother to Pegasus.

So, next time you think of Medusa.....
Have a little sympathy.

But for your own safety....wear some mirrored glasses when you say Hello.

http://www.spiffy-entertainment.com/perseus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa