Chthonia

Chthonia Conversations welcomes back Joanna Madloch (Baba Yaga episode of Chthonia) to discuss the archaic nature of what we call "Slavic Paganism". The Slavs do not have a "mythology" per se, there are a collection of archaic folktales, mostly of "bestiairusz," which bear a similarity to old school fairies (not the cutesy Victorian creatures). We talk about the origins of these myths, the lack of...

This last September episode focuses on the Roman goddess Diana, and on Diana Nemorensis in particular. Many of Diana's characteristics became merged with those of the Greek goddess, Artemis; however, her origins as a fierce goddess of the woods and hunting, with connections to the underworld, shaped her later associations with both Artemis and Hecate. As we have already done a video on Artemis, th...

This week we look at the Slavic death goddess known as Marzanna, or Morana. Her mythology is seasonal, associating her with winter hags, though the myth associated with her is one of betrayal. In Poland and some other parts of Eastern Europe, the ritual of drowning or burning a Marzana effigy at the Spring Equinox is still observed. We discuss some possible meanings and connections of her stories...

This week by request we look at the Egyptian cat goddess Bast (or Bastet). Bast is a daughter of Ra and sister of Sekhmet, originally a ferocious lioness goddess who killed the serpent Apep on Ra's night journey through the underworld. Later Sekhmet retained the ferocious aspects while Bast became associated with domestic cats, and with a gentler disposition. She also has a relationship to Mau, a...

This month I chat with David Beth of Theion Publishing, who is also the founder of the Kosmic Gnosis esoteric current. David and I discuss the ancient gods, the proto-human worldview, the stumbling blocks of modern occulture, and a topic near and dear to both of us, the problem with championing spirit over soul (and celestial over chthonic). What would life look like if we didn’t rationalize and a...

This week we look at Corra, the serpent goddess of the Celts. Corra was a new discovery for me when I visited Western Ireland; she is alternately described as a dragon, demon, “devil mother” or just otherwise monstrous, and her tale involves a battle with St. Patrick in which she swallows him and he has to cut his way out of her. She is then confined to Lough Na Corra, a lake at the bottom of the...

Summer requests begin with Rhiannon, the Welsh Otherworldly figure, perhaps a goddess, from the Mabinogion. She is associated with horses, and is similar to Celtic figures like Morrigan and Medb with her connection to sovereignty. We look at the significance of her story from the first and third branches of the Mabinogi, with a discussion of horses as chthonic symbols, and the idea of initiation w...

This month's Chthonia Conversation is with Jessica Grote of Theion Publishing. Jessica and I talk about the concept of hetaera, often understood as "courtesanship", originally a female intellectual companion in Greece who was often an erotic companion as well. We talk about the modern concept of erotic companionship, including an exploration of the term "erotic" and some of the social and cultural...

This week we look at fairies, and Welsh fairies in particular. The Bendith Y Mamau ("Mother's Blessing") were known for stealing children and leaving changelings in their place. Their connection to child stealing has often identified them as "feminine" whether they are or not, and they bear some similarities to other child stealing monsters. However, such stories are often used to demonize childre...

Gefjon is the Norse goddess associated with the plough; her main myth deals with the creation of the Danish island of Zealand. As a goddess of fertility and abundance, she has a curious connection to girls who die as virgins, and the plough motif is echoed in myths and folktales of sovereignty.

This month's conversation is with Dr. Kate Kingsbury (M.Phil and Ph. D., Oxford), where we talk about the Mexican Santa Muerte and the misconceptions and misinformation about her and her devotees. Kate also shares some of her firsthand experiences with Santa Muerte and the Santa Muerte shrine in Oaxaca. She has a book on Santa Muerte coming out in August, stay tuned to social media for details. Ka...

This week's podcast looks at Mictecacíhuatl, the Aztec Queen of the Underworld. There are few direct myths about her; yet, we can learn a lot from the Aztec view of life, death, and the cosmos, and in particular the contrast between the soul's underworld journey in Aztec culture and European (plus some Near Eastern) cultures.

This week we look at the Aztec goddess Coatlicue, whose name refers to the skirt of rattlesnakes that she wears. She is the mother of the 400 gods of the southern stars, and the war god Huitzilopochtli via a virgin birth, an event that prompted some of her other enraged children to attack and kill (or try to kill) her. The podcast focuses on her various attributes, and the way in which the celesti...

Dzunukwa is cannibalistic bigfoot-like ogress in Kwakwaka'wakw folklore, who is feared as a stealer of children, but who is also said to bring wealth. This week's podcast looks at some of the dark feminine associations of this ancestral spirit of the Pacific Northwest tribes.

Sedna is the Inuit goddess of the sea and the ruler of the underworld, Adlivun. Her stories vary, but all carry the theme of the goddess angering her creator father, who throws her over the edge of the boat, chopping off her fingers, which then become seals, whales, and walruses. She is considered vengeful, and fishermen must appease her if they want sea animals released for the hunt. We examine t...

This month's entry in the Conversations series is with Jake Stratton Kent, who is well known for his writings on ancient goetia, particularly their relationship to the grimoire traditions. Jake's work is an invaluable exploration into pre-Platonic beliefs and magical practices. In this episode Jake and I talk about the different "versions" of Hecate in ancient times, questioning the idea that she...

This week we talk about the Greek and Roman daimon called Mania, or sometimes Maniae when treated as a group of spirits. Between the Etruscans, the Greeks, and the Romans, Mania has a variety of associations with madness, rage, and frenzy; she is also associated with the dead and with the Furies. The connection between gods, daimons, and human psychology is especially interesting here.

Happy Spring Equinox! Our subject for this week is Nephthys, the Egyptian goddess who is the sister of Isis and the wife of Seth. The psychopomp Anubis is said to be her son from Osiris, and she is connected with lamentation, healing, and guiding the dead.

In this month's episode of Chthonia Conversations, I chat with Dan Hanley about the Gnostic Feminine, and 4 main figures--Barbelo, the "4 Sophias", Mary Magdalene, and Noraia. We also discuss misunderstandings about Gnostic currents in early Christianity, and the ways in which it is both anti-chthonic and chthonic.

This week we look at Medea, the niece of the witch Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god, known for being the actual "hero" in the Argonautica who enables Jason to fulfill the necessary tasks to acquire the golden fleece. Eventually he abandons her for another wife, and she takes her revenge by setting the wife on fire with a poisoned dress and murdering their children. Like many myths, the d...

Finally fixed! Here is what was meant to be the previous episode, on the sea monsters Skylla and Charybdis, the daimonic spirits of the dangers of the sea associated with the phrase "between a rock and a hard place". There are various stories about their origins, including some surprising links to chthonic deities such as Hekate.

In this first video of the Chthonia Conversations series, Brigid talks with Lana Popovic of Psychosomatic Alchemy about the Tantric Buddhist practice of Chöd, and the connected psychological practice called "Feeding Your Demons." You can learn more about Psychosomatic Alchemy and Lana's upcoming Shadow Integration course at https://www.psalchemy.com/ Chöd practice should only be performed under th...

This week we look at Lethe, the daimon of forgetfulness, the female personification of the river that the dead drink from to forget their previous lives. As we will see, the idea of "lethe" may go beyond just forgetting.

This week's podcast looks at Morgan Le Fay, enchantress and sister of King Arthur who ultimately brings about his downfall. We look at the main legends surrounding her, and reflect on the challenges she presents to the chivalric etiquette of Arthur's knights and court.

Happy 2022! This first episode of the year focuses on the "loathly lady" of Arthurian legend, Dame Ragnelle. Ragnelle is married to Sir Gawain in exchange for the answer to the question, "what is it that women want the most?" The answer--perhaps a surprising one for medieval Europe--still rings true in modern times, and shows us another angle on the importance of the dark Feminine.