We present a further excerpt from our RUDRAGANIKA work - this time, looking at a most intriguing co-expression in the Vedic, Hellenic, and Nordic spheres. That of figures drawn from this female retinue of the Sky Father 'playing with Their food', and tearing apart wrongdoers. Whilst also weaving webs of fate using the entrails. This … Continue reading Extraordinary Rendition – Specifically, Limb From Limb : Sambhunjati – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
Shiva
Sculpture Of A Maenad In Offering
A most intriguing sculpted depiction of a Maenad, an embodied expression of the female retinue members of Dionysus. Now, as we have said - the Maenads are often approached as simply being 'frenzied' devotees of Dionysus. However, they are much more complex figures. The 'frenzy' is in fact 'furor' - they are 'inspired', and bearing … Continue reading Sculpture Of A Maenad In Offering
The Spirits Of Ash, Milk, & Honey – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
An excerpt from my recent RUDRAGANIKA (A)Arti-cle looking at the Female Retinue of the Indo-European Sky Father - in this piece, uncovering the remarkable concordancy of elements concerning members of this Retinue as tenders to the Axis Mundi, the World Tree or Sthambha. This is particularly oriented toward the Ash Nymphs, although also links into … Continue reading The Spirits Of Ash, Milk, & Honey – A RUDRAGANIKA Excerpt
The Thiasos Of Dionysus – A Rudraganika Excerpt
A further excerpt from my recent ' RUDRAGANIKA ' (A)Arti-cle, looking at the female Retinue of the Indo-European Sky Father deific. This time, oriented toward the 'Thiasos' ( θίασος ) processional that accompanies Dionysus (and, entirely uncoincidentally, Poseidon). The full-length piece can be found here: https://aryaakasha.com/2022/03/08/rudraganika-a-study-in-eternal-return-as-manifested-through-the-sky-fathers-female-retinue-across-the-indo-european-world/ Art, as per usual, by HC - who has … Continue reading The Thiasos Of Dionysus – A Rudraganika Excerpt
On The Etymology Of Bacchus – The Roarer
[illustration appears to be by a Jim Tierney] When it comes to Dionysus, there are various elements which are … challenging to make sense of. This is as it should be. One of these concerns the likely etymology - and therefore meaning - of one of His most prominent theonymics: Bacchus (or Bakkhos, Βάκχος, etc.). Usually … Continue reading On The Etymology Of Bacchus – The Roarer
The Vitality of the Universe Entire – On MahaGauri, SiddhiDhatri, and Demeter
The Eighth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to MahaGauri - The Great Beauty, The 'Great White One' ; The Ninth Night of NavRatri, to Siddhidhatri - the Bestower of Boons, The Giver of Empowerment. Both because I am rather late in my finishing of this piece - but also due to a certain underlying thematic unity ... … Continue reading The Vitality of the Universe Entire – On MahaGauri, SiddhiDhatri, and Demeter
The Matrikas – A RudraGanika Excerpt
This is an excerpt from our recent 'RudraGanika – A Study In Eternal Return As Manifested Through The Sky Father’s Female Retinue Across The Indo-European World' : looking at one of the ways in which this typology persisted in later Indo-European religion. In this case, in the form of the Matrika clade that accompany Rudra … Continue reading The Matrikas – A RudraGanika Excerpt
KalaRatri for Chaitra Navratri – The Black Night of Unveiling, The Night of Death
The Seventh Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Kalaratri - The Night of Death, the Blackest Night, the Darkness at the End of Time Herself ! And yet, as has become something of our theme whenever we discuss the Devi - we are vehement in pointing out that this is only one side to Her, … Continue reading KalaRatri for Chaitra Navratri – The Black Night of Unveiling, The Night of Death
Skandamata for Chaitra Navratri – Mother of The Assault
The Fifth Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Skandamata Now as one might presume - She is the Mother (Mata) of Lord Skanda, one of our … many War Gods. Takes after His Mother in that regard! The story of Skanda's conception and birth is perhaps a bit of a curious one - … Continue reading Skandamata for Chaitra Navratri – Mother of The Assault
Chandraghanta for Chaitra Navratri – Radiancy of the Foe-Destroying Splendorous Moon
The Third Night of #NavRatri is dedicated to Ma as Chandraghanta - which we might directly translate as 'Moon Bell', although this does not *quite* capture the true sense of the latter term's meaning. Now a Ghanta, for us, is a bell. Particularly of the sort rung during religious purposes. The sense is not merely … Continue reading Chandraghanta for Chaitra Navratri – Radiancy of the Foe-Destroying Splendorous Moon