As we have often noted, the prevalent mythic perception of the Serpent amidst the minds of many is that of a demonic antagonist - and a male one, at that. There are solid reasons for this, of course: foremost among these is the Judeo-Christian baseline many of tend to operate under, where a certain serpent … Continue reading THE QUEEN OF SERPENTS – THE SERPENTINE FIGURE OF THE INDO-EUROPEAN EARTH MOTHER
Kali
The Black Avenging Form Of The Earth Mother And The Pursuits Of The Sky Father As Solar Horseman – A Comparative Indo-European Typological Evocation [Part Two: Surya, Saranyu And Chhaya – The Shadowy ‘Second’ Wife Of The Sky Father]
[Author's Note: This piece continues our look at a fundamentally coterminous myth of the Indo-Europeans found reasonably intact in both the Greek and the Hindu canons - wherein the Sky Father engages with a 'Darkened' form of His Consort, often in symbolically resonant animal shape. Part One examined the situation of Poseidon in pursuit of … Continue reading The Black Avenging Form Of The Earth Mother And The Pursuits Of The Sky Father As Solar Horseman – A Comparative Indo-European Typological Evocation [Part Two: Surya, Saranyu And Chhaya – The Shadowy ‘Second’ Wife Of The Sky Father]
The Black Avenging Form Of The Earth Mother And The Pursuits Of The Sky Father As Solar Horseman – A Comparative Indo-European Typological Evocation [Part One – Demeter Erinyes, Poseidon]
Something that I have often found intriguing about the Indo-European mythology - is the manner in which various peoples have preserved differing perspectives upon what are quite clearly the same events, same beings, same myths ... yet which are recorded from different vantage points, and with corresponding questions about how they should 'fit back together'. … Continue reading The Black Avenging Form Of The Earth Mother And The Pursuits Of The Sky Father As Solar Horseman – A Comparative Indo-European Typological Evocation [Part One – Demeter Erinyes, Poseidon]
On The Misunderstanding Of Maya As Mere Mirage
An associate earlier this week made a remark about the concept of Maya - and the 'matronly' associations he'd felt for it, coming at it from a Buddhist context. Now, Maya is often misunderstood - in no small part because it's grown so hugely as a term over the millennia … so it seemed as … Continue reading On The Misunderstanding Of Maya As Mere Mirage
The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
Jai Mata Di ! Facing of the Dhari Devi (Kali) murti ['Living Image'] in Uttarakhand. Now, the Temple there is … interesting, because of what happened there in 2013. That year, Her Shrine was due to be relocated in order to make way for a hydroelectric dam - following a Supreme Court decision which overruled … Continue reading The Divine Wrath Of Devi Dhari And The Salvation Of Shaivite Kedarnath [Incredible Indo-European Holy Sites Series Part II ]
MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu
[Author's Note: It is said that some efforts take on a 'mind of their own'. While this was initially intended as the third part to our MythoLinguistics of War series, with a focus more narrowly upon the strong saliency of Indo-European concepts of "Mind" and 'Spirit' with those of Warfare - as the writing progressed, … Continue reading MahaShivRatri And The Mytholinguistics Of War [Part 3] – The Mind, The Mania, The Manyu
Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
Friday Evening Devi-otional (A)Art(I) Posting This is some truly excellent art which helps to illustrate evocatively a rather core series of principles to Shakta theology and cosmogony; which are also extolled in the course of my favourite of the RigVedic Hymnals - the renowned DeviSukta [RV X 125]. Note that it is the Hand of … Continue reading Glorious Modern Art For An Ancient Hindu Hymnal
AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars
To Return to the Skies Above Us, then, there are two important points to be raised ... points upon a single shaft, much like Hades' Bident. The first of these is the nature of the Path to which Yama is said to have held the noble, sacred, and solemn duty of being the first being … Continue reading AN INDO-EUROPEAN GUIDE-BOOK OF THE DEAD – Part Three: The River Of Stars
A visage less commonly depicted – White Kali and the Cremation Cranes of Metempsychosis
Now, while the unexpectedness of a White Kali is remarkable in and of itself (indeed, in a certain sense, it might even be thought of as 'oxymoronic' - Kaal, after all, means 'Blackness', inter many alia); what makes this fine 17th century painting a worthy Friday Night Devotional (A)Art(I) posting goes rather beyond that. Take … Continue reading A visage less commonly depicted – White Kali and the Cremation Cranes of Metempsychosis
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION OF THE WORLD-AXLE [A Devotional Post for Monday]
"Which of his members is the seat of Fervour: Which is the base of Ceremonial Order?Where in him standeth Faith? Where Holy Duty? Where, in what part of him is truth implanted?Out of which member glows the light of Agni? Form which proceeds the breath of Mātarisvan?From which doth Chandra measure out his journey, travelling … Continue reading DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION OF THE WORLD-AXLE [A Devotional Post for Monday]