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 mountain now called Croagh Patrick. She is usually seen as representing the triumph of Christianity over paganism, as there have never been snakes in Ireland, but there are many more connections at play in this story.

Sources:

Michael Conneely of Starwheel Astrology, who also gives sacred tours of Western Ireland:
https://starwheelastrology.com/

Corra stories:

Cheryl Stratton and Lana Jarvis on “Goddess Alive!"
https://goddess-pages.co.uk/galive/issue-28-home/corra-the-serpent-goddess-of-ireland/

Emerald Isle storytelling site
https://emeraldisle.ie/the-saint-and-the-dragon

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 with respect to the Otherworld.

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 blocks to finding one's "erotic core".

Jessica will be teaching a Modern Hetaera course in September at the Blackthorne School, open to anyone of any gender orientation or sex. You can get information on the course here: https://www.theblackthorneschool.com/courses/hetaera/

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 children who are considered different.

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.

Kate has also started a gofundme for the Oaxaca victims of Hurricane Agatha; if you would like to donate, please visit the link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/santa-muerte-grannys-hurricane-fund

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 celestial and chthonic are viewed differently in Aztec mythology.

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 the different stories connected to Sedna, and the attributes of the Inuit mythological worldview connecting it to the dark Feminine.