Cybele

Title

• Phrygian, Greek, and Roman Mother of the Gods and of fertility 

Description 

• Often sitting on a throne with a crown that looks like the walls of a city and lion attendants.

Duties

• Protector of cities, mysteries, taming the wilds into civilization 

Lineage

• Parents were the Phrygian sky-god (associated with Zeus in one account) and earth-mother

Stories

• Cybele was actually born as a hermaphrodite named Agdistis who was castrated by the gods and became the goddess.

Interesting Facts

• Was in love with the man Attis and asked for eternal life and youth for him

Symbols

• Lions, chariots, hawks

Crossing Fingers

As with many superstitions the origin of this one is unclear. Some say it began pre-Christianity when there was the belief of good spirits living in intersections or crosses. For this reason two people would each use one of their fingers to cross over the other one’s in order to make a wish, believing that the spirits would fulfill that wish. 

Another more popular belief is due to the “dire consequences'' that would happen to a person if they showed any sign of being a Christian. Here people had to make up ways to show their affiliation. Again two people were needed to form the cross but in this case it was more of a secret handshake to identify like minded followers.

The version we know today is that you can make a crossing sign using your own fingers for the same effect. This version is thought to have first appeared in the 14-15th centuries during battle. In the Hundred Years’ War, soldiers would ask for good luck but were unlikely to have another person to make the symbol, so instead they made it themselves.

Later the belief behind the crossed fingers were no longer strictly locked to good luck but also to ward off evil and sickness. It was often said to others ``fingers crossed” or “I’ve got my fingers crossed for you,” in order to wish good luck on that person.

The crossing of the fingers when lying is thought to have begun with the 10 Commandments. To save oneself from God’s wrath when lying you would cross your fingers in order to wish for luck in getting away with the lie you were telling. 

Ostara

History

Ostara aka the Spring Equinox is celebrated by many pagans around the dates Mar 20th - 22nd. However, it was not documented that the Celts celebrated this festival, only pagans in Germanic countries. Ostara was noteworthy for its connection with fertility. In many cultures throughout the ages it wasn’t uncommon to give a newly wed couple a pair of livestock, to celebrate their union and thus ensure their fruitfulness. This was also celebrated as the agricultural time of planting seeds for the year’s harvest ahead. 

• Saxon - The name Ostara was derived from the Saxon Goddess Eostre. Their feast day was done on the following full moon after the Equinox. Interestingly this coordinates uncannily close with the Christian celebration of Easter.

-There is a Saxon legend that tells of an injured bird being found in late winter by the Goddess Eostra. In order to save the bird she meant to change into a hare. Unfortunately she did not complete the transformation and left the bird looking like a hare but it had the ability to lay eggs. The hare would later go on to decorating t

This week we touch on Darker Magics

Lilith

Title

• Goddess of sexuality, childbirth, equality, and knowledge

Description

• Often a scantily clad beautiful woman, with dark hair, sometimes with a snake wrapped around her

Duties

•  Teaching women to empower themselves, watch over childbirth, watch over those who follow her

Lineage

• Lilith was created from the clay of the earth and so has no mother or father

Stories

• Adam demanded Lilith submit to him and she refused preferring to leave the garden of Eden rather than be treated as less than equal

Interesting Facts

• Lilith has been seen as either giving birth to the first vampire or being the first vampire herself

Symbols

• Dragons, apples, her sigil, crossroads, mirrors, owls, stars, and snakes

Superstition

The wishbone

I’m sure most of us have made a wish upon a “wishbone” at some point or other in our lives. I know I have.

Usually turkey or chicken bones are used for this practice, the bone that is used is known as the Furcula. It is located right above the sternum of the chosen bird. 

Some History

Bird oracles were often used for divination of the future which may have begun around 700B.C.E. with Etruscans. The furcula was dried in the sun and then they would gently stroke the bone making a wish. This is where the term wishbone was first derived from. 

It seems that the Romans continued with this belief, however, there was a shortage of fowl so in order to have enough bones to go around they began to crack them in half.

Skip forward a bit to the British who got the practice from the Romans, then brought the tradition over to Plymouth (in the Americas). This land had an over abundance of fowl and now used the wishbone for luck. 

Wishbone Rules

There are MANY different versions of the possible ways to create your wish. It began with two people using their pinky fingers on either side of the bone, making a wish and then pulling. In 17th century Britain a more complicated version was used. The wishbone would be placed on their noses (balancing it), make their wish and then shake it off. After that they would pull it apart (I’m not sure I understand this method). Yet another version depicts the broken pieces being placed into the fists of one person and the other person would choose one of the fists. Whoever got the longer piece was considered to have gotten the lucky piece, therefore theirs was the wish that would come to fruition. [source: Meikle].

Wishbones have been worn or carried much like the lucky rabbit’s foot or the four leaf clover. The final note here is that only a broken wishbone would grant the wish, an unbroken one would offer good luck. The term “lucky break” may stem from this superstition. 

Black Magic and the Left Hand Path

I am not encouraging people to follow the practices of black magic or the Left Hand Path. I am simply providing information and to get people to think about what they’ve been told vs. what actually is.

We’ve all heard of black magic, but what is it really? It usually denotes magical or supernatural means used for “evil” and or selfish reasons. It is also associated with demons and sometimes called the Left Hand Path. Unfortunately at this point people can call any magic they don’t

S1 E17

Hephaestus

Title

• Greek god of fire, metalworking, blacksmiths, forges, technology, sculpture

Description

• An ugly, stocky, bearded man in a chiton (greek robe) and a circular cap, with a hammer or other implement of smithcraft.

Duties

•  Created the weapons and armor for the gods as well as for heroes

Lineage

• Some sources have Hera birthing Hephaestus by herself in retaliation for Zeus birthing Athena, other sources have him as the son of both Zeus and Hera

Stories

• Hephaestus was told by the sun god Helios that he was being cheated on by Aphrodite with Ares. So he set a trap for the lovers. When Aphrodite and Ares next got together they were held fast by invisible bonds. Hephaestus then dragged them before the gods in Olympus. All the gods laughed at the naked pair. Then Poseidon coaxed Hephaestus to let them go promising that either Ares or Poseidon would pay the adulterers fee.

Interesting Facts

• One of the stories of his fall from Olympus has Zeus throwing him down and Hephaestus becoming lame from that, the other story is that Hera cast him out because he was lame already

Symbols

• Tongs, hammer, anvil, fire, donkeys

Ears burning

It is thought that this stems from 2nd century Rome. Ears burning suggests that someone is talking about you behind your back.   A variation on this offers that the burning sensation means that someone is talking well of you and if your ears are cold then they are speaking ill of you. In looking this up, the ears burning superstition I found has been used by famous poets such as G. Chaucer and Charles Dickens. This helped it to widely spread that the belief is true. 

There is an ancient philosopher who began this next version of the superstition, in which if one’s ears were itching it meant the same thing as your ears burning. Here it is highlighted that there is a difference between the left side and right side. As with the lucky rabbit’s foot superstition (covered in Season 1, Episode 15) we once again find that the right side was all that is good and the left side represented all that is bad or evil. 

Itching ears means you’ll hear a secret. Depending on which ear, you will know the gender of the person who wants to tell it. (Left Girl, Right Boy)

By now this superstition has reached quite possibly every country in the world.

Weaving and Fiber Arts

Earth-North

There is evidence of thread spinning from 20,000 years ago. Hand spinning, which is spinning the wool or other material against the leg to get a thread is where it started and simply became more complex as time went on with drop spindles and spinning wheels.

It is not known where exactly weaving started, early looms required two people to work. In Meroe, at about the 4th century BC they were quite skilled. There is possible evidence for weaving to have started much earlier, but nothing concrete as of this time.

 As far as knitting goes it was established before the 11th century, we know this because of a knitted sock that was found in Egypt, well made and obviously not a forerunner. Many histories place the beginning of knitting in the middle east and migrating from there.

Crochet, however, didn’t

S1 E16 Imbolc

Brigid

Title

• The Celtic Goddess of smithing, healing, wisdom, wells, motherhood, divination, poetry, protection, and domesticated animals

Description

• A beautiful red haired woman often seen holding a flame or hammer

Duties

•  Protecting livestock and houses from fire, inspiration to poets, and a healer

Lineage

• Daughter of the Dagda

Stories

• Brigid was born at sunrise and she glowed so fiercely that the neighbors rushed over thinking the house was on fire.

Interesting Facts

• Is thought to have become St. Brigid in the Catholic religion

Symbols

• Fire, poetry, crafting projects, wells 

Wishing on a Star

Stars in ancient times were considered to be divine. Falling ones were considered rare. They were often associated with faith and angels. There are two common versions of where this derives from. 

One would be when the Europeans believed that dead people’s souls were falling from the sky and wishing upon them would bring them luck. 

The second is from the  Greek astronomer Ptolemy who believed that the Gods moved the skies, pulled Them apart and when they did so a star might fall from between the gap. In which case the person would close their eyes and make a wish while the Gods looked down upon them, offering a blessing of sorts.

In Romania if a person saw a shooting star it was the  foreshadowing of their death soon to come. This was because of their belief that each soul was tied to a star in the sky. They actually saw each star as a candle and one falling meant it had been blown out.

Indigenous Australians have believed that a shooting star can be a good or bad omen. Good because it brought kind spirits to the earth, bad because it could also bring black magic down with it.

Interesting side fact; this is now the Disney theme song which was first introduced in the Disney movie Pinocchio in 1940.

History Of Imbolg (Ewe’s milk); aka Oimelg/Oilmelc (“butter bag”)

Imbolc is a time between Yule, aka the winter solstice, and the Spring Equinox. It takes place during the ‘ewing season’ or ‘milking time' which is suggestive of the womb of spring. It is that moment of gestation in the coming of spring. For this reason Imbolc is associated with fertility. Often you will hear reference to Imbolc connected to the time when lambs are being born. The importance of the ewe and the lamb had to do with how the people would survive based on how plentiful the milking season was. Because of this association  (in Ireland) Imbolc was often celebrated by eating lamb's meat. 

Imbolc today has set dates in which to celebrate, however, due to the nature of its connection to the lambing season it would’ve been celebrate

Bastet

Title

• Egyptian goddess of pregnancy, childbirth, and protection

Description

• A black cat headed beautiful woman

Duties

•  Protected Lower Egypt, the Pharaoh, and Ra. As well as protecting people from evil spirits and contagious diseases.

Lineage

• Father and mother were Ra and Isis

Stories

• In ancient Egypt there was a Prince Setna. He decides to steal a book from a tomb despite the inhabitants asking him and warning him not to.

Interesting Facts

• Was originally worshiped as a lion headed warrior goddess

Symbols

• Cats, sistrum, solar disk, lionesses, and ointment jars

The Lucky Rabbit’s foot

The Rabbit’s foot is an amulet considered to be good luck. It’s origins are associated with African- American slave trading beginning in South America. (It also carries associations with the moon in Japan, and the Aztec Empire. The Chinese actually connected f

Frau Holle

Title

• Germanic Goddess of winter, witches, weather, weaving, spinning, and flax

Description

• An old woman with long teeth and a flat foot from spinning, or a kindly looking woman 

Duties

• Leader of the wild hunt, cause of weather,  and watches over children in the midst of winter

Lineage

• No beginning/ parents are noted and she has no children of her own.

Stories

• One legend has a peasant coming upon her in a cave enthroned and surrounded by women. The man is captivated and then surprised when she offers him a gift. Modestly he asks only for the flowers in her hand, which turn out to be flax flowers. She sends him away with flax seeds and instructions for the growing of them. Over time she teaches the peasant man’s wife how to prepare and spin flax.

Interesting Facts

• Unnamed or unbaptized children that die go to Frau Holle

Symbols

• Flax flowers, linen, spindle, thread, knitting, and crochet

Superstition 

Walking Under a Ladder

Today, much like with the umbrella superstition there is just plain common sense involved. Either the ladder may fall on you or you may knock someone off of the ladder if you walk under one. 

That states the obvious

—But let's go back further. Like so many historical items I’ve been researching, one of the considered origins may be from the Egyptians 5000 years ago. Here the idea was that you didn’t want to see a God going up or down a ladder which the God might be using. I’m guessing you weren’t supposed to look upon the Gods.

It may have been that they saw triangles being formed by a ladder, the ground and the item it’s leaning against and therefore was connected to the Pyramids which were thought to have been powerful forces of nature. Walking under a ladder would mean  you would be breaking that sacred power. 

Or even still It may be because they believed the spirits of the dead buried inside the pyramids, (of which the ladder was leaning against), would use it to ascend to the heavens. The space between the ladder and the pyramid was considered to have housed good and evil spirits and if they were disturbed the spirits would be angered. It was simply not allowed to walk under a ladder.

—Later it could be connected to Christian times where a triangle formed the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. A ladder against a structure formed a triangle and walking through it meant you were breaking the Holy Trinity, or that you had sinned against the Holy Trinity and you would never be forgiven. There is another thought which was that  “since a  ladder was  leaned up against the crucifix it became a symbol of wickedness, betrayal, and death” according to Panati’s explanation .

—Then we have the gallows superstition. Ladders were commonly used at the gallows in the Medieval era. If you were to walk under one it foretold your death by hanging. Or it was thought that the ghosts of the dead were connected to the gallow’s lad

This is our Yule episode! Getting ready for the return of the light.

Mithra

Title

• Persian God of contracts, friendship, order, the rising sun, covenants and later of war

Description

• A young man riding a chariot drawn by whte horses, with an arsenal of weapons, but mainly a mace

Duties

• Helped to judge the dead, heralded the rising of the sun, oversaw the change of seasons, bestowed the divine right to rule for kings, and maintained the cosmic order

Lineage

• Mithras sprang from a rock fully in adult form

Stories

• No stories 

Interesting Facts

• Mithra is often seen as the template from which Christ was cut. There isn’t actually much evidence for this if any at all.

Symbols

• Sun and maces

Celtic, possibly British or Indo-European

The immediate and more well known superstition of knocking on wood is the one of the Celts. Knocking on the wood of their home (or those of others) was derived from the idea that good and bad spirits lived in the wood and that by knocking on iy you could either summon or rid yourself of these spirits (and Christians). The ridding of Christians by doing this is what linked the magical power to the Crucifix. ( ie; holding the Crucifix up to ward off Dracula- an evil spirit of sorts) In this sense using it as a form of protection, in other cases it was thought to have brought good fortune and and others even still thought to offer gratitude to the spirits or Gods.

Later it has been thought that this superstition according to some historians began in the 19th century connected with a children’s game known as “Twiggy Touchwood” or “Tig Touch-Wood” which we refer to as “tag” nowadays. Although the difference lies in the fact that you had to touch wood for immunity from becoming “it” back then ( “tig” would be the person who was “it”) whereas today you can touch anything agreed upon. The phrase “touch wood” is still used today in British culture sometimes in lieu of actually touching wood.

Other countries use other materials such as steel in Italy possibly associated with the iron horseshoe. Turks still use wood but require you to knock twice, and so on.

Based on my research it would seem we here in the States have taken a bit from at least two of these. The Celts, in looking for protection from bad luck and the Turks, in that we most often knock twice.

What is Yule?

Yule (The Winter Solstice) Is the Sabbat of pagan cultures celebrating the returning of the light and the God rising again. Yule sits opposite Midsummer on the Wheel of the Year.

In the time when Christians were seeking to convert pagans, Christmas was set near the Yule holiday on the calendar and took on many of its practices. Yule falls between December 20-22nd north of the equator and June 20-22nd south of the equator.

In Celtic tradition the Oak tree represents Yule and the Holly is associated with Midsummer. The Oak King defeats the Holly King and is considered a symbol of strength and endurance. The Oak was also considered to have been the bridge connecting this world to t

This episode is Sigils and Kitchen Magic

Daikokuten

Title

• Japanese God of the hearth, agriculture, fertility, sexuality, and wealth

Description

• An older man carrying a sack over one shoulder and a mallet in the other hand sitting on top of two bales of rice

Duties

• Watches over several temples as well as overseeing kitchens, plus being the patron of cooks, farmers, merchants, and bankers.

Lineage

• Often relate to Ebisu, sometimes Ebisu’s father sometimes his brother

Stories

• Many years ago when Buddhism moved to Japan, the gods of Buddhism became cross, because people still liked the god Dakoku. The gods got together and summoned Yemma, the judge of the lower regions and gave him the power to destroy Daikoku.

Interesting Facts

• One of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan

Symbols

• Rats, mallets, bags, rice, rice bales, money

Superstition  Penny luck

“Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you’ll have good luck” How many of us remember hearing this as kids? Do you remember how exciting it was to find a penny heads up? But why was it exciting? For one thing it obviously meant something monetarily, unlike today, and it meant you were that much richer. I think the equivalent today might be a quarter at best. 

Where does the notion originally come from? One idea is in folklore. In ancient times metals were considered gifts from Gods with the intention of protecting them. 

The Copper age was a part of this time period. The Chalcolithic or Copper Age is the transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. It is thought to have begun around the mid-5th millennium BC, and end with the beginning of the Bronze Age. The idea of metals being protective also spurred on other like minded superstitions such as the horseshoe being lucky. 

A different folklore was that each side of a coin represented good and evil. Heads up meant good luck and tails meant bad luck. Perhaps signs of Otherworld and Underworld? It is said that if you find one, tail side up you should flip it over in order for the next person who finds it to have good luck.

What about the saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a penny in the shoe”? In this case it meant good luck on the bride’s wedding day, to offer luck in the marriage as well as prosperity.

An unusual supers

Isis

Title

• Goddess of healing and magic

Description

• A human woman with a throne looking headdress

Duties

• Protect Egypt from its enemies, had power over fate, and govern the natural world and the skies

Lineage

• Parents are Geb and Nut

Stories

• When Horus was a baby Isis would go out surrounded by seven scorpions that protected her from Set. She would hide her divinity and go out as an older woman. 

Interesting Facts

• Isis was seen as the mother to the pharaohs 

Symbols

• Throne, moon disk, cow horns, kite hawk, and wings

Superstitions

Opening an umbrella inside

Opening an umbrella inside in modern day, as being bad luck, has a perfectly reasonable and logical explanation. Basically, dating back to Victorian times, there was a concern that the umbrella having metal spokes could easily injure someone or something upon opening it up indoors. In my opinion this really isn’t a superstition but in many of the articles on this topic it has been included so I thought I should too.

Ok now let's get to it.

The origin of the opening of an umbrella inside might stem from ancient Egyptians around 1200 BCE. The umbre portion of the word umbrella stems from Latin, referring to shade or shadow. It was primarily used as an umbrella to protect you from the hot rays of the sun. If you were to open it indoors, where the sun doesn't shine, it was thought to be disrespectful of the sun god, Ra. This would in turn anger him and bring down his wrath upon you and your household.

Another similar notion had to do with the Goddess Nut who reigned over the sky. The umbrella mimicked the shadow she cast over the earth. At the time only nobles and clergy were permitted to have these peacock feathered umbrellas and anyone else using one would become

This week’s episode: A short overview of the Pagan Holidays (and a few goodies along the way)

Freyja

Title

• Nordic goddess of fertility, sex, cats, magic, writing, death, war, love, the moon, and the sea

Description

• The most beautiful goddess, with a cloak of falcon feathers, a necklace of gold, and in a chariot pulled by two cats

Duties

• She was the leader of the valkyrie, got half of the dead from the battlefield 

Lineage

• Daughter of Njordr and his sister along with her twin brother Freyr

Stories

• One day Freyja passed by a cave in which four dwarves were working. They were almost finished with the most beautiful gold necklace that Freyja had ever seen.

Interesting Facts

• Cries tears of red-gold for her far ranging husband

Symbols

• Falcon feathers, cats, sea water, gold, poems, and gold necklaces.

Exciting news, we’ve decided to add superstitions and wives tales to our podcasts. If you have any that you’re curious about why not let us know and we’ll see about looking into them. Here’s our first one that seemed appropriate to the season.

Superstitions- black cat

Bad luck

Dark Ages (Folklore)

Father and son seen throwing stones at a BC. Which then subsequently ran into an old woman’s home. Next day the old woman was seen emerging from the home limping and bruised - apparently after having shapeshifted back into human form from being the BC. Thus the old woman was deemed a witch and the BC association occurred. 

Middle Ages 1500’s

• Witches were seen as being able to shapeshift into BCs and then spy on people. Carried over to the States and eventually became part of the Salem witch tri