In this episode of The Sacred Places Podcast, I’m joined by Laura Perry who is a pagan author, artist, and founder of Ariadne’s Tribe, to explore the fascinating world of Minoan spirituality in Bronze Age Crete.

I had the privilege of visiting Crete this past summer, and the island left a deep impression on me. It doesn’t always feel like an island, you can drive just 30 minutes and find dramatic changes in temperature, vegetation, and even the way the land opens up to the sky or closes in with mountains. These landscapes shaped Minoan religion, which revolved around caves, mountain peaks, and sanctuaries, and celebrated the three sacred realms of land, sky, and sea.

Laura and I discuss how Minoans symbolically brought nature indoors which is a human impulse we still share today whenever we bring home flowers or decorate with natural motifs. We also talk about the challenges of understanding this ancient culture: though the Minoans wrote things down, we haven’t yet deciphered their language. Still, their art clearly shows that ritual life happened outdoors beneath the open sky.

We dive into the matriarchal strands of Minoan spirituality, including the three great mother goddesses, Earth Goddess, Sun Mother, and Ocean Grandmother, their daughters who embody the gifts of the world, and their sons who teach us how to use those gifts. One of those sons is Dionysus, whom Laura describes as the figure teaching us the balance between the wild and the domesticated.

We also explore the layers of myth around Ariadne, the famous snake goddess, and even the unique Cretan version of Zeus who was more akin to Dionysus than to the Olympian thunder god we think of today.

Whether you’re drawn to animism, archaeology, or just the way humans have always sought to connect with the natural world, this conversation is a journey into the heart of an ancient island culture that still inspires us today.

You can learn more about Laura and her work through her website! lauraperryauthor.com

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This podcast episode was edited by Jordan, a cohost from The Astro Study Room
https://www.instagram.com/theastrostudyroom

Music: Tribal Wind - SergePavkinMusic
Music Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWe5Z7qISMQ