Chthonia

Finally fixed! Here is what was meant to be the previous episode, on the sea monsters Skylla and Charybdis, the daimonic spirits of the dangers of the sea associated with the phrase "between a rock and a hard place". There are various stories about their origins, including some surprising links to chthonic deities such as Hekate.

In this first video of the Chthonia Conversations series, Brigid talks with Lana Popovic of Psychosomatic Alchemy about the Tantric Buddhist practice of Chöd, and the connected psychological practice called "Feeding Your Demons." You can learn more about Psychosomatic Alchemy and Lana's upcoming Shadow Integration course at https://www.psalchemy.com/Chöd practice should only be performed under the guidance of a qualified teacher; for those interested in learning the practice, here are some resources: Lama Tsultrim Allione - retreat centerwww.taramandala.org(Here people can take Chöd initiation as well as learn Feeding Your Demons practice)Dharma Mittra teaches Psychic development course (pranayamas) on this website https://www.dharmayogacenter.comLana also recommends reading The Tantric Alchemist: Thomas Vaughan and the Indian Tantric Tradition by Peter Levenda. To read about the differences between Tantra and Neo-Tantra, check out this article: Tantra vs Neo-Tantra by Georg Feuersteinhttps://www.santosha.com/moksha/meditation1.htmlVisit https://chthonia.net for all of my work.If you would like to support Chthonia, consider joining Patreon at https://patreon.com/chthonia. More of this conversation will be available to subscribers. Thank you to my existing patrons for your support!

This week we look at Lethe, the daimon of forgetfulness, the female personification of the river that the dead drink from to forget their previous lives. As we will see, the idea of "lethe" may go beyond just forgetting.

This week's podcast looks at Morgan Le Fay, enchantress and sister of King Arthur who ultimately brings about his downfall. We look at the main legends surrounding her, and reflect on the challenges she presents to the chivalric etiquette of Arthur's knights and court.

Happy 2022! This first episode of the year focuses on the "loathly lady" of Arthurian legend, Dame Ragnelle. Ragnelle is married to Sir Gawain in exchange for the answer to the question, "what is it that women want the most?" The answer--perhaps a surprising one for medieval Europe--still rings true in modern times, and shows us another angle on the importance of the dark Feminine.

In this last episode of 2021 we look at the Boabhan Sith, who are Scottish female vampire fairies. We look at the core legend of a late night encounter with these vampiric women, and explore their possible origins in myth and folktales.

This week we look at Black Annis, a female hag figure from fairy lore that devours children and wears their skins. Supposedly living in the Dane Hills near Leicester, we look at the different stories of her origin, and alleged sightings near the church of St. Mary De Castro.

This week we continue a look at Northern English fairy lore with the water hag, known as Peg Powler, Jenny Greenteeth, and sometimes as Nelly Longarms. These are a type of being known as a Grindylow, and they are said to pull children and sometimes the elderly into the watery depths of bogs and rivers. We may think of them as a fearsome being invented to keep children from drowning, but is this really the case?

In this episode, we look at the Leanan Sidhe, a type of dark fairy figure that probably isn't part of ancient folklore, but rather the invention of W.B. Yeats. That said, the Leanan Sidhe is a fictional figure that is both alluring and terrifying at the same time.

For Samhain this year, we look at ghosts--specifically the spirits of the restless female dead in Ancient Greece. Aorai was the name given to girls who died before they became mothers, thus turning them into some other kind of creature, or making them an assistant to the Furies or similar monstrous feminine figures. Beliefs about the Aorai not only touch on the fear of the devouring feminine, but reveal ingrained attitudes about women who are "independent".