Chthonia

This week we look at the Graeae, three women who are "born old" and live in the Western lands at the edge of the world. They are sisters of the Gorgons, and watch over their home with the assistance of one eye and one tooth shared between them. The main story of the Graeae occurs in the Perseus myth, when he steals their eye in exchange for information about what he needs to slay Medusa. The symbolism within their story is quite compelling, as they not only represent the dangers of the sea, but the dangers at the edge of our conscious minds.

This week's episode looks at Baubo, a figure in Greek mythology usually regarded as humorous, as she manages to making the grieving goddess Demeter laugh by showing off her genitalia. So-called Baubo statuettes have been found around the world, but her actual role in ancient Greece, if any, remains a mystery. Homer refers to Iambe rather than Baubo, and our main source of information on the Baubo myth comes from the early Church fathers. We attempt to untangle the origins of Baubo, and talk about what she represents in society's "shame and blame" culture.

Happy new year! To kick off 2023 we look at the last of our Navadurgas, Siddhidhatri. Her name roughly translates to "giver of perfection" or "giver of power," and she is the form of Shakti that creates the Tridevas (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) and gives them their powers. She is also half of the dual-sexed deity Sri Ardhanariswara. We discuss the meaning and importance of this Devi, as well as the eight traditional Siddhis or powers that she grants, with a side discussion on Tantric magic and the quest to acquire Siddhis.

We end 2022 with a podcast on the auspicious goddess Mahagauri, the eighth Navadurga. This golden/white goddess is hardly "dark Feminine" in appearance; however, she is the slayer of Shumba and Nishumba, the asuras ("demons") of too much (self conceit) and too little (self depreciation). We talk about her relationship to the Mahavidya Shodashi, the importance of the Moon in her story, and her relationship to Shailaputri, the first Navadurga.

This week we look at the sixth Navadurga, Katyayani. She is associated with the Ajna chakra (third eye), and is the manifestation of the anger of the gods against the Mahisasura. She is also associated with finding the right husband and happy marriage. How do these attributes fit together? We discuss these qualities of Katyayani with respect to the idea of Dharma.

This week's episode is a bit mind-blowing. Skandamata is the fifth Navadurga, and the embodiment of Parvati as mother of Skanda (Kartikeya, the war god). Skanda is born to defeat a demon called Tarakasura--the demon of salvation, who is the grandson of Diti (limitation). Skandamata also embodies the Visuddha chakra, where sound and speech are born. How do these fit together? Listen to this week's episode to find out.

This month's conversation is with Phoenix the Elder, a shaman who has apprenticed in Slavic shaman traditions and Bardo traditions among others, and has worked in these traditions for over 40 years. Now retired from taking apprentices, she talks about her experiences with the Dark Feminine, the differences between Dark Goddesses and Night Goddesses, and her conception of the "dreaming" world and the underworld. You can check out her website at https://eldermountaindreaming.com/ and subscribe to her updates if you are interested.

This week we discuss Kushmanda, the fourth Navadurga, who is also the Adishakti (Primal Shakti). She is the Shakti of Lord Surya (the Sun), and represents the true reality beyond all the apparent difference (maya) in the universe. We compare the Greek and Biblical creation stories to Kushmanda's creation, which is not word (Logos) driven, and how the light does not always bring clarity.

This week we look at the third Navadurga, known as Chandraghanta, the married form of the goddess Parvati. Her story begins at her wedding, when her bridegroom-to-be shows up dressed like an Aghori with matted hair, covered in cremation ash, and wearing a skull necklace, accompanied by ghouls. Her family is terrified, but Shiva's Aghori aspect also reflects a truth about Parvati/Shakti herself--and about the Divine Feminine as a whole.

This month's conversation is a fun and informal look at the Dark Feminine in horror movies with my longtime friend and former librarian Jeanette Hanley, who has seen a LOT of horror movies in her lifetime. Jeanette and I have had many discussions about this topic through the COVID lockdowns, and I wanted to bring at least some of that discussion to Chthonia. Jeanette and I talk about tropes involving women in horror, trigger warnings, sex as a component of character identity, female actors and directors, and the general experience of movie watching in the 1980s.