The Druids, like the Native Americans, revered animals as sacred guides, guardians and protectors. Today, the book and beautiful card set of The Druid Animal Oracle can bring healing and will help you draw strength from its intuitive knowledge. From the interpretations of the card spreads and the animal lore given, you will gain powerful insights into your life-situation and receive positive guidance for the future. Authors Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, who live in England, are Chief and Scribe of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, one of the largest international Druid groups.

    Tolkien had a great knowledge of, and love for, world mythology when he wrote his beloved trilogy of Middle Earth. In particular, the symbol of the Ring has a rich and fascinating heritage, and this beautifully illustrated literary detective work searches down Tolkien's sources and inspiration. To understand the roots of The Lord of the Rings, we must go far back, to a tradition of ring-quest tales that came into being before the pyramids of Egypt were built, or the walls of Babylon raised. The extraordinary journey passes through the most magical stories told: Norse myths, including the Volsunga Saga; the Arthurian legends; the Carolingian tales, linked to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne; Celtic and Saxon myths; German romances, such as the Nibelungenlied; and more. By drawing on these potent primary myths and legends, Tolkien was able himself to create a new mythology for the 20th century--and beyond.

    Its catalyst was a dream Jung had in which he recognized the need to explain his theories to the lay public. Man and His Symbols is a succinct rendering of his life's work. "Brilliantly read", -- AudioFile"The entire series merits serious attention by librarians and booksellers". -- Publishers Weekly"Listening to these works in shortened form highlights aspects of each author's personality. Recommended". -- Library Journal"The professional narrators have a relaxed, serious style that invites thoughtful listening. These sets are fine way to become acquainted with the classics". -- Booklist

    Why are storytellers so often women, and how does that affect the status of fairy tales? Are they a source of wisdom or a misleading temptation to indulge in romancing?

    Set against Babcock's backdrop of history, mythology, and psychology, Boulet's luminous paintings of Psyche, Athena, Gaia, and forty-two other goddesses come to vibrant life. These paintings are among the best-known and most highly regarded of the artist's oeuvre.

    Journalist Marie Heaney skillfully revives the glory of ancient Irish storytelling in this comprehensive volume from the great pre-Christian sequences to the more recent tales of the three patron saints Patrick, Brigid, and Colmcille.

    These myths featured gods and goddesses, mighty beings who look human but have amazing powers and live forever. Now you can meet these extraordinary characters and hear their legends, brought to life again by Aliki in this splendid, panoramic look at the amazing stories and characters of Greek legend. "[Will meet the] demand for basic information on the gods and goddesses at the primary level."—BL. "Aliki's fans will welcome her introduction to these famous Greeks."—SLJ. 1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)

    The selections are divided into three sections: the first is classical authors on the ancient celts - a huge selection including both the well known Herodotos, Plato, Aristotle, Livy, Diogenes Laertius, and Cicero - and the obscure-Pseudo-Scymnus, Lampridius, Vopsicus, Clement of Alexandria and Ptolemy I. The second is early Irish and Hiberno-Latin sources including early Irish dynastic poetry and numerous tales from the Ulster cycle and the third consists of Brittonic sources, mostly Welsh. This edition includes three new early Irish tales, translated by Mairin Ni Dhonnchadha: The Birth of Aed Slaine; Fingal Ronain, and the Story of Mis and Dubh Rois.

    Each book features a wealth of finely reproduced colour images.This synopsis of the paintings of J.W. Waterhouse reveals, with eloquence, the unfolding dimensions of his instantly recognizable imagery. His depictions of women in Romantic settings in part subtly reflect the troubled relations between the sexes in Victorian England. The paintings of J.W. Waterhouse are perennially popular. This compact edition brings together a selection of the artist's finest watercolors, depicting scenes from Middle Ages legends and myths of the ancient world. The paintings are accompanied by illuminating explanations of the myths and legends that inspired Waterhouse.

    The world veda literally means Knowledge. The root is vid, ‘to Know’ The Vedas are thus texts that provide Knowledge.There are four Vedas, known as the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda. Many years ago, the Vedas were referred to as trayi or three. There must have been some point of time when there were only three Vedas. These are acknowledged to have been the Rig Vedas, the yajur Veda and the Sama Veda. The Atharva Veda is believed to have a later addition to the sacred canon.The world trayi is also interpreted in a different sense. Although the interpretation does seem to be slightly artificial, it is following. The three paths to salvation are believed to be those of jnana (Knowledge), bhakti (devotion) and karma (action). Since the Vedas teach these three paths to salvation, they are referred to as trayi. The Rig Veda is identified with the path of knowledge, the yajur Veda with the path of action, and the Sama Veda with the path of devotion.Each of the Vedas has two parts, a samhita and the brahmanas. The samhita part consists of mantras or incantations. These were hymns that were used in sacrifies. But these mantras are difficult to interpret without commentaries. This is what the brahmanas set out to do. They explain the hymns and indicate how these are to be used in sacrifices. The brahmanas also have detailed descriptions of sacrifices and how they are to be conducted. The samhita and the brahmanas are often known as karma kanda, that is, the part of the Vedas that deals with rituals.In addition Vedic literature also includes jnana kanda. This is the part that deals with supreme knowledge. Included in jnana kanda are the aranyakas and the Upanishads. These are identified with various Vedas.We can therefore have a narrow definition of a Veda as well as a broad one. The narrow definition would take the word Veda to mean the samhita alone. The broad definition would include, in addition associated brahmanas, aranyakas and Upanishads. By the word Veda, we will mean the samhita alone.When were the Vedas composed and who composed them? Strictly speaking, there is no answer to these questions. The Vedas were revealed; they were shrutis. They were not written down or composed. They were communicated by the supreme godhead or the divine essence (brahman) to the ancient seers (rishis). These rishis did not compose the Vedas; they merely obtained this divine knowledge through their extraordinary powers. In this sense, the Vedas are apourusheya, that is, not the handiwork of men. Their authorship cannot be ascribed to any human author.In the Hindu conception of time, time is divided into four eras. These are known as satya yuga, treat yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga. As one moves from satya yuga towards kali yuga, the power of righteousness diminishes and evil starts to rear its ugly head. To bring men back to the righteous path, the sacred knowledge that is in the Vedas must be disseminated amongst them. But the Vedas are abstract and esoteric, often difficult for ordinary mortals to comprehend. To make the dissemination and assimilation easier, the Vedas must be conveniently partitioned and divided into various groups. A person who thus divides (vyasa) the Vedas has the title of Vedavyasa or Vyasadeva conferred on him.In every dvapara yuga, such a Vedavyasa is born to perform this sacred task, The Vedavyasa born in the dvapara yuga tha immediately preceded the present kali, yuga, was Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa. It is he who is credited with having divided the original unified Vedas into the four segments of the Rig Veda, the yajur Veda, the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda. Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa did not compose the Vedas, he merely recapitulated what was already known. Incidentally, Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa is also credited with the composition of the great epic, the Mahabharata.Just as it is impossible to determine who composed the Vedas, it is also impossible to determine when they were composed. Widely different dates have been suggested by scholars. Tilak suggested a date of around 6000 B.C., while Jacobi’s date was around 4500 B.C. Most scholars would agree that the Vedas were compiled some time between 4000 B.C. and 1000 B. C. and that it is impossible to narrow down the range further. The earliest of the Vedas is clearly the Rig Veda. This reached a stage of final compilation between 1000 B. C. and 900 B. C.

    Now, combined into a single convenient volume, the New, Expanded Edition of "The Romance of Arthur" covers nearly a thousand years of translated texts in a broad range of genres, from the early chronicles and Welsh verse through Sir Thomas Malory. A new section on lyrics has been added. The translations from Latin, French, German, Spanish, Welsh, Middle English, and Italian were freshly done for the original anthologies and have now been updated. As before, complete text are presented whenever possible.

    Depicting the role of the anima—she who animates and gives meaning to a man's life—this tale teaches the lifesaving importance of distinguishing between the light and dark animas. In Lying with the Heavenly Woman, acclaimed author Robert A. Johnson discusses the manifestations of the anima and other feminine archetypes in men's lives and illuminates men's relationship to femininity through myths, stories, and anecdotes.With insight and clarity, Johnson shows that the consequences of failing to differentiate between the various feminine elements present in every man's personality can range from mid-life crisis to incest and suicide—and reveals that properly recognizing these vital elements can allow a man to find meaning within himself and fulfillment in his relationships with others.

    Indeed, as Angeles Arrien displays in this reissued edition of Signs of Life, shapes have significant psychological and mythological meanings embedded in our minds. Understanding the messages they convey and our attraction to them opens up a door to the secret workings of our inner selves and to a fuller appreciation of the art itself.As in her widely popular The Tarot Handbook, Arrien applies her background as a cultural anthropologist to the import human beings attribute to shapes. Examining her results, she has developed an effective tool to determine the connection between a person's preferences for certain shapes and the same person's inner, subjective states. In the course of using Arrien's book, individuals, parents, teachers, and therapists will experience the universal processes of growth embodied in images and myths.Life, we discover, is art, and through Arrien's fascinating journey in Signs of Life, we gain a new perception of the omnipresent patterns and symbols that surround us.Illustrated throughout with drawings and photographs

    Masks are an important part of ceremonlal life on the Northwest Coast; they make the supernatural world visible and bring it to life in dance dramas performed at feasts and potlatches, or at winter ceremonies held by secret societies. Some masks embody mythology or history. Others depict shamanic experiences, or are portrait masks that represent personal experience. The most elaborate are transformation masks, which are used to display the transition from one form to another, such as Wolf to Human. At the high point of the dance, the dancer will open the outer mask to reveal another one inside.The introduction by Gary Wyatt outlines the place of art inside Northwest Coast societies and the place of Northwest Coast art in the outside art world. He also explains the importance, meaning and ceremonial use of masks. Each mask is accompanied by the artist's own words describing its creation and meaning.

    This superb sourcebook contains many new translations of seminal Celtic texts, including stories, poems, and prose pieces, some dating from as far back as the seventh century. Key ingredients in this rich cauldron of ancient lore include sections on: . Shamanic Memory, including chapters on: The Memory of the Earth--The Memory of the Trees--The Memory of Animals--and The Memory of Ancestors . Vision Poets, Druids, and Shamanic Guardians, including chapters on: Initiations--ShapeshiftingóDru . . . and Vision Poets . The Bright Knowledge, including chapters on: Prophecy and Divination--Healing and Soul Restoration-Dreams and Visions . Otherworldly Journeys, including chapters on: The Journey Quest--The House of the Sidhe. These ancient tales are accompanied by detailed commentaries, comprehensive background material, and practical shamanic insights. This wide-ranging sourcebook contains new translations of seminal texts, and is a must-have for any devotee of one the world's richest religious traditions.

    These are stories from a broad array of tribes and tradtions.

    Discover your own personal mythology and explore your connection to these astrological archetypes. Learn the original ancient stories of the gods and how they changed over time and across cultures. Mythic Astrology also includes the mythology and influence of the major asteroids and Gaia (Earth). Written in lively, accessible language, this book is a valuable resource for any student of astrology.

    Circle's begins in the Odyssey, on the island of Aiaia that Homer dreamed for her, in the chambers of the palace where she richly entertained Odysseus and in her sty full of sailors turned pigs.

    Travel the world to observe how a multitude of cultures have formed enduring bonds with trees, believing them possessed of a “life force.” Find out which are “cosmic,” “home to the gods,” symbolize ancestral roots, or represent fertility. Your commitment to their preservation will deepen and grow.

    This revised edition provides an inter-linear word-for-word translation along with the devanagari characters and their transliteration.

    He seems destined for a tragic end until he meets Estcheemah, one of the most powerful Medicine Chiefs who has ever lived. Moved by her power as a Healer and Self-Teacher, Lightningbolt begins his initiation, learning of the old temple-schools, the discovery of the eternal Zero, and the myriad interlocking Medicine wheels which mirror Sacred Life and the Universe; the balance of Female and Male; and the Circle of Law, the first democracy created by humans. These teachings are shared with the reader not only through words but through full-color Medicine Wheel illustrations, breathtaking nature photography, and fascinating re-creations of Mayan art and artifacts.         A rich blend of spiritual adventure, lyrical beauty, profound wisdom, and love, Lightningbolt delivers a courageous and timely message--that the Medicine Wheels are an inheritance that belongs to all of Earth's peoples. They have the power to transform not only each individual but also the course of humanity. The legacy of the Medicine Wheels renews our understanding of the true intelligence of our Sacred Mother Earth, and teaches that without healing of the Self there can be no healing of the world.

    This beautiful miniature edition covers a wide range of topics, such as the differences between Eastern and Western beliefs about God and nature and what myth teaches us about the stages of life.

    A richly diverse anthology of Native American literatures draws on the work of more than two hundred tribes across the United States and Canada and provides information on the historical and cultural contexts of the stories, songs, prayers, and orations.

     The Sleeping Lady is a modern-day folk legend that accounts for both Alaska's first snowfall and for the origin of this beautiful mountain. It is also a classic tale about a time of peace and the consequences of war. Enchanting oil paintings by artist Elizabeth Johns capture the village life of the giant people, a prehistoric, peace-loving group and the drama that ensues when they must face a band of menacing warriors. The tale centers on the fate of the story’s two betrothed lovers, Nekatla and Susitna, whose encounters with war bring a lasting change to the land and their people. Cloaked in snow in winter and wildflowers in summer, Mount Susitna embodies the hope for peace so relevant at any age. As much a mythical explanation for natural phenomena as it is a tale about a time when people lived in harmony with nature and each other.

    Evocative essays describe the sites and explain the spiritual significance of each as well as its connections with religious leaders and holy figures. Color photographs, paintings, locations maps and a practical gazetteer help pilgrims and visitors find their way and offer suggestions on what to see when they arrive.

    "Oh, look!" cried Europa to her friends. "Have you ever seen a bull as magnificent as thaThe bull, who was Zeus of course, ambled toward Europa and mooed softly. "How gentle he is!" Europa said, stroking him. Then the bull lay down at her feet, as if inviting her to climb onto his back. Europa did so without fear. But before her friends could join her, the bull leaped up, dashed toward the ocean, and then flew over it, far out to sea. Clinging to the bull's horns, Europa looked down and saw a procession of sea gods riding on dolphins, led by Poseidon. Europa cried out to the bull, "You, too, must be a god. And if you are, take pity on me. Do not carry me off to some strange land far from all my friends." And the bull answered, "I am Zeus, lord of the sky, but do not be afraid, for I love you. I am carrying you to my own special island, Crete, where I was born. There I shall show myself to you as a god, and you shall bear me sons who one day will be famous and revered." And so it happened. Europa became the mother of a great king, Minos, and also of Rhadamanthus, both judges of the dead. And Europa, after whom the continent of Europe is named, became even more famous than her sons. Copyright © 1985 by Macmillan Publishing Company

    George, and Chinese dragons.

    A fascinating exploration of sea monsters.

    This domination has involved not only economic and political systems but also values, basic attitudes, religious beliefs, language, scientific understanding, and technological applications. Many individuals, tribes, and nations are struggling to free themselves from the residues of the ideological oppression practiced by what they see as Eurocentric culture. They seek to define their own ethnic or national identities by referring to ancestral traditions and mythic patterns of knowledge. At this time, it seems appropriate for Europeans and Euro-Americans likewise to probe their own ancestral mythology for insight and self-understanding." Focusing on the mythology and worldview of the pre-Christian Germanic tribes of Northern Europe, Metzner offers a meaningful exploration of Western ancestry.

    Both deeply moving and humorous, these richly told Native American tales will reach across generations--and cultures--to inspire and charm readers everywhere. Full color. 6 and up.

    Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

    35 illustrations.

    

    A Blackfoot legend about a young boy who goes looking for the Great Chief of the Sky in hopes of finding help for his starving tribe and is rewarded with a special gift, the first horse.

    Urged by her friend and mentor, the remarkable singer and medicine man Bernard Second, to Pay attention, Farrer began to recognize a powerful primary metaphor based on acute astronomical observation and its direct relevance to all aspects of Mescalero life.Should be read by every student of culture.--M. Jane Young

    It shows that all three major branches of Christianity bear within them interrelated esoteric traditions.A deeply affirmative book, Theosophia introduces wholly unexpected aspects of Christian tradition. Where mainstream Christianity seems "anti-nature," Christian theosophy affirms a profound nature-mysticism; where it seems anti-erotic, theosophy affirms a powerful religious eroticism; and where it is portrayed as rigidly patriarchal, theosophy affirms a mysticism founded in the divine Sophia, the feminine personification of wisdom.Theosophia reveals hidden dimensions of our spiritual heritage that speak directly to our current social, ecological, and religious crises.

    It does not re-tell the myths; rather, it offers an analysis of how myths played a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks. The relation between reality and fantasy is discussed by means of three case studies: the landscape, the family, and religion. Most of all, this book seeks to demonstrate how the seemingly endless variations of Greek mythology are a product of its particular people, place, and time.

    Wisdom of the Mythtellers uncovers four kinds of ancestral dream-mapping: Native Australian, Native America, Celtic, and Greek.

    `[The author takes] the Celtic world to include both the European continent and the more recent settlements in the British Isles. The entries, admirably broad in scope, conceive religion and culture as including not only the usual gods and myths but shamanic practices and totems. Maier also provides entries for important scholars of Celtic culture.' CHOICE

    1250. What happened to the people? Why did they leave? Where did they go? Travel with author Lawrence W. Cheek to ancient Indian ruins and survey the artifacts these people left behind ... the pieces to this fascinating puzzle. Included with the book is a free-standing map, Indian Ruins of the Southwest, that provides detailed travel information on the 25 sites visited in the book.

    Thirty of the major myths are surveyed, focusing on Homer, lyric poetry and Attic tragedy. On the artistic side, the emphasis is on Athenian and South Italian vases. The book offers undergraduate students an introduction both to mythology and to the use of visual sources in the study of Greek myth.

    

    Each play shows the aftermath of war from a different standpoint. Women of Troy is set amongst a group of captives waiting to be shipped from Troy as slaves - Queen Hecuba is their comforter but in Hecuba she is driven to the edge of insanity by her own great personal loss. Helen takes place seven years after the end of the War. In Egypt - treated as a backwater, far from 'real' events - Helen waits anxiously for her husband Menelaus to rescue her. One of the greatest and most influential of the Greek tragedians, Euripides, is said to have produced 92 plays, the first of which appeared in 455BC.

    Edinger revisits all the major figures, myths, oracles, and legends of the ancient Greek religion to discover what they can still reveal—representing, as they do, one of the religious and mythic foundations of Western culture. Building on C. G. Jung's assertion that mythology is an expression of the deepest layers of mind and soul, Dr. Edinger follows the mythic images into their persistent manifestations in literature and on into our modern lives. He finds that the gods indeed continue to speak as we grow in our capacity to listen and that the myths express the inner energies within all of us as much as ever. Heracles is eternally performing his labors, Perseus is still confronting Medusa, Theseus is forever stalking the Minotaur, and Persephone is still being carried off to life in a new realm.

    King Oedipus puts out a sentence on the unknown murderer of his father Laius. By a gradual unfolding of incidents, Oedipus learns that he was the assassin and that Jocasta, his wife, is also his mother.

    These works have inspired several generations of students of Indian religion and culture.All the papers in this volume testify to Zimmer's originality and to his rightful place in that small group of great scholars who were part of the first generation to confront the end of European empires in India and the rest of Asia. In her introduction, Margaret Case contrasts Zimmer's approach to India with that of Jung. There follow two recollections of Zimmer, one by his daughter Maya Rauch, the other by a close friend and supporter in Germany, Herbert Nette. Then William McGuire describes Zimmer's connections with Mary and Paul Mellon and with the Jungian circles in Switzerland and New York. A brief talk by Zimmer, previously unpublished, describes his admiration for Jung. Wendy Doniger picks up the question of Zimmer's intellectual legacy, especially in the light of Campbell's editorial work on his English publications. Gerald Chapple raises another question about how his influence was felt: the division between what is known of his work in the German-and the English-speaking worlds. Kenneth Zysk then summarizes and analyzes his contribution to Western knowledge of Hindu medicine; Matthew Kapstein evaluates his place in the West's appreciation of Indian philosophy; and Mary Linda discusses his contributions to the study of Indian art in the light of A. K. Coomaraswamy's work and more recent research.Originally published in 1994.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

    Ethnic groups respresented are the Kikuyu, Turkana, Akamba, Kipsigis, Taita, Luhya, and Samburu. Cultural and historical background information on the groups, notes on the stories, lists of further resources, and tips for retelling make this collection useful to librarians, storytellers, public speakers, teachers, and parents. The fascinating account of McNeils's own experiences and observations in collecting the tales is woven throughout the book. Beautiful color photos of Kenyan storytellers and the animals portrayed in the stories illustrate her journey and the tales.