Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, is a constellation shrouded in mystery and legend. He is painted across the sky between Scorpius and Sagittarius, best viewed late at night in the summertime. He was once known as Nirah, the Babylonian god with...
You might be aware of your own birthstone, perhaps those of your loved ones—but did you know that the history of birth stones reaches back thousands of years, and has changed from time to time? The chart we know was...
I don’t think there is anything as timeless and elegant as a string of pearls. Just the phrase may conjure up images of the effortless sophistication of Michelle Obama, or Diana, Princess of Wales, who wore a pearl collar when...
Life is not back to normal, but no one is surprised. The days are long, sometimes too long, but the months are short and fleeting. Often I feel as though time is slipping through my fingers as I’m counting the...
Archeologists found a single pearl and gold earring in Bahrain, an island in the Persian gulf. It was estimated to be around 4,000 years old—one of the oldest ever found. An earring is an interesting find. Jewelry found with the...
To wrap up our unofficial Tragic Romance Month, I give you the story of tenderhearted Baucis and good-natured Philemon. This story is a look inside tradition, social connection, and pragma, love that endures. Many myths and legends, especially from the...
There are many variations on this 2600 year old Chinese folk legend, including Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Indian versions, but here is the one I know. Seven sister goddesses were traveling through the countryside. The day grew late and the...
Welcome to the second installment of what I’ve come to think of as Tragic Romance Month. Today, we draw again from the well of Ovid. Love does not always make sense. Feelings rarely follow any sort of logic. And why...
An etiological myth is a myth that serves a purpose. It offers an explanation for something we don’t fully understand. Persephone’s marriage is an etiological myth. Before we understood why seasons changed, it made sense that the natural world would...
The word “nymph” comes from the Greek numphe, meaning “bride,” but it didn’t exactly mean what you might imagine; generally, it referred to a certain stage of life, a young woman in her prime. The nymphs of Greek myth were...
Quick Question: Which Mythological Monster Are You? They can be lovely, beguiling, or deceptively shy. They can be scaled, feathered, with razor-sharp teeth or snakes for hair. The monsters of Greek myth aren’t all exactly monsters, but they come in...
Like many other young women, I grew up hearing about color seasons, palettes, and undertones. Theoretically, each person is a Deep Autumn or a Soft Summer or a True Bright Clear Whatever depending on their eye and hair color, and...
