Eternal Love: Baucis and Philemon
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,...
The Common Cause
Niulang and Zhinu, the Oxherd and the Weaver
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...
Echo and Narcissus: Enamored of A Ghost
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...
Tragic Romance: Galatea and Acis
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...
Folkloric Spirits: An Introduction to Nymphs
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...
Which Mythological Monster Are You?
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...
The Myth of Mixed Metals
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...
Calliope: a Voice of Reason and Grace
She is often called the “Superior Muse,” coming from the Latin word of the same spelling, “superior” in this case refers to succession, meaning “elder.” Calliope is the oldest of...
The Height of Spring
Hello everyone! The end is in sight—you know what I mean—and life is moving again, yay! Things are happening! It’s so exciting I’m breathless. For the last few months, we’ve...
The Muses and the Sirens: A Lesson in Hubris
Long associated with judgement and truth, the muses are said to have presided over contests and courtrooms in Greek myth. There are even stories of muses entering contests themselves, though...
Introducing Solid Gold
When I founded CE, I desperately wanted to craft my designs in solid gold, but I couldn’t even afford the raw metals to make samples. Of course, it doesn’t help...
Caught in the Stars: Urania and Astronomy
“For the name of each Mousa (Muse), they say, men have found a reason appropriate to her …Ourania (Urania), because men who have been instructed by her she raises aloft...
Clio’s Echoes of Mnemosyne
During the time before written histories, oral tradition was all that kept history and myth alive. Without Mnemosyne, all the stories of gods and heroes and the lessons to be...
The Divine Muses, Part II
A blank computer screen. An empty canvas. The drumming of idle fingers. Stagnation, frustratingly unavoidable, seems like a monster spat straight from the depths of Tartarus. Creative blocks are as old...
The Divine Muses, Part I
The Nine Muses of Greek myth were goddesses of music and dance, arts and sciences, mental acuity and divine inspiration. Throughout the ages, artists, poets, makers and thinkers would call...
History of Jewelry: Ancient Greece & Mediterranean
Through trade, travel, and conquest, the Greeks of the Bronze Age were highly influenced by the other cultures of the Mediterranean. This was reflected in the Greek alphabet, mythos, knowledge...