A Tale of a True Goddess, Amazon & Heroine

For my final project for the “Goddesses, Amazons & Heroines” in my online course at Grey School of Wizardy, I am choosing a local and national hero.

Harriet Tubman

 I believe that she WAS all of these things when you hear her story.

She was born Araminta Harriet Ross 1820- and lived till 1913. Her life’s events wove in an out of American history during a very progressive and tumultuous time.

She was born a slave in Maryland and was hired out and beaten by those masters. Her family was separated  from each other by slavery.

 Once she was hit in the head with a heavy metal weight. She was left bleeding and unconscious for 2 days without medical care and the resulting head wound gave her seizures, headaches and powerful spiritual visions for years. She believed that the visions came from God.

She then escaped slavery and fled to Philadelphia but then was courageous enough to GO BACK and forth saving relatives, one by one. Imagine that. After escaping being raised in terrible, harsh environments, that she was brave enough to go back to it and try to rescue other people from it!

She eventually married a free man, and she went by her middle name “Harriet”. He was “manumitted” and given his freedom, but she was still a slave. This meant that any children born to them would be SLAVES because their mother still was! Many called her “Moses” for she brought so many out of slavery. She was a “wanted” woman.

In 1857 it was the hay day of the Erie Canal here locally. Much travel was done on the canal and she used a combination of boats, walking and carriages to rescue as many people as she could. After the “Fugitive Slave Law” was enacted, she took people as far away as Canada.

When the Civil War broke out, Harriet then became a cook and nurse at first…
but then came to her true gifts as an ARMED SCOUT and SPY. 

 She was the first woman to be given this post to, and she lead 700 slaves out as an armed leader. This lady knew her calling, and it didn’t take long for her to be an important cog in the war. 

 She also was very involved in the Sufragette Movement in the late 1800’s.  

 Ladies....here is our "Sister Suffragette!"

"Votes for Women!!"

Harriet Tubman, had a house given to her in Auburn, NY by William Seward (at that time, he was Senator of NYS, later he became Secretary of State. 

 And an aside, The Seward House is also in Auburn, and he was friends with Abraham Lincoln who also spent time in Auburn.) While it was “against the law” at the time, Seward sold to Tubman that house for a modest sum”. Great leaders of our time, recognized this woman as an equal even tho’ all odds were against her.  She was awarded a monthly pension by Congress!

Harriet Tubman, should’ve by all the impediments given her in life (being a poor black female born in slavery and abused and physically impaired by it) could’ve remained in that way of life, being beaten down by it.

Instead, she took up arms and stealth and by wits and courage became a most ferocious protector and deliverer of those who were bound by it. She was punished for being who she was. She balked the system. She fought with what she had. She was rewarded in so many ways.

I honor Harriet Tubman as one of the truly documented “Goddess, Amazon & Heroine” of our land and folklore.

As a musician and storycologist, I love bringing stories forward, with either tale or music. Melodies that I have in my repertoire, "Suwannee River", "Poor Wayfaring Stranger", "Bring 'lil' water, Sylvie", "Amazing Grace" and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" all support this tale.

It's a tale that needs to be sung....and I like to sing.
Her life was quite a song.

New York History Net. 2008.    http://www.nyhistory.com/harriettubman/

Harriet Tubman. Wikipedia.       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

" Playing in the Water with a Kelpie" ~

Today is my "Play Day". 

I am enjoying my day and hoped you like this story that I played with :)

As a Wizard I stopped by Loch Ness this day, and pondered the still waters while Harry & I enjoyed a leisurely pipe full of rabbit tobacco, after which I was inspired to write this story (which also doubles as one of my assignments for Grey School of Wizardry.....always the practical magick wizard here.) 

 

My story subject matter this day is about a magickal creature called:

THE KELPIE

My ancestory is from Scotland on my father’s side, and so the stories of Scotland and its music are always of interest to me.

The Kelpie is a shapeshifting water horse, first and foremost. It is one of the fae, but it is one that spends its time alone, and does not associate with the other faery folk.

There are many variations of stories on this creature. The ones that stand out as being the most repeating, is that the Kelpie takes the form of a beautiful horse or handsome man.

In its horse form, the kelpie usually wanders like a lost horse or pony. It is usually black, and sometimes white. The kelpie’s skin is like a seal skin and its mane is usually dripping with water, damp, or has bits of seaweed entangled in it.

The kelpie then lures the unwary child or traveler to him, and when the person touches the horse, having gained its trust, the kelpie’s skin turns adhesive and the unfortunate soul is then “glued” to the animal. The kelpie then makes a beeline for the water, where it takes its hapless rider into the gloaming and drowns it in the dark depths, and eats it. 

It eats all except the heart and liver.

In its human form, the kelpie takes the form of a handsome man (or sometimes beautiful woman, although this is rarer) and presents itself to a woman traveling alone on the loch. When she falls in love with him, he then turns back to his water horse form, taking her out into the briny deep, and devours her after she has drowned.

They say that there are several waterhorse in the different lochs of Scotland. They say that the Loch Ness Monster is also a waterhorse, but there is so much publicity that it is hard to catch it.

Remember too, that the waterhorse/kelpie is one of the Fae. The kelpie is protected by magick to remain unseen, until it is too late.

The whole kelpie phenomenon, is, I think, an analogy for certain types of human behavior. I think of some people in this world that also operate this way. I have analzed the psychology of the kelpie to some human behavior as follows:

The person (or I’ll refer also here as “kelpie/person”) always present themselves as one particular way that is an illusion of how they really are in real life.. The kelpie/person usually appears lost. Vulnerable.

Then an unwary, kind person happens to meet them in a lonely part of their own journey. The kind person wants to help the poor animal (which is the nature of a kind person. To help, even if they are the ones who need help at the moment).

The kind person reaches out and touches the vulnerable kelpie-type person. Then the kelpie/person’s drama (or story, or situation, or good looks, or personality) captivates them.

The kind person reaches out to grab hold of the kelpie/person in their kindness, loneliness or desperation. Then the kelpie/person’s glamour turns to adhesive. The kind person is then fatally  GLUED. Cemented. You are now IN their story.

The kelpie/person now has you. It won’t let YOU go. It takes you, your heart and your emotions down to the depths of despair, for the count. After you struggle, and try to get away (and rare are the ones that do get away unscathed, once sucked in) the kelpie/person then drowns you, overwhelms your heart with pain and takes away your breath and yes, your lust or willingness for life. It devours you.

Then in its true form…it reverts…and goes back to the beginning….

To wait for another victim to enter their watery ever changing world.

The kelpie/person does not eat the heart or the liver though . You see, the kelpie/person never really falls in love or  lets  emotion actually affect its heart.

Neither does it detox itself and cleanse itself thru the liver’s function.

It is forever a heartless monster that preys on emotion.

For the Love of a Selkie

Two Perspectives

 

Story 1: 

Woman falls for Selkie Male

For the love of a Selkie, I tried to keep him.

Handsome in body yet shallow of soul.

Devoted to me only as long as his true skin was hidden.

Passion, adventure and the salt sea were in his eyes.

He called to me from the water, and I waded in from the shore

Tho’ murky depths of seaweed did not hinder me, nor cause me fear

For he was with me, splashing, playing, cavorting in our sensual bliss

His heart engulfed mine and I believed he would not let me drown.

But Selkies have a short memory…

as short as the passing of a cloud over the sea.

Mysterious, it evaporates and he is gone.

There is nothing left now, but the coarse taste of my salt tears.

Story 2:   
Man falls for Selkie Woman

I watched the seal play in the water.

So swift and playful, so happy and carefree.
I wanted her.

I wanted to tame her.

I wanted to Own her POWER.

So I baited her.

When she came out of the water, she ate from my hand,

Trusted me, showed me her true form….

Then......
I stole her freedom and hid her skin from her. 

Even tho’ she cried and cried, I would not listen.

She became my wife. 

Devoted, submissive and nurturing to My will.

I had captured her. 

In heart, in body... she was mine.

But her spirit yet was untamed and untouched.

Even tho’ I had her keeping, she would never be mine.
We spoke a different language.

She looked past me... through me... to the call of the waves.

One day, she found me out.

She found the key... to my thievery of her heart.

She found the nature of my ultimate duplicity..

She found the ugly secret of who I really was.

She took back her Skin.

She took back her Power.

She Never looked back.

Cyclops

"Odysseus Speaks"
The Cyclops views his world in single sighted visions
Knows only violence and hatred of self
Base wants he craves.
Lives within his cave of  needs

We came as friends
Offered our wine
All we had
But his love is destruction



Rolling the stone back and forth o'er the entrance
No one shall pass
No one shall be invited in
Except those he seeks to feed upon

Feed me
he says
Give me drink
he says
I will eat you in the morning

So while he sleeps, a plan is hatched
he who lives by the sword
Shall taste its metal
And we are all agreed

A monster with no vision
A man without desire
Achilles heel = limited vision of self
And he will live
If you call it a life

he will lean on his vengeful father God
Wallowing in his hole
Existing in his stilted life
his world made smaller still
made real by his own doing


As we sail away
Wiser for surviving a monster
With new adventures
With bright promise for our labors
Blessed by Hera

On the sea

Hera, Goddess of the Heavens and Protectoress of Marriage and Wives

My current course at Grey School of Wizardry, is "Goddesses, Amazons & Heroines." 
It's a very interesting course so far, if you like Mythology, that is.

I adore Mythology. It is here that men created the Gods. In their own likeness....only better :)


Better physiques, more Super Powers (and who doesn't love having Super Powers?), Immortal, and All knowing and able to teleport, transcend time and place and well, fuck whoever they wanted.


The Gods how'ere, being invented by the Greeks, also had some foibles, human shortcomings to make them easy to identify with. Traits like, infidelity, backbiting, jealousy, hatred, double dealings, trickery....you know....fun stuff.


This made them loveable and likeable and you could always forgive them.


That is, unless you are Hera.

I am picking Hera to do a research paper on for school, because Hera ROCKS.


Beautiful, wise, nurturing, motherly, a sumptuous lover, talented, she is the First Goddess on Mount Olympus. She is "The Perfected One". 


A bit like Mary Poppins, who was "Practically perfect in every way" ...except.... better :)


Speaking from a woman's perspective....
Hera didn't start out being vindictive and vengeful, altho' she always had a jealous nature.
(And who among us can throw the first stone there?).


Hera really started flexing her powers after marriage to Zeus. 
Her brother-husband.


Some info reads: "Hera was not responding to his attempts to seduce her so he resorted to trickery that appealed to Hera's nurturing side."

He turned himself into a frozen bird, and when Hera felt sorry for it, picked it up and held it to her breast to warm it, Zeus turned back into himself, took advantage of his position, size and her fright and raped her. 

Now that's love, eh?


Even so, (I read on) "She forgave him, and they married to cover her shame." 
(did you get that? HER shame. Good grief.)


Zeus was in love with her. She is given the title of Protector of Wives and Marriage.

But he's a God with NEEDS. He starts fucking around on her. She is not only miffed about that....and that he's bedding MORTALS fer fuck's sake....but SHE'S the Protector of WIVES and MARRIAGE. Talk about your bad PR!

I can see it now....


Hera: "Zeus, really? I mean.... really? How many??"


And Zeus, being the handsome, virile God of the Universe, didn't get his paramours by his looks and charm. No. He almost always used a device to trick women onto his dick.
He turned himself into animals: Heifer, Swan, Bull....or clouds....or whatever his fancy was, just to get close enough to trick them into close proximity and den? 
WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM.


He was KING OF THE GODS. He had THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GODDESS. 
And yet, it wasn't enough for him. What a dog.

I think Hera got a bad rap. In all the stories I've read, which are many, she is always labeled with a Jealous Crazy Beotch pin. 

But really....

Can you blame her?
I looked up Zeus online at Wikipedia. Go ahead. His paramours and progeny need a CHART. I'm talking Power Point and a Excel database to keep them straight. 


Hera did do some damage. She did some detective work, on whims that something was amiss. And guess what? There WAS.
Check this out:


"Io was a beautiful priestess in the temple of Hera, Zeus' wife, so if Zeus and Io were caught together Io could expect not to live a long nor happy life. Their affair lasted for quite sometime, but, as always, Hera became suspicious of Zeus' "innocent" actions. Fearing for Io's life, Zeus changed the girl into a beautiful white cow."

Imagine that. One of HERA'S own Priestesses. Zeus..Zeus...Zeus....did you ever hear about not shitting where you eat?
So Hera found out and send a stinging insect to constantly hound the poor girl. 


But it wasn't Io's fault. It was Zeus's. And Hera spent her entire eternity, dogging Zeus, tormenting his paramours and fucking up Zeus's plans. He kept her busy, didn't he?


Once some chick, named Antigone, boasted she had hair prettier than HERA'S.
(oh man....everyone move away from Antigone.....)
Hera heard it and changed the chick's hair into SNAKES.
(wow, you have to admit....that's a good one ;)


What stories! What adventures! What Power!

She got even with it all, by having several children children (altho' immaculately conceived, as she never strayed from her fidelity to Zeus. She was the Protector of Wives and Marriage, remember?) and by tormenting Zeus's bastard semi-god children.

She made Hercules' life miserable so many ways... (who was Zeus's son, NOT Hera's) and had Hercule's kill his own wife and children in a wild frienzy of which he wasn't even aware of or in control of himself. 


I've changed my mind about Hera. 


WHOA.

She doesn't fuck around.


YOU GO GIRL.

Grey School of Wizardry

Good Morrow to my dear readers!

I have recently embarked on a QUEST.

A quest for knowledge. Oh, I've really always loved school and learning, and the smell of books (especially those that are paperbacks that you used to get in elementary school) sends me into a delirium of delight :)

I have found a very interesting and deep Online school for knowledge. Now, know you, I also am the point person for a credit free online learning school at the college I work for. I have taken online classes and they are great, especially for people with crazy schedules who are self motivated.

But after going through the courses there, I still wanted MORE.

Mayhaps GRIMOIRE :)

As I have stated before, I am eclectic when I come to my spiritual practices which encompass being baptized Catholic (I am now a Recovering Catholic :) and have visited many faiths, learning, absorbing, growing.

As it is possible to do, as the Universe IS a big place and there is SOOOO Much to learn!

I am probably best described as a "Christian-Earthen/Pagan-Spiritual-Hedonistic-Psychic"

Yah, that is probably about right. I pray to ALL the Gods and Goddesses.

Yes, I Love Jesus, his goodly philosophies and all that he (but not necessarily what his followers) represents..

and....
I Love Mary and Mary Magdelene.

I Love Zeus and also Pan, God of Music and Mischief :)

I adore the sensual Goddess Aphrodite,

And Ganesh, Remover of Obstacles is one of my favorites

 I admire and revere Lakshmi and Pele...among others.

 There is something to be learned and gleaned from all of them.

I pray openly with my loved ones, when there is grief, sickness or trials and when there are major trips or decisions to be made. I end most blessings with an Amen and a Blessed Be :)

Hey...it can't hurt. :)

So, BACK TO THE NEW STORY ~

I have found an amazing place for a weird searcher like me to be happy learning for a very long time. I wanted to share it with you ;)

It's the "Grey School of Wizardry". An online learning facility, with ethics, moral standards and TONS of information from Art, Magic, Literature, Science and Philosophy!
I have signed up and paid my tuition and have already started taking classes and I am impressed!

For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, it's a lot like "Hogwarts"

and was set up to be sort of similiar to make learning fun for kids interested in that. It's also for adults and the site is deep enough to really be interesting for the intrepid adventurer!

It was set up by famous Pagan writer and sculptor, Oberon Zell Ravenheart.
(remind you of anyone?)

You can study "Jedi Wizards" to Pathagorean math principles! You can learn about Herbology and Potions (Hermione's major :) to CPR to Reiki. You can learn about Mythical beasts to Folklore. It's all here.

I intend to look around, learn and let you know how it goes. I'm very excited to find a place like this!
While I have been to many circles and shops and clubs, in person, real time...and I have my magical friends too...I LOVE learning and there are all sorts of ways to do just that.

So, in signing out I will leave you with one of the ever changing "Wizardly Quotes of the Day" here:

“Wizards do not meet by chance.” -- Ursula K. LeGuin

If you are interested, surf to:   Grey School of Wizardry

and may your day be filled with Magickal Learning too! :)

Here is their Logo:
Which makes perfect sense :)

The Ankh for "Eternity"

The Pentacle for The Elements

and the Caduceus for Healing and Learning.