Sylvia Rose
Herbology & Lore: Rowan (Mountain Ash)
The Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) is easily recognized by its generous offerings of bright red berries. Also known as mountain ash, Rowan is a...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 29, 20237 min read
German Myth - Harvest Spirits 3
The solitary Erntekröte (Harvest Toad), mysterious Bockmann (Goat or Buck Man) and sadistic Roggenmuhme (Rye Aunt) are pagan harvest...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 29, 20238 min read
Animal Spirits: Woodpecker, Wasp, Wren
The Woodpecker, Wasp and Wren all bring different animal qualities into daily life. Ancient people lived in the heart of nature and knew...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 28, 20237 min read
Hags in Germanic Myth & Folklore
Hags in folklore are old women associated with magic. They can be witches, demons, queens, crones or nature spirits, kindly or hateful....
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 28, 20236 min read
Eschenfrau: Wicked Ash Tree Woman
The Ash Tree (Fraxinus) holds a special place in the magic and myth of Germany and the rest of Europe. In pagan nature lore, tree spirits...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 27, 20236 min read
German Myth & Folklore: Dwarfs
Although the identifying feature of fairy tale Dwarfs is height, these magical creatures of Faerie were not always short. Common in Norse...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 26, 20235 min read
Apples: Nature, Spirituality & Folklore
Cultivation of apples goes back to the Middle Stone Age in central Asia. The wild ancestor of today's apples still grows naturally in the...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 26, 20234 min read
German Nature Folklore - Fruit Trees
Fruit trees are integral to Germanic culture and lore. In times when most farms and rural homesteads depend on the land for nourishment,...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 25, 20235 min read
Fairy Rings, Magic and Mushrooms
Fairy rings are circles or semi-circles of wild mushrooms. They can appear overnight like magic and are part of the mystical world of...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 24, 20235 min read
Death Cap Mushrooms: Deadly Poison
Death Cap Mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) are deadly poisons of assassination and accident. Native to Europe, death caps are naturalized...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 23, 202310 min read
Agrippina & Son: Poisonous Plots of Rome
Mother of notorious Nero and sister to Caligula, Agrippina the Younger is one of the most influential women in Roman history. Born in a...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 22, 20236 min read
Castle Frankenstein - Legend & Lore
Legends of a corpse-swiping alchemist, fountain of immortality, witches, treasure and a dragon-killer are history and lore of infamous...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 20, 20238 min read
Witches' Night - Hexennacht
Among the May Day celebrations is Hexennacht or Witches' Night, from dusk April 30 to dawn May 1. On that night, they say witches gather...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 20, 20234 min read
German Vampires - Nachzehrer
German and north European vampires have little in common with the vampires of America and popular culture. The Nachzehrer is a type of...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 19, 20234 min read
Caraway Spice - Herbology & Folklore
Caraway (Carum carvi) is a cooking and medicinal herb with a pungent anise taste, known for its strong spicy fruits, called seeds. It's...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 18, 20235 min read
Rhinestones: Treasures of the Rhine
The mighty Rhine River is famous for legends, mystic secrets and hidden treasure. Flowing from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 16, 20234 min read
Goats in German Myth: Erntebock & Habergeiß
The Erntebock (Harvest Goat) is a treacherous spirit. Sometimes he's accompanied by his better half, the Habergeiß or she-goat. In...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 16, 20236 min read
Gramophone, Player Piano & Motion Pictures
The science of entertainment hits its stride in the 19th and 20th centuries. The first motion picture premieres in France, the pneumatic...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 15, 20236 min read
German Myth & Folklore: Elves
Elves emerge when the world is young. Fleeting spirits, they develop with the fecundity of creation into nature entities found in almost...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 14, 20236 min read
Reiker For Hire, Victorian Era & Nixies
Magic, mystery and sinister plots unfold as the Victorian era infuses European politics and society. Queen Victoria is a German princess...
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