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Sylvia Rose
Jun 12, 20245 min read
Baltic Amber in Folklore and Myth
Amber mythology, amber origin legends, magic and folklore include the undersea castle of Baltic lore, and the death of Phaëton, son of...
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Sylvia Rose
May 11, 20245 min read
European Grass Snake: Nature & Lore
Snakes have mystic associations since the beginning of human thought. The European Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) is a small, harmless...
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Sylvia Rose
May 6, 20244 min read
Slavic River Spirits & Roman Gods
Viadrus is the name of the Roman god of the Oder (Odra) River, and of the river itself. The god gazes north toward the Baltic Sea,...
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Sylvia Rose
May 5, 20245 min read
Casting the Bones - Astragalomancy
Astragalomancy is divination using astragali or ankle bones (talus) of animals as dice. Bones of sheep and goats are popular in the near...
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Sylvia Rose
May 4, 20242 min read
Christmas Oranges & Yule Fruits
Sweet oranges in Europe and northern regions are a special treat at Christmas, going back to St Nicolas of Myra (270 - 343) in today's...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 24, 20246 min read
Heimchen - House Crickets of Folklore
Heimchen are house crickets (Acheta domesticus) in German folklore, said to bring luck or foretell disaster. Dwarfs might take the form...
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Sylvia Rose
Apr 9, 20246 min read
Alp or Alps: Elves & Alpine Mountains
In German Alp can refer to an Elf or a mountain. An antiquated term, Alp for Elf drops out of common vocabulary in the Middle Ages and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 20, 20234 min read
Silver - Queen of Precious Metals
Silver is a precious and magical metal. In common culture silver appears before 5000 BCE. One of the seven metals of antiquity, silver is...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 17, 20235 min read
Spiritual Magic - Numbers Three & Nine
Spiritually, both three and nine have powerful meaning and potent magic. They are ubiquitous in pagan nature magic, divination and...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 11, 20233 min read
Der Türst: Dread Huntsman & the Wild Hunt
From the southern Germanic lands, past the Swiss border come tales of der Türst, the dreadful huntsman who rides like a demon through...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 9, 20232 min read
Al-Mi'raj: Unicorn Hare of Arab Myth
One horned hare Al-Mi'raj or Almiraj appears in popular Arabic mythology. Most famously the unicorn hare is part of the mythological tale...
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Sylvia Rose
Oct 8, 20232 min read
Wolpertinger - German Myths & Folklore
Wolpertinger (Wolperdinger, Woiperdinger) lives in the dark alpine forests and rolling hills of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern...
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Sylvia Rose
Sep 29, 20234 min read
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 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 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 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 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 7, 20235 min read
Werewolf & Werewolves of Germany
The European werewolf differs from its American counterpart. In the rugged landscapes and dark forests of Germania, werewolves are...
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Sylvia Rose
Aug 16, 20233 min read
Herbology & Lore - Chamomile
The herbal medicine shelf isn't stocked without chamomile. This fragrant flowering herb is said to attract prosperity as well as good...
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Sylvia Rose
Jul 4, 20234 min read
German Myth - Harvest Spirits
Harvest spirits abound in German mythology and folklore. They're helpful, harmful or indifferent but must all be treated with respect....
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