Magic in the Mundane: Iron
I remember reading about fairies when I was younger and thinking how interesting it was that they were repulsed by iron. I think it’s because iron is such a common thing to us in this day and age. Forged iron is also, in my mind anyway, antithesis to nature. It’s a man-made thing, and I think I was enchanted by the idea of nature-faring creatures who can’t abide man-made goods.
Continue readingMagic in the Mundane — Houses
There’s something about household magic that I find particularly pleasing. Such magic was the inspiration for the Hearth discipline in Hazel and Holly. There’s just something about it that seems so… cozy. Familiar. Like freshly baked bread but with magic glitter and maybe a tricksy pixie or two.
Continue readingMagic in the Mundane — Geese
Summer has come and gone in a bit of a haze for us. Remember back when we bought a plot? Well, we’re planning on building a house to go on that plot, and there’s about five billion different decisions to be made on just about everything. So that was my summer. Deciding on door handles, door styles, faucets, sinks, etc. It’s pretty exciting, but it’s also overwhelming and kind of scary.
So that means it’s time for some magic. Continue reading
Magic in the Mundane — Frogs
I’m a big fan of frogs. I always enjoyed finding them as a kid, and I find their ribbit-ribbiting soothing as well. I still remember one night many years ago when I felt sick, listening to them croaking made me feel better. Pretty much from that moment frogs have been magical for me.
Frogs of rain and fertility
Given the amphibious nature of frogs, their connection to water in mythology doesn’t require the imagination to stretch too far. Fertility, though, I hadn’t expected. Continue reading
Magic in the Mundane — Eggs
We’re finally back with Magic in the Mundane, woohoo! Today we’re going to explore the magical properties of eggs.
Eggs for a long time have been a symbol of creation across multiple civilizations. Egyptian mythology has a cosmic egg that was created by the god Khnum from the mud of the Nile, and the sun god Ra was born from an egg. Continue reading
Magic in the Mundane — Dogs
Since the last post was about cats, of course we had to move on to dogs next. Otherwise, the house pet cat/dog continuum would implode and existence as we know it would be fuzzed beyond recognition.
Dogs and man go way back. The earliest domestication of dogs is dated to about 30,000 years ago in Eurasia. It’s theorized that tamer wolves hung around humans eating scraps of food, which ultimately led to their domestication and, thus, doggies.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that dog mythology abounds among ancient civilizations. Continue reading