Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Muse

In honor of the International Women’s Day, this article is devoted to Muses, the Greek Goddesses, the benefactors of the arts and the sciences.  Today they are known as the nine sisters, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (the Titan, personifying Remembrance). They are usually portrayed as young beautiful women, dancing or playing different musical instruments.

Each muse has her own domain and emblem (X / Y below). Their names are:

Calliope (Epic poetry / Writing Tablet, Wind). Fair-voiced. She is the first-born of the Muses, and the most powerful one, associated with the Tarot card of the Hermit. Her Anathemas are the Discordant Sounds.

Clio (Cleio) (History / Scrolls, Pens, Memory, Bards). The Proclaimer associated with the Tarot card of Justice. Her Anathemas are lies, blemishes and injustice.

Erato (Love Poetry / Cithara (a musical instrument like a lyre), Bow and Arrow).  Romantic Love, associated with the Tarot card of the Lovers. Anathemas: Magic used to destroy love.

Euterpe (Song and Elegiac Poetry / Aulos (a musical instrument like a flute). Giver of pleasure associated with the Tarot cards of the Magician and the Fool. Her Anathema is Refusal to Enjoy the Gifts of Life.

Melpomene (Tragedy / Sad Mask of the twin harlequins representing tragedy in theater). The Singer, associated with the Tarot cards of the Chariot, the Moon and the Temperance. Anathema: Frivolity – she prefers those in deep contemplation.

Polyhymnia (Hymns and Pantomime  / Veil, halos, all sacred books, reborn deities, sacred music). She is of Many Hymns, associated with the Tarot card of the High Priestess. Anathemas: Those who use her gifts without honoring their sacred source.

Terpsichore (Dance / Lyre). She is the Whirler, associated with the Tarot cards of Tower, Death or Change. Anathemas: Those who do not help themselves but want others to do for them.

Thalia (Comedy / The Laughing Mask of the twin harlequins representing comedy in the theater). The Flourisher, associated with the Tarot cards of the Chariot, the Sun and the World. Anathemas: Sadness – she cannot abide by those who refuse to enjoy.

Urania (Astronomy / Celestial Globe and Compass of Heavens) The Heavenly One, associated with the Tarot card of the Wheel of Fortune ( Sorry, Vanna White ;-)). Anathemas: Those who do not seek the answers that lie before them.

Some sources reveal that there were only three original muses Melete (Experience), Mnene (Memory, Remembering) and Aoide (Song) who in the beginning were worshiped by twin giants, the Aloadai. They were the ones attributed with the founding of the cult of Muses on Mt. Helikon. A poet Mimnerm proclaimed that there were two sets of muses (the elder ones -- daughters of Uranius (sky) and Gaia (earth) and the younger ones – the daughters of Zeus). But multiple scholars of antiquity, including Hesiod and Homer, agree that the correct number of Muses is nine.

The Muses lived on the mountain Helikon singing and praising all the generations of Gods and Goddesses: Gaia, Chronos, Ocean, Night, Helios, Zeus and his family, thus, connecting past and present. They were believed to know the past and to see the future. But at the same time, they love meddling in the affairs of the humans. They are the benefactors of musicians, writers, artists, bestowing their gifts upon them, inspiring the creative minds, advancing the civilization.

Have you ever thought that the words “muse” and “museum” are related? Indeed, they are! Many Enlightenment figures sought to re-establish a "Cult of the Muses" in the 18th century. A famous Masonic lodge in pre-Revolutionary Paris was called Les Neuf Soeurs ("the nine sisters", that is, the nine Muses) - Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Danton, and other influential figures of the time attended it. As a side-effect of this movement the word "museum" (originally, "cult place of the Muses") came to refer to a place for the public display of knowledge. (from Wikipedia)

So, I’d better go and call upon my Muse for inspiration to write the next chapter of the second book about Tessa and her Guardian Angel and Demon. If you haven’t read 2.18 yet, here is the link: 2.18

That’s it for today. Come back soon and spread the word.

Love,

Aglaya

MARCH 8th -- HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!!

May it be filled with joy, laughter and happiness! Today is ours to celebrate and... every other day too!!!

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Brownie

Brownies or brounies are mythological creatures from English/Scottish folklore, comparable to the Scandinavian tomte, the Slavic domovoi and the German Heinzelmännchen. The first mentions of Brownies are found in the documents of the 16^th century where they are described as small humanoid creatures with wrinkled faces, covered in short brown fur and wearing deep-brown clothes. Brownies are considered to be household creatures, but are also known to live in dead trees and forgotten dilapidated dwellings. Sometimes Brownies become very loyal to a certain family, generation after generation, and move with them from house to house, but typically, they are loyal to the house itself ( you know, like Maesters in Game of Thrones – they were loyal servants of a Castle, no matter which king wannabe claimed its possession at this or that point of time).

Brownies are known to be friendly creatures. When they are treated with respect, appreciation and timely treats (although some sources point that any type of a reward for the job well done could be considered offensive to them), Brownies enjoy helping the families they’ve adopted with running the household. It is considered lucky when a family has a Brownie’s help. Brownies enjoy cleaning the house (I wish I could befriend one to help out with the inevitable spring cleaning ;-)), mending socks quietly at night, washing that tea cup you left in the sink, gathering the clothes you left on the floor and folding it neatly. They pride themselves on running the household in a proper manner and probably giggle quietly and roll their eyes at their adopted family’s inability to handle such seemingly easy pleasurable tasks on their own. Their passion for order and tidiness doesn’t stop by the walls of the house. Brownies are known with helping milking the cows, tending the bees, and harvesting as well. In Scotland, they are also responsible for helping with brewing the perfect ale. Brownies are mostly nocturnal creatures and prefer not to be seen, but some are known to become advisers and a shoulder to lean on in difficult situations to those whom they love.

However, when one offends a Brownie, he might wish to leave the household immediately. Evil pranks, poltergeist-like behavior and cruel mischiefs would be the Brownie’s revenge. The Brownie will go all Boggart at you! ;-) And that’s not a good thing.  (BTW, It’s not like Humphrey Bogart, it’s more like a malevolent creature trying to get you by crawling into your bed and covering your mouth with its clammy hand. Yikes!)

So, next time when you see the Girl Scouts selling cookies, you’d better buy a pack from them. After all, their junior branch is named after these legendary creatures, and your support  will get you some “brownie points” as well.

This is it for today!

Come back and spread the word!

Aglaya

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Phoenix

Happy New Year! May all your dreams come true in 2013!

I thought it would be appropriate for the first article of the New Year to cover Phoenix (or phenix), a magical bird of the Greek myths that became a universal symbol of renewal and rebirth.

By some sources, Phoenix was first discovered in Ethiopia, but got its name from the Assyrians. Allegedly, Phoenix is a long-lived bird (some sources quote 500 years, some 1460years, and some 12,954 years). It looks similar to an eagle and has marvelous reddish-golden and flaming crimson feathers. Foreseeing its death fast approaching, Phoenix burns himself in its nest covered in aromatic herbs but immediately gets reborn in it.  Another version suggests that Phoenix dies breathing in an aroma of magical herbs, then a new bird gets born in its place and carries the body of its predecessor to Egypt, where the followers of a solar cult burn its body.

Phoenix is one of mythological creatures that are found in a world-wide culture. One can easily trace its relation to an Egyptian Bennu (a bird that created itself from a fire that was burning on a holy tree near a temple of Ra and associated with resurrection and Sun. Bennu is depicted as a heron). A Persian Simurgh or Arabic Angha – a winged , creature resembling a peacock, sometimes  portrayed with a head of a dog and claws of a lion, sometimes with a human female face . There is a great article about it on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angha. A Hindu Garuda (for those of you who follow the show on SyFy “The Lost Girl”, I recommend the article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda. It will give you a glimpse on a relationship of Garudas and Nagas).

There are also traces to the Chinese FengHuang, Japanese Ho-Oh and Russian Finist and Firebird (a bird with glowing plumage of red, orange and golden). When I was growing up in Russia, the fairy-tale of the Prince Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Grey Wolf was one of my most favorite ones. Here it is:  http://russian-crafts.com/tales/ivan_tsarevitch.html

Phoenix has been adopted by the early Christianity as a symbol of resurrection as well. It’s also became very popular emblem in heraldry. Both Elizabeth I and Mary, the Queen of Scotts used it as their emblems.

The city of Phoenix in Arizona has it on its flag and seal as well. Originally named Pumpkinville (due to the abundance of large pumpkins, growing along the canals) the city was named Phoenix per the suggestion of Lord Darrel Duppa, “as it described a city born from the ruins of a former Hohokam civilization”.

That is all for today. Come back soon and spread the word.

Happy New Year! Happy new beginnings!

Aglaya

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wish you lots of love, health, wealth and happiness in 2013! May all your dreams come true!

Love,
Aglaya

10 Favorite Quotes from the Movie “The Last Holiday"

    (Whispering) This is a secret. When I’m feeling down, tired or plain sick -- I watch the movie “The Last Holiday”. It never fails to put a smile on my face and give a kick in the butt. I love the story, I love the characters; and the movie always manages to pull me back to NOW. The very moment I am in.

Here are my 8 favorite quotes, in no particular order.

1)      You wait and you wait for somethin' big to happen... and then you find out you gon' die.

2)      Next time... we will laugh more, we'll love more; we just won't be so afraid

3) Chef Didier: You and I, we know the secret to life… it's butter.

4)      I would like to be cremated. I spent my whole life in a box. I don't want to be buried in one. Georgia May Byr

5)  “You know how it is. You keep your head down and you hustle and hustle. Then you  look up one day and wonder, “How did I even get here?”

          6) HMO Administrator: The cost of a median cranial debulking surgery is around $340,000. That's without anesthesia You'll want that.

          7) Georgia Byrd: I really wanted to meet you. And I shoulda ate that. I shoulda ate all that stuff. Especially that. Shoulda put my foot in that.

         8) Chief Didier: The start is not nearly as important as the finish.

What would you do if you knew less than a month to live? Would you like to know when you are going to die? What are your “pick-me-up” or inspirational movies? What helps you to relax and get yourself back at a track you’ve chosen for yourself?

This is it for today.

Come back soon and spread the word.

Aglaya Moroz

Friday's Mythological Creature of the Day -- Sisyphus

You’ve probably heard an expression “Sisyphean task”, meaning endlessly laborious or futile work. Maybe you even felt like Sisyphus, a character from a Greek myth. You wake up, feed the kids, send them to school, get to the office, work your butt off, run errands, cook dinner for the family, stare at the TV and go to bed. The day passes only to repeat itself tomorrow, again and again. Like Queen Latifah’s character said in the movie “The Last Holiday”: “You know how it is. You keep your head down and you hustle and hustle. Then you look up one day and wonder, “How did I even get here?” If that sounds familiar – Congratulations! Now you can understand how Sisyphus felt after the Greek Gods punished him for trying to outsmart Zeus himself.

After his death and the second and final journey to the Kingdom of the Underworld (more about that later), Sisyphus was made to roll a huge boulder up a steep mountain. Just as he’d reach the top, the massive stone would always roll back down, forcing him to begin again, consigning Sisyphus to an eternity of useless efforts and frustration. That’s why today pointless or interminable activities are sometimes described as Sisyphean.

Have the Gods been unfair to Sisyphus? Was he just an innocent victim? What possibly could he have done to deserve such a horrible fate? Well, innocent he was not…  A deceitful, murderous trickster, who ignored the laws of the people and Gods, yes, he was that, indeed.

See, Sisyphus was a son of Aeolus and Enarete. He was the founder and the first kin of Ephyra, married to a beautiful nymph Merope, who brought him four sons (by the way, some myths also consider Sisyphus to be the birth father of Odysseus, who inherited his father’s wits).Instead of thanking Gods for his fortunes and ruling his lands mercifully, Sisyphus killed travelers and guests, breaking the sacred laws of hospitality. He tattled on Zeus to the river God Asopus of whereabouts of his daughter Aegina, ruining Zeus’s plans for having a good time. He seduced his own niece Tyro, who slayed the children she bore from Sisyphus, once she realized he was planning to use them to dethrone her father. He tricked a Goddess of Death Thanatos and got her chained in the Underworld, and because of that for several years nobody could die.

When Sisyphus finally passed away, and his soul moved to the Underworld like all the other normal souls, somehow he managed to wiggle his way out of the situation. He persuaded Persephone to temporarily free him, so he could punish his wife, who left his dead naked body in the middle of a public square instead of giving him a proper burial (per his own request). Once he got back to the world of living and had a celebratory feast with his wife, happily giggling about the successful implementation of his devious plan, Sisyphus refused to go back and had to be forcibly dragged there by a very irate Hermes.

Check out these resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siziph

http://www.thanasis.com/store/sisyphus.htm

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Sisyphus.html

That’s it for today. Come back soon and spread the word!

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Naglfar

Well,  Naglfar is not a creature, but a weirdly cool transportation vehicle that carries a bunch of dead warriors’ souls to the final battle. Why post about it today? Because I can ;-) And because my imagination went berserk when I read the description of it, so I had to learn more about it and share my findings with you. I also ran across some delightfully creepy images of this legendary ship on the web, like this one by Jeff Fairbourn.

Without further adue, it is my honor to introduce Naglfar -- the morbid ship from the Norse mythology, made entirely of fingernails and toenails of the dead,  sailing through oceans, realms and mists of time. It carries the dead Scandinavian warriors from Hel (yes, that’s the correct spelling), the kingdom of the Underworld, to engage in the final battle before Ragnarök, a.k.a. Armageddon, a.k.a. the End of the World.

“From the east comes Hrym with shield held high;

In giant-wrath does the serpent writhe;

O'er the waves he twists, and the tawny eagle

Gnaws corpses screaming; Naglfar is loose.

O'er the sea from the north there sails a ship

With the people of Hel, at the helm stands Loki;

After the wolf do wild men follow,

And with them the brother of Byleist goes”

from Völuspá, Translation byHenry Adams Bellows

According to some Norse myths, it is the one and only Loki, the trouble-maker god,  who steers and governs the ship to bring the reinforcements of Evil to expedite the end to the world and rule whatever is left of it. C’mon, not again!  Hasn’t he watched “Thor” and “Avengers” recently?........Geeesh!

But according to other myths Naglfar is steered by Hrym, who is actually a jötunn, a Giant from the far-away Ice Lands, sailing with a crew of other jötunns, to confront the gods of Asgard.

In any case, if you see the Nagflar landing ashore near you – run away. That ship is nothin’ but a trouble!

This is it for tonight. Come back soon and spread the word!

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Harpy

With one hand covering my eyes, my swirling finger lands on a page in my mythological encyclopedia. Once again I find myself stumbling upon the Greek mythology. Harpies are fascinating creatures -- so strong, so ravenous, that their names are remembered through human history and our language! Even today we refer to nasty, annoying women as being “harpies”. So who are these mortifying creatures?

Harpies are the daughters of a seagod Taumas and an oceanid Elektra. They ravished the Earth even prior to the arrival of the Gods of Olympus (aka Zeus and Company). How many of them existed? Estimations run from two to five, depending on the source. That’s all! Their names are Aello (The Storm Swift), Aellopo (The Stormlike), Podagre (The Fleet-Foot), Ocypete (“The Swift Wing), Celaeno (The Dark)). Some scholars believe some of these names are just aliases for the same two or three harpies.

Typically they are portrayed as ugly-faced creatures, half-female, half-bird, kind of like an ugly mermaid, but with wings...

In mythology they are described as evil kidnappers of kids and lost souls (the name itself “Harpy” comes from the Greek “Snatching”). They swoop down quickly to snatch their victims and disappear just as fast into the wind. The relationship of the harpies to the winds can be proved by one of the myths about the divine nature of Achilles’ stallions. They were special mares, born from Podagre and Zephyros (the Wind of the West).

Another well-known story about harpies is their torture of a king Phineus, who was cursed for a crime he unknownly committed. They were devouring his food, starving him to death.

Harpies were banished by the relatives of Phineus, sons of Boreas (the North Wind). Iris, the rainbow goddess, the messenger of Zeus, prevented Boreas’s sons from murdering Harpies. I wonder why? (TMZ alert: allegedly Iris was their half-sister).

That’s all for today. Come back soon and spread the word!

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day – Gwendolyn, a young Pet Reaper ;-)

Today I’ve made two amazing discoveries. The first one -- Kickstarter, THE most awesome company ever, that helps connecting creative people who need funding for their creative projects with people who have interest in supporting these type of projects financially. Art, Technology, Comics, Publishing, Theater – you name it. I was absolutely blown away! Check it: www.kickstarter.com You can pitch in anything from $1.00 and up to help out.

The second cool thing was clicking on “Gwendolyn and the Underworld” video on the Kickstarter website. WOW!WOW! WOW! I want this book! And I want somebody to make an animated movie based on it. Tim Burton? ;-)
Anyhow, I nominate Gwendolyn, the little Grim Reaper for dead pets for my Mythological Creature of the Day! ;-)

Here is more art from the storybook:

This is the official description of the project:
“Beneath cemetery twigs and barbing brambles, down through the rottens and the coffins and the roots, is the winding upside down Underworld…
Gwendolyn and the Underworld is an illustrated storybook about a young Pet Reaper (think Grim Reaper + dead pets) who ventures to solve the mystery behind her Overworld roots. She uncovers a rotten conspiracy with her corpulent corpse aunt, a sidekick Peacodgehog, an army of Skellies, and slew of part-this and part-that creatures.”

Who are these guys? (I have no idea and no affiliation with them, btw.)

But here is the info from the site:

“Author Ian Samuels and illustrator Bill Robinson.
We met at the age of 7 and formed a nerdy creative team with Ian leading the storytelling and Bill on the visuals. Since then, we've collaborated on puppet shows, theater performances, short films, and another kid's book. Ian studied Film Directing at Cal Arts and has worked at Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company. Bill studied Animation at RIT, and has worked as a concept artist for video games, toys, and books with clients like Fisher-Price, Huckleberry Toys, and Universal Studios.”

Support “Gwendolyn and the Underworld” -- it’s way too cool! Support the indie-publishing and check Kickstarter.com as a way to fund your own projects!

Come back soon and spread the word!
Aglaya

Daylight Saving Time Kicks My Butt Yet Again!

Today was another catatonic morning. Even my dog didn’t want to get up. My body has been aching, my brain refuses to work even after three cups of coffee, even my instincts slowed down. I hate this time change practice with all my guts. I can’t fall asleep as easy. I can’t wake up as easy. I am tired, angry and bitter. I hope tomorrow my body will finally give up and readjust itself to the new routine.

This policy adopted during the first world war was a way to conserve coal. Why do we still use it?!

Wikipedia states that “an early goal of DST was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of electricity, but modern heating and cooling usage patterns differ greatly, and research about how DST currently affects energy use is limited or contradictory.”

Another interesting fact from Wikipedia: “In the US, DST was observed during both wars but no peaceful standartization of DST until 1966. In the mid-1980s, Clorox (parent of Kingsford Charcoal) and 7-Eleven provided the primary funding for the Daylight Saving Time Coalition behind the 1987 extension to U.S. DST, and both Idaho senators voted for it based on the premise that during DST fast-food restaurants sell more French fries, which are made from Idaho potatoes.” Seriously?! It was done for economic reasons? Money reasons?


I think, DST was designed so the employers would get more work hours from their workers. One works from dawn to dusk and guess what? Dusk comes later now…

There’ve been multiple health studies done worldwide, proving that DST negatively effects the body’s circadian rhythm. The other studies showed that male suicide rates raised in the first three weeks after the spring transition, so do heart attack rates…

If the whole planet natural life lives by solar time just fine, why do we need this “standard” time and Daylight Saving?

What do you think? And how does it make you feel? ;-))

Aglaya

Check this link: Wikipedia info

Friday's Mythological Creature of the Day -- Libitina, The Goddess of Funerals, Morticians and Corpses

In Roman Mythology Libitina was The Goddess of Funerals, Morticians and Corpses. I have never heard of her and was shocked to learn that there is not much information available about this seemingly important Deity. So, here is what I’ve dug up so far:

Her sanctuary was a sacred grove, where funeral accessories and tools were kept. She was the patron of the undertakers, who had their parlors near her temple. Allegedly, the legendary sixth king of ancient Rome, and the second of his Etruscan dynasty, Servius Tullius (he reigned 578-535BC) was the one who ordered people to bring a coin for every funeral held and place it in the Libitina’s temple. By this he could learn how many people have died during a certain period of time.

Later, Libitina was identified with Lubetina, the Goddess of Gardens, and then with Venus Libitina (the Goddess of passion and lust ) and based on the similarity of names morphed into the latest. Death and Sex... Death and Passion...

Interestingly, Plutarch (Quaest. Rom. 23) mentions a small statue at Delphi of Aphrodite Epitymbia (A. of tombs= Venus Libitina), to which the spirits of the dead were summoned. The inconsistency of selling funeral requisites in the temple of Libitina, seeing that she is identified with Venus, is explained by him as indicating that one and the same goddess presides over birth and death; or the association of such things with the goddess of love and pleasure is intended to show that death is not a calamity, but rather a consummation to be desired. Libitina may, however, have been originally an earth goddess, connected with luxuriant nature and the enjoyments of life (cf. lub-et, lib-ido); then, all such deities being connected with the underworld, she also became the goddess of death, and that side of her character predominated in the later conceptions.

Today, Libitina’s very name has sunk into such obscurity that it is seldom mentioned when the gods and goddesses of antiquity are reviewed. And I find it very strange – we know so much about Roman’s funeral rites and pyres, so it seems weird that such seemingly important Goddess would be completely forgotten. Wikipedia mentioned that her face was seldom portrayed; and I couldn’t find any authentic images online. There were a few mentions of Orcus, her male equivalent (also of Etruscan origin, also half-forgotten) but not much.

Another interesting fact that I’ve discovered was that “Libitina’s name became comparable to our idea of death, and she was worshipped by the ancients and often sung about by their poets. This female deity was a reigning personification of Death. She would manifest as a black robed, dark winged figure that might, like an enormous bird of prey, hover above her intended victim until the moment came to seize it”. Sounds pretty gruesome and horrifying… but wait, was it really Libitina’s description or was it Mors’s? There was another Roman female deity associated with death, also barely mentioned but fit the above description...

This is one of the most intriguing articles I’ve found that are referencing the less-known side of the Roman-Greek mythology. If anybody has more information on this Deity, please share!Come back soon and spread the word!

Check these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libitina
and
http://www.theodora.com/encyclopedia/l2/libitina.html

Friday's Mythological Creature of the Day -- Kuksu

Friday’s Mythological Figure – Kuksu, Northern Califonia’s Native American Creation God

Today I opened my big mythological encyclopedia on a random page yet again, and read about Kuksu. The more I dug for information, the more interesting it was. The encyclopedia itself gave me a very brief description of Kuksu. He was mentioned in the myths of Maidu, Pomo, Patwin and other Northern California Native American tribes, where Kuksu was considered to be the first man and the teacher of all people. Secret rituals worshipping Kuksu, connected with coming of age initiations were typically conducted during winter in the hidden underground dance rooms. Elaborate dancing ceremonies were held, where dancers would wearing humongous headpieces of feathers, (so the Kuksu’s cult was also known as a cult of “Big Head”) impersonating Kuksu and other Deities. These ceremonies were supposed to help with continuation of human kind, heal illnesses, and prevent natural disasters. That would have been it…
Well, actually, it was a shamanistic religion, a sort of male secret society. It was believed that Kuksu would grant the passing into the sacred time during the present time. Basically, how I understood it, the ceremonies were helping the participants to break through the normal time-space continuum to reach the “sacred space and time” for visions, prophecies and blessings. Some hallucinogenic stuff was allegedly smoked during the ceremonies to reach the “blessed state”.
Also, I was lucky to come across David Adams Leeming’s “Creation Myths of the World: an encyclopedia” that was mentioning Kuksu. This is one of the humblest creation myths I’ve found so far. Here is my brief summary of the myth: (find the full version online or get the book -- it’s actually really cool!)
So here was a god Madumda, who went to see his older brother Kuksu, who lived on a cloud in a very icy, snowy house and smoked his pipe all day and all night. Smoking and thinking, thinking and smoking.
Madumda scraped some skin from his armpit and gave it to Kuksu, who held it in between his toes. Then Kuksu scraped some skin from his own armpit and gave it to Madumda to hold between toes. Then they added some hair to the two balls and mixed them altogether. The two gods sang a sacred song (Kuksu was the one who knew the secret words of creation) and Madumda went home to sleep, putting the ball into his ear, where it conveniently mixed with his earwax. He slept for eight days, during which the ball grew and became the Earth. Madumda threw his pipe in sky and made the Sun, and said the sacred words to create all living on earth, including people (it took him a few attempts to make the right people, because they would behave badly: the first batch was destroyed by flood, the second by fire, the third by wind).
So, in my understanding of the myth, Madumda was the actual creator, but it was Kuksu, who was the ultimate Shaman, who held the power and raw magic that started the creation, the one who knew the “Word” and helped Madumda to create a world in Eight days… Doesn’t it remind you of something similar? ;-)

Check these links for more cool info:

http://www.maidu.com/maiduculture/kuksu.html
http://www.freefictionbooks.org/books/r/23765-the-religion-of-the-indians-of-california?start=11
http://www.amazon.com/Creation-Myths-World-volumes-Encyclopedia/dp/1598841742

Merry Christmas!

Wish you lots of love, good health, success and happiness!

May all your dreams come true!

Sincerely,
Aglaya

The Girl With a Power Drill

“I can do it! I can do it!” I muttered under my breath, clasping the handle of a borrowed power drill. “Find the stud! Do not forget to find a stud”, my hubby was shouting over the phone a hundred miles away.
Holding my breath, praying that a drillbit is safely secured in its nest, I pressed the trigger and moved my hand between a heavy plush top queen bed and a wall connecting our bedroom to the walk-in closet. (Yes, I did google “how to put a drillbit into a power drill”, and ehow. com had an answer) I need to insert at least two metal rings into these damn walls. Got your attention?
Here is the scoop: When we moved back to SF Bay Area, we’ve found an apartment online. It was in the South Bay, where we’ve lived before and absolutely loved it, it was a dog-friendly place AND it had its own washer and dryer. To find such a gem for a more or less reasonable price was very lucky, indeed (those of you who have dogs and live in the area know what I mean). The gem came with a walk-in closet and... no other storage whatsoever, besides kitchen cabinets. Nothing. Zilch. We were moving from a two-bedroom condo from Midwest into a one-bedroom in the Bay Area. There was no need to rent a storage space, just because of the stupid second bed that I refused to sell, because it was almost brand new and super comfy. My hubby quietly suggested putting our guest queen bed into the closet. Re-a-lly? Into the walk-in closet with the built-in shelves for my shoe collection? Really?
So we ended up using the second bed as a headboard. It looks slightly weird but cute with all the draperies covering it, ala rococo/ gothic style, and it serves as a soundproof thingie. The bed spring and the mattress fit horizontally across the wall. The movers asked if we wanted to keep the protective plastic on the mattress but I refused, because I didn’t want to breathe in the crap from the plastic. So, of course, the mattress started to sag and move down, pressing on our bed, side tables and lamps.
My goal today was to fix the Pisa’s headboard by screwing hooks into the walls and pulling a heavy duty rope across it.
“I see the goal. I have a power tool. I am going to make a hole in this wall.” Have I mentioned that this was my second time using the power drill in my entire life? I didn’t break the drillbit! It all worked out great, if we don’t take into consideration my knuckles. They looked like I’d spent the Thanksgiving weekend fist-fighting. I sort of was... With the damn walls! Even my tiny wrist couldn’t squeeze comfortably enough to screw the damn ring with the stupid hooky thingie on it into the wall.
Then the fun began.
First of all, the super durable rope wouldn’t fit into the damn tiny ring. I was lucky I had another string, significantly narrower but strong enough. I’ve managed to get it through the three hooks and they all held up!!! I did it! I did it!!!
The moment of truth came to my very first ring/hook. You see, I didn’t have a chance to look for studs in the last three places, because of the position of the mattresses, but somehow it all worked. The first hook placement I’d found scientifically -- knocking on the wall, listening for a dull sound somewhere in the region of the corner. I found it, and I made a hole. The first attempt to tie a rope into that hook (I still can’t feel my thumb today after all the screwing ;-)) was in vain. The screw came out of the wall after multiple attempts of tying the knot on it. Silently cursing I knocked along the wall again, squeezing my bruised hand into the tight space. “Sounds dull to me, just a bit to the right, towards the corner, and the wooden stud will be there.” This time the screw went into the wall with a little bit of more force required. I got it! I blindly tied the rope on a hook, pressing my cheek against the mattress, pulled it a bit to secure it and... it freaking fell out! What am I? A super strong woman from a circus? It’s the corner! The sound is dull! There had to be a freaking stud there! Who builds like that?!!! Screw this screw!!!!
I pulled out my power tool yet again (at this point I’ve already put and cleaned the drillbits twice, being sure that I did OK?) and drilled a hole in the connecting wall of the walk in closet, no science, no knocking, just where I felt like. “Ha-ha-ha” I laughed with a mad half-smile, dancing on my face. “Ha-ha-ha . And I drill. And I drrr-r-ill A-and I drill. And I dri-i-i-i-llllll!!!!”
To my ultimate surprise, somehow it worked. (I am still not sure if I’ve found the stud. We’ll live and see...) The rope was secure. The mattress stopped falling over the floor lamp. The draperies were put on top of the extra bed aka headboard, creating the ambience I wanted. I stared at the fruit of my labor in silence, feeling very proud of myself.
My eyes drifted to the window with the boring blinds. Hmm, I do have a sewing machine... I used it once before...

R.I.P. Steve Jobs -- 1955-2011

I am staring at my inspiration board with my favorite quote pinned to the middle of it: “May You Be Inspired Today... May you be encouraged to travel your path with sure feet, confident in your direction. May you be spurred on to explore, to face the challenge, to go to the next level. May you experience many moments when you want to stand up and shout, “Hazzah! How grand life is and I want more of it!” May you fall asleep exhausted but giddy with anticipation for what is to come, as thoygh you cannot wait until the morning to continue the adventure, to see what glorious miracles are going to occur. And finally, may you realize your power to create such a day and such a life for yourself for you truly do possess it. Have An Exciting Day! ” Steve Jobs.
What a loss!

My first computer was Mac Powerbook 170, the heavy laptop with a black-n-white monitor (that still works but sits in the storage now as a technological antiquity). I’ve learnt “all things computer” on it. I wrote my thesis, got obsessed with Mahjong game and fell in love with Corel Draw. When I got to Bay Area, Steven Jobs became the face of Silicon Valley for me, of realization that everything was doable and possible in this magical crazy technological heaven. Later, when I lived near Apple’s HQs in Cupertino, I learnt how to distinguish Apple employees from HP employees in the streets. (No, it was not because of the paranoid look in the eyes of Apple’s folks, trying to protect the company’s secrets ;-)) The iPod made the gym experience much more tolerable. The iTunes helped me find a song for every nuance of my mood and also listen to exciting podcasts of some of the best lecturers in the world.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

It’s sad that Steve Jobs is gone. But what a life it was! I wish that all of us will have the opportunity to see our dreams and ideas come to life before it’s our time to go!

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

Enjoy his speech.

Rest in Peace, Sir and Thank You!

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day-- Hotei (the Laughing Buddha)

I’ve seen the Laughing Buddha figurines so many times at the Asian restaurants, in new age stores, on people’s bookshelves. The little bold happy guy with a wide smile and a big belly. I’m sure lots of you came across him one time or another. I’ve never known who he was, but figured he was a symbol for good luck and prosperity. Buddha in a happy state of mind, laughing and giggling... A happy Deity, who’ve just returned from nirvana and having a blast, observing the crazy world around him. Well, truth to be told, I’ve also found the figurine to be slightly creepy. Is he laughing with us or at us?

To my surprise, I’ve opened my big Mythological Encyclopedia on an article about Hotei today. Sounded familiar... Oh, I knew it from the name of a very good Japanese restaurant in San Francisco, owned by the same gentleman as Ebisu (one of the most famous Japanese restaurants in the City)...

So, it’s turned out that Hotei (also known as Budai in Chinese folklore, also known as the Laughing Buddha) is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune in Japanese mythology. His name means a cloth sack. He is the god of plenty, and also a representation of communication and joy. The prototype of Hotei is a Chinese Buddhist monk in the 9th-10th century, who’d got famous for his interpretation of some happy signs from "above". He looked unusual for a typical monk (very short, and one couldn’t miss that big belly) and had a distinctive behavioral quirk -- walking around half-naked with a cloth sack on his back. He was attracting so much attention that people started to talk about and draw him, and through these drawings he became a legend. In the 15th century he was included into the league of the Seven Gods of Fortune by the name of Hotei.

I’d love to learn more about this guy!

Check these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai

This is not truly related but funny! http://edexpat.com/laughing-out-loud-in-asia-why-is-the-www-so-funny-in-japan/

Friday’s Mythological Creature of the Day -- Bacabs ( Bakabs ), Mayan Myths

Bacabs were four brothers, who were sky-bearers, standing at the four corners of the Universe: Hobnil -- the Guard of the East, his assigned color is red and the Kan years, Cantzicnal -- the Guard of the North, his assigned color is white and the Muluc years, Saccimi -- the Guard of the West, his assigned color is black and the Ix years, and Hosanek -- the Guard of the South, his assigned color is yellow and the Cauac years.

Bacabs are anthropomorphic creatures, but it is believed that the earlier years of the Mayan civilization associated them with the four animals (iguana, opossum, turtle, and snail) or some insects (i.e. spiders and honey bees). Hobnil was portrayed as the protector of the beekeepers in some documents.

Since they were Year Bearer patrons, the Bacabs were important in divination ceremonies. They were approached with questions about crops, weather, or the health of bees, and often invoked in curing rituals.
By the 15th century the four Bacabs got interconnected with the four Chaaks ( the 4 rain deities, associated with the four primary compass directions) and Pauahtuns (the 4 wind deities). Interestingly, there have been mentions of the Underworld Bacabs who were supporting the skies of the Underworld as well.

In Classic Maya iconography, the Bacab occurs in various stereotypical situations:
• Fourfold, the Bacabs are repeatedly shown carrying the slab of a throne or the roof of a building.
• Bacab inhabiting the Earth Turtle is part of the scenes with the resurrection of the Maya maize god.
• Still unexplained is a recurring scene in which the Bacab, half-hidden in his conch, is held by his wrist, about to be sacrificed with a knife.
If you want to know more, please check the following sites (including Wikipedia -- great reference section, BTW).

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacab">

"http://www.yucatanadventure.com.mx/maya-gods.htm">

Enjoy!

Creative People and Organizing Skills: Time Management

Today was the day when I reached the tipping point in my clutter/creative disorder situation by posting a desperate scream on Twitter “Why am I so disorganized?!” It made me think about all these successful women who juggle career/family & friends/hobbies without a glitch and still find the time for themselves. Is it a myth or reality?

How can I bring structure into my chaotic life? What if I do it but won’t like it? ;-) What if I start planning, and then my life will turn into boring routine, too predictable & controlled? Do I really need more structure?

Well... YES, I DO!!!

I have been crawling to the acknowledgement of this regretful fact for the last couple of weeks now. It started with trying to find an app for my smart phone vs. regular Outlook Calendar that I religiously use for my normal business life. I tried a few apps but none of them necessarily caught my fancy.

While surfing Russian sites last night, I came across a mention of a planner by Yana Frank “365 Days in the Life of a Creative Person” (per her publisher, it’s been translated into English -- please hurry! ;-)), a sort-of a workbook/daily planner that goes together with her bestseller “The Muse and The Beast”. The publisher’s website generously shared a few of the worksheets that she had created & used herself -- I felt they were doable and easy to implement.

So, after a series of incidents today, I caved in and proclaimed to my very patient husband that I was going to Barnes and Noble to buy “a magic book” -- A DAILY PLANNER. The last time I used one was back in 1997...

The variety of products available to the aspiring organizing gurus was overwhelming. After a thorough search I picked a 2012 Weekly Professional Planner (Don’t be fooled by its name, it actually starts from July 2011 and goes to June 2013!). I liked it because it looked non-scary, had a half-hour appointment scheduling (will change it to 45/15 & explain why later), huge section of notes, a monthly & weekly format. The perfect solution to all my problems!!!

Upon my return, I waved it in front of my husband with apparent triumph, pushing it back and forth into his face, saying “Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself! Looky! Looky”. The next 15 minutes were spent discussing the thoughtfulness and craftsmanship put in the planner, then I had to find an appropriate time-management quote to be calligraphically inscribed on the inner left cover with a new pen (to be used for this book only) that took about half-an-hour, while I was chasing my hubby around the house with the laptop, reading him aloud the possible variants, and the grand finale -- I had to find/put stickers from my old scrapbooking project to decorate a few pages of the notes portion.

An hour of super-productive preparation... Beware efficient creative living -- here I come!