I tend to read/listen to a lot of really heavy books, be them scholarly books about paganism and ancient history, the occult, or mental health books about trauma and healing.  When I need a break from these topics, I reach for my favorite genres: Middle School, High School, and Young Adult.  I also have two kids in middle school, so having mom-approved chapter books with subjects outside of the school curriculum is important—especially with a billionaire Trump Simp  who’s no business being in charge of Education.  I also know what my kids’ interests are, and that they’re more likely to want to read those, than what’s required.  I’d rather required reading not taint their love of reading (or dumb them down with whitewashing), as can happen.  Yes, they still have to read their homework, but they can also take “brain breaks” with stories they’re actually going to love.  Of course my kids have their own bookshelves that I’m not all that interested in, such...

 (Originally posted on my Substack .  Also yall don't have to subscribe to my SS, you can simply Follow, too, if you'd like.) Today is actually March 1st as I type this. I’ve got two things on my mind: my mom and bees. The only thing those two have in common is that bees are psychopomps in some cultures—entities that carry the dead to the Spirit World. And my mom is dead. She died on October 14, 2023. We had a complicated relationship. She was an emotionally abusive alcoholic and I wasn’t an enabler. All the family wanted was for her to get sober, and all she wanted was death. When I learned of her death, I felt immense relief and a weight lifted from me. The grief and healing process have been longer—going on before her death, honestly. I just put her memorial photos in an album yesterday. It felt good to put all of that information into a physical book. I sat there, looked and read, and remembered. How I reacted. How the kids reacted. Dealing with family and strangers. Some ...

  I recently finished  Ariadne  by Jennifer Saint. It was the Hellenic take of Ariadne’s story (as She is originally a sovereign Minoan Underworld Goddess), although I won’t tell you which ending the author chose in case you want to read it too. I am a fan of modern mythology and retellings. Giving voices to those who had none in most of the old stories. Exposing so-called “heroes” who don’t deserve hero-worship as the dishonorable POS they were. In the Hellenic stories, Ariadne was the Princess of Crete who helped Perseus escape the labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur. She escaped with him and the dbag abandoned her on an island and moved on with his life as a celebrated hero. Now there’s different versions of the story, one of which Perseus attempts to spread in the book. But with the old stories, sometimes Ariadne dies on the island and other times, Dionysus falls in love with her, she becomes his wife, and an immortal. How this all happens…well, different versions....