tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1761965719560985502024-03-06T04:21:29.936-05:00Laura Perry: Author - Editor - ArtistLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-72044173541489912212015-02-24T08:27:00.003-05:002015-02-24T08:27:53.485-05:00Migrating my blog to my website
I've decided to tidy up my online presence a bit. With that in mind, I'm moving my blog from its longtime location here on Blogspot to my website. I'll be leaving the Blogspot site up - for a while at least - while reblogging some favorite old posts onto the website, as a way of making them more easily accessible. If you have any particular posts you'd like me to migrate over, please letLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-28705701991804048092015-02-18T08:08:00.001-05:002015-02-18T08:08:05.008-05:00Big Ritual for SolitariesThat title sounds contradictory, doesn't it? But I know many of you are in the position of practicing as a solitary. I've spent my fair share of time like that. And you know what? It doesn't mean you have to forgo 'big ritual.' Honest.
Have a look at this post I've written for the Minoan Path Blog:
Big Ritual for Solitaries
It details a technique you can use to enjoy 'big ritual' even ifLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-2414520512647299942015-02-11T15:38:00.000-05:002015-02-11T15:38:34.656-05:00Book Review: Following the Deer TrodsToday I'm reviewing another great book by Elen Sentier - you can check out my earlier review of Elen of the Ways as well. Today's review is of the follow-up book titled Following the Deer Trods. Both books are part of the Shaman Pathways series by Moon Books, the lovely people who were so kind as to let me publish Ariadne's Thread.
This is the best kind of sequel: Following the Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-56168082232370096342015-02-04T09:29:00.001-05:002015-02-04T09:29:20.728-05:00The Secret Identity of the LabrysToday's post over at the Minoan Path blog is about that well-known emblem of ancient Minoan spirituality, the labrys.
This famous object is not what it might first appear to be - a weapon. If you'd like to find out its true identity, have a look at the blog post:
The Secret Identity of the Labrys
For more discussion of ancient Minoan spirituality, join us on Facebook in Ariadne's Tribe.
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-36568591979783914272015-01-28T09:44:00.000-05:002015-01-28T09:44:28.455-05:00Was Ötzi a Shaman?A reader recently asked me to write up a blog post about Ötzi (pronounced ‘etsy’), the ancient man whose mummified remains were found in the Alps on the border between Austria and Italy in 1991. The Wikipedia page about Ötzi gives a pretty good overview of the information we know about this man from his remains, while the website of the museum where his body is housed offers great Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-52734732804369826922015-01-21T10:20:00.001-05:002015-01-21T10:21:12.573-05:00Ariadne was just a girl and other urban legends of antiquityUrban legends in the ancient world? Well, propaganda, at the very least. Conquering cultures tended to rewrite the mythology of the cultures they took over to suit themselves - the ancient version of disinformation campaigns.
Today's Minoan Path blog post teases out some of the original Minoan deities and myths that the later Hellenic Greeks altered for their own purposes. There really is a Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-77417453880799742832015-01-14T08:34:00.000-05:002015-01-14T08:34:08.726-05:00Book Review: Elen of the WaysShamanism - that's the strange thing that people used to do a long time ago in Siberia, right? It doesn't exist any more, right? Wrong.
If you're interested in shamanism, there are multiple ways to approach the practice, and books are more accessible for many folks than workshops and classes. If you're like me and your heart calls to a particular part of the world, perhaps one of the places yourLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-36870816576409384832015-01-07T09:52:00.000-05:002015-01-07T09:52:25.672-05:00Who were the Minoans' neighbors?Today's post over at the Minoan Path Blog is a bit of a history lesson. Sometimes it's hard to get our minds around ancient civilizations and their timelines - after all, they all happened so long ago, what does it matter whether one was earlier than another? Well, it does matter, because our assumptions about those ancient cultures color our views of them, and not always in accurate ways.
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-62487656628824533992014-12-31T07:44:00.003-05:002014-12-31T07:44:56.287-05:00Book Review: Voices of the Sacred FeminineToday I'm reviewing a lovely book that really captures the essence of the Goddess Spirituality movement and makes it meaningful for people - both women and men - in ordinary life. I enjoyed talking with the author on her radio show a few weeks back about Minoan spirituality and its egalitarian values. This book emphasizes similar values and gives a wide variety of interesting viewpoints.
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-32418493950492631022014-12-24T08:50:00.004-05:002014-12-24T08:50:58.641-05:00Christmas with DionysosYou've probably seen those memes that list a number of gods who were born at Midwinter and whose attributes coincide with the Christian tale of Jesus' birth. Today I'd like to tell you about one of those gods in particular: Dionysos.
Young Dionysos on a satyr's shoulders
Click the link below to read my post on the Minoan Path blog at PaganSquare:
Christmas with Dionysos
I wish you all a Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-37210372477755035342014-12-17T08:42:00.002-05:002014-12-17T08:43:10.292-05:00As Solstice Dawns in KnossosTravel with me, across the world and back in time, to a Winter Solstice morning in ancient Crete...
The Throne Room in the ancient Minoan temple at Knossos
Today's Minoan Path blog post takes us back to the dawning of the Winter Solstice at Knossos many generations ago. Join the others gathered in the temple plaza, awaiting the miracle of Midwinter. Click the link below to read the post.
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-55376375700639524052014-12-10T08:09:00.000-05:002014-12-24T08:07:28.886-05:00Season of TreesEver since I was a small child, the Christmas tree has symbolized the winter holiday season to me. More than Santa, more than caroling, more than the nativity scenes that were scattered all over the town I grew up in, it's the tree that encapsulates the whole season. Why is that? What deep memory does this image speak to?
Our tree this year
I remember my first priestess telling me the 'Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-1920647693087071392014-12-03T08:14:00.001-05:002014-12-03T08:15:22.930-05:00Southern Hospitality: Thou Art God/dessI grew up in the American South, a region that has its own set of social rules distinct from the rest of the country. Much of this tradition comes from the Irish and Scottish settlers who filled the Appalachian region and brought their Celtic lifeways to the New World. Let me tell you about some of the customs I’m familiar with, then I’ll explain why we follow them and why they have spiritual Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-78343273340644727332014-11-25T08:10:00.002-05:002014-11-25T08:10:38.143-05:00Thanksgiving - Minoan StyleToday's Minoan Path blog focuses on the harvest festival aspect of Thanksgiving. Even though the U.S. holiday is a fairly recent invention, the concept goes back to very early times.
Making bread for a sacred festivalPottery figurine from the cemetery at Kamilari, CreteLine drawing by Laura Perry
Discover how the ancient Minoans celebrated the harvest, from the early times of scattered Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-53706423033540174932014-11-17T07:11:00.000-05:002014-11-17T07:11:00.843-05:00Chamber of Music: literature for charitySome of my friends have put together their second annual short story anthology, with the proceeds once again going to charity.
Chamber of Music is a collection of thirteen short stories that focus on the theme of music in one way or another. Music in all its forms is such a fundamental facet of humanity, everyone can relate to it. You don't play an instrument, you say? Well, I bet you hum Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-23891394788120157502014-11-12T08:29:00.003-05:002014-11-12T08:29:54.895-05:00Gods and Men in Ancient Minoan Spirituality
Did the ancient Minoans revere the Goddess to the exclusion of male deities? Was their culture female-centric? In other words, did they embody the opposite of our current civilization? Find the answers to these questions in today's post on the Minoan Path Blog:
Gods and Men in Minoan Spirituality
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-82939165434046861422014-11-06T08:50:00.004-05:002014-11-06T08:50:54.103-05:00Win a Book!It's my birthday and I'm giving YOU a present!
Now through the end of November you can enter to win a copy of The Wiccan Wellness Book. All you have to do is share this blog post or the Facebook contest post on Facebook and be sure you have liked my Facebook page. I'll announce TWO winners on December 1. Good luck!Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-48748685348086366322014-10-29T10:47:00.002-04:002014-10-29T10:47:39.284-04:00Death Becomes UsToday's post on the Minoan Path Blog focuses on a subject most modern people find a bit uncomfortable: death. The ancients had a slightly different experience of death than we do; they didn't have hospitals and funeral homes to keep the distance between the family and the dying. This life experience influenced their spirituality in ways that can help us learn to embrace death as part of the Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-48382180905229340022014-10-21T21:24:00.001-04:002014-10-21T21:25:17.546-04:00Time to Build an AltarI recently posted an ancestral healing meditation that included the instruction to set up an ancestor altar. Since then I’ve received several questions about how, exactly, to do this. An altar can help you focus on the task at hand when you’re doing meditation, ritual or spellwork. It can remind you of the energies – deities, ancestors, spirit helpers – who are a part of your path. And it’s not Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-26762625260353254532014-10-16T12:48:00.000-04:002014-10-16T12:48:42.161-04:00Ancestors and Bees
This week on the Minoan Path blog I'm abuzz with information about how the Minoans revered their ancestors. From the beehive-shaped tholos tombs on the open plains to the pillar crypts beneath the great temples in the towns of ancient Crete, the people took the time to honor those from whom they descended. In the hopes that you will take some time to do the same, I also revisit the ancestral Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-83558721661750571702014-10-08T07:53:00.003-04:002014-10-08T07:53:54.951-04:00Rite of Ancestral HealingSamhain approaches; ‘tis the season of the Ancestors. On my Facebook page I recently posted an article that focused on the concepts of ancestral debt and credit – in other words, the ways in which our ancestors’ life experiences shape the family line down through time. I’m not talking about DNA here, though the emerging science of epigenetics may one day be able to explain the Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-54449410610486862942014-10-01T08:07:00.000-04:002014-10-01T08:07:23.151-04:00Possession in the Pillar Crypt
Today's Minoan Path blog post is a little different from the ones I've done before. This time, I'm sharing a very personal vision I had in meditation, in which I experienced a few moments in the life of a Minoan priestess in the town of Malia on ancient Crete. Please click on the title below to get to the article.
Possession in the Pillar Crypt
I'd like to dedicate today's blog post to the Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-43757295928535543722014-09-24T09:45:00.001-04:002014-09-24T09:45:52.649-04:00The Crane Dance: Walking the Worlds
Walking the Labyrinth can be a moving experience, but what if the Labyrinth itself was a dance? Today's blog post over at The Minoan Path is about the mysterious Crane Dance, the ritual performed by Theseus in gratitude for surviving his encounter with the Minotaur...or is it something more? Click the title below to get to the post.
The Crane Dance: Walking the Worlds
If you're interestedLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-46124721312796260952014-09-17T06:52:00.000-04:002014-09-17T06:52:43.075-04:00How to Love Your NeighborI’ve recently been thinking about compassion. All the great spiritual traditions of the world speak of having compassion for others – all others, no exceptions. Jesus told us to love our enemies. Buddha reminded us to have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike. Rabbi Hillel counseled us to refrain from doing to anyone else those things we find hateful ourselves. You get the picture.
Laura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176196571956098550.post-60935336218331137462014-09-10T08:25:00.000-04:002014-09-10T08:25:25.205-04:00Baking from Scratch, Minoan Style
Today's blog post on The Minoan Path blog over at PaganSquare is about the collective project we're working on in Ariadne's Tribe, building a liturgy for modern Minoan Paganism. It's quite a challenge, but with the goddesses and gods of ancient Crete to whisper us along our way, we're taking it one step at a time. Click the title below to get to the post.
Baking from Scratch, Minoan StyleLaura Perryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03512649196703707035noreply@blogger.com0