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Showing posts from December, 2013

Minthe in Mythology

The Herb Society of America has this to say about Mythology: Mythology is the handmaid of literature, and literature promotes happiness. Myths were told or sung to people at least 5,000 years ago. They were told to explain dreams or reasoning for certain happenings or to understand their gods.   http://www.herbsociety-stu.org/Mythology.htm The website gives a brief outline of many herbs and also the myths/stories behind these herbs But the story I find most fascinating and filled with Jungian interpretations is the story of Mint... Minthe or Mentha was a beautiful naiadian (naiad), a water maiden who lived near the river Cocytus. The lord of the underworld Hades (otherwise known as Pluto), falls in love with her and seduces her easily, as she is completely mesmerized by the handsome God and his golden chariot.  Hades has committed great folly; his wife is none other than the mighty Persephone. The spurned wife captures the hapless lover and has her crushed. Hades unable to

Story Words: SONDER

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n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. Poetic indeed... Another meaning  The realisation that every random person is living a life as vivid and complex as your own... . This word (or non-word) is a relatively new entrant into the world of words and has not been actually accepted by any Dictionary of repute... It was used on a blog on Tumblr first and was created by "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows" The origin is interesting and so is its meaning.... "As she

Stories in words: Serendipity

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Life is a series of accidents...You can either agree with me or disagree. On one side you have the Achiever, who plans and plots his path, sticking to goals and getting there or  striving to get there. On the other hand is the Achiever who walks a path, that he/ she is willing to take as it comes and goes; the inadvertent adventurer. I fall into the second category... So as I found a definition for events that unfold in my life by virtue of accident, I also found something else by accident... Some words in the dictionary have beautiful stories to tell!! So my first word to you readers is "Serendipity".  It comes with such a rich background, I am truly stumped at how it has landed on my plate, and embarked me on this journey... Sir Horace Walpole created this word after reading the story of  "The Three  Princes of Serendip". It is a Persian fairytale of 3 princes who embark on a journey and make many discoveries by accident; discoveries of wisdom and

Anansi stories

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I am always on the look out for stories to perform...and  Anansi the Trickster spider is a great story to perform especially in Tandem. This character of Jamaican origin, is a spider, but upto all kinds of tricks as he tries to become a human in many ways... Anansi and How wisdom Spread is a great story, with multiple versions available, each ending in a different way. The story can be performed with a nice African chant to begin with... These stories can also be adapted as sensory stories..."Why Anansi has Thin legs" is a great story to tell with sensorial material Enjoy!