“When you leave this place, you will no longer be a girl, but a woman. And not just any woman. You will be a priestess of Freya, a mistress of seidhr, a völva. It will be your role to wander the country, moving from one village to the next, bringing the grace of Freya to our brave people, working her magic and channelling her feminine powers. As Freya performs her magic, her seidhr, in Asgard, so we völur perform ours in Midgard, our earthly plane.” The fire, which had been blazing hours earlier, had now died down to low flames and burning embers. On one side sat an elderly woman,…

Artemis lay along the length of a smooth rock, her left leg resting in the cold clear water of the pool. Sunbeams escaping through the dancing leaves of the many trees that surrounded the pool dappled the goddess’ bare skin and dried the damp fabric of her chiton, evidence of her post-hunt swim. Nymphs and naiads rested also. Lying together, arm resting on stomach, head on chest, legs intertwined, these sisters breathed the slow sighs of slumber in absolute, complete abandon. Their confidence in their goddess’ protection was true and unquestioned. Here, they were free to act as they willed without the need to inhibit their desires, their expression, their…

“Hello! Hello! Come in out of the cold. It’s an awful chilly evening to be out wandering the streets. Come in, Come in, and I’ll put the kettle on. Sure, it’s no trouble at all. Let me take your coat. Go on. Just go through to the kitchen. The fire’s on and we’ll soon get you warmed up in no time.” Back slightly hunched, white hair faintly gleaming in the dimmed lights of the little cottage, the old lady helped me slip my arms out of the sleeves of my denim jacket. The days had been warming up over the last week or so, but this evening a fierce cold…

“Kore! Kore!” Demeter’s voice rang out across the valley as she searched for her daughter, who at that precise moment was watching a smooth-skinned, green frog. Its lithe limbs moved balletically as it leapt from stepping stone to stepping stone across the small creek that trickled down towards the wide blue lake at the far end of the valley. A small delighted smile graced Kore’s face as she gazed, wrapt, at this small green marvel. Hop. Squat. Hop. Squat. Its occasional croak, Kore’s giggling response and her mother’s distant calls were the only sounds to be heard in that small corner of paradise. It didn’t take much to elicit this…