Coyote Road edited by Ellen Datlow

Coyote Road, an anthology meticulously curated by Ellen Datlow, collects stories of urban myth and contemporary folklore. The contributing authors each display their unique storytelling charm, infusing their characters with depth and relatability. The stories sway between playfully mischievous and pensively dark, shadowing the multilayered archetype of Trickster, personified in the title as Coyote, a […]

Book Review: Pagan Portals: Gwyn ap Nudd by Danu Forest

Pagan Portals: Gwyn ap Nudd by Danu Forest takes an in-depth look at one of the more mysterious of the Welsh Celt deities. There are five chapters, focusing on different aspects to Gwyn, as a seasonal deity, a guardian of the land, and a psychopomp figure. Chapter One briefly introduces Gwyn ap Nudd and contains […]

Book Review: Strong at the Broken Places by Clayton Lindemuth

Strong at the Broken Places by Clayton Lindemuth is a rich, gritty psychological exploration of the soul. It is, at its heart, one man’s alchemic transformation. Nick Fister is an ultra-runner, taking on races of fifty to a hundred plus miles in one go. To say this is an extreme sport is an understatement, and […]

The Mythic Feminine, Part 3: Christopher Vogler’s Variation of the Heroine’s Journey

In the last post, I laid out the basics of the Heroine’s Journey. What follows here is Christopher Vogler’s variation.   *Ordinary World- this is where the journey begins, usually from some sort of subtle or overt imprisonment. The Heroine is trapped by the strictures of society and culture, whether she realizes it fully at […]

The Mythic Feminine, Part 5: Maureen Murdock’s Heroine Journey Variation

Murdock sees the Heroine’s Journey as a process of individuation. This is another concept of Jungian archetypal psychology. Individuation is the process whereby a person integrates the various parts of themselves through successful resolution of inner conflicts. In short…the psychologist’s answer to spiritual alchemy. ***Here is a neat Youtube link about the process of individuation […]

Book Review: Women Within by Anne Leigh Parrish

***This book was reviewed for the San Francisco Book Review Constance Maynard is 92, and living in the Lindell assisted living home. When we meet her, she is druggy with prolonged Ambien use, and being cared for by the 50-something Eunice, and the 20-something Sam. Most of the story follows the independent-minded Constance as she […]