Freyja's Feathers
06.05.202504:08
"The lilac is essentially the month of May"
(Jean Hersey, writer)
Native to the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe and Asia, the lilac has always been associated with nostalgia, pure love, and hope. It is said that in many cultures, the intense scent of the lilac has the power to awaken lost memories and bring back to the surface forgotten emotions.
In the Victorian era, giving a branch of lilac meant "I will never forget you." It was the flower of silent loves, unspoken longings, and whispered promises. Each small bouquet of lilacs carried within it stories of shy beginnings, serene springs, and dreams full of light.
It is said that when you smell the scent of lilacs carried by the wind, it is a sign that something beautiful is about to begin in your life.
The lilac teaches us that no matter how harsh the winter has been, our soul always has the power to bloom again.
(Jean Hersey, writer)
Native to the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe and Asia, the lilac has always been associated with nostalgia, pure love, and hope. It is said that in many cultures, the intense scent of the lilac has the power to awaken lost memories and bring back to the surface forgotten emotions.
In the Victorian era, giving a branch of lilac meant "I will never forget you." It was the flower of silent loves, unspoken longings, and whispered promises. Each small bouquet of lilacs carried within it stories of shy beginnings, serene springs, and dreams full of light.
It is said that when you smell the scent of lilacs carried by the wind, it is a sign that something beautiful is about to begin in your life.
The lilac teaches us that no matter how harsh the winter has been, our soul always has the power to bloom again.
02.05.202514:08
27.04.202503:47
10.04.202516:44
“Highly sensitive people are too often perceived as weaklings or damaged goods. To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. It is not the empath who is broken, it is society that has become dysfunctional and emotionally disabled. There is no shame in expressing your authentic feelings. Those who are at times described as being a 'hot mess' or having 'too many issues' are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world. Never be ashamed to let your tears shine a light in this world.”
- Anthon St. Maarten
- Anthon St. Maarten
04.05.202515:42
Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better, to be a more discriminating and reflective person. Books are the training weights of the mind. They are very helpful, but it would be a bad mistake to suppose that one has made progress simply by having internalized their contents.
Epictetus
Epictetus
02.05.202505:00
30.04.202522:42
Art by Shishkin
26.04.202512:28
19.04.202504:34
Bees hide a surprising secret.
When a hive loses its queen—the only one capable of giving life to the colony and maintaining order in a perfectly organized society—all seems lost. Life in the hive slows down.
Without new eggs, the future disappears. Within a few weeks, the colony is threatened with extinction.
But bees don't panic. Nor do they wait for salvation from outside.
With an extraordinary display of collective intelligence and deep instinct, they launch a spectacular emergency response that is hard to imagine in a world ruled by insects.
Transformation begins with a simple but essential choice.
Worker bees select some ordinary larvae—the very ones that would normally become ordinary workers. They are nothing special.
They were born no different. But now their fate changes completely.
They are selected to receive a special diet: royal food. A rare substance produced by nutritious bees, rich in protein, vitamins, and bioactive compounds.
It's royal food in the purest sense.
The larva fed exclusively on this substance no longer follows the usual path. In just a few days, its body develops differently. The sheep are activated. The body becomes larger, stronger. Life expectancy is multiplied by almost twenty.
It won't work. It will rule. It will not follow routine. It will bring life.
---
◆ The queen isn't chosen based on genes. It's created.
What makes this process truly fascinating is that the worker bees is the King.
It's as if, in a human society, you could take an ordinary child and, with the right nutrition, the right environment, and the necessary support, turn it into an extraordinary leader. Without genetic interventions. Without fireworks. Just thanks to support and perspective.
---
A Leader Is Born Out of Crisis
This metamorphosis doesn't just save the larva. It saves the entire colony.
Once the new queen is ready, she takes over leadership of the hive, begins laying eggs, restores order, and begins a new collective life cycle. From the threat of extinction, the colony is reborn stronger, more organized, and more balanced.
---
A Silent But Profound Lesson
Bees show us without words that in moments of great crisis, what is needed is not despair—but clarity. A piano. The right choice. Care and guidance.
In their world, no queen is born. It is nurtured. Nurtured. Guided.
And perhaps, just as in the beehive, in life too – it doesn't matter who you are at the beginning, but rather what you receive, how you are cared for, and what decisions others make in difficult times.
Because sometimes the strongest leaders are born in the most difficult moments.
Fortunately not. But out of crisis, vision, and transformation.
- Unknown
When a hive loses its queen—the only one capable of giving life to the colony and maintaining order in a perfectly organized society—all seems lost. Life in the hive slows down.
Without new eggs, the future disappears. Within a few weeks, the colony is threatened with extinction.
But bees don't panic. Nor do they wait for salvation from outside.
With an extraordinary display of collective intelligence and deep instinct, they launch a spectacular emergency response that is hard to imagine in a world ruled by insects.
Transformation begins with a simple but essential choice.
Worker bees select some ordinary larvae—the very ones that would normally become ordinary workers. They are nothing special.
They were born no different. But now their fate changes completely.
They are selected to receive a special diet: royal food. A rare substance produced by nutritious bees, rich in protein, vitamins, and bioactive compounds.
It's royal food in the purest sense.
The larva fed exclusively on this substance no longer follows the usual path. In just a few days, its body develops differently. The sheep are activated. The body becomes larger, stronger. Life expectancy is multiplied by almost twenty.
It won't work. It will rule. It will not follow routine. It will bring life.
---
◆ The queen isn't chosen based on genes. It's created.
What makes this process truly fascinating is that the worker bees is the King.
It's as if, in a human society, you could take an ordinary child and, with the right nutrition, the right environment, and the necessary support, turn it into an extraordinary leader. Without genetic interventions. Without fireworks. Just thanks to support and perspective.
---
A Leader Is Born Out of Crisis
This metamorphosis doesn't just save the larva. It saves the entire colony.
Once the new queen is ready, she takes over leadership of the hive, begins laying eggs, restores order, and begins a new collective life cycle. From the threat of extinction, the colony is reborn stronger, more organized, and more balanced.
---
A Silent But Profound Lesson
Bees show us without words that in moments of great crisis, what is needed is not despair—but clarity. A piano. The right choice. Care and guidance.
In their world, no queen is born. It is nurtured. Nurtured. Guided.
And perhaps, just as in the beehive, in life too – it doesn't matter who you are at the beginning, but rather what you receive, how you are cared for, and what decisions others make in difficult times.
Because sometimes the strongest leaders are born in the most difficult moments.
Fortunately not. But out of crisis, vision, and transformation.
- Unknown
10.04.202513:47
In conclusion, I want to remember an ancient Ukrainian legend, according to which a powerful demon of Apocalypse is chained deep underground. Every year in spring, his chains become weaker, and he sends out his 12 helpers to find out how the world has changed over a year. He is interested in three things: whether the youth is still respectful of the elders, whether people still follow their traditions and culture (“celebrate weddings the old way”), and finally, whether they still make and exchange pysanki. As he hears that people keep on doing all those things, he growls and roars, as his chains hold him stronger. The amount of pysanki made on a particular year is proportional to the strengthening of the demon’s chains. Ukrainians also say that love exists in the world while people still make and give each other pysanki, which totally corresponds to the aforementioned legend.
Written by Olga Stanton
Written by Olga Stanton
04.05.202515:39
Just as nature takes every obstacle, every impediment, and works around it—turns it to its purposes, incorporates it into itself—so, too, a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal.
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
02.05.202504:22
May Day - Queen Guinevere's Maying, by John Collier (1900). The artist depicts Queen Guinevere from Arthurian legend during a May Day celebration, a time of joyous festivity and renewal.🌸💮🌸
30.04.202501:07
18.04.202519:12
10.04.202513:47
White color on pysanka is used to write respects to the gods, yellow color is for the people and material riches, red represents Life and is used for protection and well being, and black is the color of Mother-Moist-Earth herself. Usually, pysanki intended for children had green or red (but not black) background, as children were believed to be too young to handle black color and its symbolism, while pysanki left at the cemeteries for the dead or spirits had no red on them as they were not for the living. The symbols on pysanki vary from area to area, but all bear very deep meaning. Also, pysanka is believed to contain the power of the Elements, as all of them are used while creating it: the “mute water” infused with herbs, candle-flame and honey-smelling beeswax.
Pysanki are usually given as gifts and never sold. Refusal to take a pysanka from a friend or a relative used to be an insult back in the days. A girl would give a pysanka to show the boy she liked him or to accept his attention. Depending on its symbolism and magical purpose, this special egg may be buried in the fields for good harvest, placed under a beehive so that the bees would thrive in it, or kept in the house on a windowsill or in the “red corner” (a Slavic household altar) for good luck and protection. Pysanka inscribed with special “water” symbols was believed to protect the house from fire, and if the fire still erupted, a master would carry the pysanka around the flames to stop the fire from spreading. Broken pysanka was an omen of coming draught. If the egg exploded (this happens if it has a small crack in it), it means that pysanka had served its purpose and protected the house from something bad. Now, they say that first pysanki were written on eggs of ducks and other water birds, as (due to their constant contact with the water element) they symbolize purity; however, chicken eggs became more popular as they last a lot longer than eggs from any other birds.
Pysanki are not just written to celebrate Spring – they may be written on the Light Half of the Year when the days get longer and nights shorter, for such important occasions as childbirth, wedding, or death. Special pysanki with stars are also made on Christmas/Winter Solstice.
It is important to understand the difference between a pysanka and a traditional Easter egg that is called “krashanka” in Ukraine and is usually colored in a single color – red to represent the strengthening Sun. Krashanka is a hard-boiled egg and by eating it people “connect” with the Sun deity (Slavic Dazhbog). Krashanki of different colors were made on other holidays of Spring-Summer cycle: green for Trinity Day (Whitsuntide – end of spring) and yellow for Ivan Kupala’s Day (Summer Solstice) all the way until early XX century. Pysanka, on the other side, is being under patronage of female Mother deities and represents a new world born from an egg. The story of creation of the world from an egg seems to be consistent in many European cultures. Slavic lore suggests that world consists of three sub-worlds: Prav (this name is modern) – the world of the gods, the Heavens where the Sun dwells is represented by the top (narrow) segment of the egg (a more ancient belief placed this World on the bottom, over the horizon); Yav – the world of people – is in the central part of the egg; Nav – the Underworld, the realm where spirits dwell ruled by the Moon is located on the bottom (wide) part of the egg (although in a more ancient belief Nav used to be located on top, in the skies or even stars). Some eggs portray the structure of the Heavens with clouds on the bottom, Sun in the middle, and “heavenly solids” – a mythical place where all of the rainwater is stored before descending in the form of clouds. This arrangement applies only to the ornament inscribed upon the egg's shell - the egg itself is said to represent the concept of the three Worlds but somewhat differently.
Pysanki are usually given as gifts and never sold. Refusal to take a pysanka from a friend or a relative used to be an insult back in the days. A girl would give a pysanka to show the boy she liked him or to accept his attention. Depending on its symbolism and magical purpose, this special egg may be buried in the fields for good harvest, placed under a beehive so that the bees would thrive in it, or kept in the house on a windowsill or in the “red corner” (a Slavic household altar) for good luck and protection. Pysanka inscribed with special “water” symbols was believed to protect the house from fire, and if the fire still erupted, a master would carry the pysanka around the flames to stop the fire from spreading. Broken pysanka was an omen of coming draught. If the egg exploded (this happens if it has a small crack in it), it means that pysanka had served its purpose and protected the house from something bad. Now, they say that first pysanki were written on eggs of ducks and other water birds, as (due to their constant contact with the water element) they symbolize purity; however, chicken eggs became more popular as they last a lot longer than eggs from any other birds.
Pysanki are not just written to celebrate Spring – they may be written on the Light Half of the Year when the days get longer and nights shorter, for such important occasions as childbirth, wedding, or death. Special pysanki with stars are also made on Christmas/Winter Solstice.
It is important to understand the difference between a pysanka and a traditional Easter egg that is called “krashanka” in Ukraine and is usually colored in a single color – red to represent the strengthening Sun. Krashanka is a hard-boiled egg and by eating it people “connect” with the Sun deity (Slavic Dazhbog). Krashanki of different colors were made on other holidays of Spring-Summer cycle: green for Trinity Day (Whitsuntide – end of spring) and yellow for Ivan Kupala’s Day (Summer Solstice) all the way until early XX century. Pysanka, on the other side, is being under patronage of female Mother deities and represents a new world born from an egg. The story of creation of the world from an egg seems to be consistent in many European cultures. Slavic lore suggests that world consists of three sub-worlds: Prav (this name is modern) – the world of the gods, the Heavens where the Sun dwells is represented by the top (narrow) segment of the egg (a more ancient belief placed this World on the bottom, over the horizon); Yav – the world of people – is in the central part of the egg; Nav – the Underworld, the realm where spirits dwell ruled by the Moon is located on the bottom (wide) part of the egg (although in a more ancient belief Nav used to be located on top, in the skies or even stars). Some eggs portray the structure of the Heavens with clouds on the bottom, Sun in the middle, and “heavenly solids” – a mythical place where all of the rainwater is stored before descending in the form of clouds. This arrangement applies only to the ornament inscribed upon the egg's shell - the egg itself is said to represent the concept of the three Worlds but somewhat differently.
04.05.202501:36
01.05.202515:38
"Physical matter is music solidified" – Pythagoras
28.04.202504:12
Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a sculptor the raw material he will fashion into a figure. But it’s the same with that type of artistic activity as with all others: We are merely born with the capability to do it. The skill to mold the material into what we want must be learned and attentively cultivated.
—JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
—JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
21.04.202502:28
Somehow, the meaning of self improvement got misconstrued.
Real self improvement isn't reading the same books everyone else is reading.
It isn't just improving the things your favorite Youtuber preaches about.
Its about being BRUTALLY honest with yourself... picking out YOUR specific flaws.
And then you fix them.
That is the real improvement of self.
Real self improvement isn't reading the same books everyone else is reading.
It isn't just improving the things your favorite Youtuber preaches about.
Its about being BRUTALLY honest with yourself... picking out YOUR specific flaws.
And then you fix them.
That is the real improvement of self.
12.04.202515:00
10.04.202513:47
Pysanka – a Magical Egg of Ukrainians
Spring is coming slowly but steadily, and as some Christians have already celebrated Easter while others are only preparing to celebrate it, very few of us really think how many Pagan-in-origin traditions are incorporated within this holiday. It is one of them I want to talk about right now – the Ukrainian tradition of “writing” pysanki.
Pysanka (literal translation is “written egg”) is a raw fertilized egg (traditionally perfect eggs for a pysanka would be taken from a young hen that laid eggs for the first time on the first New Moon of spring – a lot of “firsts” to notice, as spring is time for regeneration and renewal) inscribed with magical symbols that were traditionally inscribed on eggs for generations. Egg inscribed with any other “non-traditional” symbols is called “malevanka” (“painted egg”) and does not bear the same magical and ritual importance. Traditional colors for pysanka are white, yellow, red, and black, although in different regions of Ukraine orange, green and blue are also used. The symbols are inscribed (“written”) on the egg with a special tool named “kistka” or “pysachok” which technically is a small funnel attached to a stick. Back in the days kistki were made out of animal bones or chicken feathers. Pysankarka (a woman who specializes in making pysanki) starts preparing to her magical work in advance. First, she collects the water for the dyes. Water for the dyes has to be taken from 7 or 9 different wells and springs or at a junction of 3 streams early in the morning (3 – 4 am). While she carries the water back to her house, she has to remain silent and never look back. The water collected in such a way is called “mute” and doesn’t carry any energetic trace. They also say that water molten from March snow has almost the same powers, so it is very lucky to collect snow in March. Once at home, pysankarka prepares the dyes by steeping roots, herbs, and bark in water. Finally, dressed in everything new and clean, after taking a purifying bath, she lights a candle, scoops some beeswax into the funnel on her kistka, and warms the funnel on the candle-flame until the wax melts. After this, she starts inscribing with hot wax magical symbols that she learned from her ancestors on the pure white surface of the egg. Once she covered all the surfaces on the egg that she wishes to remain white with wax, she dips the egg in the lightest dye she has (usually, it’s yellow). While the egg is in the dye, pysankarka reads a special prayer or a spell during which she invokes the deities that are to help her in her magical working (usually those are female deities such as Lada, Mokosh, or Bogoroditsa (Virgin Mary), if pysankarka is a devoted Christian) and states the purpose of her work. Sometimes she may also invoke the deities or spirits, whose symbols she inscribed on the egg. After the egg is colored yellow, she covers with beeswax the areas she wishes to remain yellow, and dips the egg in a darker dye – traditionally, red. After a prayer or an incantation, she removes the now red egg from the dye, and repeats her process with the hot wax to cover the areas to remain red on the egg. Finally, the egg is being dipped in the darkest dye – black, which serves as a background. After removing the egg from the dye, she places it in a warm oven or carefully holds it over a candle-flame until the wax melts; then she wipes it away with a napkin. This last step finally reveals the brilliant colors on pysanka, and now the egg may be covered in oil or grease to keep it shiny.
The magical importance of an egg decorated in such a way is immense. First of all, it combines the triple symbolism of the egg itself, the colors it was dyed with, and the symbols inscribed on it. The egg in this instance represents the newly born world bearing good (and only good) wishes of pysankarka on it – ill-wishing on an egg could cause catastrophe as it was believed to alter the world as a whole.
Spring is coming slowly but steadily, and as some Christians have already celebrated Easter while others are only preparing to celebrate it, very few of us really think how many Pagan-in-origin traditions are incorporated within this holiday. It is one of them I want to talk about right now – the Ukrainian tradition of “writing” pysanki.
Pysanka (literal translation is “written egg”) is a raw fertilized egg (traditionally perfect eggs for a pysanka would be taken from a young hen that laid eggs for the first time on the first New Moon of spring – a lot of “firsts” to notice, as spring is time for regeneration and renewal) inscribed with magical symbols that were traditionally inscribed on eggs for generations. Egg inscribed with any other “non-traditional” symbols is called “malevanka” (“painted egg”) and does not bear the same magical and ritual importance. Traditional colors for pysanka are white, yellow, red, and black, although in different regions of Ukraine orange, green and blue are also used. The symbols are inscribed (“written”) on the egg with a special tool named “kistka” or “pysachok” which technically is a small funnel attached to a stick. Back in the days kistki were made out of animal bones or chicken feathers. Pysankarka (a woman who specializes in making pysanki) starts preparing to her magical work in advance. First, she collects the water for the dyes. Water for the dyes has to be taken from 7 or 9 different wells and springs or at a junction of 3 streams early in the morning (3 – 4 am). While she carries the water back to her house, she has to remain silent and never look back. The water collected in such a way is called “mute” and doesn’t carry any energetic trace. They also say that water molten from March snow has almost the same powers, so it is very lucky to collect snow in March. Once at home, pysankarka prepares the dyes by steeping roots, herbs, and bark in water. Finally, dressed in everything new and clean, after taking a purifying bath, she lights a candle, scoops some beeswax into the funnel on her kistka, and warms the funnel on the candle-flame until the wax melts. After this, she starts inscribing with hot wax magical symbols that she learned from her ancestors on the pure white surface of the egg. Once she covered all the surfaces on the egg that she wishes to remain white with wax, she dips the egg in the lightest dye she has (usually, it’s yellow). While the egg is in the dye, pysankarka reads a special prayer or a spell during which she invokes the deities that are to help her in her magical working (usually those are female deities such as Lada, Mokosh, or Bogoroditsa (Virgin Mary), if pysankarka is a devoted Christian) and states the purpose of her work. Sometimes she may also invoke the deities or spirits, whose symbols she inscribed on the egg. After the egg is colored yellow, she covers with beeswax the areas she wishes to remain yellow, and dips the egg in a darker dye – traditionally, red. After a prayer or an incantation, she removes the now red egg from the dye, and repeats her process with the hot wax to cover the areas to remain red on the egg. Finally, the egg is being dipped in the darkest dye – black, which serves as a background. After removing the egg from the dye, she places it in a warm oven or carefully holds it over a candle-flame until the wax melts; then she wipes it away with a napkin. This last step finally reveals the brilliant colors on pysanka, and now the egg may be covered in oil or grease to keep it shiny.
The magical importance of an egg decorated in such a way is immense. First of all, it combines the triple symbolism of the egg itself, the colors it was dyed with, and the symbols inscribed on it. The egg in this instance represents the newly born world bearing good (and only good) wishes of pysankarka on it – ill-wishing on an egg could cause catastrophe as it was believed to alter the world as a whole.
Көрсетілген 1 - 24 арасынан 125
Көбірек мүмкіндіктерді ашу үшін кіріңіз.