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Laura Perry - Author and Artist

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Ancient Crete Was No Utopia

Laura Perry

Sep 14, 2016
1 min

Ancient Crete Was No Utopia

It's really tempting to idealize the ancient societies that are the basis of our spirituality. After all, we're good people, so we want them to be good as well. But what counts as "good" varies from one culture to another, from one age to another. And some of the things that went on in ancient Crete during Minoan times would be quite shocking to the modern world. Find out the details in today's Minoan Path blog post: Ancient Crete Was No Utopia In spite of the negatives, ther

Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes!

Laura Perry

Aug 31, 2016
1 min

Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes!

In Modern Minoan Paganism, the last day of August is the Feast of Grapes. It's a celebration of the grape harvest and the sacrificial death of the vine-god Dionysus. Find out how you can mark this day in today's Minoan Path blog post: Let's Celebrate the Feast of Grapes! To join the conversation about Modern Minoan Paganism, head on over to Ariadne's Tribe, our welcoming community on Facebook. In the name of the bee, And of the butterfly, And of the breeze, amen! #paganism #c

Journeying to the Realm of the Dead

Laura Perry

Jul 20, 2016
1 min

Journeying to the Realm of the Dead

This week on the Minoan Path blog I'm exploring another ritual posture from ancient Crete. I've discovered some interesting aspects of this one that are different from what other people have experienced, all because I stopped to think about how these figurines were meant to be positioned (hint: It's not upright like the photo shows). To find out what I discovered, hop on over to the blog post: Minoan Ecstatic Postures: The Realm of the Dead If you're interested in Minoan spir

More Minoan Ecstatic Postures

Laura Perry

Jul 13, 2016
1 min

More Minoan Ecstatic Postures

This week on the Minoan Path Blog I'm exploring some more ritual postures that the ancient Minoans used for journeying to their goddesses and gods. Most modern Pagans are familiar with ritual gestures - the Goddess Pose from Wicca, for instance - but ecstatic postures are a little different. They're meant to be held for an extended period of time to help guide a trance journey. I first got interested in these poses after reading Belinda Gore's awesome book Ecstatic Body Postu

Minoan Midsummer: Layers of Religion

Laura Perry

Jun 22, 2016
3 min

Minoan Midsummer: Layers of Religion

Religion isn’t a static thing. We don’t invent a religion once and leave it as is for centuries. Cultures change, people change, and spiritual practice changes, too. Minoan civilization lasted for centuries. Just the “palace” periods, the times when the big temple complexes were being built and rebuilt, lasted about 500 years. Minoan civilization as a whole lasted more than two millennia. And during that time, the spiritual practice in ancient Crete changed and grew. We can t

The Colors of Minoan Life and Art

Laura Perry

Jun 15, 2016
1 min

The Colors of Minoan Life and Art

Minoan art is so vibrant and colorful, I feel like I could walk right into the scenes on the frescoes. Where did they get those beautiful colors? You might be surprised. You might also be surprised to know that some of the colors have meanings beyond just 'This is pretty.' To find out more, have a read through my latest Minoan Path blog post: The Colors of Minoan Life and Art To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook. #min

Walking the Labyrinth

Laura Perry

Jun 1, 2016
1 min

Walking the Labyrinth

The labyrinth is one of the most recognizable symbols of Minoan spirituality. But people from a wide variety of paths and traditions incorporate the labyrinth into their practice. Find out more about this fascinating spiritual tool in today's Minoan Path blog post: Walking the Labyrinth To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook. In the name of the bee, And of the butterfly, And of the breeze, amen. #minoan #spirituality #p

Faking History: Minoan Spirituality on the Line

Laura Perry

May 18, 2016
1 min

Faking History: Minoan Spirituality on the Line

This isn't something most people think about very often, but archaeological forgeries can be a problem when we're trying to reconstruct ancient spiritual practices. Today I look at the fake Minoan snake goddess statues, among others that have had an impact on modern Minoan Paganism: Faking History: Minoan Spirituality on the Line To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, head on over to Ariadne's Tribe, our welcoming community of spiritual adventurers. In the name

A toast to the Minoans!

Laura Perry

May 11, 2016
1 min

A toast to the Minoans!

It can be hard to figure out exactly what ancient people did to worship their gods, but art can give us some clues. The Camp Stool fresco from Knossos shows a particular type of ritual that we can easily perform in the modern world to connect with the Minoan deities. Check out the details in today's Minoan Path blog post: A toast to the Minoans! To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe and meet our welcoming community. In the name of

How history changes: The Minoans and their neighbors

Laura Perry

Apr 27, 2016
1 min

How history changes: The Minoans and their neighbors

Life doesn't happen in a vacuum and history isn't interpreted in a vacuum, either. Each of us brings preconceptions to the table when we're investigating the ancient world, and Sir Arthur Evans was no different. Learn more about how much our view of the ancient Minoans has changed in the century since he excavated Knossos: How history changes: The Minoans and their neighbors And remember, some of the things we think we know today about the ancient world are probably wrong, to

Sealed with a ... seal

Laura Perry

Apr 20, 2016
1 min

Sealed with a ... seal

Most of the people in ancient Crete couldn't write, but they did have a way to sign their name, in a manner of speaking: seals. Find out more about these unique gold and stone objects that are so iconic of Minoan civilization in today's Minoan Path blog post: Sealed with a ... seal To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, hop on over to Ariadne's Tribe. #minoan #history #culture #writing #crete #symbolism

How do you know that's a ritual object?

Laura Perry

Apr 6, 2016
1 min

How do you know that's a ritual object?

Over in Ariadne's Tribe (my discussion group that focuses on modern Minoan Paganism) we often find ourselves questioning the label 'ritual object' that's applied to so many archaeological finds with such abandon. Of course, there are ways to figure out whether most artifacts are ritual items or not, but since most archaeologists aren't practicing Pagans, they might not understand how this works: How do you know that's a ritual object? So take those 'ritual object' labels with

Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?

Laura Perry

Mar 16, 2016
1 min

Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?

The Snake Goddess is iconic of Minoan civilization and religion, but who is she really and what place does she have in modern Minoan Paganism? Read today's Minoan Path blog post to find out: Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes? To join the discussion about ancient Minoan civilization and modern Minoan Paganism, pop on over to Ariadne's Tribe. In the name of the bee And of the butterfly And of the breeze, amen! #minoan #crete #spirituality #symbolism #paganism #culture

Minoan Ecstatic Postures: Saluting the Sacred

Laura Perry

Mar 2, 2016
1 min

Minoan Ecstatic Postures: Saluting the Sacred

Many modern Pagan traditions involve sacred postures of one sort or another. This is an ancient practice, one the Minoans used to honor their gods and induce altered states of consciousness. Today on the Minoan Path Blog I'm sharing several of the less-well-known sacred postures from ancient Crete: Minoan Ecstatic Postures: Saluting the Sacred To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, pop on over to Ariadne's Tribe. In the name of the Bee - And of the Butterfly -

Grandmother Ocean: Constant Inspiration

Laura Perry

Feb 17, 2016
1 min

Grandmother Ocean: Constant Inspiration

The ancient Minoans lived on an island surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Those blue waters inspired their livelihood, their cuisine, and their religion. Have a look at some of their beautiful, marine-inspired art in today's Minoan Path blog post: Grandmother Ocean: constant inspiration To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, head on over to Ariadne's Tribe on Facebook. Everyone is welcome. In the name of the Bee - And of the Butterfly - And of the Breeze - A

Minoan Cosmetics: DIY

Laura Perry

Jan 6, 2016
1 min

Minoan Cosmetics: DIY

People in the ancient world were just as concerned about appearance as we are, and they enjoyed a bit of self-adornment. For a peek into the kinds of cosmetics the Minoans used (and recipes to make your own, if you're feeling adventurous) have a look at my Minoan Path blog post: Minoan Cosmetics: Do It Yourself To join the discussion about modern Minoan Paganism, come on over to Ariadne's Tribe. In the name of the Bee - And of the Butterfly - And of the Breeze - Amen! #paga

Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Utopias

Laura Perry

Dec 9, 2015
1 min

Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Utopias

Today on the Minoan Path blog I'm adventuring into utopian territory. To be more specific, I'm focusing on the fact that the Minoans of ancient Crete, for all their wealth and peace, weren't exactly a utopia. But have no fear - they're still a culture from whom we can learn some valuable lessons that can make the world a better place. Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Utopias For further discussion of ancient Crete and modern Minoan Paganism, join us in Ariadne's Tribe. In the name of

Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There

Laura Perry

Nov 18, 2015
1 min

Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There

Would you walk all the way up a mountain on foot just to make an offering to your gods? The ancient Minoans did. Find out more about the peak sanctuaries atop the jagged mountains of Crete in today's Minoan Path blog post: Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: Way Up There Have you ever made a pilgrimage? Would you like to? #spirituality #calendar #crete #paganism #cosmology

Minoan Temple Complexes: Very Complex

Laura Perry

Oct 28, 2015
1 min

Minoan Temple Complexes: Very Complex

The ruins that Sir Arthur Evans dug up at Knossos a century or so ago still fascinate us. But in the years since then, we've discovered archaeological evidence showing that his Minoan 'palaces' were actually temple complexes in which a wide variety of people lived and worked. Find the fascinating details in today's Minoan Path blog post: Minoan Temple Complexes: Very Complex In the name of the Bee - And of the Butterfly - And of the Breeze - Amen! #minoan #paganism #crete

Journeying to the Realm of the Dead

Laura Perry

Oct 21, 2015
1 min

Journeying to the Realm of the Dead

I've had an apostrophe! (Yes, folks, that's the word I meant - it's a quote from the movie Hook. Sorry to expose my nerd-geekiness to you like that!) Well, mostly just a few thoughts about some interesting little ancient figurines from the Cyclades (a collection of Aegean islands southeast of Greece). I think these figurines may represent shamanic postures that helped the ancient spiritworkers carry the souls of the newly deceased to the Realm of the Dead. I've detailed my id

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