Ariadne's Tribe: Minoan Spirituality for the Modern World
Walk the sacred labyrinth with Ariadne, the Minotaur, the Great Mothers, Dionysus, and the rest of the Minoan family of deities. Ariadne's Tribe is an independent spiritual tradition that brings the deities of the ancient Minoans alive in the modern world. We're a revivalist tradition, not a reconstructionist one. We rely heavily on shared gnosis and the practical realities of Paganism in the modern world. Ariadne's thread reaches across the millennia to connect us with the divine. Will you follow where it leads?
Find out all about Ariadne's Tribe at ariadnestribe.com. We're an inclusive, welcoming tradition, open to all who share our love for the Minoan deities and respect for our fellow human beings.
Leap! A Love Story: Reading from a Minoan gay romance
I've shared readings from my other novels on YouTube, so I figured I should do likewise for my latest work of fiction, Leap! A Love Story. It's my first foray into romance, and of course it has a Minoan theme. It's set in Phaistos, the second-largest Minoan city (after Knossos) in about the year 1650 BCE, a generation or two before the Thera eruption.
The main character is Adelphos, the Cattle Master of Phaistos. He's in charge of the temple's herds, including the bulls that are trained for leaping. Which puts him in regular contact with the bull leapers, one of whom catches his eye.
Unfortunately, Adelphos is conflicted and guilt-ridden after the sudden, unexpected death of his previous lover. So he missteps and generally makes a mess of things with Sydaili, the beautiful young bull leaper who also has feelings for Adelphos. How many mistakes can you make and have the other man still be willing to open his heart to you? Adelphos is about to find out.
The chapter I chose to read is a quiet one, compared to the rest of the story. It shows off Adelphos and Sydaili pretty well, as well as Sydaili's bull leaper colleagues and Adelphos's wise housekeeper, without giving away any spoilers. And there's a little cameo in this chapter by Curly, Adelphos's faithful companion in the form of a Cretan hound - he's a major player in some other chapters, as are the bulls (yes, they're characters, too - they even have names and personalities!).
So here you go, a chapter from the book:
You can find readings from some of my other books in this YouTube playlist. And you can find a lovely review of Leap! here.
I had a lot of fun writing this book. I don't know that romance will be a major part of my long-term writing plans, but it was delightful to explore the happy side of Minoan life for a change. Before the time of the Mycenaean occupation, the Minoans were a pretty joyful people. I think that comes through in the story. It's something I think about a lot - how we can find that kind of joy in our world today. As Adelphos discovered, a big part of it is the people you choose to connect with.
As we say in the Tribe, together we are joy.
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