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One of the more frustrating aspects of practicing Modern Minoan Paganism and studying ancient Minoan culture is that we can't read Linear A, the script the Minoans used to write their native language. So we have to rely on the fragments of Minoan myth and history that have trickled down to us via the Greeks (the Minoans weren't Greek - they were their very own independent Bronze Age culture).

This means we don't even know the words the Minoans used for ordinary objects like cups and bowls. The archaeologists who first excavated Minoan sites had backgrounds in Greek history, myth, and culture, so they simply used the Greek terms for the pottery they unearthed. That's why libation pitchers from ancient Crete are called rhytons (or rhyta, if you want to use the Greek plural); rhyton is the Greek word for this kind of container.

Okay, not literally ;)

It seems a long time since I've written, but it's taking a long time to fill the kiln! I'm making smallish pieces, and it's a pretty large orifice! However, I started working on some larger pieces today... watch this space. 

For those of you following the adventures in clay, here's the Fool. I've got a lot of work to do on these, and I think I'm going to be moving away from using the forms in order to start to craft my own. That's going to take time, but the awesome thing is that once I have made the original, then I can make my own sprig molds from that. This means I can keep my originality, but also keep the price down. Win win, right? Watch this space. I think I rather fancy doing the Tower next... and maybe working on some more creative pieces, too. 

It's been awhile since I've been here, and that's because things have been... mutable. I've decided to try to re-enter (because Mercury retrograde is always a good time to go back to something that's been previously started, right?) working with clay again. I believe I mentioned it previously, in my last article. I've been doing a lot of reflecting since then. 

You see, Tarot is such a part of my life that it is hard for me to isolate things. I see the cards in shapes throughout the day. I think about what card would represent what activity I'm doing at the time. I use the Tarot as a guide to activities, as a focal point for my art, and more. Between astrology (to which I've also returned over the last year), runes, stones, and the tarot, my life is pretty full of amazing shapes, themes and designs.