Episode 104: The Mothers of Monsters & Magick

In episode 104 of the Magick & Alchemy podcast, hosts Kate Belew and Kristin Lisenby discuss two of the lesser-known mothers of mythology. They begin with Echidna, the mother of monsters, whose children include the Sphinx, Cerberus, and Python, the giant serpentine creature that protects Delphi. While tracing Echidna’s family tree, they contemplate this mother’s overlap with Medusa, Gorgons, and other cave-dwelling monsters. They also discuss Asteria, the mother of Hecate, our goddess of witches. As the Titan of falling stars, it was Asteria who spurred nighttime divinations, oracular dreams, and astrology. In this conversation, they consider the mothers who exist beyond the confines of tradition, and how their stories shape ours.

Created by Tamed Wild.

Production by Julio Montero.

Music by Follow the Wind,

Taizo Audio.

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes 

Musings of the Muses by Heather Vassalo, Callie Blackstone, Hailey Piper, Stephanie Ellis

Lady of the Beasts: The Goddess and Her Sacred Animals by Buffie Johnson 

Theoi.com

The Homeric Hymn 3 to Delian Apollo 50 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) 

Hesiod’s Theogony

Shoutouts:

Episode 26: Art, Magick, & Motherhood with Caitlyn Barone

Episode 27: The Mother Archetype