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Hana shines and Aya rises.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“It is selfish to believe that your family will always love you. At some point you will be asked to earn it.”My equilibrium decided to cut me some slack and not invoke the reflexive vomiting. "It is only me, Hana, Imogen, Deidre, Mom, Buffy, hi Juanita," I hadn't spotted my designated bodyguard standing behind Chaz."Don't talk to me right now," she seethed. "I'm furious with you." Yep, she was the Caribbean Buffy."Perhaps she's pissed about the five extra Illuminati bodyguards added to the regular two around Hana plus the two circling Ghost Tigers having not a fucking clue what those other armed parties are doing in Hana's company," Pamela joked. She could. Everyone else was giving me crap about my social gaff."Hey now. This meeting is important. Imogen and I are going to have a child," I enlightened them. The door chimed open and we piled in with two Amazons whose 'fresh' look indicated a use of the showers within the past ten minutes."You consistently maintain particularly low standards," Chaz dryly remarked."I sent her here for a check-up and that gave Buffy a chance to meet Mom, Deidre and Imogen, plus two unarmed bodyguards," I kept bailing out the Titanic."Chaz, I am happy we aren't going to miss this one (lunch)," Pamela smiled at her two grandsons."Cáel, are you going to tell your fiancée you've impregnated your aunt?" Chaz was back to being mildly sympathetic to my 'totally fucked-up' life."Yes. I figured Buffy shooting death rays at me from her eyes will garner me enough confusion to get the words out of my mouth without her throwing her drink in my face, slapping me, then storming out," I envisioned.I got no more shit until I reached the garage for my vehicle. There an armed FBI Special Agent Virginia Maddox (did you know when a Federal Agent adds 'Special' to their title it means they have a gun?) stood next to my chariot. She'd drawn the short straw, meaning she had been given the chore of driving today.I found myself wondering when Yasmin would finally finish her orientation. Her training involved some serious mental challenges including a crash course from the FBI at Quantico concerning modern judicial theory & practice as well as whatever pre-Iron Age jurisprudence the Host practiced.Javiera promised me (and Katrina) that she would not-so-subtly remind those scholastically-groomed legal minds that a (couldn't use the word 'Amazon') legal code they followed had existed, with minor tweaking, as a successful social instrument for over 3,000 years. If they truly behaved in a respectful manner, the owners of the code might even show those people the Codex on the original horse-skin, written in Hittite cuneiform.Anyway, everyone assumed I had a good reason for heading to my apartment (aka need to retrieve a sleepy Odette.) Had I repeated 'the Bitch stole my fortune cookies', they might have simply taken me to an Asian-inclined grocery store. As we hit the second story landing, Chaz in the lead, we heard a passel of folks come down toward us from the fourth level.I didn't think there were that many people on the entire floor. Chaz and Pamela each went for their holstered pistol, while keeping them hidden in their jackets. Wiesława, who went for her PDW, backed up so she could fire through the stairs from beneath.Juanita, bless her heart, and Virginia had remained in the S U V because sending in more people would have left us piled into one another. If a firefight did break out, Juanita could bring in some serious hardware to back us up while Virginia called the appropriate authorities before rushing in herself.Around the corner on the third floor landing came a number of women, early/mid-twenties, physically fit, foreign clothes and downcast expressions. A few looked like they were about to cry. They were all in shirts and jeans, with no obvious weapons. Not looking lethal didn't ratchet down Chaz's vigilance. Me? I was instantly reminded how much sex I had been missing."Prince Cáel! You are alive!" spilled out of the first one, a fiery red-head with a billowing, thick mane, porcelain skin and adorable freckles. Her Irish brogue was enchanting. I had to wonder if she cried out in Gaelic during orgasm. Wasn't I about to meet my future bride plus numerous other love interests?She was fit, curvy and wearing an aqua shirt which exposed her midriff with a belly ring bearing a pearl drop, the requisite tattered skin-tight jeans and soft leather calf-boots."Why wouldn't I be alive?" I grinned, like a pirate discovering an all-girls school oceanographic classroom in need of plundering."How do total strangers know how unlikely it is that you would still be alive?" was Chaz's spin on things."We talked with your roommate. He said you had moved to Svalbard where you suffered an excruciating painful, yet richly deserved, death in a lemming stampede," she pouted, "and then the UN had your ashes exiled to Pluto because the Sun was too good for you."9, 10, 11 --12 of them looking, 3 with pale blonde hair that eerily reminded me of my fiancée, another red-head, two russet and five with deep, dark brown, or black hair. They were all fit, fit, fit! With an air of 'I graduated college only to discover: 1) no one was hiring Saline Soil Scientists, or 2) I no longer want to do any of the things I wanted to do when I picked this major. I was familiar with both types.Timothy would have been at work and Odette would have invited the troupe in to regale them with all sorts of tales, which would have included a tour of my bedroom. They clearly had missed Odette so, now I recalled; that particular excuse was one of the ten I had given the guy in 4B should anyone suspicious come calling.I imagine twelve hot, English-as-a-Second-Language girls might be considered, a bit odd. See, his was my address of record. I lied about my actual apartment, so random people who came looking for me went to him instead. This arrangement had been made prior to my understanding of the nature of my employment at Havenstone.I'd neglected, telling him to move out and go far, far away? Poor guy. I'd find a way to make it up to him later."Actually it was a southern vole immigration incident that was set off by the Bulgarian consulate offering repatriation for the first 10,000 applicants," I frowned, clearly traumatized by memory of the incident."These poor southern vole, native to the vacationer-friendly Black Sea resorts, were accidently introduced to the coldest inhabited place in the Northern hemisphere and they've been trying to get home ever since, that would be the equivalent of a century and a half in 'vole-years.""Despite the UN trying to quarantine any news of this Cricetidae catastrophe, I decided to evacuate the six most critically injured vole using a Bortolanza Pluto ultralight, which he must have confused with the UN sending my ashes to Pluto," I explained.Mind you, the 'southern' voles are native to, among other places, Norway, the owner of Svalbard. They were also native to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast so, The Pluto ultra-light, once built in Italy, is now called the 'Puma' and made in Canada, has a maximum range of 675 km, which would leave me crash landing into the Barents Sea, 260 km north of the northernmost airport in Norway, rendering me and my voles so much frozen food."You are an animal rights activist too?" several of the girls gasped. Yes. Yes I was. I was an animal and I was all for me having rights."Please, don't tell anyone about this," I grew serious. "I don't want my philanthropic efforts to be publicized. What I do, I do for the Earth's endangered ecosystems because it is what everyone should do, not because we suddenly feel bad about neglecting it.""E haere koe ki te whai kia nui ai," Pamela snorted. I'd ask her why she knew Maori later, right after I figured why Grandpa knew it."Ko toku mahere whānui," I replied. The girls looked confused."I'm also trying to revitalize endangered languages and revive dead ones. It is more of a hobby than life pursuit," I informed them."You really are a modern-day noble warrior-poet," the red-head leader sighed."Nah. I'm just a guy," I shrugged. "Besides, Ba ch ir fear a bheith ar eolas ag a gn omhais, n  a oidhreacht." (A man should be known by his deeds, not his heritage)."Sa ch s go bhfuil misneach, t  s il agam," she replied using my 'family' motto."Jos on jalot on toivoa,", "Ahol van b tors ga, van rem ny," and "cesaret olduğu yerde umut vardır," all followed. 'Where there is Valor, there is Hope' in Finnish, Hungarian and Turkish. I got the sneaking feeling this wasn't a college field trip gone awry. These chicks were coming at me with a purpose that included more than sexual gratification and a kiss good-bye. Ugh."Thank you," I genuflected, paying honor to their reciting of my personal vow. "Anyway, you appear to be looking for me, but I am afraid I don't know any of you. Taking into account that I have a late lunch date with my fiancée in a half-hour and will be taking notes at a feminist convention at 8, what can I do for you?" I was establishing my escape plan."We have come here to join you," an assertive, dusky-skinned one smiled. I had to think about this. I was a bit tired. Taking all twelve of these girls on in one orgy was currently beyond me. I'd do eight tonight and the last four before breakfast tomorrow. Ah, happy thoughts of the Lacrosse Finals."What exactly do you plan to do with Mr. Nyilas?" Chaz interrupted."We are the (Irish) 'Na conairte soith an   S aghdha ar', (Hungarian) 'A szuka kuty kat Herceg Nyilas', (Turkish) 'Prens ok u Kaltak K pekleri' and (Finnish) 'Narttu koirista prinssi jousimies'," they chorused.Pamela snickered. All of those fancy sounding names were variations on 'the Bitch Hounds of Prince Archer/Nyilas (with the Irish going for O'Shea)."You want to be my bodyguards?" I gawked. Lacking lions, the Irish choice of the 'fur-balls of death' were hounds. Being women technically made them 'bitches'. I had to move fast. Any second now Wiesława was going to figure out these over-anxious non-Amazons were trying to replace her."You do realize I've left piles of dead bodies in my wake, right?" I nearly choked. Pamela slapped me on my back."Of course," they sounded so chipper. Fuck you Internet and 'First Person Shooter' games. This wasn't a fucking game! Trained combatants who joined my retinue met grisly ends and this was their freaking profession!"Can I think about it? I mean, do any of you have any combat experience at all? Attacked someone in anger? Send off a blistering instant message?""Some of us have (combat experience I was assuming). We won't let you down.""You do realize Ms. Dubois is going to kill them, don't you Sir?" Chaz sent me a chilling look."Ms. Dubois?", "who is that?" and "kill us?" floated around."Ms. Dubois is my blood-hungry ferret who wears a 'naughty berserker' human suit to trick the masses.""Three of us have military training," one of the Finns spoke up.By that they meant they had volunteered for military service in their native countries, then left after their first term because they found military life to be boring. On the 'plus' side, all but one had martial arts experience and six of the twelve had been a member of a Gun Club of some kind. Yep, Buffy was going to kill them, all twelve at once by herself."I'll make you a deal," I offered. Chaz was giving me his 'I'm a stone yet clearly unhappy with you' face. "At 7:15 tonight, you will show up at Havenstone. I will sign you in, we'll go upstairs to one of the gyms and then warm up for fifteen minutes. When you are ready, or 7:30 rolls around, we are going to the sparing mats. If I lose, you can stay. If you lose, you will write this off as one of a legion of ideas that look good in print yet are foolish in practice. Do you accept?""How many of us do you have to beat for us to join with you and your Crusade?" the lead Irishwoman asked."All of you. I will fight you all at once. The mat space is quite extensive.""You mean all twelve of us against you at the same time?" one of the Turks blinked in disbelief."Yes. I am not disrespecting you, any of you. You've shown initiative, courage and a spirit of adventure. I found all three to be both admirable and worthy of reward (i.e. I will gladly have sex with you). What I am also telling you is of the three people with me, the only one I can most likely defeat in single combat is her," I motioned to Wiesława, "and I'm only saying that because she is 19 and relatively new to the art of killing."Their eyes flickered to Pamela. Chaz was scary without even trying. Pamela could be threatening, or appear harmless, as she wished."Chaz is a professional military man from a long line of diligent warriors and in a branch of service that requires close contact with hostile individuals, teams, tribes, clans and nations.""The woman behind me is much, much worse. I've met precisely three people who could possibly kill her and I killed one of them. Would you agree, Chaz?""Absolutely," he concurred."We know who you two are," a Finn spoke up. She had a dazzling smile and cleavage that had to obscure her toes when she stood."You do?" Pamela played nice. For once, it was technology biting her in the ass, not me. Yay?"You are Rhingyll lliw Siarl Yfory," the Irish lass looked at Chaz. That was Welsh, and meant Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow, I imagined his superiors in the British military weren't going to be happy with any of us, him being a 'secret military operator', emphasis on the 'secret'."And you are Sverkhsekretnykh Shpiona Vsemed Svaya," the Turkish girl pointed at Pamela. Pamela snorted. In Russian that meant 'Super-secret Spy Pamela Pile'. Since Pamela in Russia was pronounced 'Pamela' they had gone back to the origin of the name of Pamela, a fictitious 17th English novelist creation using mangled Hellenic, which translated as 'all-honey'.'All-honey' in Russian was Vsemed. Pamela snickered. Oh yeah, those twelve had combed through millions of articles and pictures to figure out who Chaz was and who Pamela claimed to be. Actually, one of my Hungarian admires back when we were all in Eastern Europe had suggested Pamela was a remorseful ex-SMERSH agent turned Princely-sidekick. Pamela jabbed me, the unspoken 'sidekick' thing.(For those who don't know, in Russian SMERSH loosely means 'Death to Spies', it really existed from 1943 to 1946 and was resurrected by Ian Fleming as a foil for James Bond.)"Chaz, since Cáel is, without a doubt, already having a stupendously wretched day, we must insist he inform Addison of all three of these developments, in person. I want to see the look on her face," Pamela plotted with the man who had thrown himself between me and an explosive vest, probably out of some psychic impulse that I would suffer far, far worse later, like in today, within less than 24 hours of said act."Why am I here again today?" I lowered my head and groaned."Are you okay?" a dozen innocent voices cried out."We are here to pick up Odette," Wiesława reminded me."Oh yeah, fortune cookies," I mumbled."Is 'Fortune Cookie' a nickname for one of your other operatives? Many of them are real enigmas. We can't find out anything about her," one of the Hungarians said. Yeah, because SD doesn't have a Facebook page, or Twitter account. Odette, she was protected by a completely unremarkable lifestyle, but I had a feeling that was fading fast."Excuse us," I asserted myself. "I need to get something on the third floor. Chaz began pushing forward while Pamela had my back."What are you doing?" to me and "Hey, is that a gun?" to Chaz, then Wiesława. Pamela was too sneaky to get caught."I'm here to pick up Agent Fortune Cookie then head out to a meeting with some really shady characters and my fiancée," I informed them."Agent Fortune Cookie," Chaz mused. "She's going to love that,""And then," Pamela continued."She is going to want a gun," I groaned.Oh goddess! No! Chaz had joined Pamela and my 'group think'."No, I have not," Chaz corrected me, about my mental ruminations."I've been coaching him," Pamela faux-consoled me. As my new prospective bodyguards parted for my current bodyguards,"Do you have psychic powers?" "Where is your android?" and "Is it true you can have sex up to ten times a day?""Yes, but we can't talk about it," then, "Which one? We have six models," and finishing up with, "Yes, I can have sex up to ten times a day with each session lasting at least an hour, though I do need breaks for food, drink, quiet romantic conversations and showers, cause shower-sex is so damn fun."While they mulled that over, I unlocked my door in time to see a nicely-dressed (as if she was about to go out on an expensive lunch date) Odette spring off the sofa. Looking at the crowd behind me, she blessed me with an incredibly happy smile."Oh cool! Do we really have enough time for an orgy?"I wanted to cry.(A Family FUNction, minus the 'fun' part)My fiancée giving me a congenial and contented look. Good.My fuck-buddy/friend Libra giving me a salacious 'you and me are going to hook up soon' smile while dressed in a red, 'business suite/slinky number' combo with a plunging neckline. I put her invite on my mental day-planner. Fellas, if you can't keep it in your mind, forget about it. Print equals pain, believe me.Brooke had joined the lunch group, sharing a smile and wink with Libra with the secret agreement for a three-way. Sweet! I could do this, hmm, lunch break Friday, yum-yum-yum. She was wearing a beige business suit with slacks, minus the shirt. Only her cunningly cut jacket kept her goodies from exposure.Hana was a saint for putting up with those two, and me.Buffy was studying me with the clear desire to put me in a dog cage for the rest of the week. Technically she had to produce my body for work Monday. As for the hot, sweaty, intense Brooke-Libra-Cáel m nage   trois, Buffy was reading the undercurrents and setting up a breakwater. At least her attire suggested well-paid, successful international assassin. I wondered if I had paid for her clothing as well. I'd given Chaz's wardrobe a serious upgrade courtesy of Pamela faking my signature.The gathering was rounded out by Mom, Imogen and Deirdre. Thank God they all had different hair styles and forms of dress. Mom was in 'casual-durable' attire, Imogen was going with the military-chic and Deirdre's get up was in the same style as Hana.I was pleasantly pleased that Hana had reserved two adjacent tables for what she assumed would be my support network, Pamela, Odette, Chaz, Wiesława and Juanita, plus Imogen's five and her (Hana's) two Illuminati minders. That made me squeezing my twelve newest over-eager admirers into the mix doable, if not comfortable. Better yet, none of the new girls was dressed for a restaurant this exclusive.Hana was quietly amused. Buffy was volcanic. Thankfully she was being a volcano on the mid-Atlantic ocean ridge ~ submerged."Chaz, Pamela, explain," Buffy seethed."I don't work for you," Pamela playfully bantered back, "Sweet-Cheeks.""They are part of a clandestine operation to provide cooperation and assistance from the European Union," I offered up in such a sincere manner. I almost had them. Buffy looked to Chaz who opted to channeled his 'inner- Cáel'."I can neither confirm nor deny their status as operators from four European nations," he nodded.Buffy forked a helpless appetizer shrimp then catapulted at one of my Finns, I thought it was Oili. It bounced off her bosom. She couldn't even claim to not have seen it coming."What?" Oili gasped."Operatives?" Buffy sizzled at me."Prince Cáel," Flannery asked, "why did that strange woman throw a, shrimp at Oili?""It was a hand-eye coordination test," Odette informed her. "Had Oili been a real spy, you would have snatched up a nearby napkin, deflect the item with the napkin and all while drawing down on her. It is what they do all the time. It is pretty neat to watch.""Why use a napkin?" Oili asked Odette while eyeing Buffy in case another decapod was coming her way."You use a napkin because the shrimp might have a contact poison on it," Odette rolled her eyes. "Buffy used a fork to flip it at you. She didn't use her hands, so the possibility existed." Pamela gave Odette an 'atta girl' high five."Prince Cáel?" Brooke giggled. "What have you been up to?""Okay. I got this. Ladies, may I introduce Annikki, Belgin, Berit, Flannery, Gizi, Ilkay, Kato, Neve, Nuray, Oili, Pirkko and Zsuzsi. These fine women have decided to put their productive lives on hold so they can be my bodyguards," I made the introductions."They have volunteered to be, basically the 'Hounds of Prince O'Shea/Nyilas/Archer'. My Hounds, please let me introduce Hana, my fiancée, Brooke, my close friend, Libra, a sweet & sincere childhood acquaintance, my Mother, Sibeal, my O'Shea aunts, Deidre & Imogen and Kalmarasērmi Buffy."Despite the absurdity of the situation and my clear irresponsibility, Buffy let a smile crease her frown. 'Kalmarasērmi' was my term for her in the Amazon language = my Mountaintop."I will volunteer my facilities to train them," Aunt Imogen offered me drolly. She was the primary trainer for all O'Shea guardians/Special Forces."Train us?" a half dozen voices murmured."Yes Child. I am Imogen O'Shea, Cáel is the greatest treasure in my life and I have serious doubts any of you can be anything more than distracting bullet-catchers for my favorite (and only) nephew. It annoys me to think you are yet another walking advertisement showing him to be both big-hearted and soft-headed.""I will offer prayers upon the mounds of my ancestors (lie, her only 'ancestor' refused to stay buried) for Cáel's safety. You should invoke whatever supernatural entity you place faith in to keep Cáel safe as well, because if he gets so much as a scratch defending any one of you, I will exercise my nearly endless knowledge of human pain to make you pay.""Is she Ms. Dubois?" Flannery asked Odette."That would be me," Buffy showered fury their way."Do you really want to kill us?" Neve tried to stare Buffy down."Until ten seconds ago, Yes. Now I want to hand you over to these two," she motioned to Deidre and Imogen with her fork."Prince Cáel, why are they all so hostile?" Flannery requested understanding from me. "We have come here to help you. We have skills. All we are asking if for a chance to prove ourselves to you.""To Us," Buffy snapped. "Cáel's vote doesn't count.""Chill, Buffy," I snapped back. "I'm dealing with this, and your lack of trust is pissing me off.""Buffy," Hana intervened. She placed a hand on Buffy's thigh out of sight, yet not outside of my notice. "When was the last time Cáel failed to take your advice on something life-critical? These young ladies appear to be honest and diligent. If not, Pamela and the Color Sergeant wouldn't have let them come here, or near Odette."If I dated dumber women I would have less explaining (lying) to do, but I'd miss the challenge both inside and outside the bedroom. Hana's deft touch and gentle words calmed Buffy more than anything (outside of a righteous cocking) I could have accomplished. I was suddenly seized with the realization there was a goodly number of Katrina's positive attributes in Hana. How had I missed it?"Marrying you is going to be Hana's first step toward mortal beatification," Brooke teased me. Normally only dead people were made saints."A Servant of, probably not Jehovah. I think everyone at the table can agree she has interacted with supernatural forces," Sibeal hid her joking well."Martyring her hopes of monogamy?" Deidre's fey gaze flickered over the women of note (the women at the main table)."Her Heroic Virtue is Prudence?" Buffy added. Buffy had been Catholic?"Ladies, I'm Lutheran. We don't normally venerate saints. Joking aside, I was given a reason to believe this lunch date was important on a social level between myself and my fianc . Food would be nice too."Brooke and Libra's presence regulated Pamela and Chaz to an adjacent table. A waiter slipped in, took my order, I decided to forgo an appetizer because I was late, then the conversation began."Hana, this is my Mother, Sibeal Nyilas. Imogen and Deidre are my family from Ireland," I made the introductions, most definitely unnecessarily. I was buying time to get a better read on the women around me."I know," Hana showered me with mature compassion."Get to it, damn you," Buffy huffed."Wow, I'm thinking of the best way to tell you this," I barely could meet Hana's eyes."I am pregnant with your fianc 's child," Imogen cut to the chase. What she said was delivered on purpose. Imogen wasn't as socially maladjusted as Rachel. The fewer women in my life, the easier the O'Shea would have roping me in. Imogen's words were meant to hurt Hana and drive a wedge between us."You too?" Hana's sad eyes studied Imogen. She hid her anger-disappointment-disgust well. In this crowd her efforts to obfuscate her feeling only worked on Libra and Brooke. Those two ladies were less astute at concealing their surprise."She's your aunt, right?" Libra's look settled on me instead of a blatant Imogen, or a pained Hana."No," Mom answered for me. "My sisters and I were born sterile. It is impossible that our paternal heritage has been passed along. Whatever Imogen's maternal contribution was, it is not from our DNA. My sister does have a child inside her, Havenstone verified it and will have the precise genetic make-up within 24 hours," she persisted (lying)."If Cáel has a failing, it is that he was seduced by my sisters who played upon his very confusing Mother-Son relationship. I faked my death when he was seven. I 'died' in a quite painful manner and he had to watch helplessly as he witnessed me wasting away. I did such a horrible thing to a young boy because the people who were hunting me down, the two O'Shea before you and the nine who aren't here, would have used numerous means of torture to verify my death."(Until they realized 'what' I was. Then my imprisonment would have begun)"My wonderful husband would have died without giving them the truth. It was too much to ask of our son. For fifteen years he believed me dead. He learned the truth at his Father's funeral. I believe every woman at this table knows my son doesn't handle emotional pain well.""Imogen's statement was a thinly-veiled stab at Hana's heart and a kick to my son's sense of responsibility to both Hana and his unborn child. How could this not hurt Hana? How could Cáel possibly respond, torn between the woman who has already sacrificed so much of her happiness for a man barely aware of his own maturity, and the woman bringing his child into the world?""Good one, Imogen. Those two are better than you, or I. By all means, make a mockery of my son, your nephew, who has pledged to fight for your life when he should clearly walk away and let the rest of you die. He asks nothing of you yet you feel no remorse at sullying his happiness.""There are ten good reasons for you getting up and walking out of here intact right now. There are six better reasons for making you pay for your cruelty," she threatened."Ten?" Brooke whispered."The sisters' five bodyguards, the two body guards they gifted me with, Deidre, Imogen and Cáel. You don't think he would let the woman bearing his child take a beating, do you Brooke?" Hana enlightened her."No.""The Six?" Libra scanned the room."My other two bodyguards won't act unless I am directly threatened. They won't be out to hurt anyone. If anyone tries to hurt me, they will jump straight to the making them dead option. The 'Six' are Buffy, Pamela, Chaz, Juanita, Special Agent Maddox and Sibeal.""We'd help," Libra insisted. Brooke was onboard with that proclamation."No," came forth from Hana, Mom and me."Brooke and Libra; you two, Odette, the other twelve and the wait staff will only confuse the issue. My sisters and their soldiers will use you and the rest to distract Cáel. Except for Ms. Maddox, the rest won't give a fuck so your best bet is to hit the deck and let the professionals deal with things," Mom clarified."Brooke, Libra, this is a wacko chicks with guns moment," I put things in perspective."Hana?" Libra put a hand on Hana's shoulder."Don't mind me," she patted Libra's hand. "I'm diving for cover and not getting up until you, Brooke, Cáel, or Buffy tell me to get up. Sorry Sibeal, but I don't know you that well yet.""I understand," Mom agreed.To punctuate the awkwardness of the moment, Aisha (the Arabic swimsuit model) and three other SD ladies waltzed into the place and took a table. When the maytre dee tried to impede them, Aisha threatened to exterminate his entire extended family with a look alone. Been there, done that, and the maytre dee was nowhere close to being in my league.I had to think that through. Had Buffy called them, the SD would have been here before I arrived. Pamela was a possibility, except the SD still hated her over Constanza's maiming. If she told them my life 'was' in danger, they would still show up. My life wasn't in danger and Pamela wouldn't yank their chain.It had to be Juanita. The head of my bodyguard telling Elsa that I was in an exposed position with 9 armed Illuminati would have elicited this level of response. Pamela prodded Odette. Odette had a 'what do you want me to do' non-verbal exchange with Pamela then got up and went over to Aisha.Odette even remembered to navigate the room in such a manner Aisha and her team could keep an uninterrupted view of the threat. Pamela and Chaz's lessons were paying off. They weren't training her in the lethal arts. They were showing her how to not be an obstacle, which was better, given our current circumstances."Hana, don't hate Imogen. The only parent she's ever known was Granddad," I returned my attention to the crisis at hand."Oh, I'm sorry," Hana sent sympathetic waves Imogen's way. If there was a hint of 'you bitch' hidden within those words, none of us would admit it."Yes, yes," Imogen smiled back. "Father was a real troll.""That's not true," Hana responded. "I've met him and he has always been very nice to me. It was easy for me to look past the nations of dead he's murdered, his propensity to rape his daughters and his plans to destroy my Cáel.""I don't hold you to blame for not protecting Cáel more than you have. He's a handful and reminds you of your Father, the mass-murdering rapist. And Imogen, don't try to hurt Cáel using me again, you Bitch. I'm not a part of your circus. That doesn't render me powerless. I love more than I hate. I count a person great by the lives they save, not those they take. Where there is Valor, there is Hope and my fianc  has both in spades. Do we understand one another?""Proving you are smarter than Ms. Sievert is not something which equates to being a threat," Deidre countered."Cáel, why aren't you saying something?" Brooke whispered to me."Because he knows better," Mom grinned. "This is a battle Hana has to win, or lose, on her own.""Cáel has plenty of women willing to go behind his back and kill people, Brooke. Now, if Hana asks for such a favor, we know it is not over some petty bullshit," rolled menacingly forth from Buffy as her feral countenance made a few of the Illuminati at the next table nervous."That won't be necessary," I broke up the tension. "We are as dysfunctional a family as they come, but we are family and we will all treat one another as such by the standards of the only one who matters. Clear?""You?" Deidre soothed me."No. Ferko Nyilas', my Father and the best man I've ever known. He taught me to never make excuses for your own behavior. Surrendering our control over our lives is a cop-out. If you want to continue acting like the creepy-ass bitch daughters of Cáel O'Shea, so be it. That is your choice to make. I care for you.""I care enough for you to fight Granddad over your futures. I hope all of you know I mean what I say. Whatever you decide to do, no matter how you act, I will always love you. I've made my choices and I am going to hold you responsible for yours. Let's eat lunch. It has been a rough fucking day and it isn't over yet."If there was ever any doubt, I destroyed those twelve hopeful bodyguards on the mats. They possessed neither the skill nor the savagery necessary in a warrior culture. We Amazons didn't recoil from pain. Our sisters' lives were on the line. That was why you practiced no-holds-barred fighting with, or without, weapons."We can learn," the lead Finn protested. The rest were getting over the physical and spiritual pain of being so easily beaten."My normal bodyguards go through three years of intense 24/7 training. Being a member of that elite body means you train in all forms of weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat techniques.""Once you've mastered the core physical and skill baseline requirements, and this core training never stops, no point is considered 'good enough', you begin learning at least two specialties. Those are disciplines such as close-protection, sniping, small unit tactics, infiltration, battlefield medicine, electronics, computing, communication systems, linguistics and 'training' expertise.""In my current team, the ones who fought at my side in Hungry and Romania, all have three specialties. Discounting their regimen since the age of five, each had been on the job in a professional capacity at least six years. The leader had eleven years in.""Finally, when you are at that level of excellence, you need a specific mindset. What you need to do is think why you shouldn't kill someone, not if you should. If there is any doubt, you strike. If you hesitate, someone close to you might be killed, not just me.""Look around you. If you aren't ready to kill for any of your companions, you will never cut it. Now, I'm going to have you shown out. I will have taxis take you back to your hotel. Think about it. Seriously, think about dedicating yourself to more than some stranger you've met on the internet.""You will be dedicating yourself to the other elven women in your group, to the death. That is the level of spiritual dedication it takes to be at my side. Go, take a rest, talk it over, search your souls. Call me if any of you want to continue and we can have lunch Sunday and make plans. Questions?""Do the other women around you do this, make those choices?" one of the Turkish women frowned while nursing a bruised jaw."No. They have it worse. They have thrown their old lives away, never to return. Each and every one has either murdered a human being, or attempted to, before they are even considered for the task.""Under normal circumstances, we wouldn't be having his conversation. You would never be given the chance. You are woefully unqualified in every way except spirit. Your willingness to cross the Atlantic to make your offers resonates with me, so I am both warning you this is horrible, horrible path you are taking and I am explaining precisely how slender any of your chances are of accomplishing your goals.""I, I don't know," whispered one of the Hungarian lasses."At the Seven Skulls, I led three such women into combat (Rachel, Charlotte and Saku) against a group of warriors who were fighting free of 500 elite Romanian Mountain Troops. Of the Romanians, nearly 200 were either dead, or wounded. The FBI Special Agent we took with us was badly wounded."One of the three was killed, a head shot, and the remainder left her body where she had fallen because the enemy were still out there and they had to protect me. The world will not bend to your sensitivities. Life around me is exceedingly dangerous and unforgiving," I finished.No immediate consensus united them. Fear and disbelief were the major vibes I was picking up. None of them were angry, insulted, or overly terrified."Time for you to go," Buffy concluded our meeting. "Tigger Maeve and Dora Farānak, would you please see Cáel's guests to the lobby." A new pleasure of Buffy's was using the House names of the Full-bloods she interacted with.I have taken a few mystic liberties:Maeve was a Celtic War Goddess ~ the Enslaver of Men.Farānak was a Scythian Goddess also known as the Lynx Goddess and the Silent Huntress.As for the other new hires:Daphne was, as explained earlier, of House Cotyttia (Thracian Goddess of Sex, War and Slaughter)Fabiola was of House Minerva (Roman Goddess of War & Strategy)Violet Maza was in House Oshun, the Yoruba Goddess of Love, Sexuality, Beauty and Diplomacy; Lady of the Orisha ~ life spirits.Paula Wadena was of House Cybele (Phrygian Earth Mother, Guardian of the Lion Throne)}They were dismissed and smart enough to know that was the best possible answer to their current predicament, learning your romantic adventure was actually a gory supernatural battle for survival. A growing number of Isharans had been gathering while I dealt with the wannabes. A few were amused, perhaps even understanding, of my actions.Soon enough, using her position as Record Keeper of House Ishara, Helena cajoled the other Amazons into giving us peace and quiet. Not all left. Watching a jury-rigged House Ishara work through its business in a semi-public setting was an event both unlooked for and possibly enlightening.For this gathering, we had 122 of the 159 members. The missing members were not close enough, or were providing a critical function that wouldn't allow them to be in New York on this night."Sisters, a moment of personal prayer for each of us to seek guidance from our Ancestors as we seek to continue their legacy," I intoned softly, calling the meeting to order.I had barely opened my eyes, failing to get any inspiration from Yakko, when the struggle began."Why are we including them in a House Ishara meeting?" Madori pointed out the three 'new hires' who were sticking around."Memasant (Amazon for to speak true)," I answered her. Since Daphne, Paula and Violet had clearly been sitting among us before the meeting began, I gave Buffy a disappointing frown. "Ishara respects these three for teaching the rest of you the Amazon language so that we can teach it to others, thus all of you becoming able to engage all our sisters in our native tongue.""I doubt any other House would extend this honor to others. Thankfully, we are not like any other House. We know better. We have all been outsiders. We aren't a 'normal' House and I am working toward us never being one. We have to be kind and just when necessary, and forgive when it is what the Host needs.""We will do this because we Isharans alone will decide on the prestige of our sisters. If the other Houses make an issue of it, who cares? None of them have made the sacrifices necessary to be Isharans. I know that you have not all gathered here tonight to hear me pontificate. Who wants to be first?""Will you accept a challenge?" Madori stood up. We had spread out in a ring, two Amazons deep, along the edges of the mats. I had never sat down."Put forth your complaint," I responded."You emphasize duties other than that of a House Head. You don't take the time to show up at initiation ceremonies. In essence, you ignore your sisters to advance your own prestige.""Yes, I am not showing up at the initiation ceremonies.""Yes, I prioritize other activities over running the day-to-day operations of our House.""Yes, you are utterly ignoring the two Amazons sitting at either side of me. I chose Buffy Ishara and Helena Ishara to lead this House because I knew I would have others issues coming up in my life concerning the Host.""Buffy, are you challenging me?""No, Wakko Ishara," she responded angrily. She wasn't angry with me. She had chosen the majority of the assembly and they were turning on me, thus her."Helena, are you challenging me?""No Wakko Ishara. I am intimately familiar with your work and the dangers you constantly confront for the greater Host," she answered in an equally hostile tone."Now that the issue of relevance has been dealt with, I will accept any challenge from any of you selfish, bigoted, power-hungry cunts who wish to put your own self-interest above that of our House. By all means, stumble over one another for the top spot," I mocked them. I'd played nice. No more.It was telling that my classification of any challenger was completely ignored. Madori and five supporters stood. In theory, challenges were the rare 1-on-1 Amazon experience. Another Amazon, Arianne, stood with another supporter."Cool beans," I nodded.I backed up, stepped off the mats and picked up the four axes I had pre-prepared. Back on the mat I went past my handful of supporters, brandished two weapons and advanced a quarter way onto the sparring area. The mass of my opponents muttered in confusion and resentment."Ishara, we have not trained in archaic weapons. Most of our facilities never had then," Madori protested."Amazons don't play fair," I glared. Several migrated to the walls to pick out whatever looked the least daunting. Buffy, Helena, Marsha, Daphne Cotyttia, Violet Oshun and Paula Cybele did likewise."Is this how you want to answer a challenge for leadership?" Madori glowered. "Cheating, utilizing a clear advantage in a farce of equality and justice?""No. Please step back and call every member of JIKIT," my eyes narrowed. "How about this, call the Amazon's contact with the Earth & Sky? Can't do that either? How about convince the 9 Clans to help us pursue a House obligation?""You duties as Chief Diplomat are not that of Isharan House Head and actually make you less of a House Head," she countered. She had chosen a short spear, using it two-handed. And that made Katrina what precisely?"I should fucking kill you," Buffy snarled."Madori Ishara, Dot-Ishara is not the Goddess of Scrabble. She is not the Goddess of," and Madori tried to catch me flat-footed with a spear-thrust. I was appalled at how easy I dealt with her. My right axe diverted her spear enough so when I twisted my stance, she missed. I placed the head of my left axe on her shoulder, blade against her throat."Madori, you lose. Sit back down and contemplate that you were beaten by a 22 year old man," I seethed. There was no 'you didn't give me a chance' bullshit. She had struggled for advancement in the Amazon way. Such people weren't crybabies. "Next."Arianne approached me with a shield and short sword. My read on the situation was she was going to use acrobatics to compensate for my superior reach. I readied myself."I don't suppose you would accept a suggestion we fight unarmed?" she put out there. I took two steps toward her then dropped my axes."I trust you," I looked down at her. I could see the 'oh, fuck me' written all over her face. The unfairness had been tossed in her lap. She put the point of her leaf-shaped blade under the left side of my ribcage, close to my kidney."Yield.""Never.""Yield, or I will kill you."I took a quarter-inch penetration when I clamped down on her right wrist and slammed my elbow into her face. A quick exchange of footwork ended up with both of us on the mat, Arianne on her back, sword pinned to the mat and her shield trapped between us. Head-butt followed head-butt until she was unresponsive.I stood up, blood oozing down my side."Water!" I barked. A bottled water was rolled my way. Three more Amazons were sizing me up. This challenge phase was far from over. I splashed water down on Arianne's face until she sputtered into wakefulness."Pathetic," I sneered at her. "This House is worth any and all of our lives. If you were the best candidate to lead this house and I refused to yield, then why did you spare me? Not only could you not kill me when you clearly could, you failed to do so even when it became an unequal contest of arms."Arianne was shamed and furious. I was treating her like a presumptuous, outsider woman."I'm feeling particularly generous in victory, Arianne, don't you dare stand up," I growled when she tried. "I will not kill you for your disrespect. I will not exile you from our House because doing so would show both of us failing to grasp one of the key principles of our People, learn. Learn and keep learning. A loss is nothing more than a temporary setback. Learn, don't repeat the same mistake twice and never stop striving for success until you take yourself to the cliffs."One of the two newes

"Upon listening to the in field recording, I instantly had the idea of doing something involving synthesis and tying that to the idea of time travel. What stood out to me most is the raw, natural ambience that it has. I used this to use hard panning in the beginning to simulate the listener looking around. I connected it to the sound of a stream flowing.  "Upon researching Delos, I found out that it used to be occupied by the Egyptians before it became Hellenic. I chose this recording from this location as my family are from Greece, and I thought it would be really cool to make a piece using real sounds from my family's country.  "To create the piece, I used minimal layering for maximal effect. I also used sound design to help create my own sounds. I also researched what instruments were common at the time, and used those in the piece. I sampled different stringed instruments such as lyres and used harmonic minor scales to really drive that Egyptian influence. I also used dissonance towards the end to symbolise the mixing of Egyptian and Hellenic cultures, symbolising that their differences can also be beautiful." Waves on Delos reimagined by Sisi. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

Gwyn and Ode talk about what's happened so far, what's probably coming up, and bolstering ourselves against all of that. Also for some reason we sound like we're recording at the bottom of a well! Mysterious!

190: One Hellenic Woman's Journey to Success We are wrapping up WOMEN's HISTORY MONTH with lessons from a strong and beautiful Hellenic Woman—Dr. Georgia Andrianopolis. Georgia and Kiki Dr. Georgia on Olympus Today's Lexi:  Εντερο – Entero – Gut In Today's Episode: Today, friend, you are in for a special treat because you will hear a first-hand story of one woman's journey to success while holding the perspective of an outsider. My guest Dr. Georgia Andrianopolis immigrated from Greece to America as a young girl and navigated her way to becoming a counselor, with a Ph.D. in neurophysiological concentration.  Her post-doc centered on the brain and gastrointestinal health.  How did she survive with so many obstacles?  What were the challenges?  What is her advice to every woman trying to make it in a man's world? Let's find out… Resources: Brain Fitness Therapy Credits: Music: Spiro Dussias Vocals: Zabrina Hay Graphic Designer: Manos Koumparakis  

From Lost In Eros – Book 1Don & Toshia escape the Manor In 10 Parts By BradentonLarry.  Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Feeling satisfied with herself, Toshia leaned back against Jason and continued to enjoy his cock and fingers. Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a woman's voice in her ear said, “You're quite the sexy harlequin, Toshia.”Toshia turned to see a woman wearing a purple robe and a crown. She had short dark hair, full tits, which were only partially hidden by her robe, and beautiful, long legs. Before Toshia could say, “Hello, Lilith,” the other woman leaned in and kissed her warmly.Toshia knew she was obliged to now play with Lilith, and was actually quite eager to do so, but she wasn't quite done with Jason yet, so she suggested, “Join us.”Lilith kissed her again, this time longer and with more passion. Toshia's hands reached out to touch and caress Lilith's full tits. They felt heavy, soft and wonderful. When there was a break in their kiss, Toshia said, “Say hello to Jason, Lilith.”“Ah yes,” Lilith smiled, “the Lord's acolyte; I should have known.” Then she moved in to kiss Jason as warmly as she had just done with Toshia. While she did this, though, she took off her crown and put it on the bench next to Jason. Then she got up in front of Toshia, and leaned over her, putting her luscious tits in Toshia's face.Toshia, who was still riding Jason, kissed and sucked on Lilith's tits, moving from one nipple to the other and back. All the while, she was running her hands over Lilith's warm feminine body. Lilith then got on her knees in front of Toshia, and coaxed Jason's legs apart enough that she could lean in and begin to lick at his balls and Toshia's clit. An immediate shiver ran up Toshia's spine and she reached down to hold Lilith's head there.Toshia laid back on Jason as Lilith worked her tongue over Toshia's clit. Jason, meanwhile, cupped Toshia's tits in his hands, squeezing them through the thin fabric of her costume. Soon Toshia was rocking on Jason's lap, working him in and out of her, while Lilith lapped at her. She was about to come when a gentle hand touched her cheek and turned her face to the side. Ilsa, still in her angelic costume, had snuck up on her and was now kissing her deeply. With Ilsa's tongue in her mouth, Lilith's tongue on her clit, and Peter's cock in her cunt, Toshia crested into an intense orgasm; moaning and shaking.When she could collect herself, Toshia pulled off Jason and got on the bench next to him, opposite Ilsa, and the three women proceeded to take turns sucking on him. He eventually shot a geyser of cum into the air and all over their faces. The women then leisurely licked Jason's cum off him and each other. This led, naturally enough, to the three women on the floor together while Jason watched them play from the bench.Before long, Lilith was on her back as Ilsa sat on her face, while Toshia lay on her belly between Lilith's legs, tonguing her clit and working her fingers, and then her whole hand, in and out of Lilith's cunt. Toshia noticed that two women, a cheerleader and a very sexy kitten, were kneeling in front of Ilsa, each one sucking on her beautiful tits. Then, Lilith was coming in a twisting, writhing orgasm.Toshia smiled to herself and thought the night was off to a very good start.Some identities become very familiar.As he moved into the ballroom, looking for “his own amusement”, Don was a bit preoccupied with his own thoughts. He suspected that he had gotten the hang of how the Manor worked, in a limited sense, but had resolved to wait until the morning to test his hypothesis. He was troubled by the fact that he and Toshia had failed to ask Robert, the Scholar, about the watchers, but actually thought those passive figures were probably not important in the sense that they might interfere with trying to leave the Manor. Still, he tried to force these thoughts aside as he moved into the crowd of costumed partiers. He certainly did think it was a good idea to enjoy this night as if it were sure to be the last they would spend in the Manor.“I love your costume,” a woman in a Santa's helper costume laughed. Don had always harbored a secret little fetish for girls in that particular kind of costume, and this one was particularly fetching. She had long black hair hanging down over her shoulders, a spray of freckles on her cheekbones, and a nice, compact body. She was about five foot two, and seemed about the age of the Nymphets, or maybe a year or two older. In short, she was both adorable and sexy as hell. She took Don by the hand and said, “Come dance with me.”Don followed her to the dance floor where about twenty couples and at least one threesome were enjoying some rhythmic, vertical foreplay. The girl in red, white and touches of green slipped her arms around Don's neck and began to dance up against him. Don followed suit, holding her by the small of her back, though he soon reached down to lift the hem of her short skirt up to squeeze her tight ass in his hands. She smiled up at him and said, “I'm Brandy, by the way.”“I'm Don,” he said, and then leaned down to kiss her sweet lips, which tonight matched the Christmas red of her costume. She responded enthusiastically, sucking on his tongue as it slipped into her mouth. She took a moment to reach down between them, to adjust Don's rapidly hardening cock, so that it was upright between them, but then went right back to swaying in his arms as they danced and kissed.For his part, Don could have spent the next hour like this, but Brandy was less patient, and, after about ten minutes, pulled her mouth from his and said, “Let's go fuck, Don.”“Okay,” Don chuckled, still amused by the straight-forward spirit of the Manor. I'm going to miss this, he thought.Brandy led him to the nearest alcove, which fortunately wasn't too crowded yet. She sat down on the edge of the big mattress platform to the rear of the alcove, and promptly pulled Don in front of her, between her legs. Her hand was on his erection, and she pushed the bottom of his jester's top out of the way with her other hand. Without any preliminaries, she began to suck on his cock. Watching her tiny mouth with her red lipstick moving up and down on his thick shaft was incredibly erotic to Don. The fact that she was wearing a green mask and a Santa hat only seemed to add to the hotness of the situation. Her small hands were wrapped around his cock, pumping him, as she sucked on him, bobbing her head. Don had intended to hold off on his first orgasm until later, but Brandy was too good at what she was doing, and the situation was just too much of a turn on for him. He knew he couldn't hold out, and in another minute, he felt his balls tightening, and Brandy's hands were squeezing a bit harder as his cock expanded. Then he pushed forward, holding her head in place with his hands, as he came hard and long into the little woman's adorable mouth. Brandy happily swallowed every bit of his cum, and then smiled up at him.Don grinned back at her, and then said, “Now, it's my turn.” He got down on his knees between her legs and pulled her forward so that her ass was right on the edge of the platform. As he leaned in and ran his tongue over her, Brandy undid the front of her helper's top, displaying her taut belly and beautiful, round tits. While Don was moving his tongue between her lips and into her cunt, she leaned back on her elbows with that sweet smile on her face.Don held her in place as he began to gently lick at her clit. As she began to move against him, he increased the pace and the pressure. He thought that it must be a funny picture: him in his jester's costume going down on a wanton Santa's helper elf. Then things got even odder, as a pretty, masked Asian schoolgirl, complete with pigtails, crawled over to the elf on the left side and began to make out with her. The scene just screamed Penthouse photo-shoot. Of course, in this costume, Keiko reminded Don of Go-go from the first Kill Bill, though, obviously, Go-go hadn't worn a mask. Don stifled a chuckle, and continued to lick Brandy's clit, while she and Keiko kissed.When Don pushed two fingers up inside Brandy's cunt, she sighed and lay back, and Keiko moved down to kiss and tease the girl's tits. Don twisted his fingers and fucked them slowly in and out of Brandy, while lapping at her clit. Soon, she was arching her back and crying out loudly, letting everyone know that she was coming. Don sucked on her clit, until she had fallen back on the mattress and her cunt no longer clenched at his fingers. Then he slowly withdrew his hand and kissed her clit goodbye for now.Don got up onto the mattress next to Brandy on the right side, and said to Keiko, “Let's get her up a bit further.” Together, the three of them scooted Santa's helper up far enough that her legs were no longer hanging over the edge. Then, Don joined Keiko in kissing and sucking on Brandy's tits, as their hands moved up and down her lithe body. Brandy caught hold of Don's manhood, which was again very hard, and began to squeeze and pull it.Don reached down and lifted Brandy's right leg, and scooted himself under it. He let her leg down so that it was over his hip, and rested his own right leg across her left thigh. This put his cock in good position to be slipped into her waiting cunt, which, naturally enough, is exactly what Don did. He was now able to move in and out of Brandy, while using his thigh to stimulate her clit, and was free to use his right hand on her upper body. She bent her left knee a bit, which pulled his thigh tighter to her, and let him move his left leg over a bit, giving him better purchase, which in turn let him fuck her more steadily.“That looks like fun,” Keiko smiled.“It is!” Brandy said, and when Don pinched her nipple, she added, “a lot of fun!”Keiko kissed Brandy and then leaned over her to kiss Don. While Keiko was doing this, Brandy fumbled with the buttons of Keiko's shirt. Keiko obliged her by continuing to kiss Don until she felt the other woman's hands on her tits and belly. Then, Keiko moved so her tits were over Brandy's mouth, letting her kiss and suck on them. While Don was watching this, he felt a light touch on his bare ass, which moved up over his back and then around his neck, until a feminine hand was turning his head to the right. And, then he was kissing a new, unfamiliar mouth, and straight brown hair was hanging down around his face. He guessed from the way this woman was moving against him that she was probably being fucked from behind as she kissed him. When she broke the kiss to toss her head and her hair back, Don saw she was wearing a white mask and a silvery tiara, but couldn't make out much else from where he was. Turning his attention back to Brandy and Keiko, he saw that the latter was now squatting over the former's face. Brandy was holding Keiko's ass in her hands as she licked and sucked at Keiko's cunt and clit.The hair fell down into Don's face again, and he turned back to kiss the woman over him again, all the while continuing to fuck steadily in and out of Brandy, grinding his thigh against her. Then Brandy was arching her back and moaning up into Keiko. Don kept fucking her until she finished coming, and then decided it was time to change things around a bit, so he disentangled himself from Brandy's legs and pulled away. He wormed his way down along Brandy, and then sat up. He saw that he had been kissing a princess, with a diaphanous dress, who had indeed been being fucked from behind by a pirate. Don thought he had three good options here; start fucking Brandy in a missionary position, or move around in front of either Keiko or the princess. He was having a momentary problem making up his mind, when he felt a kiss on his neck and heard a woman's low voice saying, “Come play with me, Don.”Don turned and saw the tallest, most gorgeous can-can dancer he could imagine. He tried to ignore the costume and just concentrate on the beautiful long legs, exquisite face and long dark hair; it was auburn, though he hadn't been able to tell that when he saw her last, in the disco's black light room. “Martina?” he ventured.She smiled beneath her mask and said, “You gave me such a wonderful orgasm the other night; I was hoping to return the favor.”Don returned her smile and turned to her to take her into his arms, kissing her. She had his cock in her hand already, stroking and pulling it as they got reacquainted. Don was still enjoying simply kissing this stunningly beautiful creature, when Martina started to pull up the front of her skirts. Once she'd cleared them out of the way, she held the back of Don's neck and raised her leg, which he held up. Just like that, she bent his cock down and then slipped it into her already quite slippery, and very hot and tight cunt.Then, standing there with his other hand holding the small of her back, and her holding on to him for support, he began to fuck in and out of her. She smiled at him, and then they began to kiss again. Once they had their rhythm going well, she was able to reach down with one hand and stroke herself while they fucked. Don was vaguely aware that people were moving around them, and that most of them were busy having sex of their own, but he was very much focused on the woman in his arms. The standing position was so easy to maintain, he felt like they could do this for hours, though he realized she probably felt differently. Still, she seemed very comfortable.Martina soon was rubbing her clit intently as Don fucked steadily in and out of her. She broke their very long kiss, and dropped her head to his shoulder. Don kept plowing her until she was shaking and moaning in his arms. He smiled at her when she was done, and she said, “Oh, well, I seem to owe you two now.”He laughed, and lowered her leg, pulling his cock out of her. He nodded to an empty spot on the mattress, close to where Brandy and the princess were now making out and where Keiko was being taken from behind by a pirate, who may or may not have been the one who had been fucking the princess earlier; Don couldn't be sure. Martina lay back on the mattress, with her ass on the edge. Don got her legs up on his shoulders, bent his knees some, got himself back inside her, and then lifted her up until the angle was just right. Holding onto Martina's thighs, Don began to fuck deeply in and out of her. She reached down (up, actually) and began to play with herself again.Don watched her face, and the way her tits threatened to spill out of her low cut top, as he drove into her. She was smiling up at him, but, as his cock and her own fingers gradually got the better of her, her eyelids fluttered closed and her expression got more distracted. Don could tell it wouldn't be long before she was coming again, and, although he liked her feeling that she was in his debt in this regard, he thought it was high time he did his part to even the score between them. He focused on the amazingly beautiful woman lying in front of him, being fucked by him and about to come, as well as the incredible sensations of his cock sliding in and out of her, being squeezed and pulled by the strong muscles of her vagina. If that weren't enough, there were the intensely erotic scenes being played out all around him, not least of which was Keiko's expression as she was being fucked hard from behind. Then, Martina was coming again, and Don's body enthusiastically joined the party, igniting his primed nervous system and firing a wrenching torrent of cum into Martina. He shoved into her hard as his cock pulsed and came. Despite his earlier orgasm, this one seemed his most intense in quite some time.When he let her legs down and reluctantly withdrew his penis, Martina sat up, kissed him, and said, “Well, I still owe you two. Come collect them anytime.”“I will make a point of it,” Don smiled. He then watched as she walked away in the direction of the dance floor, adjusting her can-can dancer costume as she went.Don thought he had found enough of his own “amusement” to qualify for commencing his “hunt” for Toshia. In the next alcove, he saw a woman in a nun's habit; well, a nun's habit with a slit running up the side of the dress, showing off a nice, long leg and a not-very-nun-like high-heeled shoe; who was leaning over one of the side benches with her hands braced against the wall. Behind her, with her black habit thrown to the side, was a man wearing a black vest and mask, and a pair of red horns and a red pointy tail just like Natalia was wearing. The demon was fucking the nun quite enthusiastically. Don grinned at the perfection of the scene. Then he realized the nun was the very attractive older woman who had sucked him and gone down on Sanja up on the balcony during the ball. Intrigued, Don moved in closer. Yes, he thought, it was definitely her. Now, though, her face was contorted with carnal pleasure.Don followed through on his impulse, and caught one of her tits in his hand, squeezing it through the fabric of her costume. This got her attention. She smiled at him, and said, “Hello.”“Hello,” he answered, “you probably don't remember me, ”“Up on the balcony with that lovely girl the other night,” she said with a bit of difficulty. “Of course I remember. Would you be a dear and stand up on this bench so I can suck you?”“Um, certainly,” Don nodded. He slipped under her arm, and then said, “But first,” and then took her face in his hands and gave her a long kiss, which she returned enthusiastically.“Umm, very nice,” she smiled, “now cock, please.”Don got up on the bench, and faced the nun, holding his already recovering cock out for her. She promptly lowered her mouth to him and was soon sucking on it vigorously. The demon grinned up at Don and even winked. Don chuckled, and took the woman's head in his hands to keep her in place in spite of the rigorous fucking she was receiving and giving. She shoved forward enough to indicate that she wanted more from Don, so he began to fuck himself in and out of her mouth and throat. Of course, after the two intense orgasms he'd recently had, there was little chance that Don was going to come again like this, so he settled in to the role of giving this enigmatic woman what she asked for: his cock to suck. Eventually, the nun was gasping and moaning around Don's cock, which was a singularly wonderful sensation for him, and, he thought, probably for her. Her orgasm seemed to last quite a while, during which the demon thrust into her with even more force and then just held there inside her as he came too.The demon pulled out of her and gave her behind a loud smack, and then went off to find more mischief. The nun took her mouth off Don, gave his pecker a kiss and said, “Thank you.”“My pleasure,” he grinned as he stepped down off the bench. “Is it inappropriate to ask your name?”“I'll tell you if you promise to look me up later and give me a good fucking,” she smiled.“You're my kind of nun,” Don laughed. “I will definitely give you a good fucking next time we cross paths.”“Good! I'm Leslie.”“It's a great pleasure to meet you, Leslie. I'm Don.”“Very nice to meet you, too, Don,” Leslie said. “Have fun!”I'm definitely going to miss this place, he thought to himself as he moved to the next alcove.Here he found the pirate wench Jamie mounted on none other than the Lord of the Manor, who was wearing a Roman soldier costume. Jamie had undone her top enough so that the Lord could hold her heavy, full tits in his big hands. In the same alcove was the head librarian, Leah, dressed as a serving wench of some sort, along with the vampire Marissa, who were sharing a cowgirl Don couldn't identify.In the next alcove, amongst a large number of people, he thought he could identify the Lady's acolyte, Deidre, who was bent over the lip of the mattress part of the alcove as a man in a fairly complicated werewolf costume fucked her, naturally, from behind. Don watched this for a moment, and considered getting involved. He definitely thought Deidre was worth spending a lot more time with. Still, he turned and moved toward the last alcove before the end of the line on this side.Before he could get to the alcove, though, a beautiful brunette wearing stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, a mini skirt and a wonderfully tight-fitting tank top; in other words, a street walker costume; slipped up next to him and took his arm. In her lilting accent, she said, “Are you enjoying the party, Don?”He smiled at her and said, “Of course, I am, Lady.”“I've been hearing very good things about you, Don, and about Toshia as well.”“Oh?”“Yes,” she nodded. “You two have been busy. I suspect court jester is too modest an ambition for you.”“I don't understand, Lady.”She turned to him and kissed him. Don returned the kiss with pleasure. The Lady was one of the most feminine and sensuous women he knew, and any chance to share a kiss, or pretty much anything at all, was a delight to be savored.When their lips parted, she laid her hand upon his chest and said, “If you don't find what you're looking for, I hope you will come back and share my bed.”Don didn't know how to respond to this, but the Lady didn't give him a chance. Instead she said, in a lighter tone, “We have a tradition at these masquerades. I will take as many men, one-after-the-other, as want me or as I can, whichever gives out first. If you're not otherwise engaged, and this appeals to you, I would be delighted for you to participate.”“And when does this commence?”“In a little while, but there's no need to worry; I assure you it will take some time,” she laughed. She kissed him lightly and then turned away.Don watched her go, a bit intoxicated by her confident sexuality and the decided weirdness of the conversation he'd had with her.He turned back to consider the alcove, where he saw Amy in her warrior woman costume, sitting on one of the side benches, but bent over to suck on the cock of someone who looked like Aladdin. Remembering how she liked to be watched, Don decided to have a seat and watch the show. As soon as he sat down next to her, Amy reached out and squeezed his thigh. In turn, he caressed her bare shoulder. When Aladdin was ready to come, Amy took his cock out of her mouth and let him spray all over her face and chest. Ignoring Aladdin, she turned to Don with her cum-covered face and her impish smile and said, “Don, where have you been? I've been doing all kinds of nasty things, and you haven't been here to watch.”He laughed and said, “Well, there was an elf, a can-can dancer, and a nun, not to mention a rather odd conversation with the Lady.”“Excuses, excuses, Don,” she shook her head. She was scooping cum up off her chin and tits and sucking it off her fingers.“What kinds of nasty things?”She laughed, “No, you missed it. I'll tell you what, though, if you'll stick around to watch for a while, I'll let you pick my next victim.”“‘Victim'? Where's your ambition?”“Okay, victims,” she grinned.“Alright,” Don nodded and considered. “Him, him and him,” he indicated a Hugh Hefner-style playboy, a male vampire and a priest.

The Holy Father has proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee year, and pilgrims are already flocking to Rome to cross the thresholds of the major basilicas, and to visit the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul. Original host of the Way of the Fathers podcast, Mike Aquilina, and current host of the podcast, James L. Papandrea, talk about jubilee and pilgrimage, and introduce listeners to the first (of hopefully many) Way of the Fathers pilgrimage. If you're interested in going on pilgrimage to Sicily, December 1-11, 2025, with Mike, and Jim, and Fr. Kevin Barrett, you can find more information at this link:    https://www.206tours.com/cms/stpaulcenter/aquilina/   Why Sicily?    “Sicily,” said Goethe, “is the key to everything.” It was the site where Plato imagined his perfect republic. Sicily gave Rome its first taste of Empire. Homer set much of his Odyssey in Sicily: Scylla and Charybdis, the forge of Hephaestus … It's the land of the Cyclops, the place where Icarus hit the ground when his wings began to melt. St. Paul spent three days there. For St. Augustine it was a land of wonders — a mountain that burned always and was not consumed. For St. Basil it was a synonym for luxury. Sicily was the definition of Hellenic. It was profoundly Latin. It was the land that gave the Church its Greek popes. It was the land that gave the Church its virgin-martyrs, Agatha and Lucy. For those who suffer ailments of the eye or breast, it is a pilgrim destination. It's Byzantine. It's Roman. It's Phoenician and African. It's stubbornly Christian through years of Muslim rule. It's Norman. It's Spanish. It's stunningly beautiful. The food is amazing. It's where the Godfather movies were filmed. In December it will be warm there and offer unusual wares and delights for Christmas shoppers. Consider joining Catholic author Mike Aquilina, historian James L. Papandrea, and Fr. Kevin Barrett on a unique pilgrimage, co-sponsored by the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, 206 Tours, and the Apostolate for Family Consecration. (This pilgrimage is not run by CatholicCulture.org.)   SIGN UP for Catholic Culture's newsletter: https://www.catholicculture.org/newsletters

Gwyn and Ode talk about how we commune with our deities, what it feels like, and why you should do it.

Gwyn and Ode talk about how to offset the impact of US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and projected federal conservancy failures as much as possible with local efforts.

Στο νέο επεισόδιο του Μπούκλα 99, η Νεφέλη σχολιάζει τις τελευταίες εξελίξεις στη δίκη για τα Τέμπη, την κοροϊδία της Hellenic Train και τις πολιτικές ευθύνες που (δεν) αποδίδονται. Αναλύει τη νέα κίνηση του ΠΑΣΟΚ για προανακριτική επιτροπή, την υποκρισία γύρω από το αλκοτέστ του Χρήστου Μάστορα και τις απαράδεκτες ερωτήσεις του εισαγγελέα στη δίκη Φιλιππίδη. Τέλος, καταθέτει μια λίστα με «τοξικά δώρα» για του Αγίου Βαλεντίνου, γιατί αν είναι να κάνεις δώρο, κάν' το με στυλ.Εισιτήρια για την παράσταση: https://www.ticketservices.gr/event/tgi-fridays-nefelaiko-dikastirio/

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax!) talk about the joy of making things and why you should do it, as well as some of our favourite magical crafts. Special Guest: Jax.

This episode we are taking a trip down the Silk Road--or perhaps even the Spice Road--as we investigate references in this reign to individuals from "Tukara" who seem to have arrived in Yamato and stayed for a while. For photos and more, see our podcast webpage:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-119 Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  This is episode 119: The Question of “Tukara”   Traveling upon the ocean was never exactly safe.  Squalls and storms could arise at any time, and there was always a chance that high winds and high waves could capsize a vessel.  Most people who found themselves at the mercy of the ocean could do little but hold on and hope that they could ride out whatever adverse conditions they met with.  Many ships were lost without any explanation or understanding of what happened to them.  They simply left the port and never came back home. And so when the people saw the boat pulling up on the shores of Himuka, on the island of Tsukushi, they no doubt empathized with the voyagers' plight.  The crew looked bedraggled, and their clothing was unfamiliar.  There were both men and women, and this didn't look like your average fishing party.  If anything was clear it was this:  These folk weren't from around here. The locals brought out water and food.  Meanwhile, runners were sent with a message:  foreigners had arrived from a distant place.  They then waited to see what the government was going to do.     We are still in the second reign of Takara Hime, aka Saimei Tenno.  Last episode we talked about the palaces constructed in Asuka, as well as some of the stone works that have been found from the period, and which appear to be referenced in the Nihon Shoki—at least tangentially.   The episodes before that, we looked at the expeditions the court sent to the far north of Honshu and even past Honshu to Hokkaido. This episode we'll again be looking past the main islands of the archipelago to lands beyond.  Specifically, we are going to focus on particularly intriguing references to people from a place called “Tukara”.  We'll talk about some of the ideas about where that might be, even if they're a bit  far-fetched. That's because Tukara touches on the state of the larger world that Yamato was a part of, given its situation on the far eastern edge of what we know today as the Silk Road.  And is this just an excuse for me to take a detour into some of the more interesting things going on outside the archipelago?  No comment. The first mention of a man from Tukara actually comes at the end of the reign of Karu, aka Koutoku Tennou.  We are told that in the fourth month of 654 two men and two women of “Tukara” and one woman of “Sha'e” were driven by a storm to Hiuga.  Then, three years later, the story apparently picks up again, though possibly referring to a different group of people.  On the 3rd day of the 7th month of 657, so during the second reign of Takara Hime, we now hear about two men and four women of the Land of Tukara—no mention of Sha'e—who drifted to Tsukushi, aka Kyushu.  The Chronicles mention that these wayfarers first drifted to the island of Amami, and we'll talk about that in a bit, but let's get these puzzle pieces on the table, first.  After those six people show up, the court sent for them by post-horse.  They must have arrived by the 15th of that same month, because we are told that a model of Mt. Sumi was erected and they—the people from Tukara—were entertained, although there is another account that says they were from “Tora”. The next mention is the 10th day of the 3rd month of 659, when a Man of Tukara and his wife, again woman of Sha'e, arrived.  Then, on the 16th day of the 7th month of 660, we are told that the man of Tukara, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna, desired to return home and asked for an escort.  He planned to pay his respects at the Great Country, i.e. the Tang court, and so he left his wife behind, taking tens of men with him. All of these entries might refer to people regularly reaching Yamato from the south, from a place called “Tukara”.  Alternately, this is a single event whose story has gotten distributed over several years, as we've seen happen before with the Chronicles.  .  One of the oddities of these entries is that the terms used are not consistent.  “Tukara” is spelled at least two different ways, suggesting that it wasn't a common placename like Silla or Baekje, or even the Mishihase.  That does seem to suggest that the Chronicles were phonetically trying to find kanji, or the Sinitic characters, to match with the name they were hearing.   I would also note that “Tukara” is given the status of a “kuni”—a land, country, or state—while “sha'e”, where some of the women are said to come from, is just that, “Sha'e”. As for the name of at least one person from Tokara, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna, that certainly sounds like someone trying to fit a non-Japanese name into the orthography of the time.  “Tatsuna” seems plausibly Japanese, but “Kenzuhashi” doesn't fit quite as well into the naming structures we've seen to this point. The location of “Tukara” and “Sha'e” are not clear in any way, and as such there has been a lot of speculation about them.  While today there are placenames that fit those characters, whether or not these were the places being referenced at the time is hard to say. I'll actually start with “Sha'e”, which Aston translates as Shravasti, the capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kosala, in modern Uttar Pradesh.  It is also where the Buddha, Siddartha Gautama, is said to have lived most of his life after his enlightenment.  In Japanese this is “Sha'e-jou”, and like many Buddhist terms it likely comes through Sanskrit to Middle Chinese to Japanese.  One—or possibly two—women from Shravasti making the journey to Yamato in the company of a man (or men) from Tukara seems quite the feat.  But then, where is “Tukara”? Well, we have at least three possible locations that I've seen bandied about.  I'll address them from the most distant to the closest option.  These three options were Tokharistan, Dvaravati, and the Tokara islands. We'll start with Tokharistan on the far end of the Silk Road.  And to start, let's define what that “Silk Road” means.  We've talked in past episodes about the “Western Regions”, past the Han-controlled territories of the Yellow River.   The ancient Tang capital of Chang'an was built near to the home of the Qin dynasty, and even today you can go and see both the Tang tombs and the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi and his terracotta warriors, all within a short distance of Xi'an, the modern city built on the site of Chang'an.  That city sits on a tributary of the Yellow River, but the main branch turns north around the border of modern Henan and the similarly sounding provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi.  Following it upstream, the river heads north into modern Mongolia, turns west, and then heads south again, creating what is known as the Ordos loop.  Inside is the Ordos plateau, also known as the Ordos Basin.  Continuing to follow the Yellow river south, on the western edge of the Ordos, you travel through Ningxia and Gansu—home of the Hexi, or Gansu, Corridor.  That route eventually takes to Yumenguan, the Jade Gate, and Dunhuang.  From there roads head north or south along the edge of the Taklamakan desert in the Tarim basin.  The southern route travels along the edge of the Tibetan plateau, while the northern route traversed various oasis cities through Turpan, Kucha, to the city of Kashgar.  Both routes made their way across the Pamirs and the Hindu Kush into South Asia. We've brought up the Tarim Basin and the Silk Road a few times.  This is the path that Buddhism appears to have taken to get to the Yellow River Basin and eventually to the Korean Peninsula and eastward to the Japanese archipelago.  But I want to go a bit more into detail on things here, as there is an interesting side note about “Tukara” that I personally find rather fascinating, and thought this would be a fun time to share. Back in Episode 79 we talked about how the Tarim basin used to be the home to a vast inland sea, which was fed by the meltwater from the Tianshan and Kunlun mountains.  This sea eventually dwindled, though it was still large enough to be known to the Tang as the Puchang Sea.  Today it has largely dried up, and it is mostly just the salt marshes of Lop Nur that remain.  Evidence for this larger sea, however, can be observed in some of the burials found around the Tarim basin.  These burials include the use of boat-shaped structures—a rather curious feature to be found out in the middle of the desert. And it is the desert that was left behind as the waters receded that is key to much of what we know about life in the Tarim basin, as it has proven to be quite excellent at preserving organic material.  This includes bodies, which dried out and naturally turned into mummies, including not only the wool clothing they were wearing, but also features such as hair and even decoration. These “Tarim mummies”, as they have been collectively called, date from as early as 2100 BCE all the way up through the period of time we're currently talking about, and have been found in several desert sites: Xiaohe, the earliest yet discovered; Loulan, near Lop Nur on the east of the Tarim Basin, dating from around 1800 BCE; Cherchen, on the southern edge of the Tarim Basin, dating from roughly 1000 BCE; and too many others to go into in huge detail. The intriguing thing about these burials is that  many of them don't have features typically associated with people of ethnic Han—which is to say traditional Chinese—ancestry, nor do they necessarily have the features associated with the Xiongnu and other steppe nomads.  In addition they have colorful clothing  made from wool and leather, with vivid designs.  Some bodies near Hami, just east of the basin, were reported to have blonde to light brown hair, and their cloth showed radically different patterns from that found at Cherchen and Loulan, with patterns that could reasonably be compared with the plaids now common in places like Scotland and Ireland, and previously found in the Hallstadt salt mine in Central Europe from around 3500 BCE, from which it is thought the Celtic people may have originated. At the same time that people—largely Westerners— were studying these mummies, another discovery in the Tarim basin was also making waves.  This was the discovery of a brand new language.  Actually, it was two languages—or possibly two dialects of a language—in many manuscripts, preserved in Kucha and Turpan.  Once again, the dry desert conditions proved invaluable to maintain these manuscripts, which date from between the late 4th or early 5th century to the 8th century.  They are written with a Brahmic script, similar to that used for Sanskrit, which appears in the Tarim Basin l by about the 2nd century, and we were able to translate them because many of the texts were copies of Buddhist scripture, which greatly helped scholars in deciphering the languages.  These two languages were fascinating because they represented an as-yet undiscovered branch of the Indo-European language family.  Furthermore, when compared to other Indo-European languages, they did not show nearly as much similarity with their neighbors as with languages on the far western end of the Indo-European language family.  That is to say they were thought to be closer to Celtic and Italic languages than something like Indo-Iranian.  And now for a quick diversion within the diversion:  “Centum” and “Satem” are general divisions of the Indo-European language families that was once thought to indicate a geographic divide in the languages.  At its most basic, as Indo-European words changed over time, a labiovelar sound, something like “kw”,  tended to evolve in one of two ways.  In the Celtic and Italic languages, the “kw” went to a hard “k” sound, as represented in the classical pronunciation of the Latin word for 100:  Centum.  That same word, in the Avestan language—of the Indo-Iranian tree—is pronounced as “Satem”, with an “S” sound.  So, you can look at Indo-European languages and divide them generally into “centum” languages, which preserve the hard “k”, or “Satem” languages that preserve the S. With me so far? Getting back to these two newly-found languages in the Tarim Basin, the weird thing is that they were “Centum” languages. Most Centum languages are from pretty far away, though: they are generally found in western Europe or around the Mediterranean, as opposed to the Satem languages, such as Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Armernian, or even Baltic Slavic languages, which are much closer to the Tarim Basin.  So if the theory were true that the “Centum” family of Indo-European languages developed in the West and “Satem” languages developed in the East, then that would seem to indicate that a group of a “Centum” speaking people must have migrated eastward, through the various Satem speaking people, and settled in the Tarim Basin many thousands of years ago. And what evidence do we have of people who look very different from the modern population, living in the Tarim Basin area long before, and wearing clothing similar to what we associated with the progenitors of the Celts?  For many, it seemed to be somewhat obvious, if still incredible, that the speakers of this language were likely the descendants of the mummies who, in the terminology of the time, had been identified as being of Caucasoid ancestry.  A theory developed that these people were an offshoot of a group called the Yamnaya culture, which may have arisen around modern Ukraine as an admixture between the European Hunter Gatherers and the Caucasian Hunter Gatherers, around 3300-2600 BCE.  This was challenged in 2021 when a genetic study was performed on some of the mummies in the Tarim basin, as well as several from the Dzungarian basin, to the northeast.  That study suggested that the people of the Dzungarian basin had genetic ties to the people of the Afanasievo people, from Southern Siberia.  The Afanasievo people are connected to the Yamnayan culture. It should be noted that there has long been a fascination in Western anthropology and related sciences with racial identification—and often not in a healthy way.  As you may recall, the Ainu were identified as “Caucasoid” by some people largely because of things like the men's beards and lighter colored hair, which differ greatly from a large part of the Japanese population.  However, that claim has been repeatedly refuted and debunked. And similarly, the truth is, none of these Tarim mummy burials were in a period of written anything, so we can't conclusively associated them with these fascinating Indo-European languages.  There are thousands of years between the various burials and the manuscripts. These people  left no notes stashed in pockets that give us their life story.   And Language is not Genetics is not Culture.  Any group may adopt a given language for a variety of reasons.  .  Still, given what we know, it is possible that the ancient people of the Tarim basin spoke some form of “Proto-Kuchean”, but it is just as likely that this language was brought in by people from Dzungaria at some point. So why does all this matter to us?  Well, remember how we were talking about someone from Tukara?  The Kuchean language, at least, is referred to in an ancient Turkic source as belonging to “Twgry”, which led several scholars to draw a link between this and the kingdom and people called Tukara and the Tokharoi.  This leads us on another bit of a chase through history. Now if you recall, back in Episode 79, we talked about Zhang Qian.  In 128 BCE, he attempted to cross the Silk Road through the territory of the Xiongnu on a mission for the Han court.  Some fifty years earlier, the Xiongnu had defeated the Yuezhi.  They held territory in the oasis towns along the north of the Taklamakan dessert, from about the Turpan basin west to the Pamirs. The Xiongnu were causing problems for the Han, who thought that if they could contact the remaining Yuezhi they could make common cause with them and harass the Xiongnu from both sides.  Zhang Qian's story is quite remarkable: he started out with an escort of some 99 men and a translator.  Unfortunately, he was captured and enslaved by the Xiongnu during his journey, and he is even said to have had a wife and fathered a child.  He remained a captive for thirteen years, but nonetheless, he was able to escape with his family and he made it to the Great Yuezhi on the far side of the Pamirs, but apparently the Yuezhi weren't interested in a treaty against the Xiongnu.  The Pamirs were apparently enough of a barrier and they were thriving in their new land.  And so Zhang Qian crossed back again through Xiongnu territory, this time taking the southern route around the Tarim basin.  He was still captured by the Xiongnu, who spared his life.  He escaped, again, two years later, returning to the Han court.  Of the original 100 explorers, only two returned: Zhang Qian and his translator.  While he hadn't obtained an alliance, he was able to detail the cultures of the area of the Yuezhi. Many feel that the Kushan Empire, which is generally said to have existed from about 30 to 375 CE,was formed from the Kushana people who were part of the Yuezhi who fled the Xiongnu. In other words, they were originally from further north, around the Tarim Basin, and had been chased out and settled down in regions that included Bactria (as in the Bactrian camel).  Zhang Qian describes reaching the Dayuan Kingdom in the Ferghana valley, then traveling south to an area that was the home of the Great Yuezhi or Da Yuezhi.  And after the Kushan empire fell, we know there was a state in the upper regions of the Oxus river, centered on the city of Balkh, in the former territory of the Kushan empire. known as “Tokara”.  Geographically, this matches up how Zhang Qian described the home of the Da Yuezhi.  Furthermore, some scholars reconstruct the reading of the Sinic characters used for “Yuezhi” as originally having an optional reading of something like “Togwar”, but that is certainly not the most common reconstructed reading of those characters.  Greek sources describe this area as the home of the Tokharoi, or the Tokaran People.  The term “Tukhara” is also found in Sanskrit, and this kingdom  was also said to have sent ambassadors to the Southern Liang and Tang dynasties. We aren't exactly certain of where these Tokharan people came from, but as we've just described, there's a prevailing theory that they were the remnants of the Yuezhi and Kushana people originally from the Tarim Basin.  We know that in the 6th century they came under the rule of the Gokturk Khaganate, which once spanned from the Liao river basin to the Black Sea.  In the 7th and 8th centuries they came under the rule of the Tang Empire, where they were known by very similar characters as those used to write “Tukara” in the Nihon Shoki.  On top of this, we see Tokharans traveling the Silk Road, all the way to the Tang court.  Furthermore, Tokharans that settled in Chang'an took the surname “Zhi” from the ethnonym “Yuezhi”, seemingly laying claim to and giving validation to the identity used back in the Han dynasty.   So, we have a Turkic record describing the Kuchean people (as in, from Kucha in the Tarim Basin) as “Twgry”, and we have a kingdom in Bactria called Tokara and populated (according to the Greeks) by people called Tokharoi.  You can see how this one term has been a fascinating rabbit hole in the study of the Silk Roads and their history.  And some scholars understandably suggested that perhaps the Indo-European languags found in Kucha and Turpan  were actually related to this “Tokhara” – and therefore  should be called “Tocharian”, specifically Tocharian A (Kuchean) or Tocharian B (Turfanian). The problem is that if the Tokharans were speaking “Tocharian” then you wouldn't expect to just see it at Kucha and Turpan, which are about the middle of the road between Tokhara and the Tang dynasty, and which had long been under Gokturk rule.  You would also expect to see it in the areas of Bactria associated with Tokhara.  However, that isn't what we see.  Instead, we see that Bactria was the home of local Bactrian language—an Eastern Iranian language, which, though it is part of the Indo European language family, it is not closely related to Tocharian as far as we can tell. It is possible that the people of Kucha referred to themselves as something similar to “Twgry”, or “Tochari”, but we should also remember that comes from a Turkic source, and it could have been an exonym not related to what they called themselves.  I should also note that language is not people.  It is also possible that a particular ethnonym was maintained separately by two groups that may have been connected politically but which came to speak different languages for whatever reason.   There could be a connection between the names, or it could even be that the same or similar exonym was used for different groups. So, that was a lot and a bit of a ramble, but a lot of things that I find interesting—even if they aren't as connected as they may appear.  We have the Tarim mummies, which are, today, held at a museum in modern Urumqi.  Whether they had any connection with Europe or not, they remain a fascinating study for the wealth of material items found in and around the Tarim basin and similar locations.  And then there is the saga of the Tocharian languages—or perhaps more appropriately the Kuchean-Turfanian languages: Indo-European languages that seem to be well outside of where we would expect to find them. Finally, just past the Pamirs, we get to the land of Tokhara or Tokharistan.  Even without anything else, we know that they had contact with the court.  Perhaps our castaways were from this land?  The name is certainly similar to what we see in the Nihon Shoki, using some of the same characters. All in all, art and other information suggest that the area of the Tarim basin and the Silk Road in general were quite cosmopolitan, with many different people from different regions of the world.  Bactria retained Hellenic influences ever since the conquests of Alexander of Macedonia, aka Alexander the Great, and Sogdian and Persian traders regularly brought their caravans through the region to trade.  And once the Tang dynasty controlled all of the routes, that just made travel that much easier, and many people traveled back and forth. So from that perspective, it is possible that one or more people from Tukhara may have made the crossing from their home all the way to the Tang court, but if they did so, the question still remains: why would they be in a boat? Utilizing overland routes, they would have hit Chang'an or Louyang, the dual capitals of the Tang empire, well before they hit the ocean.  However, the Nihon Shoki says that these voyagers first came ashore at Amami and then later says that they were trying to get to the Tang court. Now there was another “Silk Road” that isn't as often mentioned: the sea route, following the coast of south Asia, around through the Malacca strait and north along the Asian coast.  This route is sometimes viewed more in terms of the “spice” road If these voyagers set out to get to the Tang court by boat, they would have to have traveled south to the Indian Ocean—possibly traveling through Shravasti or Sha'e, depending on the route they chose to take—and then around the Malacca strait—unless they made it on foot all the way to Southeast Asia.  And then they would have taken a boat up the coast. Why do that instead of taking the overland route?  They could likely have traveled directly to the Tang court over the overland silk road.  Even the from Southeast Asia could have traveled up through Yunnan and made their way to the Tang court that way.  In fact, Zhang Qian had wondered something similar when he made it to the site of the new home of the Yuezhi, in Bactria.  Even then, in the 2nd century, he saw products in the marketplace that he identified as coming from around Szechuan.  That would mean south of the Han dynasty, and he couldn't figure out how those trade routes might exist and they weren't already known to the court.  Merchants would have had to traverse the dangerous mountains if they wanted to avoid being caught by the Xiongnu, who controlled the entire region. After returning to the Han court, Zhang Qian actually went out on another expedition to the south, trying to find the southern trade routes, but apparently was not able to do so.  That said, we do see, in later centuries, the trade routes open up between the area of the Sichuan basin and South Asia.  We also see the migrations of people further south, and there may have even been some Roman merchants who traveled up this route to find their way to the Han court, though those accounts are not without their own controversy. In either case, whether by land or sea, these trade routes were not always open.  In some cases, seasonal weather, such as monsoons, might dictate movement back and forth, while political realities were also a factor.  Still, it is worth remembering that even though most people were largely concerned with affairs in their own backyard, the world was still more connected than people give it credit for.  Tang dynasty pottery made its way to the east coast of Africa, and ostriches were brought all the way to Chang'an. As for the travelers from Tukhara and why they would take this long and very round-about method of travel, it is possible that they were just explorers, seeking new routes, or even on some kind of pilgrimage.  Either way, they would have been way off course. But if they did pass through Southeast Asia, that would match up with another theory about what “Tukara” meant: that it actually refers to the Dvaravati kingdom in what is now modern Thailand.  The Dvaravati Kingdom was a Mon political entity that rose up around the 6th century.  It even sent embassies to the Sui and Tang courts.  This is even before the temple complexes in Siem Reap, such as Preah Ko and the more famous Angkor Wat.  And it was during this time that the ethnic Tai people are thought to have started migrating south from Yunnan, possibly due to pressures from the expanding Sui and Tang empires.  Today, most of what remains of the Dvaravati kingdom are the ruins of ancient stone temples, showing a heavy Indic influence, and even early Buddhist practices as well.  “Dvaravati” may not actually be the name of the kingdom but it comes from an inscription on a coin found from about that time.  The Chinese refer to it as  “To-lo-po-ti” in contemporary records.  It may not even have been a kingdom, but  more of a confederation of city-states—it is hard to piece everything together.  That it was well connected, though, is clear from the archaeological record.  In Dvaravati sites, we see coins from as far as Rome, and we even have a lamp found in modern Pong Tuk that appears to match similar examples from the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century.  Note that this doesn't mean it arrived in the 6th century—similarly with the coins—but the Dvaravati state lasted until the 12th century. If that was the case, perhaps there were some women from a place called “Shravasti” or similar, especially given the Indic influence in the region. Now, given the location of the Dvaravati, it wouldn't be so farfetched to think that someone might sail up from the Gulf of Thailand and end up off-course, though it does mean sailing up the entire Ryukyuan chain or really running off course and finding yourself adrift on the East China sea.  And if they were headed to the Tang court, perhaps they did have translators or knew Chinese, since Yamato was unlikely to know the Mon language of Dvaravati and people from Dvaravati probably wouldn't know the Japonic language.  Unless, perhaps, they were communicating through Buddhist priests via Sanskrit. We've now heard two possibilities for Tukara, both pretty far afield: the region of Tokara in Bactria, and the Dvaravati kingdom in Southeast Asia.  That said, the third and simplest explanation—and the one favored by Aston in his translation of the Nihon Shoki—is that Tukara is actually referring to a place in the Ryukyu island chain.  Specifically, there is a “Tokara” archipelago, which spans between Yakushima and Amami-Oshima.  This is part of the Nansei islands, and the closest part of the Ryukyuan island chain to the main Japanese archipelago.  This is the most likely theory, and could account for the entry talking about Amami.  It is easy to see how sailors could end up adrift, too far north, and come to shore in Hyuga, aka Himuka, on the east side of Kyushu.  It certainly would make more sense for them to be from this area of the Ryukyuan archipelago than from anywhere else.  From Yakushima to Amami-Oshima is the closest part of the island chain to Kyushu, and as we see in the entry from the Shoku Nihongi, those three places seem to have been connected as being near to Japan.  So what was going on down there, anyway? Well, first off, let's remember that the Ryukyuan archipelago is not just the island of Okinawa, but a series of islands that go from Kyushu all the way to the island of Taiwan.  Geographically speaking, they are all part of the same volcanic ridge extending southward.  The size of the islands and their distance from each other does vary, however, creating some natural barriers in the form of large stretches of open water, which have shaped how various groups developed on the islands. Humans came to the islands around the same time they were reaching the Japanese mainland.  In fact, some of our only early skeletal remains for early humans in Japan actually come from either the Ryukyuan peninsula in the south or around Hokkaido to the north, and that has to do with the acidity of the soil in much of mainland Japan. Based on genetic studies, we know that at least two groups appear to have inhabited the islands from early times.  One group appears to be related to the Jomon people of Japan, while the other appears to be more related to the indigenous people of Taiwan, who, themselves, appear to have been the ancestors of many Austronesian people.  Just as some groups followed islands to the south of Taiwan, some appear to have headed north.  However, they only made it so far.  As far as I know there is no evidence they made it past Miyakoshima, the northernmost island in the Sakishima islands.  Miyako island is separated from the next large island, Okinawa, by a large strait, known as the Miyako Strait, though sometimes called the Kerama gap in English.  It is a 250km wide stretch of open ocean, which is quite the distance for anyone to travel, even for Austronesian people of Taiwan, who had likely not developed the extraordinary navigational technologies that the people who would become the Pacific Islanders would discover. People on the Ryukyu island chain appear to have been in contact with the people of the Japanese archipelago since at least the Jomon period, and some of the material artifacts demonstrate a cultural connection.  That was likely impacted by the Akahoya eruption, about 3500 years ago, and then re-established at a later date.  We certainly see sea shells and corals trade to the people of the Japanese islands from fairly early on. Unlike the people on the Japanese archipelago, the people of the Ryukyuan archipelago did not really adopt the Yayoi and later Kofun culture.  They weren't building large, mounded tombs, and they retained the character of a hunter-gatherer society, rather than transitioning to a largely agricultural way of life.  The pottery does change in parts of Okinawa, which makes sense given the connections between the regions.  Unfortunately, there is a lot we don't know about life in the islands around this time.  We don't exactly have written records, other than things like the entries in the Nihon Shoki, and those are hardly the most detailed of accounts.  In the reign of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, we see people from Yakushima, which is, along with Tanegashima, one of the largest islands at the northern end of the Ryukyu chain, just before you hit Kagoshima and the Osumi peninsula on the southern tip of Kyushu.  The islands past that would be the Tokara islands, until you hit the large island of Amami. So you can see how it would make sense that the people from “Tokara” would make sense to be from the area between Yakushima and Amami, and in many ways this explanation seems too good to be true.  There are a only a few things that make this a bit peculiar. First, this doesn't really explain the woman from “Sha'e” in any compelling way that I can see.  Second, the name, Kenzuhashi Tatsuna doesn't seem to fit with what we generally know about early Japonic names, and the modern Ryukyuan language certainly is a Japonic language, but there are still plenty of possible explanations.  There is also the connection of Tokara with “Tokan”, which is mentioned in an entry in 699 in the Shoku Nihongi, the Chronicle that follows on, quite literally to the Nihon Shoki.  Why would they call it “Tokan” instead of “Tokara” so soon after?  Also, why would these voyagers go back to their country by way of the Tang court?  Unless, of course, that is where they were headed in the first place.  In which case, did the Man from Tukara intentionally leave his wife in Yamato, or was she something of a hostage while they continued on their mission?   And so those are the theories.  The man from “Tukara” could be from Tokhara, or Tokharistan, at the far end of the Silk Road.  Or it could have been referring to the Dvaravati Kingdom, in modern Thailand.  Still, in the end, Occam's razor suggests that the simplest answer is that these were actually individuals from the Tokara islands in the Ryukyuan archipelago.  It is possible that they were from Amami, not that they drifted there.  More likely, a group from Amami drifted ashore in Kyushu as they were trying to find a route to the Tang court, as they claimed.  Instead they found themselves taking a detour to the court of Yamato, instead. And we could have stuck with that story, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, this would be a good time to reflect once again on how connected everything was.  Because even if they weren't from Dvaravati, that Kingdom was still trading with Rome and with the Tang.  And the Tang controlled the majority of the overland silk road through the Tarim basin.  We even know that someone from Tukhara made it to Chang'an, because they were mentioned on a stele that talked about an Asian sect of Christianity, the “Shining Religion”, that was praised and allowed to set up shop in the Tang capital, along with Persian Manicheans and Zoroastrians.  Regardless of where these specific people may have been from, the world was clearly growing only more connected, and prospering, as well. Next episode we'll continue to look at how things were faring between the archipelago and the continent. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat and President Trump's choice to serve as the Director of National Intelligence, just went through a tense Senate confirmation hearing, facing bipartisan skepticism about her suitability for the role. Georgia Logothetis, HALC's Managing Director, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Gabbard's political transformation, her past criticism of Turkey's President Erdogan and where she stands on Hellenic issues, and the broader takeaways from Gabbard's hearing and the hearings of other key nominees for Cabinet positions.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Gabbard's Hearing Turns Tense Over Snowden QuestionsWhat Trump's Nominees RevealedTulsi Gabbard's road to DamascusGabbard faces bipartisan doubt in spy job hearing; Patel gets GOP embrace as FBI pickChristodoulides unveils ambitious plans in State of the Union addressGreece, Cyprus, others urge EU Commission to protect elections in Europe from foreign interference

"I want to finish with a big smile on my face."That's Mascha Wahlig's goal for the 2025 Atlas Mountain Race. Last year, Mascha lined up at Atlas Mountain Race, her second-ever ultra-endurance bikepacking event. She was fast, pushing herself to the limit, but she was also overwhelmed. The intensity of the race, the sheer number of riders, and the pressure she put on herself—it all built up, culminating in a moment of panic and paralysis in the middle of the desert when her cleat broke.She eventually got it fixed (with a bit of super glue and grit), but mentally? The race left her drained. Even months later, she found herself experiencing panic on training rides in the dark, reliving the helplessness of that night in Morocco. Instead of pushing it down, she did the work. She sought help, developed strategies to manage fear and build mental strength, and slowly rebuilt her confidence. And it worked.Since Atlas, Mascha has gone on to win both the Hellenic Mountain Race and Sneak Peeks, proving to herself that mental performance is just as crucial as physical fitness in ultra-cycling and bikepacking. Now, she's coming back to Atlas Mountain Race 2025, but this time, with a totally different mindset.She's racing for herself—not for a number, not for a podium—but to ride with confidence, be present, and take in the experience.In this episode we talk about: The mental battles of ultra-cycling and bikepacking—panic, fear, and self-doubt. How Mascha built mental resilience and confidence after last year's Atlas Mountain Race. What it takes to win ultra-endurance bikepacking races like Hellenic and Sneak Peeks. Strategies for handling stress and mental fatigue in long-distance racing.The power of self-compassion, managing expectations, and racing with a freer mind.How to prepare mentally and physically for events like Atlas Mountain Race.If you've ever doubted yourself, struggled with confidence in endurance sports, or felt overwhelmed by the sheer challenge of a long-distance race, this episode is for you.As always, thank you to Albion Cycling for supporting Detours this year. Links Follow Mascha on InstagramFollow Mel on Instagram Follow Detours on Instagram Dotwatch Atlas Mountain Race Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was born Michael Tivolis in 1470. In his early youth he traveled to Italy, where many scholars had fled to preserve Hellenic culture despite the fall of Constantinople. After completing his studies in Florence, he went to the Holy Mountain in 1507 and entered Vatopedi Monastery, where he received the name of Maximos. Ten years later he was sent to Russia in answer to a request of Grand Prince Basil Ivanovich, who sought someone to translate works of the Holy Fathers on the Psalter, as well as other Church books, into Slavonic. Maximos completed this work with such success that he was made to stay in Russia to correct the existing translations (from Greek to Slavonic) of the Scriptures and liturgical books, and to preach. His work aroused the jealousy of some native monks, and Maximos was falsely accused of plotting against the Prince. In 1525 he was condemned as a heretic by a church court and banished to the Monastery of Volokolamsk, where he lived as a prisoner, not only suffering cold and extreme physical privation but being denied Holy Communion and the use of books.   One day an angel appeared to him and said 'Have patience: You will be delivered from eternal torment by sufferings here below.' In thanks for this divine comfort, St Maximus wrote a canon to the Holy Spirit on the walls of his cell in charcoal, since he was denied the use of paper and pen. (This canon is sung on Pentecost Monday in some Russian and Serbian Monasteries). Six years later he was tried again and condemned to indefinite imprisonment in chains at a monastery in Tver. Happily, the Bishop of Tver supported him, and he was able to continue his theological work and carry on a large correspondence despite his confinement. He endured these grim conditions for twenty years. Toward the end of his life, he was finally freed by the Tsar in response to pleas on his behalf by the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria and the intervention of pious Russian nobles. He was received with honor in Moscow, and allowed to carry on his theological work at the Lavra. The Tsar Ivan IV came to honor him highly, partly because the Saint had foretold the death of the Tsar's son. When the Tsar called a Church Council to fight the doctrines of some who had brought the Calvinist heresy into Russia, he asked St Maximos to attend. Too old and weak to travel, the Saint sent a brilliant refutation of the heresy to the Council; this was his last written work. He reposed in peace in 1556, aged eighty-six. Not long after his death, he was glorified by the Church in Greece as a Holy Confessor and 'Enlightener of Russia.' In 1988 (!) he was added to the calendar of Saints by the Moscow Patriarchate.

Gwyn and Ode talk about the possibility of increasing food insecurity, and how to eat as well as you can with what you have.

Gwyn and Ode talk about what they're doing to herald in the new year, what other people do to herald in the new year, and why the thing you should be doing is developing a hobby you love.

Gwyn and Ode talk about how to get involved with your local government, at either an elected, volunteer, or engagement level. Visit findingsteadyground.com for suggestions on how to stay grounded in troubling times.

Gwyn and Ode talk about their plans for Yule and the vibe for this darkest season of the year.

Gwyn and Ode vent about the election, and then set out plans for the future.

Live from Manchester, Dan, James, Anna and Andy discuss bestselling books, time travel, Mexican militias and Hellenic hydrology. Visit nosuchthingasafish.com for news about live shows, merchandise and more episodes. Join Club Fish for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content at apple.co/nosuchthingasafish or nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon

Christianity began as a persecuted religion in the Roman Empire, but by 350 A.D., it had spread and come to hold great influence. Julian, the last pagan emperor, rejected Christianity and attempted to restore the Hellenic traditions of Rome. The emperor even went so far as to try to rebuild the Jewish temple, hoping that this would undermine a core Christian prophecy, but failed in his efforts. Alex Petkas, host of the "Cost of Glory" podcast, joins me to discuss Julian's failed attempt to revitalize a dying religion in the face of cultural change. Follow on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148af Substack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyre Gab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyre YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyre Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:f Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Today's sponsors:  Head to https://magicspoon.com/AURON and use the code AURON to save $5 Visit https://www.jobstacking.com/masterremote Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguably the world's most renowned Philhellene, Stephen Fry, joins the Ouzo Talk family for a very special episode! The English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director – among a host of other things – is never short of something to say, and when he speaks... we listen. From being a high profile advocate for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, to his incredible Greek mythological retellings in books including ‘Mythos', ‘Heroes', ‘Troy' and now most recently, Odyssey, Stephen Fry is an incredible advocate for all things Greek. Tune in as Tom and Nick share a drink with Stephen, live and in-person about the importance of Greece to Western Civilisation, mythology, the Gods, the Parthenon Marbles and much, much more!This episode of Ouzo Talk is proudly brought to you by:Edgility: https://www.edgility.com.au/St Nicholas Senior Care Centre: https://acare.au/The Greek Providore: https://thegreekprovidore.com.au/Photo: Claudio RaschellaSend us a text Support the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

Today I finally have Lysalv (Light Elf) one on one as a guest on the podcast!He enlightens us about the philosophies of Nietschze, Kant, Decart and other great European philosophers together with their ideas on the cult of Dionysus and Apollo.It is a lot but that's what you get when someone with a extraordinary mind lays it all bare for the rest of us to consume!This one is for all our deep thinkers. Enjoy!https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/greyhorn-pagans-podcast--6047518/supportWhere to find Light Elf:https://odysee.com/@LightElf:0https://www.minds.com/lysalv/https://www.tranaas.net/Where to find the Tribe of the Greyhorn Pagans:https://www.greyhornpagans.com/https://linktr.ee/greyhornpaganshttps://linktr.ee/firefaeSupport the Greyhorn Pagans on Kofi and Patreon!https://www.patreon.com/Greyhornpaganshttps://ko-fi.com/greyhornpagansBUY MY BOOK The Pagan Revival!https://a.co/d/gZPTudrBUY OUR MERCH:https://www.bonfire.com/store/tribe-of-the-greyhorn-pagans/music elevator ext part 3/3 by Jay_You -- https://freesound.org/s/467241/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

This past year Emma Missale has burst onto the bikepack racing scene, landing herself second on the podium at both the Hellenic and Silk Road Mountain Races. By day, Emma is a bike messenger in Copenhagen and is a three time bike messenger world champion! In this episode she shares all about life as a bike messenger, how she found bikepacking and everything she's learned in her first year racing ultras. Make sure to give her a follow on Instagram to keep up with her adventures @shotti_e Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gwyn and Ode talk about zombies, including folkloric origins, media tropes, and looking for helpers.

SHIP FINANCE - THE CHINESE - HELLENIC RELATIONSHIP Presented by: Mr. George Xiradakis, President – Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping; Founder - Managing Director – XRTC Business Consultants 8th Annual International Shipping Forum - Pudong - Shanghai, China Monday, October 21, 2024 Grand Kempinski Hotel - Shanghai, China Hosted by Capital Link & The Export-Import Bank of China With the support of the Shanghai - Pudong Government In Partnership with Columbia Shipmanagement & Singhai Marine Services https://forums.capitallink.com/shipping/2024china/

Gwyn and Ode (+Jackson!) discuss how cults "boil the frog", what cult control looks like, and how to hopefully get out of one before things go wrong. Gwyn's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-kristines-quest-for-safe-transport?member=35485931&sharetype=teams&utmcampaign=natmansharesheetdash&utmmedium=customer&utm_source=email Special Guest: Jax.

We welcome the amazing Nick Tsiotos to the show! Nick Tsiotos is the Sports Editor of Greek Americans in Sports and a Boston Public School teacher with a dedication to excellence in education. Passionate about sports and his Hellenic culture, Nick has also worked as a journalist for The Hellenic Chronicle, as Sports Editor for The Hellenic Voice, and contributed to The AHEPA Magazine. Nick and his colleague former Boston Globe Columnist Andy Dabilis are longtime chroniclers of Boston sports history, co-authoring several books including Harry Agganis, The Golden Greek, An All-American Story; The 1903 World Series: The Boston Americans Red Sox vs. Pittsburg Pirates, the first World Series won by Boston; and Running With Pheidippides, the dramatic post-World War II true story of the 1946 Boston Marathon contest between good friends Johnny Kelly and Stylianos Kyriakides, a race that was considered the first charity run for The Boston Marathon. This book was also translated and published in Greece, Γεννημένος Nικητής, η απίστευτη ιστορία του Στέλιου Κυριακίδη. The book was featured in the Emmy Award Winning 2004 Athens Olympics documentary Journey of A Warrior, introduced by Bob Costas and seen by over 100 million people during the Closing Ceremonies of the Athens Games. Nick has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows talking about topics ranging from The Olympics, Hellenism, sports, Harry Agganis, and The Boston Marathon. A professional entertainer, Nick was voted by New England sports fans as The Boston Herald's “Wrestling Personality of the Year” in 1991 and 1992, and as “Nick the Greek, Master Predictor of Wrestling,” with his magical and mystically powerful Delphi Cane. Nick led a grassroots fundraising effort to erect a statue of Harry Agganis for the Sports Museum of New England in 1995, working closely with current Curator Richard Johnson and world-renowned artist Armand La Montagne. This community effort would resurrect the beloved Agganis legacy and lead to a Boston University street named Harry Agganis Way, the naming of Agganis Arena, and a bronze statue of Agganis at Boston University, donated by BU alumni Mike and Greg Agganis. He has diligently worked and raised funds for a variety of charities, including his tenure as President of The Harry Agganis Team Fund, The Viking Pride Foundation, Boston Children's Hospital Hellenic Cardiac Fund, Hellenic Nursing Home, AHEPA's Cooley's Anemia Project, and AHEPA Olympic 1996 Tribute, ALS, and other causes. Tsiotos graduated from Winthrop High School, where he captained his legendary Hall of Fame Coach Henry McCarthy's basketball team (17-1) to the old Boston Garden State Tech Tournament, and went on to play in two Suffolk University NCAA Basketball Tournaments for New England Hall of Fame Coach Jim Nelson. He also played professionally in Greece and was involved in the Greek American basketball circuit for many years nationally. He has been a devoted member of The Boston Cathedral and Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, a long-time member of AHEPA, Sparta (Vassara) Society, Kalavrita (Kokova) Society, The Federation of Hellenic American Societies, and other organizations. greekamericansports@gmail.com instagram.com/greekamericansports facebook.com/greekamericansports greekamericansports.com See more at GreekAF: https://www.greekradio.app

Gwyn and Ode talk about what intution is, what it feels like, how best to use it, and how to become more aware of it.

You can see the details and sign up for Cruise Business Blueprint HERE Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): Scuffle by Night Drift • Uppbeat License code: TP4U4XVTMLCYT8BD

Gwyn and Ode discuss the origins of snake oil, and its prevalance in herbalism, MLMs, cults, and pagan spaces generally, as well as the reasons pagans might be more vulnerable to them than average.

2024-09-08 | It was reported earlier this year that Russia destroyed the Chersonesus in Sevastopol, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are in the process of erecting vast new buildings on the site of the archaeological remains. Since the occupation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has been systematically destroying historical sites. It's alleged the invaders moved many archaeological artefacts to Russia, and indeed there are reports that museums on occupied Ukrainian territory have been completely looted. ---------- Eveline Kravchenko an employee of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences, stressed in a speech at an expert forum that, “the Chersonesus in Sevastopol is a UNESCO heritage site of world importance.” The ancient city of Chersonesus was founded in the 6th century BC and was one of the local centres of Hellenic civilization. In 2013, Chersonesus was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The authenticity of this monument is likely lost forever, as Russians erected in its place a new open-air theatre and cathedral in honour of the Moscow patriarch (and former KGB agent). During the construction, it's believed that some archaeological findings were transported to museums in Russia. In 2015-2016, developers obstructed views of the archaeological remains with observation platforms: towers, walls, and columns. Later, they erected an open-air theatre on the site of the ancient citadel, which imposes a load of approximately one ton on the original structure. A significant portion of artifacts discovered during the process were exported to museums in Russia, including frescoes, pottery, household items, and icons. Subsequently, construction began on an archaeological park, apparently called “New Chersonesus” at the site of remains of the necropolis. “Russians ignored the geology and archaeology at the site and began to remove the soil on the territory with standard excavators. Somehow, they dug up an ancient spring, which flooded everything," Evelina Kravchenko explained. ---------- Sources and recommended reading: https://nikvesti.com/en/news/incidents/russians-destroy-monument-crimea-theater-cathedral-moscow-patriarchate https://odessa-journal.com/russia-stole-artifacts-from-the-ancient-site-of-chersonesus https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/06/26/7462672/ https://bukvy.org/en/russia-is-destroying-ancient-chersonesus-in-crimea/ https://odessa-journal.com/russians-destroyed-the-ancient-site-of-chersonesus-and-erected-a-new-building-in-its-place https://kyivindependent.com/russian-occupation-authorities-destroy-unesco-world-heritage-site-build-outdoor-theater-in-its-place/ ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org NGO “Herojam Slava” https://heroiamslava.org/ kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyśl https://kharpp.com/ NOR DOG Animal Rescue https://www.nor-dog.org/home/ ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ----------

Returning from an interviewmission, Terminus is back with a couple records at least approximately located in the outlaw rock space. First up--the sophomore release of Ink & Fire which trades a bit of the debut's wild chaos for a more deliberate and precise melodic attack. Second, the debut by Ghost of Lietus, a Strix Askesis side project which augments Slavic and Hellenic black metal styles with an additional flair of traditional heavy metal and psych rock. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:04:28 - Ink & Fire - Emblazoned Visions Yield Eternity (Death Prayer Records) 0:52:51 - Interlude - Odal - “Flammendes Schwert,” fr. …Wilde Kraft (Christhunt Productions, 2005) 0:58:57 - Ghost of Lietus - Dream of the Viridian King (Independent) 1:39:01 - Outro - Ildra - “Ofer hwælweg we comon,” fr. Eðelland (Sonnenrune Records, 2011) Nobly reissued by Heidens Hart. https://heidenshart.bandcamp.com/album/e-elland Terminus links: Terminus on Youtube Terminus on Patreon Terminus on Instagram Terminus on Facebook thetrueterminus@gmail.com

Originally Recorded June 28th, 2024 About Professor Timothy Patitsas: https://www.hchc.edu/faculty/timothy-patitsas-phd/ Check out Professor Patitsas's book, The Ethics of Beauty: https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Beauty-Timothy-G-Patitsas/dp/1635511003 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit musicallyspeaking.substack.com

Gwyn and Ode talk about where they are in their own paths, what the makes an intermediate practitioner vs. a beginner, how to expand one's practice, and what resources are useful along the way.

Ralston College Humanities MA   Dr Paul Epstein is a distinguished classicist and Professor Emeritus of Classics at Oklahoma State University, renowned for his extensive knowledge of Greek and Latin literature.  In this lecture and discussion—delivered in Savannah during the x term of the inaugural year of Ralston College's MA in the Humanities program—classicist Dr Paul Epstein considers how Sophocles's tragedy Women of Trachis and Aristophanes's comedy Frogs arise from—and reflect upon—the polis-centered polytheism of ancient Greece as it appeared during the Athenian flourishing of the fifth century BC. Professor Epstein explores how these Greek dramas articulate the relationship between human beings, the gods, and the community. Tragedy, in Professor Epstein's account, is about the overall structure of the community, while comedy starts with the individual's exploration of that community. Yet both forms ultimately reveal an understanding of the individual that is inseparable from the polis in which he or she lives. Professor Epstein argues that our contemporary notion of the self as an entity fundamentally separate from context would be entirely alien to the ancient Greeks. Grasping this ancient understanding of the individual is vitally necessary if we are to correctly interpret the literary and philosophical texts of Hellenic antiquity. *In this lecture and discussion, classicist Dr. Paul Epstein considers how Sophocles's tragedy Women of Trachis and Aristophanes's comedy Frogs arise from—and reflect upon—the polis-centered polytheism of ancient Greece during the Athenian flourishing of the fifth century BC. Professor Epstein explores how these Greek dramas articulate the relationship between human beings, the gods, and the community. Tragedy, in Professor Epstein's account, is about the overall structure of the community, while comedy starts with the individual's exploration of that community. Yet both forms ultimately reveal an understanding of the individual that is inseparable from the polis in which he or she lives. Professor Epstein argues that our contemporary notion of the self as an entity fundamentally separate from context would be entirely alien to the ancient Greeks. Grasping this ancient understanding of the individual is vitally necessary if we are to correctly interpret the literary and philosophical texts of Hellenic antiquity.   —   0:00 Introduction of Professor Epstein by President Blackwood 6:25 The Polytheistic World of the Polis 01:09:35 Dialogue with Students on Polytheism and the Polis 01:22:40 Sophocles's Women of Trachis 01:44:10 Dialogue with Students About Women of Trachis 01:56:10 Introduction to Aristophanes' Frogs 02:24:40 Dialogue with Students About Frogs  02:49:45 Closing Remarks for Professor Epstein's Lecture   —   Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in This Episode:    Athenian flourishing of the fifth century BC  Sophocles, Women of Trachis  Aristophanes, Frogs William Shakespeare Plato, Symposium Aristophanes, Lysistrata Homer, Odyssey  Aristotle, Poetics Peloponnesian War   Plato, Apology nomizó (νομίζω)—translated in the talk as “acknowledge” nous (νοῦς) binein (Βινέω)  Johann Joachim Winkelman  Nicene Creed  Titanic v. Olympian gods  Hesiod  Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility  Sigmund Freud  Existentialism  techne (τέχνη) logos (λόγος) eros (Ἔρως)  hubris (ὕβρις) Philip Larkin, “Annus Mirabilis”  Athansian Creed psuche (ψυχή)—translated in the talk as “soul” thelo (θέλω)—translated in the talk as “wishes”  Aristophanes, Clouds mimesis (μίμησις)  —   Additional Resources    Dr Stephen Blackwood    Ralston College (including newsletter)   Support a New Beginning    —   Thank you for listening!  

Gwyn and Ode talk about finding wonder in science, and how much overlap science and faith can or should have. As a reminder: our website is now at the following web address: 3pagansandacat.fireside.fm Gwyn's GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-kristines-quest-for-safe-transport?member=35485931&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=email): We're 1/5th of the way to her goal!

A tradition that endured millennia. The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC and took place every four years until at least 396 AD. It was a major religious and sporting festival, attended by over 40,000 spectators who flocked to watch athletes compete in sports like wrestling, chariot racing and athletics. Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Nigel Spivey to explore the history of the ancient Olympic games, delving into its various origin stories and outlining how the games evolved over a thousand years of history. What was competing and spectating at the games like for ordinary people? What was the significance of the Olympic Games on wider Hellenic society?Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Tim AstallProduced by: Joseph Knight, Peta Stamper, Matt Lewis, Robin McConnellSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Coordinator: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:Legend Of The Eagle Bearer by The Flight & Mike GeorgiadesKephalonnia Island by The Flight & Mike GeorgiadesRevenge Of The Wolves by The FlightMarkos by The Flight & Mike GeorgiadesIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gwyn and Ode talk about bone oracle methods ancient and modern, and what a bone throwing kit even looks like. Gwyn's GoFund Me: https://gofund.me/43ead3b5

GE Vernova recently held their Q2 investor presentation, sharing the company will focus on their the 3.6-154, 6.1-158 Cypress, and Haliade-X 15.5-250 turbine lines. So far, the company's wind division is not headed toward profitability in 2024. What can the company do to turn their financials around? And then a focus on the 2024 US presidential election--what implications will it have on the wind industry? Does the IRA bill hang in the balance? In other news, Siemens Gamesa will resume production of their 4X wind turbines this year, Dogger Bank A has installed interarray cables, and a carbon-free cement plant is planned for Massachusetts. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Pardalote Consulting - https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWeather Guard Lightning Tech - www.weatherguardwind.comIntelstor - https://www.intelstor.com Allen Hall: Joel, we're moving to the 2020s. We now have our email newsletter, Uptime Tech News on Substack. Ooh, nice. I like it. It's slick. It's almost super modern. And if you haven't subscribed to Uptime Tech News, you need to, because who else is going to go through the news? The right way and pick out those articles that the technical people working in wind and the financial people working in wind need to know besides us engineers who filter through it and get all the riffraff out and give you the stuff that you need. That is the whole point of Uptime Tech News. So if you haven't subscribed to it, do it. You can actually go on Substack and search Uptime Tech News. You can subscribe via Substack. And it's on LinkedIn. The newsletter is nuts, crazy busy. There's thousands of people who are subscribed to our newsletter, Uptime Tech News on LinkedIn. I like LinkedIn, but I like the Substack version even more. Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I'm Allen Hall, and I'll be joined by the rest of the Uptime host after these headlines. Kicking off our headlines, Siemens Gamesa is set to breathe new life into its turbine production. The company plans to resume manufacturing of its 4X wind turbines later this year, following a pause due to technical issues. This move is expected to reactivate sales of the 4X turbine, with production of the 5X model slated to follow next year. The news comes as a welcome relief to staff, as the current order book has been running low, and this development could signal a turning point for Siemens Gamesa, which has faced challenges in recent months. Shifting our focus offshore, a major milestone has been reached at the world's largest offshore wind farm. Over 200 miles of interarray cables have been successfully installed at Dogger Bank A, the first phase Of this ambitious project. The 66 kilovolt cables manufactured by Hellenic cables will connect 95 massive Haliade-X 13 megawatt turbines to the offshore converter station. The EU is doubling down on its commitments to renewables reelected EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Has announced a new clean industrial deal, emphasizing homegrown clean energy. This plan includes support for clean tech manufacturing and a new EU competitiveness fund. Von der Leyen has also promised to cut red tape and expedite permitting processes for renewable projects in the coming years. Vestas is pushing the boundaries of onshore wind technology. The company has completed the installation of its V172 7. 2 megawatt prototype at its test center in Denmark. This behemoth is Vestas largest and most powerful onshore wind turbine to date. Based on the Inventus platform. It promises a 12 percent increase in annual energy production ...

χαίρετε, ὦ ἀκροαταί! This week we are discussing a difficult topic. War was prevalent in the Hellenic world and is still the cause of much human suffering today. What can we do to stop it? Will it ever disappear or are we doomed to repeat history? Let us know what you think in the comments. εἰρήνη ὑμῖν, Josep & Leandros Support the podcast and get access to episodes in advance as well as bonus materials such as listening exercises and episode transcripts: https://www.patreon.com/Hellenizdein  Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/ancientgreekpod  Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604916774052809  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ancientgreekpodcast/  Send us an email: theancientgreekpodcast@gmail.com 

Gwyn and Ode talk about hospitality in and out of the home, and the rights of hosts and guests. Gwyn's GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/43ead3b5 (https://gofund.me/43ead3b5)

David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts. How did the Renaissance revival of Greek language study transform Western Europe's intellectual landscape and shape our modern understanding of the Classics?   In this talk, delivered on the island of Samos in Greece in August 2023 as part of Ralston College's Master's in the Humanities program, Dr. David Butterfield—Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge—charts how Western Europe came to appreciate the language and culture of ancient Greece as an integral part of its own civilizational inheritance. Dr. Butterfield explains that large-scale technological and cultural changes in late antiquity led to a gradual loss of Greek language proficiency—and a waning interest in the pagan world—among Western European intellectuals during the Early Middle Ages. While the Scholasticism of the High Middle Ages was invigorated by the rediscovery of the Greek philosophical tradition, this encounter was mediated almost entirely through Latin translations. It was only in the Renaissance—when a renewed appreciation of the Hellenic world on its own terms led to a revitalization of Greek language study—that our contemporary conception of Classics was fully established.    —   00:00 Introduction: A Journey through Classical Literature with Dr. Butterfield 04:05 Preservation and Valuation of Greek Culture 06:55 The Evolution of Writing Systems 14:50 Greek Influence on Roman Culture 20:25 The Rise of Christianity and Advances in Book Technology 27:40 Preservation and Transmission of Classical Texts in the Middle Ages 32:50 Arabic Scholars: Preserving Greek Knowledge and Shaping Western Thought 36:00 The Renaissance and Rediscovery of Greek Texts 43:10 Conclusion: The Printing Press and the Spread of Classical Knowledge   —   Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode:    Homer Magna Graecia  Pythagoras Odyssey Cato the Elder  Third Macedonian War Great Library of Alexandria Great Library of Pergamum Horace, Epistles   Emperor Augustus  Codex Sinaiticus Constantine  Neoplatonism  Plato Charlemagne  Carolingian Renaissance Virgil Ovid Abbasid Caliphate  Avveroës  Avicenna  Thomas Aquinas Petrarch Ottoman Conquest Epicurus  Lucretius  Aristotle  Gutenberg    —   Additional Resources  Dr Stephen Blackwood    Ralston College (including newsletter)   Support a New Beginning    Ralston College Humanities MA   Antigone - Explore Ancient Greece and Rome with Modern Insights Join the conversation and stay updated on our latest content by subscribing to the Ralston College YouTube channel.  

Gwyn and Ode talk about what stars are, what constellations are, how we conceptualize stars as symbols, and how we might connect them in witchcraft and religion.

Gwyn and Ode discuss the history and practice of music and songs in paganism. Check out internationalpaganradio.com (internationalpaganradio.com) and help support their work! (That's not a sponsorship or anything, Ode just thinks they're neat.)

Welcome to the latest thrilling episode of the Ultraculture Podcast, where host Jason Louv dives deep into the mystical realms with special guest George Lizos, a practitioner and author of "Secrets of Greek Mysticism." This episode is a mind-expanding journey through the world of high magic, discussing everything from the nuances of Hellenic spiritual practices to the integration of ancient techniques in modern life. The discussion also ventures into the realms of finding and following one's true purpose, exploring how aligning with the cycles of nature can unlock profound insights. Listeners will be captivated by stories of George's journey from Christianity to New Ageism to Hellenism, and his efforts to bring light to ancient Greek magical practices. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to the esoteric arts, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the potent forces that shape our spiritual landscape. Join Jason and George as they unravel the complexities of the unseen world, providing listeners with an enlightening perspective on the interplay between magic, society, and the cosmic dance of existence. Don't miss this deep dive into the mysteries that await just beyond the veil of the ordinary! Links & Resources:

Gwyn and Ode talk about Orcus, Nyami Nyami, Achlys, Laka, and the Unnamed Hurrian Night Goddess.

Gwyn and Ode tell stories about their experiences reading tarot at events and online.

Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is not well remembered today. But in its time, it seared itself into the minds and memories of all who saw it. An enormous, glowering, formidable statue built into a temple of otherworldly, translucent light, it was as tall as a three-storey building. People said it crouched on its throne as if it was about to stand—and break through the roof of its temple. Zeus' skin glistened. Made of yards and yards of priceless hippopotamus ivory, it had to be oiled down each day so it wouldn't crack in the heat. Yes, this was truly the sweatiest, oiliest, stickiest of all the wonders. And there's more: curses. Lovers' names engraved in secret places. So much daytime sex. So many naked, athletic men. THE OLYMPICS. Join us on a slightly unhinged deep dive into this truly unique wonder that once held the entire Hellenic imagination in its grip. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices