SUNDAY 1/22
TODAY'S FEATURED AUTHOR IS STEPHANIE ABBOTT

author of

GO HERE

 to read her guest post

IN HONOR OF MY FAVORITE HOME TEAM,  

AND THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF
  KT CRYSTALS,

visit KTCrystals here

we are hosting a giveaway of 
    NEW ENGLAND PATRIOT'S EARRINGS

just enter in the rafflecopter form below, and remember to visit 

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contest is from 1/21/12-1/23/12

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PART TWO OF OUR MYTHOLOGY 

TODAY'S GODDESS

BASTET

EGYPTIAN DIETY

Bastet (Bast)

Symbols: cat, lioness, sistrum, Udjat (Eye of Horus)

Cult Center: Bubastis

Links: The Name of Bast

The goddess Bastet was usually represented as a woman with the head of a domesticated cat. However, up until 1000 BC she was portrayed as a lioness. Bastet was the daughter of Re, the sun god. It may have been through him that she acquired her feline characteristics. When Re destroyed his enemy Apep, he was usually depicted as a cat. As portrayed as a cat, she was connected with the moon (her son Khonsu was the god of the moon). When shown as a lioness, she is associated with sunlight.

Bastet was the goddess of fire, cats, of the home and pregnant women. According to one myth, she was the personification of the soul of Isis. She was also called the "Lady of the East". As such, her counterpart as "Lady of the West" was Sekhmet.

Bastet seemed to have two sides to her personality, docile and aggressive. Her docile and gentle side was displayed in her duties as a protector of the home, and pregnant women. Her aggressive and vicious nature was exposed in the accounts of battles in which the pharaoh was said to have slaughtered the enemy as Bastet slaughtered her victims.

Her center of worship was in Bubastis (Per-Bast, Pa-Bast, Pibeseth, Tell-Basta), in the eastern Delta. Her chief festivals were celebrated in April and May. Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, provides the following description of one of the festivals:

"When the Egyptians travel to Bubastis, they do so in this manner: men and women sail together, and in each boat there are many persons of both sexes. Some of the women shake their rattles and some of the men blow their pipes during the whole journey, while others sing and clap their hands. If they pass a town on the way, some of the women land and shout and jeer at the local women, while others dance and create a disturbance. They do this at every town on the Nile. When they arrive at Bubastis, they begin the festival with great sacrifices, and on this occasion, more wine is consumed than during the whole of the rest of the year."

*** information obtained from http://www.egyptianmyths.net/bastet.htm

HOW TO MAKE A GOLEM AND TERRIFY PEOPLE

BY

ALETTE J. WILLIS

received from NetGalley for an honest review

available January 23,2012

synopsis (Goodreads)

"You think you're a fairy godmother or something?" I asked. "Or something," Michael agreed. Edda is tired of her nickname, 'Mouse', and wants to be braver. But when her house is burgled on her twelfth birthday, Edda is more afraid than ever. That is until new boy Michael Scot starts school. There's something peculiar -- and very annoying -- about know-it-all Michael. He claims to be a great alchemist who can help Edda overcome her fears by teaching her to build a golem. But surely they can't bring a giant mud monster to life? Can they? Winner of the Kelpies Prize 2011.

MY REVIEW

Prior to reading this book, I had no idea what a Golem was. I'd only heard of Pokemon Golems. I've since learned about Golems and folklore. 

Edda is an easy kid with whom others can identify. Her nickname is 'mouse' and for good reason, she's practically afraid of her own shadow. 

She experiences pure terror after her house is broken in to and her birthday students stolen. It's after this episode she meets an odd, eerie boy named Michael. "THE MICHAEL SCOT" only one "T". named after the famous alchemist from the 12th century. This michael is a very bizarre character, obsessed with alchemy and old world magic. He convinces Edda to face her fears by creating a Golem, a large 'earth man' who will protect her and her house from outside influence. She soon regrets her actions and the story ensues. 

The characters of this book are incredibly likable. Despite her issues, Edda is a wonderful character. Kids who are small or bullied will relate to her. Euon is the bully who does a complete about face, his story is interesting and bullies and bullied alike will come to like, or at least understand him. Lucy is a great friend to Edda and sticks by her despite what she believes to be Edda's crazy beliefs. 

This story is a great middle grade childrens book. Kids will love the Golem. Some scenes involve dead animals and may be a bit much for the tender of heart, but all in all, this is a great book. I give it 5/5 stars. Love the cover of the book. The monochromatic picture just adds to the mystery of the story

Pokemon, Bricks, and Trains. Oh My!: Pokemon Pics!

Pokemon, Bricks, and Trains. Oh My!: Pokemon Pics!: Darkrai Deoxys Torterra Pokemon Pics. Just for fun ;)

THE DEVIL'S LEGACY

BY

TOM JACKSON

synopsis from Goodreads

The opening of Pandora’s Box creates pandemonium in the office of the British Prime Minister. A team is assembled to solve a two hundred year old conspiracy in order to prevent the Box’s incredible secrets from being revealed to the world and plunging British society into chaos. Will the search for truth be successful? And will it result in the restoration of a country’s stolen heritage? 

What is the bizarre umbilical cord that links the 200-year old theft of the Parthenon Marbles to the Turkish Governor of Athens, Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill, the Titanic, Napoleon Bonaparte, the British Royal family, an obscure nineteenth century Italian artist and a Koala bear? 

The British government’s decision to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece triggers the opening of Pandora’s Box, covertly held for over 100 years in the vaults of the British Museum. And thus the first appalling secret is revealed--the Parthenon Marbles are counterfeit. 

A team comprising archaeological experts and secret service agents is assembled under the leadership of a young female lawyer and Parthenon expert. The team’s mission is to find the real Marbles, and ensure their return to Greece within a six-month deadline. 

Success must be achieved against an intensifying background of treason, competition from an American billionaire collector, and the intervention of the Greek mafia. 

Failure would threaten the very fabric of British society. 

The clock is ticking!

ebook

Published October 27th 2011 by Smashwords

ISBN139781466012820

edition languageEnglish

original titleThe Devil's Legacy

url http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99678

charactersNatalie Sinclair, David King, Johnnie Walker, William Eastern, Charles Fox ...more

settingAthens (Greece) 

London, England (United Kingdom) 

Paris (France) 

New York (United States) 

Istanbul /Κωσταντινούπολη (Turkey) 

MY REVIEW:

A wonderful story! This book is full of 'what ifs' and 'maybes'. Imagine what would happen today if the Elgin Marbles are discovered to be fakes? The real marbles having been stolen over 200 yrs ago. A "Pandora's Box" exists with information about the true marbles and the theft. Everyone is involved from the monarchy to the Prime Minister and museum director. 

This books goes back and forth between multiple times in history to explain the story of the marbles. The book involves a colorful cast of characters from Napoleon to Winston Churchill to Queen Victoria. 

A fantastic exciting debut from author Tom Jackson

for information go here

Pokemon, Bricks, and Trains. Oh My!: Custom Creations #2

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NEW PHENOMENON

BY

CHRIS RAABE

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Every teenager wants to fit in, and Christian Pearson is no different. He is a phenomenon on the athletic field and in the classroom, but a terrifying accident on a fishing trip with his grandfather changes Christian's life forever. As he enters his freshman year of high school, Christian hides a secret that he plans to take to his grave. When the Pearson family moved from the city to the sleepy town of Red Oak, Iowa, before his freshman year of high school, Christian hoped for a smooth transition to small town life. Being the new kid in school has been a blessing and a curse. Most of the boys in Christian's class view him as a threat, so Christian struggles to fit it, but as an outcast, his secret is safe. When three freshmen, all from the same family, start school a week late, Christian senses something different about these new students. He reaches out to "The Three" seeking some semblance of friendship in his new hometown. When "The Three" confront Christian about the secret he hides, Christian is faced with a huge problem. Will this secret cost Christian his friends, his family, his freedom, and even his life?

MY REVIEW:

Amazing! This book literally started with a bang, or a tornado, and just kept getting better. Yes, it begins with a tornado chasing after the main character. He has just finished a fishing trip with a cousin and his grandpa. A tornado destroys the truck they are in. Christian ends up at the bottom of a lake inside the truck and guess what, he can breathe under water... This all happens in New Mexico, yup, the land of UFO's. This is not a story about UFO's but rather about phenomenon children. Confused? Don't be, just sit back, read and enjoy the ride. 

Chris Raabe does a great job with character development. Christian is a down to earth kid, not a smart mouth or a jerk. His friends are equally pleasant. Don't get me wrong, they are normal kids. There is a deep family connection in this book. I am looking forward to the sequel that is sure to come. 

Genre: middle school age kids 

If you've noticed, I'm taking part in a Mythology Reading Challenge this year.  I thought it might be fun to introduce a God/Goddess each week.   This week, my favorite goddess of the Greek Pantheon

ARTEMIS,

Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars[1] believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek.[2] Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals".[3] In the classical period of Greek mythology, Artemis (Greek: (nominative) Ἄρτεμις, (genitive) Ἀρτέμιδος) was often described as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity and young girls, bringing and relieving disease in women; she often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows.[4] The deer and the cypress were sacred to her. In later Hellenistic times, she even assumed the ancient role of Eileithyia in aiding childbirth.

Artemis, the goddess of forests and hills, was worshipped throughout ancient Greece.[26] Her best known cults were on the island of Delos (her birthplace); in Attica at Brauron and Mounikhia (near Piraeus); in Sparta. She was often depicted in paintings and statues in a forest setting, carrying a bow and arrows, and accompanied by a deer.

The ancient Spartans used to sacrifice to her as one of their patron goddesses before starting a new military campaign.

Athenian festivals in honor of Artemis included Elaphebolia, Mounikhia, Kharisteria, and Brauronia. The festival of Artemis Orthia was observed in Sparta.

Pre-pubescent and adolescent Athenian girls were sent to the sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron to serve the Goddess for one year. During this time, the girls were known as arktoi, or little she-bears. A myth explaining this servitude states that a bear had formed the habit of regularly visiting the town of Brauron, and the people there fed it, so that, over time, the bear became tame. A girl teased the bear, and, in some versions of the myth, it killed her, while, in other versions, it clawed out her eyes. Either way, the girl's brothers killed the bear, and Artemis was enraged. She demanded that young girls "act the bear" at her sanctuary in atonement for the bear's death.

Virginal Artemis was worshipped as a fertility/childbirth goddess in some places, assimilating Ilithyia, since, according to some myths, she assisted her mother in the delivery of her twin. During the Classical period in Athens, she was identified with Hecate. Artemis also assimilated Caryatis (Carya).

Festivals

Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron

Artemis was born at the sixth day, the reason why it was sacred for her.

Festival of Artemis in Brauron, where girls aged not more than 10 and not less than 5 dressed in saffron robes played the bear to appease the goddess after the plagued she sent when her bear was killed.

Festival of Amarysia is a celebration to worship Artemis Amarysia in Attica. In 2007, a team of Swiss and Greek archaeologists found the ruin of Artemis Amarysia Temple, at Euboea, Greece.[31]

Festival of Artemis Saronia, a festival to celebrate Artemis in Trozeinos, a town in Argolis. A king named Saron built a sanctuary for the goddess after the goddess saved his life when he went on hunting and swept by the wave and held a festival for her.[32]

At the 16 of Metageitnio (second month on Athenian calendar), people sacrifice to Artemis and Hecate at deme of Erchia.[33]

Kharisteria Festival on 6 of Boidromion (third month) to celebrate the victory of Marathon and also known as the Athenian "Thanksgiving".[34]

Day six of Elaphobolia (ninth month) festival of Artemis the Deer Huntress where she was offered cakes shaped like stags, made from dough, honey and sesame-seeds.[35]

Day 6 of 16 of Mounikhion (tenth month) a celebration of her as the goddess of nature and animal. A goat was being sacrificed to her.[36]

Day 6 of Thargelion (eleventh month) the 'birthday' of the goddess, while the seventh was Apollo's.[37]

A festival for Artemis Diktynna (of the net) in Hypsous.

Laphria, a festival for Artemis in Patrai. The procession started by setting the logs of wood around the altar, each of them sixteen cubits long. On the altar, within the circle, is placed the driest of their wood. Just before the time of the festival, they construct a smooth ascent to the altar, piling earth upon the altar steps. The festival begins with a most splendid procession in honor of Artemis, and the maiden officiating as priestess rides last in the procession upon a chariot yoked to four deer, Artemis' traditional mode of transportation (see below). It is, however, not until the next day that the sacrifice is offered.

In Orchomenus, a sanctuary was built for Artemis Hymnia where her festival was celebrated every year.

Information taken from Wikipedia

the free online encyclopedia.