Boreal Bears and Feral Females: Twin Bear Folktales from East and West

From Norway to Ainu lands, two distant stories echo the same ancient pulse: love lost, love sought, and a woman who dares the threshold between the world of humans and the world of Bear. In her quest she does not merely save another, but awakens to the power that has always lived within her. Giving voice to how these stories mirror each other deepens our sense of interconnected history, and rekindles a feeling of belonging to a shared storied boreal landscape, weaving together people, bears, ancestry, stories and hearts. . .

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Baba Yaga: the Autumn Witch and the Power of Letting Go

October is a vitally mystical and folklore-rich time of year, a between and betwixt season of transformation characterized by the changing colors of the leaves and filled with heroes and heroines who symbolize our own transformative potential. One such folk heroine is the quintessential enigmatic wilderness witch Baba Yaga: a courageous crone who dares to dance with the dying and also the mystical old mother who midwifes new life. She resonates with the spirit of Autumn telling us we can be beautiful as we let go of our old selves to make room for what is waiting to emerge, vibrant and gold . . .

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