I have a recurring desire, to find my way along twisting paths through a dark, old growth forest to the Baba Yaga’s house so that I can sit at her long wooden table, drink her herbal concoctions and hear stories directly from the old woman herself. She is of course, the infamously fierce witch of the northern realms. I want to find out who is this terrifying but beautiful woman behind the iron teeth, wild hair and blackened nails? And more importantly, to find out what of the old mysteries she embodies.

So much of the old, old lore of the wise woman has disappeared or been changed and even erased. The Baba Yaga over the centuries has become a stereotype of a devouring, ===+++child eating witch, an over simplification and demonization of what is thought to be a very complex and ancient Earth Mother Goddess.

In the story of Vassalisa The Beautiful, the Baba Yaga is in charge of Nature, personified by the White, Red and Black knights, who at her command, are the bringers of dawn, day and night. She also is connected to the spirit world and has hands that appear out of nowhere to do her bidding. And then there is her hut on chicken legs which is reminiscent of Shaman huts built on thick tree trunks deep in the boggy forests of the Taiga, depositories for their sacred objects and tools. It is these mysteries and more I want to hear about sitting at her table.

Then there is her large, leather Spell Book! I see it sitting open in the middle of her table, filled with writing in different color inks, sketches of plants and all manner of marginalia. Both the book and woman are older than can be remembered or imagined, what amazements and secrets has she seen and recorded? Oh, the knowledge it must contain

At Baba Yaga’s Table

Presents

Freya’s Gypsy Caravan Retreats, An Interlude for the Creative Soul

In Search of the Runa, the Saga & the Galdernorne:

Discovering a Wisdom Path for a woman’s later years

• Keepsake Book: Creating a Legacy for Those Who Come After

• Personal Self-directed Retreats