Rachel Alexander's Blog, page 150

"Praxidike. Chthonios. She who destroys the light. Carrier of Curses. The Iron Queen of the..."

“Praxidike. Chthonios. She who destroys the light. Carrier of Curses. The Iron Queen of the Underworld.”

- Receiver of Many, Rachel Alexander

"Do you wish to return? To a world where you know you are nothing as the crow knows it can fly? Where..."

“Do you wish to return? To a world where you know you are nothing as the crow knows it can fly? Where you were a caterpillar and could be happy little caterpillar and would only be told that butterflies existed somewhere.”

- Receiver of Many, Rachel Alexander

pri0r:I’m finally home from my 8 am and I’m going to read the good counselor preview and if you...

pri0r:

I’m finally home from my 8 am and I’m going to read the good counselor preview and if you think I’m not going to write a dissertation reviewing it you’re wrong you’re so wrong idiot you’re so wr

oeblaze:ufo-the-truth-is-out-there:The Eyes of God. Prohodna...

oeblaze:

ufo-the-truth-is-out-there:

The Eyes of God. Prohodna Cave, Bulgaria

Here it is at night.

Pretty sure the first picture is also at night, but super cool regardless.

therkalexander:“And even if I do come to trust you… or love you… it doesn’t change who we are. Who...

therkalexander:

“And even if I do come to trust you… or love you… it doesn’t change who we are. Who is to say that I’d want to live in this place… forever? Mortals pray to my mother and I for fertile fields. For life— not death. I don’t belong here.” “Believe it or not, I felt the same way when I first arrived here.” Aidon stretched his hand out to her. “Come; I want to show you something.”

—

Receiver of Many, Chapter 8

pri0r:The Good Counselor Prologue: The passage of time, themes of death and life, and what in the...

pri0r:

The Good Counselor Prologue: The passage of time, themes of death and life, and what in the world is Orpheus up to?

[Spoilers ahead]

I couldn’t fathom a better introduction to the new book. The passage of time expressed really highlights the ever-present themes of life, death, and the cycle it follows which, at its core, is the purveyed concept of the series. Of course, our main pairing have remained untouched by time and have retained their godly figures, foreboding as they may be to some.

One thing I found interesting was the inclusion of mint in the incense of a dying man’s home. Of course, the usage of mint in death is hardly a strange concept in Hellenic mythos, but it goes to show more in the context of time, and how the scandalous indiscretions of Minthe have been transformed socially in just a handful of decades. It can be assumed that by knowing the origin of the plant, the inclusion of it in the vicinity of death proves how cemented Persephone’s actions and prowess are in the eyes of Plutonion acolytes. The acceptance and veneration of Persephone’s power is very present even from the first. Regardless of its intended meaning, good riddance to Minthe and all of her bullshit trifling. There’s a reason why mint tastes bitter, after all…

The respect shown by the students and family of Eumolpus towards Persephone and Hades is tangible. She isn’t questioned even once by those present in Eumolpus’ humble abode. They clear away for her, allow her to present herself in the face of death, and give her a moment with her dearest and dying Chthonic priest. I found this notable due to the fact that the acolytes and family of Eumolpus would understand the continuation of one’s soul shade in life, and while their own earthly bodies are losing their venerable patriarch, as it were, Persephone is forever gaining the presence of Eumolpus in Elysion. Surely, they would want to cherish every second they could alone with him, if they didn’t respect and love Persephone so much.

And it’s clear to see that the efforts posed by Persephone in clearing the name of Hades and clarifying the processes of Chthonia within the mortal realm were hardly for naught. The respect they are garnering is the right type of respect — one which is not born of fear or anguish, but rather hope for continuation and the promise of rebirth.

Which is why it’s important to note the passage of time here. When Hades — in all of his epithetic glory — appears, he is met with a far more fearful response. While the indiscretions of Minthe can easily be settled with a handful of decades, the engrained respect of Aidoneus remains timid and unsure, even with his own followers. 70 years is hardly enough time to forget the fright of death’s greatest lord appearing within one’s threshold. Sure, Aidon does not carry the Scythe that castrated Ouranous himself, but the power he holds over even the chilling concept of death is far greater than the desire to see him as one would see any other Olympian.

I’ve always wondered when and how the scrolls would come into play, ever since the vision of them appeared to Aidon and Persephone in their Hieros Gamos. It’s the one piece of the puzzle I haven’t quite managed to fit into the larger picture. Finding that the gold-foil scrolls are tied to Orpheus really intrigued me. What in the world could be his purpose for including them in the mouths of the dead? Does he wish to escort more souls into Elysion by claiming the souls as being born of the heavens? And to drink from the mnemosyne…does he wish to surpass the required drink of the Lethe? Is Orpheus’ main goal to best the processes of Chthonia and death?

This is my theory. This purpose feels like an expansion of his goals in traditional mythos — specifically in his quest to retrieve Euridice’s shade from Asphodel. But while we can assume that Orpheus would aid Hades and Persephone in their efforts to successfully conceive, would this make him something of an antagonist? After all, Sisyphus also tried to defeat the circle of life and garner powers of the heavens, too, and we know how well that went…

Perhaps Orpheus’ intentions are good, and he only wishes for people to remember their lives as they are escorted into death. That would explain why the scrolls contain directions to allow the soul to drink from the waters of the Mnemosyne, counteracting the forgetful spell of the Lethe. Yet I can’t help but feel as though this would be a betrayal of Eumolpus, Persephone, and Aidoneus altogether. Why else would the death of a venerable follower be so eloquently included as the prologue to this novel? Attempting to circumvent the very fundamental nature of life and death is very much against the interests of Chthonia, its rulers, and its acolytes.

I can’t wait for next week, and I wish Wednesday would come faster! This was a fantastic read, and I eagerly await the next installment.

The Good Counselor is the continuation of Rachel Alexander’s Hades and Persephone series, and follows her first two publications: Receiver of Many and Destroyer of Light. You can catch weekly chapter previews up to the eighth chapter every Wednesday at midnight PST. Follow @therkalexander for more details!

"And even if I do come to trust you… or love you… it doesn’t change who we are. Who is to say that..."

“

And even if I do come to trust you… or love you… it doesn’t change who we are. Who is to say that I’d want to live in this place… forever? Mortals pray to my mother and I for fertile fields. For life— not death. I don’t belong here.”

“Believe it or not, I felt the same way when I first arrived here.” Aidon stretched his hand out to her. “Come; I want to show you something.

”

-

Receiver of Many, Chapter 8

Christmas Brunch with @asphodelon...

Christmas Brunch with @asphodelon

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6hCswfguWG/?igshid=17mbyf1cwt3ut

carpethedamndiem:Ralph Brown, La Sposa (“The Bride” in Marble from 1999)

carpethedamndiem:

Ralph Brown, La Sposa (“The Bride” in Marble from 1999)

Christmas Eve present from my MiL!!#gumps #pomegranates...

Christmas Eve present from my MiL!!

#gumps #pomegranates

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6fHmPcgwuW/?igshid=w2i3rtzw9mnz