Hello everyone. The workshops for the fall section of Intersections: Science Fiction, Fairy Tales, and Myth filled up fast. I only have ONE seat left for the 6:30-9 pm (MST) session on Thursday night. The dates we will be meeting online are 9/12, 9/19. 9/26. 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 11/7, and 11/14. (NOTE: This ends up being in mid-morning the following day [Friday] for participants in Australia.) We will be working with six fairy tales, and participants will be getting a second round of critique on two to three of those stories during the portfolio weeks. Time is running out. I hope you’ll join us. It’s going to be fun!
On a side note, if there is enough interest, I may open up another morning or afternoon section on Thursday or Friday. TBD
Week 1 (9/9-9/15): Introductions, Into the Dark Wood (prompts), Module 1 discussion.
Week 2 (9/16-9/22): “Firebird” & Bioluminescence, Module 2 discussion.
Week 3 (9/23-9/29): Swan Maidens & Migratory Pathways, Module 3 discussion.
Week 4 (9/30-10/6): “Pied Piper” & Viruses, Module 4 discussion.
Week 5 (10/7-10/13): “The Nightingale” & Automatons, Module 5 discussion.
Week 6 (10/14-10/20): “The Goose Girl” & Future of Facial Recognition, Module 6 discussion.
Week 7 (10/21-10/27): “Hansel and Gretel” & Genetic Trauma.
Week 8 (10/28-11/3): NO WORKSHOP
Week 9 (11/4-11/10): Portfolio Presentations
Week 10 (11/11-11/17): Portfolio Presentations
It’s been a great year for participants of Storied Imaginarium workshops. The Fall workshops for 
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“The Frog’s Prince; or, Iron Henry” by N.A. Sulway, 
“Unfettered” by 
Registration for the Fall session of 
The modules for Fall 2019 will be:
We have all heard of Baba Yaga at some point — in art, literature, even gaming. But Russian lore talks about a lot of interesting witches and sorcerers, about going on life-changing quests and completing impossible tasks. However today we will be looking at one in particular — a certain immortal sorcerer who murdered a prince over and over again until he was defeated. I am, of co
According to Canaanite beliefs, the changing of the seasons happened after Baal — the god of storms — defeated the god of the sea to become king of the gods. Baal thought himself to be above all, and so he ordered that Mot, the god of the dead, was to not set foot anywhere on the earth except for the desert. Mot, forced to wander the desert, turns around and invites Baal to the Netherworld for a “visit.” Baal is, in turn, forced to go in order to save face as the new ruler of the gods, however when he gets there, Mot tricks him into eating the food of the dead: mud. Thus, Baal is trapped in the underworld and the world dries up into an eternal summer — 
Our second myth today is a funny one, since many versions of this myth exist and they all contradict each other. The beginning is usually the same: either Frigga (Baldur’s mother), Odin (Baldur’s father), and Baldur himself begin to suffer from nightmares about Baldur’s death. Frigga goes around and has every living and non-living thing swear that no harm will come to Baldur — with the exception of mistletoe. The other gods make a game of throwing things at Baldur and watching them bounce off harmlessly until Loki convinces a blind Hodr (in some versions of this myth, he is Baldur’s brother) to throw a spear that Loki guides. This spear is made of mistletoe, and when it pierces Baldur’s chest, he drops down dead.
This is where the myth changes. In some versions, both Hodr and Baldur die — Hodr being killed for murdering his brother. In these pre-Christian versions, Frigga begs Hel to release them and they are allowed out — separately — for half of the year only. Hodr, because he is blind, is associated with darkness and explains the winter seasons while Baldur was described as a god of light and therefore was the other half of the year — summer and spring. Other post-Christian versions of this myth tie Baldur to Christ in that he will only rise once more after Ragnarök, returning from the land of the dead. However, these post-Christian versions also depict Baldur as being passive as objects are thrown at him while pre-Christian versions show him as being battle-ready at all times.
Registration is open for the second Spring section of 
When talking about the changes in season, the Greeks looked to the gods and their troubles which affected the mortal world. The story of Hades and Persephone explains these changes as Demeter’s mood swings — Demeter being the mother of Persephone, the Goddess of Spring. A quick look at this myth has Hades kidnapping Persephone, and Demeter — the Goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture — begging Zeus to give her her daughter back as she fails in her duties. Persephone of course eats three pomegranate seeds before Zeus can interfere, which forces him to decide that for half of a year she is to be with her mother while the other half she is forced to return to Hades. During the times Persephone is gone, Demeter becomes inconsolable, neglecting her duties and letting the world around her wither and die. However, when Persephone is returned, Demeter jumps back into action, revitalizing the land.
Following in the same fashion, the Chinese myth of Zhu Long the Candle Dragon explains not only one, but all the seasons, as well as the changes in night and day. You see, Zhu Long — or Zhu Yin — was a huge, scaly, red dragon that was shaped like a serpent and had a human head. According to myth, one of his eyes represented the sun while the other the moon, and when they were open it was daytime, while at night his eyes were closed. In his mouth he holds a candle that lights the gate of heaven, and his breath is what changes the seasons. You see, when Zhu Long exhales he casts winter across the land, but when he inhales he brings summer.