a researched poem about the vernal equinox in Ancient Crete
Warm westerly winds replace the biting gales of the north. Crocus, poppy, and lily saplings slowly spring forth. Rainy season makes its anticipated exodus as March wanes, the sunshine igniting a mountainous scene amidst flowery plains.
The Mother Goddess’ blessings are ever-bountiful, and so, her devotees honor her with a vibrant spring festival brimming with offerings, worship, sacrifices, and ecstatic dance to ensure another year of fertility, flourishment, and favorable circumstance.
In the sustained daylight and deep into the night, they jubilantly celebrate the cyclical rhythms of life and their spiritual ties to the natural world— whether olive, boar or bee, existence ebbs and unfurls.
a close-up of the Spring Fresco from Akrokriti, depicting a rocky landscape with lilies and swallows
a mythological poetic story inspired by the Minoan religion and their sacred rites
Black snakes coil down The Priestess’ arms, and like fine silk in steady wind, slither upon a stone pillar etched in Linear A, where they entwine like DNA alongside offerings of bull’s blood, honey, and olive oil. All falls silent, between sky and soil.
It is then that The Priestess and her procession make a plea to The Snake Goddess:
Hail, A-ta-no-dju-wa-ja, Goddess of Fertility! Bless this union as sacred as sea: one a celebrated bull-leaper, the other an adept healer.
May she, the contender of bulls, continue to leap unscathed. May he, the alchemist of medicine, continue to restore the sick’s fate. As souls united, may their love remain requited. May their children lead bountiful lives, and may the lineage continue to thrive.
Both bride and groom reach their arms out towards the dual snakes, and, as if by the Goddess’ decree, they reanimate and start to coil up their adjacent arms and conjoin at the tails. The blessing of Atana Potinija is now upon them! The union shall, through devastation and elation, prevail!
a Minoan-fresco-inspired illustration of a Minoan bride and groom by Luisa Donber. It is customary for women to be depicted as pale and men to be depicted as tan in Minoan frescoes.
I’d like to start this post with some backstory. About a year or so ago, when I was doing a deep-dive into my Cretan ancestry, I was on the lookout for anything that could really help me connect beyond books, articles, and memories from all the summers of my childhood and early adulthood spent on that magical island. I recreated traditional costumes andrituals, bought jewelry replicas to wear, visited art museums with Minoan artifacts, and created this blog to share my findings.
As a mystic with a vast tarot and oracle card collection (and I mean vast!), I figured I’d try my luck and search for a Minoan-inspired deck. Admittedly, I wasn’t too confident anything would turn up, but I soon came across Ellen’s beautiful deck. My soul lit up, and I saw there was only one deck left for sale on Etsy at the time (lucky me!), so I immediately ordered it. I purchased it a few weeks before my birthday, and it was actually delivered on the day (perfect timing!). The 78-card deck arrived complete with a well-researched booklet and sturdy box. There were also several freebies: a small magnet of the Oracle card (featuring the Snake Goddess/Priestess), a bigger photo card of the Sun card, and a sweet personal note.
Just me going through the entire deck real quick – the artwork is stunning!
The deck at a glance. The back of the cards feature thelabrys. The box and booklet are at the upper center.
The descriptions for every card are well thought out, insightful, and detailed with useful key points at the end of each one. They definitely teleport you to ancient times, to say the least. The only downside is the quality of the booklet itself. The text is a little close to the binding, so in opening it to properly read everything, some pages fell out. It’s also difficult to take pictures of the inside as a result. Other than the need for stronger binding and some typo corrections, everything is high quality: the information, the art, the cards (with a glossy finish), and the artful box (featuring the Star card). I also love that there are unique suits that go beyond the standard Rider-Waite deck.
For someone who was looking to better connect with their roots, this deck did just that. Cretan or not, these cards will absolutely draw the magick of the Minoans into your life. Anytime I’ve selected a card, it’s been spot on, often eerily so, and I learn more about the featured art and symbols along the way.
That all being said, I give this deck a rating of 4.5 stars! You can tell how much of her heart and soul were put into the making of these cards. Thank you, Ellen, for creating something that’s been integral to my spiritual practice.
Minoan Magissa 