Kalliope's Sanctum

17. Of Fairytale Soup and Female Storytellers - Kitchen Table Talks with Nao Sims (Part 1)

Brew a cup of tea and join me and my dear friend Nao Sims— women's sacred dance teacher and lifelong lover of old stories— as we discuss some of our late-night ideas about the rhythms of female myth-telling, why fairytales are kind of like soup-recipes, and why they were the only thing Nao wanted to read while she was pregnant. All while her little daughter sleeps on in the background! This conversation is the first in a series we will be recording throughout the autumn, for you to listen to and ponder around your own hearths. In the next episode, we will look more closely at one fairytale in particular, diving more deeply into the themes explored here. Stay tuned! You can find out more about Nao, and our joint work together, here: https://www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com/erato ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST SOUND EDITING: Simon Linsteadt PODCAST ART: Catherine Sieck PODCAST MUSIC: Antonis Leontidis (Cretan lyra composition from the album Krifo: antonisleontidis.bandcamp.com/album/krifo) ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to Kalliope's Sanctum, a story podcast hosted by writer Sylvia V. Linsteadt. This podcast is dedicated to Kalliope, primordial and first Muse of epic poetry and ecstatic song in ancient Greece. This podcast is a place of sanctuary for her oldest stories. It is a return to the wild garden, to the spring, to the ground of being & the source of inspiration in the Earth. Here, we honor Kalliope as Muse of Earth. Here, you will find some of the stories beneath the stories of Old Europe: short fictional/poetic pieces written and read by Sylvia that explore elements of indigenous Old European mythology, with a focus on pre-Hellenic (pre-Patriarchal) Greece. Come sit with us in the honeyed light, among the ripe pomegranates, in Kalliope's sanctuary, where the stories that arise directly from the ground of being and lifeforce can still be safely told and celebrated. Come lean against the sun-warmed stones, with the fragrance of propolis & myrrh in the air, and the trees heavy with autumn quince. This is the garden before the fall, a sanctuary for all hearts in this time. Join us, and be revived. ABOUT SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT: Sylvia V. Linsteadt is a novelist, poet, and scholar of ancient history, myth and ecology. She divides her time between California & England, where she is currently pursuing her PhD. Her published fiction includes the English/Greek collection The Venus Year (2023), the middle grade children’s duology The Stargold Chronicles— The Wild Folk (Usborne, June 2018) and The Wild Folk Rising (Usborne, May 2019)— Our Lady of the Dark Country, a collection of short stories (January 2018) and Tatterdemalion (Unbound, Spring 2017); her works of nonfiction include Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area (Heyday, Spring 2017) and The Wonderments of the East Bay (Heyday 2014). Website: www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com Substack: sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/sylviavlinsteadt/

16. Swan Stories- A Conversation with Nao Sims

In this special, first ever interview-episode, I'm sharing a recent conversation between myself and my beloved friend Nao Sims—teacher of women's sacred dance for over 25 years, beekeeper, gardener, homesteader, mother, and lover of poetry and myth— as a celebration and announcement for our March 2nd & 3rd in-person workshop on Vancouver Island, Swan Stories, as well as Nao's Six Swans dance series running from January 22nd- February 26th 2024, which will include a writing workshop with me! For more details on these offerings and to register, you can either email Nao directly at naoisobel@gmail.com or follow the link here —https://www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com/podcast — or here — https://sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/p/a-season-of-swans or contact me at sylvia.linsteadt@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST SOUND EDITING: Simon Linsteadt PODCAST ART: Catherine Sieck PODCAST MUSIC: Antonis Leontidis (Cretan lyra composition from the album Krifo: antonisleontidis.bandcamp.com/album/krifo) ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to Kalliope's Sanctum, a story podcast hosted by writer Sylvia V. Linsteadt. This podcast is dedicated to Kalliope, primordial and first Muse of epic poetry and ecstatic song in ancient Greece. This podcast is a place of sanctuary for her oldest stories. It is a return to the wild garden, to the spring, to the ground of being & the source of inspiration in the Earth. Here, we honor Kalliope as Muse of Earth. Here, you will find some of the stories beneath the stories of Old Europe: short fictional/poetic pieces written and read by Sylvia that explore elements of indigenous Old European mythology, with a focus on pre-Hellenic (pre-Patriarchal) Greece. Come sit with us in the honeyed light, among the ripe pomegranates, in Kalliope's sanctuary, where the stories that arise directly from the ground of being and lifeforce can still be safely told and celebrated. Come lean against the sun-warmed stones, with the fragrance of propolis & myrrh in the air, and the trees heavy with autumn quince. This is the garden before the fall, a sanctuary for all hearts in this time. Join us, and be revived. ABOUT SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT: Sylvia V. Linsteadt is a novelist, poet, and scholar of ancient history, myth and ecology. She divides her time between California & England, where she is currently pursuing her PhD. Her published fiction includes the English/Greek collection The Venus Year (2023), the middle grade children’s duology The Stargold Chronicles— The Wild Folk (Usborne, June 2018) and The Wild Folk Rising (Usborne, May 2019)— Our Lady of the Dark Country, a collection of short stories (January 2018) and Tatterdemalion (Unbound, Spring 2017); her works of nonfiction include Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area (Heyday, Spring 2017) and The Wonderments of the East Bay (Heyday 2014). Website: www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com Substack: sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/sylviavlinsteadt/ Newsletter: tinyletter.com/sylvialinsteadt

15. Tam Lin: A Traditional Scottish-English Ballad

Practiced, sung and recorded through the winter solstice, new moon and now the edge of Christmas, as the Virgin Mary swells with child and comes to the eve of birth, I offer into this moment of celestial light and earthly dark a faithful rendition of the old Scottish borderland folk ballad Tam Lin (Child Ballad 39), accompanied and mixed by my brother Simon Linsteadt on guitar. You can read a full essay about our version of this song, it's musical history (with nods to Scottish folk singer Archie Fisher, as well as Frances Child himself) and reflections on the story itself(with a synopsis too, don't worry!) here: https://sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/p/tam-lin#details ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to Kalliope's Sanctum, a story podcast hosted by writer Sylvia V. Linsteadt. This podcast is dedicated to Kalliope, primordial and first Muse of epic poetry and ecstatic song in ancient Greece. This podcast is a place of sanctuary for her oldest stories. It is a return to the wild garden, to the spring, to the ground of being & the source of inspiration in the Earth. Here, we honor Kalliope as Muse of Earth. Here, you will find some of the stories beneath the stories of Old Europe: short fictional/poetic pieces written and read by Sylvia that explore elements of indigenous Old European mythology, with a focus on pre-Hellenic (pre-Patriarchal) Greece. Come sit with us in the honeyed light, among the ripe pomegranates, in Kalliope's sanctuary, where the stories that arise directly from the ground of being and lifeforce can still be safely told and celebrated. Come lean against the sun-warmed stones, with the fragrance of propolis & myrrh in the air, and the trees heavy with autumn quince. This is the garden before the fall, a sanctuary for all hearts in this time. Join us, and be revived. ABOUT SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT: Sylvia V. Linsteadt is a novelist, poet, scholar of ancient history, myth and ecology, and artist. She divides her time between California & Crete, where she is currently working on a novel set in Minoan times. Her published fiction includes the forthcoming collection, The Venus Year, the middle grade children’s duology The Stargold Chronicles— The Wild Folk (Usborne, June 2018) and The Wild Folk Rising (Usborne, May 2019)— Our Lady of the Dark Country, a collection of short stories (January 2018) and Tatterdemalion (Unbound, Spring 2017); her works of nonfiction include The Wonderments of the East Bay (Heyday 2014), and Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area (Heyday, Spring 2017). Website: www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com Substack: sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/sylviavlinsteadt/ Newsletter: tinyletter.com/sylvialinsteadt

14. Morning Star Woman & Ivan the Youngest Son

Morning Star Woman & Ivan the Youngest Son is, in its original bones, my own telling of the Russian fairytale "The Maiden Tsar," as explored by Robert Bly and Marion Woodman in their book The Maiden King. I will admit, however, that I've taken it and run with it. You will see flashes as far afield as the Fisher King of Arthurian legend, and admittedly a few further too. And you will see that its Maiden Tsar, its swan queen, became merged with my imaginings of Venus in her recent descent below the rim of the horizon, out of sight, in mid-September, as if Venus's passage through the underworld were the story of a woman coming down to earth, becoming human. Today she meets the heart of the Sun, and begins climbing toward evening. So this is a story of swan women and eggs and fishermen, of wise old men in huts and the oldest woman in the world who lives in the moon; of how to mend broken things; of learning how to love, and love well. It is a prayer for fatherlines and motherlines and heartlines, a prayer for all the people I love, a prayer for the women and men in the streets of Iran standing and fighting for their freedom and the radiance of their lives, a prayer for something we perhaps all together have nearly forgotten, a prayer for what we cannot afford to lose, together on this Ark, our holy ground, our home. In my introduction, I mention the release of a new collection of mine that steps deeper into the movements of Venus as well as my own heart. It is available for pre-order here: https://www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com/shop PODCAST SOUND EDITING: Simon Linsteadt PODCAST ART: Catherine Sieck PODCAST MUSIC: Antonis Leontidis (Cretan lyra composition from the album Krifo: antonisleontidis.bandcamp.com/album/krifo) ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to Kalliope's Sanctum, a story podcast hosted by writer Sylvia V. Linsteadt. This podcast is dedicated to Kalliope, primordial and first Muse of epic poetry and ecstatic song in ancient Greece. This podcast is a place of sanctuary for her oldest stories. It is a return to the wild garden, to the spring, to the ground of being & the source of inspiration in the Earth. Here, we honor Kalliope as Muse of Earth. Here, you will find some of the stories beneath the stories of Old Europe: short fictional/poetic pieces written and read by Sylvia that explore elements of indigenous Old European mythology, with a focus on pre-Hellenic (pre-Patriarchal) Greece. Come sit with us in the honeyed light, among the ripe pomegranates, in Kalliope's sanctuary, where the stories that arise directly from the ground of being and lifeforce can still be safely told and celebrated. Come lean against the sun-warmed stones, with the fragrance of propolis & myrrh in the air, and the trees heavy with autumn quince. This is the garden before the fall, a sanctuary for all hearts in this time. Join us, and be revived. ABOUT SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT: Sylvia V. Linsteadt is a novelist, poet, scholar of ancient history, myth and ecology, and artist. She divides her time between California & Crete, where she is currently working on a novel set in Minoan times. Her published fiction includes the forthcoming collection, The Venus Year, the middle grade children’s duology The Stargold Chronicles— The Wild Folk (Usborne, June 2018) and The Wild Folk Rising (Usborne, May 2019)— Our Lady of the Dark Country, a collection of short stories (January 2018) and Tatterdemalion (Unbound, Spring 2017); her works of nonfiction include The Wonderments of the East Bay (Heyday 2014), and Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area (Heyday, Spring 2017). Website: www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com Substack: https://sylviavlinsteadt.substack.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/sylviavlinsteadt/ Newsletter: tinyletter.com/sylvialinsteadt

13. The Dark Country - Part 4

This is the fourth and final part of my novella The Dark Country, set on the imagined, Greek-inspired island of Kefthyra. In it, a maiden, mother and crone call forth the old language, and the snakes that live in the Earth, to try to overthrow a colonial empire. See Episode 11 for part one. I am sharing the full novella in four parts over the spring & summer seasons. May these words be seeds in this time, rising Earth's old language, and justice, through each of you. Read the full novella in my collection Our Lady of the Dark Country. www.ptreyesbooks.com/book/9780999696606 PODCAST SOUND EDITING: Simon Linsteadt PODCAST ART: Catherine Sieck PODCAST MUSIC: Giannis Linardakis (Cretan lute, traditional) ABOUT THE PODCAST: Welcome to Kalliope's Sanctum, a story podcast hosted by writer Sylvia V. Linsteadt. This podcast is dedicated to Kalliope, primordial and first Muse of epic poetry and ecstatic song in ancient Greece. This podcast is a place of sanctuary for her oldest stories. It is a return to the wild garden, to the spring, to the ground of being & the source of inspiration in the Earth. Here, we honor Kalliope as Muse of Earth. Here, you will find some of the stories beneath the stories of Old Europe: short fictional/poetic pieces written and read by Sylvia that explore elements of indigenous Old European mythology, with a focus on pre-Hellenic (pre-Patriarchal) Greece. Come sit with us in the honeyed light, among the ripe pomegranates, in Kalliope's sanctuary, where the stories that arise directly from the ground of being and lifeforce can still be safely told and celebrated. Come lean against the sun-warmed stones, with the fragrance of propolis & myrrh in the air, and the trees heavy with autumn quince. This is the garden before the fall, a sanctuary for all hearts in this time. Join us, and be revived. ABOUT SYLVIA V. LINSTEADT: Sylvia V. Linsteadt is a novelist, poet, scholar of ancient history, myth and ecology, and artist. She divides her time between California & Crete, where she is currently working on a novel set in Minoan times. Her published fiction includes the middle grade children’s duology The Stargold Chronicles— The Wild Folk (Usborne, June 2018) and The Wild Folk Rising (Usborne, May 2019)— Our Lady of the Dark Country, a collection of short stories (January 2018) and Tatterdemalion (Unbound, Spring 2017); her works of nonfiction include The Wonderments of the East Bay (Heyday 2014), and Lost Worlds of the San Francisco Bay Area (Heyday, Spring 2017). Website: www.sylviavictorlinsteadt.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/sylvialinsteadt Instagram: www.instagram.com/sylviavlinsteadt/ Newsletter: tinyletter.com/sylvialinsteadt