Chthonia

Brigid Burke
  • 4.7 (59)
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Explore the world of the Dark Feminine in myth, religion, folklore, and magic.

  1. Kali (Chthonia Classic Remastered 10)

    12/30/2025

    Kali (Chthonia Classic Remastered 10)

    Remastered Kali episode from 2020. This is the last remaster I will be posting. The original promos still exist at the end of the episode, but are no longer valid.

    49 min
  2. Zigu: the Purple Maiden

    12/22/2025

    Zigu: the Purple Maiden

    In this final episode of Chthonia, we look at a Chinese toilet goddess called Zigu. Her backstory makes her an abused concubine murdered in the toilet, though toilet gods and goddesses exist throughout China and Japan. She is consulted in divination for the silk harvest, and in later dynasties she was connected to creating works of literature through automatic writing. We look at the attributes of Zigu, including her epithet of "Purple Maiden", and what these might tell us about the paradox of an exalted goddess of royal integrity being associated with the most humble of places, the latrine.

    39 min
  3. Kalma: Personification of the Grave and the Corpse

    12/08/2025

    Kalma: Personification of the Grave and the Corpse

    In this week's episode we look at Kalma, a Finnish folkloric figure mentioned in the Kalevala associated with corpses and graveyards. She is the daughter of the god and goddess of the underworld, and has a dog called Surma that is a cross between the Greek Kerberos and Medusa. We look at the stories surrounding Kalma, and discuss what the imagery around her tells us about death and time.

    37 min
  4. Scathach: Teacher of Great Warriors

    11/24/2025

    Scathach: Teacher of Great Warriors

    In this episode we talk about Scathach, the mythical Irish warrior woman who would train men able to reach her island in the art of war. Her most famous pupil was the legendary Cú Chulainn, and much of her story is connected to her encounter with him. She gives Cú Chulainn a weapon that she created herself, the Gáe Bulg, but never teaches him how to use it. We look at Scathach, as well as her daughter and sister, and the drama that unfolds when Cú Chulainn arrives. We also discuss what this might say about the art of war, and the negotiation of the Anima.

    48 min
  5. La Cigaupa: Dominican Mountain Mermaid

    11/12/2025

    La Cigaupa: Dominican Mountain Mermaid

    This week's episode looks at La Cigaupa, a beautiful howling woman with backward facing feet who is found in the mountains in Dominican folklore. She is often treated as a dangerous siren figure, but her origin story is surprisingly different. We explore the question--is she a colonizer's myth?

    47 min
  6. Styx: Hate Goddess as a Source of Strength?

    10/27/2025

    Styx: Hate Goddess as a Source of Strength?

    This week we look at the daimonic goddess Styx, who is a personification of the river in Hades, but is also associated with Hatred. Her children are Victory, Force, and Rivalry, and Zeus rewarded her help in the Titanomachy by making the gods swear oaths upon her waters. Why do the qualities of a valiant warrior have their origin in a god of hatred? Is it a statement about war, or something else? The psychological possibilities may surprise you.

    48 min
  7. Dea Tacita: Double Edged Sword of Silence

    10/13/2025

    Dea Tacita: Double Edged Sword of Silence

    This week's episode is about the Roman deity Dea Tacita, celebrated with a ritual at the Feralia to keep gossip and the results of "loose tongues" from the family and the city. However, Dea Tacita's origin story relates to a nymph called Lara (also mother of the Lares or household gods), who has her tongue cut out for warning one of Jupiter's would-be paramours of his possibly unwanted advances. This fact makes the symbolism of Dea Tacita a double edged sword--we see the virtues of silence, but is this silence also a type of oppression?

    44 min
  8. Cliodhna: the Banshee Queen as Soul Image

    09/29/2025

    Cliodhna: the Banshee Queen as Soul Image

    This week we look at Cliodhna, an Irish fairy queen who is a patroness of Munster and also called Queen of the Banshees. This beautiful banshee has a habit of stealing mortal men away from her favored families, though her main legend is the opposite--a mortal man who she loved and with whom she ran away. This has led to the legend of the Tonn Cliodhna, a kind of diastrous tidal wave reminiscent of the one sent to either kill her or return her to her home. We look at the stories of Cliodhna, and how one might look at her stories through the lens of depth psychology.

    50 min
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4.7
out of 5
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About

Explore the world of the Dark Feminine in myth, religion, folklore, and magic.

Information

  • Creator
    Brigid Burke
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Brigid Burke
  • Show Website
    Chthonia

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