Tag: Gaia

A Goodreads Giveaway For You

On By Roger B. BurtIn WritingLeave a comment

A Goodreads Giveaway

Challenge: The Chosen Rise (Gaia’s Majesty, #2) 

by Roger B. Burt (Goodreads Author) 

Giveaway ends Jan 21

The current growing movement to empower women, along with the joyous mystery of mythology, were the inspirations for the Gaia’s Majesty series. In this book, our heroine, Chantia, is under the protection of the Tethyan women and under the care of the Andromeda warrior women specifically. She and the man who is the love of her life work to serve the mission of these people on land and deep in the sea in one of the cities called Tethys. The world is descending into devastating crises. Our Earth Mother Gaia guides them in their work and discoveries serving to preserve our future. At the end of this book Chantia births a daughter who is portentous and of extraordinary power.

                                       

Women in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy Pt 2

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Origins of Gaia's Majesty, Women RisingLeave a comment

Chasing Women Warriors

Being Human

There was a huge tug of war going on as I was writing the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. Something was stirring inside of me and characters were showing up demanding attention. I also knew that what I was writing had a deep contact with what we call reality but there was a fantasy element as well. After all isn’t that true fundamentally about our lives? If nothing else we have dreams and hope they will transit into reality.

And so the first book opened and over time the fantasy element was to grow. But in some ways I was having a struggle with the women in the books. And so I found myself chasing women warriors. I have to admit there was more than a little naiveté. I had heard of the Amazon women but it was only later that I ran across Adrienne Mayor’s book The Amazons. Then I learned they weren’t fantasies at all, but real courageous women at war and with family all at the same time. The revelations expanded my dedication to supporting the empowerment of women by example with the women in the books.

Came a Problem

At once there was an essential problem. I do like fantasy, but don’t like it if it is too fantastic. In this instance I felt we needed to be close enough to reality to make an important beginning and identification. And so I did something some early readers of Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power didn’t like. I made them not just strong and resourceful but also their early engagement was as consorts to greedy, power hungry Overlords. But in that place they reflected the reality of some brave and steadfast women who, in our world, take dangerous and seemingly compromising positions in behalf of missions that are essential and to serve their country. And that is what these Andromeda women were doing. And I must add, in this day and age, I did not see them as having been defiled because of what they had committed to do. And I have to admit I had to have darling Luisa enjoying some of it even as she understood her risk. This shows the world as it is. Fantasy sometimes is less fulfilling than reality.

A Matter of Power

And then there is the matter of progression. In fiction there must be progression just as there is in life. As the story grew it became clear that these women were demonstrating what was happening in what we call our real world. Their roles broadened and they took on power and the new risk that came with it. This is the world I feel that is opening before us.

In the cities in the sea we could see women of immense power scanning human history and seeking out both revelation and inspiration. Some of it was what they divined and some of it was inspired by another powerful woman, Gaia. And so fantasy and reality was woven over and over. At base the intention is to inspire by demonstrating alternatives as our world and the power of women changes.

Challenge

And so in the core themes are seen major elements of what is before us, not pure fantasy. Certainly there are those who will take offense whether they dislike the roles the women may take or whether they resent the idea that women can hold such power. (Get a grip guys!) I’m enjoying writing these books partly because the challenge is considerable but also because I look forward to controversy and the potential for us to examine where we are going and what the possibilities may be. We have entered a new challenging time in human history and it poses opportunities as well as danger. Perhaps this time we can find a new form of challenge and future.

Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power by Roger B. Burt

Roger B. Burt’s Amazon home page

Creating Characters and Plots by Roger B. Burt

Stepfamilies: Professionals and Stepcouples in Partnership

Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health by Roger B. Burt

The Myth Underlying the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy – Part 6

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The Forces at Work in the Growing World Conflict

The core mission of the Tethyans is to oversee the future of our planet and humankind. And, of course, this mission will inevitably involve considerable conflict sooner or later. And in that conflict fundamental forces will be involved. For millennia the Tethyans had been at peace or at least not central to conflict. The Progenitors in the hidden cities tended to their preparations and the Primal families built their own futures on land and contributed to stewardship.

Specific Forces

Among the Tethyan women were some with specific abilities which were essential. There were the Illuminata or women who were of the sun and fair of complexion. They brought clarity and illumination of all kinds including understanding and the essences of stewardship.

And then there were the women of the Mysterium who were of the moon. They were of darker complexion and conveyed the mystery that is woman and the associated passions and creativity.

In defense, the women of the Mysterium could employ fundamental power. Their passions and sexual nature meant they could overwhelm a man and stir him to extraordinary involvement or self destruction. In love and special bonding endeavors they formed truly enlightening and elevating passionate bonds with the right men. It is this primordial power which many men fear most even while some relish the mystery and delight. Among these women were leaders who formed an elite Mysterium and some Illuminata as well.

A Very Different Force

There was another fundamental force of the universe present among these beings. It was called the Maelstrom which was closer to the men and was often associated with predation and destruction. As a universal force it is most clearly seen in the universe among the stars. There are cataclysms as galaxies collide and giant stars explode. But in this force there is also a creative component of a very different kind. When galaxies collide new solar systems and planets are created. When a star explodes new heavier elements are created and this stardust brings new wonders to the universe as in the stardust of which humankind is made. And so the Maelstrom is both destructive and wondrously creative. Together these universal forces of the Mysterium and the Maelstrom play out in humankind.

A Final Confrontation for the Future of Earth

And so with these people and forces in place Gaia watched as a final confrontation built. It was not yet apparent to all the people who would be involved or central. But the inevitability of the conflict would become clear. While this trilogy is fictional it may speak truths about a similar conflict in our “reality”. We can wonder at the resolution and outcome. And it would appear that it is impending.

Nicole Laurette

The women of the Andromeda each brought very different talents and possibilities. Among them was Nicole. She was a Haitian mulatto woman who learned the depths of Vodun (which we often call Voo-Doo). Through Vodun and her contact with the spirit world she gained extraordinary powers. At her finger tips were the arts of healing and death. It seemed that her future had to be linked to Andromeda and she found added depth as she joined the reality of Nordic mythology. It may have been that it was ordained she would enter the spirit world. And in that world is found hidden wonders.

Do you have any of these forces at your command?

Gaia’s Majesty-Mission Called: Women in Power by Roger B. Burt

Roger B. Burt’s Amazon home page

Creating Characters and Plots by Roger B. Burt

Whatever Happened to Community Mental Health by Roger B. Burt

The Myth Underlying the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy – Part 1

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Mythology, Origins of Gaia's MajestyLeave a comment

 

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What if this myth was our reality?
Misty Origins with Truth

Exploring human history leads us back into misty origins and within those origins are fascinating events and adventures. Many of them are not recorded except perhaps as they may be revealed in mythology which often is shown to be more truth than fiction. The long ago events continue to shape our present lives and often tell who we are and foretell the future of humankind. Constructing a myth is a way to illuminate who we are and what our future may be.

And there is something even more fascinating, even fulfilling. It is found when we weave mythology with current events and developments. In this instance I could not resist the siren call of weaving the current developing social and environmental crises that trouble our world with the women’s movement. And so I called upon the irresistible myth of the mermaid. Yes, the “siren call” is a pun of sorts. Of course there are other myths woven into the story as well.

The Myth of the Story

In this myth our Earth Mother, Gaia, chose an experiment. There were creatures developing on Earth who were especially clever beings. But, even as they were clever, Gaia could see they could be dangerous to themselves and to her planet and that meant herself. It was clear if they were to be sufficiently dominant to pursue their endeavors, that they were to be predators. We call these creatures humankind. Their predation was essential, but also troublesome especially when it was directed against their own kind.

Gaia was intrigued by the fact that their future was promising, but would no doubt be tumultuous and the final story had not yet been written or ordained. By their very nature, it seemed their potential might be of special interest, an adventure which Gaia could not resist observing. Where it would lead was beyond anything she could imagine. In her wisdom Gaia laid the groundwork to enhance, oversee and defend the grand adventure.

More details about these people chosen to defend the future of humankind will be provided shortly.
Avery Corbett – A Lead Protagonist

Once the general form of the story began to take shape a lead protagonist presented herself. Since a core part of the story relates to the empowerment of women, a woman was essential. And since the story was about social and environmental crises, it was not exclusively about romance. But the idea of a loving partnership central to the story enhanced it.

In Gaia’s Majesty: Mission Called – Women in Power, Avery Corbett is the lead protagonist. Thinking herself alone in the world after the death of her parents, she had taken a job to providing microloans to third world women.

Little did Avery know a goddess was watching over her and designing her future. While she had yearned for a family, she was overwhelmed by the family that emerged. As wonderful as the people of this family were, they were hardly what she had envisioned. A real benefit, however, was that she found a truly great guy to be her partner in her emerging world. Together they went deep into the world of the “fishies” as she called her newly found people. As one of the lead protagonists, Avery will join us for the entire trilogy.

If you could choose another family, what would they be like?

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The Mission of the Tethyans

On By Roger B. BurtIn Mythology, Origins of Gaia's Majesty, StewardshipLeave a comment

Essential Mission

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Are you looking for a mission or do you already have one?

Safeguarding the Future

In the coming Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy the Tethyans are the people (mostly women) who our Earth Mother Gaia has set aside and protected in the sea to safeguard the future of humankind and her glorious planet.

On our planet we are facing a wave of serious social and environmental hazards. But rather than designing a series in which people fight under the eyes of a detached super being I decided that a dedicated and loving partner was more appropriate. And so I chose to invoke a goddess who cares for her people in a somewhat more direct fashion and who has the stake of her planet, which is herself, at stake. But she understands and is conversant with the fact of the benefit, even necessity, of struggle, and that she must leave much of the struggle to the dominant species.

Struggle and Clarification

So Gaia, instructs and guides in careful ways while the outcome is clearly up to the people she has chosen and the people they oversee. At the same time we come to clarity about fundamental universal forces which play out in our lives.

Diversity Among the Chosen

The Tethyans, of course, have not been merely set aside. They are a dynamic collection. Progenitors live in the sea but can morph and come to land where their tail and webbing withdraw. (They are the origin of our belief in mermaids.) On land are the Primal families with strong partnerships. And then there are the women who stand in defense, the Andromeda women. Together they are deemed stewards for our planet. For now they are stewards but in time the future of humankind is even more deeply in their hands.

Guided Understanding

The greatest mysteries are found among the Progenitors in the Tethys of the sea. They understand implicitly that they may be the future of humankind if the great experiment fails. But Gaia does not operate as an ordinary ruler. It is not possible to ask for an audience with her and pose questions. She is after all a being of the spirit world and is in herself the very planet. Communications are difficult. There are times when she communicates but they may be in symbols or prophesies.

Diverse and Greater Purposes

But for the Progenitors, they do not exist merely as people in waiting. They serve a much greater purpose. In their cities in the sea are the great literary and historical heritages. For example, in the Tethys off Alexandria, Egypt called Thonis, there are primary documents from the great Alexandria library saved when the library burned. It is an extraordinary repository and requires ongoing research. It bears on the meaning of our past and may disclose the future.

And not all the material is merely books and papers. In fact, there are living entities among and within the books.

Immense Purpose

These people in the sea may, indeed, hold our future in their hands, but in some way, also our intellectual and cultural heritage. And in the end, along with the Primal families they oversee the stewardship of our precious earth.

What might lead us beyond our confinement to this planet?

Roger B. Burt’s Amazon home page

The Creation of Gaia’s Majesty – 2

On By Roger B. BurtIn Characters, Life Forms, Mythology, WritingLeave a comment

Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery – An Unbearable Choice

Book 1 Los Res 10-1-2015

(Book 1 of the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy)

Available now at Amazon.com

———————————–

Creation with Design

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How do you approach a creative endeavor?
The books of Gaia’s Majesty were not entirely designed. It felt more like they unfolded. The concept began to “occur” and then I did do construction and outlining.

My wife, Mala, and her writing partner Laura write screenplays. Some might say its not the same thing as fiction writing but they have a lot in common. There’s only so much writing by pure inspiration which can be done. I learned about the story arc and used Dara Marks’ Transformational Arc for each of the books and for the trilogy as a whole. (see http://www.DaraMarks.com). I found a rigid application was not possible (it never is in a creative process) but it proved very helpful. There had to be departures since people are people and stories are stories in the creative process.

Life Takes Over

From there the characters took on life and the “what if” came to life as well. I found things coming from out of my past. There were universal forces which presented themselves. I brought in the Mysterium as a creative force of the universe. It is the force most beautifully displayed by women which fosters bonding and fulfillment. When I finally decided to go back and googled it I ran across details about a board game. Seriously? Then I dug deeper and found material about the Mysterium Tremendous which I covered in my post of January 18, 2016 with a further commentary on January 20th. It turns out I had filed the term in my brain fifty years ago when I was deep into the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell.

I also brought in the Maelstrom. The name is probably much more familiar. I saw it as the destructive force in the Universe but felt it had a creative side as well. Even as galaxies collide and suns are built and destroyed there is creation. And out of the explosions of suns come stardust from which humankind was built.

More Speculative Elements

From there came further speculation. As the myth of the story developed I found I could not look away from the possibility that there were other types of life forms. Our senses have a specific focus for our life and survival. We might be missing something. After all this room in which I sit is alive in its own way and I can’t feel what is transiting until I pick up my cell phone or use my computer. What else have we been missing?

And, of course, I had to ask the question, perhaps the universe is not just the universe but may it be a life form in itself? For the longest time we naively thought Earth contained the only life there was in the universe. We are seeing evidence which points far beyond our planet. And currently in our life on earth it is hard not to speculate about a coming denouement and the possibility of transformation. And within each event were waves. (More on all of these possibilities later.)
Experiencing the Speculation

A central issue, of course, was creation and whether it had coherence and direction. But, in the end, it is the exploration process which I find most interesting. And the wonder of it all is that we are getting to see how it all plays out with humankind. At least for now.

What do you expect will happen?

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#fiction writing,#personal inspiration,#universal forces,#Carl Jung

My Choice of Mysterium

On By Roger B. BurtIn Mythology, Women RisingLeave a comment

 

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What did you conclude after reading about Mysterium Tremendum?

The Library of the Unconscious

Up front I have to tell you about my curious brain. I have files in there that were chosen for retention because I found the item interesting or important in some fashion. All too often the item may not be attached to the data which suggested to me I should be storing it. Such is the case for the term Mysterium.

When I set out to write the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy there was much of it which was ill-formed. In fact, I did not set out to write a trilogy. It just became a torrent which I knew related to my regard for the empowerment of women, what it represented and where it might lead humankind. Early on it was apparent that at least some of these women were extraordinarily engaging to the men they met. Beck, the lead male protagonist, was utterly enchanted by Avery with whom he fell deeply in love. Out came the term Mysterium to describe her ability to passionately engage and “bewitch” him. But it was not just bewitching which can be pejorative. It was to form a deep, extraordinary, passionate experience which enhanced their lives together. I happen to be an ardent fan of the Mysterium and chose to make it an important part of the story.

Enriching Fiction

Recently I thought it best to describe the meaning of Mysterium in more specific terms and I went googling. What I found was pages of references to a board game. Not what I had in mind. And then I happened across the material in the post of January 18th.

It seems I had filed the term decades ago as I was foraging in the world of Carl Jung and James Campbell. And there it was as something which well described what I was seeing in the relationship forming between my lead protagonists.

As it developed in a world of empowered women who were tended by our Earth Mother Gaia, it became clear to me that it explained something. I believed it related to a process, a perception, and experience deep down in the human psyche. Intuitively I felt it explained the opposition by men to the empowerment and equality of women.

A Universal Phenomenon

We see the desire to contain the influence and power of women everywhere, in every culture and it has always mystified me. And now I’m going to tread into territory where I think many of my male compatriots may take extreme exception. But, I’m going to say it anyway. The impact of a woman’s mysterium strikes deep into men. I believe the power it exerts threatens their sense of their own power.

Lets face it, from the beginning, men’s power has been a significant force. It was essential in our most primitive days to survive and to defend. It is so fundamental that it is not easily contained. Then comes a woman who is attractive and draws us in. We use words like bewitch which is often how men experience the attraction. And then in lovemaking an extraordinary climax is reached and as it ebbs the need for it subsides and with it much of the feeling of power. Then a man experiences alternatives. He can be disturbed by her power and what has happened to him and the two of them or he can rejoice in her, hold her close and revel in the experience of the endorphins they share.

Plumbing the Depths and Overcoming

Yes, I hear you. It is much more complicated than that. Yes, it certainly is, and when we reach deep into the human psyche and extraordinary experiences, we cannot crisply define what we find. But, I believe this is our nature and it is a major contributor to the irrational fight to contain and restrain women in all regards. And it is my belief that in the empowerment of women we are seeing a process that will help us accept it and all its many benefits. And then, in the end we will have true partnership and discover its true meaning and glory.

Much more to come over time.

Do you find these thoughts intriguing or do you hate the very idea of it?

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Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery Amazon page

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#thechosenrise,#gaia’smajestytransformation,#lifeforcesrevealed

The Myth Underlying the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy : Part 3

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Join us at cuspofreality.com. the commentary, join the conversation, and get the FREE Novella at publication.

All I can ask is, What if?

Gaia understood that struggle and conflict is at the core of the nature of life both within and among creatures. Central to this struggle would be the matter of power which was not easily shaped or yielded – especially by predators. But Gaia had a plan.

She did not want to give up on her experiment easily and so she reserved a population which might be needed if she had to start the experiment all over again. These people were called the Progenitors. Since the females were central to the continuation of humankind, she reserved cities in the sea where these women would live. If need be, from them could spring a new race. These cities were called Tethys and among the women were a few men to insure diversity and because they might be needed if the population was to be restored to the land. The people who lived in the Tethys and those who came to land to live were collectively known as Tethyans.

While the existence of the Tethys was not widely known, some of the residents of these cities were sighted from time to time. The legends about mermaids were born of those sightings. And, of course, as with all legends, they took many forms going well beyond the matter of what actually existed. But in other regards they never touched on the wonder of the reality. But one reality was essential. While in the sea Progenitors had partly fishlike bodies with tails and webbed fingers. The image we have of the mermaid is correct in many regards.

Andromeda Defense Force

Brigid Lynch
My editor called her the “flaming haired assassin-for-good”. Life seemed to hold a cruel fate for her after her mother’s suicide. The evil Overlord of the Irish estate where she had lived with her mother had her dumped on the street with no future at all. But she was taken under the care of people who were chosen to defend and direct humankind. Her pain was transformed into dedication as she came to head the crucial Andromeda defense force.

Publication Is Coming Soon

On By Roger B. BurtIn Cusp of RealityLeave a comment

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Now that I have the final edit from my editor Carolyn Haley it is a matter of days until Gaia’s Majesty: Discovery – An Unbearable Choice, the first book in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy is published.

Starting tomorrow I will begin a daily post of six parts of the underlying myth of the series and each will include a thumbnail of a major character. There will be no post this Sunday.

At publication I will put up a page containing the first chapter of the book which can be read on the website. And I will also post a page where a FREE first novella from the book can be requested. All you need do is send me an email requesting the file for the novella.

I also look forward to us beginning a discussion.

Roger

Dedication to Our Angels and Spirit Guides – Women

On By Roger B. BurtIn Women RisingLeave a comment

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How important do you think recent changes in empowerment for women will be?

An Underestimated Wave for Our Future
This blog addresses a number of themes which play out in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. The fact that we live on the cusp of reality is one of the themes. Another central one relates to the empowerment of women and the fact that women are rising to full partnership with men. I chose to make women central to these books because of the importance of the changes. The mythological context gives it life and highlight.

We live on a planet and woven into our mythology is the name Gaia. She is simultaneously our goddess and our planet itself. In a variety of ways she is our spirit guide. Isn’t it interesting that this being is a woman. Atlas is said to hold the world on his shoulders but the planet itself is a woman. Of course she is our mother in many ways and our image is born of the woman who bore each of us. And there are the angels who have stirred us over the ages.

Rising Feminism
Let me go to another level. I am a dedicated feminist. I must confess I’m not entirely sure how this commitment began. Perhaps I should take myself into therapy to discover why. Except, of course, I don’t consider it problematic and it gives me no trouble whatsoever. So, maybe I’ll just probe it in this blog and the trilogy.

But it is clear that the subject of women rising needs attention because it is clearly happening in a way that exceeds anything in human history. Let me point you toward an essential book. It is Uprising: A New Age Is Dawning for Every Mother’s Daughter by Sally Armstrong.

I won’t even try to summarize this amazing book here. It is a must read and spells out the essential direction for women and humankind as a whole. The implications of the work brought tears to my eyes. It has been a long struggle for humankind and while our conflicts still rage we may be seeing light at the end of the tunnel and that light is seen in the eyes of women.

And So I Forged a Story
My perception of the coming age of women and their importance led me to place them as the central force in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy. Men are involved in the story but women rising and how they shape the outcome of the story makes them central and essential.

I’ll be blogging a lot more about women in this series. Who they are and who they are becoming is deep in a growing reality as well as being found deep in mythology. In mythology we often find great truths and these themes about women belong in the speculative fiction I have written. Variously we see them as our angels and spirit guides.This is going to be a very interesting journey indeed. And the women we share it with are truly exciting.

What do you find most interesting about the world of women? Where do you think it will lead?