Ancient

"Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus" by John William Waterhouse [1849-1917] is a great example of the classic power of ancient myth and legend. The paradigms, archetypes and lessons you must puzzle from them are as interesting as speculating what really happened, and why a legend grew out of something. Part of studying pagan religions and cults is looking at history, ancient culture and other ways of thinking. It is a new lens through which to see the beauty of nature, the sea and the simple, topmost pleasures of life.

Circe [Greek: Κίρκη] was an interesting ancient Greek sorceress, also called a goddess or nymph. She used liquid magic potions and her staff [like a long straight wand] to turn her enemies, and Ulysses and his men into animals. All this is recorded in the famous ancient Greek epic of Homer, the Odyssey [Greek: Ὀδύσσεια]. Read Butler's famous translation here. Here's a neat excerpt:

"'We went,' said he, 'as you told us, through the forest, and in the middle of it there was a fine house built with cut stones in a place that could be seen from far. There we found a woman, or else she was a goddess, working at her loom and singing sweetly; so the men shouted to her and called her, whereon she at once came down, opened the door, and invited us in. The others did not suspect any mischief so they followed her into the house, but I staid where I was, for I thought there might be some treachery. From that moment I saw them no more, for not one of them ever came out, though I sat a long time watching for them.'

"Then I took my sword of bronze and slung it over my shoulders; I also took my bow, and told Eurylochus to come back with me and shew me the way. But he laid hold of me with both his hands and spoke piteously, saying, 'Sir, do not force me to go with you, but let me stay here, for I know you will not bring one of them back with you, nor even return alive yourself; let us rather see if we cannot escape at any rate with the few that are left us, for we may still save our lives.'

"'Stay where you are, then,' answered I, 'eating and drinking at the ship, but I must go, for I am most urgently bound to do so.'

"With this I left the ship and went up inland. When I got through the charmed grove, and was near the great house of the enchantress Circe, I met Mercury with his golden wand, disguised as a young man in the hey-day of his youth and beauty with the down just coming upon his face. He came up to me and took my hand within his own, saying, 'My poor unhappy man, whither are you going over this mountain top, alone and without knowing the way? Your men are shut up in Circe's pigstyes, like so many wild boars in their lairs. You surely do not fancy that you can set them free? I can tell you that you will never get back and will have to stay there with the rest of them. But never mind, I will protect you and get you out of your difficulty. Take this herb, which is one of great virtue, and keep it about you when you go to Circe's house, it will be a talisman to you against every kind of mischief.