Legends & Folklore

The Caribbean is as beautiful as it is rich in history. Wealthy landowners and slaves, pirates and plantation dwellers all add up to scandal, drama and, of course, paranormal activity. Next time...

Greek mythology still exerts a powerful influence on modern literature, language and culture. To study Greek mythology is to study one’s own personal mythology, and while it’s easy to start on...

Trying to evoke the spirit of Presidents' Day? Legend says that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree, but told the truth when asked about it. Make a delicious lattice top cherry cobbler!...

Vampire-slaying is not just a Hollywood cinematic tradition. In Romania, killing vampires is a long-standing, if illegal and little-mentioned, part of national culture. Vampires are those who have...

Ever feel like things keep repeating themselves, and all the odds seem impossible. Something that most people don’t understand is that George Washington, Napoleon, Julius Caesar, and every other...

Wave a wand, cast a spell, or bewitch a lover with the most popular of all love elixirs - Love Potion #9. Our taste buds are directly linked to the pleasure center in our brains; the place where...

Roses are one of the most recognized and popular flowers that can be found all over the U.S. Many people don't realize the mass amount of medicinal qualities associated with roses, but what's...

As a highly regarded and popular culinary herb, basil is often found throughout many people's homes. But basil can be used for more than just flavoring your favorite dish. Basil has magickal...

Ginger is a great herb to keep in your herb garden for all its versatile uses. It adds an exotic spicy flavor to food and has an abundance of medicinal uses as well. Ginger also possesses magickal...

Ever wonder what the difference is between a hex, a jinx and a curse? There are specific definitions of the three in magic and alchemy. It's not a big deal if you typically get them mixed up, but...

Of all human wants, wanting to know the future is one of the most basic. All of us, even the most rational, indulge in this sneak peek around the corner of reality. From daily horoscopes in your...

Ever notice how animals will circle a room until they find a place where they’ll be comfortable? They’re practicing a personal and intuitive Feng-Shui, the art of placement affecting self and...

Do you feel as though you’re losing it: car keys, wallet and all the other mundane things that are forgotten until they’re lost? All of a sudden these items can get really important. If we added...

So, you want to learn the "bump and grind." Perhaps, the "glove peel" is your exotic move of choice. Maybe you always thought it would be fun to do a striptease for your significant other. Or,...

The Goatman is a very local urban legend, one well-known in Prince Georges County, Maryland (PG County's other supernatural claim to fame being that it was the home of the original Exorcist boy)....

The ancient leprechaun closely guards the luck of the Irish. Leprechauns are most commonly associated with Lucky Charms cereal and St. Patrick's Day. They are also the official fairy of Ireland....

More than 100 million people can trace their ancestry back to a U.S. President. If you’re willing to do the research, it is not too difficult to discern.

Are you afraid to walk under a ladder? Do black cats give you a fright. Well, there is a way to address your fears. Read on to learn how to handle superstitions.

Zombies, sometimes known as the Undead, originally existed only in the voodoo rituals of the Caribbean. But after George Romero's 1968 cult classic, "Night of the Living Dead," zombies took on a...

Knowing how to identify a vampire may help save your life. While there is no conclusive research that vampires exist, a form of vampire has always existed in each major culture's legends. If you...

A Yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot or Sasquatch, is a creature who likes colder temperatures. Purportedly a native of the Himalayan Mountain area where the temperatures are more...

Native American folklore is as diverse as the Native American peoples themselves. Mountain and coastal tribes had full-time religious leaders and shrines or temples, while nomadic Plains Indians...

Assembling a Burlesque costume has the same basic principles whether you are seeking old-school glamour or new age meow. Here are the essentials and guidelines to dressing like a Burlesque Diva.

Kitten de Ville is one of the hottest new age Burlesque Divas. Kitten started with the neo-Burlesque pioneer troupe, Velvet Hammer. Coined the “Queen of the Quake,” Kitten is quickly climbing...

Dirty Martini is the premier voluptuous Burlesque Diva. Dirty got her start at the WOW Cafe in New York City's East Village. NYC's Red Vixon picked her act up as a regular show soon after. Her...

So you want to know how to become a super villain. Super villains are just like anyone else to begin with. They are simple men and women with no ill will towards man kind until one day changes...

World War II introduced American culture to the calendar pin-up girls with their pointy brassieres and come-on smiles. Our love affair with these stylized beauties is still alive six decades...

Tassel twirling is the most memorable of the Burlesque basic moves. There is something about revolving objects being propelled into motion by gyrating breasts that leave a permanent dent in one’s...

The latest burlesque revival breathes life into the diva in all of us. Neo-burlesque is a contemporary twist on some age old traditions. Incorporate a little bit of burlesque diva into your...

Unicorns are incredibly valuable beasts: their medicinal properties are legion, even beyond the horn's remarkable healing powers. According to Hildegard of Bingen, powdered unicorn liver can...

One of the hardest things to do in life is to break a habit, but it can be done. The easiest way to start is a habit that is not a big deal for you to change. If you can do that, then you are...

The mention of burlesque usually conjures up images of bawdy striptease artists bumping and grinding in pointed pasties and skimpy g-strings. Old school femme fatales of the 1950s have recently...

The world wasn't born with you. You came into a bigger, older place than you can imagine, and you'll never know absolutely everything about it. Although modern society is based on scientific...

The first great civilization, the Egyptian civilization, lasted nearly 3,000 years. As it evolved from separate northern and southern kingdoms into a single empire, it spawned a highly complex...

To many, Irish mythology is the story of St. Patrick chasing out all the snakes or the leprechaun with his pot of gold. But just as the history of the people of Ireland, the Celts, goes back much...

Using wooly worms (Pyrrharctia isabella) to predict winter is old American folklore that traces its history back to early Americana. Supposedly, Native Americans taught the pioneers to read wooly...

There are not too many places that are open in New York City in Midtown on New Year’s Eve. Contrary to popular belief, much of the activity you see taking place in Time Square is not inclusive of...

From Rosa Parks and her courageous stand that great day December 1,1955 to the July 1966 Chicago riots to the 1968 establishment of the King Center, this article is intended to familiarize you...

There are many superstitions involving the coming of the New Year; so if you are the superstitious type, watch out for these!

Have you ever seen a floating, purple head? Would you like to? Follow these instructions to see the ghost of the Wabash Cannonball Bridge, also known in the area as "purple head." The Wabash...

In the 1920's there was an accident on the one-lane bridge on Teaberry Lane in Vincennes, Indiana. The head-on collision forced one of the vehicles into the rain swollen creek below the bridge. In...

Why do “experts” continue to claim that aliens exists, that Bigfoot is real, and that conspiracies abound in our society? Because false archeology is a lot easier and more marketable to sell than...

Aided by the Internet, urban legends are now spread within seconds instead of generations. However, there are a few easy ways to tell if what you're hearing is true or maybe just a new take on an...

Breaking a mirror is some seriously bad ju-ju. Seven years of bad luck! Who needs that? Luckily, there are a few things you can to to dispel the bad luck before it takes hold. You do not have to...

"The Exorcist" has been around for many years, but it's still creeping people out just as much as it did when it was first released in 1973. What "Exorcist" fans may not know, however, is that...

The Leo is by nature warm, generous and affectionate, but at the same time bossy, impatient and intolerant. Living with a Leo, whether as an office mate, a life partner or a friend can be a...

Beowulf is the oldest text written in English. It tells the story of a man, Beowulf, and his adventures in Denmark and Sweden sometime around the sixth century. It’s not necessary to know the...

Have you always wanted to read a western book but were afraid to take the plunge? Perhaps I can give you a few tips to help in your reading adventure!

Tell your children a story about their ancestors and you are contributing to the folklore of your culture. Folklore includes the oral traditions and stories of a particular culture. Many stories...

The legendary creature known as a dragon makes an impressive sight flying through the skies with its huge wings and breathing out fire. As a reptile, dragons begin life as eggs. According to...