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November 30, 2024 • 17 mins
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(00:01):
Welcome, my mythic friends, toMyth This.
According to yours truly, I'myour host, Wendy Morrow.
On this podcast, we dive intomyths and folklore from all over
the world.
These stories have shapedcultures, stirred imaginations,
and kept us captivated forcenturies.
Together, we'll explore theorigins, meanings, and mysteries

(00:22):
behind these stories.
It's tails with a freshperspective and a little bit of
fun.
Last week, we talked aboutMjolnir.
Thor's hammer.
It was super interesting.
So fun.
I guess had a lot to say aboutit.
Please go check it out.
I loved it so much.
I enjoyed talking about Mjolnir.
I love that name so much.
Every time I say it or listen toit, I'm like, Oh, I love it.

(00:45):
Fun, like, I just love theending part.
It's just like fun on the tongueto say.
this week, we're talking aboutthe phoenix.
This is a Greek and Egyptianmythology.
It's about a majestic bird thatburns to ash and is reborn
symbolizes cycles of life anddeath and renewal.

(01:07):
I'm so excited.
Also, how was your guys week?
Let's get into that a littlebit.
I'm gonna, it's a funny story.
When I said majestic, I have aslightly icky taste of the word
majestic in my mouth and here'swhy.
I dated this guy and yeah, oh,he was literally, how would you

(01:31):
say this?
awful.
he always wanted me to go backto his apartment and hang out.
And if you live in Utah, youknow, you just know what that
means.
You're like, okay, calm down,calm down.
Literally, like, we're not goingback to your house to hang out
and watch TV.
Like, Netflix, you know, like,we're not going to hang out and

(01:52):
watch Netflix at your apartment.
And.
And I told him I didn't want todo that, and he just kept asking
to do it.
He's let's just hang out in myapartment and watch Netflix.
And I'm like, no, I don't wantto do that.
I want to go on a real date.
And he was like, okay, let meplan something majestic.
he never planned anythingmajestic.

(02:13):
And also, why would you use aword I feel like that's such a
magnificent word.
Majestic is such like aelaborate, beautiful word to
use.
He's And to like completelydestroy in such in that context
because I'm like what?
And he destroyed the wordmajestic in my brain.
So as I said, majestic, Iliterally gave myself the egg

(02:35):
because of that tragic, I know.
Okay, let's get into today'stale.
Anyways, enough about my life.
We're here to listen to a story.
Let's get into this.
Grab your favorite drink andgather on my campfire for a tale
you won't forget.
The Phoenix, a flame that neverdies.

(02:57):
Imagine the vast desert ofancient Egypt, where the sun
reigns supreme, casting itsgolden glow over the Nile and
the towering pyramids.
The cycles of the sun, rising,setting, and rising again,
defined life for the Egyptians,who saw renewal and ecstasy.

(03:19):
every sunrise and hope in everydawn.
The phoenix, or Benu as it wascalled in Egyptian mythology,
became a powerful symbol ofthese internal cycles.
Don't you love that name too,Benu?
Oh, that's so beautiful.
Okay, now, shift to ancientGreece, where philosophers

(03:41):
sought to unravel the mysteriesof life and poets sing of
immortality.
Here, the phoenix wasreimagined, not just as a symbol
of the sun, but as an emblem ofthe human spirit's resilience, a
creature that triumphed overdeath through its fiery rebirth.
This is a tale that transcendsborders, bridging the beliefs of

(04:04):
these two great cultures.
A story that burns as brightlyas a phoenix itself.
Wink wink.
The roots of the myth.
The phoenix, likely, originatedin ancient Egypt mythology as
the Benu, a heroine like birdassociated with the sun god Ra.

(04:26):
Not only do I like that namebecause it's easy to say,
Because, you know, I'm the queenof mispronouncing names, but it
just is fun to say, I mean, rahrah.
Oh my gosh, that's so silly.
Sorry, distraction.
Squirrel moment, my bad.

(04:46):
The Benu was said to reside inthe Benben stone, a sacred
obelisk in the city of the Sun.
It was believed to embody thesoul of raw and represent the
renewal of life.
Brought by the Sun's dailyjourney.
The Greeks, inspired by the taleof the Egyptians, wove the Benu

(05:08):
into their own mythology,transforming it into the Phoenix
Herodotus, the Greek historian,described the phoenix as a
majestic bird from Arabe,radiant with red and gold
feathers that would live forcenturies before bursting into
flames and rising anew from itsashes, the tail of the phoenix.

(05:30):
In a far off desert oasis,amidst swaying palms and
shimmering sands, there lived abird unlike any other.
Its feathers glowed like moltengold, and its eyes shone with
the light of a thousand sunsets.
This was the phoenix, a creatureblessed with the gods with the
gifts of mortality, but notwithout sacrifice.

(05:52):
The phoenix's life was long,spanning five hundred years.
Time drew to a close, it felt astrength deep within its soul,
an ancient call to return to itsbirthplace.
It flew tirelessly across thedeserts and mountains until it
reached Helopolis, the city ofthe sun.
I hope I'm saying that right.

(06:12):
I think it's Helopolis?
Helipolis, I think?
Upon arrival, the phoenix beganto build its nest, gathering
myrrh, frankincense, and otheraromatic spices.
Which, have you guys everthought how special that is?
Cause where else do we hear thatas a gift?

(06:33):
Right?
I'm just saying this because thenew year's coming and Christmas
is on the way and we hear thestory of the wise men bringing
myrrh and frankincense all thetime.
Myrrh, frankincense, and gold.
I can't help but think this issomewhat Applicable and related

(06:55):
in a sense or at you can atleast pull something from this
anyways The sense of the sacredoils fill the air as a bird
perched atop the Benben stone.
It's golden.
It's golden feathers gleamedinto the light of the set oil of
the setting sun.
Then, as the final rays ofdaylight kissed the horizon, the

(07:17):
phoenix let out a hauntinglybeautiful song, a melody so
profound, that the godsthemselves paused to listen.
At the last note faded, thephoenix ignited a brilliant
blaze of fire, its flamesconsuming both bird and nest.
From the ashes rose a singleegg, glowing with an inner fire.

(07:38):
It crackled open to reveal anewborn phoenix, identical to
its predecessor.
Yet imbued with wisdom of allits past lives, young phoenix
scratched its wings, its goldenfeathers, the young Phoenix
stretch its wings, its goldenfeathers.
Catching the first light ofdawn.

(07:59):
It gathered the remains of itsformer self into a ball of myrrh
and flew to the temple of raw,where it laid the ashes upon the
altar, honoring the circle oflife, death, and rebirth.
How beautiful is that?
I love that story.
The cultural significance.
Let's talk about it.

(08:19):
In Egyptian mythology, thePhoenix or Benu was more than a
creature.
It was a cosmic force.
It represented the Nile annualflooding, which brought life to
the land, and the rising sun,which renewed each day.
The Phoenix ability to rise fromits ashes mirrored the Egyptian
belief in the afterlife and thesoul's journey towards eternal

(08:41):
existence in Greek culture, thephoenix took a new layer of
meaning.
it emphasized the indomitablehuman spirit, the triumph of
life over death, and thestycical nature of existence.
For early Christians, thephoenix became a symbol of
Christian resurrection,illustrating the promise of

(09:04):
eternal life.
Which, I am a Christian myself,and I think that's just so cool.
The phoenix became a symbol ofChrist.
I love that you can see wherethings link, in stories and
folklore and tales to religion.
it's just so clear, it's there,and the phoenix is one of them.

(09:28):
The Phoenix Across Time.
The legend of the phoenix hastranscended its origins,
appearing in art, literature,and philosophy throughout
history.
From the romance poet Ovid'smetamorphosis to the writings of
medieval alchemists, who saw thephoenix as a symbol of
transformation and purification,this mythical bird has captured

(09:52):
the imaginations of countlesscultures.
Even today, the phoenix inspiresus reminding us that from the
ashes of despair, we can risestronger, wiser, and more
radiant than ever.
What a beautiful thought.
Alright friends, it's time tomyth this lore.

(10:13):
The Phoenix, okay, Greek andEgyptian mythology.
Let's talk about it.
The scripture I chose for thisstory was 1st Ephesians, 4
verses 14.
This is King James Version itquotes, If we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even sothem also which sleep in Jesus

(10:34):
will God bring with him.
Okay, the reasoning for thematching of this, story and the
scripture is because the phoenixsymbolizes death and rebirth,
representing cycles of life,renewal, and the hope of a
resurrection.
This scripture connects with theidea of transformation and the

(10:55):
promise of new life after death.
Much like the phoenix rises fromits ashes, it teaches that death
is not an end, but part of thecycle of eternal life.
Oh, beautiful.
My thoughts on this folklore,this tale of the phoenix.
I love the tale of the phoenix.

(11:16):
The phoenix has always been oneof my most fascinating animals.
Beneath bunnies, if not next to,is probably the phoenix.
Why?
Because I saw Harry Potter.
And I love, I love Harry Potterand the phoenix in Harry Potter.
When it comes to the phoenix andthis story, I just love how you

(11:41):
can clearly see where gospelties in with this tale, because
with frankincense and myrrh, andjust him bringing that to the
altar after his rebirth, itreminds me of the holidays
progress, for the first time Igot my own, tiny little nativity

(12:02):
set.
It can literally fit in mypalms.
It's so small, but I love it somuch.
It reminds me of that, and itreminds me of It doesn't even
have the wise men in it or theangel.
It's literally just mary josephjesus christ the manger and two
little animals, but it's alllike Fitting in this like
perfect nativity And it fitsright in my palm And I love it

(12:27):
so much I just want to cry everytime I look at it because i'm
like, oh my gosh This is soprecious the gifts we bring to
the altar Sometimes, we bringonly our problems and our
troubles and our trials to thealtar.
And though those things are muchwelcome and much appreciated, I

(12:52):
think, what can I bring to theSavior, By the end of this year,
right?
He wants intellectual things,that can be sacrificed So
something I want to gift to thesavior this year is more faith,
and more appreciation from thenature and the good things

(13:14):
around me.
Sometimes I forget that thereare birds and butterflies and
the sun and the moon.
And I just want to go outsideand be like, oh my gosh, I'm
sorry.
Sometimes I forget how beautifulthis world is.
But I want to give moregratitude to the blessings of
life.
And I want to learn how toappreciate the beautiful things

(13:38):
of nature.
So, I know that's not like asuper big gift, but I think that
is something I haven't doneenough of is appreciate the
natural things of life.
Going further into that,something meaningful to me is I

(14:01):
want to give more of my time tothe Savior.
I want to be able to pray more,read the Bible.
Any religious text.
I want to read Jesus the Christbecause, it's such a long book
and I've tried doing it before,couldn't finish it.

(14:21):
But this year I, gave achallenge to myself to finish
that because I want to get toknow the Savior more.
And that is my gift to him.
And I know it's like a gift tohim.
That's really for me, but.
It's for him I want to read thescriptures and I want to get to
know my Savior more Because Idon't want to be a burden.

(14:43):
I don't want this relationshipto be transactional I want it to
be a beautiful thing.
And what I love about thePhoenix is that it dies and then
there's a rebirth and with itsrebirth it has the knowledge of
its previous life I think that'sbeautiful because Every day when

(15:03):
we repent or when we use thegrace of God in our life We are
promising to do better Than wedid yesterday Every day, we can
become like the phoenix, and wecan have a rebirth of our own.
When we talk to Christ, when weget on our knees, even if you're

(15:25):
not Christian, if you'respiritual and you're just like,
meditating, and you're justtalking to the divine.
I believe that is a way for usto have a personal rebirth and
say I'm going to do better.
I'm going to take the knowledgefrom yesterday and become one
percent better today.

(15:46):
I'm going to be more positivetoday.
I'm going to say hi to thatperson today.
I'm going to be more encouragingtoday.
I'm going to do that thing I'vebeen putting off for a while
today.
I'm going to give more of myselftoday.
I'm going to help my mother dothis today.
I'm going to call my grandmatoday.

(16:07):
I'm going to pay a visit to anold friend today.
So, rebirth is becoming bettereach day in our life.
when you go to bed tonight,think of the phoenix.
Think of rebirth.
And when you wake up you are anew creature in Christ.

(16:27):
Think about how that couldinfluence your life and what a
fun challenge that would be.
Alright to end this episode, wehave a question at the end of
every episode.
Today's question is what doesthe circle of death and rebirth
teach us about transformation inour own lives?

(16:51):
How can we embrace change ratherthan fear it?
if you didn't know, you can putany questions you may have on
this podcast.
in the footnotes.
I'm creating an Instagram, and Iwill probably be putting this
episode on there too you'll findthis on there and you'll be able
to put it in the comment sectionor you can DM me an answer just

(17:13):
make sure you title it, so Iknow which episode you're
talking about, I would love tohear from you guys and the more
we do this, the more I will beable to share.
My listeners opinions andthoughts on my episode.
if that's something you'reinterested in, please, I'd love
to hear from you guys honestly,like honestly.
And I know that some peoplearen't religious, even if you're

(17:35):
not, go ahead and Put yourquestions in there, all are
welcome.
I would love to hear from you.
I'm so grateful that you guysjoined me on today's episode.
You will hear from me again.
Thank you so much for joining mein today's episode.
I will see you next time byefriends.
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