Story Prescription: A story of the Woman's Quest, a feminine journey, a story of female initiation into adulthood, and into an awakening. A Bulgarian wondertale about a girl to enters into an old woman's hut and finds gold; and her step-sister who instead of gold finds darkness - but that too is a gift, if you know to recognise it as one. Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/ If you enjoy my podcast please leave a rating and a review, as this helps others to find it. If you know a friend who needs this story, feel free to share it with them. To support my work, and to hear more stories you can find me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/NanaTomova.
A funny and lighthearted story from Bulgaria about a man who decides he is better off following advice because it cost him a lot of money. -Story Prescription: For anyone who likes to give advice freely, and for anyone who follows advice that does not serve them. For those who wish to have some wisdom by which to live their lives. _ To support my work financially you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music.
A story from Sudan. Bat is shunned from animals and birds as he doesn't belong in either. He is neither bird, nor animal. Story Prescription: A sad, lighthearted and endearing story about not belonging, which we can all relate to. . To support my work financially you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music.
A story from the Slavic lands about Baba Yaga - the liminal Crone Goddess. It is an uncomfortable and uneasy story about burying the animal, wild, parts of us and the dangers that follow. Story Prescription: A story about the importance of initiation, and having elders in your life. A story about the importance of those wild barking parts of us that tell us when something is not right, and how we chose to bury them. -Story Caution: A frightening story for children. This one might be for adults or for slightly older children. There are also themes of animal cruelty throughout. Nonetheless, a story full of wisdom and metaphor. _ To support my work financially, and benefit from the Story Apothecary community, you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music.
A Bulgarian Christmas Story (available in English for the first time here) about a sister and brother who met misfortune one winter day. A story of hardship and hope. -Story Prescription: A story to feel festive, a story for gratefulness, for the unfairness of life sometimes, for small miracles. -Story Caution: Some not very nice things happen to brother and sister. If listening with little ones, I recommend listening to the end with them. _ To support my work financially you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. You can book tickets to Slavic Stories for the Winter Solstice here _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. Episode Artwork by Winslow Homer, 1892.
The Seventh Swan (Cambridgeshire, England) - a somewhat dark, and beautiful tale about a boy who tries to kill a swan. The other six swans, her companions come to her aid. -Story Prescription: A story of feminine power, of true friendship, of wild nature. -Story Caution: This story is rather intense in places and deals with taking that which is not given in multiple senses of the word. It is beautiful though, and rather wild. I hope that you like it. _ To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. You can book tickets to Slavic Stories for the Winter Solstice here _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music.
A story from Norway. A girl finds herself in a castle asked to spin impossible quantities of flax in just a night and a day. Three old women come to help her. -Story Prescription: A tale of women's power and intuition, of help from wiser generations, of respect for grandmothers. And a little bit of humour. _ To support my work financially you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music.
A tale from Germany about a strange creature called Mannikin Spanalong which a young girl helps to free, and she gets her own freedom in return. Story Prescription: A story about facing your fears and moving forward; about being kind in the face of uncertainty and adversity; a story about being strong and independent; about importance of caring for elders, and the wisdom that you can gain in return. Story Caution: If listening alone, some very small children might find Mannikin Spanalong a little frightening. It is a story worth finishing till the end. Support this podcast: Patreon: www.patreon.com/NanaTomova Music by In Feathers
A lighthearted story from Russia. This is not a story of Vasilisa the wise, the brave, the beautiful. This is a different girl called Vasilisa. Vasilisa is also called Vasily, a boy's name. Which is she - a woman or a man - the king desperately tries to find out. But he can't. A wonderful story of wit that defies the perceived social roles of gender. Story Prescription for breaking gender stereotypes, and stereotypes of many a kind. A story for having the courage to live life in the way that you want, a story for fighting for what you believe in for yourself and your community. Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A story from Portugal. A father and his daughter move from place to place. His fear that she will abandon him keeps them moving, despite her wanting to settle down. A story of breaking free, of a love - suffocating rather than nurturing. -Story Prescription: A story for anxiety, for unbalanced relationships of any kind, of loving too tightly, a story of being afraid to let go. A story of seeking freedom. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . Stories of Baba Yaga for Halloween are available to book here: https://www.nanatomova.com/event-details/baba-yaga-stories-of-the-slavic-crone-goddess . Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A sweet story about the bread of life, and about the tenderness and richness of the harvest. -Story Prescription: A story for the earth and the land. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A beautiful and lighthearted story from from former Czechoslovakia about a girl who tends her goats when she meets a wood maiden - a forest nymph in the woods. -Story Prescription: A story about knowing when to work and when to dance. A story about giving yourself permission to feel joy, and maybe sometimes - letting go and enjoying the magic around. _ Join me for Sun Stories for the the Summer Solstice on the 19th June 2021. More information and tickets: here _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A story from Russia about a poor cottager who is granted wishes by a magic linden (lime) tree. He gets carried away and, well, things turn out differently to how he wished. -Story Prescription: A story for greed and for gratefulness. A reminder of not desiring what is impossible- if you desire too much, you may lose what you had. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A story from Russia about a seven year old who knows the important things in life. -Story Prescription: A story about the wisdom of women, and of our younger selves. A story of nature, and for valuing the strong, wise, and independent girls in our stories and in our world. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller. You can book story walks and find out about my work and upcoming events via my website www.nanatomova.com To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
An important and lighthearted story from England, about King Arthur who must save his life by answering a riddle - what do women want, more than anything. Does he succeed to find the answer? -Story Prescription: For all women out there, for all who identify as women, for all who treasure their feminine qualities, for all that appreciate the women in their lives. For International Women's Day, there couldn't be a more apt story. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . Buy a ticket for Slavic Stories for the Spring Equinox here. _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A wise and sobering story from Bulgaria, which I've translated especially for this podcast. It's about a woman who poisons a loaf of bread to teach someone a lesson. Things don't turn out the way she planned. -Story Prescription: A story for pondering on our actions. One for reflection and for helping us to set an intention for what we do. A story to encourage kindness towards ourselves and others. -Story Caution: This story can be triggering for anyone who has experienced loss and bereavement recently. If this is the case for you, ensure that you are in a place both physically, and emotionally, to be able to receive this story. Coming Up: Slavic Stories for the Spring Equinox: Book Here Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore, and Baba Yaga's Calendar. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A lighthearted and yet poignant and cautionary tale from Tibet about some monkeys, led by their monkey leader, who doesn't take time for reflection and advice, leads his monkeys to rescue the moon from deep water as he thinks she is drowning. -Story Prescription: A story about misguided leadership, one to give courage and strength to speak up in challenging circumstances. A story to provide inward and outward reflection. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/ You can find more about National Storytelling Week at: https://www.sfs.org.uk
A wise and lighthearted story from Nepal about a potter who makes a wish for his pots to be unbreakable. -Story Prescription: A story for perfectionism, a story for and about creativity, imperfection and the beauty of impermanence. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of Baba Yaga's Calendar, stories, poems and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A sad, sobering and hopeful Bulgarian story which I've translated into English about Grandmother Plague, old woman, who comes to visit. -Story Prescription: A story to help with not living in fear and being present in our times. A tale to encourage kindness and compassion. -Story Caution: This story talks of the Plague taking lives. It conjures up similarities to the current pandemic, and therefore if you or someone you know is ill, or you have lost someone, this story may be difficult for you. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/
A warm European story about a poor traveller who enters a poor village and he shows them how to make stone soup to ease everyone's hunger. This episode might make you peckish! -Story Prescription: A story about the power of community. A story to bring hope in times of divide and ease loneliness, with a reminder that community can be formed in many different ways. _ Ways to Support this podcast: -If you have enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review as this helps others to find it. Share this podcast with your friends and on social media. You can find me on Instagram @nana.tomova or on Twitter @NanaTomova or on Facebook @NanaTomovaStoryteller . To support my work financially you can become a regular patron on Patreon, and you will receive the gift of stories and folklore. . You can also 'buy me a coffee' as a one-off way of supporting me if you enjoy listening. . _ Music: Thank you to In Feathers for the beautiful music. You can find more of his music and musings at https://www.instagram.com/in.feathers/