Tag Archives: reincarnation

Look Who’s Talking Now

The 1999 Oziana has a cover sporting four pictures of Toto, challenging the reader to determine which one was from what book and what artist. The first two are actually both by John R. Neill for The Lost Princess of … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Art, Atticus Gannaway, Characters, Chris Dulabone, Jack Snow, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Marcus Mebes, Marin Elizabeth Xiques, Names, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Poetry, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Forget That Girl

Today, I’d like to talk about Meng Po, a Chinese goddess who makes an appearance in Katie Zhao’s Fallen Hero. She’s a resident of Diyu, the underworld, which combines Taoist and Buddhist traditions. Meng Po makes a magic liquid that … Continue reading

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Dibs on the Dybbuk

I saw some mention of a dybbuk box this past weekend, and it sounded familiar. From what I found when I looked it up, a dybbuk box is actually quite new, but a dybbuk is very old. It’s a spirit … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, Dreams, Judaism, Monsters, Mythology, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wizards’ Work

Once & Future, by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy – Written by a queer couple and published under the imprint of mystery and thriller author James Patterson, this combines the King Arthur myth with science fiction, LGBT themes, and … Continue reading

Posted in A. Lee Martinez, Arthurian Legend, Authors, Book Reviews, British, Corporations, Humor, Magic, Mythology, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ozzing Dead

I’ve already written about the concept of death and afterlife in the Oz series and ghosts in Oz, but another theme I’ve seen occasionally in apocryphal Oz works is that of people coming to live in Oz when they die. … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, Chronicles of Narnia, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, March Laumer, Oz, Oz Authors, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Sensational Sorcerer of Samaria

In early Christianity, a common scapegoat was someone called Simon Magus. He was identified as the founder of Gnosticism, a false Messiah, and sometimes even the father of all heresies. So who was Simon Magus really? It’s a bit difficult … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, Gnosticism, Historical Personages, History, Mythology, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Straw Man Origins

I’ve already described Ruth Plumly Thompson’s origin story for the Scarecrow, but I thought this was a topic that could use another look. It’s rather controversial in the Oz community, although I have to wonder how much of that is … Continue reading

Posted in Buddhism, Characters, Magic Items, Oz, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments