Chronicles of Baubo Biggins

The Goddess Baubo, terracotta figurine, Priene, 5th - 3rd century BCE

The Chronicles of Baubo Biggins
as told to Katara Moon

Hello Sweeties, Baubo Biggins here.

I send this missive to you after being inspired by Karen Tate's lovely book Walking An Ancient Path. My memory was jogged and two tales of epiphany came spilling back which I have vowed to share with you one and all.

A bit of background must be indulged - how did Baubo Biggins become my alter ego, muse, guardian Goddess, et al? "Oh", I hear you say, "She has taken her name from an adventure series known to millions". But No... You'd be wrong. Baubo is a Goddess. A Greek Goddess. One who saved us all from freezing.

And Biggins? Well Biggins speak for themselves. "Oh No", I hear you say, "She is going to make them talk". But No. I thought about that briefly. And well... That would be tacky. Even Baubo has certain standards.

Baubo, as you know, figured prominently in the tale of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was the Goddess of Growing Things. Her daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Bruto Pluto the god of the underworld and taken to Hades. (Whether Persephone went willingly with Bruto Pluto or was abducted is up to question but that does not figure in ‘this’ retelling of the story). Demeter grieved prodigiously. Crops stopped growing. Birds stopped singing. Bunnies stopped multiplying. The earth become frozen with Demeter's grief. It snowed. It snowed a lot. The other Goddesses and Gods of Olympis became so concerned they implored the Goddess Baubo to speak to Demeter.

After searching high and low Baubo found Demeter. Baubo (being Baubo) did a body dance with her bawdy parts and which ever way you read that it pretty much comes out the same. "Demeter Sweetie, Lighten Up!", Baubo said at the end of her dance. And Demeter did. Crops started growing, birds started singing, bunnies etc., etc. And thus the earth was saved and seasons were born. Now those of us from Southern California are far enough away from this particular myth so as not to be effected by its weather patterns. No. We have myths of our own. Many to do with hot tubs and avocados.

But I digress. I will now tell you of my very own epiphany with Baubo. I was not always as I am now. No. I started my life as a serious artist minding my own business and doing the things artists do to make a living, when the Universe came along, thumped me on the head and said , "You Who. Fibromyalgia. Look it up." Well I looked it up. It was not in the dictionary. Being an up-to-date artist (working with computers and such), I went to the internet and much to my dismay I found it. Not only did I have an illness no one could pronounce or spell - no one could treat...

Even so, I went to my doctor hoping for the best, telling her that I could not sit, stand or use the computer for more than three minutes at a time. She said " YOU are depressed." Imagine that. She put me on medical leave and sent me to a therapist who said I needed to respect my disease. Ah huh. She also said, I needed a new less stressful line of work.

Baubo, terracotta figurine, Priene, 5th - 3rd century BCE

But what? I could not sit stand or use a computer for more than three minutes at a time. For what could I qualify? At this point in time I had been on sick leave for endless months. I was sitting in my dining room on an outdoor lounge chair. It was the only way I could watch endless hours of television without having to turn my head. (Head turning being a serious disrespect of the a for named illness). And it suddenly came to me as I was watching the comedy channel. There was Baubo, thumping me on the head and I clearly heard her say, "Lighten Up!" And thus Baubo Biggins was born.

On my very next visit to my therapist I happily announced to her that I had come to a new calling... Stand Up Comic! I don't think this was the outcome she was expecting and said I might want to speak to my doctor about my meds and mentioned something called "serotonin overload". Serotonin Overload!? Could such a thing be possible?

To make a long story short, you can guess the stand up thing hasn't quite materialized but Baubo continues to visit me and get me through many otherwise un-amusing days. Which brings us to the second epiphany I have to tell but you will have to wait for Part Two. Stand up (or sit down) should be brief - given time to digest. (Plus I haven't written Part 2 yet.)

As for Part 1 I leave you with two thoughts ... If you don't need to look up Fibromyalgia..Don't. And second. On whatever road you may find yourself, look there at a crossroads as you pass. There she is. Baubo waving a sign (or something). And you hear her say with love and gusto "Sweetie, Lighten Up!". All of your little cells, neurons, and transmitters will thank you for it. They'll kick their little feet back and have a healing meditation, a day at the beach. They might even have a dance of their own. Laughter really is good medicine.
Blessings and Hugs,BB :)

P.S.(Being a former serious artist and almost stand up comic BB feels free to take full artistic license with language and puntuation.)

© Whitehouse/Moon 2008

About the Author: Katara Moon is the pen name of artist Debora Whitehouse She was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1951. She became a feminist at 12, although she didn't know it until she was 20. In High School she studied Latin and German. Latin gave her an early introduction to mythology and she has carried a love for myth ever since. The only thing she remembers about German is that Nouns are capitalized - also something she still loves and uses liberally in her work.

She studied at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, receiving a BFA in 1977 with a double major in Advertising and Illustration. Eight years of freelancing in New York City added clients (including Ms. Magazine, Time/Life Video, and Ladies Home Journal) and experience (as Illustrator, Art Director, Graphic Designer and Book Designer) to here resume.

She returned to the Los Angeles area in 1986, as she says she was "missing the color green and palm trees". Some clients in Los Angeles included Universal Amphitheatre, Manhattan Transfer, Ensemble Studio Theatre and McGrawHill.

Whitehouse received a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators in New York 1982 appearing in their annual publication "Illustrators 22". Her exhibits include a One Woman Show at Anderson College (Anderson Indiana) in 1980 and a Four Woman Show in the Green Garden Gallery (Montgomery Alabama) in 1999. She is listed in the archives of the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington D.C.

Briefly pursuing a masters degree in Ancient Art and Goddess Studies, she realized shortly into it that she didn't want to teach. She just wanted to be able to tell people she was a Goddess smarty pants. She has left academic pursuits to those who have greater attention spans than herself.

Debora's career was sidelined in 2003, having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia several years earlier. She is now retired from the Art World. ("At least for now Sweeties.") and resides in New Mexico with her Himalayan Cat, Coco, where she once again is missing green and palm trees. She spends her time Couch Potatoing, Aqua Therapying and otherwise amusing herself until her body or the medical community get up to speed. She's open to either event.

Until then she is happily writing "The Chronicles of Baubo Biggins" profiling her experience with art, illness and a good many things under the sun. Her pen name Katara Moon, was the name of her great grandmother or great aunt. If you search hard you might find Debora's old art web site "KataraMoon Studio" but its iffy. It could still be out there in the ether somewhere.

She is a proud Crone Woman of 57 although she had to admit that the photo herewith displayed is not current. But she likes it. So there you are.

Mirror of Isis - "We are all Her reflection"

Mirror of Isis is the official newsletter of the Circle of Isis Advisory Board of the Fellowship of Isis. All contents published on this website © Circle of Isis Advisory Board of the Fellowship of Isis and Temple of Isis. The name "Mirror of Isis" is copyrighted. The name "Circle of Isis - Fellowship of Isis Central Global Website" is copyrighted. The Circle of Isis - Fellowship of Isis Central Global Website is an officially sanctioned central global website of the Fellowship of Isis, authorized by Rt. Rev. Olivia Robertson, AU, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis, Foundation Centre, Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland. Direct links to these webpages are permitted. Copying the appearance, content or format of these pages is not permitted. All rights reserved. Copying the appearance, content or format of these pages is not permitted. All rights reserved.

Notice of Copyright and Disclaimer: The Mirror of Isis is the officially sanctioned FOI publication of the Circle of Isis Advisory Board, authorized by Olivia Robertson, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis, Foundation Centre, Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland. All contents published under the name The Mirror of Isis on this website © Circle of Isis Advisory Board of the Fellowship of Isis and Temple of Isis. The contents are not public domain. Direct links to these webpages are permitted. Copying the appearance, content or format of these pages is not permitted. All rights reserved.

"Circle of Isis" line drawing by Lady Olivia Robertson. Used by permission of the artist. All rights reserved.