The Legend of the White Snake

“Marriage is obscene in principle insofar as it transforms into rights and duties those mutual relations which should be founded on a spontaneous urge.” Simone de Beauvoir Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: one a pioneering feminist, the other an existentialist scholar. This philosopher couple is perhaps the most famous example of an “open relationship” in history. Their unconventional love story challenged the moral norms of French society in their time, becoming the star-crossed lovers of the French intellectual scene in the 1930s. Questioning Monogamy From the beginning of their relationship, Beauvoir and Sartre upheld a free and open relationship: living separately, never marrying, and not interfering in each other’s lives. They even signed a “love contract” to ens...

From the dawn of time, the natural world has been esteemed as the “Mother of Nature”, a moniker that transcends simple designation to deeply affirm the intrinsic bond between women and the wild. This unique kinship, spanning the annals of time from archaic matriarchal societies to our contemporary era, is a recurring motif across diverse cultures and legends. In the rich tapestry of myths both in the East and the West, women have consistently been portrayed as custodians, healers, and creators of the natural realm. Take, for instance, Demeter in Greek mythology, consort to Zeus and the goddess of harvest and fecundity, who infused the earth with vitality and bestowed upon mankind the wisdom of agriculture. In Hindu lore, Parvati, the mountain goddess and sister to the Ganges deity, emb...