Now that December had dawned, the last vestiges of summer and fall are rapidly vanishing. And with that so are those lovely creatures of the warm months, the nymphs. There may some winter nymphs out there, but I have yet to discover them. Perhaps this winter will bring new delights. Who knows. But in the meantime I must mourn the annual flight of the wood and water nymphs into their mysterious winter abodes, not to be seen again until the first blossoms of spring begin to appear.

Oh winter, your darkness oppresses me!

Two Oceanids on some unknown shore enjoy the last days of summer.

The Oceanids were sea nymphs, or to be more precise, they were among the three thousands daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. These lovely creatures inhabited different bodies of water, whether they be springs, lakes, seas or oceans. In our modern world, they usually make their appearance in the late summer, when the last bursts of warmth and sunlight bath the northern hemisphere. Once the weather turns cooler, they will disappear to different and secret haunts.

A nineteenth century painting of Oceanids by Gustave Dore.

Despite our modern, technological and historically ignorant world, there are still many mysteries to be discovered and explored, and the world of the nymphs remains one of those.

During the heady days of summer, one may see many things. Here, for example, are two lovely dryads (wood nymphs) enjoying the pleasures of love. If we decide to take a walk through the woods on a warm August afternoon, we may sometimes see a single wood nymph, but seeing two together, and locked in such an erotic embrace, is truly a wonderful surprise.

Ah, the delights and beauties of summer are always endless!

A lovely tree nymph.

Now that Spring has finally arrived, and is delighting our hearts with all her beauty, we must remember that this is also the time of the year when nymphs are most visible. Be careful for you just may, in the right time and place, happen upon one of these mysterious yet beautiful creatures.

The nymph above is sometimes called a wood nymph or a tree nymph. Dryad or Hamadryad, would be the correct Greek name for such creatures. These nymphs are found in the forests, glens, dales, or any other heavily wooded area. They are usually hard to spot, given the shadowy nature of a forest, but they can be seen if you are lucky enough to see one.

And again, as with all nymphs, if you see one you must use extreme caution. They are alluring, but very dangerous creatures.

A lovely wood nymph spotted in some secluded forest haunt…

Now that we are in the full glory of summer with lots of sun and heat, the dryads, or wood nymphs, are quite abundant. If you take a walk in a secluded wooded area, and the more secluded the better, your chances of happening upon one of these exotic creatures is better now than at any other time during the year. There are many theories as to why these nymphs are so abundant in the months of July and August, but scientists have not come to any definite conclusions. It may simply be that nymphs enjoy summer more so than any other season, and thus venture out of their haunts at this time of year with great frequency.

Whatever the case, the nymph is one of those mysterious creatures that has always fascinated me, and so I will always enjoy writing about their beauty.

A lovely tree nymph…

Now that the beautiful time of summer is in full bloom, there are many different sights one may come across. One of these are nymphs. I have written in the past about these exotic creatures of loveliness and sensuality, but I never tire of this subject. The warmth of summer is always delightful, and nymphs seem to enjoy showing themselves most during this time of year. Nymphs are creatures of nature, and so you need to be in a natural, outdoors environment to catch a glimpses of one. It is quite rare to actually see a real nymph, but they do exist, and when you do see one, you will know.

The above is a tree nymph, also known as a dryad. I envy the unknown photographer who happened upon her!

A lovely tree nymph.

Here is a bit of beauty for today, something from the world of Odysseus. In his journeys to strange lands Odysseus met many beautiful women, both human and divine. This creature is obviously a tree nymph, and, like all nymphs, she should be approached only with great caution. A hero like Odysseus would know how to deal with such situations.

My own journeys recently have not been so exotic, but I hope to post new material soon. To me, such visions as above are all reflections of the divine and mysterious nature of the world.