Buzz Coil: October

Here's what's been buzzin' on other blogs recently. If we missed an item you think is important. Please leave the info as a "comment."

Doire Musings : In an Oct. 19 post, "thou shalt not erect graven images," the blogger mdiv94, a professor of religion, writes about how a furor erupted recently when she introduced female god language in the college classroom. (Yes, this is still happening in 2006!) Mdiv94 writes:

It is only when one suggests that God is like a Mother, or when one refers to God as "She" that the hostility emerges. I told them that there is a feminist theologian and Catholic nun (Sr. Elizabeth Johnson) who has written in her book She Who Is that to insist upon only one image for God; to insist that God can only be imaged exclusively in male terms, is paramount to idolatry; it is comparable to creating a "graven image," an idol. That's when a few of the boys lost it. Towards the end of class one of them asked, "What is it that you (meaning, you feminists) want?" I began by saying that the feminist critique of religion and feminist theology were important to me because I am convinced that, "our theology shapes our humanity." I am convinced that the ways in which we image God directly affect and influence our images of each other. What God becomes, becomes God....And as long as only men get to reflect the
divine; as long as men are the symbolic representation of God; as long as men are the only human beings who are considered worthy enough to mediate between the divine and the human, then the feminine and women will be rendered inferior. Regarding his question as it related to the issue of women's lives I responded this way, "I would like it if a woman were not sexually assaulted every few minutes in this country. I would like it if a woman were not beaten every few seconds in this country. I would like it if the trafficking in women's and girls' bodies was not the third largest illegal trade in the world. If globally, women could be educated, could own property, inherit, sign contracts, witness in courts of law, vote...

Screaming into the Void: In her Oct. 17 post, "Gender, Language, Religion and Law," blogger Amananta uses "woman" as a generic term instead of "man" in some familiar passages. A "good consciousness raiser," as they used to say, unfortunately still necessary.

At the end of desire: In her Oct. 18 post, "Ethics, Science, and the Goddess," blogger Inanna responds to coverage of the shooting of girls by a non-Amish man in an Amish school.

Radical Goddess Thealogy: In a Sept. 24 post about "Tracking Down a Good Goddess Group" blogger Athana and commenters give practical suggestions. In a Sept. 27 post, "The Mysterious dying God, " Athana asks: Does our new Goddess religion need a dying God?

The Furious Spinner: In an Oct. 13 post, "Freya's Day," Kim Antieu reflects on Fridays' significance, including an incident in Greece.

Hecate: Blogger Hecate shares several different imporessions of the Goddess Ix Chel, including a poem by Amy Sophia Marashinsky in the Oct. 20 post, "Saturday Goddess Blogging" .

Peeling a Pomegranate : Blogger Carly tries to reconcile her Judaism and her "aspected monotheism" in her Oct. 17 post, "Am I Pagan?"

Blue Christian : Jon Trox interviews feminist evangelical Christian Patricia Gundry in "Woman Be Free! Interview with Patricia Gundry" .

So She Stirs: Shekhinah Mountainwater writes in her October post "Cancer Musings" about her recuperation from cancer. We're glad to see Shekhinah blogging again!

About Samhain/Hallows:
Blogger Jay refutes some misconceptions about Samhain in "They're Trying to Hijack Us Again!" on Jay My Space blog .

On Pagan Godspell , Sara Sutterfield Winn in an Oct. 19 post, "The Beloved Dead and the Not So Beloved Dead" asks: What about those ancestors you'd rather not contact?

A gem of a contemplative post on Emily My Space Blog on Oct. 22, "Peaceful, Sacred Samhain." Quoting Emily's 3rd paragraph seems a nice way to close:

And at this time of the Crone, the Hag, we remember the Burning Times and know we must continue to live, even if not all of us can live out loud, to bring peace, healing, empowering wisdom into the lives of all, to always work for the greater good no matter the risk. In these days of waning energy on the Wheel of the Year, we honor the Crone by remembering those Crones who have touched our lives and moved on, and by serving those who are still here. We honor you, dear Crone, by listening to you. Above all, my ears are here to gather the fragmented, nearly forgotten pieces of your story so that your wisdom, experiences and lessons of life will continue to serve the community for generations to come. Your life is not for naught, for we are listening and learning from you. From the Crone's wisdom in death comes the Maiden's rebirth anew in Spring.

Blessed Samhain/Hallows to all.