Goddess Pages: Winter '08

The excellent journal, Goddess Pages, headquartered in England and with articles from people in a number of different countries, is now available both in print and online. Our review is of the online version.

This Winter issue’s opening art is "Gaia" by Suzanne Cheryl Gardner. Be sure to click on this beautiful portrayal to see a wonderful gallery of Gardner’s art.

Articles available to read free online are:
"Heart of the Dragon: a spiritual Herstory in rural West Wales" by Pamela Gaunt, about questions she has about her role as a storyteller. Gaunt gives her version of a Welsh folk tale, which (among other things) leads to a cultural exchange with Poland that included Irish storytellers and the birth of a baby dragon. The Black Madonna is also involved and all I can say is that this is quite a story so don’t miss it!

Glenys Livingstone’s "Re-Visioning Mythologies of Gender/Sex" delves into the distinction between sex and gender, asks what is the difference between masculine and feminine? how do they differ from maleness and femaleness? Are our definitions clear? Too rigid? In what instances may "essentialism" be a good thing? And more!

In "Thoughts on Importing Celtic Goddesses into the Southern Hemisphere," Jill Smith describes how her concept of Goddess is related to "manifestations of the spirit of place." This makes it troubling to her when Goddesses from other parts of the world are invoked in a place that has its own Goddesses.

"The Goose, the Crow, and the Cross Bones Portal," by John Constable, aka John Crow, tells of the Southwalk Mysteries. They were first revealed to Crow in 1996 by a spirit called Winchester Goose, "a medieval whore," who is now "the Goddess on the shop floor," possibly with some relationship to Mary Magdalene.

In "The Path to Avalon - an Inner Journey for Samhain," Laura Nutley (Cariad) tells us about Glastonbury (Avalon) and Samhain.

The following articles are designated "premium articles" in the online edition and there is a charge to read them. In accordance with our review policy , we will provide a list of them without comment:
"The Art of Searching for Goddess" by Suzanne Cheryl Gardner
"Matriarchal Spirituality, Past and Present" by Heide Gottner-Abendroth
"The Wise Woman Tradition Empowers Women" by Susun S. Weed
"Women’s Spirituality - Ushering in the Sacred Feminine" by Shekhinah Morgan
NOTE: All articles previously marked as "premium" through 2007 are now available for free reading online.

This Winter issue includes, for the first time, letters from readers, which are free to read online. They are: "Commercialisation of the Goddess" from Doreen Hopwood and "Balancing on Air" from Rowland, with an excellent response from Geraldine Charles.

There is no charge to read reviews and poetry. This issue's reviews are:
"Three Goddess Classics" (Gimbutas’ The Language of the Goddess, Eisler’s The Chalice and the Blade, Baring and Cashford’s The Myth of the Goddess) reviewed by Theresa Curtis-Diggs.
"Walking an Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth by Karen Tate," reviewed by Jacqui Woodward-Smith.
"Earth Pathways 2009, We’Moon ‘09, and "We’Moon on the Wall ‘09" reviewed by Jacqui Woodward-Smith.
"Gwen Davies’ The Lunar Calendar: reviewed by Geraldine Charles.
"Kelliana: I Walk With the Goddess" (CD) reviewed by Myfanwy Ashley.
"Thirteen Moons Autumn Festival on Dartmoor" (event) reviewed by Michelle Darnell-Roberts.

As usual, the poetry is up to literary journal standards. This issue's poems are:
"Grief Like Horses (for Dad)" by Jacqui Woodward-Smith; "Isis Weeps for Cleopatra" by Doreen Hopwood; "Magi" by Geraldine Charles; "The Reclamation of Self: The Brass Brassiere" by Maria Duncalf-Barber.