Buzz Coil: March 2013

A look at some posts of interest from our blogroll and sometimes beyond.

The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology: In an undated post (but I know it's recent) on its homepage, ASWM announces that registration is open for its April 20 regional symposium “Lady of Ten Thousand Lakes: Finding Wisdom in Places” in Minneapolis (you don't have to live in the region to attend--it's just that the symposium is held in a different U.S. region each time.) Panels include Methodology, Place Wisdom. Matriarchal Studies, and Art and Artists. Keynote speaker is Arieahn Matamonasa-Bennett, Ph.D., Native American scholar and licensed clinical psychologist on the faculty of DePaul University School for New Learning. 

Way of the Rabbit: In her extraordinary March 20 post, "Equinox: Balance & Crazy Wisdom" blogger Yeshe Rabbit contrasts and works toward reconciling feelings from this year's day before Equinox--which was filled with discussion of rape--with feelings on the Equinox, for her filled with innocence, beauty, sweetness and joy. In the process she shares "one of the definitions of magic," and the Buddhist concept of "crazy wisdom."
 
Broomstick Chronicles: In a March 20 post in the form of a press release, "Reclaiming Tradition History & Lore Archives,"  M. Macha NightMare (aka Aline O'Brien) announces the transfer of her e-collection related to Reclaiming, as well as the transfer of "early Reclaiming papers."  A founder of Reclaiming, she announced her withdrawal from the tradition last August.

Casa della Dea: In a March 13 post, "Marguerite Rigoglioso e il ritorno delle sacerdotesse," this Goddess blog publishes in Italian American Goddess scholar Marguerite Rigoglioso's account of her recent discovery during her trip to Italy and other European countries that "The Priestesses of Greece and Rome are Returning" (account in English). Among this month's other posts  by Eilantha Redspring on Casa Della Dea is a March 20 post "Un rito per l'Equinozio di Primavera" (Spring Equinox ritual), honoring the return of Kore/Persephone.

PNC-Minnesota Bureau: Cara Schultz's March 21 post,"In Memory: Yana" memorializes a Syrian Pagan woman with whom she was was in contact and who was apparently killed at least in part because of her spiritual path. ("Yana" is a pseudonym Cara uses to protect the woman's friends and family).With link to donate to Doctors Without Borders in Yana's name. [Thanks to HecateDemeter and The Wild Hunt for their info on this.]

Works of Literata: In her March 24 post, "Balancing, moving to the light" blogger Literata tells of her intent to take part in events related to the Supreme Court marriage equality cases, and suggests how to incorporate support into your spiritual intentions. Includes prayers to Goddesses Columbia and Justice.

 Pagan Square: A few from this month's posts on a blog of many bloggers:
After attending a Jewish Passover seder, Byron Ballard writes, in a March 24 post, "Why Pagans Need a 'Passover Seder' of Our Own." 
In a March 21 post, "Equal Light Equal Rights" David Salisbury writes of the relevance of Ostara to the changing attitudes towards same sex marriage and gives info on a "ritual calling upon the guardian Goddess of DC and of the United States, Columbia. We will ask Columbia to bring the sword of victory to our work, leading us in the march to freedom and justice. Before the Tuesday rally, I'll attend an interfaith service with some of my of my coreligionists and people of other faiths. Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary will be speaking at the service to give a voice from the Pagan perspective."
In a March 8 post, Carolyn Dow shares "Final Thoughts on Yemanja," especially as the Sea Goddess is honored in Brazil.

Feminism and Religion: Just a few of this month's posts on this blog with writers from many paths:
Carol P. Christ, in a March 25 post, explores "What Might It Be Like To Live In A Matriarchal Society Of Peace? Can You Imagine?" Her post is at least partly in response to a comment on her recent series on patriarchy. She writes that behind the comment were the assumptions that "if women are dominated by men in patriarchal societies, then men must have been dominated by women pre-patriarchal societies" and that "there must have been 'a good reason' for the development of patriarchy." 
In a March 24 post, "The Body of the Goddess," Deanne Quarrie writes about interdependence and the Earth as the body of the Goddess. 
Marie Cartier discusses the body of the Goddess from a different perspective, and with a chakra meditation, in her March 22 post,"Your Body is the Body of the Goddess."
Yet another perspective is given on March 1 by Carol P. Christ, who combines prayers and other materials from several religious paths in a new prayer, "Our Mother Whose Body Is The Earth." 
On March 23, five bloggers--Samar Esapzai, Shireen Ahmed, Vanessa D. Rivera, Ayesha Asghar, and Hyshyama Hamin--post  "Response to “The Islamic Solution to Stop Domestic Violence,”
discussing  a March 5, 2012 Huffington Post post, “The Islamic Solution to Stop Domestic Violence,” by Qasim Rashid.
In a March 19 post, "Dialogues With Our Children," Kelly Brown Douglas discusses the womanist tradition of mothers having conversations with their children that are "fundamental to helping black children to 'survive and be whole' in a world that looks down on their blackness and attempts to limit their ambitions."
In March 16 and 17 posts, Barbara Ardinger tells a story,"The Child of the Bog". The March 16 post includes an introduction about Isis mythology, to which the story is partly related.
In a March 15 post, Molly Remer asks, "Do Women’s Circles Actually Matter?" and provides a thorough and deep exploration of the subject, including the separation early on of political and spiritual feminism. 
In a March 6 post, "Hate Mail and the Privilege of Having a Voice" Gina Messina-Dysert tells about the mail--both favorable and unfavorable--that she received after her appearance on PBS to give her opinion on the new Pope. 
Dawn Morais Webster gives her opinion of Messina-Dysert's presentation in her March 5 post, "Let the Walls Come Tumbling Down."

Veleda: Beginning with a quote about Isis, in her Feb. 28 post, "Raising the Dead: Medicine Women Who Revive and Retrieve Souls I," Max Dashu discusses shamans in a variety of cultures. First of a series.

Hearth Moon Rising's blog: Where do bunnies and eggs (and more) come from? Hearth Moon Rising explains in her March 8 post, "Eostre and the Egg." With bibliography.

Ma Vie en Goddessia: In her March 20 post, blogger The Goddessian writes "Christians call it Easter, I call it Easter. Ostara is a different holiday completely," with plenty of controversial details which she recommends we use a search engine to verify. 

The Belle Jar: I'm adding this on March 31 because the situation and post didn't occur until after I posted this Buzz Coil, and I think it's important to the discussion of spring holidays. A few days ago, a pic of a poster showing Ishtar , along with claims about the relationship of Ishtar and the word "Easter," was posted on a Facebook page of  a foundation headed by Richard Dawkins. The pic (which has since been removed from the foundation's FB page) went somewhat viral, especially among Goddess folk, a number of whom were dismayed. In her March 28 post, "Easter is Not Named After Ishtar And Other Truths I have to Tell You," Anne Therlault refutes the connection.

Return to Mago: A few from this blog of many  guest bloggers:
 In a March 20 post, "The Equinoxes as Story of Redemption: Sacred Balance of Maternal Creativity,"  Glenys Livingstone shows the relationship of the celebration of the equinoxes to one another, and to various spiritual paths within and outside of Paganism.
In a March 13 post, "(Bell Essay 4) The Ancient Korean Bell and Magoism" blog owner Helen Hwang asks what she calls a "dangerous question: How Old is the Symbol of Nine Nipples?" Hwang clarifies: "The question here is the provenance of the nine nipples sculpted on ancient Korean bells. A focus on the female principle that nine nipples represent hurls the inquirer into uncharted territory...." and she takes us there.
On March 9,  Artist Lydia Ruyle posts a reproduction of one of her marvelous banners, a gorgeous depiction of  the Moon Goddess, "Chang E" based on  a fan painting on silk, 1350/1400, late Yuan or early Ming, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Max Dashu's February 27 post is a review of Lesley Hazelton's book, Jezebel: the Untold Story of the Bible’s Harlot Queen."
  
 Panthea: Beginning with a pic of Aphrodite and Adonis and a poem from the Egyptian Hermetica, blogger Lisa's Feb. 25 post, "Truly Sacred Sexuality," explores the influence of patriarchy on conceptions of love and sex, even among Pagans, including "opinions on (supposed) liberated sexuality, pornography, sexual power games such as BDSM, and other cultural phenomena...."
 
 HecateDemeter: Blogger Hecate continues her DC-based, often humorous, novel-in-progress, A Place Without A Witch, with Chapter 5 and on March 12, and Chapter 6 on March 16. Some smart publisher should pick this up with a contract real quick!

Annelinde's World: Here Annelinde Metzner posts her poems, often Goddess-related. March 15's post, "Forest Floor," is from her previous work, "Voices of Gaia."  

Theapoetics: Blogger talkbirth's March 25 post, "Woodspriestess: Bonewind" begins with a poem and goes on to discuss her lovely Goddess sculptures. With pics.
 
Journeying to the Goddess: In her March 21 post, "Welcome Freyja!"  Marie Cartier tells of her encounter with the Norse Goddess and its aftermath. 

The Rowdy Goddess: Gail Wood's March 1 post, "Blessed Be My Plan B," isn't about a contraceptive, it's about having alternative plans in ritual work. 

 The Wild Hunt: In his March 14 post, "As Nones Grow, Time to Pay More Attention to the Others," 
Jason Pitzl-Waters takes a look at reports of growing numbers of people in the U. S. counted as "others," that is, claiming to have no religion or not following religions that have their own category. Commenting on the way the data is presented, Jason writes:
The “other” category in religious surveys is lazy and outmoded. It puts a thumb on the demographic scale in favor of Judeo-Christian traditions (and now, having no religion at all), and presents a skewed portrait. “Others” grew, but we have no idea where, or how. Will one of them have to break the magical 1.5% threshold to stop being an other? According to the Pew Forum, Unitarian-Universalists, “liberal” faiths, and “New Age” religions (which includes the Pagans) collectively make up 1.2% of the population, and that was in 2010. We will never get accurate data on these faiths so long as this methodology persists.

Fellowship of Isis Central: A Feb. 21 post announces, "FOI Central" New Website, New Charter." FOI's March 20 post, "Happy Birthday Fellowship of Isis," marks the 37th anniversary of its founding at Spring Equinox.