Buzz Coil: February 2014

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

Tamis Hoover Renteria compares what gods in Abrahamic and Pagan religions require of those who worship them with the Charge of the Goddess that proclaims, "All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are My Rituals." Here's part of what she writes in her Feb. 21 post:
"At first I wrestled with this idea that a deity——in this case a goddess——would claim that anything I did that expressed love and that gave me pleasure was an appropriate way to express my devotion to her.  This felt somehow immoral (evil hedonism!) and potentially threatening to human society."

Hearth Moon Rising's blog: Hearth Moon Rising's Feb. 14 and Feb. 21 posts are about drinking (especially beer) and other extracurricular activities in Mesopotamia. 

My Village Witch: In her Feb. 12 post, "A Long Season of Imbolc," Byron Ballard tells of her preparations, celebration, and why she doesn't think "Imbolc is quite finished with me yet."

HecateDemeter: Nonna tells her grandson An Imbolc Tale, in Hecate's Feb. 1 post. And, in case you missed it, Hecate interviews me in her Feb. 19 post. 

Panthea: In a Feb. 2 post, Aine, Sun and Moon, blogger Lisa explores symbolism of this Celtic Goddess and its relevance to polarity and spiritual balance. 

Love of the Goddess: Blogger Tara's Feb. 23 post explores the mythology of Aine, Celtic Goddess of Love. 
 
WoodsPriestess: Talkbirth's Feb. 21 post, Womanrunes: The Yoni, explains the relationship of a rune stone to the significance of the yoni and shows her yoni Goddess sculpture. Talkbirth writes:
" In our house, we’ve used the word 'yoni' for a long time. I find it much more descriptive and appropriate than the often-incorrectly used 'vagina' and the often-awkward-sounding 'vulva'.”  

The Wild Hunt: Heather Greene's Feb. 23 post gives "An Overview of PantheaCon Wiccan Privilege Discussion," that lasted 2 hours with an SRO audience. Heather writes that the discussion grew out of earlier articles and blog posts about whether Wicca is or should be considered "normative" for Paganism, and notes that among those taking part in the PantheaCon discussion were Margot Adler and Starhawk. 

An Overview of the PantheaCon Wiccan Privilege Discussion - See more at: http://wildhunt.org/2014/02/an-overview-of-the-pantheacon-wiccan-privilege-discussion.html#sthash.uN6r2O5V.dpuf

An Overview of the PantheaCon Wiccan Privilege Discussion - See more at: http://wildhunt.org/#sthash.6zbsUjL0.dpuf

An Overview of the PantheaCon Wiccan Privilege Discussion - See more at: http://wildhunt.org/#sthash.6zbsUjL0.dpuf

 
Fellowship of Isis Central: If you've never been to an Imbolc Seasonal Festival at Clonegal Castle (and even if you have), you'll want to read Maire Doyle's Feb. 10 post about this year's. The Feb. 12 post announces and gives details about the Fellowship of Isis Gathering in London this May.

Works of Literata: In her Feb. 23 post, OHF Current Location Will Close, blogger Literata reports on a town meeting of the Open Hearth Foundation, a DC area Pagan organization. Literata writes that
 "the biggest news is that OHF will no longer have its current location after the end of March. The board is currently working on making decisions about what OHF will do after that."
 Then she gives background on the situation. 

WATERVoices: A Feb. 21 post on this blog of the Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, "Talking Taboo Part Two Notes" is a summary of a Feb. 5 teleconference with Christian feminists Grace Biskie, Gina Messina-Dysert, Tara Woodard-Lehman, and Katey Zeh about a anthology for which they  wrote chapters.
 

Large Group Blogs 

Return to Mago: Among this month's posts to this Goddess-centered blog:

Blog owner Helen Hye-Sook Hwang continues her series on The Magoist Cosmogeny in her Feb. 24 post, focusing on the sex of the Four Heavenly Persons and Mago's eight grandchildren.

In her Feb. 17 post, Re-Storying Goddess: A Pagaian Cosmology, Glenys Livingstone writes that to her the title of her post means "re-storing a sense of 'She' to the Cosmos."

Jassy Watson's Feb. 14 post, She Who Has Faith in the Unknown, is based on a painting she did in 2013. This post shows this wonderful painting, which Jassy reveals she sees as her "Inner Priestess Self." She goes on to explain her approach to her artwork.

In a Feb. 7 post, which contains a reproduction of Lydia Ruyle's  stunning Goddess icon banner of Venus of Willendorf, the artist gives background on the symbolism she used in this banner, as well as news from Vienna.

 Xanath Caraza's Feb. 5 post is her poem, El reboso de Adelita/The shawl of Adelita, in both Spanish and English.

In a Feb. 3 post, Christian Women and Thealogy, Mary Ann Beavis writes about her research into what she calls "Christian Goddess Spirituality."

Pagan Square:  From this blog of many mostly-Pagan paths, sponsored by BBI Media:

Blogger Candise's Feb. 18 post, Transitioning into the Mother Weaver,   tells of her changing from Maiden to Mother on her priestess path, a change which included grief, wonder, and the weaving of magic.

In her Feb. 18 post, Brighid--Harbinger of Spring, blogger JudithAnn discusses the difference she felt celebrating this holy day in the southern U.S. rather than in the north, as she has done previously. With beautiful Brighid art. 

In a Feb. 13 post, Deep White and Silent World, Byron Ballard tells of a recent wintry night in Appalachia that becomes a preparation for spring. An excerpt from what she writes:
"When this snow has made its transformation from flake to droplet, the world here will be ready to welcome the new spring, I think. We'll have more cold and perhaps more snow--March is often a snowy month here--but there is a shift out in the garden, amongst the perennials and the fruit trees. They have shaken off their winter's rest and the buds are fattening in expectation....
There is a responsibility inherent in following a spiritual path so closely tied to the changing of seasons and the turning of the Great Wheel....We have a responsibility to know when to leave the old season behind and embrace the new."

In a Feb. 12 post, pondering the death of a friend, Deborah Castellano writes that Everything Is Not Under Your Control: Making Sense of the Senseless. Focusing especially on those who practice magic, Deborah writes (excerpted):
"If we’re not careful, it’s easy to find ourselves as Workers of all stripes to wind up stuck in a Secret trap – that if you were just better – a better Worker, a better manipulator, a better planner...you wouldn’t have found yourself in the situation that is causing you unmitigated grief and despair.  You could have prevented this if you were better.  You deserve these terrible things that have happened to you because you didn’t work harder to prevent these situations.....
I refuse to believe that all of these incredibly painful events could have been mitigated if I just tried harder as a Witch.  You think I wasn’t praying as hard as I could pray?  You think I wasn’t crying as hard as I could cry?  You think I wasn’t Working as hard as I could Work?..... It’s terrible and awful but it’s the way things work in the universe.  Not everything can be changed."

In her Feb. 12 post, Carol P. Christ shares "What I Learned on the Goddess Pilgrimage to Crete," focusing on 5 "gifts," as well as other occurrences in her 20 years of conducting tours that seemed negative at the time, such as:
"On the first pilgrimage, I lost my voice. Back home but still not able to speak, I realized that 'I' could not control everything and that this meant that I could not 'make things happen' exactly as I wanted them to happen in my life."

In her Feb. 12 post, Max Dashu explores artifacts, mythology, and other information about Australian Aboriginal traditions such as Jillinya, Great Mother of the Ngarinyin.

In a Feb. 11 post, Bee Smith writes about her experience of The Cailleach Initiation in rural Ireland.

Galina Krasskova gives information about a conference planned for this July in New York state in her Feb. 8 post, Polytheistic Leadership Conference A Go.

In her Feb. 8 post, Magic of Place, Jane Meredith writes about the Coogee Women's Baths in Sydney, Australia. 

In a Feb. 6 post, writing from the perspective of New Zealand, blogger Mistress Polly writes about Omens, Signs, Messages, and Symbols.

Feminism and Religion: From this month's posts of many bloggers on many paths:

In a Feb. 26 post, Making Our Way -Updating the Guide for Women in Religion, Kecia Ali tells about the planned update of the Guide she is undertaking with Mary E. Hunt and Monique Moultrie, the changes that have taken place since previous editions, and asks for your input.

Carol P. Christ's  Feb. 24 post,  Is Goddess "With Us" or "In Control" of Everything? The "Theological Mistake" of Divine Omnipotence,   begins:
How do we make sense of loss, great loss, and everyday disappointment? Some would tell us that “everything has a purpose” or that whatever happens ”must be the will of God.”  I have found that these answers to questions raised by life as we know it often do more harm than good.  Yet they have a sticking power–we hear them all the time, sometimes even from other feminist seekers.
In her Feb. 17 post, Matriarchy: Daring to Use the "M" Word, Carol explains why she is departing from long-standing Goddess feminist usage in naming the social construct that preceded patriarchy. Her Feb. 10 post, Women and Weeding, The First 10,000 Years, relates her personal experience with weeding, which she says has been "women's work" since about 8000 BCE.  Her Feb. 3 post, The Great Commandment for Women: Love and Care for Yourself as You Love and Care for Others," begins by comparing Jesus of Nazareth's teaching with a "midrash" by Charles Hartshorne and extending it the women's culturally-based ideas of self-sacrifice.

Kile Jones interviews Judith Butler in a Feb. 19 post, Sex, Religion, and Discourse.

In a Feb. 12 post beginning with a poem, Molly Meade writes of the Echoes of Mesopotamia in both her spiritual practice and her sculpture.

In what she realizes will be a controversial post, on Feb. 11 Andreea Nica writes "Why I Don't Believe in Female Pastors."

In her Feb. 9 post, On the Path of Holiness, Ivy Helman compares what is considered holy in two Abrahamic religions.

In a Feb. 2 post, Barbara Ardinger suggests Let's Build an Altar for Springtime and gives some ideas about how to go about it. 

Laura Shannon's Jan. 31 post explores Women's Ritual Dances... especially from the aspect of healing, with a particular focus on Balkan folk dances.