In Memoriam: Margot Adler 1946-2014

With a great sense of loss yet gratitude for a life well lived, I inform you of the death today of Margot Adler from cancer. She was 68. Many are they who came to Goddess and Paganism through Margot's book, Drawing Down the Moon.  She is also the author of the autobiography, Heretic's Heart: A Journey through Spirit and Revolution, and most recently, Vampires Are Us. I am grateful for having being able to attend one of her workshops with ritual many years ago---she was an exquisite ritual leader. The world outside of the Pagan community probably best knows Margot from her reporting on National Public Radio, where she began working in 1979. NPR has posted this obituary.

May she rest in the arms of the Goddess and be renewed.

Buzz Coil: July 2014

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

Works of Literata: In her July 4 post, "Columbia's Day," blogger Literata notes that the upcoming Bibliotheca Alexandrina anthology, Columbia: A Devotional for the Spirits of America, is accepting submissions which
"may include, but are not limited to, scholarly articles, poetry, short fiction, retellings or original translations of stories and texts, artwork, and rituals related to the goddess Columbia and her aspects, as well the many American spirits of place."
 Submission deadline is Oct. 1.  Literata, who lives in District of Columbia area, also includes material on her own personal relationship to Columbia.

The MotherHouse of the Goddess:  In a July 27 post, "MotherHouse Birthday Giveaway," the MotherHouse of the Goddess announces that it is giving away four Goddess Oracle readings a week beginning July 27 and continuing each Sunday in August. In a July 25 post, "Happy One Year Birthday, MotherHouse on July 26,"  Kimberly Moore, priestess and founder of the MotherHouse, celebrates a year of the online community that, among other things, brings us the Goddess Alive Show on Blogtalk radio. On July 24, Tracey Paradiso, shaman and co-founder of the MotherHouse, posts "Woman to Know Interview: Kimberly Moore, Priestess of the Goddess & MotherHouse Creator" in which she and Kimberly discuss Kimberly's fascinating Goddess path.
 
Contemplation - Yeshe Rabbit: On July 20, Yeshe Rabbit, High Priestess of Caya Coven, posted, "Community Service Volunteer,"  the third installment in her series on "Priest/essing." The first installment, Priest/ess 1: What Does It Mean?,"   appeared on July 11, and the second, Shapers of Culture  on  July 15.

 Annelinde's World: Annelinde Metzner's July 18 post, "I Have Sworn To Protect Her," includes a poem that begins:
I have sworn to protect Her!
Miracle blue-green jewel of all the worlds,
ancient blue mountains, vast golden deserts,
Annelinde then shares the good news that this poem will appear in both the We'Moon 2015 Datebook and Wall Calendar. She also tells about a concert with the theme, "Goddess Bless the Grass!" given  in Asheville NC by the Sahara Peace Choir, which she leads.

Hecate: In response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling about opening a town meeting with prayer, blogger Hecate, in a July 22 post, "Advice Following Town of Greece from a Witch with Experience," interviews Byron Ballard of the Mother Grove Goddess Temple in Asheville NC.  Hecate continues her fiction (serialized novel?), "A Place Without a Witch," with Chapter 40 on July 14, and Chapter 41 on July 21.  Her July 4 post, Hail, Columbia!, is a video with depictions of various female deities often associated with the U.S.  
 
Goddessian: In the first post, "initial thoughts," in this new blog written in all lower case, on July 16 an unnamed blogger writes:
my purpose with this blog is to explore goddess worship from a lesbian-feminist and radical-feminist perspective.
She goes on to describe "wicca or wicca-esque religions" along with "other pagan religions" as being patriarchal in nature and structure and writes that
they subjugate their goddess/es and call that subjugation “egalitarian.”

Hearth Moon Rising's blog: Hearth Moon Rising's July 11 post, "Non-Hierarchy in Covens, examines the idea of non-hierarchical groups and why she feels they don't work. She begins her explanation:
In my experience the woman with the most urgent need for a “nonhierarchical” women’s group, and the type of woman who promotes the idea most emphatically, is the woman with highly controlling tendencies who is uncomfortable with her need to control and wishes to change. She will declare the group “nonhierarchical” and proceed to run it, insisting to herself and others that there is an equality of leadership.

Tamis Hoover Renteria: In her July 21 post, "Fear of The New: Opening Up to Women’s Spirituality," Tamis Renteria recalls an experience that began with difficulty yet ended with inspiration. 

Love of the Goddess: Blogger Tara's July 8 post, discusses "Kupala, Slavic Goddess of Winter and Summer," including ways to honor this deity whose name means "to bathe" and who has a male aspect.

Large Group Blogs

Because of the large number and variety of bloggers and posts on these blogs, we are now suggesting that you visit them and select the posts that interest you most.

Feminism and Religion: Many bloggers from many different religions and paths.
Pagan Square: This blog of many mostly-Pagan paths is sponsored by BBI Media and includes SageWoman blog posts.
Return to Mago: A Goddess-centered blog whose administrator/owner is Helen Hye-Sook Hwang.  

 

In Memoriam: Lady Loreon Vigne of Isis Oasis

 We join the Pagan community in mourning the passing on July 15 of Lady Loreon Vigne, Founder and Archpriestess of Isis Oasis in Geyersville, California. She was 82. An obituary for Lady Loreon appears online in July 18 issue of  the Geyersville Press Democrat. Among the online memorializations are a Fellowship of Isis tribute on July 16, and in a July 19 post in The Wild Hunt. 

May she rest in the arms of the Goddess Isis and be renewed.

[updated July 26]

Global Goddess Oracle: Summer Solstice 2014

The Summer Solstice issue of the e-journal, Global Goddess Oracle, begins with a "welcome" from Dawn, writing from stormy Florida.

Invocations and poetry include: "Carol for Cardea" by Heather Geileis Kohser (with link to video so you can hear the melody); and  "Morning Devotion" and "The Arrival of Joy" by Katy Ravensong.

Articles includes two excerpts from Barbara Ardinger's book, Pagan Every Day, "Mary Magdalen" and "The Feast Day of St. Olga";  "The Story of Agriculture, Corn and the Corn Goddesses Who Grew with Them Part 1" by Amy Martin; "Linden: Taste the Sweetness of Summer," by Deanne Quarrie; "Solitary Ritual for the Summer Solstice," and "A Rune for Duir for the Summer Solstice," by Dawn "Belladonna" Thomas; "Ask Your Mama," by Mama Donna Henes, and "Moon Schedule Summer Solstice to Lammas" (unattributed).

Dawn Thomas reviews the following books: Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert,  The Tree Mothers: Living Wisdom of the Ogham Trees by Mut Danu, Witch’s Brew: The Spellspinners of Melas County #1 by Heidi R. King. Katy Ravensong reviews the e-book, Pagan Poetry for the Seasons & Festivals, ed. Edain Duguay.

Australian Goddess Conference, Oct. 24-26

Early-bird registration for the 2014 Australian Goddess Conference, being held in Sydney Australia Oct. 24-26, is open now through Aug. 31. The early, reduced-fee registration requires that you be a member of the sponsoring organization, Goddess Association in Australia, Inc (GAIA); membership costs $15 AUD (currently $14.81 US, $15.12 Canadian, 10.96 EU, 8.20 £ ). Early-bird registration represents a $50 AUD savings over registration made after Aug. 31.

Announced presenters for the conference, themed "The Wellspring," include: Max Dashu, Jane Elworthy, Glenys Livingstone, Anique Radiant Heart, Maree Lipschitz, Lindy Spanger, Asha Maria, Mardi Ferrasson,  Jennifer McCormick, Jacqui Bushell, Jodie Danaan, Jane Hardwick Collings, Kristan Read, Sharon Freeman, Yia Alias, Elizabeth Brandis, Karen Oakley, Rena Hoffman, Chris Sitka, Frances Billinghurst, Kaali Cargill, Talulah Gough, Ariana McFie, Larissa O'Neill, Phoenix Arrien, Hollie B, Angela Brosso, Sara Catherine Motta, Jess Krop, and Kerri Ryan. More information about the presenters and their workshops is here.

For the "herstory" of the Conference, click here.