Two Additional ASWM Opportunities

In addition to the Kore Award mentioned in our August Buzz Coil (see post below), the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology has announced two additional opportunities (ASWM material that follows is marked "please distribute widely"):

2016 Biennial Conference

Association for the Study of Women and Mythology

April 1­2, 2016, Boston, Massachusetts

 

Call for Proposals

“Seeking Harbor in Our Histories: Lights in the Darkness”

Goddess Scholarship draws on historical, ethnographic and folk sources, among others, to document and honor the sacred and mundane stories which animate the traditions and spiritual lives of our global sisters and our foremothers. In past conferences, the innovative methodologies and scholarship of ASWM participants have served to problematize contemporary perceptions of civilization, “modernization” and “progress.” Multi­discipline research methodologies have focused on representing historical, thealogical, philosophical, mythological, symbolic, cultural, linguistic and aesthetic lineages.

 

This year’s conference theme embraces the heritage of location in the historical City of Boston, a harbor city rich in stories and symbols of First Nations of the Atlantic Northeast and the formation of the United States.

 

We invite papers and panels including,​but not limited to​the following topics:

●Harbor and hearth as women­centered metaphors

●Myth and lineage of the spirit of place, especially focus on the larger Boston area

●Indigenous stories, histories, and women’s communities of the Atlantic North East

●Paradigms of rebellion, freedom and independence

●Water, ritual and civilization, stories of aquatic goddesses

●Perspectives on First Nations/First Worlds

●Women’s sense of self, social agency, and their roles as citizens

●The female principle in ethics and ancient wisdom for modern times

●Cultural ecofeminism

●Animal mysteries and myth

●Ancestry, foremothers and methodology

●Changing experiences and definitions of the sacred and the profane

 

Papers should be 20 minutes; panels with up to four papers on a related topic may be proposed together. Workshop proposals should be organized to provide audience interaction and must clearly address the theme. All sessions and workshops are limited to 90 minutes.

Presenters from all disciplines are welcome, as well as creative artists and practitioners who engage mythic themes in a scholarly manner in their work. Presenters must become members of ASWM.

Send 250 ­word abstract (for panels, 200 word abstract plus up to 150 words per paper) in PDF or MSWord to aswmsubmissions@gmail.com by November 15, 2015. ​Use “2016 proposal” and last name in subject header.  ​Include bio of up to 70 words for each presenter, as well as contact information including surface address and email. See ​www.womenandmyth.org​ for program updates and registration.

 

Association for the Study of Women and Mythology

Sarasvati Nonfiction Book Award Notification

 

The Sarasvati Book Award solicits nonfiction books published during 2013-2015 in the field of goddess studies.  Named for the Hindu goddess of learning and the creative arts, the Sarasvati award from the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology (ASWM) honors creative work in the field of goddess and mythology studies. The award will be presented during ASWM’s biennial conference, Boston, April 1-2, 2016.

 

Past winners include Sacred Display: Divine and Magical Female Figures of Eurasia by Miriam Robbins Dexter and Voctor H. Mair (Cambria, 2010). and The Dancing Goddesses:  Folklore, Archaeology and the Origins of European Dance, by Elizabeth Wayland Barber (Norton, 2013).

 

Note to Publishers

 

Please submit books for consideration and guidelines queries at this email address: aswmsubmissions@gmail.com  Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2015; the winner will be notified by February 25 2016.

 

The award covers books published during the past two calendar years. Nominations must come from the publisher. Self-published books and anthologies are not eligible for the award.

 

Criteria for Submission

 

·        --Must be published in the last two calendar years 

·      --Must belong to the field of goddess studies and mythology  

·      --Must add to and enhance the field of goddess and mythology studies with distinction 

·      --Must demonstrate an original approach to goddess and mythology studies in all its diversity 

 

 

 

Buzz Coil: August 2015

Some recent posts from blogs on our blogroll (please note, we don't knowingly list posts in Buzz Coil that have been published previously elsewhere or on the same blog):

Association for the Study of Women and Mythology:  An August 24 post announces the opening for applications for the “Kore Award for Best Dissertation” about women and mythology. The post includes a form and rules for applying. Time period for submission is November 1, 2015 – January 15, 2016.

Woods Priestess: In her Aug. 14 post, “Call for Contributions: Practical Priestessing,” blogger Molly invites contributions to an anthology section she is planning to add to her dissertation. The post includes guidelines. Deadline is Feb. 1, 2016.

Yeshe Rabbit: Rabbit’s July 31 post is the full text of her presentation at this year’s Glastonbury Goddess Conference, “Sky Dancer: Flight of the Dakini.”

 Casa della Dea: This Italian blog’s August 9 post, “Katinka Soetens è una Sacerdotessa di Avalon e di Rhiannon, Dea dell'Amore. Madre di tre figli, originaria dei Paesi Bassi, vive a Glastonbury/Avalon,” announces a two-year course with 10 meetings, beginning in December 2015 and running through November 2017, to be given by Katina Soetens, priestess of Avalon and Rhiannon.

The Goddess House: Beginning August 1, Frances Billinghurst (the Australian blogger formerly known as As’t Moon?) has been posting a series about the similarity of a serious health situation in her life to the descent of Inanna to the Underworld through seven gates. As of my last visit on August 24 there were four posts, the last on August 8 titled “Before the Third Gate.”

 

The Motherhouse of the Goddess:  Priestess and founder of The Motherhouse of the Goddess Kimberly Moore writes about “Celebrating the Goddess Hecate as Protector from Storms,” in her August 13 post that includes the history of this association.

 

Hearth Moon Rising’s blog: Blogger Hearth Moon’s July 31 post, “What’s in a Name Part Part II (Witch),” discusses the meanings and derivations of the words “witch” and “wicca.” Second in a three-part series.

 

Annelinde’s World: Annelinde Metzner’s August 16 post, “New to the World,” is a poem welcoming her great-niece. With pics.

 The Wild Hunt: Cara Shulz’s August 18 post, “Kermetic Wiccan Builds Temple Dedicated to the Goddess Hathor,” is an interview with the builder of the temple in Wisconsin, which is nearing completion after 10 years.

 
Katrina’s Joy: Katrina Messenger’s August 9 post, “Celebrate Wildness:Feraferian Beauty & Depth,” is a review of a book by Jo Carson about the Pagan tradition of Feraferia. In her review, Katrina writes:

“I am especially in awe of the raising of the Maiden as the cure to our collective patriarchal madness. Kore becomes more than a fair maiden who becomes swept away; she becomes the empowering life principle within us all to counter the toxic influences of our Western culture.”

Works of Literata: On August 18, blogger Literata also posted a review of “Celebrate Wildness.” In it she writes:

“My biggest discomfort about the book is that something about the approach feels slightly off to me in a feminist sense. It’s very hard to put my finger on, but the whole attitude seems like it honors the goddess as the divine feminine other, perpetuating the idea that masculinity is normal and the feminine is other. . . .”

Large Goddess/Spiritual Feminist 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.

Blogroll Policy

Going through my blogroll as I prepare the August Buzz Coil, I removed seven blogs from the listing, not because I don’t like them, but because there have been no posts on them for more than a year. Medusa Coils has a long-standing policy of removing blogs from the blogroll that not have not had posts in more than a year. Sometimes these blogs start up again. If you have a blog that used to be active and was listed in our blogroll but has not had a post in more than a year and you start blogging again, please let us know (preferably when you have posted anew at least twice) so we can put you back on the blogroll. Also, while I’m on this subject, if you have a blog whose focus is Goddess spirituality/religion and/or feminist spirituality and if you are posting original material regularly and are not now listed on our blogroll, let us know. You can let us know about either of these instances by leaving a comment on this post.