REVIEW: The Holy Wild by Danielle Dulsky

The Holy Wild: A Heathen Bible for the Untamed Woman by Danielle Dulsky, New World Library 2018, Trade Paperback, 292 pages, ISBN 978-1-60868-527-1 (also available as e-book)

In her newest book, Danielle Dulsky writes with a poet’s use of words and a scholar’s structure of material. To give you an idea of the beauty of the writing, with permission of the publisher I will quote here several passages from the author’s Introduction, titled “Her Genesis,” and hope that you will remember that these are only brief glimpses of this beautiful Introduction, which begins:
“In the beginning, there was She.
She was nature’s primordial pulse, the pan-elemental alchemy of birth; the fertile void of death; and the mysterious, enduring, and numinous cosmic infinite. All was She, and She was all. Her power pervaded the totality of existence and veiled all potential worlds in the name of holy manifestation. Her steady, purposeful rhythm pounded on, in, and through the stellar fusions, the planet building, and the great galactic swell. The universal dawn was a quantum prayer to Her, and She was dancing for us long before humanity’s blessed inception, long before the glow of the primal feminine was eclipsed by modernity.
 
“While the rhythm of Her hallowed drum has slowed and quieted to a barely audible, near-whisper beat, while humanity’s spiritual landscape has been overbuilt and hums with man-made hymns, She can never be silenced....

“This book is a five-part ode to Her, to you, and to the yet-to-be-rebuilt bridge between our spirituality and our lived, embodied experience. What you will find here is hearty home-cooked nourishment for the nature-hungry spirit, seasoned with a good deal of feminine ire and served hot. What you will find here is an invitation to descend into the dark with me, to gather up pieces of ourselves we have forgotten, and to rise. The wilds of nature will always be our ancestral home....

“Rise Up, Heathen Priestess: She Lives in the Wilds
....As women of the wild, we deserve our own holy books, our own teaching tales, and our own venerable verses of validation….The her-stories I offer here have merit only in their meeting with your own life; they do not stand alone as immutable truths or a step-by-step path toward any lofty and permanent healing goal, nor do they assert any secret mysteries that I alone am privileged to know....

“The women who have been locked inside the books they called good deserve liberation from their externally imposed immorality. We must unlock the cages in which they have been contained for so long, trapped behind the iron bars of judgment and dismissal…. We share the scars of every woman who has been condemned to ever be spiritually imprisoned, and, in these pages, I offer all the primal feminine technology this Witch has in her toolbox to dismantle the indoctrinated beliefs that continue to limit our spiritual autonomy; divorce our bodies from our spirits; and fence in what is, by nature, untamed, heathen, and wild.

“The roots of the word heathen run far deeper than its derogatory, godless connotation; it is believed to come from the Germanic word meaning “dweller on the heath, one inhabiting uncultivated land.” To be heathen means to belong to the wild, to take our lessons from the natural world, and to be nourished by what we fundamentally are rather than what we are told we must be. Let me distinguish here between Heathenry, a polytheistic neo-Pagan religion for which I have much reverence but to which I do not belong, and the eclectic pre-Christian landscape of our ancestors....

 “Find Her in the Dark:
 The Fertile Shadows of the Feminine Path
Heathen Priestess, your bejeweled crown is the same size as mine. I am neither above nor below you, and the round table of the Holy Wild has no structured hierarchy....

“My story is no more significant than yours, and my hope is that you drink in the poetry, feel nourished by the ceremonies, and complete the myths I begin here while constantly affirming your own authority and your own spiritual agency....

“....Sister, we do not always find Her in the light. Sometimes, we find Her in the dark.
“We find Her in the places that terrify us, and we find Her in the places they told us not to look.

“Walking a Wilder Path: Seeking Out the Fringes
You have many names, my love. In this book, I will call you a Priestess to validate your authority over your own spiritual journey. A Priestess looks within for direction and listens to the whispers, whimpers, and guttural groans of her inner wise woman. A Priestess is an elder. A Priestess is a woman who, regardless of linear age, has done the work and earned the right to say who she is and what she believes....
 
“I will call you a Witch to affirm your birthright as a holy healer, to vindicate those socially rejected women who were hunted — who still are hunted in many parts of the world — in the name of not only patriarchy but also institutionalized racism, classism, and persistent imperialism. I will call you Witch to give a fierce nod to our stolen feminine spirituality and to give your wisdom a real name....

“This path is wild because we cannot possibly predict where it will lead us…. In these pages, I will call this wild path the Red Road, the always-spiraling, unmapped route toward a woman’s spiritual home.”

 

The Introduction goes on to introduce the 5 sections of The Holy Wild, each called a Book and named after the traditional elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and the not-so-familiar to some—Ether. Each book begins with a chapter of “verses,” that is, poetic writing, and continues with chapters about and of rituals and magick. The Books are related to various Goddess imagery and female/feminine archetypes. It is within these sections that Dulsky’s scholarly structuring is most strongly exhibited. Here are some examples:
 
The “Book of Earth” is devoted to “The Wild Feminine Archtype: The Priestess of the Wild Earth. Its “Earth Verses,” section asks readers to “envision yourself encircled by your ancestors as you read.” Dulsky then relates the Earth archetype to the “sovereign maiden,” aspect of the Goddess and specifically to the mythology of Lilith, Persephone-Kore, and Inanna. It also includes comments, several related writings including at least one from the Abrahamic (Abrahamic is a term that refers to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that is, religions that can be traced back to the patriarch Abraham) Bible and a suggestions for the reader’s writing and other assignments. The section on Earth Rituals has 7 rituals including those for “the Everyday Warrioress,” “Forbidden Fruit,” and “Self-Initiation.” Earth Magick includes a 4-part “welcoming” working related to Lilith, and also has 4 other workings.
 
The Book of Water is devoted to “The Wild Feminine Archetype: The Maiden of the Unbridled Feminine.” It focuses on the women and goddesses Salome, Freya, and Lalita.  The “Water Verses” section’s 10 parts includes “Revisioning Salome,”and “Our Wild Art and Unbridled Sensuality.” In the ritual section you will find rituals for the solstices and equinoxes, and 5 other rituals, including one of dance involving masks and veils and another with 3 parts. Among the 6 workings in the The Water Magic section are “Crafting the Cosmic Egg,”and “Making Holy Water.”
 
The Books of Fire, Air, and Ether include similar definitions, sections, and workings. The Book of Fire is devoted to the “Prophetess of the Wild Fire” and focuses on the “Dark Goddess,” and more specifically the women and goddesses known as “Mother of Babylon” (Christian Bible), Medusa, Oya, Kali, Brighid, and Hestia. The Book of Air archetype is “Witch of Sacred Love” and/or “Sacred Healer,” which include the women and goddesses Mary Magdalene, Aphrodite, Oshun, and Paravati. The Book of Ether archetype is “The Queen of the Ethereal Divine,” including the Hag or the Crone. It includes the Biblical  Jezebel and the “dark goddesses” Hekate, Baba Yaga, and The Cailleach.”
 
The last chapter of The Holy Wild is named, “Her Revelation.” Its 2^nd paragraph begins: “A woman can certainly bring about the End of Days —the end of the world as we know it….” This relates it to the “Book of Revelation” the last book in the Christian Bible. Yet as in discussions in other parts of the book, Dulsky also departs in her writing from Abrahamic religions and adds other associations, such as “nature-based practices,” contact with Goddess, magick, and other Goddess associations. And the author begins the last section of this book with these words:
“Here in this book I offered you no religion. To be heathen is to predate the spiritual systems that have bound us. To my mind our modern religions have too often, though certainly not always, been a largely male-led dimension of systemized spirituality that is easily spoon-fed to the masses when seasoned with a good deal of fear.”
 
Though some people may object to this book’s combining Goddess Spirituality with material from the Abrahamic Bible, it may open the way to Goddess for others, particularly those just beginning on this path, for whom the book is especially suitable. It will also be an asset for those seeking to combine Goddess with Christianity or Judaism (a practice becoming increasing common) whether they are just starting on the Goddess path or have been on it for some time. In any case, The Holy Wild is terrific teaching tool and is extraordinarily well written.

The book’s back matter includes an Appendix with sources for further study, divided by the 5 Books of The Holy Wild; Acknowledgements; Notes on the material on the various chapters; Additional Resources for  Kali, Lalita, Oshun, and Oya; and a 14-page index.

Danielle Dulsky is author of 2 books related to Goddess Spirituality. She is also an artist, yoga teacher, energy worker, and founder of Living Mandala Yoga teacher training programs. She leads women’s circles, witchcraft workshops, and energy healing trainings and lives in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. For more information, see her website, DanielleDulsky.com.

Review: Book by Nancy Vedder-Shults

The World is Your Oracle: Divinatory Practice For Tapping Your Inner Wisdom And Getting The Answers You Need by Nancy Vedder-Shults, Quarto Publishing Group USA 2017,240 pages (Also available as an e-book.)

This short interview is meant as an introduction to Nancy Vedder-Shults’ book, The World is Your Oracle. For the interview section of this review, the reviewer is using the name she usually writes under, Judith Laura. Her blogger name for this blog is Medusa, and will appear at the end of the review

Judith Laura: How does The World is Your Oracle relate to Goddess spirituality?

Nancy Vedder-Shults: The book is a compilation of 40 different techniques for accessing your deep knowing, 1/3 of which are visual, 1/3 auditory, and 1/3 kinesthetic. It comes directly out of my work in feminist spirituality, although it certainly could be used by men as well.

Judith Laura: In what way(s) do these techniques come out of your work in feminist spirituality?

Nancy Vedder-Shults: I was in a deeply magical coven of seven women in the 1990s. Since there were 7 of us, we decided that for a year and a day each of us would be responsible for one of the 7 chakras. We put colored slips of paper into a hat and selected one a piece. When I picked indigo, signifying the 6th chakra, I must have blanched. The sixth chakra, also known as the third eye, is the site of intuition and psychic awareness. I didn’t consider myself very psychic at the time and wondered why I had chosen that chakra. What this experience began was an intense exploration of intuition and ways of tapping into our inner wisdom. The World is Your Oracle is a direct result. I don’t think I would have researched and written it if I hadn’t been in that coven.
 
Judith Laura: Are there any other ways that your approach in this book grew out of your work in feminist or Goddess spirituality?
 
Nancy Vedder-Shults: I discovered divination as a Goddess woman, so for me it’s obvious that these techniques are a part of my spirituality. If I had remained in my birth religion, I would never have encountered them. I practice Wicca, and I’m also a Unitarian Universalist. This second religion may be THE most tolerant religion in the world. There are no dogmas or beliefs that we ascribe to, so there are UUs of many stripes — Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, pagan, atheist, agnostic, and even a few Muslims. As a UU, I wanted my book — which comes out of the magical practices that Goddess feminists perform — to be accessible to any open-minded person. Molly Remer in her review called it "not a specifically pagan book, but instead is markedly (and enjoyably!) interfaith in approach, while also being culturally respectful.” That made me feel great, because it meant that I had not imposed my beliefs on others, but allowed them to realize how the techniques could be useful to them, whatever their beliefs.

And now for my review:

Beginning with the first chapter, “Preparing, Interpreting, and Honoring your Oracle,” the book contains a wealth of helpful material. In addition to being a look at oracles through the author’s lens of feminist spirituality, The World Is Your Oracle is a fascinating book on a metaphysical topic that the author bases strongly on science. For example, Vedder-Shults writes in the 2^nd chapter, “… Science has recently demonstrated a number of techniques that can make our divinations even more successful.” Some of these techniques, the author writes, are smiling, replacing worry and anxiety with trust, broadening your attention but also letting your mind wander. In addition, in this section the author discusses 5 other ways for aiding divination based on scientific research.

 
While maintaining a focus on science, Vedder-Shults includes light touches that keep the book from bogging down. The title of the book itself is one of these for me. “The World is Your Oracle,” to me is a play on the saying “The world is your oyster,” (an expression originally from Shakespeare), only in the case of the book we are looking for answers to questions, or help from what some call “psychic” perceptions, whereas in the common maxim, we are giving a new meaning or an expanded role to oysters—that an oyster represents enjoyment or simply that we have some type of ownership of the world . Another light touch is use of the term “brain blink” in the chapter discussed above on science. The author gives four recommendations for encouraging “brain blink.”
 
Both the cover (which shows what I assume is a world egg breaking open and releasing a bird, and which surrounds the main title with the subtitle), and the interior illustrations are by the author’s daughter, Linnea Vedder. They add greatly to this book. Most of the chapters begin with a color illustration. Beginning with the chapter sections of “Visual Techniques” the chapter sections also have color illustration. For example, the section on air begins with a color illustrations that seems to me to illustrate the displayed boxed text for “winds of change: this modern form of wind divination (austromancy) allows you to read your oracle in the movements of an object blown by the wind.” This chapter section and those that follow on visual techniques connected with air (ashes, balloon diagrams, books, candles, creatures, dreams, mirrors, numbers, scrying, spirit guides, stars) also contain further instructions titled “Steps” and “Continuing the Journey.” Similar color illustrations, accompanied by boxed explanatory quotes, as well as separate sections with instructions are included in the chapters on Auditory Techniques and Kinesthetic Techniques, each of which have at least 14 sections each on various techniques.
 
The Back Matter contains Works Frequently Cited; References; Endnotes, including those from the works of Layne Redmond, Gerina Dunwich, Robert Graves, D.J. Conway, James Lovelock; Resources, with sections on “chanting and other music” including material on Atheist, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, “Om Tara,” featuring Chants for the Queen of Heaven and Songs of the Earth: Music of the Earth; and Pagan, Wiccan, or Native American. Also, “drumming,” “gods, goddesses, saints, and power animals,” whose material includes work by Ted Andrews, and Patricia Monaghan; and “birds, animals, and insects.” There is also a 6-page index, whose citations include Alpha brain wave activity, Sigmund Freud, Gaia theory, Guided meditation, Carl Jung, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Trance state. The Appendix section has spaces for the reader to fill in personal meanings and includes topics of “Creatures” with 3 charts of Associations with Common North American Bugs, ….Animals, …Birds’. The topics of “Numbers” and “Body Sense” have one chart each.

The World Is Your Oracle is a down-to-earth description of how to use mysticism and mystical techniques to achieve excellence in oracular practice. Well thought out and organized, it is appropriate for the person first starting to use oracles as well as those who have been involved in this form of divination for quite some time.

According to Vedder-Shults’ biography at the end of the book, she participated in the Women’s Studies program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1975-1991, received a Ph.D, and is “a storyteller, writer, and musician.” She has written for SageWoman magazine and Tikkun Daily blog and has recorded Chants for the Queen of Heaven. Her website is Mamasminstrel.net

Earth Day Blessings

May this Earth Day bring an increased awareness of Earth's beauty and the interrelationship of Her inhabitants to all who dwell here. With Gaia blessings to you, your family, and friends.

Glastonbury Goddess Conference 2017

The annual Glastonbury Goddess Conference will be held this year  August 1-August 6 in Glastonbury, England, with fringe events, including concerts and other activities, July 29-31. This year’s theme is Celebrating...“the Great Goddess in all Her many forms, expressions, and colours. She of a million names and faces.” In addition to presentations, workshops, and rituals, the conference will include art exhibits.
 
Some of the special events are Conference Welcome, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Opening Ceremony, Aug. 1, 7 p.m.; Lammas Ceremony, Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.; Goddess Procession through Glasonbury/Avalon Aug. 6, 10 a.m.; Conference Closing, Aug. 6, 4 p.m. 

Just some of the presenters are to include: Marion Brigantia, Katinka Soetens, Dr. Makgathi Mokwena, Lilia Khousnoutdinova, Annine van der Meer, Carolyn Hillyer, Anique Radiant Heart, Dov Ahava, Ka Dineen, Roz Bound, Angie Twydall, Bee Helygen, Miriam Raven, Sadhu, Kathy Jones, Jane Meredith, Brooke Medicine Eagle, and Eline Baath.

 

For more information about events and presenters,plus how to book and register, see goddessconference.com/2017.

Beltane Meditation

This meditation is from my audiobook (which I also narrate) and e-book, Goddess Guided Meditations.

 Beltane/May Eve
 

Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and relax......Beltane is a happy celebration of love and life. Love in our own lives, and new life in our own lives and in the world around us. In your mind’s eye, see grass growing, the flowers and trees in bloom, the vegetables beginning to grow, some of them still beneath the soil. What else do you see on this spring day?.....Let this vision fill you with happiness….

Now turn your attention to your own life. To love in your life, love that involves physical pleasure. If you are involved in a relationship now, see your loved one in front of you. If you are not involved in a relationship and you want to be, ask to see one who might become your lover ....What is your loved one doing? Is your loved one saying anything? Is there anything you want to say to your loved one? If so, in your mind, say it now.....If you are not now involved in a relationship, and you want to be, affirm now that a relationship will manifest for you that is for the greater good of both of you and of all concerned. If your new love has not already appeared to you in your mind’s eye, take a moment to see if this person appears now, or if you can sense this person now…..

If your loved one is with you in your mind’s eye, reach out and take hands. Do you hear the music? It may be in the distance and very faint at first, but it’s getting a little louder now. What kind of music do you hear? Are there instruments playing? Are there people singing? Can you hear the words? As the music becomes a bit louder, it may also become a bit more boisterous. As it does this, move as close to your partner as you want and begin to dance. If you don’t presently have a partner, begin dancing alone. A partner—or many partners—may join you now. Or you may continue to dance alone. Notice that others are also dancing alone, but that all of you—with partners and without—are dancing together in this dance of life….
 

Now the music slows, becomes softer, until you may no longer be able to hear it distinctly although a melody may linger in your mind. If you are dancing with a partner, you let go of your partner’s hand. You say goodbye—for now—to your partner and to others in the dance, and you come back to this place and time. And when you are ready, open your eyes.

Copyright 2013 by Judith Laura. Permission given for use in spiritual work, but not for republishing it elsewhere.

Review: PaGaian Cosmology Meditation CDs

PaGaianCosmology Meditations, set of 3-CDs with  16 page booklet by Glenys Livingstone, Ph.D, 2015.

This set of three CDs with booklet is a treasure. Narrated and written by Glenys Livingstone, author of the book PaGaian Cosmology, and founder of the outdoor Goddess temple, “Mooncourt,” in the Blue Mountains of Australia, the ritualized meditations focus on what Livingstone calls “seasonal moments” – solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarters. The CDs contain both the spoken word and music. Livingstone’s narration delivery, including pace and timing of pauses, is outstanding – easy to understand and neither overly dramatic nor boring, but rather wonderfully appropriate. Each meditation includes music, and when there is music, the balance between the narration and music seems perfect to me. The material for each seasonal moment includes preparation – including suggestions for altars, such as colors, altar cloths, candles, and other “props” – and meditations that sometimes include dance and song, and which often have time for optional individually-determined work, such as drawing and writing.

 Disc 1 begins with an Introduction to the entire set, followed by material for Samhain/Deep Autumn. Livingstone introduces the reclining Goddess of Malta as the focus for this meditation. A picture of Her is shown in the booklet and Livingstone suggests that participants mimic the Goddess’s posture during the meditation. The music and drumming accompanying this meditation add to its sense of mystery. Disc 1 continues with the meditation for Winter Solstice/Yule. Among the preparation suggestions are that 8 candles be used, representing “moments of significance” – events in the Universe beginning billions of years ago (with a scientifically-based explanation of the creation/birth of the universe and its stars, planets, etc.), and continuing to the present day. The Goddess focus of this meditation is “Mother Sun”/Tiamat. Livingstone suggests singing the “PaGaian Joy to the World,” the words for which she has written and included in the booklet.

Disc 2 contains material for three seasonal moments. For Imbolc/Early Spring, Livingstone suggests focusing on the Goddess Radha and mimicking of her pose  (shown in the booklet); lighting of a “bridal” candle; and “Brigid-ine” words of commitment, along with “words of praise,” which Livingstone speaks and which are also included in the booklet. The background music is played by a wind instrument – what sounds to me like a flute. It is also suggested that participants dance, “Misirlou,” a well-known folk dance*, instructions for which are given in the booklet with a link to where you can see the dance done on the PaGaian site. The second meditation on Disc 2 is for Spring Equinox/Eostar. Among the suggestions for props are flowers, egg, seeds, and a small underworld space (including gates). The meditation focuses on darkness and light; the Goddess Persephone’s return after her journey to the underworld, with her “emergence” and ultimate celebration of the “life force.” The third meditation on Disc 2 is for Beltane/High Spring. Preparations include using a “object of beauty,” such as a gemstone or flower, and a pot that is meant for containing a flame to be lit. This meditation includes several goddesses, poetry and a focus on gravity, love/desire, passion and beauty – including the meditators’ own beauty.

Disc 3 contains meditations for three seasonal moments and a “Whole Wheel” meditation. The first meditation on this disc is for Summer Solstice/Litha. Suggested props include food such as bread, fruit, and wine or juice. The meditation, with the Goddess focus on “Mother Sun,” compares this seasonal moment with Winter Solstice, and focuses on food in what may be to some people unusual ways. The second meditation is for Lammas/Late Summer. Its props include some related to death. The meditation focuses on harvest as death, including our own death. Livingstone suggests that participants do a dance she has named, "Harvest Dance," and based on one she learned from Jean Houston. Directions for this dance are given in the booklet. The third meditation on this disc is for Autumn Equinox/Mabon, which focuses on transformation. One of its props is the apple with its “pentacle core.” The Autumn Equinox is compared with the Spring Equinox and also focuses on the Persephone/Demeter myth and mother/daughter mysteries. Its Goddess focus also includes Gaia. The final meditation on this disc – and in the set as a whole – is the “Whole Wheel Meditation,” in which participants are directed to lay out a wheel of stones and are told how to use the wheel for each of the seasonal moments, according to global hemispheres. The meditation includes “stories” related to each of the seasonal moments and provides a review of the entire cycle on both the level of the cosmos and on the personal level.

These are meditations of great depth, which contain both mystery and celebration. You can find the credits for the music and other material in the booklet, which is tucked into a pocket like the CDs. This excellent set is suitable for both individual and group use, and is likely to appeal to both those beginning on the Goddess path as well as those who have been on it for a while. I recommend it with gratitude for the technical perfection of its audio and the spiritual depth of its content. You can find more information, including how to get it, on

 pagaian.org/2015/10/11/pagaian-cosmology-meditations/

*Because I have been involved in folk dance groups in for many years – particularly those focusing on dances from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean area – and have danced "Misirlou" oodles of times, I’m going to indulge myself by giving you a bit more background on this dance. Although strongly Greek-influenced, the dance has a multi-ethnic/multi-national history and present. According to most sources it was first devised at an American university in the mid-20th century by combining the quicker steps from the traditional Greek dance, Syrtos Kritikos (which I've also done many times), with the more slowly paced Greek song, “Misirlou.” The dance is also sometimes done to the title song from the film “Never on Sunday,” in which it appears, as well to other melodies in various countries and by various ethnicities. Livingstone uses another Greek melody when the dance is performed at Mooncourt.  The music and dance most commonly used in the U.S. can be viewed at on this youtube link, and you can hear the song sung in Greek on this youtube link  (which has a belly dancer who isn’t doing the Misirlou, but the same melody is often also used for belly dancing). Additional information about the creation and dancing of Misirlou can be found here and here.

Goddess Ritual Scheduled for Parliament of World Religions

{updated 9/15/15}
We are glad to share with you,  with permission,  an announcement from Faelind, High Priestess of the Tree of Knowledge Coven in Dallas.  (We edited it only slightly. Goddess Alive! is a different ritual from the "Dancing the Goddess Home" ritual that was part of the Goddess 2000 celebration.)   

 

“Goddesses Alive! A Ritual with Masks” has been chosen to be performed at the upcoming Parliament of World Religions in Salt Lake City, Utah, in October 2015.  Originally created in celebration of the Goddess 2000 Project by M. Macha NightMare (Aline O’Brien) and mask-maker Lauren Raine, this ritual draws from several different contemporary and historical Pagan paths.  Incorporating music and singing, chant and narrative, dance and direct interaction with attendees, 13 embodied indigenous, ethnic, and historical faces of Goddesses speak to the issues of climate change and care for creation, respect for women and Nature, and can bring an experiential awareness of the divine feminine.

 

What: The 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions

When: October 15 - 19, 2015

Where: Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

The Parliament is the oldest, the largest, and the most inclusive gathering of people of all faith and traditions. The first Parliament took place in 1893. Since then, this historic event has taken place in Chicago, USA • Cape Town, South Africa • Barcelona, Spain R 26; Melbourne, Australia - and this year will be in Salt Lake City, Utah!

  

http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/content/salt-lake-2015

 

I am honored to be presenting Inanna among the 13 Goddesses. . . .Let me know if you would like to participate. We need technical assistants (low-tech for hand-held mag lights).

 

I hope to see some of you there!

 

Blessings,

Faelind

High Priestess of the Tree of Knowledge Coven in Dallas, TX 

 

 

Second Chance to Hear Me on Goddess Alive Radio

[updated 8/16, 12:05 a.m., 8/16 11:21 p.m. ET]
I really enjoyed doing the program described below. You can listen to it now (and in the future) at this link.

I'm scheduled to make my second appearance on Goddess Alive Radio this Saturday at 8 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In the live broadcast, I'll be talking about gender equality (or the lack thereof), and other aspects of Jewish Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah, and my re-visioning of the Kabbalah Tree of Life based on these and other factors. The material is based on my  award-winning book, Goddess Spirituality for the 21st Century: From Kabbalah to Quantum Physics. Towards the end of the show, I plan to lead a guided meditation based on my re-visioning. If you can't make it Saturday night, the show will be available in the Goddess Talk Radio archives, where you can also find the recording of my previous appearance, marking the new moon of late May. Goddess Alive Radio is part of Blog Talk Radio. The hosts are Kimberly F. Moore and Tracey Paradiso of the MotherHouse of the Goddess.     

From Australia: Imbolc/Lammas

From Glenys Livingstone of the MoonCourt in Australia's Blue Mountains, these two videos of the celebration of Imbolc, the present holy day in the Southern Hemisphere, and Lammas, celebrated at this time in the Northern Hemisphere. Both from previous years' celebrations at MoonCourt.

Glastonbury Goddess Conference in late July

Painting, "Antler" Copyright by Carolyn Hillyer

The 19th Annual Glastonbury Goddess Conference will be held July 29-August 3 in Glastonbury, England, with fringe events starting July 26. Themed "Celebrating the Crone Goddess: The Cauldron and the Loom," presenters (alphabetically by first name) include:  Anique Radiant Heart, Carolyn Hillyer, Dragonfly, Jane Meredith, Kathy Jones, Kelliana, Lydia Ruyle,  Starhawk, Tricia Szirom, Wendy Rule, and others. There will also be a masqued ball and, on the last day of the conference, a "Procession through Glastonbury to the Sacred Landscape of the Crone in Avalon." See the provisional programme for more conference event details. Fringe events will include a Lammas Ceremony, "Honouring the Abundant Mother," at the Glastonbury Goddess Temple on July 4 at 7:30 p.m., as well as events led by (in order of announced appearance): Katrina Soetens, Marion Brigantia Eupen, Starhawk, Carolyn Hillyer, and Joanne Foucher. You can register for the entire conference, for separate days, for parts of days, for Saturday evening's Masqued Ball only, and for fringe events separately. You can book directly online, or through the regular mail with a pdf form available here.   ("Antler" pic added 6/15/2014, 12:33 p.m., thanks to Kathy Jones.)

Preparations for last year's Conference: Video by Marion van Eupen
 

(This post is updated from a post last February, which has a video of the 2013 traditional procession through Glastonbury.)

Review of Anthology on Priestessing

Stepping into Ourselves: An Anthology of Writings on Priestesses, edited by Anne Key and Candace Kant, (Goddess Ink 2014) trade paperback, 592 pages.

This is a BIG book, not only in pages, but also in concept and design, in inclusiveness of many paths and cultures, in the number of contributors, and in the quality of the prose, poetry, and art.

The cover art by Betty LaDuke is gorgeous and the art of the book's title page and section title pages by Katlyn Breene are wonderful as well. Soujanya Rao's design of both the cover and the interior is excellent.

In their preface to the anthology, editors Anne Key and Candace Kant write:
"The colorful tapestry of voices in this anthology displays the diversity and roles of priestesses and different ways of priestessing, and how they weave together to create the beautiful fabric of women’s spiritual authority. Differing opinions exist without crushing each other."
 And so it is: 

Each of the four sections of the book has a brief introduction by the editors, followed by a poem or invocation, and then several essays and poems. I really like the inclusion of both poetry and essay not only because of their high quality but also because it gives the reader the opportunity to experience the book on both intellectual and emotional levels. To get an idea of the scope and the book, you might want to take a look at the contents with titles and authors, as well as links to “snippets” from some of the contributions.

The opening poem of the first section, “Lineage of the Priestess,” is Patricia Monaghan’s “Calypso’s Island,” a fitting tribute to this important poet and Goddess scholar who died Nov. 11, 2012. This is followed by various authors and poets writing about the Mesopotamian poet and priestess, Enheduanna, and the Goddess Inanna; a discussion of the controversial topic of whether there was “sacred prostitution” in the Ancient Near East; roles of priestesses in the ANE; the mythology of the Goddess Hathor; several essays and one poem about Israelite priestesses, goddesses and later Jewish traditions (including one that also discusses the possible priestess role of Mary, eventual mother of Jesus); Indian yoginis; and the role of Mesoamerican women in creating “figurines” used in ritual.  This section closes with essays and poems containing personal stories about contemporary priestess lineages in various cultures and traditions, including Mexican, Hawaiian, and Dianic.

In their introduction to the second section, “Roles of the Priestess,” the editors point out:  "A lament for what has been lost with the disappearance of the lineage of priestesses opens this section." The poems and essays in this section present a variety of views of priestess roles, which the editors describe as including those that clash with “modern feminism, geopolitics, religious heritage, gender roles....” Included are a description of a firewalk ceremony; reflections on what it means to be a priestess in patriarchal times; three essays related to Indian traditions, including Tantric temple dance; becoming a priestess after being an ordained minister in an interfaith church. Also, priestessing and: community service, marriage officiation, trees, Dianic Wicca, Queer spirituality, Paganism in Israel, Brigid, and initiation via snakebite. 

The third section is a “Toolkit,” of poetry and prose that focuses on methods, skills, and tools including designing and leading rituals, considering group dynamics and other psychologically-based factors, being aware of rhythms of body and cosmos, approaching the mystical, the relationship of leading and serving as a priestess in community, priestessing styles including solitary priestessing, and the relationship of ritual and theater. Also, use of altars, incense, dance, energy, acting skills, and music including chanting, droning, and drumming.

The last section, “Stepping Into Ourselves,” has two pieces: a poem by Jill Hammer and a short story, (the only one in the anthology) by Tamis Hoover Renteria.

The back matter includes acknowledgements, bios of the editors and contributors, a bibliography of more than 9 pages, “ A Guide to Incense Botanicals” by Katlyn Greene, and a Group Reading Guide.

Stepping Into Ourselves has more than 50 contributors. Some are ordained ministers and rabbis, some are ordained priestesses in various Pagan paths, and others are scholars who have researched priestessing at various times in history (and more than a few are both clergy and scholars). Contributors with more than one poem in this anthology are: Janine Canan, Andrea Goodman, Patricia Monaghan, Geela Rayzel Raphael, and Lorraine Schein. Those with more than one essay in this book are: Ruth Barrett, Jalaja Bonheim, Jill Hammer, Anne Key, Shauna Aura Knight, and Kathryn Ravenwood. Those with both poetry and prose are Jill Hammer, Le’ema Kathleen Graham, and Normandi Ellis.

I enthusiastically recommend Stepping Into Ourselves to you and anyone interested in the subject matter (and to some who don’t think they’re interested—yet). For a more complete idea of the authors and topics in this extraordinary anthology see the contents list on the publisher’s website.
 

Contributors for whom I am aware that the publication of their work in this book is posthumous are Shekhinah Mountainwater, Patricia Monaghan, and Layne Redmond. The memories of their lives bless us as we bless their memory.