ASWM issues Call for Proposals for 2017 Symposium

The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology has issued a call for proposals for presentations at its symposium in Philadelphia on March 25, 2017.  The symposium theme is "Mythology, Women and Society: Growing the Groundswell." ASWM suggests that proposals aim at answering the question: How can the study of women and mythology contribute to our current conversations about women, justice, and society? The deadline for proposal submission is October 15. Full details, including a list of possible proposal topics, are on the ASWM site.

UK Historian Looking for Interviewees about Goddess Practices

I've received request from Ruth Lindley, Ph.D, of the Department of History, University of Birmingham, UK, to publish the following information from her here. She is looking for participants based in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Dr. Lindley writes:

"Call for Interview Participants

"I am looking to conduct interviews with women whose spiritual practices focus on, or relate to, ‘the Goddess’, for my PhD research on religion and spirituality at the University of Birmingham. My thesis, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, will challenge current scholarship on religious change in modern Britain, especially in relation to women’s experiences of faith from the 1960s to the present day. 

"Most historians and sociologists claim that women abandoned institutional religions en masse in the 1960s due to the effects of second wave feminism and the sexual revolution. They argue that, in lieu of the Christian dogma of love and self-sacrifice, women then turned to ‘alternative spiritualties’ that provided an outlet for their natural feminine care-giving roles. This scholarship takes up the implicit perspective of religious institutions for whom ‘women’s spirituality’ is casual, unorganised and diluted.

"In collecting oral testimonies, I hope to rescue women’s spiritual experiences from the condescension of this scholarship. I want to find out what faith really meant in the lives of ordinary women in contemporary Britain and, in doing so, reveal something of the rich and textured history of belief in the modern world. I am interested in hearing the perspectives of people rather than institutions.

"Complete anonymity is guaranteed for all participants, if desired. If you are interested in taking part, please email Ruth Lindley on RML033@bham.ac.uk for more information, or to arrange an informal conversation prior to interview."  

Deadline Extended to Oct. 6 for Abstracts for Pagan Studies Conference

According to an email received from the organizers of the Conference on Current Pagan Studies to be held January 23-24, 2016 at Claremont Graduate University, the deadline for "paper abstracts" has been extended to October 6. The theme of the Conference is Social Justice. Quoting from the email, with words of particular interest to readers of this blog italicized by me, and with the addition of the bracketed phrase at the end ):

"We face issues of social justice everywhere we look, from something as overwhelming as #blacklivesmatter to the seeming trivial Wiccanate privilege.  Like the innumerable heads of the Lernaean Hydra, it seems that every time we manage to quell an issue involving racism, sexism, or privilege, two more such issues appear.  Add to this the poisonous breath of the hate rhetoric that surrounds these issues, and virulent ichor of the rigid beliefs from which such transgressions emerge, the task of those on the side of social justice does appears quite Herculean. How do we as Pagans, Wiccans, Druids, Witches, Heathens and the many other paths that have arisen incorporate these concerns into our research, our outlook, our activism, etc.? We are using this idea in its broadest terms. We are hoping to encompass issues concerning racism, feminism, womanism, eco-justice, food security, gender justice, classism, neo-colonialism, etc. seen through the eyes of our scholars/activists.

"We are looking for papers from all disciplines. A community needs artists, teachers, scientists, healers, historians, philosophers, educators, thinkers, activists, etc. As usual, we are using Pagan in its most inclusive form, covering pagans, wiccans, witches and the numerous hybrids that have sprung up as well as any indigenous groups that feel akin to or want to be in conversation with Pagans. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words. . . Go to our website www.paganconference.com for advice on presenting papers..." [and for the email address to which you can send papers].

AAR Extends CFP Deadline for 2015 Regional Conference

The American Academy of Religion, Western Region, has extended to Oct. 5 the deadline of its Call for Papers.  The regional conference will be held in  Santa Clara CA on March 20-22. 2015. Among the many religions and traditions included in the Call is Goddess Studies, for which the Call includes:
"Whatever your methodology (archetypal, cultural studies, feminist, postcolonial theory, queer theory, race and ethnicity) or academic field (anthropology, archeology, literature, mythology, philosophy, psychology, religious studies), this panel seeks contributions to the importance of Goddess Studies within academia. From Egyptian goddesses to Catholic saints to the Haitian Vodou pantheon, we welcome a wide array of perspectives."

Among the other topics included in the CFP are Buddhism and Magick; Ecology and Religion; Ethics; Indigenous Religions; Pagan Studies; Philosophy of Religion; Queer Studies; Religion and Arts; Religion, Literature, and Film; Womanist/Pan African; and Women and Religion. 

CFP for ASWM 2015 Symposium

[link updated 11/2]
The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology (ASWM) has issued a Call for Proposals for presentations at its 2015 Symposium to be held April 11, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. The theme of the Symposium is "Tales and Totems: Lineage and Myth in Goddess Scholarship." The deadline for submission of proposals is November 15. 

ASWM invites proposals for papers, panels, and workshops including, but not limited to, these topics:
·       Tales and totems of the Pacific Northwest
·       Ancestry, foremothers and methodology
·       Prehistory, history and changing experiences of the sacred and the profane
·       Shakti, prakriti, and purusha from east to west
·       Goddess myths, clans, and communities
·       Cultural ecofeminism
·       Myth and lineage of sacred places
·       Animals as totems and symbols
·       Creation stories of the First Nations, particularly the Pacific North West
·       Indigenous myths, aboriginal histories, and women’s communities
·       First Nations, First Worlds, Third Worlds and the global environmental crises
·       Totems and symbolic language
·       Goddess lineage, rituals and community
·       Mother earth, motherhood and matriarchy
·      Altars in the home, nature and at work
For more information go here.

Session of Hebrew Priestess Institute This Summer

The Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Training Institute is accepting applications for the session of its two-level training program that starts July 28 and runs through August 3, Rabbi Jill Hammer, Institute co-director with Taya Shere,  announced this week. The program will take place at the Isabella Jewish Retreat Center in Falls Village, Connecticut.

"The Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute revives and re-embodies Judaism through the gifts of women spiritual leaders and through experience of the sacred feminine, Rabbi Hammer said. "Kohenet facilitates the creation of transformative Jewish ritual that is embodied, earth-based, feminist and inspired by traditions of women’s spiritual leadership. Kohenet draws on ancient Israelite sources, Jewish texts and folklore, kabbalah and contemporary creativity."

This webpage has more about the curriculum, and this page has more about the 13 priestess paths. An application form is here.  

Changes Here for New Year

Taking a cue from the traditional New Year's maxim, "out with the old, in with the new," I'm making the following changes on this blog in 2014:

Events will be covered in a different way. "Events Coil" will be discontinued for (at least) two reasons: (1) People now have more ways to find out about events than when we started listing them in July 2006 --especially local events sponsored by smaller groups. There are more websites, and people are posting about them on social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. (2) Though I still feel it's inspirational to see how many events are going on all over the world, the job (big job!) of gathering them and listing them has become taxing as I try to cope with other issues in my life. Also, when I posted about a year ago asking whether people still found the Events Coil useful, there was only one response. So instead of attempting to cover all events, no matter how big or how small, here's what I have planned:

Coverage of Larger Events
I will attempt to give you notice of larger events related to Goddess and other spiritual feminisms--no matter where in the world they are being held. These will usually be events lasting more than one day, mostly festivals and conferences. My best guess is that in most cases, these will each have a separate post. This will give you more notice than you now get from the "Events Coil" in case you want to register for the event and make travel and hotel reservations. I will try to spot as much information as I can on my own, but if your group is having such an event, to make sure that I know about it please send me an email with the link to a web page that has details of the event. If you already have an email address for me send it there. If you don't presently have an email address for me, send the info to < medusa  AT  judithlaura  DOT  com >   Please remember that events should be Goddess-related or related to some other form of feminist spirituality, and that I must have a web page to link to that is fully accessible (no pdf; no FB pages unless they are public). You don't have to send me the information itself, just the link to the web page. I will write the post from that and will link to it so people can get information not contained in my post.

News from Temples
I would like to have more coverage on this blog of what is going on at the increasing number of Goddess temples, "houses," etc., worldwide that meet in specific physical/geographical places. This is not limited to events.  In fact, I'd prefer it be about other matters: for example, it could include your temple's views on Goddess topics, issues that your temple is dealing with, plans (other than events) for the future, etc.   I feel this is best done by having guest posts by people affiliated with the each temple, preferably a leader or someone designated by the leader or the group. I invite you to write up to one post a month  (fewer or less frequently is fine) about your temple . If your temple is not in a country where English is the primary language, I invite you to write your post in your language of choice and, if possible, include a translation into English, to the best of your ability (hint: Google translate is pretty good if you need help). If you are interested in writing guest posts about your temple, please let me know by emailing me as described above.

Happy New Year to all!

Opening at Circle Sanctuary for Executive Assistant

Circle Sanctuary is accepting applications for the position of Executive Assistant, a full-time position located on-site at Circle Sanctuary headquarters in Wisconsin. Responsibilities include a variety of office duties, plus coordinating and staffing events, supervising volunteers, center upkeep, and serving as a personal assistant to Executive Director Selena Fox. Qualifications include proficiency in office work, Quick Books, Microsoft Office, phone reception, written communications, and excellent attention to details and skills in organization, multitasking, and publications work. You can get more details on the job and fill out an application on www.circlesanctuary.org/staffopening.

This information is being posted in response to an email announcement about the opening, inviting people to post the information on blogs.

ASWM Deadline for Conference Proposals Jan. 15

The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology (ASWM) is seeking proposals for presentations at its Biennial National Conference to be held in San Francisco in May. The theme of the Conference is "Creating the Chalice: Imagination and Integrity in Goddess Studies." The deadline for proposal submission is Jan. 15. The Conference will be held May 10-13. For more information, including some suggested topics, visit womenandmythology.wordpress.com

ASWM Accepting Conference Presentation Proposals

The Association for the Study of Women and Mythology is accepting proposals until December 15 for its Biennial National Conference May 10-13 in San Francisco. The theme of the conference is "Imagination and Integrity in Goddess Studies." For more details, see womenandmythology.wordpress.com

Staff Opening at Circle Sanctuary

Circle Sanctuary near Barneveld, Wisconsin, has announced a job opening for a full-time position as Center Coordinator/Executive Assistant. For more information, including a list of responsibilities and description of skills needed, see circlesanctuary.org/staffopening