The 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded in part to a Chinese woman (Tu) for her identification and isolation to treat malaria of a chemical known as Artemisinin. The name of that chemical derives from the fact that it… Read More ›
Spirituality
Chlíodhna , Celtic Goddess of Beauty, the Sea and the Afterlife by Judith Shaw
Having spent the past year and a half immersed in the study of Celtic Goddesses, I am intrigued by the sharing of many of their attributes, symbols, and associations – shape-shifting, magical birds, and apple orchards in the Otherworld to… Read More ›
Story Woman by Molly
“Human connections are deeply nurtured in the field of shared story.” –Jean Houston “The universe of made of stories, not of atoms.” –Muriel Rukeyser This month I went searching for a quote for one of my Red Tent Initiation students. She had… Read More ›
Black Madonna Transforms into Vodou’s Lesbian Defender by Kittredge Cherry
One of the most famous Catholic icons is the model for a Haitian Vodou goddess who protects lesbians. Traditional images of Erzulie Dantor, the Vodou defender of lesbians, are based on the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. They even share the… Read More ›
#LoveWins by John Erickson
On Saturday, September 19, 2015 I married two of my best friends Andrea and Cindy in holy matrimony in Appleton, WI.
Mysteries by Carol P. Christ
Savor an excerpt from A Serpentine Path: Mysteries of the Goddess: Finding ourselves together in Crete after attending a conference, four friends and I set out to visit the caves of Eilitheia in Amnissos and Agia Paraskevi in Skoteino. As… Read More ›
Why Is Pizza Round? The Black Goddess of Rome by Stuart Dean
The poem Moretum (discussed in my last post) narrates the preparation of a meal that can be characterized in modern English as ‘pizza.’ Round flatbread is baked; to go on it, a cheese spread is mixed. The details of the… Read More ›
I am mad by Mama Donna Henes
I am mad. So very mad. No, that doesn’t begin to describe it. I am pissed. I am angry. I am irate. I am incensed. I am outraged. I am enraged. I am livid. I am GODDESS DAMN FURIOUS. “All men… Read More ›
Artio, Celtic Goddess of Wild Life, Transformation and Abundance by Judith Shaw
Artio, Celtic Goddess of Wild Life, Transformation, and Abundance, is one of the more obscure goddesses in the Celtic pantheon. She is often shown with baskets of plenty and surrounded by animals. Artio is frequently depicted as a bear. Her… Read More ›
Restoring Ourselves to Ceremony: Red Tent Circles, by Molly
“I believe that these circles of women around us weave invisible nets of love that carry us when we’re weak and sing with us when we’re strong.” –SARK, Succulent Wild Woman Seven years ago, a small postcard at the local… Read More ›
The Wonder that is Being Born: How to Live Out Loud? Sacrilegious or Evolution? by Karen Moon
Yesterday, I went to a Women’s Circle, the description follows: Our next circle will honor this journey of Venus or Innana as she was known by the ancient Sumerians. We will gather on Sunday, July 26th at 3 PM at… Read More ›
Rosmerta, the Great Provider – a Celtic Goddess of Abundance by Judith Shaw
As we near August 2, known to the ancient Celts as Lughnasadh or Lammas, examples of abundance are everywhere. Gardens and farms are in full bloom with some crops ready for harvest and others very near. Lambs born in spring… Read More ›
Sappho, Frankincense, and Female Spirituality by Stuart Dean
White Howjary Frankincense (photo: Trygve Harris (www.enfleurage.com)) Sappho is the first Greek author to attest to the usage of frankincense. The word she uses to refer to it (libanos) is what comparative linguists call a ‘loan word,’ in this case… Read More ›
Aine and the Giant Leap by Deanne Quarrie
For our full moon rites coming up on the first of July we will be honoring Aine, Goddess of Love, Light, and Fertility who is also Queen of the Faeries. Aine’s name means “Bright” and She is typically honored at… Read More ›
Caitlyn Jenner is a Friend of Mine
To speak ones truth is oftentimes a difficult and nearly impossible act. However, to live one’s truth, on a day-to-day basis, is an aspect of life that has become so foreign to individuals who have become so comfortable in their own skin that I fear the activist and social justice roots that we all claim to hail from have fallen at the wayside and been replaced by complacency and reductionism.
Stoneflower by Molly
Like flower growing from rock the world is full of tiny, perfect mysteries. Secrets of heart and soul and landscape guarded tenderly taking root in hard crevices stretching forth in impossible silence. Sleeping resting waiting watching knowing that all one… Read More ›
Aphrodite in Bagram Afghanistan & The ‘Friend of the World’ of the Flower Ornament Scripture by Stuart Dean
In the 1930s two ancient storerooms in Afghanistan near what is now the Bagram US Air Base were discovered by French archaeologists and unsealed for the first time in about two thousand years. They contained artifacts from all over the… Read More ›
Is it possible that we each have our own personal Divine Twin? by Susan Gifford
I recently re-read several books written by Jeffrey Raff, a Jungian analyst with a deep interest in spiritual alchemy. Raff has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Union Graduate School and a diploma from the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich. While studying… Read More ›
The Importance of Rituals (Part 2) by Elise M. Edwards
In my previous post, I wrote about the importance of rituals. The rituals of the Easter season helped me process some difficult emotions. The way that rituals mark time and demonstrate consistency has been a comfort for me when facing… Read More ›
Guanyin Revisited: Queer, Pacifist, Vegan Icon by Angela Yarber
Each month, I delight in writing about a revolutionary woman. Whether she is from history or mythology, sharing the stories of my Holy Women Icons with a folk feminist twist is one of my favorite things to do as a… Read More ›
Sappho’s Prescription For A Healthy Heart & the Taoist/Buddhist Concept of Forget (忘)
A two line fragment of Sappho’s poetry (S.120) reads: But I am not one to keep venting my anger: Rather I let some things in my heart go unspoken Sappho’s word choices here make this as difficult as any of… Read More ›
Buddhas In Snowflakes, Enlightenment In A Bathtub
This year’s Tibet House Benefit Concert coincided with a snowstorm in Manhattan and though snow is not uncommon in Manhattan (especially this past season), it is particularly associated with Tibet and its high, perennially snow covered peaks. The timing of… Read More ›
Give Me That “New” Time Religion! by Susan Gifford
I want a new religion. I have changed to the point that I cannot be a part of a patriarchal religion and I feel that all of the major organized religions fall into that category. It has taken me a… Read More ›
Credhe, Celtic Goddess of Love and Spirit Contact by Judith Shaw
Credhe, also known as Creide or Cred is an Irish Faery Queen Goddess of Love and Spirit Contact. She is associated with Danu’s mountains, the Paps of Anu. These are two gently rounded high hills that were adorned by the… Read More ›
The Goddess of Willendorf and Does My Uterus Make Me Look Fat? by Molly
“Loving, knowing, and respecting our bodies is a powerful and invincible act of rebellion in this society.” ~ Inga Muscio I do not remember the first time I ever saw her, but I do know that I have loved the… Read More ›
Caer Ibormeith, Celtic Goddess of Dreams and Prophecy by Judith Shaw
Caer Ibormeith, Celtic Goddess of Dreams and Prophecy, is a pan-Celtic goddess who was worshipped in Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In Scotland and Wales Her name was used to name places such as Caer Edin (Edinburgh). In Ireland Her name… Read More ›
Morrigan, Celtic Goddess of Sovereignty, War and Fertility by Judith Shaw
Morrigan, Celtic Goddess of War and Death, is a dark goddess we mortals tend to approach with fear and trepidation. A great Warrior Goddess, She represents the more terrifiying aspects of female energy; sensuality, magic, prophecy, revenge, and war. She… Read More ›
An Advent Journey by Victoria Rue
I decided to take the fall semester off from teaching. I wanted to volunteer my abilities somewhere in the world. With guidance from a friend and Volunteers in Global Service, I exchanged emails with Visthar: an Academy for Justice and… Read More ›
An Archaic Trinity of Goddesses? Not Necessarily. by Barbara Ardinger
In her comment following my last post which was about mythology, my friend, Carol Christ, expands on my paragraph about how the so-called “ancient triple goddess” was really invented in 1948 by Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess…. Read More ›
Journey into Light by Mary Sharratt
December 7 marks the Second Sunday of Advent. Here in Northern England, I find myself plunged into the depths of midwinter darkness. It is in this dark womb of stillness that the Light is reborn. Through the ages and across… Read More ›
