Author: WomenandMyth

Posted on

Review: A Modern Mythmaker in Wyoming

A Woman to Match A Mountain: Neal Forsling and Crimson Dawn.

Film review by Sid Reger, Ed. D.

Neal Forsling

Are myths and legends only available from ancient sources?  This charming biographical film proves that it’s possible for a modern woman to single-handedly build a myth tradition that continues to thrive in Wyoming 80 years after its creation.  Neal Forsling was herself the stuff of legend, a young woman who divorced in the 1920s and moved with her two girls to homestead on a mountaintop in the rugged land near Casper.  There she not only defied convention as a writer and artist, but in 1930, at her Summer Solstice party, she started a living myth tradition: the Witches of Crimson Dawn.

Witches and lanterns, N. Forsling

Through telling and enacting stories for the children of the mountain, Neal and her friends created an ongoing celebration of fairies, witches, and other mythic characters.  She maintained that the Crimson Witch approached her when she moved to the land, and told her to protect the beautiful mountain and pass its stories on to willing visitors. As the Bohemian group of artists in Casper grew, so did the energy for creating the stories of the witches, (benevolent spirits) elves, and woodcutters. Continue reading “Review: A Modern Mythmaker in Wyoming”

Posted on

Green Goddess Conference–A “Life-weaving Web”

Annie Finch at Kirkridge, photo by Ora Wry

Award-winning poet Annie Finch, featured speaker at our ASWM Conference, reflects on the activities of the weekend:

The ASWM conference was truly a life-weaving web–and a life-changing one for me. I have rarely (never?!!) read for an audience that “got” my goddess poems so profoundly–it was humbling. Overall, the quality of so many presentations was so high–and the content so amazing, so rich, so nourishing. I especially remember performances by Elizabeth Cunningham in her bawdy bodice, reciting a Magdalen prologue from memory prefaced and concluded by songs (what novelist ever does that??!); Cristina Eisenberg’s superb keynote presentation on women and wolves; the remarkable world premiere of the film Pink Smoke Over the Vatican; untangling patriarchy over lunch with Oloye Aina Olomo; dancing a raucous Sicilian dance and participating in Betz King’s superb womb-healing ceremony; being inundated, filled, by fantastic presentations exploring images of the Goddess in the form of bee, butterfly, deer, snake, wolf. . . and meeting so many new and established (Margot Adler! Diane Wolkstein!) brave scholars, writers, and artists, who give so much, care so much, do so much to further this much-needed herstory. I wish ASWM a long and flourishing life, since I know that will mean many more astounding conferences!

Posted on

Green Goddess Conference Follow-up

The 2010 Green Goddess Conference has come and gone (alas) but it has left us with wonderful memories and connections.

More than 80 of us met in the mountains of Pennsylvania for three very busy, very productive days.  The program was packed full, including both academic presentations and experiential workshops.  The conference was a great success,  according to our measures—the “hive” was full of energy and ideas, many new friendships and collaborations took place, and we enjoyed diverse and stimulating presentations and performances.  Furthermore, all of the organizers are still good friends (not always a given in event planning)!

Your president/web reporter will offer follow up articles and pictures of the event soon.  At present I am re-learning to sit still with a cat on my lap and to listen to the violets bloom.

Watch this site for conference reports and announcements of upcoming events.  We are already planning for regional symposia in 2011 (WI and PA) and a conference in Chicago in 2012!

Posted on

Online Class on Ice Age Art and Archetypes

Shamans, Skywatchers, and Storytellers:  Wisdom from the Ice Ages

a six-week online course offered in 2010.

This class was designed to  “meet around an on-line hearth” to explore myths and realities of life for our most ancient ancestors, the tribes of the Ice Age.   I am interested to share resources with other scholars of Ice Age life, art, and symbolism.  Contact me here:

Sid Reger, Ed.D., is a goddess artist and scholar whose passions are prehistoric art and goddess cultures. Sid is a member of the faculty of the Women’s Thealogical Institute, and the president of the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology.

Posted on

Heart of the Sun: forthcoming Sekhmet anthology

Sekhmet

The anthology  Heart of the Sun:  An Anthology in Exaltation of Sekhmet will be published this year by Goddess Institute Publishing.  The editors, Dr. Candace Kant and Dr. Anne Key, Priestesses of the Temple of Goddess Spirituality Dedicated to Sekhmet, describe the project as follows: “As Priestesses and scholars, we endeavor to create an anthology that will serve as a resource and a source of inspiration to those that want to honor Sekhmet and explore more about Her multiple manifestations.”

Watch this site for more information detailing this exciting publication and other projects of Goddess Institute Publishing.