News

Max Dashu (The Distaff:  Fates, Witches, and Women’s Power)

Max Dashu, feminist cultural historian and artist, founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document global women’s history in images, to track patterns of domination, and to reflect the full spectrum of the world’s social systems, cosmologies, and cultural treasures. She is known for her expertise on ancient female iconography and sacred story, and for her many writings on recovering women’s history and dismantling patriarchal worldviews.

 

“What does a truly global view of women look like? One pattern that emerges — not the one we have been shown — is female spheres of power: culture-makers, weavers, and builders, medicine women, elders, herbalists, and drummers. We need to know about the egalitarian mother-right cultures, like thirsty people need water. Not all human societies have been based on domination.”

 

Max will present a visual history on the symbolism of distaff and weaving, and will also tell her story at the plenary panel for authors of the anthology Foremothers of the Women’s Spirituality Movement: Elders and Visionaries.

Ritual, Tradition and Feminine Intuition among the Wabanaki of Maine and the Canadian Maritimes

In this presentation, four Wabanaki Women, representing the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Mi’ kmaq and Maliseet First Nations, will discuss the impact of ritual in their lives. Ritual plays a role in nearly all aspects of tribal life.  It connects us to our history and helps us to propel ourselves into the future.  In this panel discussion, we will look at the ways that ritual helps to support our connection to a traditional and cultural way of life, as tribal members and as women. We will also look at the ways that ritual can interfere with our intuition and our traditional role of maintaining and nurturing a connection to the divine.  

The panel will consist of an Indigenous Rights Attorney and activist from the Penobscot Nation, an educator and Mi’kmaq elder in residence from St. Thomas University, a traditional elder, ceremonial leader and teacher from the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Director of the Maliseet Nation Conservation Council. Each panelist will discuss how ritual plays a role in balancing personal and professional roles within their respective communities. Thus, we will discuss the many ways that ritual intersects and defines the roles of women within Wabanaki tribal communities.

 

Patricia Saulis – Maliseet

Patricia Saulis is Maliseet from the Maliseet Nation at Tobique. She is a mother, sister, aunt, great aunt, cousin. She was raised in the Catholic tradition, but as an adult ascribes to universal understandings of creation, living and being. Patricia is currently serving her Nation as the Executive Director of the Maliseet Nation Conservation Council, addressing issues connected to the watershed, aquatic relations and the marine life. Speaking on behalf of those without voice is important to her as a woman and encouraging women to sing their ancestral songs is how she sees empowering our women to reclaim their voice and spirituality.

 

Miigam’ agan – Mi’ Kmaq

Miigam’agan is a Mi’kmaw traditional teacher and spiritual leader from Esgenoopetitj, New Brunswick, Canada. She is the mother of three, and grandmother of three. Her life-work has been dedicated to supporting empowerment for women, youth, families and communities, while preserving and teaching Wabanaki culture and spirituality. Miigam’ agan has participated in countless councils, commissions and circles throughout the U.S. and Canada, addressing issues related to empowerment of Indigenous women and the promotion and preservation of the traditional Wabanaki way of life. She is currently an Elder in Residence at St. Thomas University, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. 

 

Sherri Mitchell – Penobscot

Sherri is an Indigenous rights attorney, writer, speaker and teacher. She has been an advocate for Indigenous Rights for more than 20 years. She was a participant in the American Indian Ambassador program, and the Udall Native American Congressional Internship program. In 2010, she received the Mahoney Dunn International Human Rights and Humanitarian Award, for research into Human Rights violations against Indigenous Peoples, and she is the 2015 recipient of the Spirit of Maine Award, for commitment and excellence in the field of International Human Rights. She was a longtime advisor to the American Indian Institute’s Healing the Future Program and currently serves as an advisor to the Indigenous Elders’ and Medicine People’s Council of North and South America. Sherri is the founding Director of the Land Peace Foundation, an organization committed to the protection of Indigenous territories and the preservation of the Indigenous way of life. She teaches workshops throughout the U.S and Canada on building Nonviolent Indigenous Rights Movements that are based on traditional Wabanaki teachings and values.

 

Joanna Dana & Brenda Dana Lozada – Passamaquoddy
Joanna Dana is a Clan Mother of the Bear Clan. She is a respected elder and spiritual leader of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. She is known for her ceremonial knowledge, but also for her gentleness and incredibly loving heart. Brenda Dana-Lozada is Joanna’s daughter and a keeper of ceremonial knowledge and teacher. She is a Passamaquoddy language teacher at the Indian Township School.

ALisa Starkweather

ALisa is a tireless culture worker and the founder of many powerful women’s initiatives including the Red Tent Temple Movement, Daughters of the Earth Gatherings, and the Women’s Belly and Womb Conferences.  Thirty-two years of dedication to women’s empowerment gave her a reputation where she is known for her passionate archetypal work that focuses on transformation, healing, community, ritual and the rebalancing of the sacred feminine.

ALisa began the women’s mystery school, the Priestess Path Apprenticeship in 1998 out of her belief that women are an important part of the change that we need today in our ailing world. Believing that a pivotal part of healing means facing what one disowns, in 1993 ALisa began training to facilitate dynamic healing with both the unlovable and golden aspects of shadow. She is a founding member of the original Shadow Work® Guild.

More recently over the last several years ALisa is carrying her vision out globally by women raising a Red Tent Temple in every village, city and townThe Red Tent Temples hold the possibility for women of all ages to unify and strengthen, to support the greater changes being called for in our culture today. Alisa worked as a co-producer of Things We Don’t Talk About; Women’s Stories from the Red Tent with filmmaker Dr. Isadora Leidenfrost and film music scorer, Ruth Mendelson that debuted in September of 2012. This award winning film has now been viewed by over a million people around the world and translated in to several languages.

ALlisa’s workshop for the ASWM conference is titled, “The Builder’s Daughter: Out of the land, out of the myths, comes our living work”

 

Tamara Agha-Jaffar

“After serving all my professional life in academia, first as a professor of English, then as a dean, and then as Vice President for Academic Affairs, I retired in July 2013 to pursue my passion of reading and writing about women in mythology.

“I have written two books of non-fiction: a feminist analysis of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter entitled Demeter and Persephone: Lessons from a Myth (McFarland 2002), and Women and Goddesses in Myth and Sacred Texts (Longman 2004).  (You will find a review of this book, which is a sourcebook for teaching goddess studies, by Johanna Stuckey, right here on the ASWM website.)

“While in the throes of researching and writing my first book, I became captivated with the idea of exploring the Demeter/Persephone story through first person narratives of the characters involved in the events. This concept led to the birth of my first novel, A Pomegranate and the Maiden (Anaphora Literary Press 2015).”

In addition to working on a manuscript for my second novel, Tamara blogs at tamaraaghajaffar.com, where she “seeks nuggets of wisdom in various myths.” You can also find her on Goodreads.

Tamara’s presentation for the 2016 ASWM Conference is “Demeter, Persephone, and Iambe: Three Rebels with Cause.”  

Laney Goodman

Conference Workshop:  MOTHER DRUM CEREMONIAL CIRCLE

“We will learn how to best be in balance together in a tribal way – once again breathing new life into ancient wisdom for our present time, where it is needed for healing our hearts, minds, and the global community.”

This workshop relies on the MOTHER DRUM – a large community drum that can be played by a number of drummers together – to keep the “one” heartbeat throughout our journey together.

“Drumming in the Four Directions with the Mother Drum will let you connect to the Great Mother’s heartbeat.  We will experience air, fire, water and earth, the elements of the four directions, with drum and chant in each direction.  Women who attend this ceremonial drum and chant circle will have a chance to play the Mother Drum themselves along with 4 other women in each direction.  So please bring you drum or rattle and experience the deep connection of the heartbeat of the Mother Drum and know that we are all ONE.”

Laney Goodman — visionary drummer, ceremonialist, vocalist, and nationally syndicated radio host — leads ceremonial drum circles “Drumming in the Four Directions” with the Mother Drum.  Her Cherokee heritage from the Great Smoky Mountains blends with German, English and Scot/Irish ancestry to bridge time and tradition in ceremonies of community, especially for women. Laney studied with African-American drum masters and indigenous elders and has professionally presented Ceremonial Drum & Chant for over 25 years.

You can find more information on Laney’s work at: www.sacredwavesofrhythm.com

Note:  You are invited to bring your rattle or small drum to the Mother Drum workshop to participate in this ceremony.

Constance Tippett

Constance is an artist and creatress of The Goddess Timeline. She also makes graven images and will bring her replica of the famous “Goddess Council” for her presentation.

Women have been meeting in groups since the Paleolithic and they left us archaeological evidence to prove it. From Laussel, France, and Old Europe, to deep in the Amazon jungle, they carved on rocks and created beautiful clay tableaus as a visual language to record their meetings.

Were they deciding the fate of the tribe, synchronizing their moon time, deep in a shamanic experience….or just having fun? We’ll explore the grandmother’s Goddess Council by having our own.

Constance’s presentation, Archaeological Evidence of Ancient Women’s Gatherings, will give women the chance to see and touch her beautiful replicas of the “council” figurines.

Yuria Celidwen

I am a native of Chiapas (Mexico), where life is ardent, impetuous and fierce; magic abounds and life swells. Yet, despite being such a lush natural area, the conditions of life can be very hard. Fight-or-flight is much of the daily bread, so I grew up aware of the fragility of life, learning to truly enjoy the present moment. This led me to ponder ways to care for myself and all others, through the cultivation of kindness, wisdom and compassion. I aim to improve the quality of life of all beings, starting by acknowledging and taming my own shadow, and then helping others do the same. I know our conditioning can be transformed to one of cooperation and growth. Through the study of mythology and mysticism, it has become evident to me that a tension between opposites is necessary for creation to arise. My aim is to awaken consciousness to the holiness of everyday life, in order to be of conscious service, respecting the natural world and our natural being, for the benefit of the world we share.

Yuria is a Mexican PHD candidate in mythology and depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.  She is a graduate from the Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness and the Contemplative Psychotherapy Program  from the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Sciences.

“To create stories of atonement and empowerment, one has to converge seemingly opposite views of life: suffering and hope, shadow and psychic awareness, abuse and respect.”

Her paper, Tonantzin Coatlicue Guadalupe: Christian Symbolism, Colonization and Social Justice, reconciles these polarizations through the image of the Mexican icon of the Lady of Guadalupe as a symbol of the dispossessed, a shadow of conditioning for colonization, a relation to Aztec goddess Tonantzin Coatlicue, and an emblem for atonement.

Kate Brunner

Kate Brunner is a writer, healer, ritualist, & member of The Sisterhood of Avalon, where she currently serves as Hearthkeeper Matron on the Council of Nine. She is also Project Co-Weaver and a permanent contributor at the Feminism and Religion Blog Project. Her writings appear in Paganism 101: An Introduction to Paganism by 101 Pagans and the forthcoming Goddess in America anthology, both from Moon Books. She holds a BA from Tulane University, where she studied Economics, International Relations, & Religious Traditions.

Kate is a presenter for Red Tents & women’s retreats. She also hosts seasonal women’s gatherings, facilitates labyrinth & rite of passage rituals, and leads workshops on an assortment of women’s spirituality topics. During 2016, in addition to presenting at the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology Conference, she will also be teaching at the inaugural Ninefold Festival in Orange, CT.

She will be bringing two of the Ladies of the Mabinogion to life at ASWM this year with a writing workshop, Becoming Branwen the Peaceweaver and a presentation  “Rhiannon, Great Queen of the Mabinogi” on the panel, Women’s Spirituality, Transformative Scholarship and Personal Quest.
“Goddess myths endure because of their sustainable relevance to our internal & external lives. Paradoxically, understanding the cultural context that birthed Goddess myths actually helps us to better grasp their relevance to us as modern practitioners of Goddess spirituality, feminism, & activism. Threads of the struggle for social justice run through many of our ancient & medieval Goddess mythologies, patiently waiting for us to spin them out and reweave them back into modern context. These are the sacred texts of our collective Goddess traditions. As such, they deserve careful scholastic exegesis followed by mindful modern eisegesis in order to grasp their full power in the modern age.”