Mary Daly, a Leader in Feminist Theology, Dies at 81

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/education/07daly.html

Daughters of the Goddess in the News

One of my grad school teachers, and a friend from way back in our La Leche League days, Leilani Birely, started the women's spirituality circle that I used to attend, named Daughters of the Goddess. By inviting me to her early circles, Leilani is really the one responsible for me finding out about the Women's Spirituality Masters Degree program that I am now in.

Recently there were articles in both the county's newspaper and magazine about Leilani, and the group -

Contra Costa Times: Group Helps Women Find Empowerment Through Nature, Goddesses

Diablo Magazine:
Worshipping the Inner Goddess - How a Lafayette mom is leading East Bay “witches” to celebrate their “divine feminine.”

Matriarchy by Russell Means / Republic of Lakotah

Faith and Feminism/Womanist/Mujerista Festival & Conference

Marys, Madonnas, Maternal Eternals – GoddessWithUs @ HerChurch in San Francisco

Pastor Stacy Boorn

This conference was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I am so glad to know that I can go back any Sunday for services that include the Divine Feminine, or on Wednesdays for a Goddess Rosary...

Here is a video about HerChurch:


Here is a link to the conference program, which included the play, Mary Magdalene - The Musical, and presenters, Margaret Starbird, China Galland, Joan Norton, and others:
http://www.herchurch.org/id19.html

Joan Norton's blog about the conference:
http://blog.marymagdalenewithin.com/2009/11/15/godde-was-in-her-house.aspx

My pix:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10088&id=100000166967384&l=aa78de66fc

Vicki Noble - The Biological Basis for Matriarchy

Motherworld conference @ York University, Toronto, October 24, 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwzVHE2q6k&feature=PlayList&p=079F7CD831D967DA&index=0



If you watch 'til the end you will be rewarded by being able to see the lovely Polly Wood sing, The Blood Song, acapella, a portion of which goes like this:

How come they show the blood of Christ, The blood of war, the blood from the sliced incision(surgery on t.v. every night)?

How come they show the blood of sport? It’s all the same as blood from violent video games (movies, they love to see Hollywood stars in a bloody fight).

How come they drink the blood of life As red wine, buy the bloody meat from the butcher’s vine? It’s all accepted, all okay

Except the blood they cannot say
Except the blood you cannot say
Except the blood you cannot speak
Except that blood may sometimes leak.

The only blood they cannot show
Is the blood that freely, freely flows
From ladies, sisters, women, girls, and me.
No cut, no scrape, no knife, no gun, no wound.

Here is an even nicer, accompanied, audio version:
http://www.metaformia.org/multimedia.cfm

LEAVE HEAVEN ALONE!

From the album "Old Wives Tales," one of my favorites of all time, Exene Cervanka (also of the band X) prophetically sings:
"Now we want to rule the moon...leave heaven alone!"
I can't believe this album was recorded in 1989. So ahead of it's time.

Exene Cervenka from modi Frank on Vimeo.

Turkey Unearths 16,000-year-old Mother Goddess Figurine

Excerpted from:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/17/content_11899536.htm

ANKARA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Archeologists have unearthed a 16,000-year-old mother goddess figurine during a cave excavation in south Turkey, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Monday.

The clay figurine was found during the excavation work of the Direkli Cave in the Kahramanmaras province, which started on July 15, Gazi University Archeology Department lecturer Cevdet Merih Erek told the agency Monday.

The finding showed that women had a high social status in the region 16,000 years ago and that the method of using fired clay in making figurines was older than previously thought, Erek was quoted as saying.

Before the discovery, the oldest fired clay god or goddess figurines unearthed in Mesopotamia, Anatolia and other Near East regions were found to be made in 5,000 BC, said Erek.

In a separate report, the Anatolia news agency said broader archeological excavations have started in the Sabuniye Tumulus, in the Sutasi hamlet of Samandag town in south Turkey's Hatay province.

Archeologists had discovered artifacts belonging to the Egyptian and Mycenaean civilizations in earlier excavations of the tumulus, which was found to be a major commercial and cultural port city in the Bronze Age, Hatice Pamir, chairperson of the Mustafa Kemal University (MKU) Archeology Department, told the agency on Monday.

Nearly 30 people including 16 scientists are participating in the excavation work, which was organized jointly by Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry and the MKU, Pamir was quoted as saying.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

From Salt Lake City Weekly

Sunstone Symposium
THURSDAY 8.13
By Dallas Robbins

The Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium is an annual gathering of scholars, historians, novelists, feminists, activists, and anyone intellectually curious about Mormon culture and history. Now in its 30th year, the symposium is a forum for liberals and conservatives, heretics and orthodox, atheists and believers, a place where free and open discussion is explored and encouraged.

This year’s theme, “Zion’s Sisterhood,” focuses a number of presentations on feminist topics, ranging from “Sex and the Heavenly Mother,” women and the priesthood, and “The Achievements and Ironies of Women’s Religious Creativity” (the free opening lecture Aug. 12). With more than 300 sessions, there is something for everyone. Highlights include presentations on Utah County’s Dream Mine, Gnostic retellings of Adam and Eve, discussion of the temple ceremony depicted in Big Love, the controversy over Book of Mormon witnesses, polygamist wives talking about their experiences, and even a panel on the mythic and religious elements of vampires and Twilight.

Along with a wide variety of challenging history and thorny theological debates, the symposium isn’t afraid of tackling the increasingly important issues of homosexuality and religion. Stephen Williams will screen his short film Voicings, a story about a devout Mormon husband and his secret gay life. The Gay Mormon Literature Project is a panel exploring Mormon and gay themes in film, books and plays. And pioneer researcher Dr. Caitlin Ryan discusses the influence of families on their LGBT children.

The Sunstone Symposium offers a unique experience for the adventurous and those curious enough to challenge their mind—and maybe stretch their soul.

Sunstone Symposium @ Salt Lake City Sheraton, 150 W. 500 South, Aug. 12–15. Registration and ticket prices vary. SunStoneMagazine.com