Hello my fellow daimonic seekers! My apologies for the looooong delay in posting an episode. It is now Juneteenth and I am finally getting around to it after nearly a five month hiatus, and, of course, it is the final episode (for the foreseeable future). :/
Why is this?
Listen to the podcast episode here or watch the Youtube version to find out!
Here are the recommended resources I walk you through in the episode:
Cat's Daimon Course (not currently available...keep an eye out for it, though...Worth your time!)
Sam Reynolds' "Unleashing Your Daemon" (post-NORWAC 2021 conference workshop)
Michael's book: Fate and Destiny: The Two Agreements of the Soul (one of many books!)
Dr. Megan Rose Woolever's dissertation-turned book (coming March 2022) - Spirit Marriage
DRUMROLL please... Here is the information about The Goddess Foundation, the new (but related) project I am embarking on as we speak. :)
THE GODDESS FOUNDATION LIBRARY & SPIRITUAL CENTER
FLESH OUT MY LIBGUIDE - https://bama-slis.libguides.com/c.php?g=912511&p=6573188 (use this as an inspiration)
Brief Overview (What? Who? Why? How?)
A predominantly online open-access library and spiritual center devoted to reclaiming the voice of the Goddess/divine feminine. A publicly-oriented supplement/complement to academic organizations including Pacifica Graduate Institute, the Women’s Spirituality MA/PhD program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), the non-profit Association For the Study of Women in Mythology (ASWM), and the Gimbutas-inspired Institute of Archaeomythology (IAM), among others.
Offers both virtual and in-person events/retreats at a physical foundation site (location TBD). Foundation serves as a platform and safe space for women and all goddess folx to gather and share their personal experiences and divine wisdom in a society that generally dismisses and denigrates said experiences.
Provides interactive resources and tools for an emergent and ever-expanding community of goddess /divine feminine practitioners, priestesses, devotees, and scholars in the U.S. and beyond.
An open-access public library and spiritual center invested in the pursuit of social justice and activism (e.g.: promoting marginalized queer and feminist visions within the realm of spirituality and religion, ecofeminism and reclaiming the earth as divine, etc.)
__________________________________________________________________________
1 - GODDESS MOVEMENT (An Introduction/Overview)
Offers individual pages on the various foremothers and guides to their work(s).
2 - Thealogy & Theology; The Divine Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition (Black Madonna, etc.)
Reclaiming the Goddess hidden in plain sight!
3 - Herstory Revisioned: Marija Gimbutas & Archaeomythology
4 - Online popular resources --- Goddess Temples/Organizations, blogs, podcasts, publishers, etc.
5 - The Goddess in Fiction
6 - The Goddess in the Performing Arts (Music, Theater, Dance)
7 - The Goddess in Popular Media & Film (movies)
8 - Jung and the Goddess - The Divine Feminine in Depth Psychology/Psychological Approaches to…
9 - The Goddess & Modern Matriarchal Studies
10 - Goddesses from Around the World
Arranged by theme of the year; include Libguides, annotated bibliographies, ritual ideas, events/lectures with expert priestesses and scholars, etc.
Examples.:
Goddesses of magic and witchcraft (7)- Hekate, Isis-Nephthys pair, Circe, Baba Yaga, Cerridwen, Aradia (Daughter of Diana & Lucifer), Lilith
Weaving/fate or fortune goddesses (7) - Arachne/Ariadne, Ananke & the Moirai, Norns, Grandmother Spider Woman, Ix Chel, Lakshmi, Fortuna
Judeo-Christian goddesses (9) - Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Lilith, Eve, Sophia, (the) Shekinah, Guadalupe, Black Madonna, Asherah/Ashtoreth
Include resources (a LibGuide including videos and worksheets, etc.) addressing the problem of cultural appropriation. Provide a brief video series including commentary from various Foremothers of the movement offering their take(s) on this prickly issue:
How to work with goddesses from other cultures when THEY call on you!
How to be sensitive to cultural differences, the specter of colonialism, and many power imbalances when working with deities from marginalized (e.g.: indigenous) cultures.
Embrace your UPG (unverified personal gnosis), but be wary of claiming your vision of said deity is more accurate than the way in which the deity is represented in/by its home culture...
11 - The Goddess and Social Justice (Activism resources for Goddess worshipers)
12 - Blog/Podcast
Podcast 1 - Monthly interviews with Goddess scholars, practitioners, priestesses, etc.
Podcast 2 - Podcast (on a/the goddess and/or theme of the month)....
Monthly newsletter (providing info. about upcoming events - workshops, etc. & links to NEW resources)
Online Blogging Collective - inspired by the work of Patheos
13 - Forum & Interactive Center of Site
Offers workshops, book talks/lectures, lunar circles and other spiritual gatherings, film/documentary screenings, children’s goddess fiction readings inspired by movements like the Drag Queen Story Hour in public libraries, etc.
And here is a WIP mission/vision statement. :)
Mission statement
The Goddess Foundation (TGF) is a collaborative, public, non-profit organization devoted to honoring and reclaiming the voice(s) of the Goddess and the divine feminine.
TGF explores the Goddess and divine feminine cross-culturally (e.g.: as a global phenomenon) from both ancient and modern perspectives.
TGF is invested in the pursuit of social justice and spiritual activism on behalf of marginalized peoples, especially but not limited to women of color, LGTBQIA+ communities, plant and animal life, etc.
The Goddess Foundation (TGF) serves as a platform and safe space for women and all goddess folx (transgender and/or non-binary) to gather and share their personal experiences and divine wisdom in a society that generally dismisses and denigrates said experiences.
Initiatives and programmes
TGF´s two pillars are:
Non-profit library
TGF’s non-profit library is currently available online only. With member support and external funding, we hope to eventually supplement this digital resource with a physical collection.
This digital library contains links to open-access, online publications and resources on the Goddess and/or divine feminine.
It also offers extensive bibliographies and librarian-curated guides to both research material and practical resources for Goddess devotees.
In lieu of a physical library, TGF currently offers links to WorldCat (OCLC) records which provide information about which libraries world-wide own and circulate Goddess titles. This enables those interested in those titles to find the nearest library which owns them and check them out.
Goddess Spiritual Center
TGF’s Spiritual Center exists to establish a robust, virtual community of Goddess devotees from across the U.S. and beyond. It offers a range of virtual spiritual activities (over ZOOM) including:
Spiritual Workshops
Monthly New Moon circles devoted to bringing us all together as a community and sharing how the Goddess shapes the struggles and triumphs of our daily lives.
Biennial dream workshops providing an opportunity for collective dream interpretation and advice for how to connect with the Goddess in the dream world. These include sessions on lucid dreaming, dream incubation, among other helpful tools to awaken to the wisdom of the unconscious, sleeping mind.
Goddess Activism Retreats
Annual retreats devoted to Goddess-related causes (e.g.: saving the earth - Gaia, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, animal rights, etc.). These retreats bring members together as a community dedicated to social change by undertaking concrete action as a collective.
Goddess Theater (inspired by the brilliant work of Goddess scholar & performer, Annalisa Derr)
An annual improvisatory performing arts series featuring professionals and amateurs alike as we bring ancient ritual to life from a post-modern perspective.
These performances can include masked theater, vocal performance (e.g.: singing), dance, etc.
Ex. 1: A modern recreation of the Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys over the death and dismemberment of their brother, Osiris.
Ex. 2: A night devoted to members performing (via song, dance, or spoken theater) their own Goddess liturgy and scripture. [Link to below…]
Guest Lecture Series
A bimonthly Guest Lecture Series featuring luminaries of the field from scholars, to priestesses, artists, and musicians devoted to bringing the Goddess’ eternal wisdom back into the light.
Reading Circles/Book Clubs
Two bimonthly Reading Circles (Book Clubs) providing an opportunity for those interested to engage in informal dialogue with one another about:
Non-fiction titles on the Goddess/divine feminine
Fiction titles on the Goddess/divine feminine
Film and Documentary Series
An annual Film and Documentary Series featuring 5-6 titles per year ranging from those produced within mainstream Hollywood to independent cinema from across the globe.
Writing Retreats
Writing Retreats offered four times per year on four different topics:
Spiritual memoir writing
Fiction writing (featuring Goddess/divine feminine themes)
Crafting your own Goddess liturgy and/or scripture (inspired by the Hebrew midrash tradition) [Link to above…]
Writing your own guided meditations and/or visualizations to connect with your inner divinity.
Who is behind TGF?
Established in January 2021, TGF was founded by Dr. Courtney Kleftis, Goddess-devotee and queer-feminist librarian. Courtney has always been fascinated by exploring the role of women and their unique voices in the arts, specifically opera, through her previous career as an amateur opera singer, musicologist, and later music librarian. In her current role as founder of TGF, she remains deeply invested in recovering and reclaiming marginalized voices and wisdom traditions; especially those of women devoted to the Goddess and/or divine feminine in a less than hospitable (patriarchal) environment. Considering her background in the performing arts, TGF promotes Goddess theater, dance, and song from both a professional and amateur level (open to all who wish to bring their love for the divine feminine into their bodies). For anyone interested, see this video in which Courtney speaks to her audience and tells her story in greater detail.
The long-term vision for TGF entails a robust, non-hierarchical collective run and managed by a range of Goddess scholars and devotees worldwide. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please consider joining our Patreon account at various tiers/levels (an online crowd-funding source) and/or reaching out to Courtney on the Contact Us page.
Other similar U.S.-based initiatives to consult (a partial list):
Pacifica Graduate Institute (including OPUS Archives which houses the papers of Goddess luminaries such as Marija Gimbutas and Christine Downing)
the Women’s Spirituality MA/PhD program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
the non-profit Association For the Study of Women in Mythology (ASWM)
the Gimbutas-inspired Institute of Archaeomythology (IAM)
Tehom Center (Goddess retreat center in Hawaii, devoted to queer feminist spiritual activism and artistic explorations of the divine).
Keep an eye out for upcoming The Goddess Foundation (TGF) content, as it pertains to the daimon and otherwise. :)
In love and eudaimonia! <3 Courtney/La Ninfa Colibrí
Comments