| Inge at Asilomar Retreat |
|
Celebrate “She Who Is”
Encounter the Divine Feminine
with body, mind and spirit
A Retreat for Women
2009 DATE TBA soon!
a Spiritual Retreat for Women, on the grounds of Asilomar Conference Center,
Pacific Grove. Sacred
Re-imaging, rituals and work(play)shops, sacred sounds, altar building, meditation with the Cosmic Mother, Christian Feminist
stories, beach walks, free time and relaxing with beauty that is around, among and within! MORE details forth coming. Limited to 15 women. Retreat begins on Friday with registration 4 - 6 PM, dinner, introduction and meditation at the water's
edge. Program ends at noon on Sunday.
Two nights, six meals and program $250 per person. Join us:
God/dess Around Us
Language of the Goddess – Pr. Boorn
God/dess Within Us
Connecting with God/dess – J. Dancer
God/dess Beyond Us
Spirit Shrines – Linda Roberts
Also:
Music with Jeannette Cool
Julia Morgan tour with Inge Horton
plus: beach and beyond...
and building a group altar
Retreat begins on Friday with
registration 4 - 6 PM, dinner, introduction and meditation at the water's
edge. Program ends at noon on Sunday.
for info and registration
contact:
sboorn@aol.com
SCROLL DOWN for Goddess Pilgrimage to Crete
Reflection
on “Retreat with She Who Is” by Jo Ann Heydron
The new year starts for me in September. I have been raising children for a quarter century, and not so long ago
I became a student again and then a teacher myself. Late summer has always brought
new color and energy to my mind and heart, as well as the determination, not always successful, to clear away fixed ideas
and habits that no longer nourish me. This year, the Retreat with She Who
Is [sponsored by Ebenezer Lutheran Church, San Francisco on the grounds of Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey ] was a grace-filled
way to begin afresh—with hands on experiences and fellowship, prayer and theological conversations with Pastor Stacy
Boorn, rest and ocean air.
Pastor Stacy
reminded us of some of the discounted feminine images of God in the Old Testament—probably none of which were the products
of female imaginations—and invited us to form our own images in clay of Asherah, the mother goddess of the Canaanites
familiar to early Jewish inhabitants of Canaan. I am no artist. Warming and working the clay with my hands, I wondered whether my goddess would look anything like the
photograph of an Asherah figure Stacy provided as a possible starting point. Almost
immediately I forget all about the picture. I began to form, as well as I could,
my own breasts and hips, my own hair and face and arms and belly, my 52-year-old self, an Asherah with a sacred body just
like mine. I can't tell you how healing that was.
The next project,
led by Kathryn Wagner, was to make a mandala, a circular, meditative image of the self.
My own didn't turn out very well. I wasn't able to draw symbols from my
unconscious mind, or lay down color and other materials—paper, paint, fabric, beach sand, feathers, sequins, tiny mirrors—in
a way that deepened my understanding. But others were, and in remarkable ways. I admired the beauty of their creations. That
was a kind of learning, too.
Kara Benson led
us in simple movement. I was certain that this activity was going to be wasted
on me. But Kara began with journaling and meditation. Words I can deal with! One of the questions Kara asked was,
what are your dancing dreams? I have those all the time! I was able to write
about, meditate on, and even move with a vision of dancing with my father, 20 years dead now, and sick for most of my childhood—of
dancing with my father when he was healthy and whole.
On the shore
of Monterey
Bay, on Saturday night and Sunday morning, all ten of us prayed the Goddess rosary [some beaded their
own Goddess Rosary that afternoon] beside a cross erected of driftwood and draped with seaweed. Stacy called us to remember
the sea as the primal water from which life emerged, to think of it as the amniotic fluid of our mother's wombs.
Beginnings are
fuzzy things. We don't always start with a clean slate. That cross—we didn't build it. Another of the many Christian
groups at the conference center must have, and some of us wondered whether they would be glad we were using it. Not all Christians are as conscious as herchurch is of Jesus' message of radical love for all people, of
his determination to bring the marginalized of his own day back into the circle of compassion.
One of the great
challenges in my life has been to take seriously Jesus' claim in Luke 4 that, not only had he come to bring good news to the
poor, release for the captives, sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and cancellation of debts, but that all those
revolutionary things were happening right then—and right now. The kingdom—the
kindom—of God/Goddess is already among us. In grace-filled moments like
those at the Retreat with She Who Is, that idea is easier for me to grasp. Its reality lies right in the palm of my hand.
*********
Jo Ann Heydron is a Presbyterian who lives in Palo Alto. She worshipped at herchurch [Ebenezer ELCA – San Francisco] this summer and hopes to do so again in the future.
| Preparing beach "altar" on Retreat with She Who Is |
|
|
| Maggie honoring the Goddess at Zakros, Crete |
+++++
Ariadne Institute
for the Study of Myth and Ritual
Programs in Greece
with Carol Christ
September
29 - October 13, 2007
May 31 - June 14, 2008
Sept. 27 - Oct. 11, 2008
Carol Christ, Ph.D., a pioneer and founding mother of the Goddess, women's
spirituality, and feminist theology movements, directs Ariadne Institute. She has been teaching in feminist educational settings
in Greece since 1981. Ariadne Institute
programs address the mind, body, and spirit, encouraging "embodied thinking" and personal transformation. Several hundred
women of all ages—including artists, writers, educators, students, businesswomen, and homemakers— have participated
in our programs since 1993. We are joined in the Ariadne sisterhood and keep in touch through our newsletter Ariadne's Thread.
Carol Christ holds a Ph.D. from Yale University
and is the author of the widely reprinted essay, "Why Women Need the Goddess," which has introduced many to the rebirth of
the ancient religion of the Goddess. She has written five influential books on women's spirituality and feminist theology:
She Who Changes (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003); Rebirth of the Goddess (Routledge, 1998); Odyssey
with the Goddess (Continuum, 1995); Laughter of Aphrodite
(Harper, 1987); and Diving Deep and Surfacing (Beacon, 1980/1986/1995);
with Judith Plaskow she co-edited the classic anthologies Weaving the Visions
(1989) and Womanspirit Rising
(1979/1989) which have changed women's lives and revolutionized the teaching and study of religion in North America.
Carol Christ’s article "Why Women Need the Goddess" was presented as
the keynote address to an audience of over 500 at the "Great Goddess Re-emerging" conference at the University of Santa Cruz in the spring of 1978.
It was first published in Heresies: The Great Goddess Issue (1978),
8-13, and reprinted in Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow, eds., Womanspirit Rising:
A Feminist Reader on Religion (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979), 273-287, as well as in Carol P. Christ,
Laughter of Aphrodite: Reflections on a Journey to the Goddess (San
Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987) 117-132.
TEXT
Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians
[ to purchase book contact Jann Aldredge-Clanton or Eakin Press (1-800-880-8642) ]
The wide variety of biblical divine names and images in Inclusive
Hymns for Liberating Christians will contribute to belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation.
Peace and justice flow from this belief. These hymns draw from the prophetic, liberating tradition in Scripture.
Biblical themes, phrases, and images form the foundation for all the hymns. Predominant themes of the hymns are peace,
justice, resurrection, abundant life, liberation, new creation, and partnership in relationships. This collection includes
hymns that celebrate the seasons of the church year and other special occasions.
Balancing feminine and masculine divine names, Inclusive Hymns for
Liberating Christians will lead to deeper understanding and experience of the Creator of all. Some of the
hymns resurrect feminine divine images, like Wisdom and Ruah,
that have long been buried in Scripture and Christian tradition. Bringing feminine sacred names into worship encourages
the revaluing of the feminine so that the Gospel values of liberation and equality are realized.
Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians also supports
the sacred value of people of color by changing the traditional negative symbolism of darkness. These hymns symbolize
darkness as creative bounty and beauty. Inclusive Hymns for Liberating
Christians will help churches and individuals in their journey toward freedom from racism, sexism, and other injustices.
For many of these hymns Jann Aldredge-Clanton draws from the rich tradition of hymn tunes, giving new expression to familiar
music. This hymn collection also includes original tunes and arrangements by composer Larry E. Schultz. This new,
vibrant music enhances the meaning of the texts.
CD: Selections
from Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians
Jann Aldredge-Clanton & Larry E. Schultz
Performed by the Congregation, Choirs,
& Orchestra of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church,
Raleigh, North Carolina
The hymns recorded on this CD are selected from
Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians. These hymns inspire justice and peacemaking. They empower women, men, and
children of all races to become all they are created to be in the divine image. The wide variety of biblical divine
names and images in these hymns will contribute to belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. Peace and
justice flow from this belief. These hymns draw from the prophetic, liberating tradition in Scripture. Predominant
themes of the hymns are peace, justice, resurrection, abundant life, liberation, new creation, and partnership in relationships.
For many of these hymns Jann draws from the rich tradition of hymn tunes, giving new expression to familiar music.
Some of her lyrics are set to original tunes and arrangements by Larry. This new, vibrant music enhances the meaning
of the texts. Also included on this CD are hymns with texts by Larry.
CD: $15.00 , Hymnal: $21.95, CD & Hymnal Package: $25.00
To Order: Email: aldredge-clanton@sbcglobal.net
Give mailing address, and specify order/s.
CD/s, Hymnal/s, and/or CD & Hymnal Package/s
will be sent to you with an invoice.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
herchurch will be hosting
2008 November 7, 8, 9
2nd Annual
A Faith and Feminism
Womanist/Mujerista Conference
A gathering for feminist faith seekers, church leaders,
Interfaith leaders to experience and discuss the urgent implications of God/dess imagery and gender issues which transform
the church, the world, and our daily lives so that together we seek and speak justice.
Keynote Speaker
Carol Christ
Other faculty include
Artists Sophia McCloud and Judith Dancer
and an interfaith panel.
Workshops amd Movement
Worship and Sharing
Details
FRIDAY NIGHT GROUP FOR WOMEN:
Each first Friday of the month for women who want to explore the feminine face of God/dess
and Spirituality. We want to converse and meditate and share in fellowship together
in such a way that our womanhood is affirmed. We create a safe and sacred space
where we can speak freely, think creatively, ask questions, and open our hearts and minds to new possibilities. WHAT: Discussion, A Potluck Meal and a Devotion. WHERE: (church), WHEN: First Fridays,at
7 PM. (call 415-731-6470 for location).
NEXT
gathering:
Friday,
April 4, 2008
at
Pastor Stacy's
New
Year's
Resolutions/Revolutions
RSVP to me (Stacy) if you know you are attending. You are always welcome at last minute if your schedule
is uncertain! 415-731-6470
Email Pastor Stacy Boorn for details
and location
When women name the holy -- not just in themselves, but in all those different elements that the historical fact of
being female gives them a chance of confronting or understanding -- they are not just making themselves feel better, they
are giving the Christian community a God-gift. - Sara Maitland.
++++++++++++++++++
Know Me
You, my daughter
are my incarnation.
Your hands do my work in the
world.
They honor me,
the Spirit of all things.
My daughter,
know me in yourself,
and I will live through you
and nourish those for whom you
care.
I will feed them with my vitality,
my strength and my compassion.
I will love through you:
your smile,
your helping hand,
your discipline and self control.
I will live through your laughter,
and your art,
your stooping down
and lifting up
as you gather all things to Me,
for I am the source of life
and abundance
and joy.
Know me,
your Mother
Goddess
as the Spirit of the one true
God
who lives within you.
Lana Dalberg
Mother’s Day 2006
(Lana is a member of our faith community. We encourage people to express
their faith and spiritual journey through writing, the arts, music, service, acts of justice and community building.)
Recommended Books:
In Whose Image, God and Gender
by Jan
Aldredge-Clanton
Crossroad
Publishing Company
Rebirth of the Goddess
by Carol
P. Christ
Routledge
The Creation of Patriarchy
by Gerda
Lerner
Oxford
University Press
Sexism and God-Talk
Toward
a Feminist theology
Rosemary
Radford Ruether
Beacon
Press
Goddesses and the Divine Feminine
Rosemary
Radford Ruether
University
of California Press
Church in the Round
Feminist Interpretation
of the Church
Letty
M. Russell
Westminister/John
Knox Press
In Search of the Christ-Sophia
An Inclusive Christology
for Liberating Christians
Jann
Aldredge-Clanton
Eakin
Press
Longing for Darkness
Tara and the Black Madonna.
by China Galland
Penguin/Compass
The Chalice & the Blade
by Riane Eisler
Harper, San Francisco
The
Once and Future Goddess
by Elinor W.
Gadon
Harper Collins
| As she spreads her wings, bears them ... so is God |
|
| photo by Pastor Stacy (on Deut, 32:11) |
Exclusively masculine references continue to hinder Jesus' message of good news for the poor and liberation for the
oppressed (Luke 4:18). No matter how much we may emphasize Jesus' identification with women and other oppressed people.
Masculine christological images sanction the status quo of men's holding the majority of power in church and society...Language
needs to reflect the human nature, rather than the male nature, of Jesus. Balancing feminine and masculine references
to Jesus emphasizes the holistic human nature of Jesus. Expanding the Christian vocabulary to include "Christ-Sophia"
and "She" goes a long way toward getting the complete message of Jesus across to all people.
Jann Aldredge-Clanton
In Search of the Christ-Sophia p. 53
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From Maggie
Soon the women of San Francisco
will find her...
in the most random of places...
at the entry to their offices, in their parks, a
long the sides of their
streets and
they will know...
They will see her and recognize her
and sing to her and she will follow them
home
and speak softly to them in their dreams...
some
will not know how or from where
but they will know her and hear her call...
they
will make offerings to her a
nd wish for her return
and
she will say to them
behold I have been with you from the beginning...
and
they will say as I did that day by the spring
"see, I have come back to
the soft arms I turned from in the old
days"
and they will cry and they will be happy
and they will know she is their true mother.
Connecting with the Goddess
Sunday November 9, 2008
1 PM Faith/Feminism Conference
Ebenezer Church Sanctuary
678 Portola Drive
San Francisco
We will come
together, finding FUN ways to enter into the body and love ourselves fully using writing, drawing, moving, stillness, sound,
breathing and touch. This is a time for creative exploration and support from
other women, for being ourselves and truly experiencing ourselves fully.
No movement
or drawing experience is necessary.
Wear loose,
layered warm clothing, bring a pillow to sit on, and a blanket to lie on.
For
more information, contact Judith at (415) 412-4719 or lavenderdancer@sbcglobal.net.
Judith Lavender Dancer of BodyConnect
is a dancer, healer and movement educator, specializing in finding new ways to connect with ourselves through the body. She
has a BA in Theatre from San Francisco State
University and a Certificate in Mime from Chabot
College. Her work incorporates teachings from both Western and Eastern
modalities, including Feldenkrais, Chi Qong, clowning, Bioenergetics, belly dancing, improvisation, meditation, and stilt
dancing. Judith also works with individuals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
![Beach01.jpg](/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=actual&linkpath=http://www.herchurch.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Beach01.jpg&target=tlx_picg7cc&title=Preparing beach "altar" on Retreat with She Who Is)
