Feminist scholar and artist Max Dashu joins hostess Sara Jolena Wolcott to delve into matriarchal societies and the rich breadth and depth of histories of the divine feminine and various forms of female leadership. Max shares how to navigate colonial and patriarchal narratives in your own cultural lineage as part of uncovering the rich heritage of women's leadership, spiritual power, and cultural contributions that have been systematically erased or minimized. Don't miss Max's 56 years of research into suppressed women's histories!

Key Topics Discussed

Decolonizing Historical Narratives [04:21 - 12:26]

• How mainstream history gatekeeps women's stories
• The bias of written records from "elite men of dominant societies"
• Why we must look beyond Western Civilization narratives

The Archaeological Evidence [08:08 - 15:12]

• Ancient female figurines across continents
• How women's representation changes from Paleolithic/Neolithic to later periods
• The contrast between female self-representation and the male gaze

Women as Inventors and Culture Creators [10:16 - 13:09]

• "Mother tech" - women's innovations in agriculture, tool-making, and language
• Women's role in creating the "life support matrix for humanity"
• Grinding stones, basket weaving, and the origins of agriculture

Matriarchal Societies and Mother Law [26:02 - 36:38]

• Characteristics of matriarchal/egalitarian societies: matrilineal descent, matrilocal residence, social motherhood
• Non-aggression codes and communitarian ethos
• Women's public spiritual leadership across cultures

Global Examples of Women's Power

Africa [19:02 - 26:02]

• The Saharan rock art and the "Lady of Aouanrhet"
• Rain goddesses and rainbow beings in African traditions
• Pre-dynastic Egyptian ceremonial practices

Ancient Near East [16:48 - 19:02]

• Asherah in Hebrew tradition - the suppressed goddess who stood in the Jerusalem temple
• Mother of the Gods figures across Mesopotamian cultures
• Linguistic connections between Asherah, Athirat, and Ashtoreth

West Africa [36:38 - 38:42]

• Market women's economic power
• Yorùbá priestesses
• South African isangoma (diviners/medicine women)

The Complexity of Patriarchalization [45:14 - 53:31]

• Patriarchy as historical process, not inevitable human condition
• The case of India: layers of patriarchy from Indo-European invasion to colonization

Goddess Traditions in Patriarchal Societies [48:59 - 55:31]

• Why India maintains goddess worship despite extreme patriarchy
• Sanskritization and cultural appropriation of indigenous goddesses

Reclaiming European Ancestral Practices [56:14 - 01:04:08]

• Pattern recognition vs. cultural appropriation
• Spinning, weaving, and the distaff as women's spiritual power

Sacred Technologies

• Spinning and weaving as spiritual practice
• The distaff and drop spindle across cultures
• Songs and chants that accompanied women's work

Medicine for Our Times [01:03:01 - 01:10:42]

• The power of lamentation as ritual and political practice
• Why we need to grieve collectively for current atrocities

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Music by: madiRFAN

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This conversation, with Sheikh Adeyinka Mendes and hostess Sara Jolena Wolcott, explores the themes of remembering, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of humanity. We delve into the significance of ReMembering Divine Love in spiritual practices, the role of land in shaping identity, and the importance of forgiveness in personal and collective narratives. Through the lens of different religious traditions, especially Islam, we discuss the journey of self-discovery, the importance of continuing to stand for justice across ecosystems especially in the face of horrific genocides, and America as a gathering place for diverse cultures. The conversation culminates in the powerful story of Joseph, illustrating the transformative power of trials and the necessity of forgiveness.

00:00 - What are you ReMembering?

09:27 - Transcendent Experiences and Spiritual Awakening

27:04  - The Role of Land in Spiritual Journeys

38:12 - Reclaiming Cultural Roots and Reciprocity

40:58 - Justice... and Prophecies of America

49:01 - Gathering of Nations: Crafting Collective Consciousness

57:10 - The Role of Forgiveness in Healing

01:00:02 - The Story of Joseph: Lessons in Transformation

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Website: www.adeyinkamendes.com

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Music Title: Both of Us

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In this conversation, Sara Jolena Wolcott and Hilary Giovale explore the themes of interconnectedness and the healing journey of decolonization. Beginning with one of their shared Nordic/Anglo-Saxon heritage's understandings of the web of life, known alternatively as Orlog/Wyrd, they inquire into the purpose and nature of ReMembering as participating in the web of life. They then move into Hilary's journey, which often echoes Sara Jolena's journey and might resonate with many listeners, including the importance of facing ancestral truths and the role of discomfort in personal growth. Hilary shares her experiences in writing her book, 'Becoming a Good Relative,' and the significance of feedback from diverse voices. How do we go between the spiritual and the practical? How do we build community among philanthropists and help philanthropists do our own work? How do we see the decolonial movement growing? We end with celebrating the incredible importance of music and the revitalization of ancestral languages.; The episode ends with some music by Carolyn Hillyer.  

Grab your copy of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair

Good Relative Website

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Book mentioned:

For Indigenous Eyes Only: A Decolonization Handbook

Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance

Orgs mentioned:

Decolonizing Wealth Project

Magnolia Mother's Trust

Music played: Sago An Snijo

Artist: Carolyn Hillyer

More about Carolyn's music

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In this episode of the Remembering and Re-enchanting podcast, hostess Sara Jolena Wolcott speaks with John Seed and Niamh Murray about deep ecology, the interconnectedness of all life, and the importance of community and ceremony in fostering ecological identity. They explore personal journeys, mystical moments, the significance of indigenous wisdom, and how deep ecology plays a role in the broader need for a cultural reclamation project to reconnect with nature and with one other. The discussion emphasizes the critical role shifting consciousness to address the ecological crises we face today, highlighting the role of spiritual traditions and collective practices in this transformative process.

Towards the end of the podcast, John Seed leads the listeners in an experiential exercise, and we invite our listeners to engage with it.

01:33 Introduction to Deep Ecology

03:40 John Seed's Journey and Awakening

07:36 The Evolution of Connection to Nature

11:52 Ceremonies and Practices in Deep Ecology

18:29 Cultural Reclamation and Community Practices

26:52 Engaging with Indigenous Wisdom

41:19 The Journey of Seeing Differently

42:43 The Great Unraveling and the Great Turning

48:37 Crisis in Consciousness

54:00 The Power of Community and Connection

59:47 Experiential exercise: Breathing with the Green World

01:04:32 Poetry as a Path to Deep Ecology

01:10:36 Intergenerational Wisdom and Responsibility

01:19:09 Honoring the Web of Teachers

John Seed:

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Help protect the Koalas! - The Great Koala National Park

Niamh Murray (Enviro Mentality)

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The Emotion Code

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This episode features a conversation between host Sara Jolena Wolcott and guest Jessica Intermill, a lawyer and land history consultant. Jessica highlights the significance of land history in revealing the complex relationships between Indigenous cultures, settlers, and the land. She also discusses the emotional and practical aspects of land return and repair, stressing the need for respectful use of power and resources to support Indigenous goals. 

01:31 - Introduction to Jessica Intermill
02:49 - What does land history evoke for you?
08:56 to 10:28 - On working with tribal nations
10:29 - Do you think the American Culture is a culture of running or a culture of place?
26:01 - On working with different generations
42:21 - Rugged individuality

Jessica's website

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Sara Jolena and Aubrey Chaves discuss the importance of understanding one's family history, faith, and its impact on personal identity. More than most of our episodes, this one resembles the kind of conversations that sometimes arise when Sara Jolena does 1-1 spiritual direction work with people. It is tender and exploratory.  We aren't talking "about" something so much as going "into" it in a very personal way.

The two women explore the intergenerational transmission of trauma and resilience, emphasizing the role of social and cultural contexts. Aubrey reflects on the somatic experience of making decisions and the anxiety sometimes associated with aligning personal desires with societal expectations. They highlight the significance of prayer and community support in navigating these challenges and finding inner peace.

As this is an unusual episode, I want to share more about how it came about: 

Sara Jolena met Aubrey at that podcasting conference they both participated in at BYU in Salt Lake City. Aubrey has her own podcast, Faith Matters, which highlights aspects of the Mormon faith. She is an immensely bright, cheerful, and bubbly person. I had mentioned something about my work with legacies and inheritances in one of the sessions. She came up to me during a break, and started asking me questions about multi-generational emotional patterns. As we started talking, it was a clear that this could be one of those really important conversations for her - a conversation that could make a difference. I asked if she'd be open to recording it. She was ecstatic.

Given how vulnerable the conversation ended up being, I asked her at the end of our recording: are you sure you want this to go out there into the world?

And she said, "Sara Jolena, this is the kind of conversation I've been wanting to listen to for years. I crave being able to listen in to these kinds of conversations. If I had heard this a few years ago, it might have helped me. So I want this out there, because maybe another woman, another person, might find it helpful, too."

Well. I can't say no to that!

It's a conversation about working with intergenerational trauma on the feminine/female line; about her grandmother's letters; about what it means to be a woman of her faith; about embodied yeses and nos, about what it means to grow up and to listen to God and to trust her own inner wisdom. About learning to be ok with who she is, even when that's different. Yes, there's tears. And insight. And a lot of beauty.

I hope you enjoy it! 

As always, if you appreciate this episode, please do remember to give us a like, leave us a kind review and to share this episode with others.

Listen to: Faith Matters Podcast

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Sara Jolena and Robert Monson discuss their shared experiences with disability, the importance of communal care and mutual support, and the need to imagine a new world beyond the constraints of capitalism and able-bodied norms. They explore the intersectionality of race, class, and disability, as well as the challenges and resilience faced when claiming disability identities. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize the power of spiritual listening, rest, and remembering.

Three Black Men podcast
Black Coffee and Theology podcast
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Enfleshed

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Music Title: Both of Us

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In this episode of The Remembering and Re Enchanting podcast, host Sara Jolena Wolcott and guest Lisa DeLay reflect on their experiences at BYU's Elevate: A Faith and Spirituality Podcasters Summit in Provo, Utah, where they engaged with a small group of podcasters dedicated to exploring spiritual themes. They have also highlighted key insights from Krista Tippett's keynote conversation, emphasizing the importance of fostering genuine dialogue over traditional interview formats to explore deeper human experiences and spirituality. They also touch on the challenges faced by podcasters from marginalized communities, advocating for truth-telling and justice within their work. 

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In this episode, Sara Jolena Wolcott and Lisa Colón DeLay have an engaging discussion about the inner landscape, drawing on wisdom from the Desert Fathers and Mothers of early Christianity. They explore how our internal worlds are deeply shaped by cultural influences, trauma, and the dynamics of community.
 
Lisa shares insights from her book "The Wild Land Within," describing the "eight afflicting thoughts" identified by the Desert Father Evagrius as common challenges on the spiritual journey. The conversation also delves into the rich but often overlooked Coptic Orthodox Christian tradition and the importance of developing personal "rules of life" with spiritual practices.

Throughout, Sara and Lisa emphasize the need to balance an awareness of our wounds and struggles with a remembrance of the blessings, beauty, and sources of safety within our inner landscapes. Their dialogue offers listeners a thoughtful, holistic perspective on navigating the complexities of the soul.

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This episode features a conversation with Sara Jolena Wolcott, Josh Schrei, and Andrew Dunn about history and technology. It was originally part of the Embodied Ethics in The Age of A.I. course offered by the School of Wise Innovation.

Links:

Andrew Murray Dunn
Andrewmurraydunn.com
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Josh Schrei
The Emerald Podcast
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