May 21, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work1 Comment

(Prose) Personal Power and Aging by Deanne Quarrie

It is a sad fact that we live in a society that no longer honors its elders. It is rare to see a young person stand when an elder walks Read More …

May 11, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work1 Comment

(Poetry) Crow Lesson on Abundance by Andrea Nicki

The crow neighbours received a windfall today. A stranger in the area passed through on her bike and released a small bag of shelled peanuts in the middle of the Read More …

May 4, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work2 Comments

(Poetry) the great ones by Susan Hawthorne

in order to know the great ones there are some necessary deeds examine the source how water rises watch the light of sun and moon observe them spin and Read More …

April 24, 2018October 2, 2019 RTMeditorsKG3 Comments

(Art) Sea of Emotions by Susan Clare

The course a Woman charts through life is rich with intense contrasting

April 23, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work Admin2 Comments

(Book Summary) Matriarchal Societies: Studies on Indigenous Cultures across the Globe by Heide Goettner-Abendroth

Bringing the world back into balance means creating equilibrium and peace at every level: between the genders, the generations, different social groups, and different peoples. Over the past decades a Read More …

April 17, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work3 Comments

(Photography & Poetry) Prayer to My Human Sisters by Amina Rodriguez

May we only view the Goddess within us when we look into each others eyes May we view her divinity within the other with understanding and compassion, and may we Read More …

March 12, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work Admin1 Comment

(Prose) Baba’s Tapestry by Sara Wright

This morning the first email I read was written by a male friend of mine who reminded me that today, International Women’s day, was “my day.” How delightful to be Read More …

March 7, 2018October 2, 2019 Mago Work AdminLeave a comment

(Art) Thin Places by Liz Darling

“There is in Celtic mythology the notion of ‘thin places’ in the universe where the visible and the invisible world come into their closest proximity. To seek such places is Read More …

February 27, 2018October 2, 2019 RTMeditorsKGLeave a comment

(Art) Breath of Change by Susan Clare

We all embody the Goddess as Creatrix – She who creates her world with

January 23, 2018October 2, 2019 RTMeditorsKGLeave a comment

(Art) Womb of the Earth by Susan Clare

In searching for spiritual meaning, the spiral path that Woman walks may lead toa small, quiet, central place within her consciousness, safe within the nurturing womb of our Mother Earth, Read More …

January 8, 2018June 15, 2021 Mago Work AdminLeave a comment

(Poem) A Rose with Thorns is still a Rose by Sara Wright

A rose with thorns is still a rose. A wild rose. I gave up my rose, She was not good enough, pure enough, loving enough… Never Enough. A rose with Read More …

December 20, 2017October 2, 2019 Mago Work Admin1 Comment

(Art) Elk Woman, Gentle Born by Lucy Pierce

ELK WOMAN Oh wise one, come near, tender one, gentle born. I am making a home for you here in my body. So that it might be safe again for Read More …

November 10, 2017October 2, 2019 RTMeditorsKGLeave a comment

(Art) Yemaya by Susan Clare

Great Goddess of the Western Seas, bless us and send us your cooling, soothing waters. Protect all

Autumn Gold by Sara Wright

Photo by Sara Wright Fall is the season of ‘the cutting away’, a poignant time to celebrate the deepening darkness as we turn inward. I think the powers of the goddess are strongest at this time of year… I wrote this wistful poem in celebration of Autumn as I am experiencing it this year… perhaps the personal reflection that follows is the kind of thinking that is capable of opening a door to a new way of perceiving? Autumn Gold Autumn gold stains the maples beech hay ferns too each day a deeper glow bittersweet bleeds into lemon liming veins scarlet sears a leaf or two salmon rose blurs… fir balsam hemlock spires reach skyward forest green needles soak in drops of rain. Fire on the mountain comes late frost filled nights and crimson swamps are still a dream… Earth speaks so concretely about just how fast change is occurring here and everywhere. At the end of September muted color has been the norm along with what I once would have called “too warm” night temperatures. Where is the swamp fire? My field has been cut, the flower garden shorn, my beloved insect ridden apple tree is bare, apples eaten. Her smooth trunk is a study in pure grace – dove gray curves against pale ochre, faded sage. Red Deer no longer climbs the hill but moves swiftly through bowed ferns, rounding the house to feast on the second apple tree’s ripened apples. Grouse will soon perch in ruby laden trees. One crabapple is so thick with fruit that a daily sweep must be done to get out the door. Turkeys scratch a well – seeded ground layered with next year’s wildflower heads, grass -like mulch. After the brutality of two months of summer heat and endless humidity this quiet descent into post equinox fall seems almost anticlimactic. I am scanning the sky for flashes of brilliant leaf color or peering intently at forest ground…. Wild orchids bloom on. Mushrooms abound. I imagine the billions of miles of mycelia just beneath my feet wondering which threads will support the twenty thousand species of fruiting bodies that will burst out of the ground somewhere on this earth, many seduced by rain. Around here frequent, almost daily showers have the rivers singing, and my brook pool is deepening, filled to the brim with healthy oxygen rich fish. These next few weeks will mark the end of the Season of Abundance as Nature orchestrates the Cutting Away. We notice then that the trees are stripped of their vibrant fall colors and leaves during this period that precedes winter white. The bones of the mountain appear; the evergreens have been chipped. I lean into the coming darkness a time to reflect and pose questions… One query I repeat year after year. How can I express my gratitude for nature’s bounty most effectively while including times of attrition as part of the whole? Only recently, within the past few years have I heard someone else articulate the former aspect of this question. Scientist, author, and ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer speaks to the necessity of developing an attitude of reciprocity when engaging with nature. What she means here is that it’s critically important not to take nature’s gifts for granted. Like a sunset, an owl, or a decaying woodland trunk. She points out that most westerners treat nature as if ‘it’ (note the denial of personhood for lack of a better word) is a commodity, existing for the sole purpose of serving humanity. As a naturalist and earth person I have never understood this attitude/belief because it never seemed real. My experiences with animals and trees taught me as a child that this thinking didn’t make sense. During adolescence this denial of nature’s personhood – Nature was inanimate – animals and plants didn’t have souls – became the core issue that split me away from the Christian church. Forced to choose between the two I chose nature and with it, guilt. (I was freed from the latter when I reclaimed my Native roots.) When I first heard Kimmerer’s words about reciprocity they rang with authenticity. All Indigenous peoples know that intimacy with nature involves relationship because every living being in nature is a relative but I had not thought of this relationship as being one of reciprocity though I tried to live it. Nature wants and needs to be seen, appreciated and loved as individuals and as a whole. Still, gratitude did not seem to be enough; it felt like I needed to do more. Of course, gratitude has both a passive and active aspect. Giving thanks and giving back… I advocate for nature through my writing of course, but this seems to be more about me than nature. In many ways writing about this earth l love so much is a way to deal with what otherwise would be intolerable personal grief over what’s happening to our blue green planet. In other words writing helps keep me sane. I think incorporating the acceptance of grief into the story on a larger scale might be part of the answer. If ever there was a time to integrate the need for radical cutting away on a cultural level it is now. Changes in nature and politics are dramatic and unwelcome and one way I can deal with this present is to find a way to take the long view, which incorporates deep time into the whole. As Richard Powers quotes “we are born, live and die in the middle of things; this is not a good story”. Entering deep time is easier if I am, for example, watching a snapping turtle, knowing that this species has been in its present form for 60 – to 200 million years. My life in this context disappears into Time…But I cannot stay here. So at present I can celebrate the cutting away as a seasonal change but that is all. I suspect that my periodic inability …
(Art) Ysleta Virgin by Mario Colín

The Ysleta Virgin is a 25 feet tall mural painted twice (a second time after decay destroyed the Virgin’s face) situated across from the Ysleta Mission on Ysleta Pueblo, which is surrounded by El Paso, Texas.
We Called the Circle and they Came! Creating Magic at a Women’s Gathering by Glen Rogers

Group Circle What a great response for Calling the Circle, our inaugural Sacred Feminine Women’s Gathering in San Miguel de Allende this past November. It was a sold out event with almost 50 women including our Advisory Council and speakers. Women came from within Mexico – San Miguel, Baja, Mazatlán, Lake Chapala and the Yucatan as well as California, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Indiana, Washington and Canada. With this gathering, we clearly touched a yearning to celebrate the Divine Feminine in her many guises. During this event, we created a Sacred Vessel that we filled with ceremony, collaborative art projects, a diverse line up of speakers, sound healing, meditations, journaling, and sharing in smaller sister circles – three days of Inspiration, Connection and Empowerment. Glen Rogers with Alicia Mayo Everyone felt nurtured as soon as they entered our gorgeous space with towering mesquite trees and lovely plazas. Beginning with blessings and purification, each person was then crowned with a flower garland befitting a goddess. Moving through the sacred landscape, they were offered warm chai from the cauldron and invited to add a personal item to the altar. While each day was filled with magical moments and creative interactions, there was plenty of time to meet and share our personal stories over beautifully catered lunches and afternoon social hours. Gathering and Listening Conversations continued throughout the day inspired by our speakers – all sharing women’s wisdom from the heart. While I talked about my pilgrimages to ancient matriarchal sites and goddess archetypes, archeologist Rossana Quiroz from the local Cañada del la Virgen pyramid discussed Mesoamerican goddesses and their relationship to creation myths. Jyothi Panicker, a South Indian raised in Zambia discussed the early matrilineal traditions in her village as well as Indian goddesses and how she weaves them into her spiritual practice as a yoga teacher. Amber Chand, also born in India, used her storytelling and deeply spiritual practice as artist and life coach to enliven the Sacred Feminine. Dr. Ratka Mira Popovic, initiated Priestess and doctor of Chinese Medicine, talked about how to embody our Divine Feminine by connecting with our ancestral lineage through ritual, meditation and intentional rediscovery. Jyothi Panicker and Butterfly Art installations around our sacred space added a fun, hands-on creative element to the event. For instance, the Butterfly Tapestry at the entrance was a metaphor for transformation with an opportunity to contribute with image and word (and a great photo opportunity!) Artist Lena Bartula invited everyone to weave in their prayers and small objects into her Ritual Chair – to dream a more inclusive new world. My copper vessels representing the 4 elements, were also participatory with an invitation to plant a seed, light a candle, etc. On the 2nd day, we created our vision board/soul collages which are always meaningful and powerful. On Tuesday November 8, we held our private full moon ritual with Crone mother, Alicia Mayo, who has been presiding over full moon rituals at El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Gardens for over 25 years. With her steady drum beat, she called in the Luna energy and invited us to dream our dreams, each throwing copal into the fire, a natural incense used in spiritual ceremonies in Mexico. There was powerful magic in our circle as it was also a lunar eclipse! We ended the ceremony that evening by spontaneously dancing around the fire pit with whoops of joy to celebrate the Goddess. What a blessing! For some, the sound healing with Argentinean Keila Tonello was one of the highlights. The vibrations through her voice and singing bowls were a gift to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. For others, it was the smaller sister circles composed of 8 to 10 women that were so very special. These break-out circles provided a safe haven of compassionate sharing and listening. And we know as women – being heard is so important! We also had broader discussions facilitated by some of our Advisory Circle; Bobbi Van, Amber Chand, Dorothy Wallstein, Tayler Friar, Dr. Ratka Mira Popovic and myself: The Untold Story: Maiden, Mother, Crone and a session on Transformation – in the world and in our personal lives. Journaling was a tool used throughout the three days as a way to process and go deeper within ourselves. I think we all left with lasting gifts of new friendships, new spiritual tools, and inspiration and commitment to make life changes. We are excited about our next Calling the Circle event scheduled for November 6 – 8, 2023 at the same beautiful location in San Miguel. As I mentioned in my preliminary article for MAGO [Return to Mago E-Magazine]– women, now more than ever, hunger for the Circle as a way to unite with each other and to ancient goddess wisdom. We are all looking for heart connection and a reclaiming of our spiritual roots to Mother Earth and the Sacred Feminine. Women’s circles are an age-old way to make that magic happen. Zoe, Emily and Lena Bartula (R) with Ritual A portion of the proceeds were donated to Mujeres en Cambio, a San Miguel non-profit that supports women’s education. Visit the website to learn more, get on the mailing list and to register: www.sacredfemininecircle.com Here is just some of the feedback we received: Calling the Circle was one of the most inspiring events I’ve attended! I truly can’t thank you enough for organizing this experience. Your thoughtful efforts to create something that would be special for lots of different people were reflected in every element of the experience. I can’t remember if I have ever participated in such a meticulously planned event. Brava, ladies!!! Thank YOU! And all the organizers and presenters for putting together this very special gathering. I come away enlightened & curious to learn more about matriarchies and the Divine Feminine, empowered to release past burdens that have held me back, and incredibly in awe of the strength, courage, and ability women have to survive, forgive, and excel in life. …
(Essay 2) The Feminine Principle of Communication by Genevieve Vaughan

What is the connection of all this with language? In the first place, I would like to say something that goes back to the connection between economics and language. This is that basically, communication is a non-sign process. This doesn’t mean I believe it works on ESP, but rather that it is basically material communication, the giving and receiving of things that satisfy needs, that creates relations between us and to things. It creates bodies and minds that are related to each other as similar with respect to many different types of things. (I consume “X” and you consume “X”-while “X” does not consume us-we are similar with regard to “X”, which is different from us but similar to other “X’s”, which may be consumed in other moments by us or by others like us). Language as gift-giving (also unrecognized as such) is an elaboration of the basic principle of need satisfaction of one person by another, just as the economic categories above were. This is because language, like giving and receiving, creates the subjectivity of the interactors not only with respect to what they do, but to why they do it and who they do it with. Language, like exchange (that is a complication or doubling of giving), can function to sustain and emphasize the subjectivity of the speaker, satisfying only his/her needs by means of the satisfaction of the needs of the other, giving him/her dominance. But it would not work at all without giving in order to satisfy needs, and creating relations by this more simple procedure. Gift-giving creates relations of similarity and difference providing evidence of them through capacity for use of what is given. When the same thing is given to the giver, this proves that she is able to use what she produces, and is therefore like the previous receiver. Although giving things and satisfying needs creates relations, there are many things with regard to which one would like to create relations but which cannot be transferred from hand to hand. This difficulty is overcome by substituting other things that can be given. And here we come to language because these substitute gifts are words. Words have the advantage over things in that, being made of sound, their consumption or use does not destroy them and they can be given away again and again. The needs they satisfy are communicative needs. The relations they establish are useful to the formation of the community and of the individual as well as of the world or ‘reality’ as something which is shared and with regard to which relations are shared. Another way to avoid the difficulty of giving things directly is to give them only perceptively, to sight. This is enough to establish a relation between people as viewers of the same thing. However, I do not think it would work if the logical movement of giving and receiving things were not already established. This giving to perception can be identified as ostension-pointing things out. In both cases you give what is not already given at the moment-what there is not already a relation to-and in both cases the ‘gifts’ seem free. Words are giving to us by others in general. They are social products which arise in the language when the things they stand for begin to be important enough for a need to arise for a means of communication at a certain level of specificity (and generality). Things that are important enough to be communicated about-substituted by word-are products of collective work or elaboration, unrecognized as such. The things themselves seem to be important apart from society, but even the importance is a social product. The dialectic of the attribution of importance (or value) here is similar to that of the woman’s attribution of value to others while denying that of her own work. We do not recognize the value or importance of the things we communicate about as a social product, but it is. Words function to satisfy the need for a means to a relation to something, a need that the speaker sees the hearer as having insofar as she is not yet in this relation at the moment. The speaker may need for her own relation to something to be a common relation between herself and the other, but the need for a common relation is also a need for the other’s need. New needs develop on the premise of what is already given, and new things to give sometimes become useful only after other things have been given. The speaker gives the listener words which prepare her to receive (or understand) other words which she has given or will give. Through individual combinations of word gift substitutes, we create new nonverbal things that we give or show, such as ideas, plans, points of view. The message is a present. Part of the present is the way it is organized. It is conveyed by an individual gift-a phrase or discourse using the social gifts of words. I hope this very brief glimpse of communication and language as gift-giving suffices to let us come back to my statement in the beginning. By liberating the gift-giving side of our economy, which is the province of women, making it into a model for the definition of the species- material communication can be established between those who have the means and those who are now exploited and excluded by exchange and its dominant subjects. This will allow both others and ourselves to re-evolve as human beings. By recognizing the gift-giving side of our economy and of language and seeing their similarities we find their common logic. It is a logic simpler than that of exchange and forms relations between human beings. Such relations also create the identity of the persons involved in the socialization process. Exchange instead isolates the individual and promotes ego dominance. In an advanced capitalist society where exchange permeates every activity, and even words-or at least phrases-are bought and sold in …
(Art Essay 1) The Reddening: Alchemy, Dragons, Psychology and Feminism – a short version by Claire Dorey

Artwork by Claire Dorey A course in Color Therapy introduced me to Carl G. Jung’s The Red Book [1], a mystical picture book, painted by his own hand, serving as a visual and symbolic exploration of his principles of analytical psychology. Symbols hold power. Drawing is a conduit to the subconscious. Wisdom is creative. Creativity is wisdom in action. The cosmos is creative. Chaos is creative. Destruction is creation. Many pages, which I’ve been privileged to turn, are illustrated with Dragons and serpents, representing the shadow archetype: darker aspects of the self; the conscious mind confronting the unconscious; and psychological insights leading to growth. [View more images in links at the end of this essay] The Reddening So why call it The Red Book? Almost certainly the name comes from Rubedo, meaning “reddening,” or “wholeness,” the ultimate stage of alchemy. Alchemy attempts to explain material, psychological and spiritual transformation through color changes. Nigredo [corrosion / swallowing the sun / the Green Lion] is the blackening; Albedo [purification] is the whitening; and Citrinitas [transition] the yellowing. The intention is to turn base metals and the soul/psyche/ego into their highest forms, which are gold, spiritual gold and/or enlightenment, and/or immortality, resulting from a fusion of opposites, expressed as a hermaphrodite, as the alchemic journey proceeds. Medieval dragons and alchemy In many mythologies, the Dragon represents primordial chaos and cycles of destruction and creation. *European Medieval alchemists, (12th-13th centuries) and *Renaissance and *Early Modern alchemists (14th-17th centuries) sought to harness this power for their process, so they drew Dragons. * From here on, when I use the term *alchemy, it refers to European, Medieval, Early Modern and Renaissance alchemy, not Arabic, Egyptian, Post Modern, or New Age alchemy, unless stated. It could be argued *alchemy could be an art genre. Carl G. Jung’s gouache paintings drew inspiration from these illustrations. His “active imagination” tapped into Dragon consciousness, [2] meanwhile his “genius” paintbrush transformed cosmology to mandalas, and *alchemy to psychology. *Alchemy distills mythology and can be considered polarizing when viewed through a feminist lens. It seeks to harness the energy of opposites, including the [polarized] feminine principle, expressed as the White lion, passivity, mercury and moon; and the masculine principle, expressed as the Red lion, sulphur, active energy, and sun. It appears the dynamic sun and warrior Goddesses, including Sól, Anat and Nana, none of whom are passive, and the rampaging lion Goddess Sekhmet, who “sees and drinks red,” are overlooked in *alchemy. The Arabic Alchemists The alchemy of Hermes Trismegistus, was a fusion of Egyptian mysticism, Greek mythology and Christianity. However *alchemy took root in Europe when Arabic alchemical texts [3] were brought here by, those self-righteous invaders, the Crusaders. Liber de compositione alchemiae (“Book on the Composition of Alchemy”) was translated into Latin circa 1144 [4]. The crusaders also brought the myth of George and the Dragon to Europe. Limiting beliefs and male power In *alchemy, chemical process entwines with egotistical quests for immortality, as man seeks a god-like status. Gnosis means direct knowledge of God. Even though the female principles, including Sophia (wisdom) and Venus, are part of the *alchemic process, because wisdom has been in the male domain, *alchemy is often portrayed as centering on the divine male wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus, Thoth, Hermes, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Paracelsus and God. In my view, *alchemy was destined to fail because, even though it sought to harness female power, which would have been quite radical at the time [when women were spiritually silence by the church], the ultimate container was Christian doctrine, where ALL possibilities lead to the godhead. It could be said, science and religion should not mix, although science and spirituality should. It was also destined to fail because, according to current scientific theories, gold forms in space, not on Earth. At a time when patriarchy was seizing control of female wisdom, *alchemists sought to distill metals and philosophies, in the same way wise women healers distilled herbs at home, for medicinal remedies, using clay pots, alembics and condensers. [5] …….continues in part two View images from the Red Book here. [a] The Visionary Mystical Art of Carl Jung: See Illustrated Pages from The Red Book, January 28th, 2020 Open Culture https://www.openculture.com/2020/01/the-visionary-mystical-art-of-carl-jung.html [b] Kriegman, Mitchell Carl Jung’s Red Book – The Visionary Swiss Psychoanalyst’s Secret Book of Dreams. Mar 20, 2014. Santa Barbara Independent. https://www.independent.com/2014/03/20/carl-jungs-red-book/ [c] Carl Jung The Red Book. Jan 2.2025. The Doors of Perception. https://doorofperception.com/2025/01/carl-jung-the-red-book-liber-novus/ With thanks to Portal Ibis for their fantastic collection of imagery. References [1] The Red Book The Red Book (Philemon) 1st Edition by C. G. Jung (Author), Sonu Shamdasani (Editor, Translator), Mark Kyburz (Translator), John Peck (Translator) amazon.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393065677/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=openculture-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0393065677&linkId=d9fffbb88eba29f2c8f312acb2da8dcb [2] The Red Book of Carl G. Jung: Its Origins and InfluenceThe Red Book and Beyond. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/red-book-of-carl-jung/the-red-book-and-beyond.html [3] The Muslim Alchemists. Science Abbey https://www.scienceabbey.com/the-muslim-alchemists/ [4] No. 10. The book of the Composition of Alchemy, Transcribed with an introduction by Adam McLean. Alchemic Texts. Alchemy website. https://www.alchemywebsite.com/hrs10.html#:~:text=The%20translator%20was%20Robertus%20Castrensis,the%20Algebra%20of%20al%2DKwarizimi. [5] Wise Women: Traditional Cures and Remedies. Museum of Cambridge. https://www.museumofcambridge.org.uk/wise-women-traditional-cures-and-remedies/ [6] Egyptosophy. Echoes of Egypt. https://echoesofegypt.peabody.yale.edu/egyptosophy/narrative [7] Isoora. March 29. 2014. Isis the Alchemist. Isiopolis. https://isiopolis.com/2014/03/29/isis-the-alchemist/ [8] De Abreu, Kristine. October 17, 2023. Six Women Alchemists: Their Obsessions and Inventions. Explorers Web. https://explorersweb.com/women-alchemists/ [9] Translated by G. S. R. Mead, Gnostic Scriptures and Fragments. Pistis Sophia. The Gnostic Society Library. http://www.gnosis.org/library/pistis-sophia/index.htm [10] M. Rieder, Paula. On the Purification of Women : Churching in Northern France, 1100-1500. (The New Middle Ages.) Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. Pp. 257. scholarworks. wmich.edu https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=mff [11] Lishtar, ALCHEMICAL SYMBOLISM IN SUMERIAN MYTH AND RELIGION. https://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/religion/sumalch1.htm [12] Dieu-Le-Vent, Annie. Ishtar, the real holy whore of Babylon, May 14, 2023. https://anniedieuleveut.com/2023/05/14/ishtar-the-real-holy-whore-of-babylon/ [13] Stephany, Timothy j.The Descent of Ishtar: both the Sumerian and Akkadian versions. Paperback. 12 Nov. 2015 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Descent-Ishtar-Sumerian-Akkadian-versions/dp/1517611369# [14] Stifler, Bill. Babylonian Creation Myth: Tiamat and Marduk (Merodach) https://www.billstifler.org/myth/files/2D-001-03-babylonian_creation.htm (To be continued) ———————————————————————————— https://www.magoism.net/2021/12/meet-mago-contributor-claire-dorey
(Essay 3) Empress Influence on the Establishment and Rise in Popularity of the Virgin Mary and Kuan Yin by Krista K. Rodin, Ph.D.

Part 3: Common Threads Chang’an, like Constantinople, became “The” major metropolis during their empress’ reigns. Where Pulcheria built churches and hospices, Wu built the Daming Palace to showcase the power and majesty of the Tang Dynasty, pagodas for the people to worship in and granaries to feed them. In keeping with the Kuan Yin spirit of compassion for her subjects, the Empress established local granaries, not unlike Pulcheria’s “Steps”, that were insulated so that they could store rice for up to ten years, providing the populace with food in times of drought. So far upwards of 280 such granaries have been found in the former capital with archeologists suspecting there could be upwards of 500. During both women’s reign, life and status for women in their capitals noticeable improved. Both tried to create meritocracies, with Empress Wu starting the Imperial Exams, which were intended to identify the best qualified candidates for governmental offices rather than the previous system of heredity and nepotism. Under their leadership their empires flourished through trade as well as through conquest. They each were instrumental in strategic battles that increased the size of their territories. On the religious side, Pulcheria brought holy relics and jewels to Constantinople, while Wu commissioned, or had dedicated to her, Buddhist statues and paintings across her vast nation. Both were influential in the development of sacred texts for their respective faiths. Empress Pulcheria’s influence is apparent in the text that developed from the two Councils, and Empress Wu’s with the promotion of the Lotus Sutra as well as the “finding” of the Dayun Jing Sutra and the Treasury Rain Sutra. Empress Wu also influenced the gender change of the leading now-female deity in Chinese Buddhism, Kuan Yin. A brief list of some of their similarities includes: Empress Pulcheria and Empress Wu were the only truly long-standing ruling empresses for their respective cultures. They started out as co-rulers, but the main power was in their hands, and they continued to rule after the death of the emperor. Empress Wu was called “Emperor” when she was sole ruler from 690/691 to her abdication in 705. Both lived part of their lives as nuns within their respective traditions. Pulcheria was a nun by dedication, Wu by necessity as all imperial concubines who had not birthed a child were sent to a convent after their Emperor died. They were steeped in religious traditions that were not mainstream, and both spent their careers and lives promoting their faiths against what they believed to be heretical views. They both chose deities of compassion to associate with and to publically model themselves on; in Pulcheria’s case spiritually and physically, in Wu Zetian’s materially. They both used the deities to rally their soldiers in actual battles against enemies of their empires. Pulcheria and Theodosius II fought against the Persians and the victory was attributed to Pulcheria’s virginity as a sign of her association with the Virgin Mary, and Wu Zetian subdued a rebellious vassal state, Khitan, with the help of Buddhist and Taoist ceremonies and a specific public ceremony dedicated to Kuan Yin. They both commissioned sacred images, artifacts, and worship sites to glorify their chosen divine figure, thereby promoting their personal as well as spiritual images. They both established cults for their respective deities through the use of propaganda, and the creation of sacred texts and images. They both had philanthropic systems in place to take care of the common people, including the distribution of food and health care resources. The difference in their legacies is that the Roman Catholic Church made Pulcheria a saint for her efforts to promote the Virgin Mary, while Empress Wu had no such support. Primarily her ruthless acts within the Court and about those who opposed her will were transmitted to the future. It is only within the past few years, that archeologists and scholars are discovering another side to her story and to her reign and influence on bringing a feminine facet to Chinese Buddhism. In 2015 CCTV, the Chinese central television system, had a 96 part series on her trying to show a more human side of her story than earlier depictions had portrayed. Empress Wu is buried with her husband and her memorial stele remains blank. Her legacy is still unwritten. There is much more to be discovered about her influence on popularizing devotion to Kuan Yin and especially about her early foundational years in Taizong’s Court with Princess Wen Cheng. Conclusion The use of imperial power was instrumental in the establishment of the on-going devotion to sacred feminine figures of compassion in the Roman Catholic and Chinese Buddhist traditions. Empress Pulcheria and Empress Wu Zetian used their power to influence and change not only the political atmosphere they found themselves in, but also promoted the idea of a compassionate female “deity” that was an intercessor with heaven on behalf of the people. Both used this model in the public perception of themselves, while both were characterized as cut-throat to those who challenged them. Pulcheria has received better press from subsequent generations as she has been canonized by the Catholic Church. Empress Wu Zetian did not have such luck as the Confucian model of gender roles came back into force after her death. The records we have of her are all from men who were not necessarily in favor of a female ruler. Nonetheless, the development of devotion to Kuan Yin, can be attributed to her reign, as can the decisions about Mary at the Ecumenical Councils of Ephesus in 431 and Chalcedon in 451 to Empress Pulcheria. These two Empresses, the only female rulers from their long-standing empires, Byzantium and the Tang Dynasty, were instrumental in the development of devotion to sacred feminine compassionate figures, while at the same time promoting the well-being of the people of their empires. (End of the Essay) https://www.magoism.net/2018/09/meet-mago-contributor-krista-rodin-ph-d/ (Meet Mago Contributor) Krista Rodin, Ph.D. References Atanassova, A. (2010). Orthodox women’s defense of the Theotokos: The case of Empress Pulcheria and the …
(Essay 3) Baba Part III: The Smile (A tale of Vasilisa) by Jillian Parker

Vasilisa reached for a long, flat black lacquer box from its hiding place atop a roughly-hewn shelf. She slid open the box and let her hand rest on its contents for the briefest sigh of a moment. It was a shirt, sewn by her hands, crafted from the finest cloth she had ever woven. If she were to remove it from its hiding spot, she knew she would be able to thread it effortlessly through the small filigree ring on her finger. Within the folds of the shirt lurked a faded piece of parchment. She slid the box shut. “Thank you, dearest friend, for teaching me to weave,” she whispered. For one last time, or so she thought, she walked out the door. A pair of clouds was hovering near a crescent moon. She closed her eyes, and it was as if the moon kissed her brows and became a boat there, swaying back and forth. Absent-mindedly, she plucked a white aster growing near her door, and held it close while shuffling over to her bed. Images from Vasilisa’s memory crowded into her mind’s eye, and prevented her from falling asleep. Once, she had been sent on a journey with that very black lacquer box, to the far-off capital. There, she had witnessed surging armies, sieges, clashes, and blood spilled upon the dark earth. Vasilisa remembered how she had reached the castle wall, bruised, and with her clothing torn to shreds, so that when she appealed to the guards standing at attention with their pikes crossed, they did not believe she had any business in that place, and had turned her brusquely away. The most haunting of all of her reflections were those of silvery silhouettes of Ivan Tsarevich, pacing back and forth in his garden, or perhaps looking out to sea from a grey tower. Vasilisa began to dream that the boat on her brow was her own self floating on the ocean of consciousness. She passed a blinding light, and cried out in her sleep. Then she encountered a horrific storm. The waves of the sea curled around her and spoke in unison. Her senses nearly exploded from noise and terror. “Zarya! Help me! My bright Day!” she cried out. The dream was full of torment and anguish, until she heard a voice, “You are a soul. You are White Aster.” “But what does this mean?” she argued and begged, over and over with the storm. Yet the conflict would not cease. A voice came to her. “I am. You are, White Aster.” She still did not understand, although she could feel warmth seeping into her freezing limbs. “What is happening?” In the darkness, her struggle continued, until somehow she remembered the flower lying on her breast. Although afraid at first, she tipped the boat till it careened dangerously, then she directed it lower, until it was pointed straight at the flower; that is, in the direction of her heart. A light appeared inside its petals, and the pulsing flower expanded, until she was floating inside it. All of the raucous memories, the rioting waves, even a stray Leviathan which had been curled around her boat, as if ready to crush it, began to burn away in the curious white light within the aster, which was cool, yet warming at the same time; and then the sea was becalmed. Vasilisa woke with a start. She remembered the crescent moon, and the pair of clouds above it, and ran for the door. Her boat began rocking again. But there they were: the two clouds, as if hiding a pair of mysterious eyes, above a silver smile. Vasilisa smiled in response. The two sides of the sea were once again still and smooth. She made another attempt at a smile. Each time she smiled, while settled in this space, it was as if a hanging bridge had appeared, uniting the two surging sides of her soul-self. Slipping into this smile made her feel that she had just donned the finest kokoshnik, and a diaphanous, fairy-made royal gown. Finally, Vasilisa walked over and glanced at Vera on her cot. She pulled Vera’s coverlet down over her bare feet, and then returned to her own bed, and, with a smile lingering on her lips, sank into a fathomless dream. Read part 1 and part 2. Read Meet Mago Contributor Jillian Parker.
(NSN Highlight) Creatrix Studies Lifetime Education Certificate Program

[Editor’s Note: Nine Sister Networks (NSN) is the Return to Mago E-Magazine’s project undertaken to lead the movement of Matriversal Feminism, formerly called Goddess Feminist Activist Spirituality.] Mago Academy offers the Lifetime Education Certificate in Creatrix Studies (a non-degree track program), which operates in conjunction with the degree-track programs (MA, Ph.D., and MA/Ph.D. tracks). This Certificate Program operates by Mago Academy interdependently with Ubiquity University, which partners only for the degree-track programs (Students do not have to go through the requirements of Ubiquity University to attain the Creatrix Studies Lifetime Education Certificate until they decide to redeem the coursework toward the degree-track programs).Students may enroll courses with the concentration in one area of her preference. Designated areas of concentration include: Ceto-Magoism (Advisor: Dr. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang), Great Goddesses (Advisor: Dr. Helen Benigni), Motherhood (Advisor: Dr. Nane Jordan), Matristic Korea (Advisor: Dr. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang), and others. You may choose your advisor from Creatrix Studies Instructors upon the agreement with her. Who can apply: Anyone regardless of prior educational credentials (Bachelors’ degree is not required) Required Coursework: 17 credits (16 credits and the one credit course, Research Paper Writing, taught by your advisor) Tuition: US$100 per course (you are regarded as an auditor for all registered courses) Concentration Areas: Ceto-Magoism (Advisor: Dr. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang), Great Goddesses (Advisor: Dr. Helen Benigni), Motherhood (Advisor: Dr. Nane Jordan), Matristic Korea (Advisor: Dr. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang), Healing & Solidarity (tentative), Indigenous Spirituality (tentative), Decolonialism (tentative), Matricentric Shamanism (tentative), Matricentric Myths (tentative), Art, Poetry & Rituals (tentative), Eco-feminism (tentative), Intercosmic Consciousness (tentative), Matristic History (tentative), and others. Coursework Outcomes: Have learned about Embodied Knowing that transforms one’s state of being/living/doing from within. Have discovered the Great Unity of ALL (including inorganic entities) in the Matriverse. Have developed your expertise in demonstrating how the consciousness of the Cosmic Mother has shaped a particular manifestation of modern civilization through the mythic, cultural, and historical texts across cultures. Have found a wide and deep connection in a tangible manner with the likely-minded community of researchers, scholars, and advocates as well as non-human species.Find details here: Creatrix Studies Lifetime Education Certificate
(Meet Mago Contributor) Judy Foster

[We are in sadness and gratitude to be informed of Judy Foster who passed away in the morning of March 16 2022. Her daughter, Sarah Winter, stays close to the circle of Return to Mago E-Magazine contributors and Mago Sisters/Associates. And she is grateful for your prayers and remembrances of her. Judy Foster is the author of Invisible Women of Prehistory: Three Million Years of Peace, Six Thousand Years of War (Spinifex 2013) and, among others, an article, “The Prehistoric Goddess Figurines of Old Europe” in Goddesses in Myth, History and Culture (Mago Books 2018).] I have always been interested in visual symbols and their origins (explored at Art School, Monash University, and my own painting/drawing); through Australian Indigenous art and cultures, and through the lives of women in prehistory. I have 3 daughters, a supportive husband and live in Melbourne, Australia. Her RTM contributions are found here.

(Special Post 1) Multi-linguistic Resemblances of “Mago” by Mago Circle Members

“Ma” in “Mago” and “Ma-Gaia” Mother Goddess, ca.7250-6700 BCE, Catal Huyuk Turkey [Conversation between Carol P. Christ, Ph.D. and Helen Hye-Sook Hwang, Ph.D.] Carol P. Christ (CPC): Below is culled from “Gaia” in Wikipedia: The Greek word γαῖα (transliterated as gaia) is a collateral form of γῆ (gē, Doric γᾶ ga and probably δᾶ da) meaning Earth, a word of uncertain origin. R. S. P. Beekes has suggested a Pre-Greek origin. In Mycenean Greek Ma-ka (trans. as Ma-ga, “Mother Gaia”) also contains the root ga-. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang (HHH): “Mago” and “Goma” are closely linked. Gom or Goma means the bear and Magoist shaman queen of the late fourth millennium BCE. She is also related with the Big Bear constellation. “Go” is used as a modifier referring to Mago or the Goddess in various texts of East Asia. “Mago” is related with “magi,” whose singular form is “magus” or “magos.” Will have to check for more details and the source. CPC: My intuition is that “ma” and “na” are baby talk for mother. In other words, preceding any language. Mycenean is IE language, “Pre-Greek” is not IE. CPC: Below is “Mother” from Wikipedia: Synonyms and translations The proverbial “first word” of an infant often sounds like “ma” or “mama”. This strong association of that sound with “mother” has persisted in nearly every language on earth, countering the natural localization of language. Familiar or colloquial terms for mother in English are: Aama, Mata used in Nepal Mom and mommy are used in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Philippines, India and parts of the West Midlands including Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Mum and mummy are used in the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Ireland. Charles, Prince of Wales publicly addressed his mother Queen Elizabeth II as “Mummy” on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. Ma, mam, and mammy are used in Netherlands, Ireland, the Northern areas of the United Kingdom, and Wales; it is also used in some areas of the United States. In many other languages, similar pronunciations apply: Maa, aai, amma, and mata are used in languages of India like Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu etc. Mamá, mama, ma, and mami in Spanish Mama in Polish, German, Russian and Slovak Māma (妈妈/媽媽) in Chinese Máma in Czech and in Ukrainian Maman in French and Persian Ma, mama in Indonesian Mamaí, mam in Irish Mamma in Italian, Icelandic, Latvian and Swedish Māman or mādar in Persian Mamãe or mãe in Portuguese Mā̃ (ਮਾਂ) in Punjabi Mama in Swahili Em (אם) in Hebrew A’ma (ܐܡܐ) in Aramaic Má or mẹ in Vietnamese Mam in Welsh Eomma (엄마, pronounced [ʌmma]) in Korean In many south Asian cultures and the Middle East, the mother is known as amma, oma, ammi or “ummi”, or variations thereof. Many times, these terms denote affection or a maternal role in a child’s life. HHH: The name for Goddess seems as ancient as the language itself. [“Ma” being the first intentional word to be spoken by a baby.] Helen Hye-Sook Hwang: Scholars and mythologists agree that “ma” means both one’s mother and the Goddess, I quoted it in my dissertation written in 2004. Judy E Foster: Brilliant discussion, Helen and Carol! So many revelations… hard to keep up! But do continue, its fascinating – makes so much sense. (To be continued)Join the discussion of this and other topics in The Mago Circle, Facebook Group.
(Special Post) Why I choose to be an RTM contributor by Glenys Livingstone

The contribution of my writing to Return to Mago E-Magazine has evolved since it began four years ago, into a deeply mutually enhancing relationship. The time and effort taken to write carefully and in alignment with my heartfelt passions and insights, and then to be able to publish to a receptive audience, has always been rewarding – for me personally and apparently for many who received it.
(Review) Journey into Dreamtime by Munya Andrews, reviewed by Glenys Livingstone

Although the term “Dreamtime” is often not considered an adequate translation of the cosmology, religion or spirituality of Indigenous Australians, Munya Andrews of the Bardi people from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, acknowledges this and chooses to name her recently published book with it, explaining that: “I love the term … For me, it conjures up a magical and mysterious world.”, and she feels that the term aligns perfectly with the common global religious concept that Diety is beyond words and human understanding. For me, as Munya Andrews describes “Dreamtime”, it seems resonant with the sense of “ever-present Origins”[1]; that is, original space and time that is omnipresent. This is a space/place that I understand to be referred to as “between the worlds” and “beyond the bounds of space and time”, by Indigenous Europeans (Pagans), a tradition with which I am familiar. I understand it to be a sentient world in which we are immersed actually, and which may be revealed to the observant person in synchronous moments. With practice one may live with clearer everyday connections with this world, and Munya’s book is an important contribution to making those connections from within the cosmology of her people; and for “all beautiful souls to keep the Dreamtime alive”, as she says in the book’s dedication. This book provides informative story that should be part of every Australian’s education at various levels: it lays a groundwork and also elicits deepening understandings. The teachings offered in Journey into Dreamtime should be considered essential knowledge for living on this land named Australia, whereas heretofore most present occupants have often not had easy access to such learning. This very readable and small book provides some basic facts: for example, that there are “250 or so Indigenous nations, each having their own language, their own names and ‘country’ or tribal lands.”; and that terms such as Koori, Nunga or Murri are “pan-Aboriginal” names taken on since colonisation, for the sake of asserting a distinct Indigenous identity, in the face of forced removal from families and land. In the course of the seven chapters Munya develops understanding of Dreamtime, and also understandings of Indigenous Law, Songlines, sacred sites, bush doctors/bush medicine, Rainbow Snake, and Kindredness. I found all of this really helpful, an invitation into a world of being and relationship; and it is told with frequent analogies from Western science and academic and spiritual texts, with which the reader may be more familiar, enabling the bridge into Indigenous science and worldview. There is a list of suggested readings offered, along with links and details for further connection and learning. At the conclusion of each chapter of Journey into Dreamtime there are “Dreamtime Reflections”, posing questions for personal consideration, inviting personal participation and pathways into some actual sense of an alive self in relationship with the alive world described. This book needs to be in spaces/places where everyday people can read it, like waiting rooms of all kinds (where there are frequently Bibles); as well as in every library, and especially Australian libraries. I highly recommend Journey into Dreamtime as an educational resource, for your self, for educational programs, and/or for any group that you may gather. Aunty Munya, as she names herself, has an impressive track record of speaking engagements, mentioned at the conclusion of the book, and invites you to have her speak to your organisation. She describes her life purpose as “to create better understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal people and to leave behind a legacy of Dreamtime wisdom for generations to come.” May it be so, as readers of Journey into Dreamtime absorb its teaching and resources. To order a copy of Journey into Dreamtime visit Evolve Communities NOTES: [1]“ever-present origin” is the English translation of Jean Gebser’s Ursprung und Gegenwart, Stuttgart, Deutsche Verlag, 1966.

(Music) Songs for Samhain by Alison Newvine

The season of Samhain is upon us. This playlist is an offering for this descent into the sacred darkness, and a companion for the journey into the underworld. Invocation of Witches features music by Loreena McKennitt, Marya Stark, Inkubus Sukubus, Wendy Rule, my band Spiral Muse, and many others. It is a soundtrack for ceremony and each song expresses a different face of the spirit of the witch. May this Samhain season guide you gently into the dissolution of what no longer serves, the honoring of what is complete and the cultivation of the inner space that will gestate what is yet to come. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2CFNoH9exhloz3w95P3Rlb?si=270cf01fabb8421c https://www.magoism.net/2023/10/meet-mago-contributor-alison-newvine/
(Essay) The Wheel of the Year and Climate Change by Glenys Livingstone Ph.D.

This essay is an edited excerpt from Chapter 2 of the author’s book A Poiesis of the Creative Cosmos: Celebrating Her within PaGaian Sacred Ceremony. https://pagaian.org/pagaian-wheel-of-the-year/ The Wheel of the Year in a PaGaian cosmology essentially celebrates Cosmogenesis – the unfolding of the Cosmos, in which Earth’s extant Creativity participates directly, as does each unique being. The Creativity of Cosmogenesis is expressed through Earth-Sun relationship as it may manifest and be experienced within any region of our Planet. In PaGaian tradition this is expressed with Triple Goddess Poetry, which is understood to be metaphor for the creative dynamics unfolding the Cosmos. At the heart of the Earth-Sun relationship is the dance of light and dark, the waxing and waning of both these qualities, as Earth orbits around our Mother Sun. This dance, which results in the manifestation of form and its dissolution, as it does in the Seasons, happens because of Earth’s tilt in relationship with Sun: and that is because this tilt effects the intensity of regional receptivity to Sun’s energy over the period of the yearly orbit. This tilt was something that happened in the evolution of our planet in its earliest of days – some four and a half billion years ago, and then stabilised over time: and the climatic zones were further formed when Antarctica separated from Australia and South America, giving birth to the Antarctica Circumpolar Current, changing the circulation of water around all the continents … just some thirty million years ago[i]. Within the period since then, which also saw the advent of the earliest humans, Earth has gone through many climatic changes. It is likely that throughout those changes, the dance of light and dark in both hemispheres of the planet … one always the opposite of the other – has been fairly stable and predictable. The resultant effect on flora and fauna regionally however has varied enormously depending on many other factors of Earth’s ever changing ecology: She is an alive Planet who continues to move and re-shape Herself. She is Herself subject to the cosmic dynamics of creativity – the forming and the dissolving and the re-emerging. The earliest of humans must have received all this, ‘observed’ it, in a very participatory way: that is, not as a Western industrialized or dualistic mind would think of ‘observation’ today, but as kin with the events – identifying with their own experience of coming into being and passing away. There is evidence to suggest that humans have expressed awareness of, and response to, the phenomenon of coming into being and passing away, as early as one hundred thousand years ago: ritual burial sites of that age have been found[ii], and more recently a site of ongoing ritual activity as old as seventy thousand years has been found[iii]. The ceremonial celebration of the phenomenon of seasons probably came much later, particularly perhaps when humans began to settle down. These ceremonial celebrations of seasons apparently continued to reflect the awesomeness of existence as well as the marking of transitions of Sun back and forth across the horizon, which became an important method of telling the time for planting and harvesting and the movement of pastoral animals. https://pagaian.org/pagaian-wheel-of-the-year/ It seems that the resultant effect of the dance of light and dark on regional flora and fauna, has been fairly stable in recent millennia, the period during which many current Earth-based religious practices and expression arose. In our times, that is changing again. Humans have been, and are, a major part of bringing that change about. Ever since we migrated around the planet, humans have brought change, as any creature would: but humans have gained advantage and distinguished themselves by toolmaking, and increasingly domesticating/harnessing more of Earth’s powers – fire being perhaps the first, and this also aided our migration. In recent times this harnessing/appropriating of Earth’s powers became more intense and at the same time our numbers dramatically increased: and many of us filled with hubris, acting without consciousness or care of our relational context. We are currently living in times when our planet is tangibly and visibly transforming: the seasons themselves as we have known them for millennia – as our ancestors knew them – appear to be changing in most if not all regions of our Planet. Much predictable Poetry – sacred language – for expressing the quality of the Seasonal Moments will change, as regional flora changes, as the movement of animals and birds and sea creatures changes, as economies change[iv]. In Earth’s long story regional seasonal manifestation has changed before, but not so dramatically since the advent of much current Poetic expression for these transitions, as mixed as they are with layers of metaphor: that is, with layers of mythic eras, cultures and economies. We may learn and understand the traditional significance of much of the Poetry, the ceremony and symbol – the art – through which we could relate and converse with our place, as our ancestors may have done; but it will continue to evolve as all language must. At the moment the dance of dark and light remains predictable, but much else is in a process of transformation. As we observe and sense our Place, our Habitat, as our ancestors also did, we can, and may yet still make Poetry of the dance of dark and light, of this quality of relationship with Sun, and how it may be manifesting in a particular region and its significance for the inhabitants: we may still find Poetic expression with which to celebrate the sacred journey that we make everyday around Mother Sun, our Source of life and energy. It has been characteristic of humans for at least several tens of thousands of years, to create ceremony and symbol by which we could relate with the creative dynamics of our place, and perhaps it was initially a method of coming to terms with these dynamics – with the apparently uniquely human awareness of coming into being and passing away[v]. Our need for …
Artful Ceremonial Expression by Glenys Livingstone Ph.D.

This article is an edited excerpt from Chapter 7 of the author’s book PaGaian Cosmology: Re-inventing Earth-based Goddess Religion. I always wore a special headpiece for the Seasonal ceremonies when I facilitated them over the years, and I feel that any participant may do so, not just the main celebrant. My ceremonial headpiece with its changing and continuous Seasonal decoration took on increasing significance over the years; it became a personal central representation of the year-long ceremonial art process of creating, destroying and re-creating. For the research period of my doctoral studies particularly, when I was documenting the process, I realised that this headpiece came to represent for me the essence of “She” – as Changing One, yet ever as Presence – as I was coming to know Her. In my journal for the Mabon/Autumn Equinox process notes one year I wrote: As I pace the circle with the Mabon headpiece in the centre, I see “Her” as She has been through the Seasons … the black and gold of Samhain, the deep red, white and evergreen of Winter, the white and blue of Imbolc, the flowers of Eostar, the rainbow ribbons of Beltane, the roses of Summer, the seed pods and wheat of Lammas, and now the Autumn leaves. I see in my mind’s eye, and feel, Her changes. I am learning … The Mother knowledge grows within me. The headpiece, the wreath, the altar, the house decorations, all participate in the ceremony: they are part of the learning, the method, the relationship – similar to how one might bring flowers and gifts of significance to a loved one at special moments. Then further, the removal and re-creation of the decorations are part of the learning – an active witness to transformation through time.
(Book Excerpt) Held in the Womb of the Wheel of the Year by Glenys Livingstone Ph.D.

This essay is an excerpt from the Introduction of the author’s new book A Poiesis of the Creative Cosmos: Celebrating Her within PaGaian Sacred Ceremony. Meditation cushion in circle of decorated stones My ancestors built great circles of stones that represented their perception of real time and space, and enabled them to tell time: the stone circles were cosmic calendars.[i] They went to great lengths and detail to get it right. It was obviously very important to them to have the stones of a particular kind, in the right positions according to position of the Sun at different times of the year, and then to celebrate ceremony within it. I have for decades had a much smaller circle of stones assembled. I have regarded this small circle of stones as a medicine wheel. It is a portable collection, that I can spread out in my living space, or let sit in a small circle on an altar, with a candle/candles in the middle. Each stone (or objects, as some are) represents a particular Seasonal Moment/transition and is placed in the corresponding direction. The small circle of eight stones represents the flow of the Solstices and Equinoxes and the cross-quarter Moments in between: that is, it represents the “Wheel of the Year” as it is commonly known in Pagan traditions. I have found this assembled circle to have been an important presence. It makes the year, my everyday sacred journey of Earth around Sun, tangible and visible as a circle, and has been a method of changing my mind, as I am placed in real space and time. My stone wheel has been a method of bringing me home to my indigenous sense of being. Each stone/object of my small wheel may be understood to represent a “moment of grace,” as Thomas Berry named the seasonal transitions – each is a threshold to the Centre, wherein I may now sit: I sense it as a powerful point. As I sit on the floor in the centre of my small circle of stones, I reflect on its significance as I have come to know the Seasonal transitions that it marks, over decades of celebrating them. I sense the aesthetics and poetry of each. I facilitated and was part of the celebration and contemplation of these Moments in my region for decades. It was always an open group that gathered, and so its participants changed over the years but it remained in form, like a live body which it was: a ceremonial body that conversed with the sacred Cosmos in my place. We spoke a year-long story and poetry of never-ending renewal – of the unfolding self, Earth and Cosmos. We danced and chanted our relationship with the Mother, opened ourselves to Her Creativity, and conversed with Her by this method. All participants in their own way within these ceremonies made meaning of their lives – which is what I understand relationship to be, in this context of Earth and Sun, our Place and Home in the Cosmos: that is, existence is innately meaningful when a being knows Who one is and Where one is. Barbara Walker notes that religions based on the Mother are free of the “neurotic” quest for indefinable meaning in life as such religions “never assumed that life would be required to justify itself.”[ii] I face the North stone, which in my hemisphere is where I place the Summer Solstice. From behind me and to my right is the light part of the cycle – representing manifest form, all that we see and touch. From behind me and to my left is the dark part of the cycle – representing the manifesting, the reality beneath the visible, which includes the non-visible. The Centre wherein I sit, represents the present. The wheel of stones has offered to me a way of experiencing the present as “presence,” as it recalls in an instant that, That which has been and that which is to come are not elsewhere – they are not autonomous dimensions independent of the encompassing present in which we dwell. They are, rather, the very depths of this living place – the hidden depth of its distances and the concealed depth on which we stand.[iii] This wheel of stones, which captures the Wheel of the Year in essence, locates me in the deep present, wherein the past and the future are contained – both always gestating in the dark, through the gateways. And all this has been continually enacted and expressed in the ceremonies of the Wheel of the Year, as the open, yet formal group has done them, mostly in the place of Blue Mountains, Australia. PaGaian Cosmology altar/mandala: a “Womb of Gaia” map Over the years of practice of ritually celebrating these eight Seasonal Moments – Earth’s whole annual journey around Sun, I have been held in this creative story, this Story of Creativity as it may be written – it is a sacred story. Her pattern of Creativity can be identified at all levels of reality – manifesting in seasonal cycles, moon cycles, body cycles – and to be aligned with it aligns a person’s core with the Creative Mother Universe. I have identified the placing of one’s self within this wheel through ceremonial practice of the whole year of creativity, as the placing of one’s self in Her Womb – Gaia’s Womb, a Place of Creativity. All that is necessary for Creativity is present in this Place. All may come forth from here/Here – and so it does, and so it has, and so it will. NOTES: [i] See Martin Brennan, The Stones of Time: Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland (Rochester Vermont, Inner Traditions, 1994). [ii] Barbara Walker, The Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets (San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1983), 693. [iii] David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous (New York: Vintage Books, 1997), 216. REFERENCES: Abram, David. The Spell of the Sensuous. New York: Vintage Books, 1997. Brennan, Martin. The Stones of Time: Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland.Rochester Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1994. Walker, Barbara. The Woman’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets. San Francisco: …
Samhain/Deep Autumn within the Creative Cosmos by Glenys Livingstone Ph.D.

This essay is an edited excerpt from Chapter 4 of the author’s new book A Poiesis of the Creative Cosmos: Celebrating Her within PaGaian Sacred Ceremony. Traditionally the dates for Samhain/Deep Autumn are: Northern Hemisphere – October 31st/November 1st Southern Hemisphere – April 30th/May 1st though the actual astronomical date varies. It is the meridian point or cross-quarter day between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, thus actually a little later in early May for S.H., and early November for N.H., respectively. A Samhain/Deep Autumn Ceremonial Altar In this cosmology, Deep Autumn/Samhain is a celebration of She Who creates the Space to Be par excellence. This aspect of the Creative Triplicity is associated with the autopoietic quality of Cosmogenesis[i] and with the Crone/Old One of the Triple Goddess, who is essentially creative in Her process. This Seasonal Moment celebrates the process of the Crone, the Ancient One … how we are formed by Her process, and in that sense conceived by Her: it is an ‘imaginal fertility,’ a fertility of the dark space, the sentient Cosmos. It mirrors the fertility and conception of Beltaine (which is happening in the opposite Hemisphere at the same time). Some Samhain/Deep Autumn Story This celebration of Deep Autumn has been known in Christian times as “Halloween,” since the church in the Northern Hemisphere adopted it as “All Hallow’s eve” (31st October) or “All Saint’s Day” (1st November). This “Deep Autumn” festival as it may be named in our times, was known in old Celtic times as Samhain (pronounced “sow-een), which is an Irish Gaelic word, with a likely meaning of “Summer’s end,” since it is the time of the ending of the Spring-Summer growth. Many leaves of last Summer are turning and falling at this time: it was thus felt as the end of the year, and hence the New Year. It was and is noted as the beginning of Winter. It was the traditional Season for bringing in the animals from the outdoor pastures in pastoral economies, and when many of them were slaughtered. Earth’s tilt is continuing to move the region away from the Sun at this time of year. This Seasonal Moment is the meridian point of the darkest quarter of the year, between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice; the dark part of the day is longer than the light part of the day and is still on the increase. It is thus the dark space of the annual cycle wherein conception and dreaming up the new may occur. As with any New Year, between the old and the new, in that moment, all is possible. We may choose in that moment what to pass to the future, and what to relegate to compost. Samhain may be understood as the Space between the breaths. It is a generative Space – the Source of all. There is particular magic in being with this Dark Space. This Dark Space which is ever present, may be named as the “All-Nourishing Abyss,”[ii] the “Ever-Present Origin.”[iii] It is a generative Place, and we may feel it particularly at this time of year, and call it to consciousness in ceremony. Some Samhain/Deep Autumn Motifs The fermentation of all that has passed begins. This moment may mark the Transformation of Death – the breakdown of old forms, the ferment and rot of the compost, and thus the possibility of renewal.[iv] It is actually a movement towards form and ‘re-solution’ (as Beltaine – its opposite – begins a movement towards entropy and dissolution). With practice we begin to develop this vision: of the rot, the ferment, being a movement towards the renewal, to see the gold. And just so, does one begin to know the movement at Beltaine, towards expansion and thus falling apart, dissolution. In Triple Goddess poetics it may be expressed that the Crone’s face here at Samhain begins to change to the Mother – as at Beltaine the Virgin’s face begins to change to the Mother: the aspects are never alone and kaleidoscope into the other … it is an alive dynamic process, never static. The whole Wheel is a Creation story, and Samhain is the place of the conceiving of this Creativity, and it may be in the Spelling of it – saying what we will; and thus, beginning the Journey through the Wheel. Conception could be described as a “female-referring transformatory power” – a term used by Melissa Raphael in Thealogy and Embodiment:[v] conception happens in a female body, yet it is a multivalent cosmic dynamic, that is, it happens in all being in a variety of forms. It is not bound to the female body, yet it occurs there in a particular and obvious way. Androcentric ideologies, philosophies and theologies have devalued the event and occurrence of conception in the female body: whereas PaGaian Cosmology is a conscious affirmation, invocation and celebration of “female sacrality”[vi] as part of all sacrality. It does thus affirm the female as a place; as well as a place.[vii] ‘Conception’ is identified as a Cosmic Dynamic essential to all being – not exclusive to the female, yet it is a female-based metaphor, one that patriarchal-based religions have either co-opted and attributed to a father-god (Zeus, Yahweh, Chenrezig – have all taken on being the ‘mother’), or it has been left out of the equation altogether. Womb is the place of Creation – not some God’s index finger as is imagined in Michelangelo’s famous painting. Melissa Raphael speaks of a “menstrual cosmology”. It is an “ancient cosmology in which chaos and harmony belong together in a creation where perfection is both impossible and meaningless;”[viii] yet it is recently affirmed in Western scientific understanding of chaos, as essential to order and spontaneous emergence. Samhain is an opportunity for immersion in a deeper reality which the usual cultural trance denies. It may celebrate immersion in what is usually ‘background’ – the real world beyond and within time and space: which is actually the major portion of the Cosmos we live in.[ix] Samhain is about understanding that the Dark is a fertile place: in its decay and rot it seethes with infinite unseen complex golden threads connected to the wealth of Creativity of all that has gone before – like any …
(Video) A Beltaine Ceremony by Glenys Livingstone Ph.D.

Beltaine/High Spring: the traditional dates are Southern Hemisphere – October 31st or 1st November Northern Hemisphere – April 30th (May Eve) or 1st May The actual astronomical date varies, and it is the meridian point or cross-quarter day between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, thus actually a little later in early November for S.H., and early May for N.H., respectively. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pODpbkzfrIU The purpose of the video is for ceremony and I suggest pausing the video where it suits you, to add your own processing, embellishments and/or your own drum, percussion, music, and voice wherever you please. I have made short spaces in the video where it may be paused. The script for this Beltaine ceremony is offered in Chapter 8 of my book A Poiesis of the Creative Cosmos: Celebrating Her within PaGaian Sacred Ceremony, with all acknowledgements and references there. The elements of Water, Fire, Earth and Air on the altar in this video are placed in directions that are appropriate to my region in the Southern Hemisphere, and East Coast Australia: you may place yours differently, and transliterate when I name the direction, which I only do at the beginning. The images used are a collage of footage and photos from the 2024 Beltaine ceremony at my place in Wakka Wakka country, South East Queensland Australia, and from previous Beltaine ceremonies that I facilitated over the decades in MoonCourt, Goddess ceremonial space, in Gundungurra and Darug country, Blue Mountains Australia. To enhance participation in the ceremony, you may like to have the following: the element of Water flavoured with rose water. the element of Earth in a large dinner plate and card paper large enough for handprints, along with a bowl of water for washing hands after. a small bouquet of scented flowers and/or herbs for the element of Air. a firepot for the element of Fire. This may be a clay pot of sand into which a small amount of methylated spirits will be poured and lit: it produces a soft flame that will not set off fire alarms, though care should still be taken. a larger firepot or two – either near the altar or located where suitable, for either leaping the flames, or simply passing your hand over flames. This firepot may be a larger version of the one for the element of Fire. coloured ribbons, ideally attached to a pole/tree, but it is possible to manage this rite in another creative manner. a pink ring cake, topped with rose water and honey and petals, sliced ready for serving, but whole. sweet pink wine/juice and glasses for serving. Dance Instructions: Celebrant as #1, person next on right as #2. All 1’s face right, all 2’s face left. All 1’s go in & under first, all 2’s go out & over first. The chant for the dance around the tree (a “Novapole” in the Southern Hemipshere, a “Maypole” in the Northern Hemisphere): “We are the Dance of the Earth, Moon and Sun We are the Life that’s in everyone We are the Life that loves to live We are the Love that lives to love.” (Note: This is a slight variation of the chant written and taught to me by thea Gaia. Music credits: A few clips from Coral Sea Dreaming by Tania Rose: https://www.taniarose.net A clip from Benediction Moon by Pia from her album by that name, New World Music, 1998. A clip from “Shedville 28th Nov 05” by Nick Alias, who has generously shared his music, and given permission for me to use it. Image credits: Ishtar (Middle East, 1000 BCE), Hallie Iglehart Austen, The Heart of the Goddess, p.131. Aphrodite (Europe, 300 BCE), Hallie Iglehart Austen, The Heart of the Goddess, p.133. Xochiquetzal (Mayan, 8th century CE), Hallie Iglehart Austen, The Heart of the Goddess, p.135. Inanna/Ishtar (Mesopotamia 400 B.C.E.), Adele Getty, Goddess: Mother of Living Nature, p.39. Birth of the Goddess, Erich Neumann, The Great Mother, plate 155. Milky Way photo: Akira Fujii, David Malin images. Beau Ravn’s “Goddess” and “God” artworks (2000). Sri Yantra (1500 CE.), A.T. Mann and Jane Lyle, Sacred Sexuality, p.75.

(Mago Almanac Basics) What is the Magoist Calendar? by Helen Hye-Sook Hwang

[Author’s Note: I have created 13 basics of Mago Almanac, which are included in Mago Almanac Planner for Personal Journey: 13 Month 28 Day Calendar (Volume 6), Year 6 or 5920 MAGOMA ERA (Equivalent to 2023 CE). These 13 basics constitute the backbone of Magoist Cetaceanism as well.] It is a 13 month 28 day luni-menstrual-solar calendar of Old Magoist Korea. Insofar as one year marks about 365.25 days, a time taken for the earth to revolve around the sun, it is a solar calendar. The fact that both the moon and the female menstruation cycle mark 28 days, which makes 13 months or 364 days for one year. This makes approximately 1.25 a surplus. Thus, we have days outside the calendar grid. Each year has one extra day on the day before the New Year’s day. The New Year of Year 1 or 5915 Magoma Era was set on the new moon date before Winter Solstice in 2018 by the Gregorian Calendar. With one extra day, the year makes 365 days. Given that the actual period of the Earth’s revolution is approximately 365.25 days, we have the second extra day every fourth year. Setting aside the extra days, we have 364 days for one year. 364 days divided by 28 days is 13. That is how we have 13 months in a year. The Magoist Calendar championing the matricentric worldview is the very indication that our Mother Earth is stabilized in her own voyages. https://www.magobooks.com/update-on-mago-books/mago-almanac-13-month-28-day-calendar-book-a https://www.magoism.net/2013/07/meet-mago-contributor-helen-hwang/
(Poem) Just Remember WE in S/HE by Helen Hye-Sook Hwang

Just Remember WE in S/HE Remember the Universe is without the beginning or the end. Remember the Creatrix is the Music of the Universe.
(Bell Essay 4) The Ancient Korean Bell and Magoism by Helen Hwang

Part IV Asking the Dangerous Question: How Old is the Symbol of Nine Nipples? An inquiry about the origin of an ancient female symbolism is subversive in nature. It shakes the ground of patriarchal premises come to be believed rather than understood. The question here is the provenance of the nine nipples sculpted on ancient Korean bells. A focus on the female principle that nine nipples represent hurls the inquirer into uncharted territory. Note that official [read Sinocentric] historiography of East Asia leaves no means to navigate through the beginning of gynocentric civilizations. Where there is no written history, archaeologies and mythologies are rendered anomalous if not obsolete. Thus, tracking the provenance of nine nipples is made to face a quandary, without the mytho-history of Old Magoism. The relief of nine nipples on the ancient Korean bell has its predecessors. From Silla, a wind chime called pungtak from Gameun-sa (Temple of Gameun) appears to be an immediate model. Much smaller in size (27.8 cm), pungtak is to be hung on the eaves of a pagoda or a Buddhist temple building. Given that the Gameun-sa was completed in 682 CE, the nine nipples of pungtak may well be considered as the precursor of the Sangwon-sa bell (cast 725 CE). Unfortunately, however, we are unequipped to trace the pre-Silla Korean examples of nine nipples under the standard view of Sinocentric ancient Korean history. This will need another space to discuss. That said, how old is the symbol of nine nipples? Extant ancient bronze bells with nine nipples suggest that it dates back to as early as the introduction of bronze metallurgy in East Asia. On the other hand, however, the existence of nine nipples on ancient pottery bells throws a new light on another scenario that they may predate the Bronze Age. That the use of clay preceded the use of metal is incontestable. Interestingly, a good number of ancient bronze bells with nine nipples are from the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 BCE-ca. 1046 BCE) and the Western Zhou dynasty (1046 BCE-771 BCE) of China. Seong Nakju, in his article tracing the origin of ancient Korean bells, states that bells with the nine protruded knobs emerged for the first time between the late Shang and the early Zhou period (see Seong Nakju below in Sources). When something of the female principle, ultimately like the provenance of Mago, is dated to the Shang dynasty [Shang dynasty to be the earliest historical polity of China], it suggests that it was there before the beginning of Chinese history. On these ancient Chinese bells, the nine knobs are placed in three rows of three in its four corners just like yudu (nipples) of the Korean bell. Nonetheless, there is, among others, a distinction to be mentioned here. The nine knobs of Zhou bells are called “mae” (枚, classifier for small things, mei in Chinese) not “yudu.” The female connotation is absent in ancient Chinese bells. This gender shift or female castration to be precise, however casual it may seem, is no small factor. It has allowed a chasm in the forthcoming history of Chinese bells. Bells were no mere object for the ancients. They were the channel of epiphany, sacred in short. They represented the divine power derived from Old Magoism during which female shamans ruled. The patriarchal enthronement that took seizure in the course of history, however, marked a discontinuity and changed the nature of the bell’s symbolism to be only nominal, lacking reality. The bell as the symbol of the female principle was no longer effective under patriarchal rules. Why? It was deprived of the reality of the Goddess with which it could reverberate. Thus, it lost its ultimate purpose, to create music, in that the patriarchal ruling principle itself was not “musical,” but dissonant with the rest of the world. One who breaks the harmony can’t own the music! Bells are rendered as a thing that points to the meaning of the past. This is how bells during the era of patriarchal rules came to be objectified as a royal belonging, as seen in the Qing bell of a later time. Ancient sages or even kings and queens of East Asia may have noticed what had gone wrong with the bell and agonized to restore it, the effort for which they were praised as the great thinker or sage ruler. The imposing air of authority had to be made visual precisely because the bell could no longer do the magic, engendering the divine power. Thus, highly embellished designs and classifications of various bells were made to cover up the void. Later on, the magnitude of the bell was employed to convey (pseudo-)power, deranged from the female principle. Nonetheless, the nine nipples seemingly survived in many bells of the Zhou dynasty. I present here some specific bells such as yongzhong (a bell with a cylindrical handle on top), niuzhong (a bell with a semi-circular knob on top), and yangjiaozhong (a bell shaped like ram’s horns) to highlight the various styles of mae. After all, pyeonjong (bianzhong in Chinese, metal chime bells) is a variation of pyeongyeong (bianqing in Chinese), the stone chime bells (see Part I). This suggests that the making of ancient bells needs to be seen in a continuum rather than as a new invention in the Bronze era. However, we do not have pyeongyeongs with nine nipples. Stone chimes do not seem to have nine nipples. If ancient East Asians had not carved the nine nipples on a stone bell, then they did it on clay. Pottery bells with nine nipples are found to have co-existed with bronze bells. The level of sophistication and precision in artistry is there as well, as shown in the images. It may be, as experts would explain, that ceramic bells were created to substitute for the costly bronze bells during the Zhou dynasty. However, that should not be always the case. Prior to the Bronze Age, humans invented terracotta technology and brought it to its zenith from which, in fact, metallurgical techniques are likely to have derived. In short, ceramic bells of the Zhou dynasty suggest that the origin of nine nipples predates the …

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