2017 Max Dashu

Aloha Daughters of the Goddess!

We are pleased to have one of the Goddess traditions leading historians coming back to grace us.  Max will be presenting some wonderful history that you will not find anywhere else.  Come and join us for this very special gathering.

Max Dashu presenting
Witches & Pagans: Down to the Roots

Thursday, January 12th, 2017, 7:30PM
Full Moon in Cancer

Concord Locale/Directions given upon RSVP
$30-$50 sliding scale – no discounts
www.DaughtersoftheGoddess.com

 

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document global women’s history, their philosophies and cultural treasures. She is internationally known for her expertise on ancient female iconography, female shamans, witches and the witch hunts. Her book Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Culture is a landmark resource on a cultural history that is barely known to most.

 

 

Witches and Pagans: Down to the Roots

“As the witches teach”: ancient seeresses, cauldrons, crystal balls, and witches’ wands. The völur, “staff-women of Scandinavia,” and their seið ceremony. The Fates, Norns, Wyrd, and the Three Weird Sisters. Ceremonies of weavers, spinners, and healers recorded by priestly penitential books. The Witches’ Goddess, and women who go by night on spirit animals, brooms or distaffs.

In this compelling exploration of language, archaeology, medieval literature and art, Max Dashu pulls the covers off of heritages known to few but scholarly specialists. She shows that old ethnic names for âwitchâ signify wise-woman, prophetess, diviner, healer, and dreamer.

Scandinavian völur (“staff-women”) held oracular ceremonies with incantations, and “sitting-out” on the land for wisdom. Archaeology shows that their ritual staffs symbolize the distaff, a spinning tool that connects with broad cultural themes of goddesses, fates, witches, and female power.

This book (and presentation) plunges into the megalithic taproot of the elder kindreds, and traditions of the Cailleach. Drawing on Frankish and German ecclesiastical sources, it lays out the founding witch-legend of the Women Who Go by Night with the Goddess, “the witch Holda,” also known as Holle, Swanfoot Berthe and Fraw Percht. Other chapters look at Wyrd, weaver of destiny, “mystery-singers,” ancestor veneration, herb-chanters — and sexual politics, including early medieval witch burnings.

Witches and Pagans gathers strands to reweave the ripped webs of European women’s culture.

Copies of Max’s book Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion will be in the house (so you can avoid the shipping charges. DVDs too, and new copies of the Wisdom Scroll have just come in.

Please see our participation page for more information and contact.