My latest guest, H. Byron Ballard, joins me on this episode for her second visit to the Home to Her podcast. Byron is a ritualist, teacher, gardener, and author of multiple books, including "Staubs and Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks’ Hoodoo;" "Earthworks: Ceremonies in Tower Time;" "Seasons of a Magical Life;" and the forthcoming "Feral Church." Known as Asheville, North Carolina’s village witch, Byron specializes in folk magic and folkways of the surrounding Appalachian Mountains where she and her family have hailed from for four generations. Byron is also a senior priestess and co-founder of the Mother Grove Goddess Temple, a nonprofit church with a focus on the many forms of the divine feminine.

On this episode we discuss:

• What it means to live in deep relationship to place - both the gifts and the challenges
• How the work and the death of the late thealogian Dr. Carol P. Christ inspired Byron's forthcoming book, Feral Church, and why she feels it's so important that we have new books of thealogy (spelling intentional) that celebrate the Goddess
• Why it's important that we understand that the Goddess and her many incarnations represent much more than patriarchally lauded values such as softness and femininity, but also ferocity and immense power.
• The linkage between the concept of begin feral and the Divine Feminine.
• The need for "hearth church" and other homegrown, emergent practices for engaging with the sacred that can continue to exist and flourish as patriarchal systems crumble around us

Notes related to this episode:

• You can learn more about Byron at her website, https://www.myvillagewitch.com/.
• You can also find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/byron.ballar..., and on Instagram: @byronballard5789
• Byron discussed the late Carol P. Christ, and the importance of her work. Her essay "Why Women Need the Goddess" is an excellent introduction to her work: https://www.goddessariadne.org/why-wo...
• Byron mentioned the Unitarian Universalist curriculum, "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven"
• Here's my first interview with Byron from 2022: https://youtu.be/H1uIFHqH00U?si=T5XMk...

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here:

On the latest episode I'm joined by Dr. Annalisa Derr, a goddess educator, Sacred Feminine embodiment teacher, and ritual theatre creatrix. Annalisa completed her doctorate in Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She also holds a BA in Theater with specialized training in masked and physical theater from international master teachers in Italy, India, and NYC. Annalisa's work explores the impact that negative cultural menstrual “myths” have on women, which her forthcoming book will explore in more detail. Annalisa offers an affirming alternative in the form of an ancient myth, “The Descent of Inanna,” which she re-visions as a sacred menstrual narrative and ritual rite-of-passage.

During this episode we discuss:

• Annalisa's experience growing up in a Lutheran church, including the connection she made later between devotional Christian hymns and the Bhakti yoga tradition
• The near total erasure of the Sacred Feminine in Protestantism, and why discovering Her can feel like such a revelation for many of us
• How discovering Mary Magdalene sparked Annalisa's ongoing journey to the Goddess and led her to her current research
• What Annalisa refers to as the menstrual mysteries, and how the Inanna myth teaches us about them and the nature of the Goddess Herself - as a gateway through the lessons of birth, death, and rebirth
• Annalisa's pending move to Greece and her vision for supporting the reemergence of the Sacred Feminine in patriarchal strongholds
• And a bonus - Annalisa becomes the third guest in the history of the show to bring me to tears (in a really good way)! Tune in to find out why.

Notes related to this episode:

• You can see past episodes of Journey to the Goddess TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/journeytothegoddesstv
• You can also learn more about Annalisa here: https://www.journeytothegoddess.voyage/
• Be sure to check out the From the Goddess 6-part docuseries from Womenbodiment Films! This series includes interviews with 38 Sacred Feminine experts and wisdom keepers from around the world, including some amazing women you may have heard right here, like Max Dashu, Giovanni Washington, Vicki Noble, and Joan Marler. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heTo15Fw9fU&t=10s. And you can access all six episodes here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/fromthegoddessdocuseries/

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can also watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.
• To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher
• To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine...

On this episode I'm so honored to be joined by the poet Chelan Harkin. Chelan's poetry journey began at age 21 on the heels of a traumatic event, a mystical event and an unparalleled creative opening where inspired verse started to pour through her with very little need for editing. Her experience with channeling the muse was profound and intimate but also quite private. It took Chelan 12 years to find the courage to share her poetry with the world through her first self-published book, "Susceptible to Light". This publishing journey that began at the end of 2020 has been something of a magic carpet ride characterized by prayer experiments gone right and has included some of the most awe-inspiring events that have completely shifted Chelan’s way of relating to herself and the world. Her current published books include "Susceptible to Light", "Let Us Dance: The Stumble and Whirl with The Beloved", "Wild Grace" and "The Prophetess: The Return of The Prophet from The Voice of The Divine Feminine".

On the latest episode we discuss:

* How a brain tumor and a subsequent pilgrimage inspired by her Baha'i faith led to a spiritual awakening for Chelan at age 21, which included an influx of divinely inspired poetry

* How Chelan experiences her creative inspiration as a flow of energy that offers tremendous insight and wisdom

* The generative nature of suffering, and why she feels like suffering is simply "energy that hasn't been brought back into the fold of love"

* Chelan's incredible publishing journey, which was presided over by two of her favorite dead poets, Hafez and Khalil Gibran

* Plus, she reads the first poem that ever flowed through her, "Say Wow"

Here are a few notes related to this episode:

* You can follow Chelan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chani.harkin/. You can also find more information about her at her website, www.chelanharkin.com, and follow her on instagram @chelan-harkin

* You can pre-order Chelan's new book, The Prophetess: The Return of the Prophet from the Voice of the Divine Feminine, here: https://www.amazon.com/Prophetess-Return-Prophet-Divine-Feminine/dp/1401977561

* Chelan discussed her experience growing up within the Baha'i faith.

* She also referenced the work of two poets: Hafez, and Khalil Gibran.

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

*If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/

*You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.

* Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!

* You can listen to this and other episodes wherever you access your audio podcasts

*For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

*To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher

*To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com

* And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep dive with: • Powerful...

How far would you be willing to go to live out your sacred purpose? On the latest episode I discuss this and much more with Cynthia Jurs, author of Summoned by the Earth: Becoming a Holy Vessel for Healing Our World.

Cynthia became a dharma teacher (Dharmacharya) in the Order of Interbeing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 1994 and in 2018, was made an honorary lama in the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in recognition of her dedication in carrying out the Earth Treasure Vase practice - planting specially blessed vessels in locations around the world to facilitate peace and healing.

On this episode we discuss:

• Cynthia's remarkable spiritual journey, including time spend in Afghanistan and Pakistan, living at Plum Village with Thich Nhat Hanh, and her travels and experiences in placing Earth Treasure Vases around the world
• How an encounter with a holy man in a cave in a remote corner of Nepal inspired her to undertake the Earth Treasure Vase practice
• Cynthia's deepening understanding of the Sacred Feminine over the years, including her encounters with the Buddhist Goddess Tara and her relationship with Gaia
• How the Earth Treasure Vases demonstrate how each of us can know ourselves as living vessels for peace and healing

Here are a few notes related to this episode:

• Cynthia's book is Summoned by the Earth: Becoming a Holy Vessel for Healing Our World
• You can learn more about Cynthia and her work at her website, www.gaiamandala.net.
• Cynthia mentioned studying with Muktananda, a yoga guru and founder of Siddha Yoga
• She also studied for many years with the Zen Buddhist teacher and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh
• Cynthia also referenced the work of environmental activist and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy
• https://www.herowomenrising.org/ is a grassroots peace activist movement in the Congo

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can listen to this and other episodes wherever you access your audio podcasts
• For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.
• To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher
• To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com
• And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep dive with: • Powerful Sacred Feminine figures, drawn from history and mythology, who will serve as our sovereignty guides along the way • Transformational practices rooted in creativity, play, energy work, ritual, ceremony and even magic • Embodiment practices, including dance, yoga, and other intuitive movement exercises to tap into the wisdom of the body • The Enneagram as a tool for...

On the latest episode, I'm joined by the wonderfully witchy Annie (Ani) Finch, a poet, performer, artist, scholar and researcher on meter, magic, and matriarchy. In short, she is Poetry Witch.

Ani is the award-winning author of seven books of poetry including Spells: New and Selected Poems; Eve; Calendar;, a verse play on abortion, Among the Goddesses; and The Poetry Witch Little Book of Spells. She is the author or editor of numerous influential books about the magic of poetic craft as well as editor of Choice Words, the first major anthology on abortion.

Uniting all of Ani’s work is her belief in the power of languages of the Goddess to awaken magical change in words and the world. Ani traces her lineage from Norse volurs, Celtic bards, and witches imprisoned in the Salem Witch Trials.

On this episode we discuss:

• Ani's spiritual background, including three seminal experiences that led her to the Sacred Feminine
• Her provocative theory that women invented religion, based on the experience of the female orgasm
• The shifts she's witnessed in the Goddess movement, and where she thinks we're headed now
• Ani's understanding of matriarchy, which has been shaped by the pioneering work of Heide Gottner-Abenroth
• Why she feels that the muse is the Goddess, who inspires her poetry
• Plus Ani reads a few of her poems for us, including a brand new poem celebrating sacred sexuality!

Here are a few notes related to this episode:

• Ani mentioned the work of Heide Gottner-Abendroth, who has studied matrilineal societies extensively
• Ani also mentioned the work of linguist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, as well as many groundbreaking women who pioneered the Goddess movement, including Bebe Frazer, Macha NightMare, Francesca De Grandis, Patricia Monaghan (founder of the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology), Mary Mackey, and Mayumi Oda.
• I mentioned the book Tantra Illuminated, by Christopher Wallis.

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.
• To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher
• To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com
• And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Here are a few related episodes to explore:

Lorraine Monteagut PhD, is a queer Latine astrologer and tarot reader and author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color, featured in Axios, NPR, Telemundo, Cosmopolitan, People en Espanol, Bustle, Book Riot, the Witch Wave, and elsewhere. She is the creator of Witchy Heights, a community space for practical magic based in St. Petersburg, Florida, through which she offers one-on-one readings, private parties, classes and a coven membership.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Lorraine's spiritual background and experiences growing up as a child of Cuban and Columbian immigrants
• That sticky place where scientific answers bump up against spiritual and mystical experiences, and how we might hold both as valid ways of seeing and experiencing the world
• Her grandmother's background in Espiritismo, and how this sparked the seeking and research that eventually became the subject matter for Lorraine's book, Brujas.
• Lorraine's understanding of the Sacred Feminine, and why it's important that we experiment with and embrace imperfect language and definitions for our spiritual seeking within a patriarchal context
• The importance of spiritual activism, and why our spiritual enhancement should help us reach out and create deeper connections with others

Here are a few notes related to this episode:

• Lorraine's book is Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color
• You can learn more about her at her website, https://www.witchyheights.com/, and you can follow her on Instragram @witchyheights.
• Lorraine mentioned the work of the late Gloria Anzaldua, a celebrated American scholar.

And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.
• To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher
• To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com
• And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over...

Osprey Orielle Lake is founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network(WECAN), and works internationally with grassroots, BIPOC and Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and diverse coalitions to build climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized clean-energy future. She sits on the executive committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and on the steering committee for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Osprey’s writing about climate justice, relationships with nature, women in leadership, and other topics has been featured in The Guardian, Earth Island Journal, The Ecologist, Ms. Magazine and many other publications. Her most recent book is The Story is In Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis.

On this episode we discuss:

• Osprey's longtime connection with the land, which was fostered and developed during her early years spent among the redwood trees and beside the Pacific Ocean in Northern California
• Osprey's understanding of the Sacred Feminine, including how it intertwines with animacy and how She can help us deepen our relationship with the Earth
• The concept of sacred activism and Osprey's work with many indigenous peoples through WECAN, including the Rights of Nature movement
• The importance of worldviews, and why it's vital that we adopt one that places us within the context of an intricately connected web of life

Show Notes

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• Osprey's latest book is "The Story is In Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis
• You can learn more about WECAN, Osprey's organization here: https://www.wecaninternational.org/about
• During this episode, Osprey mentioned the Rights of Nature movement. Some overview information here: https://www.garn.org/rights-of-nature/
• We also discussed a few other individuals work, including Martin Prechtel, Lyla June Johnston, and Robin Wall Kimmerer

For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher

To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com

And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep...

My guest for this episode is the wild and wonderful Danielle Dulsky. Danielle is the author of The Holy Wild, Seasons of Moon and Flame, Woman Most Wild, The Holy Wild Grimoire, and most recently, Bones & Honey: A Heathen Prayer Book. A heathen visionary, painter, poet, storyteller, and word-witch, Danielle teaches internationally and has facilitated circles, embodiment trainings, communal spell work, and seasonal rituals since 2007. She is the founder of The Hag School, and believes in the emerging power of wild collectives and sudden circles of curious dreamers, cunning witches, and rebellious artists in healing our ailing world.

On this episode we discuss:

• Her formative experiences in a fundamentalist Christian church, and why she believes we choose the families that will wound us in exactly the right way for our own growth
• How she met the Goddess during time spent in Ireland as a young woman
• What it means for her to embrace the term "heathen," and how she sees it as living on "untamed spiritual ground"
• How she came to know the Goddess a trickster and fringe dweller, and what shifts when we embrace her in this way - as opposed to a victim of oppressive patriarchy

Plus Danielle reads two beautiful prayers from her latest book, Bones and Honey!

Show Notes

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• You can learn more about Danielle and her work at her websites: https://danielledulsky.com/ and https://www.thehagschool.com/.
• Danielle's latest book is Bones and Honey: A Heathen Prayer Book.
• During this episode, Danielle mentioned the book Mysteries of the Dark Moon, by Demetra George.
• She also mentioned the work of depth pyschologist Bill Plotkin and philosopher Bayo Akomolafe.
• I referenced the activist Valarie Kaur, and specifically her "Breathe and Push" speech. You can watch it here (I've watched this so many times and every time I end in tears): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCenwgheIBs
• Favorite quote from this episode: "The ancestors are in us, whether we want them there or not. We are the living ancestral altar."

For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher

To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com

And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program...