34 Circe Salon -- Make Matriarchy Great Again -- Disrupting History

Join Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam' Alden as they welcome author Molly Remer and discuss (and praise) the Goddess Persephone. Goddess of spring and Queen of the Underworld, the myths of Persephone are familiar in the Western World.  In this episode, as always, we examine this goddess using a matriarchal rather than patriarchal lens. We also view Persephone from a more personal standpoint, with the work of Ms. Remer as a guide.In her book, Walking with Persephone, Ms. Remer weaves together personal insights and reflections with experiences in practical priestessing, family life, and explorations of the natural world and how the tales of Persephone have helped her. Come along with us and praise another goddess!

Just a brief message to our sponsors from the newest members of the 34 Circe Make Matriarchy Great Again family, Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell.  Thank you all for your support and we look forward to bringing you more exciting matriarchal content in the coming seasons!

Taking care of new mothers by restoring their health through rest, bodywork, and nourishing foods can be found in every society, most in the not so distant past.  Why then does it become all about the new baby that has arrived?  Why don't we think of offering care and support to the parents?  New mothers are born into a new role and ceremonies like Closing the Bones help her transition into a new identity while also restoring her body.  Join us as we talk with Dr Sophie Messager - experienced perinatal educator, healer, retired doula and former research scientist about the four common (and global) elements of postnatal recovery.  Sophie's commitment and passion to educate birth professionals and families on the importance of the postnatal care of mothers has transformed the life of many women, laying the ground for healthy women and healthy families. Author of the book "Why Postnatal Recovery Matters." you can find Sophie at sophiemessager.com, and on Instagram @sophie_messager.

Join Dawn "Sam" Alden and Kimberly Rockwell as they discuss the female revenge film Peppermint (2018).  Starring Jennifer Garner, Peppermint tells the story of woman whose happy life is destroyed when a drug cartel kills her husband and daughter. The event turns her into a vigilante and she will not be satisfied until she has her revenge.Our hosts discuss not only the creative quality of the film, but also what it says about our culture's view of the intersection of gender, ethnicity and power.

We're back with the long-awaited follow-up discussion to our foundational episode on Amazons and Matriarchy.  In Part I, we discussed the movements of the Old Europe matriarchies in the third millennium B.C., as well as Vicki's concept of the "Double-Goddess," its significance for matriarchy and it's connection with the Amazons. In this episode we pick up in the second millennium B.C., and discuss the final eras of the matriarchies of Old Europe and the rise and end of what could be called the "resistance movement" of bands of warrior women called "Amazons."  Vicki Noble, once again, leads the way and shares her knowledge of Amazons and the Matriarchal world from which they'd sprung.  Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden host.

Has it been four years already? Why, yes, it has! Join us as we celebrate our fourth anniversary and take a trip down memory lane.  Favorite episodes and stories from Dawn, Sean, Laruen and Kimberly... and a VERY BIG thanks to all of our listeners!

They are the daring action women that we all adore, but what is it really like to be a stuntwoman? Join us for a really fun discussion with four Hollywood stuntwomen: Katie Rowe is the head of the Hollywood Stuntwomen's Association and an amazing stuntwoman of more than two decades.  Angela Meryl is also legendary stuntwoman who has doubled such luminaries as Beyonce and Viveca Fox.  Indus Alelia a stuntwoman who has worked on several independent movies and is renown for her fire stunts.  Devavani Conroy is a stuntwoman and actress who is fairly new on her stuntwoman journey and already making a name for herself.  All four women represent the best of the stuntwoman community.Join us as we celebrate these female action heroes!Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

In preparation for our upcoming part 2 episode, we bring you the uncut version of part 1 of Vicki Noble's discussion of the matriarchal origins of the women called "Amazons."  This was the first episode that we recorded for our "Make Matriarchy Great Again" podcast and you can tell as we're still introducing ourselves to all of you. :-)Here we go... The first installment in our series on the birth of the historical women called "Amazons." Who were their ancestors? Where did they come from? We talk about the destruction of the Old Europe matriarchy by the warrior men from the Eurasian steppes and how it was the spark that produced the matriarchal resistance movement of the Amazons. The concept of an "Amazon" begins to develop as the millennia pass and the descendants of the Old Europe matriarchies are forced to take up arms to protect their people and culture. Vicki Noble leads the way and shares her extensive knowledge of the era. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden host.

Join us for the first episode in our Founding Mother Series! Viola Spolin developed a complete system of education which she called Theater Games and her methods are the roots of contemporary improv.  While the power of Viola's system is widely recognized in the theater education community, her fundamental contribution to improvisation is just beginning to get full recognition. Spolin's non-authoritarian methods are about direct personal expression and are used in diverse fields to foster creativity, empathy, and self-knowledge.Our Hosts Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam" Alden talk with Aretha Sills (Viola's grandaughter) about Spolin's fascinating history. We also discuss a powerful second Founding Mother: Neva Boyd.  Aretha was featured on the PBS Documentary about Viola Spolin Inventing Improv, to view visit: https://www.pbs.org/video/inventing-improv-fjrunv/ To learn more about Viola Spolin, find her books, or take workshops in her empowering methods visit: https://www.violaspolin.org/Photo courtesy of the Estate of Viola Spolin, www.violaspolin.org. All rights reserved.

We welcome back Professor Walter Penrose, specialist in gender and sexuality in the Ancient World, to discuss everyone's favorite Amazon: Wonder Woman!Fans had demanded a Wonder Woman movie for decades, so when the movie reached theaters in 2017, the reactions were huge. With Professor Penrose, Dawn and Sean look back on that moment, as well as the comic book genesis and the life of the family who created her. (With a nod, of course, to the legends of the Amazons that we so love.)

It's no secret that Artemis is beloved at the 34 Circe Salon Make Matriarchy Great Again podcast, so this episode is a match made in heaven for us.... because it's all about Artemis!Our guest is Dr. Carla Ionescu who is one of the leading experts in the worship and ritual of Artemis. In the summers she scavenges new locations and cities world wide, digging through the remains of grave sites, ruins, and abandoned buildings, trying to uncover the long lost mystery that is Artemis, The Great Mother.We discuss Artemis in her many incarnations and in her many locations.Arise, Amazons, and praise Artemis!Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

People speak of virginity as if it’s a thing. It’s not. It’s not a thing. Kimberly and Dawn talk about the science and the myth of virginity, and why it can be useful, but mostly isn’t.

It is our pleasure, once again, to present a fascinating conversation with Max Dashu!Max Dashu has championed the various lost histories of women and championed female-centric civilizations for decades. Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in January of 1970 to research and document women's history on a global scale.In today's episode, we discuss chapter one of Max's new book Women In Greek Mythography.  Focused on the Titanides, the pre-Olympian goddesses, chapter one explores their original stories and the later patriarchal revisions.  Female-centric, the mythology of the Titanides explained how the universe came into being, with goddesses central to that understanding.Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

Join new Make Matriarchy Great Again host Lauren Torres as she talks with Lucy Pearce, the founder of Womancraft Publishing. Lucy is a multi-faceted creative whose work spans the expressive arts, exploring the lost archetypes of the feminine and symbols of the soul. She is the author of multiple life-changing non-fiction books, including Nautilus Award silver winners Medicine Woman, Burning Woman, and Creatrix: she who makes. Lucy founded Womancraft Publishing, publishing paradigm-shifting books by women for women, in 2014. Listen in as we celebrate the transformative power of the stories of women by women!

As with so many women in Greek mythology, Medea has seen her nature, persona and story changed pejoratively with every retelling by the men who spoke her name.  In today's episode, we chat with guest Miriam Robbins Dexter and our regular host and founding member of the podcast, Vicki Noble, about the origin of Medea and the true nature of her story. Miriam Robbins Dexter, Ph.D., holds a B.A. in Classics and a Ph.D. in Indo-European Studies (comparative linguistics, archaeology and mythology), from the University of California, Los Angeles.  Her friend and colleague, Vicki Noble, is a regular member of the Make Matriarchy Great Again team and is the author of such seminal works of women's history as Double Goddess and Shakti Woman. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.