Join us for a wonderful, foundational episode: we're making matriarchy great again!
Laura Hirch is a filmmaker, writer, artist and a scholar of matriarchal studies. Her six-part documentary, From The Goddess, explores the concept of the Great Goddess and how matriarchal societies, centered around Goddess worship, thrived in peaceful coexistence for millennia until the emergence of Patriarchy 6,000 years ago.
We discuss her series and other aspects of matriarchal herstory along with our own matriarchal scholar and inspiration, Vicki Noble.
Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.
Support the MMGA podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/34Circe
The Thracians - Once the most numerous people of Europe, but, now, lost amidst the fog of history.
They were known as formidable and warlike-- and some even said that they were the people who spawned the Amazons. (Amazon queen Penthesilea was thought to be Thracian by the ancients.)
It's this potential Amazonian connection lead us to the fascinating goddesses in their pantheon.
Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they talk about what is known about the goddesses of this almost forgotten but once influential people - the Thracians.
Support the MMGA podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/34Circe
Co-hosts Dawn "Sam" Alden and Kimberly Rockwell discuss the works of author Kate Quinn and the women characters in her WW2 novels. Most based on actual women, these stories of spies, pilots, investigators, and drunks with dark secrets are compelling and fun reads. Join the discussion, and leave a comment if you have read these novels as well!
Support the MMGA podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/34Circe
The last in our series, this might actually be what a true Female Revenge Film looks like! Dawn “Sam” Alden and Kimberly Rockwell talk about this brutal gem of a movie. Content warning: because the film contains implied castration, implied pedophilia and the aftermath of the murder of a minor, we talk about these topics as they arise in the movie. Skip this episode if that's outside your comfort zone.
Was Crete one of the latest Matriarchies to resist infiltration and overthrow by the waves of Indo-European invasion? What evidence is hidden in plain sight to support the presence of Matriarchy on the island? Joan Cichon talks about her book “Matriarchy in Bronze Age Crete” which she has generously made available to all online. Joining the discussion are Vicki Noble, Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn Sam Alden.
Buy or download Joan's book here: https://www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress/Products/9781803270449
Support the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/34Circe
The gang's all here and we're ready to discuss the sexism and misogyny imbedded in many words in our language and we're using the book Wordslut by Amanda Montell as our starting point.
Amanda Montell, reporter and feminist linguist, deconstructs language—from insults, cursing, gossip, and catcalling to grammar and pronunciation patterns—to reveal the ways it has been used for centuries to keep women and other marginalized genders from power.
Dawn "Sam" Alden, Sean Marlon Newcombe, Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell take a deep dive into Ms. Montell's language deconstruction and bring in some language analysis of their own.
What's in a name? A lot, apparently!
The Motherpeace Round Tarot deck is a co-creation of Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble. Created in 1978, within a year of being given their first tarot deck, Motherpeace represents a vision of Goddess energy and a transmission of ancient wisdom. The Motherpeace deck is based on the traditional tarot system and uses ancient images from goddess-centered cultures throughout the world. The deck is world renown and very popular.
Lauren Torres interviews Make Matriarchy Great Again founding member Vicki Noble and her co-creator Karen Vogel about the history and significance of the Motherpeace deck.
It’s the 20th Anniversary of an amazing documentary, Double Dare. We speak with the director and one of the stars, and speak fondly of the other star, lost to us this year. Or, the one in which Zoë muses, Dawn rants, and Amanda puts things perfectly. (And all remember Jeannie fondly.)
Dr Felicitas D. Goodman was an anthropologist who made some ground breaking discoveries in her field. She discovered and verified that holding specific postures altered states of consciousness and that these postures were represented on ancient representations in art and pottery.
Join Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they discuss this amazing woman's legacy with Laura Lee.
Laura Lee and her husband Paul are the Co-Directors of the Cuyamungue Institute, a non-profit educational research organization, a worldwide headquarters in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They are leading authorities on the practice of Ecstatic Trance Postures and the work of the late anthropologist Felicitas D Goodman.
Dr. Carla Ionescu joins us again, this time to talk about Spartan women! The women of Sparta were unique in the Ancient Greek world for the level of freedom and power that they enjoyed. Renown for their athletic skill and beauty, they were also reviled by some Greek writers for their learning, economic wealth and open sexuality.
Drawing on the groundbreaking work of Dr. Sarah Pomeroy, Dr. Ionescu joins Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden to discuss these amazing women.
A frank discussion about abortion.
We're back for the 2024-2025 season! And what better way to begin than to discuss the history of a sisterhood between the Haudenosaunee women and the American suffragists. Join us as we interview Sally Roesch Wagner, noted feminist pioneer, activist and author as we discuss her book, Sisters In Spirit.
The Iroquois, alternatively referred to by the endonym Haudenosaunee, are a confederacy of Native Americans and First Nations peoples in northeast North America. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Lucretia Mott had formed friendships with Haudenosaunee women that enabled them to see the real possibility of creating a very different structure for their American culture, a matriarchal one, like the one that their Haudenosaunee sisters had experienced for generations.
We talk to Sally Roesch Wagner about this amazing story and how she discovered this overlooked pieced of American feminist herstory.
Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.
A belated season-end thank you from the 34 Circe Salon to all of our listeners! We concluded the 2023-2024 season with our Medusa episode and we'll be back again in October for the 2024-2025 season. We're already recording, so get ready for discussions of all of your favorite topics from warrior women and goddesses to stuntwomen and Bad Marthas. Thank you to all of you around the world who have supported us!
You'll hear from us in a few weeks as we all Make Matriarchy Great Again!
In this episode, we delve into the matriarchal reinterpretation of the Medusa myth, contrasting it with the traditional patriarchal narrative of Ancient Greece. Starr Goode, Miriam Robbins Dexter and Joan Marler each bring their unique insights and years of scholarship to our understanding of this famous legend.
Starr Goode is a noted writer and teacher as well as a scholar of matriarchal history with a particular emphasis on the Sheela na gig symbols.
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.
Joan Marler is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Archaeomythology. She worked closely with Marija Gimbutas as her personal editor from 1987-1994 and lectures internationally on Prof. Gimbutas’ life and work.
We will explore how Medusa's image as a monstrous figure has been transformed into a symbol of female empowerment and resistance. Drawing from feminist theory and historical analysis, we discuss the evolution of her story from a cautionary tale of male dominance to a rallying cry for women's autonomy and strength. Join us as we unravel the layers of Medusa's legacy and its significance in modern feminist discourse.
Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe co-host.
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!
