2011 Symposium East–Philadelphia

Quick links

• Brigit Award for Excellence in the Arts, to Layne Redmond
• Full program schedule
• Presenters’ biographies with detailed descriptions of presentations

The first-ever Brigit Award for Excellence in the Arts was given to Layne Redmond at our symposium in Philadelphia. Her presentation was a highlight of the evening performances.Click here for more information on Layne Redmond.

Below you will find summary information for The Embodied Goddess, our first East Coast Symposium, which was March 12-13, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Miranda Shaw, Ph.D.,  of the University of Richmond opened the Symposium on Saturday afternoon with a keynote speech on “Living Goddesses: Embodying the Divine in Buddhist Nepal.” Dr. Shaw is the author of Buddhist Goddesses of India and Passionate Enlightenment: Women in Tantric Buddhism.

As with the spring 2010 conference at Kirkridge, Lydia Ruyle’s inspiring goddess banners graced the meeting space.  Lydia also gave two presentations on embodied goddesses of the Americas and Anatolia.

Saturday evening featured performances by vocal group SheWho as well as conference participants Shelley Graff, Serpentessa, and Tova Beck-Friedman. Sunday morning starts with a networking breakfast, and the program concludes before lunch.

Program

(click here for specifics with topics and presenters):

Through talk, film, visual art, dance, song, poetry, and more, goddesses as diverse as Demeter, Ogbuide and  inspired the gathering.

Topics ranged from river deities in African spirituality to embodiments of the female divine in Judaism;  from primordial figures to goddess images in contemporary art; descent myths to encounters with serprents; and ancient earth goddess in art to embodied spiritual 
empowerment.

Experiential workshops included “Wild Earth Shebrew (chants),” “Belly on Earth, Snake on Skin,” “Evoking and Re-membering the Ancient Earth Goddess” (a clay workshop), and “Singing in Sacred Circle.”