Goddess Magazine (March 2010)

Blessings Sister in Goddess!

Feminism holds the Goddess in her lap Where are you sisterhood?

Was it so hard to hold on to each other?

Was it so hard to forgive each other our human flaws?

We disappointed each other because we didn’t turn out to be divine as planned?

Are you once again alone with the struggle?

Making a living while being a woman too difficult?

I know it can be. A woman body is a full time job. Just to be healthy, we need to mind our natural cycles, bleeding every month is not fun. Two weeks tied down with the menstruation, one week pre-tension, then the bloods, and then the waning of the bloods.

Whoever says otherwise is lying. While we balance on high heels, secretly we hope our bloody pad wont move up to our back, or aspire to become shoulder pads. Bleeding is hard work. And it’s expensive. The cost of tampons, pads, the teas, the pills, the loss of joy in life, comes out of our own pockets. We finance a nation’s fertility. Not fair.

The government doesn’t pay women for being fertile, but it pays men to have erections. Viagra is covered in health plans. Birth control for women is not. Where is the outrage?

The other day I managed to get my hands on a precious old book called, “Handbook of Women’s Liberation” written by Joan Robins. This was the very first book I read when I arrived in Los Angeles

written by a contemporary feminist sister. Back then it costs $2.95, today I got it for twenty dollars. But I was so happy it was available at all.

In order to hold on to your Goddess consciousness you have to build in your mind a place for her with feminism. This is how she sticks with you through thick and thin.

What’s in the book?

Ms. Robins gives us a quick background on the early feminists, the suffragists from the last century. It’s good to know whose shoulders we are standing on. It’s good to know what they have done right. They organized themselves, set reasonable goals, and were relentless in pursuit of their goals. Unfortunately the narrow goal of the vote was all they could get us in order to change the female social status from chattel to citizen with a vote. This took them 75 years. Only the youngest daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriot Stanton Blatch, lived to see the vote won. Young Alice Paul drafted the Equal Rights Amendment, the very night the women celebrated their right to vote. That law has still not passed.

The short history of where the Second Wave comes from the Civil Rights Movement, and the Peace Movement where women have participated, only to be ordered back to make coffee for the male peaceniks and the black male revolutionaries.

There was a point when the women came to consciousness about how inconsistent that was with the goals they have supported. This is when the women left the movements of the males and created their own. There are wonderful pictures in the back of the book showing us these young faces, just like yours today, marching down on Fifth.

This is the Second Wave that invented the ingenious and effective C.R. groups, consciousness raising groups, which I think we should reframe and reinvent for this huge wave of generation Z. How is C.R. groups different from study groups or discussion groups?

In the C.R. group, the emphasis is on the personal experiences of each woman. We use what we learn first-hand from each other to politically analyze the status of women. “We wanted to build our own analysis of the conditions of women and from that derive a theory of action,” Robins writes.

I think our oppression certainly changed since 1970 when this book was written, but not so much in essence.

For example in the seventies, two-thirds of women were not employed. Instead we all labored privately; the unpaid labor of housewives’ and genital work (marriages).

Today the workforce is majority female workers, but the country is still run by old white males, who live in the fifties mentally.

Back then, women were not admitted to universities, or just not as many as men, today since admittance finally changed into merit based decisions, 75 percent of women comprise the student body in all colleges and universities. Wahoo!

So we can pat ourselves on the shoulders, good work! Education is the key to liberation. Education is the key to independence. The key to human-hood for women. And we got it!

But here is a list what we have not dealt with yet, and these are huge problems.

Male supremacy: This is the active behavior of men to hurt women. It starts in elementary school, and lasts a lifetime of anti-female propaganda. In our times, it’s very sophisticated, but hidden or not, it’s worse than ever before.

First we thought that only a few men, not capitalism was the culprit, who benefit from women’s unpaid labor. But male chauvinism is a cultural belief that males are superior to women. Most male god religions endorse this. Southern Baptists for example, President Carter just has written a letter of why he quit the church over their ingrained sexism. The Taliban teach the same thing, different male god … same oppression for us. Taliban kills us if we talk to a boy who’s not our relative; not long ago in Europe the church killed for six hundred years long women for witchcraft. Once accused, the women never came home again.

It’s a self-entitlement to feel superior to women, to make women serve and benefit males. Financially, in sex trades, children are the next target; born to poor mothers, men sell children to each other for sex and free labor. All men derive benefits from this enslavement of women, not just the pimps and johns, but the good men who do nothing culturally to control their brothers.

Back when Robins wrote her book, women could not foresee how to get out from under. But as herstory shows us, the collective female energies converged quite naturally and choose to go through the cracks of the doors that the Second Wave has opened for us.

What has become the norm are the personal solutions. We used to scuff at personal solutions versus the collective solutions, but in retrospect I think the female principle was right to fix our status with education first.

We are just not ready to attack the rest of the problems.

We tasted little of the return of the collective solution when we have voted for Hillary Clinton. She did get 180 million votes. That’s a good chunk of approval from women with jobs. Now if we just contemplate the Pro-Woman line, the bearers of the new society.

Blame. If we just stopped blaming each other and victims of violence, and see all women … the talented and the slow, the beautiful and the homely, the fat and the skinny, the PhD and the high school drop outs, the pregnant and the barren. We are all connected in the web of life. When you walk down the street, men don’t look at you and say, there goes a PhD. educated women. They still just see a female, any female, vulnerable.

Wake up and stay awake! Speak up wherever you are. Form the new C.R. Groups. So much work still needs to be done.

Blessed be,

Z Budapest

Goddess Festival 2010 About the Goddess Festival On your sacred journey to the Goddess Festival, you’re struck by the beauty of the journey. The rolling hills dotted with oak trees gives way to majestic views of the California coastline as you pass over the northern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The air smells of the ocean’s sweet salty kiss, and you know you are getting closer.

It’s exciting to take this journey. Knowing that your Sisters await your arrival and loving women’s embraces will soon enfold you.

The coastline beckons you to follow the curve of her body just so she can show off her foamy white waves as she crests the rocks that provide you safety from Yeamaya’s reach. Perhaps you’d like to stop along the way to outstretch your arms and receive Her ancient female energies.

Then you see the marker that starts you on your inward journey. You travel inland for a short distance.

The thick oak trees soon give way to the more ancient old growth redwoods,; the ancient ones who welcome you home to yourself.

The air changes again and this time it is the raw elemental of Earth that you imbibes you. She’s all around you, enfolding you deeply into Her mamma Gaia arms. She is the primal forest and the sacred land of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One’s covenstead. You’ve come home, Sister.

Upon arrival there is the playful chaos of activities, of women nesting for their weekend’s stay. The women are already socializing and greeting each other. There are an abundance of hugs and warm smiles. Friendships begin forming from the first “hellos.”

You have arrived at the Goddess Festival, into the loving care of Z Budapest, who is the original producer of the modern day Goddess Festival. You have come back to your original roots of Sisterhood, to your Amazon women.

And now that you stand firmly upon this sacred land, you are glad that you took my advice to “save the date” and make the journey because it’s unlike any other experience you will have in life.

On this sacred land there are women from all over the world. International flavors of ideas, concepts and woman space show themselves in sacred play and self-expression. The women wear a variety of cultural different clothing. Some dress in t-shirts and jeans, while others put on elaborate dresses that speak of the Goddess within. All are welcomed. All are beautiful.

And the Festival begins!

Love and praises sing out to the Goddess. Z brings all the Sisters together. She tells them us about the rituals to come. She tells them us their parts in the sacred circle. And the spirituality of women fills the air with voices talking and singing, sharing life experiences and spiritual ideas.

On During this weekend, we will come together in ritual several times. We will enjoy a variety of workshops and musical performances. We will share a communal dining hall experience, enjoying excellent meals prepared by our cooks. And we will also feast on several outdoor barbeques in during the warm California days of California. We all find the time to play and socialize as Maidens, Amazons, Mothers, Queens and Crones. Good times!

Goddess art and beautiful altars line our dining hall as the vendors proudly display their wares.

And a silent auction takes place as a fundraiser for the Women’s Spirituality Forum which sponsors this event to ensure that more Goddess Festivals grace women’s lives on into the future. In fact, the whole Festival is a fundraiser to help the Women’s Spirituality Forum raise awareness for the Dianic Tradition and in women’s lives. Your Festival fees are tax deductible.

The rituals are powerful! Moving! Intoxicating!

Photos by Sharon McCarthy, Bobbie Grennier

We dance, we sing, we chant, we scream, we drum and we play. Mostly, we empower each other as women as we share the sacred rites of passage of the divine feminine.

And no other place can top the Gaia Bowl. This is the sunken earthen well in which hundreds of women can stand or sit comfortably. Created by the Coastal Native Americans, this is sacred space completely surrounded by towering redwoods. To step onto this land is to know the energies of this deeply ancient magic.

Splashes of vibrant colors fill the eye as the Maidens, Amazons, Mothers, Queens and Crones form a processional and descend into the sacred well. The fabric of the women’s ceremonial clothing tells its own spiritual tale as their gowns, robes, capes and various other clothing catch the Ancestor’s breeze. In

Gaia’s Bowl you can dress colorfully and express your inner-goddess, or go skyclad in the spirit of the Amazons.

All acts of love and kindness are Her expression, and it is a weekend filled with the loving spirit of all that women are capable of. Join us this year!

Don’t put it off. As Sisters, we need to rejuvenate themselves ourselves and each other; it’s vital to our life-force. We need to fill our souls with the magic of ritual and renew our spirit through new friendships new and old.

Mothers bring your daughters! There is no better way to strengthen your bond as women, as family, than to experience a women’s rite of passage together. It’s a divine moment you both will cherish forever.

The Goddess Festival is open to all women-bornwomen.

Let our women’s prayers be uttered in unison from by the sweet melodic voices of hundreds of women. Let the Earth be healed. Let women be healed. Let us all know pure joy in celebrating all that is female.

Come Sisters! Come to the Goddess Festival!

Come experience women’s rituals with Z Budapest, the founding Mother of the Women’s Spirituality Movement. There is no other High Priestess who can do what Z does in circle. She is magic! And so are you!

Join us!

Photos by Sharon McCarthy, Susan Kullman, Bobbie Grennier

Pencil it onto your calendar now and start planning!

Help spread the word!

Goddess Festival 2010

NY Dianic Priestess Tarot Weekend with Z

PANTHEACON 2010 Dancing With Z Budapest through the In-Person Dianic Clergy Priestess Training …Let us hold hands, and take in deep breaths together as Sisters – breathing in and out Seven Times to invoke the Cosmic Group Mind… … And so, from the commencement of the InPerson Dianic Priestess Clergy Training session, I could feel the Spirit of my Being Transforming on an Intercellular level. The words reached deeply into the Collective Unconscious of the sacred space of Womanhood shared, and imbued my Being with the Vitality born of the Physical presence of Sisterhood. Unveiled in this moment was the Ultimate Mystery: that when Women dare to “Re-Member” the Body of The Goddess through attendance of the first order namely, Physical Presence – Our Solidarity breeds strength, serenity and the motivation to be an accountable voice within the Women’s Spirituality Movement. You are not alone.

The theme of active participation, of emerging from book and concept, of stepping out of the Intellectual space of Womanhood and of getting right down and primordial with physical presence stirred the Life Force of the Women holding sacred space together. “How many of you intuit the Presence-Within of what feels to be a Deep Calling?” uttered the cooing voice of Sweet Z. We were asked to examine the motivation of what we felt, and to reflect upon the implications of what that voice-within was beckoning us to contribute of ourselves to Women’s Spirituality. “What calls you to Clergy?” Z went on to say. “Are you prepared to embrace what it takes of your Strength to answer to those who will be quick to label you as ‘crazy’ when the momentum of your vision takes hold?” These sentiments swirled around us like mystical spirals of Invocation and Initiation. This collective reflection stayed true to the spirit of the weekend’s theme: “Back to Basics” – returning to the DNA of our Spiritual Mission as Dianic Priestesses.

It was clear by the end of this questioning that Clergy Calling is hard work - well worth the effort for those that Feel a Deep stirring to answer to the Mystery of Service.

The In-Person Clergy training was valuable insofar as its power tapped deep reservoirs of energy by way of the Body-Temple, not just simply through the Mind. It had symbolic implications, this physical

attendance. We were erecting the Temples of Antiquity torn down in the Past by holding physical Sacred Space in a Contemporary Time-Space continuum, and what is remembered never dies. Group work is a most powerful way to create a direct pipeline to Shakti force; we are the conduit of The Goddess, the bricks and mortar of the Divine as a Collective Sisterhood, and it is invigorating to take your place in this phenomenon despite the anti-Feminist Backlash pervading Our Societies! In-Person sessions are akin to taking a Spiritual multi-vitamin, except the vitality comes from the power held within each individual flame - merging with those of sisters on the same footing; and thus, setting a great bonfire of Consciousness ablaze as a Collective! This energy accelerates the achievements of Feminism because our Sweet Souls are fed by joy and support. Celebration. Consciousness-Raising. Coming together helps us to physically see the myriad forms the Goddess takes in each other’s Truth of Being. This togetherness alleviates the forlorn illusions of separation cultivated by dominant society, and grants us permission to achieve the limitless. We are the Many, but We are the One, a Meadow of Flowers upon the Body of the Goddess, whole and complete, individually and collectively, and Beautiful on our own terms!

The weekend was heavy with musings in which the meaning of ACTIVE Feminism was contemplated. Z spoke of the cycle of achievement met by Second-Wave Feminists that opened the doors to our current reality - the influx of a Third-Wave, a seemingly invisible movement of women that has been infiltrating the institutions of the status quo via the doors opened by Second-Wave Feminist Women. I am a part of this Third Wave, and have successfully completed University studies, thanks to my Forebears. But many of us asked, “Where is today’s Sisterhood? What is becoming of our Society when young women know

not the shoulders upon which their lives stand? ...What is one to make of the Separations that continue to keep women of yesterday apart from young women of today? What of the misinformation that taints Sisterhood, woman to woman? How can this Ruptured continuum to the source of Past Wisdom be healed in order to keep women of all generations working in Solidarity with Truth as Our Shield for the Future of Feminist Rights?”

Indeed, these questions reminded us of yesterday’s Wisdom, “The Personal is Political”. Z mused much about the question, “What is Dianic Witchcraft?” in response to this. Plainly put, Sisterhood is a difficult Entity to maintain, but we have a responsibility to continue the Dialogue between women of all generations, cultures, social classes, and Spiritual affiliations in order to foster Related-ness on a visible level. We have to have the Amazon Courage to take up the task for Future Generations. We have to keep the momentum of Feminism going… to keep Women’s Spirituality and Women’s Studies joined in purposeful action and vision. Where is the Sisterhood of today? WE ARE IT! There is no searching for the Sisterhood in some vast conceptual realm of perfection “out there.”

The Clergy musings made me remember the Wisdom of Jean Shinoda Bolen when women asked, “How can we reach the women that do not understand the importance of Feminist Spirituality?” Bolen’s response was something to the effect of, “Waste no time trying to reach those women for now; concern yourselves with living your Truth… with connecting with the women that DO stand upon the same footing as those that walk the Path of Feminist Spirituality, and the Universe will connect the dots via critical mass” In other words, create your Dianic communities locally, and they will accelerate the

Movement Globally! What is the essence of DIANIC? It is women coming together as women, for women, in Honour of the Womyn’s Mysteries that take us through this Earth walk from the Rite of Birth to the Final Crossing of Death’s Veil… celebrating Our Ages… celebrating our Bloods and our Seasonal Connections to the Cosmos and everything in-between! By no means does this employ the Dichotomies of Patriarchal Culture dependent upon creating divisions… “Us vs. Them”… This is not the Way of Feminist Spirituality. There is no lowering of the one to elevate the other. Dianic Feminist Spirituality hangs on the Integrity of its own Virtues; it is a Spiral Dance of Ecstatic Mystery Tradition and Ritual Devotion focused upon Women Helping Women to be accountable for their own Existence in a Whole, Independent and Integrated Way; and thus, Blessing the World with a Living example of Female Power Actualizing a more Truthful Manifestation of Our Divine Place within the Greater Cosmick Scheme of Things. In this Reality, Society will be Truly Blessed.

A disquieting, yet motivational Mystery disclosed within Z’s In-Person, Dianic Clergy Priestess Training session was the thought left for us to consider that despite all that has come to pass in the last Century, the Movement is truly quite YOUNG! We HAVE MUCH Work to do in order to create our OWN Gynocelebratory Culture on a Global Scale in which Invisibility is no longer the State of the Female Voice, and our Cultural Desires as Women are heeded with Reverence. The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries initiated what Z calls an arduous task for Future Generations to integrate our Holy Days into the Mainstream in a Way that serves the contemporary needs of our Sweet Woman Souls! … To put our Holy Days into active observance and experience. Between these musings, and the witticisms of Z’s AWE-INSPIRING Dianic Spirit, the In-Person Clergy Training brought freshness to the study of Dianic Witchcraft… I have revealed little of the core of the conversations that came to pass in these sessions, but for those who truly yearn to deepen their Dianic Calling in the intimate Setting of learning from Z Budapest herself, I would have to say, do yourself a favour, and cast a spell out into the Cosmos to make it so… Future Generations of Women will thank you for the fruits resulting from your encounters.

Goddess Festival 2010

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Tarot Social with Z Budapest - January 16, 2010 The Goddess Temple of Orange County was a lovely place, obviously female designed space, soft music, refreshments all around. The attendees ranged in age from very young to long past young. Entering the sanctuary, we crossed a foot bridge, literally, going into another world. The sounds of running water came from the fountain at the right. Aphrodite’s grotto was secreted on the left, beckoning future visitation. We found chairs, stepped over the cushions that sat in front of each, and then, there she was Z Budapest, looking healthy, vital, radiant, ready to greet us all and start the event.

She shook things up immediately, telling us to find other chairs, in the section of the room that corresponded to our Zodiac signs: the Air signs, the Water signs, the Earth signs and the Fire signs. Then she began to talk to us about the Tarot. First, she told that the age of the Tarot reading seeker was one significant factor in doing a reading. So she asked for those under 27 to stand. Then spoke of the First Destiny, of identity coming together, of putting the pieces of ourselves into movement. Then she talked of all those between 27 and 56, the longest Destiny, the Second Destiny, the Queen time. In this time, we do and become in turns, making our way toward our most realized selves. The Crone Destiny, over 57 years: living the Fullness of Ourselves, reaping the crop of our lives; preparing for death and rebirth.

She spoke of helping her friend, Shekhina Mountainwater, cross to the other side, of helping her go without fear. It was moving. We hoped to be as graceful in our own time.

She asked us to form a circle and to hum, making the tops of our head vibrate. Going around the circle, she taught each of us to make this happen, how to create that inner experience. And we hummed together, until my ears rang and we alternately felt faint and limitless. It was a strange feeling, to drop out of the energy for a moment, to recenter, and to feel that hum like a vortex, drawing us all in, each one adding to the intensity of the energy, each tone joining the harmonics and spontaneously creating a complex musical sound. The hum became not me the individual, but me as part of the whole, me vibrating at my crown and vibrating in rhythm with the circle. When we dropped into the MA chant, the tonal quality lifted us again, making us dizzy. The music harmonies changed and changed again, weaving us into a connection and into an awareness of each other. When we finally stopped, it was as if it had gone on for a long time, and had only lasted a moment. We broke for food, drink and space. Already the day had taken on an other-worldly feel.

When we reconvened, Z began to call each of us up to her, one at a time. She asked our age, then shuffled her cards, until they were “cooked� and she picked one for each of us. Time and again, it was clear from the reactions that Z’s choice was magical. She taught us the symbology of each card through

her interpretation for each attendee. She remarked on certain pictorial symbols in the card, which were standing out to her; and pointed out that others did not call attention to themselves. It was amazing to watch. The energetic connection to all the women kept me riveted. Z’s repeated prowess at selecting a reading each woman kept me inspired.

Duffy gave her age, 63, and Z pulled the 4 of Cups: emotional blahs; choices but none of them turns her on. Not the most dramatic reading, but also right on the money. She is in a comfortable place, but the next challenges are not yet formulated. For Laura, Z pulled the Empress card, Lady of Plenty, of love relationships and ideas; she never comes up empty handed. Laura is an Aquarian, who always thinks that big ideas are the only ones that make any sense. And for Amy, the 2 of Pentacles, the artists way of making a living, from two or more sources, juggling them. Amy only recently has owned her musician self and is pursuing her vision of making a living from her art. And on to the last one, Z brought us all examples of wisdom and skills. And all were not light hearted. One person had two cards fall – one the death card. One person elicited the Tower, which made her afraid. Many cards were greeted with immediate recognition and acceptance. Many others needed exploration before they were understood.

It was a masterful display of the art of the Tarot.

The highlight of the day was the reminder of the political message that is so easy to undervalue in today’s enlightened times. Z talked about her court case, fighting to have the right to read Tarot, which was against the law in California until 1981. The Supreme Court ruled that Tarot was wrongly prohibited, nine years after Z’s arrest. She talked about the rights of women to have their own space, about the oppression of the male aggressive, competitive drive and the needs of women to stand strong against such oppression. We forget, in these times when women are not as limited as they once were, that the

prevailing power is still male, that women still make only $.77 compared to men’s $1.00 for the same work, that rape and violence against women is still a common crime. She talked about her Hex spells, directed at the perpetrators of a gang rape in her own neighborhood. She invited women to attend and they called upon the Goddess to withdraw support from these men. They asked that these men be turned out by their own friends; their own mothers would turn them in to authorities. And the four were in custody four days later. One of the weak links in their acquaintances talked about it to a woman he knew. That woman talked to one of the mothers of the criminals. That mother told the police.

But the most powerful thing about this Hex is that it was women using women’s ways to counter violence. And Z reminded us that doing these hex rituals in public helps the public to know that women have power. It is not “Might makes Right”; our power comes from a different source. We call upon the connections of women, the strength of the intuitive Goddess awareness that touches us all. And it works! It gives us hope for our ability to protect our own in a dangerous world. It makes us more of a threat to the patriarchal oppression of our culture. It reminds us graphically that we are one with the Goddess and that the Goddess still blesses her women. Blessed Be. Duffy, Laura and Amy of the Hands of Demeter SBA Coven

Check out Z’s Witchy Tarot Class.

Goddess Festival 2010

Goddess Festival 2010

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Dianic Witches Video Contest Our Contest comes to an end and Ro the Knife- Conduit of Sinister Ritual Chic takes the final prize with her awesome video inspired by Summoning the Fates. At the moment it’s up on Bobbie’s Sidhewolf blog for you to view.

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Goddess Festival 2010

I have a new She-ra and I only know her by her online name, NaraJane84. I’d like to say to her, if you hear about us publishing your amazing article/blog on the Dianic Tradition please get in touch with us!

NaraJane84 has written one of the most concise and well formed essays on the Dianic Tradition, and in the same breath dispelled many of the urban myths that have been perpetuated about us. I am in total respect for the article you are about to read.

When I showed it to Z, she was so moved that she wrote up a reply and posted it to the blog’s website where we discovered this sister’s writings. But there’s a problem for NaraJane84. On one hand I am thankful for her problem because it prompted her to write this article. On the other hand, I am sad for her because she is in a newly formed coven of women and men (some married couples) that are threatened by the Dianic Tradition. When Z posted her reply, she came back the next day to discover it had been removed. Its doubtful Narajane84 did it. Most likely it was removed by another coven member who doesn’t respect Narajane84’s opinions, nor Z’s. So, I’m sad for NaraJane84 because she’s in the wrong coven.

So, I’m going to share NaraJane84’s article with you and also Z’s reply to her. When it’s all said and done, if you want to post your own reply to NaraJane84, here’s the link: NaraJane84.

What’s in a Name? Sometimes Everything February 24, 2010 — narajane84 While our coven, Daughters of the Sacred Torch, was still in its planning phase, one of the other coven council members and I were discussing what kind of coven we would be, what—if any—tradition we would follow. I suggested that we just go ahead and call ourselves a Dianic coven. After all, we are following all of the basic tenants of Dianism, and the major works of Dianic tradition founder Z. Budapest figure prominently not only on our reading list but also on our practices. The other coven council member present for this discussion agreed. But her husband—who, by the way, is a nice guy and by no means hostile to Dianism—thought we should reconsider using such a “loaded word” as “Dianic.”

Of course, he himself understood that a lot of the reason why the word “Dianic” has negative connotations is the same reason why the word “feminist” has negative connotations. People (let’s be honest: generally male people) who are hostile to women’s liberation and women’s empowerment— both in the Pagan community and at large—have mounted a virulent “smear campaign” against movements like Dianism and feminism. But still, he thought, the fact remains that “Dianic” as a word can come with a bad rap; why should we have to deal with that?

“Why call yourself Dianic?” he asked. “I mean, if you call yourself that, people are just going to think that…” You can supply any number of negative stereotypes here—that we all hate men, that we think heterosexual women are traitors, and any number of other things that are patently untrue. My covenmate and I were asked why we didn’t just come up with a new name that didn’t have all the negative associations that “Dianic” does.

My answer: I refuse to be chased away from my own discourse.

I’m all for creating new words to serve your purposes if it is being done in an empowering context. But if there is a word that already exists that already means all the things I want and need it to, and the only reason for using or coming up with a different word is to avoid hostility, then it wouldn’t feel empowering; it would feel like I’m ceding defeat to those who oppose women’s movements.

That’s why I call myself a feminist, instead of using the tired line of “Well, I’m not a feminist (heaven forbid!), but I do believe that…” And that’s why I insist on calling myself Dianic, even if it means having to deal with people who will—without understanding what the word really means—jump to conclusions based on all the negative things that have been said about Dianism.

I mean, let’s be real here. What happens if we come up with some other name that means pretty much all the same things to us that “Dianic” would, but that is new enough that it’s not yet weighted down with the baggage of the smear campaigns? Well, to begin with, we sacrifice a tie to a very rich tradition; sure, we would still be influenced by the Dianic tradition and its amazing foremothers, but we would still lose a little piece of that connection by trying to distance ourselves. I don’t want to lose that.

And, additionally, it would only be a matter of time before those people who despise women’s groups mount a new attack on our new name. Do we let them win that battle as well? Do we call ourselves a new name until that name has been attacked, and then find a new name we use until that is attacked, and just keep going from name to name as long as there are people who vocally hate any group or movement with a feminist ideology?

No. We make a stand. We say that in a world where words are power—and in a world where so many of the words of power were created by men—we are using words, choosing names that have been created by women and for women, and we are refusing to lie down in the face of the attacks that always inevitably seem to come whenever women—especially groups of women in solidarity—take and exercise power for themselves.

Consider the words of French feminist theorist Monique Wittig from The Guerrillières: “The women say, unhappy one, men have expelled you from the world of symbols, and yet they have given you names, they have called you slave, you unhappy slave. Masters, they have rights as masters.

They write, of their authority to accord names, that it goes back so far that the origin of language itself may be considered an act of authority emanating from those who dominate. Thus they say that they have said, this is such or such a thing, they have attached a particular word to an object or a fact and thereby consider themselves to have appropriated it. The women say, so doing the men have bawled shouted with all their might to reduce you to silence. The women say, the language you speak poisons your glottis tongue palate lips. They say, the language you speak is made up of words that are killing you. They say, the language you speak is made up of signs that rightly speaking designate what men

have appropriated. Whatever they have not laid hands on, whatever they have not pounced on like many-eyed birds of prey, does not appear in the language you speak. This is apparent precisely in the intervals that your masters have not been able to fill in with their words of proprietors and possessors, this can be found in the gaps, in all that which is not a continuation of their discourse, in the zero, the o, the perfect circle that you invent to imprison them and overthrow them.”

Often, women get to name only those experiences that men have overlooked, those experiences that they didn’t think were important. And sometimes, when we name those experiences, and more women gravitate towards it, and suddenly you have a movement on your hands, and that movement has power, that’s when men stop overlooking it, and begin attacking it. I think that this is what happened with the Dianic movement.

The Dianic movement was about creating a form of Wicca that wasn’t poisonous to a woman’s spirit, that didn’t reduce her to a mere sexual vessel for use by male high priests.

The Dianic movement continues to be about offering woman a discourse made up of signs and symbols that are not killing her, but are rather supportive of her life.

The Dianic movement does not call woman “goddess” only to encourage her to get on her knees before a man. The Dianic movement recognizes the real Goddess within woman.

The Dianic movement does not think women are worthy only when they are in their “fertile” or childbearing years. The Dianic movement honors Crones as well as Mothers, and knows that woman’s worth only increases with her years of experience.

The Dianic movement offers women a form of spirituality that isn’t dependent upon her submission or subordination to man, and this has drawn an attack from the men in both mainstream Christianity and in mainstream Wicca because, unfortunately, patriarchy thrives in both those traditions, and patriarchy very much depends upon the continued submission and subordination of women.

Allow me to take a moment here to say, with regards to my use of the Wittig quote, that I do not mean to suggest that women are completely passive victims of mainstream language, that we have had no part in the developments of the languages we use. We are over half of the world’s population, over half of the users of language, and therefore we have undoubtedly contributed to the development of language.

All the same, historically, women have been excluded—often by force—from participation in numerous fields. Until relatively recently, we have been shut out of fields like politics, medicine, and leadership in mainstream religions. The languages of power—those of politics, medicine, and religion—were also developed while we were excluded from participation.

For instance, if it were up to you, would you have named your vagina a “vagina?” Probably not, especially seeing as how, as Ingia Muscio has pointed out in her—I won’t call it a “seminal” text for obvious reasons, nor will I call her insights “penetrating”—awesome book Cunt, the word “vagina” has its etymological roots in a word meaning “the sheath for a sword.” That’s right. Instead of women getting to name this body part—our body part—in relation to its function to give us pleasure, or to give life, in all likelihood male anatomists were the ones to decide its name, and they gave it a name only in

reference of what they considered its (and perhaps also our) most important function: something they could stick their dicks into. Nice.

While we are currently making gains in the fields of medicine, politics, religion, we are in the position of having to do so in a “breaking in” capacity. To make progress, we have had to break into fields that were established not just without us, but often with a lot of hostility towards us. And that means that we are having to enter under the agreement that we will accept a large part of the tradition as it is handed to us; we don’t get to tear things down to the basics and rebuild them under a model of equality. No, we have to come in and do our best to operate within the already-established discourses.

We can try to influence and amend them, and often we do to some extent, but this is hard work.

It is in that understanding that I referenced Monique Wittig. It is in that understanding that I insist on using the word “Dianic” to describe myself in spite of the fact that some people see the word as too weighted-down with the “baggage” of negative connotations to continue using.

Women tried—and hard—to achieve a place of spiritual and political equality within mainstream Wicca.

And many—far too many—women found that they were welcome in mainstream Wiccan religion only in so far as they were naked, sexually available, and preferably silent. Not enough! A religion that offers me the opportunity to “feel like a goddess” only if I’m willing to cater to the “sex goddess” fantasies of the man in charge is not enough!

I’m sure that in the early stages of the Wiccan movement in the United States, this was another “problem that has no name.” Wiccan women were having these feelings of unhappiness, and at first probably had no satisfying means of talking about it. Having left Christian religion because it offered no suitable recognition of female divinity, how do you articulate your problems with a Wiccan religion that does recognize the existence of female divinity and yet still leaves you feeling somehow lessened, dominated, or exploited?

But enough women finally did find the words for their experiences, even though many in the mainstream, patriarchal Wiccan hierarchy would have liked—and would still like—to suppress these words. Wiccan women began talking, and realized that these were not isolated experiences they were having, but rather something shared, something valid, and something that they needed to change.

After a great deal of struggle to find our place in the mainstream discourse, Dianic women realized that the time had come to build a movement by and for women. Instead of wasting energy trying to make a hierarchy more egalitarian in the face of hostile, misogynistic opposition, Dianic women banded together to use their creative energies in a way that would allow women to really come into their own.

What joy. What grace. What true strength and beauty.

The process of building something by and for women included coming up with the word “Dianic.” To use that word today—whether you practice Dianic Wicca (and are in the ordination lineage of Z. Budapest) or you practice Dianic Witchcraft (and are influenced by women like Z.B. but practice selfinitiation)—is to draw upon the richness of the history of how feminist witches claimed their power as their right.

In a world where so much of the discourses of power were created in opposition to women’s power, “Dianic” is a word that women created for ourselves, just as the Dianic movement is one created by and

for women. The word is a link to a tradition that nourishes us in the face of hostility. It is also a link to a tradition that brings us joy. It is a word that we must not run away from for fear of the false conceptions of others. Historically, we have been forcibly excluded from so many of the mainstream discourses of power; we must not allow ourselves to be chased away from our own discourses of power as well.

Blessed—and empowered—be.

(Note: Opinions expressed in this post about mainstream Wicca are those of NaraJane84, and as such may not be held by other members of Daughters of the Sacred Torch or by other bloggers on this forum.

But as for me, yeah, I totally meant every word of it).

Z’s Reply Blessed be the women with brave hearts! The brave hearts with skills of language, insights and leadership!

The Dianic Tradition had been maligned because it’s for and by WOMEN. Who loves women? Why is that a bad baggage? Don’t you love your mothers and sisters? Shame on you if you hate us.

Women in the Dianic Tradition are hetero, bi and lesbians. We don’t ask if they are or not, in spirituality its besides the point. When women gather to worship the Goddess they worship their own ancestors, their own mothers and sisters. Why can’t males do the same?

And as to why males insist to be in the circle with females and malign the female only circles, is because males don't really bother to develop Men's Mysteries. And why not Men's Mysteries? Because it’s WORK. It’s study, it’s reading, digging deep, and spending the time like I have. It’s creativity, it’s taking a lot of flack, it’s being called names.

We have pointed the way in the Holy Book of Women's Mysteries, under Sacred Sons, but in 35 years NONE have gone there to develop a male specific non-sexist spiritual tradition based on ancient heritage. All the old fraternities still lay dormant, the Salii, the Bacchos, Dionysus, Iacchos ,Bassareus, Euios, Zagreus, Theyoneus, Braites, Lenaios, Eleutherus, Bromios, Pan, The Horned One. Where is the studious male mind who wants to reclaim the true magic of males?

Stop harping on your fear induced "baggage" (all yours). The women are WAY ahead of you. Care enough to have your own. You will not know the true meaning of being a fully male human until you get together with your brothers and fathers, and practice.

Mixed groups twice a year (Midsummer and Halloween) is also part of the Traditions. But, the men have NOTHING to bring to the table. Men … women are no longer doing your jobs! Do your own research and develop the male mysteries. Wake up and create yourselves.

To the women, wear your womanhood proudly, we paid for it in blood during the Burning Times. Be well and bless your loved ones as you bless each other.

The Goddess IS alive, and magic IS afoot!

Blessed be, Z Budapest Just wondering, why aren’t you more active in the Dianic tradition? We have a lot of women who read this Goddess magazine every month, and it would awesome to have more of you join in with us at the Susan B. Anthony Coven #1. A membership into the world’s most famous all-women’s coven makes for a nice gift to yourself. Give it some thought and then, come join us.

Save this date for sure! September 9th – 12th, 2010 … there’s going to be another Goddess Festival! Pencil in the magickal date and manifest attending on Sept. 9-12, 2010 at the most beautiful time of the year in Northern California. We’ve created a Goddess Festival website and it’s full of information on this fabulous event, plus we are updating the Goddess Festival website a lot, so bookmark it and check back often.

Grandmothers, mothers and daughters! Goddess Festival 2010 is a fabulous event for you to share together! Every time mothers and daughters dance and sing under the stars and honor the Goddess in each other, we see the woman-bond strengthened and female relationships celebrated. Bring your daughter to Goddess Festival 2010. Get more information now!

Follow the Goddess Festival on Facebook! And Twitter!

Goddess Festival 2010

This magazine is sponsored by the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

Please help support our efforts to help keep the Goddess Alive!

The Application for Dianic Clergy Priestess is online

What is Z Up to Now? Z’s heading for New York and Connecticut!

It’s her first big east coast tour in decades, so if you’re on the east coast save these dates!

April 23-25 Z will be in Woodstock, NY at Susun Weed’s Farm where she’ll be offering her bi-annual Dianic Priestess Training weekend. This year’s intensive weekend is focused on psychic divination and prophecy skills. Z promises a fun and insightful experience for all women who attend. As we all know, Z is most famous for her Tarot Reading abilities and on this weekend, she’s going to be passing on the tradition to those who come join her there. You can register for this event here: susunweed.com/zbudapest.htm Next is the Blue Stocking Tour

April 26th Z heads upstate New York to Rochester where she’ll be visiting the Susan B. Anthony House and then later in the evening, she’ll be appearing at the Psychic's Thyme store as they host a Tarot Social event with Z. If you’re in the area, get registered with them as space is limited!

April 27th Z visits the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton in Seneca Falls and by mid-afternoon she arrives in Fayetteville, New York, where Z has been invited to speak the Matilda Joslyn Gage House by Sally Roesch Wagner, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation and the nation’s foremost authority on Matilda Joslyn Gage. All proceeds from Z’s appearance go to support the Matilda

Joslyn Gage Foundation, so please save the date and come hear Z speak. After having just visited the herstorical homes of these three great women, Z will undoubtedly be fired up and have something to say to those who come out to hear her.

April 28th – 29th Z visits friends and she winds her way to her next stop.

April 30th - May 2nd Z is being honored as the keynote speaker at the Pagan Odyssey 2010 Festival in Oxford, CT. And WOW! What huge grand Pagan festival this is! It’s like Woodstock for Pagans! Located at Schreiber’s Farm in Oxford, it is held on 400 private acres of scenic rural farmland and woodlands of the Naugatuck River Valley. This festival is educational, spiritual and a chance to experience community at its finest. It includes over 60 well-known teachers, leaders and elders in attendance for lectures and hands on workshops and classes, plus over 10 concerts with a wide variety of music like Imakhu, Fleetwood Macked and more. And Z Budapest turned loose as the reigning Queen of the Witches! Lots of fun, so come join in the merriment!

July 10th Z will be in Carson City, NV for a Tarot Social sponsored by the Sacred Circle, hosted by JoAnna Medina, a member of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One. Contact JoAnna for registration information.

Save this date for sure! September 9th – 12th, 2010 … there’s going to be another Goddess Festival! Pencil in the magickal date and manifest attending on Sept. 9-12, 2010 at the most beautiful time of the year in Northern California. We’ve created a Goddess Festival website and it’s full of information on this fabulous event, plus we are updating the Goddess Festival website a lot, so bookmark it and check back often.

Grandmothers, mothers and daughters! Goddess Festival 2010 is a fabulous event for you to share together! Every time mothers and daughters dance and sing under the stars and honor the Goddess in each other, we see the woman-bond strengthened and female relationships celebrated. Bring your daughter to Goddess Festival 2010. Get more information now!

Follow the Goddess Festival on Facebook! And Twitter!

Tryst – Handfasting Commitment Ceremonies Z is back sisters! And she’s available to officiate your Trysting wedding ceremonies again! The most popular pagan Goddess wedding ceremony was created by Z Budapest in The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries where Z coined the term Tryst Ritual as an expressly feminine marriage ceremony and rite of passage that can be used for heterosexual couples as well as same sex couples.

Z Budapest has been conducting Pagan marriage rituals for over 40 years as a celebrated High Priestess within the Dianic Tradition, which she founded. Z is available to officiate your handfasting ceremony as well. Whether it's a civil union or a licensed marriage certificate, Z is able to offer you her services as clergy. She has legal standings through the Women's Spirituality Forum, an IRS 501(c)3 non-profit in the state of California; making your clergy fees tax deductible.

You can learn more about Z’s Trysting Ritual and schedule your wedding ceremony with her in 2010!

Goddess Festival 2010

This magazine is sponsored by the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

Please help support our efforts to help keep the Goddess Alive!

A Spell to Honor Love and Welcome Prosperity Light some Frankincense incense to purify your work area. Frankincense has been used in the Temples from ancient times. The spirits that gather will recognize it as a welcome to them and may honor your work by lending additional energy.

Place an image of the Goddess Fortuna on your altar to represent abundance.

Place some Daffodils on the altar. Their yellow color will encourage attraction for positive manifestations.

Light a white candle as an offering for thanks for blessings that have been granted and blessings yet to be received.

Place the largest valued piece of currency you have next to a green candle that has been dressed with Attraction Oil. Charge the candle with your wish for abundance in the financial sense and then light it.

Dress a pink candle with Jasmine oil and charge it with your wishes for Love in all its forms.

Offer the following prayer to the Goddess.

Oh Great Lady Fortuna I ask you to send riches my way!

Send abundances of Love and Prosperity that will stay!

An offering of flowers and incense as your gifts I leave As a thanks for the blessings I shall receive!

Your Daughters near and far gather soon to dance beneath the sacred Moon!

Ua Zit we call the Thee remove illness and poverty!

In the name of the Maiden, Mother, & Crone So Mote It BE!!!

End your work by thanking the Ancient Mothers & Sisters who have gathered to lend support to your work by pouring an offering of alcoholic beverage to warm the Mother Earth so that her flowers may soon burst forth. Let your candles and incense burn themselves out during the night. Express your joy and thanks to the Goddess with the Sacred Dance in the Moonlight.

Blog for the Goddess Goddess magazine is written primarily by the womyn of the Susan B Anthony Coven No 1. As Goddess womyn who come from different walks of life we are an interesting bunch to say the least! Can't get enough? Want to learn more about who we are and what we care about? Check out the SBA Blog at its new home www.GoddessLive.com.

The SBA Blog is was created by Z & Bobbie as a place for the womyn of the Susan B Anthony Coven No 1 to tell the world what is going on in their lives and the world around them. It is a valuable resource for busy womyn everywhere. If you are looking for information you will find it there. Want to see something about festivals? Check out Bobbie's article on Pagan Fall Festivals. Need guidance about when to do a spell? Belou has it all put together for you in Spellwork by the Lunar Phases. Curious about current events? Boudicca has an excellent post Healthcare Reform and the Goddess. Eclecta reunited with a dear friend after quite some time and shares their experience in Full Moon Ritual. Did the Mercury Retrograde in September leave you reeling? Lady Ro helped us ride it out with grace in Making Peace with September's Mercury Retrograde. Hazel shares the importance of bridging the generation gap to understand how critical keeping womyns right to choose abortion by telling the story of a lady who did not have that right just thirty years ago. The SBA blog has something for everybody.

Read the SBA Blog and learn how similar your story is with the members of the Susan B Anthony Coven No 1. You will find that we come from all corners of our Mother Earth and we are united by our experience as womyn. For those of you who feel called by the Goddess to join the Sisters of the Susan B Anthony Coven No 1 you can get more information at www.ZBudapest.com. It's a great place to grow and learn with other womyn especially for those who are solitary in practice or any womyn who is seeking to learn more about the Goddess and your birthright!

Thank you sisters who have donated $1 a month to help support our Goddess efforts!

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This magazine is sponsored by the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

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Stirrings The fall breeze is cool and fierce against the lifeless vine. The vine trembles and releases a diminutive seed from its grasp. The seed floats down and rests on a bed of grass that has wilted and browned. The wind continues to blow and shifts the seed lower and lower until finally it rests on a bed of soil and compost. Soon the winters snow and rain come; with each drop or flake the seed gets burrowed deeper and deeper into the Earth. The muffled sounds of nature lull the seed in to a deep slumber in the cold winter months.

The stillness of slumber seems to last a lifetime, but for one brief moment of consciousness, the seed has an image of a grand view high above the Earth that stretches and reaches toward the warm summer Sun shine. Then…stillness settles again.

The thaw begins and the spring rains fall, saturating the soil which holds the seed snug and safe. Deep inside the Earth a stirring begins. At first it is a flutter, barely felt, and then gradually builds to a distant pulse; the pulse of Mother Earth. The pulse is felt by all creatures’ great and small.

The pulsing gently awakens and stirs the seed from its slumber. The stirring and pulse creates a gentle song that begins to be felt by all. It awakens the seeds visions of a view high above the Earth and being heavy with foliage. The stirring quickens within the seed until a root jets out of the seed and burrows deep into the Earth drinking in the rich nectar of the soil. It drinks deep from the well of life and an explosion of “Being” occurs. The seed emerges as a seedling and soon rises high above the Earth, becoming rich with foliage and drinks in the summer Sun. Are you allowing the beat of life to penetrate and stir you? Are you still enough to feel the pulse of the Goddess in your core? Find stillness everyday and listen for the drops of rain and the muffled sounds of nature. Wait for the stirring to begin. Where in your body does it start, which chakra begins to stir first?

What are your visions for the future? You must realize that first you must be still, and when you feel the pulse of the Goddess within you, only then is it time to emerge to become the next generation of seed makers.

For a meditation video that accompanies this article, please visit my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5UxSQUEs98. Visit her new website www.florasage.com

Z Goes to Generation-z via New Media Are you plugged in to the new media social networks? You should be!

If Z can do it, we all can. Twitter, Facebook and Skype are all free to use. Learn more, just click on the images to the left.

If you want to be informed, get announcements of when you can participate with Z live … these are the venues Z is using. Don’t miss out … get yourself plugged in!

Z Lectures Live on Skype!

Get Skype, create an account, then post your new Skype name to the DU’s Z’s Cauldron’s Skype discussion. We randomly invite those who ask to be invited to Z’s live lectures via Skype. You wanted to experience Z in person, here’s how to do it. Plug in!

My Time at Pantheacon Pantheacon was a memorable experience for me this year. It not only provided opportunity to meet and spend quality time with special sisters in the Dianic community, it gave me time to hang out, reminisce with old friends, learn new songs, participate in ritual, and honor my third destiny in a special Crone’s Ceremony with Ruth Barrett and Selena Fox. We started out on Friday in the lobby of the Double Tree with our beloved Z Budapest. Since Z and Bobbie were still waiting for their room we made the most of it by creating a circle of couches and chairs near the gift shop, then settling down for an afternoon of teachings with Z. Later that evening, thanks to Bobbie’s secret preparations, we surprised Z in her room with a special party to celebrate her 70 th birthday. Friends gathered around her to make merry, share gifts, cards, cake and laughter… but the perfect ending to this wonderful evening was seeing Z sprawled out on her bed ready for a good night’s sleep. It was a classic moment.

When Saturday morning rolled around we gathered together again as Z took center stage to share about the Dianic Tradition.

The room was packed with women and a few interested men, and the presentation was greatly enhanced when Bobbie showed films of our sisters dancing around ceremonial fires under the moon and stars. Along with Z’s witty humor, knowledge and wisdom, the films also captured the magical essence of our sacred ways, rituals and celebrations. Well done ladies!

One thing that surprised me during this particular event was a man in the audience that claimed to be a Dianic. It happened just before Z’s presentation when I was passing out flyers about our upcoming Goddess Gathering and this man expressed his frustration at not being able to attend. I was a little taken back by this because Dianic is just another term defining women’s mysteries or a woman who is whole unto herself … so why, I thought, would a man call himself Dianic if he is not a female or doesn't share the same blood mysteries?

Z eluded to this question during her talk when she stated that some males simply want to involve themselves in everything we women do, that they feel left out when we gather together to celebrate our own magic, that even when some are allowed access to women-only functions they seem to want to butt in or take over. I had to agree with her. It was also explained to me later that some men began calling themselves Dianic because they were taken into Dianic covens by their wives and allowed to participate. That explains it, but it still seems ridiculous that a man would want to participate in women’s rituals, and even more insane that women would allow it. It doesn’t make sense to me. What’s the point of celebrating our own uniqueness when invaded by those that don’t share it?

On that same note I would very much like to see our sons take an interest in reclaiming their own unique mysteries. Patriarchy has done some serious damage to males and it is an awesome thing to watch them heal. It’s already happening in many recovery programs I attend and it’s a wonderful thing to witness, just wonderful. Maybe it will happen for many more of our sacred sons as we enter the new age. I hope so.

On Saturday afternoon I attended another private session with Z and she covered many interesting topics. I really enjoyed hearing about our ability to heal and hex… that Mother Nature gives all of her creatures a special way to defend themselves and this is a woman’s way of protection. I liked that. We also made preparations for our upcoming ritual on Sunday before closing the circle. After that I settled down with friends to a relaxing dinner then topped the evening off with a beautiful concert of magical dulcimer music and songs by Ruth Barrett. I slept very well that night too, thanks to my friend Tamara and her generous hospitality.

Sunday at Pantheacon was again filled with magical activities and rituals in the Dianic Tradition. In the morning, some of us met with Ruth Barrett to prepare for a Community Croning Ritual to be held later on that evening. I decided to be one of the honored ones this time, since I had never officially ritualized

my entrance into my third destiny. 13 years before, however, the women in my coven surprised me with a special Ceremony just before my move to Nevada. At the time The Sacred Circle was 10 years old. I had already healed from breast cancer and decided to leave California for the cleaner air of the Sierra’s because I needed a simpler life away from the chaos of the bay area, so I sold my home in Campbell, bought one in Nevada, and prepared to move after Thanksgiving week, 1997.

The last Full Moon Circle in my Campbell home was held in November, 1997, and this is when the women surprised me with a special ceremony. They called it a Croning Ceremony, because they anointed me in a special ritual and held me up to the bright full moon that night, but I was only 52 years old at the time and had not yet reached my third destiny. The ceremony was very fitting however, marking a time of deep significance and transition in my life. My aunt Adeline, whom I had just spent 15 years of my life with, passed away on Halloween Day, just 3 months short of her 90th birthday, and I was stepping into her shoes as the new Elder of our household. Not only that, I had just completed 10 years as High Priestess of my own coven and the women wanted to celebrate all the sacred and wonderful times we had in that house together. It was a powerful night, packed with sentiment, gifts, sisterhood, magic and merriment.

When I shared this story with Ruth, she agreed. The ritual my women gave me in 1997 was very special, but it did not mark my entrance into my third destiny, and the community Croning we were planning would, so I was excited about it and received my instructions. I was also excited that two special sisters were joining me. One was Mira, our San Jose Clan Mother from The Sacred Circle. The other was Janice Takahashi, a SBA Sister I had just met that weekend along with her coven sisters from Southern California.

After lunch on Sunday we all met in the ballroom for our annual Self-Blessing Ritual with Z…. and it was as beautiful as ever, watching every women in the room step up to the mirror to anoint herself and honor her own beauty as a daughter of the Goddess. I was honored to be one of the Priestesses again this year and blessed to be in the presence of so many beautiful sisters. It was awesome. After the ritual we took photos, then I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for my upcoming Croning Ritual. I would be invoking the spirits of the west and powers of water that night… and also sharing, along with 7 other sisters, the benefits of each destiny lived. I also placed my statue of Hecate on the altar that night, and invoked her energy to bless our Croning Ritual.

At 7 pm the ritual got underway! After invoking the directions and inviting the spirits to join us… we each stepped over a white scarf into the maiden’s realm and took turns sharing the gifts we had received in our first destiny. When we completed our time there with cleansing and releasing, we all crossed over a red scarf into our second destiny, the mother time, and took turns bragging about our accomplishments and all the things we did to better the world around us. When we completed our time there… we all danced, one by one, over the black scarf to our third destiny… greeted by Ruth and Selena and the other circle sisters who cheered us on. It was here that we acknowledged our future intentions and what we planning to do with the rest of our lives! When I entered my third destiny space, Mira greeted me and put my special black crone bag around my neck. Then, Selena Fox blessed all of us by putting yet another Crone bag around our neck. The night was filled with drumming, singing and merriment as Ruth guided us through an awesome experience. It was a night that will live in my heart forever, a time well remembered, and a perfect ending to a soul-filled weekend. So let’s remember: When the Women Heal, the Earth Heals. Blessed Be.

Goddess Festival 2010

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Regaining Paradise Lost: Part One The Ancient Partnership Model Before recorded history, or what we know as recorded history, there were egalitarian, peaceful societies on all continents of our planet. A far-fetched statement? Not at all, if one considers archeological and paleonthological evidence. Then, if we couple these findings with mythology, a picture emerges that is a very different one from the “man-the-conqueror” image we have been led to believe has been the only model for society since the beginning of times.

Archeological evidence abounds of egalitarian and peaceful pre-patriarchal societies where Goddessworship was prevalent. Numerous sites have yielded sculptures and other artifacts dating back as early as at least 25,000 B.C.E.1, some of them found in the Gravettian-Aurignacian cultures of the Upper Paleolithic Age. (The Paleolithic Age goes back to at least 30,000 years B.C.E.) “Such finds have been noted in Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Russia.

These sites span a period of at least ten thousand years!” 2 “Rich evidence has been yielded by the excavation of important sites such as Çatal Höyük in Turkey (the largest Neolithic site ever excavated) and what Marija Gimbutas calls the civilizations of Old Europe in the Balkans and Greece (which even had a written language thousands of years before Sumer, which she is now deciphering).

But perhaps most fascinating is that, in fact, we actually have known about these societies all along. That is, almost all societies have legends about an earlier, more harmonious time. For example, one of the most ancient Chinese legends comes to us from the Tao Te Ching, which tells of a time when the yin or feminine principle was not yet subservient to the male principle or yang, a time when the wisdom of the mother was still honored above all. Hesiod, the Greek poet (ca. 800 B.C.), also writes of an age when the Earth was inhabited by a golden race who "tilled their fields in peaceful ease" (in other words, the Neolithic) before a lesser race brought with them Ares, the Greek god of war.”3 Merlin Stone, better known for her book When God Was a Woman, was an art and history professor who became interested in archeology through her study or religion and ancient art, at a time (early ‘70s) when most of the archeological finds dealing with pre-patriarchal societies, and especially statues of

women or goddesses, were relegated to basements and storage areas of museums. If any mention was made of them at all, they were called “Venus” figures, or examples of a fertility cult.

“In most textbooks of archaeology, the Goddess religion is referred to rather deprecatingly as a "fertility cult!" And, as Ms. Stone notes, the word "cult" always has the connotation of something less civilized than "religion," and is nearly always applied when referring to the Goddess worship, while the rituals associated with that clever ET, Jehovah/Yahweh are always reverently referred to as "Religion," with a capital!4 Ms. Stone conducted in-depth research for over a decade before writing her book, and although her findings are still considered controversial in certain quarters, they have served to turn the spotlight on a distant past that certainly appears to have been peaceful and prosperous, and which tantalizes us with a vision of a possible future.

Marija Gimbutas, a Lithuanian-American archeologist, “directed major excavations of Neolithic sites in southeastern Europe between 1967 and 1980, including Sitagroi and Achilleion in Thessaly (Greece).

Digging through layers of earth representing a period of time before contemporary estimates for Neolithic habitation in Europe — where other archaeologists would not have expected further finds — she unearthed a great number of artifacts of daily life and of religious cults, which she researched and documented throughout her career.” 5 Her conclusions, which she presented in three books, The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe (1974); The Language of the Goddess (1989); and The Civilization of the Goddess (1991), were “that Europe’s origins lay in a cooperative, peaceful, neolithic Goddess culture. Her theories challenge conventional archaeology, spirituality, theology, and religious studies, while inspiring artists, feminists, environmentalists and activists.” 6 Riane Eisler, a writer and social activist who has been described as a cultural historian and an evolutionary theorist, took these findings and developed them into her now internationally famous book, The Chalice and the Blade, which was “hailed by anthropologist Ashley Montagu as ‘the most important book since Darwin's Origin of Species’.”7 Characteristics of Egalitarian Societies Archeological evidence indicates important characteristics concerning pre-patriarchal societies and cultures are as follows, according to Eisler: “Goddess Worship in the Neolithic: • •

Neolithic agrarian life was the basis for the development of civilization Neolithic societies almost universally worshiped the Goddess

Neolithic Archeological Evidence: • • •

Equality between the sexes was the norm Graves equal Both Priests and Priestesses important in religion

Neolithic Art • • •

No imagery idealizing armed might, cruelty, and violence-based power.

No images of "noble warriors" or scenes of battles.

No signs of "heroic conquerors" dragging captives around in chains or other evidences of slavery

Nature in Neolithic Art • • •

Rich array of symbols from Nature Theme of unity in nature Art was associated with worship of the Goddess  Example: Goddess figurines”8

Riane Eisler presents very convincing arguments for what she terms a partnership model of society, and not a matriarchy as some may claim existed, which contrasts to the dominator model called patriarchy which has been forged by the sword for the past 5000 years and under which more and more people are struggling to extricate themselves.

1

B.C.E. = Before Common Era http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/grail_5.htm 3 http://www.dhushara.com/book/renewal/voices2/eisler.htm 4 http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/grail_5.htm 5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marija_Gimbutas 6 http://www.gimbutas.org 7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riane_Eisler 8 http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cfford/342Chalice.htm 2

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Goddess Festival 2010

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Artemis Ephesia From as early as the Bronze Age, and perhaps before, the great Mother Goddess whose worship was carried by the Amazons who founded the city of Ephesus, was worshiped and venerated in the part of the world which is now Turkey. She seems to be a merged cosmic descendent of several Goddesses of the ancient Fertile Crescent: Kubala, Kybele, Ishtar, Astarte and Ashtoreth. These were worshiped in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Phrygia, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Crete, Egypt, the Aegean Islands, Greece and Etruscan Italy. She was passionately venerated, and was the guardian Goddess of several cities of the Near East, Marsilia, Ephesus and Carthage.

She was worshiped for long before Her first temple was built near Ephesus in 625 BCE, on a site which had already been sacred for centuries. The whole of nature is Her - the earth, the flowers and fruits and She rules the elements, sky, earth and sea. She governs the life of the animals, tames the wild beasts and protects the animals from extinction. She assists in birth and is invoked by all mothers, and would be mothers. Although Her original name is not known, Her identity eventually merged with the Greek Goddess Artemis and She took on the name of Artemis, though She was clearly more than that name alone. She was accredited with the creation of all civilization, and as its ruler, wore a crown/headdress carved with city towers. Each year She was celebrated everywhere in these regions as the Mother, the fertility Goddess and the grantor of innumerable prayers. Her annual festival lasted a whole month. People from all these regions poured into Ephesus for rituals, entertainment, dances and markets. Her visage appeared on the coins of Ephesus Sacred Mother, Her arms outstretched to embrace Her children.

In the image of Her standing in the plaza entrance to the Artemision, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Her tubular skirt is carved with birds, stags, goats, bees and winged beings we would recognize today as angels. This kind of skirt is not Greek, neither is the crown/headdress. It was obviously from another region and time before Classical Greece. She was referred to as the Bee Goddess, The Light Bearer, Artemis of the First Throne, Queen of the Cosmos, Savior, Heavenly Goddess, Greatest and Holiest, Mistress of the Animals. Her famous statue, of which many copies were made, though it does not survive today, had protuberances in rows around Her chest about which there has been much speculation and interpretation. They have been variously posited to be pendulous breasts

(as though having fed many children), bull testicles (as bulls were often sacrificed to Her), the bodies of bees, the teats of animals, and even possibly the teeth of the red deer or elk (as red deer teeth had been sacred decorations for many thousands of years in a wide ranging and sweeping area from Siberia to Africa). Though any of these are possible given the ancientness of Her worship and the associations with Artemis Ephesia as Mistress of Animals and Great Mother of All, and although scholars now as a group reject the idea they are breasts, due to the fact that Greek sculptors never depicted breasts this way in any other sculpture, I feel intuitively that they are indeed breasts. This sculpture did not originate with the Greeks in its first form. The image is clearly from another earlier, more eastern culture. And, as a woman who has dedicated herself to Artemis Ephesia, I did a crystal meditation in which I had a vision of the Goddess holding me and feeding me from Her breast as if I were a small child.

Especially sacred to women, She presided over a woman’s passage from girl to married woman. She is a triple Goddess - Virgin, Wife and Mother. The number 3 is especially sacred to Her. She also came to be related to death and the underworld - womb and tomb. She has the universal power to override both astrological influences and the Fates. This is symbolized in the yoke of the dress she wears (in the sculpture) that is adorned with all the yearly track of the zodiac across the night sky. She had priestesses who were Oracles, successively, and Artemis Ephesia’s oracle predated Apollo’s oracle at Delphi. Artemis played a central role in the life of the city of Ephesus, its identity and civic pride. Many inscriptions record a strong belief in Her ability to answer prayers and petitions.

Although Christianity began to get a foothold in the region, it is recorded in the biblical book of Acts, that the apostle Paul’s preaching about the new god, Jesus, on the very steps of the Artemision, was met with strong and vocal opposition by the residents. There was a big public demonstration to drive Paul out of the city as many citizens shouted and chanted, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

Eventually Christianity gained prominence, but not until 600 CE did the worship of Artemis Ephesia become completely eclipsed. The Catholic Church, however, was not able to turn the hearts of the people away from Her and incorporated the image of the Goddess with Her arms outstretched into the image of Mary, who to this day is depicted with her arms outstretched to embrace. The Church even declared Ephesus the place where Mary, mother of Jesus, was entombed.

Now, in these modern times, there is a project to restore and rebuild the great Temple of Artemis in Selcuk, Turkey on its original site. The first Artemision took 120 years to complete. It was designed by the famous Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes, and adorned by almost every famous sculptor of Greece in that time period. It was three times as large as the Parthenon at Athens, with 120 marble columns. With modern machinery and techniques, it should, hopefully, take not nearly as much time to complete. The original was financed by King Croesus of Lydia (from which we get the phrase, “rich as Croesus”) - one can only hope the rebuilt Artemision is financed as well as its predecessor, as it is estimated the completed project will cost $150 million dollars.

I echo the cry of the ancient populous of Ephesus: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!

Goddess Festival 2010

This magazine is sponsored by the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

Please help support our efforts to help keep the Goddess Alive!

The Application for Dianic Clergy Priestess is online

UPCOMING DIANIC EVENTS Pagan Examiner – Read the articles written by Bobbie and myself.

Z’s Calendar of Events – Want to know where I am appearing?

Goddess Festival 2010 – You think the last was good? Goddess is Alive!

Tarot Socials – March, April, May, July Z Budapest will be at the Wise Woman Center at Susun Weed’s Woodstock farm in New York this coming April 23-25, 2010. More information to be announced, but you can contact Susun for more information at http://www.susunweed.com/zbudapest.htm. This is Z’s bi-annual Dianic Priestess training for the east coast, and this year Z dives in with her priestesses into the world of divination and prophecy. This one intensive weekend you don’t want to miss!

Z Budapest will be the keynote speaker at the Pagan Odyssey this coming Beltaine, April 30-May 2, 2010 in Oxford, CT. More information to be announced, but you can contact paganodyssey.com for details. This is Connecticut's Oldest and Largest Pagan Festival filled with concerts and over 60 pagan guest speakers with Z Budapest turned loose to have her way with the lot of them! It’s affordably priced! It’s like Woodstock for Pagans! Come join the fun!

The Dianic University for Women in Goddess Study the Dianic Tradition with Z Budapest, the woman who rebirthed it into modern culture. Classes at the Dianic University are designed for women only.

The Sacred Circle ~ Recovering & Reclaiming Ancient Ways to Heal Events in The Sacred Circle are for members only, unless otherwise stated. Call JoAnna 775-882-1599 for membership inquiries.

Hands of Demeter ~ Women’s spirituality Coven in the Z Budapest Dianic Tradition Events in the Hands of Demeter are for women-born-women only. Located in Semi Valley, CA. You must

contact http://earthmothercovenant.com for more information. Many of the members of this group are also members of the Susan B. Anthony Coven No.1.

Are you looking for other Dianic women in your area or do you have a Dianic group/starting a Dianic group and want to connect with others? Go to the Dianic University online and join; it’s totally free!

Then go to the area called Global Goddess Dianic Groups to share your information with other women.

April 26th Z heads upstate New York to Rochester where she’ll be visiting the Susan B. Anthony House and then later in the evening, she’ll be appearing at the Psychic's Thyme store as they host a Tarot Social event with Z. If you’re in the area, get registered with them as space is limited!

April 27th Z visits the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton in Seneca Falls and by mid-afternoon she arrives in Fayetteville, New York, where Z has been invited to speak the Matilda Joslyn Gage House by Sally Roesch Wagner, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation and the nation’s foremost authority on Matilda Joslyn Gage. All proceeds from Z’s appearance go to support the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation, so please save the date and come hear Z speak. After having just visited the herstorical homes of these three great women, Z will undoubtedly be fired up and have something to say to those who come out to hear her.

April 30th - May 2nd Z is being honored as the keynote speaker at the Pagan Odyssey 2010 Festival in Oxford, CT. And WOW! What huge grand Pagan festival this is! It’s like Woodstock for Pagans! Located at Schreiber’s Farm in Oxford, it is held on 400 private acres of scenic rural farmland and woodlands of the Naugatuck River Valley. This festival is educational, spiritual and a chance to experience community at its finest. It includes over 60 well-known teachers, leaders and elders in attendance for lectures and hands on workshops and classes, plus over 10 concerts with a wide variety of music like Imakhu, Fleetwood Macked and more. And Z Budapest turned loose as the reigning Queen of the Witches! Lots of fun, so come join in the merriment!

Goddess Festival 2010

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Deepest Gratitude to these Sisters in Goddess for their Donations: Karen Rudolph Jennifer Beltz Ghislaine Yergeau C. Roberts Christy Marsden Jennifer Reich Barbara Kennedy Kellie Matthews Gabriella Johnson Merrie Gail Foerster Wiski Lee Kimberly Beech Patty Andres Shannon Ritchie Elvira Orlando Indigo Friedlander Donna Kernes Amy Gross Maria Valenzula JoAnna Medina Leah Logan Laura Krajewski Duffy DeMore Jennifer Klesh Thanks to the donations and support of women like these, we are able to bring you monthly issues of the Goddess magazine, bi-annual Goddess Festivals, and other events sponsored by the Women’s spirituality Forum.

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The Divine Feminine I see the Divine in everything. Each breath I take is sacred. Every stone I meet could be a teacher. Each life I encounter is unique, divine, sparkling, sparking. The play of life delights, arouses, and intrigues me.

I see the Divine Feminine in everything. Each breath I take is a gift from Mother Earth. Every rolling, breasted, curving landscape is Her. Each eroded, cleaved, canyoned, carved vista is Her. I see Her in the thrusting mountains and in the mysterious ocean depths. She is Maya, the play of life. She is Shakti, creator and destroyer of life. She is the Virgin; She conceives life on Her own, nurtures it, births it, suckles it, empowers it, and sets it free.

The Divine is so often found in the unexpected, and so often radically different than my envisioning that I cannot imagine it to be other than Female. Who else is so unpredictable, so contradictory, so demanding? Who else is so full of joy? So ready to clown around? So ecstatic?

The Divine Feminine is an Earth Mother. She is dirty, fecund, dependable, fickle, lush, and enigmatic. The very soil beneath my feet is Her divine and dirty body. The plants that nourish me, heal me, clothe me, warm me, house me, and delight me spring from Her unending fecundity. Spinning on Her axis, spiraling around her beloved Sun, dancing through the Milky Way, she is dependable, steady, constant, and true to Her path. Yet each new season in its turn is a surprise, an unexpected flow, a new way to play the game, fickle as the weather. Her lushness is fractal: repeating in infinite scales of larger and smaller patterns. I can know Her, yet I can never understand her many interlocking schemes.

The Divine Feminine is yin. She is dark, slow, and yielding. The Divine Feminine is yang. She is bright, fast, and in charge. The Divine Feminine is more than opposites, more than word games, defiant of any categories. She shows Herself in ever-changing costumes, multiple moods, and infinite varieties of life.

Her imagination never tires. The sun never sets on Her. The moon ever yearns for Her. Just when I think I know Her, She flips Her skirt, shrugs Her shoulders, winks at me, and reveals something altogether new.

I am fascinated. I am enthralled. I am awed.

She beckons to me. She whispers in my ear. She insinuates Herself into my life, into my dreams, into my cells. She is imminent: divinely present in All, pervasive, inherent. She is disguised, improvised, symbolized. She takes off Her mask. She gazes at me. She lays in wait for me on my altar. She is spontaneous, extemporaneous, timely. She startles me. She amazes me. She returns me to Time out of Mind.

No one taught me how to be the Goddess. When I was young, there was no one who modeled for me Woman as Sacred Being. There was no Goddess in my life as a child, as a teen, not even when I became

a Mother was it revealed to me that I was the Goddess. How was I to know that She lay hidden within me?

I didn’t even know She existed. No one spoke to me of Her. His-story did not speak of Her, and Her-story was not yet accepted. I loved women then as I love women now. I honored women then as I honor women now. I just didn’t know that woman was another name for Goddess. No one told me every woman is the Goddess, then.

She will never be denied. She may be invisible, but She can never be ignored. She may be denigrated, but She can never be forgotten. She may be vilified, demeaned, and cast down, but She cannot be killed. She vibrates in the heart, the womb, and the mind of every woman who lives, who has lived, who will live. She manifests in my own heart, my own womb, my own mind. And yours.

She always calls Her Daughters to Her. And those who hear, answer Her.

There was no Goddess in my life until my friends – Z Budapest, Merlin Stone, Vicki Noble, Margo Adler, Starhawk, and Marian Weinstein … to mention but a few – and I awoke Her with our humming, with our songs, with our praise. There was no Divine Feminine in my heart until I claimed myself as Goddess.

Then, She began to be obvious to me. When I learned to see myself as Goddess, I was able to see Her in every woman, in every Thing.

Now, every woman teaches me how to be the Goddess. Every woman who knows herself as All teaches me to see the Goddess in All. Every woman who claims the power of invisibility teaches me to trust the Goddess. Every woman who claims her power as Earth and Moon, Sun and Sea, teaches me more about Her. Every girl child is Her. Every bleeding woman is Her. Every old woman is Her. She is Crone, woman of wisdom, woman who holds Her wise blood inside. She is the Fates. She is the Divine Joke.

Now, I see Her in everything. Each snake shedding its skin is Her. Every cat crouching to pounce is Her. She is Maat, great mother vulture. She is Eagle, flying high, seeing far. She is Bear, Great Ursa, keeper of the Pole Star. She is Oak, the axis mundi, Home of the Muses, Acorn of opportunity. Laugh at Her. Howl with Her. Giggle, chortle, guffaw, shriek, and weep with Joy with Her. Every breath is a gift from Her, a give-away dance between me and the plants, eHeHH Her green blessings. (c. 2010 Susun S. Weed)

Z’s Dianic Priestess training at Susun’s Wise Woman Center April 23-25, 2010

SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO GODDESS CRITERIA Goddess magazine accepts previously unpublished work for consideration. Publication preference is given to work that reflects the Goddess magazine attitude.

HOW TO SUBMIT If you have work that fits our criteria and you would like to see it published in Goddess magazine please send it via e-mail to zbudapest (at) gmail.com. Send in within the body of the E-mail. No attachments will be read.

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for response.

Include in your submission any and all author information you would feel appropriate to share with others.

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If the piece is first published on Goddess magazine, we ask this be acknowledged if subsequently re-published.

All work is subject to editing.

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Dianic Wiccan Clergy Priestess Overview It is the goal of the Women’s Spirituality Forum to provide our members with herstorical and philosophical foundations of the Dianic Tradition; including ritual and spiritual practices from which to provide Clergy Priestess services to the public.

Dianic Tradition is an ancient Goddess and woman-centered, Earth-based, feminist denomination of Wiccan religion. We are a teaching tradition.

In the Dianic Tradition, clergy are required to complete course work that enriches their understanding of the sacred feminine Craft through cognitive and practical hands-on experiences to use in their roles as clergy priestesses to the Goddess and Her women.

What is Dianic Clergy?

Clergy is a Greek word meaning “heritage” and from its origins, developed into a name for the persons who kept records and practices of the heritage. In the Dianic Tradition, we refer to the Clergy Priestesses as the active keepers and practitioners of our traditions, records and practices. These are Goddess priestess women who provide spiritual support to women (and their families) worldwide; and support women’s rights as feminists.

Ordained Dianic Clergy is not the same as an Ordained Daughter of Z Budapest.

Ordained Daughter is an honorary title for exemplary community service gifted by Z Budapest directly. It has no legal ties to the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

What can I do with this?

Ordained Dianic Clergy can perform public rituals, including marriage rites, under the legal auspicious of the Women’s Spirituality Forum non-profit status. The Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc. is a 501 ( c ) (3) tax-exempt religious, educational, and charitable organization.

Income you earn as Dianic Clergy and keep is not tax deductible. Income you donate to the Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc. is tax deductible. The same is true for portions of the income donated to the Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc., but only the amount of the donated portion would be tax deductible.

What is expected from students enrolled in this program?

The Women’s Spirituality Movement, which reclaimed the Dianic Tradition, was based on two principles of action; movement happens through the written word and through the physical doing.

We will require both from you. Expect to produce high quality materials that you will use in your Clergy Priestess practice.

We expect you complete your training in a reasonable amount of time. You may not complete this training in any less than a year and a day, and not more than three years and three days. We have made concessions for life’s complications during your period of training by allowing you longer than a year and a day to finish, but also realize that this is a very serious and intensive program for only the most dedicated of Goddess Women.

Live In-person trainings are required. Online classes in the Dianic Wicca University are required. More on requirements and fees.

Ordination as a Dianic Clergy Priestess is required before you will receive any acknowledgement of successful completion. This ordination must be inperson at an event of our choosing.

You will be required to complete an academic body of work using a variety of mediums (written, video, audio, etc.). You will attend in-person events where you will be required to perform leadership skills and be observed. If you meet all these requirements satisfactorily, you will receive ordination as a Clergy Priestess and an official certificate.

Who should apply?

Women-born-women who live their lives as females, and are seeking to enrich their lives and the lives of others by becoming knowledgeable about and intending to become practicing clergy of the Dianic (Feminist) tradition of Wicca, an Earthbased theology, as founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest.

Statement of Dianic Wiccan Faith As a Goddess and woman-centered, Earth-based, feminist clergy, you must support, defend and be prepared to propagate the basic principles of Dianic Wicca as follows: 1. Maintain a living practice the Manifesto of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One. 2. Practice the Dianic Wiccan Rede code of ethics that honors the Earth and Her creatures, "And it harm none, do what thou wilt."

3. Honor a feminine aspect of deity.

Ethics of the Dianic Wiccan Faith 

Manifesto of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One (Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries p.1-2)



Dangers of Magic (Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries p.10)



Only the Women’s Spirituality Forum can ordain clergy under the auspices of their non-profit status. While other non-profits might have their own clergy, their credentials are not substitutions for the training and credential of the Women’s Spirituality Forum.

The Application for Dianic Clergy Priestess is online

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Goddess Resource Links Z Budapest Website Dianic Wicca University Online Goddess Blog – Sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony Coven Z Budapest Blog Goddess Festival Susan B. Anthony Coven Dianic Wicca Tarot Social Witch Trial – the last great witch trial in America

Z's Events Schedule Z's University Calendar

Z's Books Summoning the Fates Holy Book of Women's Mysteries Celestial Wisdom Grandmother of Time Grandmother Moon Goddess in the Office Goddess in the Bedroom

Holy Book Herstory Have you ever wondered the who, what, where and when's of the creation of the Holy Book of Women's Mysteries? We've put together a web page that highlights the answers to these questions.

Please share the Goddess with your friends.

Have you done your self-blessing today? We do self-blessing every day. In fact, it's the first thing I do every morning when I rise as I'm preparing to get dressed. It's good mental health. Do your self-blessings and life will be sweeter. The Self-Blessing is on page 120 of the Holy Book of Women's Mysteries.

Goddess Festival 2010

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After more than thirty years in circulation, The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries is still a ground-breaking book in the forefront of women’s spirituality.

Get your own copy of Z’s out of print books and DVDs at the Women’s Spirituality Forum online store.

You can get autographed copies of Z's books here!

CREDITS Goddess magazine layout and editing by Bobbie Grennier Photography by Sharon McCarthy, Bobbie Grennier Photoshop art by Bobbie Grennier Articles by the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One and contributors as noted Foremother of the Women’s Spirituality Movement … Zsuzsanna Budapest Goddess magazine information page – donations, ads and contribution information can be found here.

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Make yourself a FREE account at the Dianic University if you haven't already done so ... do it now!

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