Goddess worship, veggie sausage rolls and glastonbury
August 5, 2008
Ive just returned from an incredible week in Glastonbury, at the Goddess conference which takes place there every year.
I met some really increidble people, but was also slightly spooked by some of the participants. I wonder if its the nature of feminist spirituality to attract some strange folk – and also wonder about the concept of power. Power is a big theme in witchcraft of many kinds, not least of all goddess-witchcraft, and it is generally ill-defined power at that. Its frightening then, to realise that many women get into this sort of spiritual path because of their seeming lack of power in their day to day lives… and yet are seeking out some other form of power which may in fact be destructive.
I felt very vulnerable at certain times because of the power dynamics at the conference (which is a mysnomer, it was really more of a retreat). I felt the energy of many of these women to be overwhelming, and that many people there were carrying a lot of grief and powerlessness.
Luckily to offset this I met 3 incredible women from the UK and Canada, who were amazing to around – real soul sisters… this makes me happy. We ate veggie sausage rolls, bookshoped, drank wine and saw some beautiful sacred landscape.
Yeah, it was a beautiful week. Ive written a poem about it which I shall post in a bit.
Welcome home lady! It sounds awesome. My secular ass was speaking to another very spiritual feminist woman and I’m starting to get intrigued. Can’t wait to read the poem.
As another conference attendee I can vouch for the amazing energy there! I must point out though that many women who seek something extra-ordinary do so as a response to the ‘grief and powerlessness’, which they may hide in daily life, and the network of support at the conference allowed them to express this. I am sure that most people in general carry a burden of sadness which is not expressed – perhaps the conference allowed this energy to be released.
I did not feel that the conference was about negative, dark power but about supporting each other to be all that each of us can be. Personally I did not feel the ‘witchcraft’ vibe but felt (having left my comfort zone far behind) empowered in the most positive way, and I can honestly say that I am aware of another dimension in my life since the conference. Looking forward to the next one and sending you many blessings!