Embracing the Goddess Within

Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine

  • Was God once a woman? If so, who was She?
  • How can reclaiming the Goddess within help you connect to your strength and power?

 

Despite the undeniable progress of female equality, the media and advertisers still demean women or distort the essence of femaleness. Women are confused about how to be strong and claim their power. Many are turning toward the Sacred Feminine for a better understanding of womanhood. The ancient myths and images of the Goddess speak to attributes that validate female wisdom and power. 

I have created a body of work that provides images of female deities as examples of feminine strength, wisdom, and confidence. In various talks, I discuss the lessons we can learn from each Goddess and how we can incorporate their traits into our lives. To schedule a talk for your club, organization, or school, please contact me. 

In addition to leading talks on the Sacred Feminine, Joy Reichard is in private practice as a Behavioral Remodelist and helps women to reframe or eliminate self limiting beliefs that keep them from achieving their full potential.  Joy also leads monthly In Her Name Circle which honors the Divine Feminine.  Contact Joy Reichard at 415-819-8769 or joy@joyreichard.com.

The Goddess Talks

The Neolithic Goddess - The Great Mother – The Cycle of Life
Thanks to Marija Gimbutas who excavated archaeological sites and researched the Neolithic era in Europe, Anatolia (modern Turkey) and Northern Africa, we know of a Great Mother Goddess civilization that thrived from around 7000 to 3000 BCE. The religion of these ancient peoples focused on the cyclical nature of life—birth, growth, death, and regeneration, as well as farming and animal husbandry. The people of this era pondered natural forces, and they worshiped a Goddess who existed in many forms.

In this talk, you will learn about the Great Mother Goddess and see visual representations from Bulgaria, Serbia, and Turkey. You will also learn about the fate of this ancient civilization and how remnants have survived in the images and mythology of more recent Goddesses. During a guided visualization, you will discover more of the wisdom of the Great Mother Goddess.

Artemis, Goddess of the Amazons – Reclaiming your Feminine Power
In Greek mythology, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, a nature deity. She is also linked to the Great Goddess of the Neolithic era. Artemis was worshipped by the Amazons, and in The Iliad, she played an intriguing role in the fate of Troy.

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Artemis is one of the Virgin Goddesses, who chose to retain her independence and freedom. She is known as the Goddess of the Hunt, Goddess of Childbirth, Goddess of Agriculture, and Goddess of the Moon. Through her companionship and loyalty to the wood nymphs, she emphasizes the importance of female friends. Two famous statues of her are found in the Ephesus museum in Selcuk, Turkey.

In this talk, you will learn about the Artemis’ role in the Trojan Wars from a feminist perspective. A guided visualization allows you to discover the lessons Artemis can offer you.

Inanna, Queen of heaven and Earth – Renewal and Transformation
Inanna was the Sumerian Goddess of Heaven and Earth. She was worshipped from 3500 to 500 BCE in Sumer (modern Iraq). Much of what we know about her comes from poems and hymns written by the priestess-poet, Enheduanna.

Inanna was the Great Mother who nourished her people. She brought the Me, the laws of civilization, to Sumer. She was also the Storm Goddess, the Goddess of Death, the Goddess of War, and The Goddess of Love and Fertility. Inanna represents all that is both benevolent and destructive. 

Hear the famous Sumerian myth, The Descent of Inanna and about the Sumerians, the vanished civilization that worshipped her.  During a guided visualization learn valuable lessons that Inanna still offers today.

Shakti, Great Hindu Goddess – Source of Cosmic Energy
goddessThe Mother Goddess tradition in India dates back to the 4th millennium BCE or earlier. Shakti creates and destroys. She is the womb from which everything originates and to which it will return.

Mother Goddess worship in India has survived in the many manifestations of the Hindu Goddesses and in the theologies of Shaktism, Tantra, and Kali Ma. These traditions believe that the individual male and female principles are incomplete. Only joined together can they provide fulfillment, unity, and bliss.

Discover how embracing Shakti can help you overcome patriarchal conditioning—enabling you to face your fears and step into your power. Experience an enlightening guided visualization that will reveal Shakti’s lessons for you.

Spider Woman, the Creatrix - Weaving the Web of Life
Native American beliefs, stories, and legends are tremendously diverse. Despite this, many Native American cultures have in common a “first woman”—Spider Woman, or Grandmother Spider—who weaves the web of life.

Native Americans have endured 500 years of colonial oppression. Yet rather than being a hostile force that deserves eradication, Native American culture is primarily woman-centered and tolerant. Personal expression is encouraged, children are protected, motherhood is honored, and women are valued beyond their childbearing abilities. Native Americans also hold a deep conviction that mother earth must be protected and preserved and that we have a daily relationship with the spiritual.

In this talk, facts and insights impart a truer understanding of Native American culture and Spider Woman. During a guided visualization, you will discover Spider Woman’s important lessons.

Get Started Now! To learn how hypnotherapy can help you change your life, call (415) 819-8769 to schedule a complimentary 30-minute phone or in-office consultation. Or email joy@joyreichard.com. Phone and virtual sessions also available!

 

Design and Illustration: Blooming Woman ©2009 Shiloh Sophia McCloud www.shilohsophia.com