34 Circe Salon -- Make Matriarchy Great Again -- Disrupting History – Details, episodes & analysis

A belated season-end thank you from the 34 Circe Salon to all of our listeners!  We concluded the 2023-2024 season with our Medusa episode and we'll be back again in October for the 2024-2025 season.  We're already recording, so get ready for discussions of all of your favorite topics from warrior women and goddesses to stuntwomen and Bad Marthas.  Thank you to all of you around the world who have supported us! 

You'll hear from us in a few weeks as we all Make Matriarchy Great Again!

In this episode, we delve into the matriarchal reinterpretation of the Medusa myth, contrasting it with the traditional patriarchal narrative of Ancient Greece. Starr Goode, Miriam Robbins Dexter and Joan Marler each bring their unique insights and years of scholarship to our understanding of this famous legend.

Starr Goode is a noted writer and teacher as well as a scholar of matriarchal history with a particular emphasis on the Sheela na gig symbols.

Miriam Robbins Dexter, Ph.D., holds a B.A. in Classics and a Ph.D. in Indo-European Studies (comparative linguistics, archaeology and mythology), from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Joan Marler is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Archaeomythology.  She worked closely with Marija Gimbutas as her personal editor from 1987-1994 and lectures internationally on Prof. Gimbutas’ life and work.  

We will explore how Medusa's image as a monstrous figure has been transformed into a symbol of female empowerment and resistance. Drawing from feminist theory and historical analysis, we discuss the evolution of her story from a cautionary tale of male dominance to a rallying cry for women's autonomy and strength. Join us as we unravel the layers of Medusa's legacy and its significance in modern feminist discourse.

Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe co-host.

Join us for the first episode in our Founding Mother Series! Viola Spolin developed a complete system of education which she called Theater Games and her methods are the roots of contemporary improv. 

While the power of Viola's system is widely recognized in the theater education community, her fundamental contribution to improvisation is just beginning to get full recognition. Spolin's non-authoritarian methods are about direct personal expression and are used in diverse fields to foster creativity, empathy, and self-knowledge.

Our Hosts Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam" Alden talk with Aretha Sills (Viola's grandaughter) about Spolin's fascinating history. We also discuss a powerful second Founding Mother: Neva Boyd.  Aretha was featured on the PBS Documentary about Viola Spolin Inventing Improv, to view visit: https://www.pbs.org/video/inventing-improv-fjrunv/ To learn more about Viola Spolin, find her books, or take workshops in her empowering methods visit: https://www.violaspolin.org/

Photo courtesy of the Estate of Viola Spolin, www.violaspolin.org. All rights reserved.

In this episode we talk with Jen, a creator and podcaster who looks to bring diversity to the work that she shares with the world. A native of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area, her parents immigrated to the US from Hong Kong before she was born. She was raised with a strong sense of the power of women in both a spiritual and temporal realm. She shares with us how her cultural heritage has influenced her perspective on women in society. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

Let's talk about the taboo: Dawn "Sam" Alden talks with Erin, Samantha and Ceridwen about the joys and horrors of the menopausal journey, and try to get some valuable info out into the void. Let's all go public with our hot flashes and embarrass the men around us!

In this fascinating episode, we talk with Rabbi Batshir Torchio, a woman who leads a Jewish congregation in Northern California. Rabbi Torchio tells us about both the historical and modern roles of women in Judaism and about her own journey of discovery of the feminine face of spirituality. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

The Norse pantheon is known for its fearsome goddesses, but not all of its divine women are familiar to us. Introducing Ran, the Norse goddess of the sea. She is powerful, harsh, rapacious-- but what more do we know about her? Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they chat with the "Norse Pagan Witch," L. Stephanie Tait, about this marvelous and mysterious deity.

In a very warm and insightful episode, we talk with Kaitlin Shetler, a poet who is taking the journey through the Feminine Divine as a Christian. Christianity has a long and wonderful heritage of connection with faith from a feminine standpoint, but that heritage is often forgotten or directly denied. The cost for those who make the journey today can often be difficult-- but the rewards can also be transcendent. Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they discuss this poignant and timely aspect of the Divine Feminine.

A quick note from the 34 Circe Salon creators wishing you a happy holiday season and giving you an update on the upcoming shows! Here's wishing you all the best in the coming year!

Perhaps no goddess embodies the Ancient Greek attitude towards women than Hera, Queen of the Gods. Portrayed as the perpetually spiteful wife, her power was shown as limited and lesser. But who was the true Hera and where did she come from? Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they discuss the history of this goddess with noted archaeologist and Homeric scholar, Dr. Gary Stickel.