Moving into my second year of research!

On Wednesday 13th January 2021 I underwent my Annual Progress Monitoring (APM) interview to confirm that I was ready to move into my second year of research. Suffice it to say, I will be progressing! It was actually super nice to audibly talk about my research with the examiners, as for the last 10 months of my first year we've all been in lockdown, more or less. 

I haven't visited Bristol since February. The last (and my first) scholarly talk I presented was for the Myths and Politics seminar series back in June. A PhD can often be a lonely experience, but during 2020 it was even more so. Added to this, is the practical limitation of only being able to access online resources and having no study space outside of our (currently very cold) house. BUT the university library has been very obliging with my eBook requests and I'm glad to be in a safe place with the company of my partner and our cat!

Moving forward, after a supervisory meeting today with Prof. Hutton I have better clarity on my thesis structure. My exploration of my thesis subject will now take the form of three case studies examining the ancient and modern veneration of Aphrodite, Aset-Isis, and Sekhmet. Fortunately I have already written a case study on Aphrodite in preparation for my APM, which I can use the bulk of the official chapter. I also have an article about devotees engaging with statues of Sekhmet in museums (pending acceptance) which can contribute to the chapter on her as well. So I feel that I am in a rather secure place.

My immediate attention will be directed towards my first chapter before the case studies, where I will lay out the context for the revival and innovation of these goddesses in 21st century Goddess Spirituality. Once I have done this I will construct my Round 2 questionnaire aimed towards devotees who revere Aphrodite, Aset-Isis, and Sekhmet - which will get me into the juicy part of this project!

A Quick Summary of R1Q Quantitative Findings

I want to extend a huge thank you to those who responded to and shared my thesis' Round 1 Questionnaire! I received 113 responses that I could use and am delighted!

I thought it would be of interest for many questionnaire respondents to have a glance at some of the trends I found in the quantitative questionnaire data for Round 1. To avoid publishing my research prematurely I have offered non-statistical summaries below.

• The majority of respondents identified as feminists and considered this relevant to their spiritual path. However, not all of them did identify this way, and some who were feminists didn't think it was relevant to their spirituality. Based on the responses of these people, feminism is a common component of 21st century Goddess Spirituality, but is by no means a requirement.

• The majority of respondents accepted the label of ‘Pagan’, with some exceptions who did not think it was a suitable term.

• Respondents demonstrated a high level of theistic flexibility and the view that multiple theisms could coexist at once. Nevertheless, the most common ways of viewing goddesses was either as archetypes or through polytheism.
  
  
• The language most commonly used to describe one's interaction with goddesses was relational: 'connection' and 'working with', rather than in supplication.
  

• Almost all respondents had an interest in ancient history, with just over half having this interest before discovering their spiritual path.
  

• Ancient Greek and Egyptian goddesses were amongst the most popular Mediterranean goddesses mentioned, namely, Hekate, Aphrodite, Artemis, Isis, and Sekhmet. Amongst these popular names, there were over 200 additional ones listed, demonstrating a greater awareness of ancient pantheons than the general public. 
  

• Respondents predominantly learned about ancient goddesses through a combination of scholarly and spiritual sources, considering each to have its own merits and uses. Overall, respondents valued sources that were historically accurate and wanted spiritual sources to make it clear when they were talking about historical facts versus personal gnosis.
• There were a few respondents who said that they preferred scholarly resources, however, their listed favourites would not meet current archaeological approval. As such, what is considered as specialised scholarship is a subjective matter. 

Updated characteristics of Goddess Spirituality

Since releasing my Round 1 Questionnaire, I have decided to alter my suggested characteristics defining 21st century Goddess Spirituality. To make it more interesting I have chosen to share these as a series of Instagram images (@teawathena), which I also post here:

 

 

Transcriptions:

IMAGE 1 - 'what is Goddess Spirituality? Five common features'

IMAGE 2 - 'Goddess Spirituality can be considered an approach to spirituality, rather than a unified tradition itself. Under the umbrella of Goddess Spirituality there are many different traditions and cultures. Adherents have various practices and use different labels for their spiritual identity (i.e. witch, priestess, druid, Goddess devotee etc.).'

IMAGE 3 - 'Though the approach is recognised as emerging from a culmination of western second-wave feminism, counter-culturalism, New Age philosophy, and neo-Paganisms during the 1970's, Goddess devotees maintain that they are reviving and innovating beliefs once held by ancient religions that revered Goddesses and nature. Goddess Spirituality in the 21st century is multi-generational and international, followed by people of all genders, backgrounds, and ethnicities.'

IMAGE 4 - '1. Goddess-centred. One of more Goddesses are the central focus. Some devotees revere Goddess/es exclusively, whilst others may revere male and androgynous Gods too (though with Goddess/es taking precedence). Goddess Spirituality contains a range of theisms, from monolatry to polytheism, as well as some devotees who prefer to view Goddesses as archetypes'

IMAGE 5 - '2. Feminist / Activist. Goddess Spirituality seeks an alternative to androcentric religions, cultures, and oppressive power-over systems. This manifests through various forms of feminism, as well as personal and/or social activism. Some devotees focus their efforts on personal empowerment, whilst others may combine this with political activism, such as environmentalism and advocating for human rights.'

IMAGE 6 - 'Inspired by the ancient world. Religio-spiritual beliefs and practices may take inspiration from prehistory and ancient religions involving Goddesses and female mythological figures, with a common interest in exploring herstory. Ancient ideas, beliefs, myths, and practices are revived and/or re-interpreted to suit the needs of devotees in the modern world.'

IMAGE 7 - '4. Non-dogmatic & self-led. As Goddess Spirituality is an approach to spirituality and not a religion or tradition itself, there is no dogma or prescribed beliefs and practices. Goddess devotees are encouraged to exercise their own agency in spiritual expression and to develop a relationship with divinity; as such, personal gnosis and experiences take priority.'

IMAGE 8 - 'Sacred Corporeality. The physical world, nature, bodies, and certain objects are believed to hold sacred meaning and be expressions of the divine. Spirituality is experiential and something that can be felt through the body. Goddess devotees believe the Earth to be sacred and that they themselves are a part of the divine. They often make pilgrimages to sacred sites and utilise sacred iconography and ceremonial tools.'

IMAGE 9 –‘The characteristics above relate to Goddess Spirituality as an approach, rather than reflect any specific traditions or groups who identify with it. As such, Goddess devotees and groups do not have to meet every one of these characteristics in order to identify with Goddess Spirituality. Some characteristics might overlap with other spiritual paths and traditions belonging to contemporary Paganism and alternative spirituality.'

IMAGE 10 - 'want to find out more and contribute your ideas? Follow Instagram @teawathena, Twitter @teawithathena, http://teawithathena.blogspot.com/