Cover reveal for 'Women in Classical Video Games'

I am absolutely thrilled to share the cover for the forthcoming volume, Women in Classical Video Games, edited by Jane Draycott and Kate Cook (published by Bloomsbury Classical Studies & Archaeology).

Every chapter sounds fascinating to me and I cannot wait to read through! It is also where my debut (scholarly) publication will appear, in a chapter entitled: 'Opening Pandora's Box: Aphrodite as the representation of women's sexuality in God of War III'. Once published, I will share details for ordering the book.

 

Sekhmet chapter re-introduced into the main thesis

A few months back I reluctantly decided to remove my Sekhmet chapter from the main thesis, owing to word count, resigning myself to publish it separately. However, this week my partner and fellow PhD student Thomas Husøy sat down with me and realised that I had miscounted and had plenty of room remaining! (I don't know how I had got it so wrong...). So, Sekhmet is back in the thesis and I am now plotting the course of my final chapter: Engagement with Heritage & Scholars. The discussions on tensions and mutually beneficial relationships will be partly featured here and in the thesis conclusions.

My revised thesis plan is now thus:

     1. Introduction (part-drafted)
     2. The Reception of Ancient Goddesses ✔
     3. Case Study: Aset-Isis ✔
     4. Case Study: Aphrodite (case study)✔
     5. Case Study: Sekhmet ✔
     6. Engagement with Heritage & Scholars (in process)
                                                                        7. Conclusions (not started)

Today I also officially sent off my final questionnaire for ethics review. Once it is accepted all 3 questionnaires will be available to participants, and I have created nice adverts for the occasion!

Updates so far

I have now submitted three/four thesis chapter drafts to my supervisors, with one more to write before I tackle my introduction and conclusion!

• 1. Introduction (part-drafted)
• 2. The Reception of Ancient Goddesses ✔
• 3. Isis (case study) ✔
• 4. Aphrodite (case study)✔
• 5. Towards a Mutually Beneficial Relationship (in process)
• 6. Conclusions (not started)
  

I have one more questionnaire to release for my upcoming section 5, where I am going to delve deeper into the sources of tension between Goddess devotees, scholars, and heritage professionals, and suggestions from each community for moving towards a more mutually beneficial relationship. This questionnaire will be focused on devotee engagement with heritage sites and museums.

My previous two questionnaires will remain open until the start of my final editing process (expected January 2023), so please do continue sharing them!

So far I have had the privilege to interview 21 devotees through video call and email, and have had around 200 questionnaire responses. I still welcome more interviewees, as well as photographic submissions of altars and GS material culture.

Isis at Marathon, Greece

 

Some of you may be wondering what has happened with my third case study on Sekhmet: owing to a limited word count, however, this will need to be published in the eventual thesis monograph (fingers crossed) and/or edited for submission to an academic journal. I very much enjoyed writing that chapter, and had some great responses from Sekhmet devotees - so I promise, this will still be published, though separate to the thesis.

In other news, I have just returned from a week in Greece, spent with my partner exploring as many heritage sites and museums as we could! I will endeavour to share some of my highlights on this blog in due course - especially those relating to Greek goddesses.

I have also signed for a training course this November, focused on Digital Heritage, which I am sure will be of benefit to my ethnographic research, as well as future career prospects.

For now, onto the next chapter!

Seeking Goddess Questionnaire Respondents

My name is Olivia and I am a PhD student at the University of Bristol, researching how adherents of Goddess Spirituality revive ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian goddesses in the 21st century. My goal is to determine ways that we can build a mutually beneficial dialogue between Goddess devotees and scholars of the ancient world. With this, I aim to include different perspectives and experiences within Anglo-American Goddess Spirituality, from people of various ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, and physical abilities.

If you,

1. Identify with Goddess Spirituality, 
2. Engage in Goddess communities in the UK or US
3. And engage with ancient Mediterranean Goddesses

then I invite you to respond to my thesis questionnaires!

Round 1 is about your spiritual path (in Goddess Spirituality) and how you came to learn about ancient Goddesses: https://forms.office.com/r/s3acd2MvvJ

Round 2 is for those who engage with Aphrodite, Aset-Isis, and/or Sekhmet: https://forms.office.com/r/wHqrjKRn35

You can also request a posted hard copy or a digital download by emailing me at: hg19310@bristol.ac.uk .

Modern altar featuring a replica figurine of a statue of Isis
found in Pompeii

Round 2 Questionnaire available!

The time has come for Round 2 of my thesis research on Anglo-American Goddess Spirituality in the 21st Century! This time it focuses on the modern veneration of APHRODITE, ASET-ISIS, and SEKHMET. You can respond to it through this link:

https://forms.office.com/r/wHqrjKRn35 

Or you can also request a downloadable digital copy / a paper copy in the post by emailing me: hg19310@bristol.ac.uk

You can also still respond to the Round 1 questionnaire here (the more the merrier!).

To participate in this research, you should fulfil the following:

You are based in the UK or the US (regardless of your nationality), OR you frequently engage with a Goddess Spirituality community in these locations.
You identify with ‘Goddess Spirituality’

And your spiritual path involves the goddesses, Aphrodite (and Venus), Aset-Isis, or Sekhmet.

There are other ways to get involved with my research too! Check on this blog page.

 

Pagan Federation 50th Anniversary

This is just a quick message to say that I will be speaking for the Academic Conference part of the Pagan Federation's 50th Anniversary, on the 24th July 2021!

For information about the event please check here: https://www.paganfed.org/50th-anniversary-celebrations/

Event trailer

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/

Interview as a Keil Scholarship Recipient

Earlier on this year I engaged in a short interview for the University of Bristol, where I shared my experience of receiving the Keil Scholarship and starting my PhD in Historical Studies. This interview was an opportunity to thank the Keil family for their generosity and to highlight the impact that it has had on me so far.

"It’s the gift of a different type of life for someone who wouldn’t have had that chance."

You can read the interview here: https://alumni.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2020/11/03/youre-expanding-postgraduate-opportunities/

And you can read the experiences of other students here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/alumni/causes/thank-you/

Difficulties in Sampling GS sources

It's about time for a thesis update I feel!

Reflecting back on the first 11 months of my PhD I have learnt a lot about Goddess Spirituality's origins which I had never thought to look much into when I was more fully involved in the movement on a personal level. This has been super interesting and really valuable. It is sometimes easy to make judgments on the past based on current opinions and contexts; but looking at the motivations behind GS and second-wave feminism has really opened my eyes to broader perspectives and experiences.

I now have 119 questionnaire responses - 113 of which I can use - so I am delighted and very grateful! There are so many fascinating insights that have been offered!

The biggest challenge for my thesis this year has been attempting to define what GS is today, and to obtain primary sources and contacts who identify with it. Pre-millennium GS (in its modern manifestation and interpretation) placed an emphasis on feminism, making it a lot easier to identify than it is today. Today, feminism is certainly still involved for the majority of my round 1 questionnaire respondents - but not for all. The early new millennium saw a decrease in feminism as a socially attractive stance. Fast forward into the second decade and it started to become maintstream again. This has had an affect on GS, in that many new adherents happen to align with feminism but it may not be the reason for pursuing GS or be considered relevant to it.

This makes identifiying GS Goddess devotees and related literature hard to find! For one thing, there is no shared label for a Goddess devotee, and devotees may align with additional spiritual paths, thereby going by labels such as "Witch", "Eclectic Pagan", or "Hellenic". This means if I find a YouTube channel or a blog post by an Ecectic witch working with/worshipping Aphrodite, I often need to contact them directly to ask if they align with GS - which also often requires a definition on my part as the term is vague! Some of my questionnaire respondents identify with GS because they primarily work with/worship one or more Goddesses - but they don't adhere to any other the other characteristics gor GS that I suggested. Others identify with  GS but do not consider themselves Goddess-centred because their form of GS embraces all manifestations of deity.

This becomes more complicated when looking at books. Goddess devotees use books from all different traditions and so it is rare for me to find a book that declares itself GS (though there are some). This means that when I am reading the perspectives offered in the book I cannot tell if it is informed through a GS perspective or not. 

There are some very clear sources but typically these are from those who were active in GS pre-millennium. The are still active today so can certainly to referenced - but they may demonstrate a continuation rather than new developments.

This is all super important because it all affects a vast continuum of historical revivial and modern innovation. Early on in my research I can already see that Goddess devotees rest upon the entire spectrum.

So how do I obtain sources which are truly reflective of GS and not other forms of contemporary Paganism?

• Well, firstly I have advertised my questionnaire and research amongst some relevant online groups and self-identifying Goddess devotees and hope that the word gets out. Self-identification is of course preferred to my own assumptions. 

• When I search for sources online, I try to ask the author if they identify with GS - though I don't always get responses. I have to make an educated guess, based on my suggested five charactertistics. 

• I typically consult books and related literature that I know have been used by identifying Goddess devotees; although the author may not identify this way, their work is used to inform GS nonetheless.
  
  
• Importantly, I also have to accept the data I find - which means that in the 21st century there is considerable overlap between GS and other forms of contemporary Paganism. Schoalrship likes things to fit into a tidy box, but traditionally GS has never done so. And that's ok.