In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, & Everyday Life

In this episode, Jess offers readings from The Tree at the Center by Kathryn Knight Sonntag, Restoration: God's Call to the 21st Century World by Patrick Q. Mason, Cherish: The Joy of Our Mother in Heaven curated by Ashli Carnicelli, Trina Caudle, and McArthur Krishna, and Mother's Milk: Poems in search of Heavenly Mother by Rachel Hunt Steenblik. The selections of prose and poetry dip into themes of restoration, our work in its unfolding, and God the Mother's all-encompassing love.

In this episode Jess leads a short guided meditation to help you reconnect with your core; your essence. Relax and enjoy.

Inspired by Esther's courage and the voices of so many LDS women on the internet over the last few weeks, Jess gets vulnerable and shares some of the poetry she's written over the past couple of years. Some heartbreaking, some fiery, some tender, her poems will likely connect with those traversing the terrain of deconstruction, seeking Heavenly Mother/the Divine Feminine, and/or craving inclusion at the institutional level.

In this week's episode we join Julene Humes in her journey to the Divine Feminine. We will learn about Waldorf Education as a way of supporting children in their development of the minds, hearts and hands and how this education style has a foundation in Sofianic Wisdom. Julene shares some beautiful ideas in anthroposophy about the Divine Feminine and her story of discovering hidden truths about Heavenly Mother.

Amy McPhee Allebest, founder and host of the podcast Breaking Down Patriarchy, joins Meg in this episode to share what she has learned about prehistoric egalitarian societies. She highlights the discovery of Venus statues discovered all across Europe, the Near East, and Asia along with other evidence that suggests the practice of goddess worship not only in the Neolithic period, but extending back to Paleolithic times. Amy and Meg discuss the presence and subsequent fading of a belief in Goddesses from various ancient peoples. Looking back through the corridors of history illuminates that though these cultural changes often happen slowly and imperceptibly over hundreds of years, others occur swiftly and intentionally. Seeing these changes in how God has been perceived across the ages gives rise to the hope that one day a female deity will be revered as all-powerful once again, or perhaps even a more insclusive conception of God could materialize.

Amy cites the work of archaologist Marija Gimbutas as well as Angela Saini. We recommend looking up their books for an even deeper dive into the history of patriarchy.

In this episode, Pam and Meg unpack the ancient Mesopotamian story of Inanna's ascent from the underworld. With Inanna, we learn how to rise from our personal dark night of the soul as new, fully embodied creatures.

So many elements of the epic tale are up for interpretation by the listener, yet themes and meanings unveiled by Pam provide invaluable information to the initiate. Her experience as a birth worker and student of mythology combine to provide the listener clues to help navigate their own internal quest.

We hope you've enjoyed this four part series on Inanna, queen of heaven as worshiped in ancient Sumer. Her story has great application to our lives today as we individually and collectively journey from maiden to mother to crone, and it has been a privilege to hear this story from the wise Pam England herself.

For more from Pam including story seminars on navigating initiations, visit pamenglandbirth.com.

Love, Jess and Meg

Picking up where she left off two episodes prior, author and birth worker Pam England shares the second half of Inanna's story: her ascent back up from the underworld. We finally learn how Inanna, Queen of heaven and archetypal warrior, goes from dead and decaying in the pit of the underworld to ascending with new wings into her new, fuller reality. Pam, with extensive wisdom gained through her own initiation years ago and subsequent midwifing of others along the path, adds valuable insight into how we can find our way in our present transformations.

Next week, in our final installment of this series on Inanna's story, we will further explore possible applications and gems from the epic tale.

Love, Jess and Meg

Deep dive with Pam England and Meg into the lessons and symbols found in the story of Inanna's descent. If you missed the telling of the queenly tale, go back to last week's episode for Pam's stirring rendition.

What can be gained from learning of Inanna's initiation? Many elements of the story are up for interpretation by the listener, yet themes and meanings pointed out by Pam provide invaluable help in the process. Her experience as a birth worker and student of mythology combine to give the initiate/listener clues to help navigate their own inward quest.

Pam and Meg will be back next week to move into the second half of the epic: Inanna's Ascent.

Love, Jess and Meg

In this episode, author and birth worker Pam England performs the epic ancient tale of Inanna's Descent. If you are personally doing through a descent, be it a faith journey, struggle with depression, facing your shadow self, a difficult or unexpected experience, or the transition from maiden to mother, the story of Inanna's descent to the underworld will have special meaning and application for you.

This is the first in a four-part series. In the next episode, Meg and Pam will discuss the symbols and messages found in this part of the story. In part 3, Pam recounts the other half of the story: Inanna's Ascent. Part 4 will review the symbols found in the ascent, tapping into how to arise, reborn and embodied, sovereign and wise.

We invite you to listen with spiritual ears and glean the lessons the Goddess may have for you here.

Love, Jess and Meg

We have this extra special treat for you as a Christmas gift from us to you! Learn about how to incorporate the Divine Feminine into your Christmas celebrations with Mandy Green.

Mandy Green has spent the last 8 years learning Hebrew and Greek, studying the Bible in its original languages, visiting ancient temples and becoming an expert in the symbols and key words of the Feminine Divine.  She created a platform called Project Illumination to share her knowledge and arm others with tools to be scripturally literate themselves.  She is a treat to listen to as she shares her passion of revealing our Heavenly Mother in the texts. You can hear more from Mandy on her podcast Reflecting Light, and connect with her @reflectinglightpodcast.

Spider Woman the Earth Goddess, White Bead Woman, Changing Woman, Selu the Corn Goddess, White Buffalo Woman. In this episode, Jess reads from Native American Goddess Tales to give a brief introduction to the Goddesses of various Indigenous tribes. These Goddesses have much to teach us about creation, sovereignty, and fierce compassion.

Read the full stories here: arcadiasystems.org/academia/goddess.html

In Her Image will be back in the new year. Enjoy the holidays!

Amber is a facilitator, writer, and performance artist who uses story to design conversations and experiences for women seeking refuge and healing from wounding created inside patriarchal religion. We discuss her calling (as I see it) as a leader in the current wave of Mormon Feminism, seeking Heavenly Mother and expanding the feminine path inside and outside of Mormonism.

Kate comes back as a guest-host to interview and discuss the archetypal story of Vasalisa the Wise and what we can learn from her path and apprenticeship under Baba Yaga in this Russian folk tale.

These and other stories can be found in the book Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I think you'll enjoy it!

Jess and Meg come together to recount their experiences with birth circles/mother's blessings, including a recent gathering held for Jess. As Jess has prepared to birth her fourth baby, she desired a more deep and connecting experience with other women. She shares what practices were implemented at her circle. Meg gives many ideas from circles she has participated in as well. Whether preparing for birth, celebrating, or mourning another transition or life event, a sacred women's gathering can be a transformative, connecting experience for all involved.

Brynne Canozo relates the Roman myth "Minerva and Arachne." This single story prompts multiple musings between Meg and Brynne. First, Meg recounts the tale's affect on her relationship with sacred clothing. Next, Brynne reflects on the character and motivations of the goddess Minerva (Athena) in the story. And finally, the two discuss what The Weaver could mean and how that title applies to Heavenly Mother.

Hindu mythology storyteller Jyoti Subramanian joins Jess in this episode to discuss the nature of Deity and what's in a name. She shares a story involving some of the Hindu Goddesses that touches on what the many forms of God/Goddess can mean for us in our moments of need. Jyoti's Hindu background and passion for storytelling make for a delightful conversation and a great start to our journey into finding Wisdom throughout cultures and traditions.

Meg and Jess introduce the direction the podcast will go for the next several episodes. They share scriptures, quotes, and personal reasons for deciding to dedicate the upcoming months to finding the Goddess in various cultures, traditions, and ancient archetypes.

Welcome back to our new season of In Her Image. Today we will review scriptures about Heavenly Mother in the Old Testament and other historical Hebrew texts. We will also say goodby to Kate as she is leaving the podcast for maternity leave and getting to know Meg Rittmanic as a new podcast host.

These Translations are taken from The Divine Feminine in Biblical Wisdom Literature: Selections Annotated & Explained (SkyLight Illuminations)

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Feminine-Biblical-Wisdom-Literature/dp/1594731098

Natalie of Natalie Jeanne Art gives us today's installment in our month of meditation. This guided meditation invites you to let something that has been burdening you die in order to make room for new birth and new life... your new life. We hope this series of meditations on divine femininity has been rejouvenating for you.

Mechelle Wingle, our guest from episode 67 titled The Mother Hunger with Mechelle Wingle, sent us this beautiful meditation to share with you on the podcast. It is the second meditation in a series of four being releasing this month. Enjoy!

This summer we're switching things up for a few weeks and offering you a series of meditations. Each week will feature a different meditation that relates to the Divine Mother, whether through symbol or guided experience. We hope that each meditation will bring you closer to Her and closer to peace and harmony within yourself. We kick off our "summer of meditations" with a Moon Meditation by Meg Rittmanic.

Carol Lynn Pearson graces us on the podcast for the second week in a row to read a section from her book The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men. She shares chapter 8, titled "Our Mothers Who Art in Heaven".

After reading the book The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy this year we knew we needed to address this topic and how it relates to the erasure of a Heavenly Mother in the LDS discourse. We were so pleased and lucky to be able to discuss it with the author herself and get her stories and background. We encourage everyone to read this book for themselves either to understand the pain of others or to feel validation for their own experiences and release the ghost from their psyches.

We hope to someday eradicate the common response that "maybe we don't talk about Heavenly Mother because there are so many of them!"

To find this book as well as Carol Lynn's newest book The Love Map you can go to carollynnpearson.com or Amazon.com

Jess talks about some of her own journey, putting into words some of the most difficult parts to describe as she articulates the journey of seeking Heavenly Mother to someone from the outside looking in. She shares her experience with faith, her evolving relationship with Deity, the pain she's experienced, and the joy. She relates why seeking Heavenly Mother has become important for so many.

Jill Opdahl shares her experience of overcoming a 20 year battle with depression that involved understanding her true nature through Heavenly Mother. She is currently studying to become a mental health therapist and shares her insights on Mother God through instagram at @thefeminine.divine

Partly because the current cannon of scriptures are comprised of the testimonies of men, about a male God, to an audience of men; Jill is currently working on a project to collect the experiences and testimonies of Heavenly Mother. Our stories and faith in Mother God can and do strengthen one another and this compilation will someday be a treasure on your bookshelf! If you'd like to contribute or share your experience and testimony in writing, see the linktree on Jill's Instagram page or email her at jillsyourfave@gmail.com

J Kirk Richards is a LDS artist working in oil paints. He has painted over 2,300 works of art in 23 years and his work engages with themes of antiquity, religion, spirituality, equality, and love. His art is featured at Deseret book as well as found in the Girls' and Boys' guides to Heavenly Mother books. Since the beginning of his career as an artist, the feminine divine has been a popular theme for him. Kirk shares with us his beliefs about Heavenly Mother, how he connects with Her and how God works through him as he paints. We discuss the attributes he feels he has gained from both the women in his life and from our Mother God, particularly that of listening with empathy, yearning and working for equality and loving without judgement.

There are many ways to follow Kirk's work including his instagram page @jkirkrichards. You can visit his art galleries and various shows throughout the year, as well as his art academy with both in person and virtual options.

Crystal Schultz shares her journey of finding the Mother through meditation, and discusses how she continues to deepen that relationship through her daily practice. She shares that a focus on freeing the soul to be open to truth allows for self-authorship and yoga- or union with God.  Find her on Instagram @crystalmeditates

What can we learn of our divine destiny, and the character of our Heavenly Mother by studying the titles of Prophetess, Priestess, and Queen?  Aspen Moore is a lover of words, and has created an account on Instagram to share her studies of the Divine Feminine in the scriptures, along the schedule of Come, Follow Me.  Her journey to connect with Heavenly Mother started 9 years ago and she has channeled her thirst for understanding into seeing the stories of women in the scriptures and how they are archetypes for our Mother Goddess.

We discuss what it means to be a Prophetess, Priestess, and Queen both anciently and modernly and how Heavenly Mother is leading us into claiming these titles for ourselves.  Find more from Aspen @seeking.her.wisdom on Instagram.

*NOTE: We wanted to clarify that although in our discussion we identified Mary Magdalene as the one anointing Christ before his death, it is unclear which Mary was really the one to do so.  We still love this example of a woman using her Priestesshood to anoint the Savior and also that women were the first witnesses for his Resurrection as well. 

In this episode, Jess speaks with Luann Purnell, who has had special experiences and a growing connection with Heavenly Mother. Luann shares how she was inspired through artwork and dreams to seek Mother God, and relates how Mother helped her in a vulnerable time. She discusses how finding the female half of God helps people embrace their own identities, and expand in love and understanding for others and their journeys. Luann testifies that one of Heavenly Mother's great roles is to relieve the oppressed. 

Samantha Beach is a writer, musician, Clinical Social Worker, Wife, Mother and long time friend of Kate's.  It was a treat to chat with her about the impact that understanding our divine worth will have on our confidence before God and others. 

We discussed the idea that no matter where you go, because you are a child of Heavenly Parents, They are always with you.  Divinity is in your DNA.  Your connection with God cannot be measured by anyone else, and your light can never be taken away.  To begin to believe these things opens up an entirely different view of self, and can also come with even more decostruction fallout.  

Find more of Samantha's words of wisdom on Instagram at @samanthabeach.writes 

Jess and Kate interview Alynne Scirkovich, research extraordinaire on all things Eve and Heavenly Mother. In this conversation, Alynne dives into her discoveries from the scriptures, extra-canonical texts, and personal revelation on the parallels between the women protagonists that begin each portion of the Bible-- Eve in the Old Testament, and Mary in the New. She provides insight into how we can learn about the  Divine Mother through these women's examples, which in turn inspires introspection on how one can better embody these feminine qualities of unabashed faithfulness and sovereignty. 

Wanting more from Alynne? Check out her online course "Our Glorious Mother Eve" at https://ourmothereve-s-school.thinkific.com/courses/glorious-mother-eve

Have you ever noticed the mental gymnastics it takes to constantly translate the written sacred texts to female pronouns? We have, and we're happy to share a resource that will bless your study of the New Testament and finally give that mental gymnast a break. In this episode, Jess and Kate introduce The Divine Feminine Version of the New Testament and why it's such a valuable resource. We read from its prologue, discuss the gender-expansive term "Godde", and share a few passages from this new-to-us version. We hope you'll enjoy the conversation on female representation in the scriptures, and especially the emphasis on seeing our Heavenly Mother there. 

https://godde.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/dfv-final-2nd-ed.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Feminine-Version-Testament-Second/dp/1545080852/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+divine+feminine+version+of+the+new+testament&qid=1673731684&sprefix=divine+feminine+version%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1

Email us at inherimagepodcast@gmail.com

Find us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/inherimagepodcast/

RSVP to the Divine Feminine interfaith event in Dallas/Fort Worth at https://www.nataliejeanneart.com/dfwdivinefeminineevent

Have a wonderful Holiday season!