Course Objectives:
- To provide class participants with an understanding of Goddess symbology as an intricate language for learning about the feminine in myth and the vital role of women in world culture throughout time.
- Through discovery and exploration of selected goddesses and their associated mythology participants will gain deeper personal insight, broader global cultural awareness and the gifts of connection to and empathy for the experience of Womanhood worldwide.
Course Syllabus:
Week 1 - Introduction to the Language of Myth and the Goddess
Week 2 - Eostre - Germany
Week 3 - Artemis - Greece
Week 4 - Mary, the Mother of Jesus - Middle East
Week 5 - Louhi - Finland
Week 6 - Amaterasu - Japan
Week 7 - Final Class
Course Assignments:
The Feminine in Myth is a seven week, two hour, discussion-based course supplemented by weekly journal assignments the length of which will be determined by the individual.
The final assignment will be sharing a personal project inspired by the feminine and reflecting the experience of Womanhood for the individual and can be rendered in any creative medium including but not limited to prose, poetry, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, cooking, beading - anything that reflects, inspires and involves the individual in the understanding of the Divine Feminine within them.
Course Materials Required:
Each participant must keep a journal that will include their course notes, weekly assignments and any additional personal writing. A spiral notebook makes an excellent journal. Journals are shared at the students' discretion.
Course Discussion Questions:
Discussion questions provided are for essay creation and/or group discussion and are meant to invite inward contemplation and social discourse. Please find to follow examples of questions related to the class topic Womanhood and the Feminine.
Describe and discuss five adjectives you associate with the experience of Womanhood.
Are these descriptions religious, cultural or both?
Describe our Western Christian culture in 5 adjectives.
Describe and discuss the treatment of women in our culture as they pass through the stages of Womanhood:
What state of Womanhood (maiden, mother, crone) does Western culture value most? Why?
Regarding the feminine in spirituality and mythology, what does being receptive mean?
Describe and discuss the relationship of Woman to Woman, mother to daughter in our culture.
Describe and discuss Women's power:
- internal vs external
- healing vs hurting
- change vs staid
- nurturing vs warring
Compare and contrast the family dynamics below and discuss how these dynamics impact the psychological well-being and status of children and women within the home. Also discuss the values of each type of household regarding money, environmentalism, education, sports, etc.:
- male dominated household
- female dominated household
- gender balanced household
Optional Reading List:
Mandatory reading for the Feminine in Myth is not required. An optional on-line reading list is provided to further enrich your learning experience. Examples of reading materials include:
Week 4 - Mary - Middle East
Stories
The Nativity illus by Julie Vivas
Young Mary of Nazareth
by Marianna Mayer
Mary: The Mother of Jesus
by Tomie dePaola
The Lady of Guadalupe
by Tomie dePaola
Research
** Baring, Anne and Cashford, Jules, The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image, Penguin Group, England: 1993, pp. 548-608.
Cunningham, Lawrence, Nicolas Sapieha, Mary Gordon, Mother of God. Harper & Row; 1982.
Cruz, Joan Carrol. Miraculous Images of our Lady: 100 Famous Portraits and Statues. Tan Books and Publishers; 1993.
Goldenberg, Naomi R.. Changing of the Gods: Feminism and the End of Traditional
Religions. Beacon Press; Reprint edition 1980, pp. 75-78.
Pelikan, Jaroslav, Mary Through the Centuries: Her Place in the History of Culture. Yale University Press; New Ed edition, 1998.
Ruether, Rosemary Radford, Mary, the Feminine Face of the Church. Westminster John Knox Press; October 1977.
Warner, Marina, Alone of All Her Sex. Vintage; Vintage edition 1983.
Internet Support:
All registered students will receive access to full internet support including complete syllabus outline and weekly details; optional reading lists with links to Amazon.com; journal assignments; and internet support links.
Contact:
If interested in discovering more information about my consulting and education services, please visit Education and Consulting.
© Copyright 2007 Paula Vaughan
Not to be reprinted without permission.
