On the latest episode I'm joined by Dr. Annalisa Derr, a goddess educator, Sacred Feminine embodiment teacher, and ritual theatre creatrix. Annalisa completed her doctorate in Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She also holds a BA in Theater with specialized training in masked and physical theater from international master teachers in Italy, India, and NYC. Annalisa's work explores the impact that negative cultural menstrual “myths” have on women, which her forthcoming book will explore in more detail. Annalisa offers an affirming alternative in the form of an ancient myth, “The Descent of Inanna,” which she re-visions as a sacred menstrual narrative and ritual rite-of-passage.
During this episode we discuss:
- Annalisa's experience growing up in a Lutheran church, including the connection she made later between devotional Christian hymns and the Bhakti yoga tradition
- The near total erasure of the Sacred Feminine in Protestantism, and why discovering Her can feel like such a revelation for many of us
- How discovering Mary Magdalene sparked Annalisa's ongoing journey to the Goddess and led her to her current research
- What Annalisa refers to as the menstrual mysteries, and how the Inanna myth teaches us about them and the nature of the Goddess Herself - as a gateway through the lessons of birth, death, and rebirth
- Annalisa's pending move to Greece and her vision for supporting the reemergence of the Sacred Feminine in patriarchal strongholds
- And a bonus - Annalisa becomes the third guest in the history of the show to bring me to tears (in a really good way)! Tune in to find out why.
Notes related to this episode:
And here are a few more details about this show and my work:
- If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
- You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
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