women artists and identity; feminism mysticism in art

DVD | Book

New Paradigm Publishing Presents
Feminine Mysticism in Art:
Artists Envisioning the Divine

"The DVD is an epic collaborative effort-one that has the potential to go down in history as a "must have" book and DVD for art lovers and mystics from an assortment of spiritual traditions." - Sasha Butterfly

This colorful and inspirational slide show of transcendental art synchronized to uplifting music is a stunning collaboration of artworks by over fifty contemporary visionary artists from an assortment of spiritual traditions. The purpose of the DVD is to not only document a genre of art referred to as feminine mysticism, but also to reveal powerful images of the Divine in his/her myriad forms. Feminine Mysticism is a spiritual movement devoted to the re-enchantment of the feminine face of God, which has been lost to many westerners, but is beginning to resurface in various ways. The core artistic mission is to cultivate an awareness of the Great Goddess so that we can move into a new mode of consciousness, a symbiotic union between the masculine and feminine aspects within the human psyche and society at large. However, before this shift in consciousness can occur, the awakening of the Divine Feminine needs to occur on a massive level, which is why it is crucial to get as many images as possible into the public's view at this time.

Some of the contributing visual artists are Martina Hoffman, Maura Holden, Mark Henson, Daniel Mirante, Amoraea Dreamseed, Daniel Holeman, Paul Heussenstamm, Blaze Warrender, Mariela de la Paz, Francene Hart, Victoria Christian, Hrana Janto, Suzanne Deveuve and several other mind blowing transcendental artists. The musicians include Sasha Butterfly, Elijah and the Band of Light, Kan' Nal, Montana Soul, Heather Noel, Duane Light and Susan Garret and Nancy Bloom.

Victoria Christian is a mystical artist, writer, sociologist and eco-feminist. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in sociology, with an emphasis in women's spirituality, the sociology of art and social theory. She is the head editor as well as a contributing writer and artist in her upcoming book, Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine. She is also in the midst of writing her life's work titled Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society. For more information about her artwork and books, visit her website at www.victoriachristian.com.

Reviews:

"The mystical feminine has a vital part to play in the present work of global healing and transformation. Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine awakens us to her central role. These images speak directly to the soul, reminding us of her eternal presence, her power and beauty."
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D.

"This stream of astonishing and often haunting images of the Divine Feminine and Sacred Union created by contemporary artists will encourage us to embrace a new reality--that an exclusively masculine image of the Divine is not, and can never be, whole--without Her."
Margaret Starbird, author of 'The Woman with the Alabaster Jar'

"It is time in the evolution of human consciousness to recognize and honor the Sacred Feminine. It is time to bring an awareness of the omnificence of the Goddess into balance with the omnipresence of God.The most fundamental way to achieve this awareness is through visionary,visual art. Perhaps the greatest collection of contemporary visionary art of the Sacred Feminine is now made manifest in this epic DVD presentation titled, 'Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine,' produced by New Paradigm Productions. This virtual art gallery of powerful images and compelling music will entice you into a rich and luscious meditation of the Feminine face of God and encourage you to contemplate Her diversity of expression, symbolism and gnosis as never before. It is time to unveil the Goddess and receive her wisdom, and as you gaze into the sublime and striking images of her myriad of countenances that are revealed in this presentation, you will be reminded of Her ancient mysteries, magic, muses and magnificence."
Amalya (Amy Peck), The Goddess Studio of Escondido

“Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine,” is a luscious and lovely look at the soul of the Divine Feminine… a feast for every eye … and quite literally “nourishing” to the bodies and hearts of women … and men! Let this divine offering go forth into the world and do its work … a film inspiring us all with softness and power, beauty and creativity,holiness and hope. Blessed be!”
AVA, Director of The GODDESS TEMPLE of Orange County

New Paradigm Publishing Presents

Feminine Mysticism in Art:
Artists Envisioning the Divine

About The Book:

This colorful and inspirational coffee table book will be a stunning collaboration of visual works of art by contemporary mystics and writers from an assortment of spiritual traditions. The artwork alone is unique, exquisite, political and provocative, communicating a message of hope for the postmodern era. In addition, the diversity of writings and poetry by experts in women's spirituality, eco-feminism, transcendental art and transpersonal psychology provide a conceptual foundation for the images, facilitating a sacred alchemy of mind, heart, body and spirit. The mission of the book is to not only document a genre of art referred to as feminine mysticism, but also to reveal powerful images of the divine in his/her myriad forms. The ultimate mission of the book is to assist humanity in evolving a conceptualization of the divine, transcending out of antagonistic, dualistic and hierarchical gender associations and into a new mode of consciousness that is more inclusive of all of God's creation.

In order for this to occur, however, it is essential that the sacred feminine be firmly rooted in human consciousness. Since the masculine side of God has been so heavily portrayed in Western culture, a large number of people are yearning for images of the Goddess because they would provide alternatives to the conventional view that men have always been dominant in religion and society. In contrast, the Goddesses show us that the female can also be symbolic of all that is creative and powerful in the universe as well as provide an orientation that can help us save the planet from ecological destruction. This book is a collaborative effort by an assortment of female and male mystics and visionary artists who have devoted their lives to filling the spiritual void rampant in the West that is contributing to social inequality, environmental degradation and cruelty to animals. In allowing feminine wisdom to emerge at this time of intense fragmentation and hopelessness, it is also our mission to change the larger trend of marginalization and social despair that mystical artists in the West have experienced.

The book opens with an explanation of the primordial sacred union, an ancient state of consciousness needing to be reawakened in the minds and hearts of Westerners. The second and largest part of the book is devoted to the rebirth of the Goddess in her various faces or aspects, as revealed to contemporary artists through dreams, visions, meditations, prayers, rituals, song, poetry and the visual arts. After three years of hard work, Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine has evolved into an epic collaborative effort--one that has the potential to go down in history as a "must have" book for art lovers and mystics from an assortment of disciplines.

About the supplemental DVD:

Included with the book is a supplemental DVD, which consists of more images by the artists in conjunction with music by several cutting edge visionary musicians such as Sasha Butterfly, Elijah and the Band of Light, Heather Noel, Amoraea Dreamseed, Montana Soul, Prema , Duwayne Light and Aryeh David. The dvd is the full art experience unencombered by theories and concepts. It also reveals a larger part of the genre of art titled feminine mysticism. This DVD will be used for promotional purposes for the book at spiritual conferences and sacred music/art festivals around the world. IT will be released in 2008 at Earth Dance International, The Oregon Country Fair, The Harmony Festival, Faerie Worlds and Burning Man. Some of the musicians involved in the project have also agreed to use the DVD at their performances as it will add a multi-media dimension that complements their music.

About the Editors:

Victoria Christian is a mystical artist, writer and eco-feminist. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in sociology, with an emphasis in the sociology of gender, social theory, the sociology of art and ecofeminism. For her thesis, she did research on Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society, which is currently being compiled in another book.

Aside from her academic training, she pursued her own research on feminine mysticism in art, which entailed interviewing over fifty artists from all over the United States, some of which are contributors to this book. The impetus for the research stemmed from her own experiences as a woman artist as well as her disillusionment over the demise of the feminine principle in the West, and the lack of sacred images of the Goddess. In examining the creative works of several visual artists, writers and poets, she noticed a common thread or genre of art that has gone unrecognized in the contemporary art world. She refers to this genre as Feminine Mysticism because the core artistic mission of all of these artists is to cultivate an awareness of the Divine, particularly the Great Goddess in Western society as she has been so hidden from view. For more information about her books and artistic mission, you can view her website at www.victoriachristian.com.

Her assistant editor and proofreader is her mother, Susan Stedman, who lives in southern Oregon along with her two sisters, nieces and nephews and other family members. She draws not only on her own rich history as a preacher's kid and single mom, but also as an anthropology student at Southern Oregon University (4.0 gpa), freelance editor, and twenty years as a freelance court reporter. Susan is a respected member of the Grandmother's Council in Southern Oregon as she has devoted her life to pursuing acts of compassion in her local community. She was recently granted an honorary Ph.D in literature by the Wise Woman's Council of Southern Oregon, as she has devoured more books than most people do in a life-time.

Who Will Distribute Artists Envisioning the Divine?

Though not yet set in stone, we anticipate being distributed to the book trade via New Leaf Distributing Company, which was started in 1975. Its specialized areas are holistic health, self-reliant lifestyle, and New Age spirituality and metaphysics, which directly targets our market.

Who will print Artists Envisioning the Divine?

After getting a number of estimates, we have decided to print with Palace Press International in San Rafael, California (affiliated with Mandala Publishing). The first 4,000 copies will be a 9x12 full color art book, which will later (after the third print) be upgraded to a large coffee table book with a hard cover. You can learn more about Mandala publishing and Palace Press International and see some of the books they have printed on their website: http://palacepress.com/. You can be assured that we have chosen the best printer for our purpose.

How Will This Book Be Marketed?

We have identified a number of traditional and alternative marketing avenues to pursue. Our marketing plan is extensive, thus we will summarize it briefly here for you. First and foremost, the book will be available for purchase via amazon and other e-commerce sites when it is complete. If you are interested in reviewing our extensive marketing plan, we can email it to you. We are hoping to make most of our profit selling directly to our market niche through non-bookstore retailers (museums, artist supply stores, galleries, specialty gift shops, alternative bookstores, libraries, spiritual retreat centers). We will also be attending a select number of spiritual conferences, art shows and trade shows. Another marketing channel that directly targets our market niche is catalogues for the healing arts industry. We will also be pursuing internet marketing as well, such as getting the book listed on websites that are aligned with the book’s spiritual mission. I have a long list of people who are interested in promoting the book on their website and exchanging links. It is my hope that each of you will promote the book on your websites as well.

We are in the midst of planning a publicity campaign. We will send free copies to select people for reviews and endorsements. Getting the book reviewed will be a vital part of our marketing strategy because major buyers rely on them as a source of quality control. We will be sending review copies to Carole Christ, Gloria Orenstein, Hallie Austen, Elinor Gadon, Jean Houston, Alex Grey, Gary Zukav and several more writers who have published book in the genre. I have a long list of magazines such as Sage Woman, Magical Blend, Shaman’s Drum etc, who have offered to do reviews, publish articles, and promote the book on their websites. We will also be placing adds in various media outlets that target our market. We will be investing in a lot of marketing and promotional materials. The DVD slideshow along with other hard copy promotional materials will really help to sell the book. I will also be doing slide show presentations at spiritual conferences and universities all over the United States, which will be a huge source of promotion, as well as a lucrative channel to make book sales.

How You Can Help Us: The Pre Sale Campaign

In order to drum up the money for the first print of 4,000 copies, we need to pre-sell 1,500 copies at a discounted rate of $40.00. This will pay for a number of things that I won’t get into now. However, if you would like us to email you our financial plan, we would be happy to do so.

Most of the contributing artists and writers will be attempting to presale 25 copies of the book. I, of course, will be required to sell more. It is our hope that we will have the money we need by May of 2008; however, we may have to extend the presale campaign longer if the amount isn’t reached. We are also seeking investors who would be willing to invest some cash and make a chunk of cash in return. If you are Interested in possibly investing in the book, we would be happy to send you our investors packet. Simply and I will email you the packet.

In purchasing a book or a number of books, you will not only be assisting a number of mystics and artists, but in the larger awakening of the Divine Feminine, and ultimately, an awakening to Oneness. You will receive a first edition, signed copy that is not just an art book, but an artist’s movement. Along with your purchase, you will receive a receipt of purchase, which will explain how and when you will get your book. And if for any reason the book should go bust, it explains how and when you will be refunded.

It is my hope that you will take some time to read through the book’s summary below and visit some of the contributor’s websites. You will see that we have a very unique product. It is the first and only book that has even attempted to scratch the surface of a genre of artwork called feminine mysticism. Not only does it have some of the best spiritual art out there, it is a timeless message that will nourish your soul for a life time.

Book Summary:

Introduction:
Victoria Christian begins with a brief explanation of the mission of the book as well as information from her research on feminine mysticism in art, particularly its importance in contemporary society. She also explains the essential role that female mystics and visionary artists play in Western culture. Lastly, she writes about the contributors and the sacred images in the book.

Part One: The Sacred Union and the Demise of the Goddess

The book opens with an article by writer and mythologist Anne Baring titled The Loss of the Word Soul and Its Return which eloquently describes the ancient feminine concept of soul and the ways in which it was driven underground as we began to draw away from the matrix of instinct and develop the conscious mind. As this happened, we lost touch with the primordial lunar consciousness and moved into the solar consciousness of the modern era. The transition from lunar to solar mythology gradually created a fissure between spirit and nature, mind and body, ourselves and our environment, which has defined our way of thinking and influenced the way we behave. The male psyche unconsciously identified itself with the supremacy of spirit and mind over nature, woman and body, and came to relate the former to the image of light and order, and the latter to the image of darkness and chaos. Anne Baring explains how the concept of soul is now returning after thousands of years of repression by patriarchal ideologies that gave pre-eminence to the rational and rejected the intuitive, mystical, relational modes of knowing. A powerful human instinct is now attempting to restore balance and wholeness in us by articulating values rooted in an older way of knowing. As this deep soul impulse gathers momentum, the sacred marriage of the emerging lunar values with the ruling solar ones is changing our perception of reality, reconnecting us with the roots of our being and the invisible dimension of the cosmos.

Next, Victoria Christian expounds in great detail on the ancient, universal archetype of the Primordial Sacred Union and its potential as a powerful vision of emancipation for the human race. She explains the functional but often misunderstood role mystics and visionary artists play in an assortment of cultures; particularly, how they are trying to assist humanity in its ability to collectively heal itself and the planet. She explains that mystics are also trying to help us transcend out of oppositional dualism and awaken to a new mode of thinking, that of consecrated polarity, which is another way of describing the Eastern concept of yin/yang. Drawing from the works of Carl Jung, June Singer and an assortment of contemporary mystics, Victoria feels strongly that imaging the divine as female is essential to our spiritual evolution; however, we won't be able to transcend gender associations in Western culture unless the autonomy of the feminine principle is firmly established in human consciousness. Images of the primordial sacred union are controversial and radical, however, because they can't help but question the credibility of the limited religious symbolism of Judeo Christianity and fatalistic scientific worldviews. She discusses a number of powerful images by contemporary visionary artists, such as Martina Hoffman and Mark Henson, and their importance in disrupting male dominance and the patriarchal ideological systems that justify and maintain social inequality. She also explains how the concept and images of the primordial sacred union inevitably challenge an extreme female bias as well, particularly the tendency in radical feminists and various pagan sects to go to the other extreme of Goddess worship that negates the essential role of the sacred masculine in creation.

Next, feminist theologian Margaret Starbird expounds on the sacred marriage in Imaging God as Partners. She draws from her personal experiences of initiation and awakening to the feminine principle and the sacred marriage in the Orthodox Christian tradition. She also draws from her well-researched book, The Woman with an Alabaster Jar, which seeks to recover the long-suppressed feminine side of the Christian story. "Starbird's research traces the origin of the heresy of the Holy Grail, whose medieval adherents believed that Jesus was married and that his wife and child immigrated to Gaul, fleeing persecutions of the Christian community in Jerusalem. Numerous legends, works of art, and artifacts of medieval Europe clearly reflect a widespread "alternative Christianity" brutally suppressed by the Inquisition beginning in the mid-13th Century. The heresy miraculously survived in an underground stream of esoteric wisdom guarded by artists, artisans, poets, and alchemists of medieval and renaissance Europe" (quoted from website). In her article, she explains how the recurring motif of the sacred marriage is evident cross-culturally and how the emphasis on the masculine over the feminine polarity has lead to severe burnout in the West, damaging the psyches of both men and women. The archetypal image of the Bride and Bridegroom in Hebrew scripture and in an assortment of mystical writings is a consummate of God as Wholeness, the paradigm of divine partnership.

Part Two: Rebirth of the Great Goddess

Chapter One: The Goddess of Creation

Victoria Christian opens with an article titled Experiencing the Divine in Nature, which expounds on some of her personal, mystical experiences in nature and how she has been able to communicate these experiences in her paintings. She also discusses the work of a few contemporary magical realists who have inspired her. In translating her mystical experiences onto canvas, she hopes to evoke a sense of reverence and connectedness to the self, the earth and the divine. She believes this divine presence can take many different forms and manifestations-masculine and feminine as well as androgynous. While she is in alignment with the growing Gaia consciousness held by an assortment of indigenous tribes, environmentalists, eco-feminists, Native Americans, and pagans, who have proposed that the earth is the body of the Goddess and is alive and conscious, she doesn't subscribe to the spurious argument that the earth reflects only the feminine, when the masculine is clearly a fundamental part of nature.

Next, Victoria Christian speaks from an eco-feminist perspective in her article Reclaiming the Body of Earth and Mother. She draws from an assortment of eco-feminists and feminist artists who have inspired her. In addition, she discusses the works of several contemporary artists and photographers whose missions are to help women heal the deep wounds of the physical and earth bodies, such as Martina Hoffman, Sandra Stanton, Hrana Janto, Jane Evershed, Max Daschu, Alba Elena and Rachael Running.

Lastly, midwife and professor of women's spirituality Arizika Razak expounds on the body politic of black women and the lack of sacred imagery in her article Contemporary Images of Spirituality and Resistance Among African Americans. Uncovering the ways in which African Diaspora women have experienced and resisted the patriarchal oppression of the female body,
Arizika illuminates the tradition of black feminist thought by offering us liberating sacred images of African American women created by three contemporary artists whose work places the bodies of black women front and center--recognizing a God who is black and female, embodied and divine. The soul-healing, woman-centered images by AfraShe Asungi and Yasmin Hernandez provide a powerful tool for healing the psychic damage done to black women over centuries of living within racist and patriarchal cultures.

Chapter Two: Goddess of Sexuality

Herbalist and creative writer Kyce Bello opens the chapter on sexuality and its connection with the Goddess in How to Make Love in the Mountains. A descriptive, light hearted, playful and erotic article, Kyce Bello writes from the perspective of a woman, who discretely entices her beloved into a romantic interlude while hiking in nature. Her style of writing is exquisitely sensitive, subtle and innocent, speaking to the power of eroticism and sacred sexuality in nature and humans.

Next, artist and belly dancer, Barbara Beausoleil writes about her personal experiences as a student of Tantra and a practitioner of belly dancing. She begins with a discussion of the sacred feminine in Tantra, and then proceeds to an application of the Vedic principles in her erotic paintings and belly dancing rituals.

Mythologist and astrologer Kelley Hunter expounds upon the issue of denied female sexuality as personified in the Goddess Lilith. In her article, Lilith: The Recreative Power of the Feminine, Hunter traces the ancient mythological images of Lilith and discusses how they have been translated into various contemporary art media such as the visual arts, theater, dance and music. Her knowledge and well researched article on the dark Goddess Lilith is compelling, revealing the deeply buried erotic, transformative power of female sexuality yearning to be acknowledged and healed in our personal lives.

Chapter Three: Goddess of Creativity

Mystical artist Pamela Becker opens the chapter with an article titled Creationship: My Marriage to the Muse, which evokes her intimate relationship with the muse and the mysterious unfolding of the creative process. Her whimsical, passionate and light-hearted perspective of the muse as both lover and friend is enchanting, whisking the reader away on a magic carpet ride of desire. Her images exude the multi-dimensional and spontaneous spirit of Pamela Becker--a woman who is indeed an authentic mystic and visionary artist.

Next, magical realist Claudia Connelly draws from her mystical experiences as a woman artist in her article, Envisioning the Land of Magic and Mysticism: Something Calls to Be Remembered. Through the lens of the right brain and its intuitive, mystical capacities, she explains how mythology and mystics are able to view the misty regions of the unconscious that contain the collective memories of our history. Diving into the depths of the unconscious, her artwork serves as a bridge from the past into the future, triggering an awakening of a time when magic and mysticism abounded and the feminine was honored. Through her experience of painting by intuition, her images speak to us of a time shrouded in the mists of a distant past that have been forgotten, a time and consciousness that is now reemerging in Western consciousness. She believes the sacred marriage of God/Goddess will help us to move into a new paradigm of thinking and living. But in order for this to happen, each individual on a massive scale must embrace feminine wisdom.

Lastly, visionary artist, writer and creator of the SoulCards, Deborah Koff-Chapin draws from her rich life experiences as a woman artist in her article A Feminine Path in Art and Life. She explains how the creative process of forming an artistic identity and the process of art are both examples of the sacred feminine and the larger creative power of Goddess. Art has been a means of communicating from the depths of her soul, helping her to channel her emotions into a creative form. Disillusioned and imprisoned by her early training in art school, Deborah spontaneously happened upon a new mode of creativity through spontaneous play and doodling, which would later take her on a path of exploration into what she refers to as Touch Drawing, an improvisational, interpretive and emotionally empathic approach to creativity. When she creates, she feels as though she is translating the presence of beings that reside on other levels of reality into recognizable human form. She uses touch drawing as therapy for herself and others, and as a way to commune with nature. Much of her life has been devoted to supporting the creative unfoldment of others which, in her perspective, is yet another of the feminine paths--paths that uphold service to others as a higher priority than satisfaction of the ego.

Chapter Four: The Goddess of Emotion

Opening the heart of the reader, Grace Mantle begins with an article titled The Heart of the Mother, which incorporates some of her visionary experiences, poetry and images. She speaks about her personal grief as a woman artist and female mystic, and how the Great Mother has revealed herself through the creative, visionary process.

Next, writer and transpersonal psychologist Lotus Linton draws from her personal experiences and global expeditions to an assortment of sacred springs in her article Saraswati's Secrets: Singing the Waters for Personal and Planetary Transformation. A provocative and compelling read, Lotus Linton speaks about her personal mystical experiences of the Indian Goddess Saraswati. Linton eloquently portrays the grace of Saraswati, the Goddess of education, learning and the arts, through the use of descriptive, flowing imagery and a poetic language of the soul. In pondering the deepest meanings of the imagery associated with Saraswati, Lotus believes that we can discover transformative secrets lying within the physical and metaphysical properties of her two greatest tools, sound and water, as well as the tremendous healing power of the two combined.

One of Saraswati's secrets, as the Goddess of sound and healing, is the principle of entrainment, a core aspect of our world and all of Creation. The entire universe operates on this principle of entrainment as the rhythms of all bodies and systems affect each other. Saraswati's Gayatri mantra, the oldest known healing song in human history, is considered to be an extremely potent force precisely because of its power of entrainment. As a tantric Goddess, Saraswati embodies the primordial power of Shakti--the raw, liberating, creative, feminine energy that surges through all vibrations in the universe, gifting us with purifying vitality. Honoring the healing power of Sarasvati as the Goddess of sound and water, Lotus Linton urges humanity to open its eyes--to see the connection between the demise of the Goddess and the pollution of water on a global level. She believes that if we want to bring water back to life on earth, humanity must come back to life and embrace the organic wisdom of the emotional body and its connection to water.

Chapter Five: The Goddess of Wisdom

Chapter five opens with an insightfully prophetic article by Sufi master Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee titled The Sacred Feminine and Global Transformation. As a contemporary male mystic, Llewellyn's openness to feminine wisdom as a vital component of humanity, nature and the universe at large is a breathe of fresh air that satisfies a deep longing for the wisdom of the soul. At this time of global crisis, he strongly believes that if we continue to deny the mystery of the feminine as the primordial holder of creation, interconnectedness and immanence, we will continue in our suicidal mission of despair and destruction. He explains that women have a unique role at this time of global crisis and imbalance as follows: "Without the feminine, nothing can be born, nothing new can come into existence and we will remain caught in the materialistic images of life that are polluting our planet and desecrating our souls." He illuminates the different qualities of feminine wisdom reflected in the healing power of herbs, the deep, lived knowledge of the feminine nature of the soul's relationship with God, and the soul's true state of receptivity to the divine. Feminine wisdom is also reflected in the qualities of listening and "being," as opposed to the value of "doing" we are so conditioned to uphold in Western culture. It is a self-reflective kind of wisdom that is so needed in this pronounced time of confusion, exhaustion, denial, running amuck, hopelessness, fragmentation and fatalism.

Next, writer and dream expert Anne Scott sensitively discusses the concept of feminine wisdom, as revealed in the unconscious realms of dreams, in her article Dreaming and the Longing for Feminine Wisdom. Poetically written in a lucid language of the heart, Anne Scott explains the ability of dreams to give us direct access to the feminine wisdom that lies at the hidden source of our being. Drawing from her own personal experiences and from the mystical experiences of several women artists, she beautifully and gracefully reveals the mystery of the feminine that emerges when we learn to let go and trust the vast knowledge of the unconscious.

Lastly, writer and mythologist Jules Cashford writes in depth on the ancient lunar consciousness in her article Wisdom of the Moon. She also incorporates some images of the moon by several contemporary artists.

Chapter Six: The Goddess of Transformation

Chapter six opens with an article by writer and mystic Jacquelyn Small, titled Psyche: The Goddess of Personal Transformation. As a mythological archetype of the human soul, Jacquelyn explains how Psyche's journey through her incarnated life resembles the soul's longing to be human, and the human longing for spiritual transcendence. Illustrating the process of chrysalis and transformation, Psyche (The Greek word for soul) is often depicted as a human girl riding on the back of a butterfly. She explains how the transformative power of Psyche is a perfect metaphor for the death/rebirth patterns of transformation reflected in nature and in the human soul. This consciousness is also similar to the creative process of bringing the unconscious into conscious reality, which artists often envision in an assortment of mediums. The four initiations that psyche goes through are similar to the initiations we all must master in order to complete our human journey towards wholeness and individuation. As we follow Psyche's story, the reader experiences her quest as she moves through her unconscious dream state to the wisdom of experience, grounded in the four initiatory tasks she needs to complete in order to remember her authentic nature as a Goddess.

Next, artist, writer and mystic Uma Rose takes us again into the underworld in her article Feminine Light in the Dark Night Of the Soul. Speaking with a voice of compassion and understanding, Uma Rose speaks from her own personal experience of the underworld and the gifts that came to her after surrendering to a dark night of the soul. Substance and truth can be gained when we bring our ego's light down into the shadows to experience what our souls have had to go through in the descent from the spirit plane to the earth plane. Drawing from Carl Jung and various female mystics, she invites the reader to embrace the wisdom of his/her shadow side. She upholds the dark wisdom of Hecate, Baba Yaga, Ereshkigal and Sedna and explains how they have been sources of transformation in her life. In addition, she courageously shares with us some of her most disturbing, yet profoundly deep self-cathartic art. At the end of her article is a captivating short story titled The Song of Sedna, which dives into the depths of darkness that she has endured at the bottom of the ocean.

Finally, shamanic practitioner Rochelle Wallace speaks of the importance of ritual and ceremony in a short story titled Initiation Into Womanhood. She writes about a rite of passage ceremony she performed for her niece as a way to initiate her into womanhood. Beautiful descriptive and heartfelt, Rochelle's multicultural approach weaves together Native American and pagan traditions by incorporating a series of culturally diverse chants and songs.

Chapter Seven: The Goddess of Interconnectivity

This chapter opens with an intimate article by visionary artist Cher Lynn who draws on her life experiences as a woman artist in her article The Healing Power of Art. Deeply profound and compelling, Cher Lyn takes the reader on a descent into the dark night of the soul, revealing the devastating effects of sexual abuse. In the end, she brings her experiences into the light, explaining how art literally saved her life. Her experiences with depression helped her to cultivate more compassion for women, and gave her the courage to reach out to those who are in need of healing.

Next, Sandra Ingerman and Victoria Christian co-create an article titled Shamanism and Art. The first part of the article is written by Sandra Ingerman, which provides a foundation for the ancient, spiritual tradition of shamanism and how it has been reflected in an assortment of indigenous artworks around the globe. In the second part of the chapter, Victoria Christian discusses the shamanistic art of several contemporary artists, such as Mariela de la Paz, Blaze Warrender, Susan Deveuve, Martina Hoffman, David Joaquin, Scott Cranmer.

** Closing the book is a powerful prayer by The Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers.

About the Contributors:

I have brought together an extremely talented and diverse group of contemporary female and male artists, writers, teachers, healers and mystics who have an enormous amount of love and wisdom to share with the world. Several of the contributors are multi-faceted, meaning they have experience and expertise in multiple disciplines. I am fortunate to be able to utilize not only powerful images, but informative essays, creative short stories and esoteric poetry saturated with mystical insight, loving kindness, clarity and wisdom.

Contributing Writers:

Part One: Primordial Sacred Union

Anne Baring is a writer and retired Jungian Analyst. She is the author, with Jules Cashford, of The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image and, with Andrew Harvey, of The Mystic Vision and The Divine Feminine. Her children's book, The Birds Who Flew Beyond Time, asks us to respond to the planet's need for help. She lives near Winchester, England, and has created a website www.annebaring.com to explore the ecological and spiritual issues facing us at this crucial time of choice.

Victoria Christian is a mystical artist, writer and eco-feminist. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in sociology, with an emphasis in the sociology of gender, social theory, the sociology of art and the sociology of spirituality. She is the organizer and co-editor of Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine and is in the midst of writer another book titled Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society. Her artwork and writings can be viewed and purchased on her website at www.victoriachristian.com.

Margaret Starbird has done graduate study in European history and comparative literature, and holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland. She has studied at Christian Albrechts Universitat in Kiel, Germany, where she was a Fulbright Fellow, and at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail. Her writings and books can be purchased on her website at www.margaretstarbird.com

Part Two: Rebirth of the Goddess

Chapter One: Goddess of Creation

Victoria Christian is a mystical artist, writer and eco-feminist. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in sociology, with an emphasis in the sociology of gender, social theory, the sociology of art and the sociology of spirituality. She is the organizer and co-editor of Feminine Mysticism in Art: Artists Envisioning the Divine, and is in the midst of writing another book titled Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society. Her artwork and writing can be viewed and purchased on her website at www.victoriachristian.com.

Arizika Razak has been a midwife, healer and spiritual dancer for over thirty years. She has provided full scope midwifery care to indigent women and women of color in the inner city of Oakland, California for over twenty years, serving as a home and hospital birth attendant, hospital based CNM, health care administrator and health educator. She currently directs the Integrative Health Studies Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, California, where she is also an Associate Professor of Women's Spirituality. Arizika has led spiritual and healing workshops for women for over two decades, and her dance celebrates the physical bodies of women and the blood mysteries of childbirth, menstruation, sexuality and menopause. She is a contributor to several books, and presents at numerous conferences on the subjects of multiculturalism and diversity, women's health and healing, and embodied spirituality and movement. Her film credits include: A Place of Rage by Prahtibha Parma, which showcases the work and struggles of African American women activists Alice Walker, June Jordan and Angela Davis; Fire Eyes by Soraya Mire, the first full length feature film by an African woman to explore the issue of female genital cutting; and Who Lives Who Dies, a PBS special on health care services to marginalized and underserved populations.

Chapter Two: Goddess of Sexuality

A. Kyce Bello came of age in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Northern New Mexico. She is a nurse, an herbalist, and a writer who has published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She can be contacted via email at: akbello@hotmail.com

Barbara Beausoleil is an artist and belly dancer residing in Northern Oregon. She was born on Long Island and later moved to Woodstock, New York. After graduating high school, Barbara attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in painting. She attended the University of Hartford and Hancock College where she studied advanced ceramics. She has been a student of belly dance since the early 1970s, and has been involved in tribal style belly dancing since the early 1990s. She hosts the website www.mothergoddess.com and has been a student of Tantra for twenty years.

Kelley Hunter has studied the sky as a professional astrologer, mythologist and amateur astronomer for over 35 years. An internationally known astrologer, she is a speaker at national and international conferences and was the co-founder of the Roots of Astrology experiential conferences. She is astrologer-in-residence for the Omega Institute programs in the Caribbean and is on the faculty of the Self Center at Caneel Bay resort. Holding degrees in Drama and in Depth Psychology /Creative Communication, Kelley has taught at various colleges as well as in special programs for high schools. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Philosophy, Cosmology and Myth. A dramatic artist and workshop leader, she worked for years with Dragon Dance Theater and has performed at Bread and Puppet Circus and the United Nations. A feature writer for The International Astrologer, and other journals, she is author of Black Moon Lilith (ACS Publishing) and contributing author to Astrology for Women (Llewellyn). You can reach her at PO Box 37, St. John, USVI 00831, 1-888-7ALTAIR or kelleyh@viaccess.net.

Chapter Three: Goddess of Creativity

Pamela Becker is a mystical writer and poet residing in Sedona, Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has studied wooden mask making, myth and movement, with Ida Bagus Anom in Bali, Indonesia. She has also intensively studied dance and movement therapies and yoga on the west coast since 1993. She has illustrated professionally for nineteen years, working on over fifteen children's books. Her artwork is available for purchase via email at sacredmoonstudio@yahoo.com

Claudia Connelly is a mystical painter who works intuitively, drawing inspiration from the Old Masters, particularly Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo Da Vinci and the Pre-Raphaelites. Her art is a labor of love involving perseverance and focus as the images slowly emerge, coming forward to offer remembrances-- a bridge from the past into the future. Her beautiful artwork can be viewed on her website at www.claudiaconnelly.com.

Deborah Koff-Chapin is a mystical artist, vocalist, author and educator. After receiving a BFA from Cooper Union, she has been developing the process of Touch Drawing since she discovered it in revelatory play in 1974. Deborah is creator and publisher of the best selling decks: Soul Cards 1&2 and Council Cards. She is author of Drawing Out Your Soul and has created a range of educational media for Touch Drawing. Deborah also collaborated with Marcia Lauck on the book, At the Pool of Wonder: Dreams and Visions of an Awakening Humanity (Bear and Company). Her artwork has been reproduced in numerous publications and can be viewed on her website at www.touchdrawing.com.

Chapter Four: The Goddess of Emotion

S. Grace Mantle is from the mountains of southern Oregon. She holds a B.A. in fine arts from the University of Oregon, with courses of study at Southern Oregon University and Parsons School of Design in New York. Her training includes studies in Europe and eight years of independent training with sculptor A. Bruce Hoheb of New York City. Her work has been featured in conjunction with James Twyman's work for children. She has shown her artwork in several west coast spiritual conferences and retreat centers. She is a Tanran Reiki master/teacher, having received her training with William Bagley of Ashland, Oregon. She also designs clothing and jewelry. Grace loves to teach both art and Reiki to children and teens, and has done so in schools in east Maui and Ashland, Oregon. She holds the vision for a children's world peace village for orphans and families, and she actively works to manifest this dream. You may see more of her work at www.gracemantlestudios.com.

Lotus Linton, PhD, has been facilitating spiritual awakening seminars for over thirty years throughout the United States, England, Bali, and Australia. She is a sound healer, a sacred dancer, a spiritual counselor and a ceremonialist. Lotus utilizes the sacred arts, stories and symbols of many cultures to elicit and express the soul's wisdom, and takes small groups on Singing the Waters Journeys to the holy springs and waters of several cultures. In her book, Soul Springs: Seeking Self in the Waters of the World, Lotus highlights her own pilgrimage to these sacred places and to the wells of her own soul's wisdom. Lotus Linton can be contacted at: soulspring@earthlink.net www.soulsprings.org

Chapter Five: Goddess of Wisdom

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is a Sufi teacher and author. In recent years the focus of his writing and teaching has been on spiritual responsibility in our present time of transition, and the emerging global consciousness of oneness (see www.workingwithoneness.org). He has also specialized in the area of dreamwork, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the insights of modern psychology. Llewellyn is the founder of The Golden Sufi Center (www.goldensufi.org). His most recent books include Working with Oneness and The Alchemy of Light.

Anne Scott is the founder of Dream Weather Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to articulating and making more conscious the healing nature of feminine spirituality and the important role it has to play in bringing about real and lasting social change. She is the author of The Laughing Baby, Serving Fire: Food For Thought, Body and Soul, and her forthcoming book, The Treasures of Darkness. Anne has trained in dream work in the Naqshbandi Sufi Path since 1990.

Jules Cashford studied philosophy at St. Andrews and did post-graduate research in literature at Cambridge, where she was for some years a Supervisor in Tragedy at Trinity College. She is the co-author, with Anne Baring, of The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image and author of The Myth of Isis and Osiris. Her latest publication is The Moon: Myth and Image. A member of the International Association of Analytical Psychology and a lecturer on mythology, her translation of The Homeric Hymns for Penguin Classics was published in 2003. Her books can be viewed on her website at www.julescashford.com.

Chapter Six: Goddess of Transformation

Jacquelyn Small, MSW, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas with degrees in psychology, applied music, and clinical social work. She is the Founding Director of Eupsychia Institute, a national nonprofit service organization that certifies students in Soul-based Psychology and Integrative Breath work. Jacquelyn conducts workshops, and keynotes conferences in human consciousness and the addiction field throughout North America. She is the author of nine books on personal transformation and holistic healing of the psyche. She lives in Austin, Texas. She can be contacted via her website at www.eupsychia.com.

Uma Rhiannon Rose attended Interlochen Arts Academy and Albion College in Michigan where she majored in Art and Literature. She is primarily self-taught in the areas of painting, archetypal psychology, and mythology. Her poetry has been published (under different names) in small literary magazines. Her art has been shown in coffee houses, local bars, and small galleries. Presently she lives with her mate in Ashland, Oregon, creating out of the depths of life--her best teacher. Her artwork and poetry can be viewed at www.rhiannons-visions.com.

Rochelle (Wallace) Miller, MA, is a shamanic practitioner, ceremonialist and spiritual guidance counselor who has practiced in the Pacific Northwest for the last 20 years. She continues to present periodic women's circles, and counsels individual clients in both the Northwest and the Austin, Texas area, where she now lives, along with her husband Keith, her daughter Rose, and a menagerie of companion animals. Rochelle holds an MA degree in transpersonal studies, with a certificate in spiritual psychology, from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Menlo Park, California. She can be reached at rochellemw@aol.com or (512) 858-5395.

Chapter Seven: Goddess of Interconnectivity

Sandra Ingerman, MA, teaches workshops internationally on shamanic journeying, healing, and reversing environmental pollution using spiritual methods. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Professional Mental Health Counselor and certified expert on acute traumatic stress management. She is the author of Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self; Welcome Home: Following Your Soul's Journey Home; A Fall From Grace; Medicine for the Earth: How to Transform Personal and Environmental Toxins; and Shamanic Journeying: A Beginners Guide. For more information on her work, visit her website at www.shamanicvisions.com.

Cher Lyn is a visionary artist, writer and poet residing in Sedona, Arizona. In preparation and during the process of painting, she uses meditation, sacred essences and shamanic instruments such as the didgeridoo; drum rattles and chanting to call in energies of love. Her images invite the viewer beyond the borders of the canvas into the multidimensional worlds of mysticism, myth, emotion and texture. While she paints to assist the transformation of herself and others, it is always with the intent that her paintings will illuminate and activate those who gaze upon them. Her mystical artwork can be viewed at www.mysticartmedicine.com

Other Contributing Visual Artists:

AfraShe Asungi, HHHAS, MFA, ACSW, CSAC, is a modern day prophetess and cultural guardian who has received international acclaim as a visionary artist and pioneering creatress of "Afracentrik," Matristic Mythology and AfraGoddess(tm) Herstory. As a visionary artist, AfraShe Asungi's artistic mission has served as a powerful source of sacred imagery in the Wimmin's and AfraAmerican communities. Her work has been included in numerous Wimmin's and Spirituality journals and presentations; "Woman of Power" magazine--authoress Merlin Stone among them. Her images have been reproduced and worn by major entertainers and writers in the Wimmin's music and literary circles, as well as by the ANC Wimmin's group of South Africa. For more information or to contact AfraShe Asungi: MAMAROOTSWeb.com or SisthaMIND@yahoo.com

Artmara Rebecca Cloe is a visionary artist and magical realist residing in Southern Oregon. She creates from an enormous breadth of subject matter, including goddesses, angels, visionary landscapes, the beauty of nature, dolphins, images of spirit and light, fractals, crystals, mandalas and more. Creating artwork is an ecstatic, mystical experience for her--there is an energy, another dimensional "beingness" that wants to be expressed through her and be given a form in this dimension. On her New World Creations website, http://www.nwcreations.com, Atmara offers prints and a variety of gifts utilizing her artwork. All her work is available for licensing, and commissions are always welcome.

Alba Elena is a mystical photographer residing in the Southwest. Combining photography and digital design, she creates sensitive and beautiful images that celebrate the interconnectedness of the female form and nature. Although largely self-taught, she has taken study in a great deal of artistic disciplines. She has won awards for excellence in art and has been featured in national and international publications. Her art has been featured on book and CD covers, and she has created tutorials for European publications. Her work is collected both nationally and internationally, and she exhibits her work at juried art festivals and art galleries throughout the West. You can view more of her work at: www.albaelena.com.

Beth Avary received her BFA cum laude from the California College For The Arts in 1964. She has shown her work throughout the United States in museums, festivals, galleries, corporations, and science fiction and fantasy conventions. Her work has received several awards, including First Place, Public Favorite and Best of Show. Paragon Fine Art, located in West Hollywood and Marina Del Rey, California, represents her. Her artwork can be viewed at: www.starfirepress.

Self-taught artist Krista Lynn Brown, grew up inspired by the mythic landscapes of her native Northern California and strongly influenced by the cultural diversity of San Francisco. As a shy child she found refuge in imagination, as a teen she deepened her spiritual awareness through active use of plant medicines and psychedelics. Nature, new physics, magical studies and motherhood have all profoundly affected her worldview as well. All this has led ultimately to an inevitable merging of spirit and art with a focus on expressing the mystic path, grounded in symbolism of the Earth and the Heart. Her images are available as paintings, prints and cards through her studio of nine years Deva Luna. She currently resides in her hometown of Santa Rosa with her husband of 20 years and her two daughters. Her work can be viewed at www.devaluna.com.

Scott Cranmer is a Shamanistic painter whose highly charged compositions are a result of his commitment to self-expression and technique. Archetypal themes and personal revelations unfold within densely detailed patterns, landscapes, and forms. Scott has sold posters of his art throughout the east-coast for the last five years at music venues and festivals. His artwork has been published in numerous magazines, featured on several album covers, and can be seen on a number of art websites. He currently teaches high school art in NJ. His artwork can be viewed at www.scottcranmer.com

Christine Dawson is a mystical artist, poet and reflexologist residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She received her BFA in painting and drawing at Arizona State University. She has exhibited her sacred altars in galleries and juried shows across the nation. She also has several pieces in museums and corporate collections. In addition to her artistic career, she has a gift for poetry and has published a short book titled Art and Alchelmy. Aside from art, she is a practicing reflexologist, with over ten years' experience. The depths of mysticism, alchemy, metaphysics and the esoteric inspire the essence of her imagery. The sacred marriage and healing the effects of polarization is a continuous theme in her work and life. She can be contacted via email at: chdawson@operamail.com

Susan Deveuve is a shamanistic, visionary artist residing in Northern California. Influenced by an assortment of indigenous cultures and ancient mythology, her artistic vision incorporates her personal experiences as a woman, mother and mystic. With over twenty years experience as an artist and Shamanistic practitioner, Susan's work has graced the covers of numerous books and magazines. Her entire portfolio can be viewed on her website at: www.mcn.org/b/sdeveuve/

Amoraea Dreamseed is a visionary artist and musician residing in Mt. Shasta, California. Hi work taps directly into the Spiritual Wisdom of Creation and explores the human soul's relation with God and His own Divinity. Each painting of this metaphysical art may be received as a living altar or sacred gateway. Like music, visual information is a universal language that awakens ancient future memories of our very purpose and existence. May they also act as a vehicle for your own visionary awareness. Experience more of Amoraea's art and vibrational healing music at www.harmonicconvergence2012.com

Jane Evershed was born in Britain and went to live in South Africa at the age of nine. After moving to Minnesota from South Africa in 1984, she began painting and writing as a way of remembering the natural beauty of South Africa, while addressing apartheid and the horrors she had seen there. Her work has since expanded to highlight the oppression of all people, as well as that which we create for ourselves within our own minds. The Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights selected Jane Evershed for an award for promoting human rights through art. In 2005, she was voted by the MN Women's Press readership as favorite local artist. She is currently working on a book proposal titled The Time of Woman. You can view her artwork and poetry at www.janeevershed.com

Australian artist Selina Fenech was born in 1981 and has always had a great passion for creating art. Her daydreams of magical creatures and places were irrepressible, and goddesses, fairies and nature spirits started showing up in her artwork from a very early age. She has always had a great love and appreciation of the magic of nature, and frequently gets lost in mythology and fairytales which all inspire her greatly. While she always loved to draw, she didn't know she wanted to, or could, be an artist for quite some time. When she was sixteen years old she placed a few of her artworks in an online gallery and was amazed when fan mail and print and commission requests started coming in. Always wanting to please, and excited to be sharing her passion for art and magic, Selina began taking commissions and producing fine art prints of her work, and her art career has grown steadily since then, seeing publication in books and magazines worldwide and a range of licensed merchandise. To view more of her artwork visit her website at www.salinafenech.com

Emma Gardner is a mystical painter, muralist and jeweler residing in Flagstaff, Arizona. She studied Fine Art as well as Art Restoration and Conservation on the east coast. She combines archaic imagery and modern icons to create an eclectic landscape of humanity. Her provocative artwork decorates the walls of the famous restaurant MartAnne's in Flagstaff and has been featured in numerous travel and art magazines. For more information on Emma and her artwork visit www.emmagardner.com or email her at spirleyes@yahoo.com.

Melissa Harris has a BFA and an MFA in Painting. She received a Fulbright grant to paint in Paris for two years. After a profound spiritual awakening, Melissa began channeling sessions, which turned into hands-on healing. She wanted to find a way to combine her interest in the healing arts with fine arts, and she has found that in both her teaching and her line of note cards and prints called CREATRIX. Her work has been featured on CD covers, book covers and magazines and can be found in shops worldwide. Her artwork can be viewed at www.melissaharris.com.

Francene Hart is an internationally recognized visionary artist whose work has been widely published in books and magazines and hangs in the homes of art collectors and the offices of healers and seekers around the planet. She utilizes the wisdom and symbolic imagery of Sacred Geometry, reverence for the natural environment, and the interconnectedness between all things to create watercolor paintings of beauty and spirit. Her work acts as a bridge between this reality and a world of healing and transformation. She is the artist and author of the Sacred Geometry Oracle Deck. Her artwork can be viewed at: www.francenehart.com

Yasmin Hernandez, a Puerto Rican painter and installation artist, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and the Performing Arts in Manhattan, and earned a BFA in Painting at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art and Planning. As an activist, she incorporates social justice themes into her work, and has developed a workshop on the role of the arts in activism and social change, which she has offered to audiences at Cornell University, Penn State and Swarthmore College. These workshops are now being offered to youth through the Soul Rebels project at El Museo del Barrio. In 2004, Ms. Hernandez was awarded the Ramón Feliciano Social Justice Prize by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, and was recognized with the Mujeres Destacadas/ Outstanding Latinas Award by New York-based Spanish-language newspaper, El Diario/La Prensa. Her painting series, Realidades de Quisqueya, inspired by a trip to the Dominican Republic and funded by a grant from the Cornell Council for the Arts (CCA), is on permanent exhibition at the Cornell Latino Studies Program Offices. Her art website www.yasminhernandez.com, attracts art lovers as well as individuals who feel a connection to the themes expressed in her work.

Mark Henson, visionary artist and native of Northern California, showed artistic inclinations at an early age. After receiving his Bachelor's degree in Art from the University of California, he co-founded an art gallery, traveled to Asia and Central America, and now spends his time living and working in the rural paradise of Lake County, California, and on a small farm in the central highlands of Costa Rica. His artwork can be viewed on his website at www.sacredlight.com

Visionary artist Paul Heussenstamm is one of the leading Mandala artists in the western hemisphere. As a renowned teacher and fourth generation artist, Paul has been sharing his unique gift of helping people discover their Soul through his paintings and Art As A Spiritual Path workshops worldwide. Paul has created over 800 unique and spiritual paintings while passionately sharing his artistic capacity to explore and create Sacred Art from many traditions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. His Artwork can be viewed at www.mandalas.com

Martina Hoffmann, German-born, spent part of her childhood in Cameroon, West Africa. She majored in art and sculpting at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt Germany. Hoffmann currently works as a painter and sculptress. Much of her imagery addresses the sacred feminine, while her sculptural work shows undeniable African influences. Her paintings fall within the realm of Visionary Art and have been greatly inspired by a visual language generated in expanded states of consciousness such as the dream state, meditation, spontaneous visions, and from experiences with entheogenic plants. She has designed covers for CDs, such as Kitaro's 'Mandala'. Martina has been a guest speaker at Naropa Institute, the Prophets Conference and the Mindstates Conference. Presently she teaches painting workshops in the US and Europe with her husband Robert Venosa. Hoffmann's work has been exhibited internationally, as well as being published in books such as One Source, Sacred Journeys, The Return of The Great Goddess, Celebrating Women's Spirituality, Noospheres, Illuminatus, and Drinking Lightning. Her work can also be seen in the magazines: Magical Blend, Shaman's Drum, Wellbeing, Expose, We'Moon, and Nexus.' You can view more of her work at www.martinahoffmann.com.

Daniel B. Holeman is a visionary artist residing in the Bay Area. He invites the viewer to dive into a deeper dimension of consciousness while viewing his paintings. The imagery stirs forgotten awareness of a place felt to be HOME - a warm, familiar and heartfelt state of mind - a welcome contrast to the day-to-day world we live in. Rather than appealing only to select markets, such as "New Age" and "Spiritual", his work appeals to a good percentage of people in all categories - perhaps anyone who appreciates that heartfelt place - thus crossing race, social, gender, religious and ethnic boundaries. His Web Site, www.AwakenVisions.com, is a special world to explore and enjoy - a Domain of Beauty, Insight, Transformation and Awakening. In addition to the artwork, Awaken Visions is a haven for truth seekers, consciousness explorers and all who know, don't know, or want to know what it's all about.

David Joaquin was born and raised in California, and currently resides in northern Oregon. He began painting visions and dreams, and also works with exotic woods such as milo, koa, hau, and mango. His mother, an emigrant from Colombia and an artist herself, was his first art teacher. His illustrations have appeared in numerous publications such as The Land and People of the Colorado Plateau, Dreams: Science Art and the Unconscious Mind, and most recently, Mountain Spirit: The Sheepeater Indians of the Yellowstone. His artwork can be viewed at www.twohawkstudio.com

Sherab Khandro is a sculpture, painter and Tibetan Buddhist nun residing in Sedona, Arizona. She is one of a handful of Western ordained Buddhists who have received formal training in bringing forth sacred images of the Divine Goddess in the prescribed Tibetan way. She is also the Sacred Arts Director for the Kunzang Palyul Choling Stupa and Temple project in Sedona, Arizona. She is represented by Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona and can be contacted through their website at: www.GoldensteinArt.com.

Earthlyn Marselean Manuel is an author, painter and sculptor living in Northern California. She has a Ph.D. in Transformation and Consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is the author of Seeking Enchantment: A Spiritual Journey of Healing from Oppression (Kasai River Press), the Black Angel Cards: A Soul Revival Guide for Black Women (Harper San Francisco), and she is a contributing author to Dharma, Color, and Culture: New Voices in Western Buddhism (Parallax), an anthology of essays by Buddhist teachers and practitioners of color. Also, her work has appeared in numerous publications including, Turning Wheel (magazine of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship), Wind Bell (S.F. Zen Center magazine), and Mindfulness Bell (Thich Nhat Hanh's magazine). She has an upcoming essay called "Zen Liberation in the Art of Romare Bearden in the International Review of African American Art" from Hampton University.

Mariela de la Paz is a Chilean-born artist who now lives in the San Fransisco Bay Area. Primarily a self-taught painter, she later began to merge her passions for shamanism and painting into the creation of visionary artwork. After considerable travel, Mariela settled in northern California in 1989, where she attended the Mother Peace School of Female Shamanism. In 2001, after spending months in virtual solitude, and also fasting she experienced a cosmic awakening through her work with plant medicines. Today, her art is devoted to portraying shamanistic themes derived from her indigenous Mapuche ancestry and from visions obtained during plant medicine journey work. Mariela has exhibited her art extensively in the San Fransisco Bay Area, and is featured ongoing at the Rainbow Body Gallery at the Open Secret Bookstore in San Rafael, California. To see examples of her paintings visit her website at: www.marieladelapaz.com

Lauren Raine, MFA, is a visual artist, writer, and teacher. She studied traditions of Temple Masks in Bali, and in 1999 created 20 mulicultural Masks of Goddesses for the Spiral Dance ritual and celebration performance in San Francisco. She is the author of a book of poetry titled A House of Doors, a novel titled The Song of Medusa, and is currently seeking to publish her book on the Theatre of the Goddess. Her work may be seen on her website at www.rainwalker.com

Arizona photographer Raechel Running creates images that are more than just photographs. In pursuit of beauty, photography as a way of life has inspired Running to walk the road less traveled. The spirit of the American West--classic, free, and something different, infuses her work. Freelancing for over fifteen years, Raechel's work has been displayed internationally in editorials, for corporations, musicians, travelers, and in fine art exhibits. She also conducts creative workshops in visual literacy as an artist in residency in schools across the country. Most recently she is creating work to help save the planet's rain forests for the Amazon Conservation Association. You can view her photography on her website at: rmrunningfoto.com

Eva Sullivan Sakmar is a visionary painter and environmentalist. She spent time in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, swimming with dolphins and sea turtles. Her spiritual quest and travels to sacred sites worldwide have been instrumental in transforming her work into its current form of expression. Her work is often used as a meditative journeying tool for accessing one's own portal to higher dimensions. Eva's intent is that her work serves the highest good of the viewer. You can view more of her artwork on her website at: www.stardolphin.com.

Sandra Stanton, a native New Yorker, was first inspired by her surroundings and started out painting in a social realist genre in the early seventies. In the early eighties, her work was concerned with themes from classical mythology, set in post-nuclear holocaust ruins at sunrise. By the mid-eighties, her work centered on the portrayal of women deities in the mythologies of world cultures. Her work has been widely exhibited both here and abroad, and has been published in a number of magazines and books. Amber Lotus published a series of calendars of her work from 1999 through 2002, as well as note cards and a journal from the same series. She also did the paintings for , The Goddess Wisdom Cards, published by Great Goddess Press in 1999. She moved to Maine in 1989 to enjoy the peace and serenity of nature in all Her seasons. More of her work can be seen on her website, The Goddess in World Mythology, at www.goddessmyths.com

Theresa Sharrar has lived most of her life in the rural countryside of Oregon, as well as Hawaii and British Columbia. She has found great inspiration in the natural elements of these places. Her journey as a serious painter began in Hawaii, and now continues in Oregon. Much of her work is in response to being female and experiencing the wildness of the earth. Along with producing her own work, Theresa teaches art classes in her studio and works in a local co-operative gallery of which she is a founding member. While she doesn't have a website yet, she can be contacted via email at: tandr750@hotmail.com.

Rose V. Sharrar is a mystical painter and illustrator in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She grew up in northern Oregon in a family of six siblings, all of whom discovered drawing, painting, and music at an early age. The conservative region in which she spent her childhood was incongruous with her developing sense of inner direction, so she left home at sixteen and spent her later teens and adulthood living and working in several different states, where she sought to find her creative/spiritual niche. She currently lives in New Mexico, is studying art, and aspires towards personal and planetary healing. She can be reached by email at: goldaught@yahoo.com

Carey Thompson is a visionary artist residing in San Francisco, California where he now focuses on his artistic endeavors. Carey describes his work as holomorphic transmission vision crystals. The imagery is sourced from the universal matrix, and crystallizes into form onto templates based on sacred geometry and other patterns of nature. Beginning usually with only a seed of intention, the color and form evolve unconsciously to create the finished art. Revealing the interconnectedness of all things is the primary intention of Carey's artwork. His Artwork can be viewed at www.galactivation.com.

Karen Vogel is a renowned intuitive who is widely known as co-creator of the Motherpeace Tarot deck and as a tarot reader, teacher and writer, as well as an extraordinary artist. Karen is a rogue scholar--known for innovative thinking in the fields of anthropology and natural history. She has a degree in anthropology, and a background in women's studies, art and shamanism. She grew up in New York City but fell in love with the wild places of western North America as a teenager. She's lived there ever since, and explored many places in the intermountain and far west. Karen's art has appeared prominently in a number of well-known performances and public rituals in the Bay Area, California. She was the altar sculptor and designer for Jennifer Berezan's concerts, "Praises and ReTurning to the Mother of Us All." To view her artwork, see her website at: www.motherpeace.com

Blaze Warrender is an Australian-born shamanistic painter. As a self-taught artist, her fascination with texture and medium led her to apprenticeships in Italy & Guernsey and a course in Chinoiserie brush techniques at Beijing University, China. In the early nineties she began painting on canvas, and found that influences from her past allowed her to express the colorful, surreal imagery of her inner world. She has exhibited in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, and has been represented in various magazines. Her artistic mission is to explore the transformative processes of art therapy, transpersonal psychology and shamanism as a means to heal herself and the planet. Her artwork can be viewed on her website at: www.blazewarrender.com

Julia Weaver, MFT, BFA, is an environmental arts educator, a licensed psychotherapist, and an exhibiting artist. She has more than 20 years experience combining the arts, and cross cultural practices, particularly the creation of mandalas and gardens for individual, community, and global healing. Her 25 years of spiritual practice include Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, Navajo and Sufi traditions. Since 1996, she has offered mandala workshops for adults and children in her studio in the San Francisco Bay area and across the US, as well as dolphin swims retreats in Hawaii. Her adult workshops were featured in New Age Journals Body and Soul (spring 2001), and she co-facilitated a workshop for children with Julia Butterfly Hill and Jane Goodall at the Kinship with All Life conference held in San Francisco. A passionate environmental arts educator, Julia designs and facilitates rites-of-passage ceremonies and combines the Mandala Process with tree planting, gardening, and collages to promote community revitalization and ecological healing. Her mandalas can be viewed at www.mandalaweaver.com.

Roberto Venosa (need bio and image). Artwork can be viewed at www.venosa.com

Jonathan Weber is a visionary artist and mystic whose recent works include a meditation on the archetypes of the divine feminine. He began private tutorship for drawing and painting at the age of eight, but later left the academic realm of art to explore his emerging style on his own. His painting talents and intuitive abilities have grown alongside his passion for the mystical, as he set his mind on spiritual pursuits from the age of 13, taking him through studies of Shamanism, Taoism, Buddhism, Yoga, Sufism, Christianity, and Advaita Vedanta. Deeply committed to social action and environmental preservation, he has found a way to address the devastation of the earth and violence towards each other by re-introducing these forgotten images of the Goddess into contemporary visions of art. He has recently moved to Norway after years of living simply in the mountains of Southern Oregon. His work has been published on numerous covers of "Alternatives" magazine, the cover of Tarot and Healing; Messages From the Archetypes, by Toni Gilbert, and in Margaret Starbird's new book Mary Magdalene; Bride In Exile. For more information, view his website at altarimagestudio.com.

Daniel Wilson, visionary artists and graphic designer was born one spooky Halloween in 1981 in California, and raised in the tranquil pine forests of southern Oregon. For Daniel, art has been a process of self discovery, emerging from subconscious primordial forces as an expression through him than by his will alone. For more information, view his website at: http://lanternarius.deviantart.com/

Visionary artist Auneea White began her artistic journey in New Zealand. Her spiritual search led her to Sedona, Arizona where she joined an intentional spiritual community and simultaneously began to delve into Cosmo art. She has exhibited her work at the CosmoArt gallery in Sedona, Arizona. She can be contacted at: galleria@cosmoart.org

Willowela Wilson is a visionary artist currently residing in Sedona, Arizona. She tapped into her artistic abilities early in life, exposing herself to a wide variety of cultures and lifestyles while traveling throughout Europe, North Africa, and North America. Her artwork has a cosmic flare to it, expressing the spiritual, universal connection of all beings. Willowela is also a vocalist in the Bright and Morning Star Band. She can be reached at the following email address: galleria@cosmoart.org

Ausmaminea Wonson is a painter, musician, and culinary artist residing in Sedona, Arizona. After studying for a couple of years at a fine arts college in New South Wales in her late teens, she went on to do freelance design work in commercial art. Upon moving to the United States, she became involved in a spiritual community in Sedona, Arizona and has exhibited her work at CosmoArt gallery. For more information about her work, email her at: ausmaminea@yahoo.com

More Artists who have yet to submit bios:
Max Dashu: www.supressedhistories.com
Marcia Snedecor: www.homestead.com
Catherine Andrews: www.catherineandrews.com
Mara Friedman: www.newmoonvisions.com
Nancy Bright: www.brightcreations.com
Carole Phillips: www.radianceweb.com
Christina Miller: www.iconfusion.com
Daniel Mirante: www.lila.info/

Musicians Involved in DVD Project:

Sasha Butterfly: www.sashabutterfly.com
Heather Noel: (no website as of yet)
Elijah and the Band of Light: www.bandoflight.net
Montana Soul
Prema Mayidasi
Kan Nal? (permission pending)
Aryeh David
Duwayne Light
Shantala (Benji Wertheimer)

$40, DVD included with first edition, presale copies and free shipping!
Expected ship date spring 2009

Quantity:

	Beth Avery (painter, poet, environmentalist) Starfire Press http://www.starfirepress.com
	Barbara Beausoleil (painter, mother, belly dancer, spiritual mentor) http://www.mothergoddess.com
	Pamela Becker (painter, printmaking, writer, yoga student, dancer)
	Claudia Connelly (painter, writer, astrologer, psychic, tarot reader) http://www.claudiaconnelly.com
	Anna Christensen (musician, mother, actress, gardener, primitive skills, medicine wheel)
	Christine Dawson (painter, wood carver, reflexologist)
	Susan Deveuve (painter, mother, shaman, spiritual mentor) http://www.mcn.org/b/sdeveuve/
	Jane Evershed www.janeevershed.com
	Rose Frances www.rosewagnerfrances.com
	Emma Gardner (painter, sculptor, jeweler)
	Mellissa Harris (painter, yoga student) http://www.melissaharris.com
	Alexis Holle (painter, jewelry designer, mother)
	Hrana Janto (painter, poet,) http://www.hranajanto.com
	Francene Hart (painter, visionary, sacred geometry) http://www.francenehart.com
	Martina Hoffmann (painter, visionary) Still Pending http://www.martinahoffmann.com
	Denise Kester www.drawingonthedream.com
	Cher Lynn (painter, shaman, spiritual mentor, psychic, healer) http://www.Mysticartmedicine.com
	Grace Mantle gracemantlestudios.com
	Uma Rhiannon Rose (painter, writer, psychic, healer, massage therapist, mother) http://www.rhiannons-visions.com
	Raechel Running www.rmrunningfoto.com
	Theresa Sharrar (painter, art teacher, mother, gardener, belly dancer)
	Rose Sharrar (painter, illustrator, poet)
	Tria Schwarts (painter, visionary, gardener) http://www.triagallery.com
	Sandra Stanton www.goddessmyths.com
	Susan Stedman (court reporter, musician, mother, gardener, tarot reader)
	Eva Sakmar Sullivan www.theleftside.com
	Julia Weaver (mandala painter, therapist, mother, dancer) http://www.mandalaweaver.com
	Alba Wejebe (photographer, painter, mystic) http://www.albaelena.com
	Auneea White (painter, visionary)
	Willowela Wilson (painter, visionary, musician, spiritual mentor)
	Ausmaminea Wonson (painter, mother, spiritual advisor)

DVD | Book

Women Artists and Identity Formation in a Postmodern Society

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