Reclaiming suppressed histories of the feminine: A conversation with Max Dashu

Feminist scholar and artist Max Dashu joins hostess Sara Jolena Wolcott to delve into matriarchal societies and the rich breadth and depth of histories of the divine feminine and various forms of female leadership. Max shares how to navigate colonial and patriarchal narratives in your own cultural lineage as part of uncovering the rich heritage of women's leadership, spiritual power, and cultural contributions that have been systematically erased or minimized. Don't miss Max's 56 years of research into suppressed women's histories!

Key Topics Discussed

Decolonizing Historical Narratives [04:21 - 12:26]

• How mainstream history gatekeeps women's stories
• The bias of written records from "elite men of dominant societies"
• Why we must look beyond Western Civilization narratives

The Archaeological Evidence [08:08 - 15:12]

• Ancient female figurines across continents
• How women's representation changes from Paleolithic/Neolithic to later periods
• The contrast between female self-representation and the male gaze

Women as Inventors and Culture Creators [10:16 - 13:09]

• "Mother tech" - women's innovations in agriculture, tool-making, and language
• Women's role in creating the "life support matrix for humanity"
• Grinding stones, basket weaving, and the origins of agriculture

Matriarchal Societies and Mother Law [26:02 - 36:38]

• Characteristics of matriarchal/egalitarian societies: matrilineal descent, matrilocal residence, social motherhood
• Non-aggression codes and communitarian ethos
• Women's public spiritual leadership across cultures

Global Examples of Women's Power

Africa [19:02 - 26:02]

• The Saharan rock art and the "Lady of Aouanrhet"
• Rain goddesses and rainbow beings in African traditions
• Pre-dynastic Egyptian ceremonial practices

Ancient Near East [16:48 - 19:02]

• Asherah in Hebrew tradition - the suppressed goddess who stood in the Jerusalem temple
• Mother of the Gods figures across Mesopotamian cultures
• Linguistic connections between Asherah, Athirat, and Ashtoreth

West Africa [36:38 - 38:42]

• Market women's economic power
• Yorùbá priestesses
• South African isangoma (diviners/medicine women)

The Complexity of Patriarchalization [45:14 - 53:31]

• Patriarchy as historical process, not inevitable human condition
• The case of India: layers of patriarchy from Indo-European invasion to colonization

Goddess Traditions in Patriarchal Societies [48:59 - 55:31]

• Why India maintains goddess worship despite extreme patriarchy
• Sanskritization and cultural appropriation of indigenous goddesses

Reclaiming European Ancestral Practices [56:14 - 01:04:08]

• Pattern recognition vs. cultural appropriation
• Spinning, weaving, and the distaff as women's spiritual power

Sacred Technologies

• Spinning and weaving as spiritual practice
• The distaff and drop spindle across cultures
• Songs and chants that accompanied women's work

Medicine for Our Times [01:03:01 - 01:10:42]

• The power of lamentation as ritual and political practice
• Why we need to grieve collectively for current atrocities