Matriarchal Studies
featured ACADEMIES
Female Figurine.
Provenance not known,
type known from northern Iran.
First millennium b.c.e.
Red-brownburnished terracotta,
22.9 x 8.9 x 6 cm.
Anonymous loan, L77.8
MODERN MATRIARCHAL STUDIES, SPIRITUAL
FEMINISM, OLD EUROPE PREHISTORIC FINDING AND
THE GREAT GODDESS MYSTERIES REVEALED TO ME IN MY EARLY SIXTIES.
by sabina Santovetti
A journey to the roots of everything.
The discovery of this Matriarchal knowledge came through Schumacher College’s studies, which came through my spiritual ecological studies that I started while in Extinction Rebellion movement and the Work that Reconnects Network. In the last five years, my commitment to volunteer climate and ecological activism put my profession on the side, transforming and refining my inner journey. The exercise of writing my Eco-sophy in the first module of Schumacher College deepened the quest. Slowly but surely I found myself investigating the Energy of Mother Earth, the Great Goddess in history and religion, Witchcraft in Spirituality and honoring the Pain of Witches‘ hunts in history. I found myself in the Great Feminine of different Cultures as mythology, art and healing. I discovered the outstanding and innovative genial studies of Marija Gimbutas on prehistoric matrilineal societies.
02
Feminine Regenerative Cultures
I read The Chalice and the Blade or When God was a Woman and found myself wondering about all the pieces of feminine historic information I had lost because of patriarchal obscurantism even when studying in prestigious Institutions like the Sorbonne in Paris. This ignorance and numbness was a very painful realization, other times anger was predominant, mostly I was fascinated and determined to take these knowledges and awareness to others in active hope that the future will be in the rediscovery of the Feminine Energy in all of us. Moreover, to look at it with care and attention, I decided to write and title my thesis: “Feminine Regenerative Cultures: Weaving the Feminine in myself and the Spirit of the Goddess in my life and in other people’s life”. Writing about my journey, the Feminine in history, my feminine and the patriarchal violence and abuse of the Feminine as energy and gender through the ages. I also realized in this writing process that the feminine had been a recurrent obsession in my life.
03
Feminine Ecology of Wisdom
First as a woman then as an art historian, more as an architect in the profession and as a philosopher of spaces, deeply as an artist and finally as an activist because still today, the patriarchal society strongly attaches to its androcentric rules power, leaving very little space to women and continuing its abuses. I live it constantly on my body and soul. To me Feminine Spiritual Ecology is a form of activism and this is when in my studies the name of Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth appeared in my readings. I started by reading two of her books, Matriarchal Societies and The Dancing Goddess, that I enjoyed deeply as an artist and woman. I discovered her noble life and the Hagia Academia she founded. This is when it occurred to me that it was time to make another shift and consider the Matriarchal study path as a mean to deepen my ecological wisdom. I was honored to be accepted in her 7Th Study Course with a scholar like Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth. Age 63 years young, woman, mother, sustainable architect, designer, feminist, artist, educator, lifetime spiritual seeker and wicce. Moreover, time to be in the Feminine Ecology of Wisdom. Time to become an ecological design facilitatress and creatress of feminine wisdom.
Female Figurine.
Provenance not known,
type known from northern Iran.
First millennium b.c.e.
Red-brownburnished terracotta,
22.9 x 8.9 x 6 cm.
Anonymous loan, L77.8
