Course FAQ and Background
The most frequently asked question is, When does the course meet? There is no set meeting day except for the occasional webcasts. Those will be held in at least two separate times to accomodate our transcontinental subscribership. (More information about those will be posted as they're announced.)
This course uses an organic approach that doesn't easily fit into Week 1, Week 2 lesson plans. I post new material and resources as they develop, not on a set day. We'll work from information posted on the womanshaman listserv, essays and images on the course main page, web articles, videos, and other resources.
Don't be shy about posting comments or informatin, or asking questions. Participation is encouraged, though it is up to you. There are no exams, grades or papers. The listserv is intended as a forum for discussion, so have at it!
See the course main page for links to readings, image pages, and web resources. A good place for new subscribers to catch up and find their bearings. Even better, because more complete, is to go through the previous posts in the WomanShaman logs.
An asterix in the subject line of my posts will flag important content for the course: readings, image pages, etc. Example: [womanshaman] * New Reading. (Please delete asterisk when replying.)
Please feel free to comment or ask questions on the listserv. All levels of knowledge are welcome, and we value other kinds of wisdom than written or academic information. You are welcome to introduce yourselves.
If you have admin-type questions (subcription, yahoo tech, or payment questions) see this page. If the answer is not there, email me about them.
Please change the subject line when shifting topics in the discussion forum. This makes it easier for everyone to track subjects they are interested in, and will help to ensure responses to your posts and queries. This is important to keep in mind when you post by hitting Reply!
There's no requirement to read all the posts on the WomanShaman listserv. You're welcome to ignore posts that go over your volume comfort-quotient, or your technical depth. If you feel there are too many to read, save them for later or just delete the ones that don't interest you.
You have the option of changing your settings from Individual Emails to Daily Digest, which compiles a day's posts into one email. (I prefer individual emails because you can delete posts you have read or don't need, and keep others that you want for easy future reference.) See How to change settings.
There's a an online log of all WomanShaman posts, but it is more cumbersome to work your way through the yahoo web interface than to save unread messages to look at when more convenient. You may want to assign them a special mailbox in your email setup.
The WomanShaman group site also has sections for Photos, Files, and Links which members can upload. You can view them by signing in and looking for the links at the left side of the page.
There is no requirement on this course to be on Goddess path (although this is a safe space for that) and to have any spiritual orientation or disidentification: All are welcome. The only requirement is respectful discourse, but that does not rule out civil disagreement.
This course is not academic, but it is scholarly. The aim is to lay authentic groundwork documenting women's spiritual leadership, practices, and traditions, using quality sources and working with what historic images can tell us. Our approach is interdisciplinary, synthesizing recorded history, literature, archaeology (especially the iconographic record), oral tradition, comparative religion, and linguistics. We avoid spurious etymologies not grounded in hstorical linguistics (linking Kali with Cailleach, for example) and theories that conflict with documented history and archaeology. However, unfounded doctrines of historical orthodoxy will be subjected to critical examination.
Research Notes Tips that may be useful to you.
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