Goddess Festival Presenters 2022

Zsuzsanna Budapest - Zsuzsanna Emese Budapest recognized a need for a spiritual dimension so far lacking in the feminist movement and started the Women's Spirituality Movement. She founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches' coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. She wrote The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries (Weiser Publishers, 1989) which was originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on book to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. Z was arrested in 1975 for reading Tarot cards to an undercover policewoman. She lost the trial but won the issue, and the law against psychics was struck down nine years later. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published several books on the topic. Z is the founder and leader of the Women's Spirituality Forum and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Coven.

 

Susun Weed - Susun S. Weed, a green witch and wise woman, is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish health/wholeness/holiness. She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine of the green nations for five decades. Ms. Weed's six herbal medicine books focus on women's health topics including menopause, childbearing, and breast health. Susun's newest book -- Abundantly Well - Seven Medicines -- is already being hailed as a landmark, "critically needed and timely, it redefines patient-centered care."

Visit her site www.susunweed.com for information on her workshops, apprenticeships, correspondence courses and more! Go to: www.wisewomanmentor.com for Susun's free herbal ezine and also mentorship offerings for those who want to go deeper. 

 

Lady Jesamyn Angelica -Lady Jesamyn has over 30 years' experience in the Goddess Arts, ritual, and magick and is a seasoned Ordained High Priestess, Ritualist, Teacher, Alchemical Guide, Oracle, Green Witch, Women's Empowerment Facilitator, Holistic Health Practitioner, Red Thread Carrier, and Certified Intentional Creativity Guide.

Jesamyn brings her joie de vivre, humor, and wit to all she does, combining these qualities with serious study and the practical, foundational skills in leadership, communication, and Witchcraft she has been cultivating for over three decades.

Priestess of the Luminous Void, Founder and High Priestess of Sisterhood of the Moon, Founder and Facilitator of The Women’s Mystery School of Magick & Empowerment, Lady Jesamyn is dedicated to empowering women through truth-speaking, authenticity, and self-exploration.  You can learn more about her ritual community at SisterhoodoftheMoon.org and study directly with her at WomensMysterySchool.com.

 

Miri Hunter - Miri Hunter is the Producing Artistic Director of the Hi-Desert's Thought Theatre Morongo Basin Company and Co-Founder of the Hi Desert Fringe Festival. In addition to being nominated for the 2022 National Alan Schneider Directing award,  she was also recently awarded the distinction of Best Director of a Play by Broadway World for the Palm Springs region.   She has several Desert Theatre League nominations to her credit for acting, writing, producing, as well as directing.  Her company also won nine Hi-Desert Ovation Theatre Awards for acting, producing and directing.  In addition, she has toured colleges and several performance art festivals with her  original one woman shows  “Grandmothers of the Universe,”  “Stand for Freedom Cabaret” and “The Bobby Jo Jackson Trilogy.” She is known in the Hi-Desert as the "frontman" for the Americana band Hunter and the Wick'd. Miri has been a resident of the Hi-Desert since 2013.   In her spare time she is an adjunct associate professor at St. Mary's College in Moraga CA.

 

 

 

 

 

Letecia Layson - Letecia Layson is a Filipina, Feminist, Futurist, Priestess of Morphogenesis (Form Coming Into Being) and High Priestess of Diana ordained in the Dianic Tradition: Priestess of Isis, Priestess Hierophant in The Fellowship of Isis (FOI) and The Temple of Isis. Letecia is the recipient of the 2003 Catherine Wright Award for Equality and Justice in Alternative Spiritual Awareness by Feas2t. Her activism has brought her to the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil and 13th Commission of Sustainable Development at the UN in New York, 3rd International Women's Peace Conference. https://www.centerforbabaylanstudies.org/founders-and-elders

 

 

Larissa Monfort -Larissa has been exploring her passion for West African, Congolese and Afro-Cuban rhythms since 1995 with many teachers, including Mabiba Baegne, Ubaka Hill, Carolyn Brandy, Malonga Casquelourd, Amadou Camara, Stori Davis, and Afia Walking Tree. Larissa has traveled to Guinea, West Africa several times to study dance and drum with various teachers.

Kris Freewoman -Kris is a strong advocate for women's empowerment and has been teaching dance fitness for over two decades. She taught the One Billion Rising "Break the Chain" Flashmob routine to womyn in Sebastopol, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa.

Kris is currently the Group Exercise Director at Parkpoint Health Club in Santa Rosa and teaches Tribal Core and AfroGroove in Sonoma County Health Clubs and Studios. Kris is also the Co-Producer of the Goddess Crafts Faire, Sebastopol.

 

 

 

Astarte Tzighan - Astarte’s passion for music and dance inspires her to learn and grow as an artist and a dancer. She has studied various different dance styles such as Egyptian, Turkish, Romani, Persian, Indian, Flamenco and Modern Fusion. She sees a correlation between the dances and the mythology and ritual of the ancient cultures from which they originated. She views the dances as a link to the ancient cultures of the past, and embodies sacred dance as a spiritual practice. She teaches classes and workshops designed to promote sacred dance as practice for physical, spiritual and emotional well-being and empowerment. She facilitates sacred dance workshops, women’s circles and Red Tents to create sacred spaces for women to be in support of each other.

 

 

Tinnekke Bebout - Tinnekke Bebout is a Dianic High Priestess in the lineage of Z Budapest. She is a Torchbearer and Keybearer in the Covenant of Hekate and founder of the Temple of Hekate Einalian and serves as High Priestess of the Mystai within the Temple. As leader of the Mystai, Tinnekke has been teaching a woman-positive path that focuses on the Rites and Mysteries of Hekate, among other Goddesses, as well as organizing Hekate Rising, the yearly retreat where the Mysteries are celebrated, since 2009.

Tinnekke has been practicing the divinatory arts in many forms for over 40 years.Tinnekke is the creator of The Female Mystique Tarot, co-creator of The Hekate Tarot, and has done workshops on the tarot at such events as Paganicon, Fire on the Mountain, Chicago Pagan Pride, Goddess Festivals 2008 and 2020, and Hekate Rising. Tinnekke also has taught private classes on the topic in general, and specifically on the intricasies of The Hekate Tarot both in-person and online.

 

Sandi Russi - Sandi Russi teaches Gentle Yoga in the Ananda tradition. Sandi came to yoga in 1993 initially through the practice of meditation as taught at Ananda. During an all-day meditation, she received a clear message to pursue Ananda Yoga Teacher Training and completed her 200-RYT certificate in 2001.

Sandi has taught yoga classes at Ananda, the YMCA, California State University-Sacramento, Natomas Charter School, and at various yoga studios in Sacramento. She has also taught for teens and adults at the California Homeschool Association Annual Convention, to children through Wholistic Learning Resources, and freely shares what she has learned over the years to any who want to learn.

In 2014, Sandi discovered the amazing therapeutic qualities of pure essential oils and often offers a drop of oil at the end of class to enhance deep relaxation. She also offers Aroma Bliss Yoga classes periodically for a deeper, transformative experience.

Sandi enjoys practicing yoga anywhere, anytime and is especially fond of practicing in nature, at the beach, amongst the redwoods as well as connecting deeply at the time of the full moon.

 

Lisa Crow - Lisa Crow is a Library Supervisor at the Science and Engineering Library. She graduated cum laude from the University of Southern
California with a BA in English/Creative Writing and completed her Masters in Library and Information Science at San Jose State University.  She was born and raised in Michigan, now lives in California with her partner Crow, their daughter Catherine, their two boys,  and various and
sundry furry folk.  

 Lisa is a Dianic Wiccan Priestess in the lineage of Zsuzsanna Budapest. She also trained briefly in shamanism. She has written three novels, has a fourth pending, and sold a short story to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Sword and Sorceress anthology. Her writing has also appeared in Of a Like Mind, the journal of the Reformed Congregation of the Goddess.  She holds the title of Senior Editor and Head of West Coast Marketing and Acquisitions for Peddlers Group Publishing. In addition, Lisa is freelance editor who works with self-publishing authors to prepare their manuscripts for publication.

 

Ella Hope - Ella Hope is a Dianic High Priestess in the lineage of Zsuzsanna Budapest. Ella Hope: Healing Through Nature Author & Practice-Guide. Her Work includes: two 500-page sourcebooks: Healing Through Nature: A Self-Healing Practice & Reference Guide: I & II (2010);  A Course in Healing Through Nature: Life-Skills & Practices for the New Frontier & Paradigm of Mother Earth (2019); the Healing Through Nature Online Educational Forum with 9-month Intensive; Advanced Shamanic Coursework (working with larger landscapes); with Invitation to the 30-minute online Healing Through Nature: Daily Practice (Community forum & FB Group).  Blessings, in Her Service.