The entire conference was a spiritual celebration

In matriarchal cultures knowledge, politics and spirituality are interconnected rather than separate from each other. This is also the approach taken by the leaders of the conference on Matriarchal Studies and Politics. Thus, they created the entire conference as a spiritual celebration.

Even the conference venue, the St. Gallen Symphony Hall, with its staircases and rooms, was festive, decorated with Lydia Ruyle’s banners depicting goddesses from around the world. The images surrounded the participants everywhere, and lent an atmosphere of celebration and peace. Each morning the conference day was begun by one of the internationally-known scholars who also are priestesses: the artist Lydia Ruyle (USA); Kathy Jones of England, who founded the goddess temple at Glastonbury (Avalon); and the author Vicki Noble (USA).

The spiritual grounding of the con-ference was created, together with all the participants, by Cécile Keller, who, in the park next to the symphony hall, led a series of daily rituals that build upon each other, developing day by day: the “Circle of the World.” It is the symbolic image of Earth: a circle demarcated with the quadrants of the four directions – a symbol known in Europe since the Paleolithic, and one that lives on to this day in indigenous peoples’ cultures. In this central ritual, from day to day the various continents came together via the women whose peoples and cultures came from those places. All the rituals were accompanied by priestess-drummers Isabella Verbruggen und Loes Moezelaar of the Netherlands.

On the first day, the “Light of Hope” appeared in white, from the east side of the circle, and the indigenous women of Asia came forward, bringing prayers and songs from their cultures. On the second day, the “Light of Love” appeared in red in the southern quadrant, where the indigenous women of Africa danced and sang for Mother Earth. On the third day, it was the “Light of Healing” in blue that stood – in the pouring rain – in the west, and the indigenous women of the Americas brought gifts from their cultures. On the fourth day, the northern quadrant was filled with the “Light of Actualization” in black, and the women of Europe (and Euro-American women). The “Circle of the World,” made present at the conference by all the women and their spiritual power, was thus made visible in this ritual, as was the sisterly connection of the participants with each other. The energy of the four lights was offered to Mother Earth for healing, and with gratitude.

The Light of Hope appears

 

 

East. The Light of Hope – Women of Asia with the Light of Hope

1. The Light of Hope

We bring to you, Mother Earth, the light of hope in these dark times:

• The light of hope that children will have a future without fear, and will enjoy protection and love;
• The light of hope for the hungry, for their nourishment and their livelihoods;
• The light of hope for all refugees, that they find integration and safety;
• The light of hope for us women, that we can live out our values;
• The light of hope that humankind may achieve the knowledge of a life without violence, a life of peace;
• The light of hope for all beings that exist in harmony with the earth.

We bring the light of hope for your renewal, Mother Earth.

South. The Light of Love and Women from Africa

2. The Light of Love

We bring to you, Mother Earth, the light of love in these loveless times.

• The light of love for all your manifestations:
  Your sky, your sun, your weather,
  Your streams, your rivers, your seas,
  Your winds, your storms, your breath,
  Your canyons, your mountains, your deep caves;
• The light of love for all your beauty!
• The light of love for all your beings,
  Your flowers, trees, forests; your animals of the water, the land, and the air;
• The light of love for your humans on every continent: so diverse and so very pleasing to you;
• The light of love for all your diversity!

We bring you the light of love, so you can thoroughly renew your self.

West. The Light of Healing and Women from America



At the closing of the conference the women made a long procession through the streets of St. Gallen, to bring the energy of this matriarchy conference into the public arena. The two drummers and the priestesses of Academy HAGIA, all in brilliant white, were followed by more than 200 women. They carried the colourful goddess banners by Lydia Ruyle, which waved above their heads as they walked. Singing, they went past the labyrinth made in the park by the Zurich women, and on into the Old Town to ancient sacred places.

 

At one time St. Gallus – for whom the city is named – proselytized here, and suppressed the old goddess religion. He founded the St. Gallen Cloister with its world-famous library, constructing it precisely over the narrow gorge and sacred creek that was worshipped then. In the Christian legend, on this very spot St. Gallus cast out “two devils in naked female bodies,” which suggests that he cast out water priestesses who guarded an ancient water goddess in her holy creek with its natural pools.

 

The women’s procession honored, at the Cloister Square, the disappeared goddesses and priestesses, and called upon their energies.

Another place visited was the spring associated with the wise, saintly Frau Wyborada; here the procession stopped. Water nymphs and goddesses were again called upon, so that the world could be whole again, and in their names the water from the spring was sprinkled about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over the heads of the women unfurled the large banner, “Gruess Goettin” by Ursula Beiler (a word play referring to the commonplace German greeting, “Gruess Gott”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the women returned, they opened the circle which had been cast at the beginning of the conference. In that way, the whole conference took place in this spiritual frame.