Friday - June 4, 2010 – 7:30 - 9:30pm

Please RSVP as space is limited.

In ancient times, priestesses delivered the wisdom of the deities to guide individuals, kings, and countries in their personal and political affairs. In this provocative talk, author Marguerite Rigoglioso reveals the fascinating operations of the oracles at Delphi and Dodona in ancient Greece, exploring how women functioned as the most famous psychics and channelers of all times. Her talk will cover:

-priestesses' use of sacred medicines to induce trance

-the mystical connections of their activity with sound vibrations and light

-why such women were related symbolically to the honeybee – and what the demise of the bee might be prophesying today

-the importance of the snake as a force for healing, protection, and prediction at oracular sites

-how these oracular practices were related to an entire cult dedicated to divine birth

-the link among the oracles, virgin birth, and the Pleiades, an asterism deeply revered by the Greeks

Marguerite Rigoglioso is the author of the groundbreaking books The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece (2009) and the forthcoming Virgin Mother Goddesses of Antiquity (Sept. 2010). She holds a doctorate in humanities and a master's in philosophy and religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), as well as a bachelor's degree from Vassar College. She teaches pioneering courses in women and religion at CIIS, Dominican University, and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. For more about Marguerite or her work, visit: www.cultofdivinebirth.com