How can the past inform and inspire the present?
Female divinities were a recognised part of the rhythms and rituals of life in much of the ancient world, and Goddess imagery has become important again as a spiritual focus in our troubled modern world. This one-day symposium brings together a group of archaeologists, anthropologists, theologians and practitioners, all of whom engage with female divinity in different ways. Feminist theologians and Goddess practitioners explore spirituality in the present and for the future, often calling upon the past as inspiration or metaphor. Archaeologists are concerned with rediscovering and interpreting the past, but are increasingly conscious that their interpretations are shaped by the world views and agendas of the present. For all of us, the interaction between the past, as expressed through archaeology and mythology, and the present is important. In the morning, our panel will reflect on how we each engage with and experience the dialogue between archaeology and the Goddess, between past an
