When we spend time with the herstorical record of the Sacred Feminine, we might be surprised to find that some of the most well-known Goddesses are far more complex than we've been told. Such is the case with the Greek Goddess Artemis, who is the subject of my discussion with this episode's guest, Dr. Carla Ionescu. Carla’s research centers on the influential nature of Artemis across Anatolia, the Mediterranean and the Balkans. As one of the leading experts in the worship and ritual of the Goddess Artemis, Dr. Ionescu spends most of her time teaching in the field of Ancient History and Women’s Studies, and/or applying for grants to support her research travels. In the summers she scavenges new locations and cities worldwide, digging through the remains of grave sites, ruins, and abandoned buildings, trying to uncover the long-lost mystery that is Artemis, The Great Mother. She is also the author of the book, She Who Hunts: Artemis – the Goddess Who Changed the World.

On this episode, we discuss:

• Carla's ongoing spiritual journey, and why it's only been fairly recently that she's begun identifying as a pagan and Goddess worshipper
• Her evolving relationship with Artemis, and how it spans research, academia, and more mystical experiences
• The challenge of deeply exploring the spiritual nature of the Sacred Feminine within the confines of academic institutions
• The unknown and more complicated aspects of Artemis - and why this complexity is exactly what we need right now

Show Notes 

• If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/
• You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.
• Please check out Home to Her Academy, my school dedicated to seekers of Sacred Feminine wisdom! www.hometoheracademy.com.   And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming classes.
• My book, “Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine,” is available from Womancraft Publishing! To learn more, read endorsements and purchase, please visit  https://womancraftpublishing.com/product/home-to-her/. It is also available for sale via Amazon, Bookshop.org, and you can order it from your favorite local bookstore, too.
• Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review! For the podcast, reviews on iTunes are extremely helpful, and for the book, reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are equally helpful. Thank you for supporting my work!
• You can watch this and other podcast episodes at the Home to Her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@hometoher
• You can learn more about Carla at her website: www.artemisresearchcentre.com. You can also find her on social media @artemisexpert, and at The Goddess Project podcast. 
• Carla mentioned the story of the nymph Callisto and Artemis. You can read more about this encounter here: https://madelinemiller.com/myth-of-the-week-callisto/
• She also mentioned the story of Artemis and Acteon. More information here: https://ancient-literature.com/artemis-and-actaeon/
• Carla referred to the work of Max Dashu, who is the creator behind Suppressed Histories Archives. Max was an early guest on this podcast, and you can listen to that episode here: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/reclaiming-womens-histories-with-max-dashu

For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher 

To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com 

And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated! 

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep dive with: • Powerful Sacred Feminine figures, drawn from history and mythology, who will serve as our sovereignty guides along the way • Transformational practices rooted in creativity, play, energy work, ritual, ceremony and even magic • Embodiment practices, including dance, yoga, and other intuitive movement exercises to tap into the wisdom of the body • The Enneagram as a tool for understanding the human psyche and our individual personality types • Yogic philosophy, creative writing and journaling exercises, and much more • The power of the group field that we cultivate to dive deep and be witnessed fully for who we are, allowing the property of emergence to support our becoming The journey kicks off with an opening retreat on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii, September 12-15, 2024. From there, we’ll gather twice a month over the next 9 months via Zoom, and we’ll wrap up in June 2025 with a closing retreat at Hestia Magic Retreat Center, located in the shadow of majestic Mount Shasta, California. To learn more, apply, and/or book a discovery call, visit: https://www.hometoheracademy.com/course/we-are-sovereign