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:

The Call of the Fire: A 6 Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

The Call of the Fire is an intimate, 6-month group coaching program designed to help you experience your true power at a deeper level than you’ve ever known before. While patriarchal systems of domination have taught us that power is about control, hierarchy and the hoarding of resources, through The Call of the Fire you’ll learn that there’s a different, older, more time-tested way to understand and employ power. Once we know this, there’s no turning back. Rooted in the rich, yet largely hidden herstorical and mythological record of the ancient feminine, The Call of the Fire will introduce you to the secret roots of female power we all have encoded deep within us. And via group coaching, experiential exercises and more, help you access these roots to live your fullest, most unfettered life. The program begins with a 5-day, 4-night kick-off retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii October 15-19, 2025. For the following six months, we'll meet twice monthly via Zoom to explore 6 specific aspects of female power; practice accessing and embodying this power in your own life; and drop into deep community with your fellow sister seekers. You’ll also have access to tons of additional learning resources and the opportunity to meet 1:1 with me to clarify your goals and work on specific areas you may need support on. Learn more at www.hometoher.com!

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