Challenging a Culture of Abuse with Karen Tate

What if domination and abuse are so intertwined with our current culture that we end up accepting them as both natural and inevitable? On the latest episode, I explore these questions and much more with Karen Tate, host of the long-running Voices of the Sacred Feminine podcast and author of the new book, "Normalizing Abuse: A Commentary on the Culture of Abuse." Karen has walked the Sacred Feminine path for more than 30 years, and has been named on one of the Thirteen Most Influential Women in Goddess Spirituality. She is also a thought leader, speaker, seven-times published author and a social justice advocate. On today's episode we explore:

• Karen's journey from her upbringing in New Orleans to living in Los Angeles, and the accompanying evolution of her spiritual views
• Karen's introduction to Goddess spirituality, and some of her experiences learning, teaching, speaking and leading retreats over the last three decades
• How her understanding of Goddess spirituality has evolved to an emphasis on activism and social justice
• What it means to turn toward partnership systems, particularly as taught by the long-time activist and scholar Riane Eisler, as a way to re-imagine a fairer, more inclusive society
• And much more!

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/
• My book, “Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine,” is now available 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
• Got feedback about this episode or others you've heard? Please reach out on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hometoher/ ), Facebook  (https://www.facebook.com/hometoher)
• You can learn more about Karen, as well as her podcast, Voices of the Sacred Feminine, and her latest book, "Normalizing Abuse: A Commentary on the Culture of Pervasive Abuse," at her website: www.karentate.net.

Karen and I discussed many resources during this episode - here are a few for further exploration:

• Karen mentioned having Noam Chomsky as a  guest on her podcast. Chomsky is a linguist and the  co-author of the classic book, "Manufacturing Consent : The Political Economy of the Mass Media"
• Karen also referenced the essay by the late Carol Christ, "Why Women Need the Goddess" - you can read the full text here: https://www.goddessariadne.org/why-women-need-the-goddess-part-1
• Mathew Fox is theologian who has written extensively about the Divine Feminine. You can learn more about his work here: https://www.matthewfox.org/
• Karen referenced the Fellowship of Isis  - more info here: http://www.fellowshipofisis.com/
• Erich Fromm was a German socio-psychologist - more on him and his work here: https://www.verywellmind.com/erich-fromm-1900-1980-2795506
• Finally, Karen referenced the work of Riane Eisler many times. Eisler is the author of the groundbreaking book "The Chalice and the Blade," and the founder of the Center for Partnership Systems: https://centerforpartnership.org/
• Article about single mothers living together from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/realestate/single-mother-households-co-living.html

Here are a few related podcast episodes you may wish to explore: 

• The Reverence Code with Shawna Bluestar Newcomb: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/the-reverence-code-with-shawna-bluestar-newcomb
• Living a Committed Life with Lynne Twist: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/living-a-committed-life-with-lynne-twist
• The Sacred Nature of Childbirth with Bridget Supple: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/the-sacred-nature-of-childbirth-with-bridget-supple
• Reclaiming Women's Histories with Max Dashu: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/reclaiming-womens-histories-with-max-dashu
• Healing Racial Trauma with Lettie Sullivan: https://hometoher.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-racial-trauma-with-lettie-sullivan

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!