Starr Goode
Audio Recording of November 8, 1991
Enjoy the recordings of the world premiere of Marija Gimbutas's book, Civilization of the Goddess. This ecstatic evening took place on November 8, 1991 as Marija delivers to a euphoric crowd what she considers the best talk she ever gave. Produced by Starr Goode at First Christian Church, Santa Monica, CA.
Welcome: Starr Goode
Invocation: Ruth Barrett
Comments: Michael Herity
Introduction: Gloria Orenstein
Talk: Marija Gimbutas
Documentary:
Voice of the Goddess
A documentary about the world premiere of The Civilization of the Goddess as well as additional interviews with Marija and long time colleagues. A moving portrait of one of the great figures of the 20th century. Produced and directed by Lollie Ragana for Santa Monica City TV.
The Goddess in Art, a cable TV series:
The Goddess In Art is a cable TV series that began in 1986 and ran until 1991. Dedicated to the Return of the Goddess, the series explores the legacy of this oldest tradition in art and the resurgence of feminist spirituality in contemporary art.
Marija Gimbutas, Part I
Marija Gimbutas, Part II
My Adventures with Marija
In 1986, around the time of the start of the Goddess in Art TV series, I had an experience that changed my life—I met Marija Gimbutas. One of the great figures of the twentieth century, Marija literally unearthed the past to gift us with our natural heritage. I interviewed her twice on my TV show. And we became friends with many visits and conversations over the years.
With Goddess Project LA (Charles Sherman, Nancy Ann Jones, and myself), we produced book events for The Language of the Goddess and The Civilization of the Goddess. Language debuted on Friday the 13th, October 1989 at the Santa Monica Bay Women's Club. The world premiere of The Civilization of the Goddess took place on November 8, 1991 in the First Christian Church in Santa Monica.
I had the privilege to coordinate three rituals for Marija. When her cancer returned in 1989, my coven Nemesis did a healing ritual for Marija at her Topanga home. Outside in the summer night, the nine priestesses of Nemesis circled round Marija, our faces were painted black and white in the phases of the moon. Marija got a sense of a living practice of the goddess religion. Later, she asked "Where did you learn to do that ?" Part of the answer was, "From you!"
In the fall of 1989 at a yurt overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Goddess community gathered to invoke the regenerating power of the Great Mother. In the ritual, women and men placed their healing intentions for Marija into a bowl of holy water gathered from sacred sites around the world. Then at center of the circle, twelve priestesses anointed their hands with the water and placed them on Marija's body. All the while, the outer circle chanted, raising energy. Afterwards, Marija danced out of the tent and into the night.
Sadly, the next ritual was the last. A memorial celebration took place in the Topanga mountains after she died in February 1994. Her daughters, friends, and extended Goddess community came together in a field with three trees. In those trees, we placed our blessings for the journey of Marija's spirit and for the influence of her work to flourish. I would not allow the ritual to be filmed—it was a thing created for the eternity of that moment.
