S/HE Forum #1

Forum 1 (0.25 Credit)

Title: The Great Goddess of the Winter Sky

Time: 9AM to 11AM PST on Jan 10 and Jan 24 (two sessions of 2 hours per session)

Organizer/Instructor: Helen Benigni Ph.D. in USA

Summary: The Forum Session “The Great Goddess of the Winter Sky” presents the attributes of the Goddess in her many forms. Vivien Gibbons introduces us to the Blood Mysteries of Womanhood in the Artemis, Hekate and Demeter trinity that embodies the sacred cycles of the feminine of which Artemis plays a vital role. By tracing Artemis’ roots to the Paleolithic Era with Her bear and bee associations, Carla Ionesco’s presentation follows Artemis’ evolution from cave to temple bridging her identity into the Classical world of ancient Greece. Drawing on archaeological and iconographic evidence, Carla Ionescu traces Artemis’ evolution from the cave to the temple, showing how Artemis’ identity as both wild and sovereign bridges Paleolithic ritual consciousness with the structured cults of the classical world. In an analysis of Artemis as both Creatrix and Goddess of Life, Death and Regeneration, Dr. Helen Benigni focuses on the constellations and lunar cycles associated with Artemis in the winter months of the night sky. Finally, in a discussion that follows the presentations, the archetype of The Great Goddess of the Winter Sky is explored in Celtic and Greek cultures in a comparison with Brigit in Celtic mythology.

Guest Presenters: Vivien Gibbons, Ph.D., Carla Ionescu, Ph.D.

Registration is available below:

Registration Open: S/HE Forum Course Spring 2026