G is for Goddess Festival

I recently had the pleasure off attending the Goddess Festival in nearby Fayetteville, Arkansas. This was the fifth annual celebration, but the first year I'd heard about it in time to go. The mission of the Goddess festival is "to restore balance in the world, by encouraging exploration of the feminine divine through art, music, words, dance and shared knowledge." It was a 10-day long assortment of events linked together by a focus on the divine feminine. There were rituals, music, workshops, and discussions. I did not attend every day, but I did get to participate in a few of the events. They started the whole thing with an opening ritual, followed by a wine and cheese reception. The ritual included drumming, chanting, and interaction with for different altars set up throughout the venue. It was a very welcoming atmosphere where all were included. A few days later, I joined others for group Yoga. On the Equinox, the Festival held an Equinox ritual, which was created collectively a few days prior. The next event I attended was "Divine Sculpture: Creations in Salt Dough" where we learned how to make and use salt dough, and received some inspiration as to its spiritual applications. The last day of the Festival included a service at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville, and the closing ceremony included the live music of a local band, Selkie. "Selkie is an original ensemble whose music speaks to the mythical, magical past and future that we all share. Featuring such instruments as didgeridoo, Irish whistles, African and Latin percussion, guitars and bass, lush female vocals and rich harmonies, Selkie is hard to categorize. But to be sure, this unique blend of rich influences speaks to some-thing primal and deep in all of us and is sure to enchant and get your soul and body moving." I enjoyed all of the events I attended, and there were many I missed that sounded good as well including 
"Bringing the Feminine into Spirit: An Interfaith Dialogue," a "Vendor Village," wand-making, archery, "Singing in Sacred Circle," an open-mic night, bellydancing, and many others. I hope that this event continues to be held every year, and I recommend attendance to anyone interested in Goddess worship and/or the divine feminine. 

The Goddess Festival website: http://www.goddessfestival.com/

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville: http://fayettevilleunitarian.org/

Selkie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Selkie/155035357913057