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Book Review: Jailbreaking the Goddess by LaSara Firefox Allen
A couple of years ago, I came across a reference to LaSara Firefox Allen’s Jailbreaking the Goddess. I realize one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and I imagine a similar kind of logic may apply to titles, but there was something about this particular title that appealed to me. I looked it up and also enjoyed the cover. There I was two-for-two on the checklist of bad ways to pick books, putting the book in my virtual cart pushing “check out.”
Book enthusiast that I am, my TBR (to be read) pile grows more with each year and Allen’s book went the way of many…sitting on my shelf just waiting for me to find the time and taste to pick it back up. Recently, I came back across the title on my shelf and finally pulled it down to actually be read.
Firefox Allen’s primary concern in Jailbreaking the Goddess is to reconstruct our understanding of feminist spirituality and reframe the way we see divine feminine figures. This work argues that the Maiden, Mother, Crone trinity is too restricting in its inherent ties to and formation around female biology - particularly relating to fertility and reproduction - aptly calling this the “reproductive model.”
Firefox Allen’s answer to the reproductive model’s shortcomings is to introduce a new archetypal system representing more natural stages of cycles of life, experience, etc. These five archetypes:
FEMELLA is a divine child who represents newness and innocence
POTENS represents power and potential
CREATRIX represents a creator (in all its iterations)
SAPIENTA represents wisdom, thought, perfection
ANTIQUA represents an ancient woman or one who is nearing an end of some experience
The beauty of Firfox Allen’s new paradigm is the recognition that our relationship with cycles is not always singularly linear. Instead, we are always in a complex web of cycles in different areas and parts of our lives. Where one cycle might be starting, another cycle may be nearing an end. In another consecutive cycle we might be somewhere in the middle. As we take on new hobbies, careers, social roles, etc., we start new cycles, while continuing and/or having already closed out others.
After providing both a contextual framework for this new paradigm and going into depth about each of its conceptual stages, Firefox Allen provides a variety of ways in which to incorporate this new framework into your spiritual practice. Although the suggestions run a bit on the formal side for my own taste, I do find the symbolic nature of the overall new conceptualization of the feminine divine to be a useful way to understand the complexities of our divinity and our place among our many cycles and parts of ourselves.
I strongly recommend checking out Jailbreaking the Goddess for yourself and considering how (and whether) this new paradigm might suit your own spiritual practice.
Imbolc: The Time of Milk
Imbolc is a time often associated with milk, largely because it is a time of many births, particularly among farm (and wild) animals. Where this turn of the wheel’s inverse (Beltane) is about fire, passion, and fertility, Imbolc is the time associated with the coming of new life. The fruits of Beltane’s passions are finally coming earthside. A mother’s milk is often the feed of choice among new mammals, so milk is a symbol of the season.
One way to recognize the coming forth of this new life, is to incorporate milk into your practice. A fun way to do this is with some kitchen witchery!
Try a Simple Syrup Sipper
Simple syrups are incredibly useful for your treats and drinks. Flavored milks are fairly popular - chocolate, strawberry, coffee (apparently this is a thing in Rhode Island) and much of this can be done at home with simple syrups. Of course the possibilities go far beyond the flavors that tend to be available in stores. A personal favorite of mine is Rosemary Lavender syrup. It is good in coffee, milk - and even drizzled on vanilla ice cream.
What you will need:
Sauce Pan
Strainer and/or cheese cloth
Sealable jar
Spoon
Water (1 part)
Sugar (1 or 2 parts)
Edible herbs and or fruits (to your needs/liking)
Milk (whatever kind you choose)
Find herbs, fruits, etc. associated with your intentions (just make sure they are edible/safe!) and add some to a pan. Add equal parts water and sugar (or for thicker syrup, increase to one part water, two parts sugar) to the pan and start over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer (stir throughout). Continue to simmer and reduce until the mixture is your desired thickness, then remove from heat immediately. Pour into sealable glass jar, being sure to filter out any herbs or fruit debris through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Seal the jar and place in the fridge. It should be good for at least a few weeks (if it even lasts that long)!
*NOTE: Many times fruits, after being filtered through mesh can be saved for a time to go on pancakes, french toast, ice cream, etc. It is essentially a compote.
To serve, add a tablespoon (or so) for every cup of milk. Stir well. (BONUS TIP: heat the milk and try it warm!)
SHADOW WORK: Divine Cycles
In the book review above, we talked about Lasara Firefox Allen’s proposed paradigm, to help us reconstruct our understanding of the feminine divine and how we can be in several of these stages simultaneously, but in different stages of our lives. Consider the five archetypes Firefox Allen proposes, which of these archetypes do you currently embody and in which areas of your life? Or do you align more with the maiden, mother, crone paradigm? How do these more traditional archetypes appear in your life.
Coven Coloring Series
Imbolc is a time where Spring is on the horizon, but the throws of winter pull back and forth a bit before Spring finally takes over. It is a bit of a liminal space between the seasons. For this turn’s coloring series, we have TWO fun coloring sheets. One represents the last bits of winter, about to lose out to the returning sun; the other an ode to the promise of new life in the looming spring. Share you (or your kiddo’s) coloring page with us on social media! Use the hashtag #covencoloringseries or #midwestcovencast, you can also tag us on most platforms (@midwestcovencast). We can’t wait to see your colorings!
Ash and Smoke
Many of you found Midwest Coven Cast through Marilyn’s music (namely her song Witch Shanty) and have been incredibly supportive as she has struggled to produce more music. We are happy to say that Marilyn’s finally has a new song to share. “Ash and Smoke” is now available to stream on major music platforms (e.g. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, etc.). If your favorite streamer isn’t linked here, just search for “Marilyn Marinn Ash and Smoke” and it should come up. Hope you love it!
Weekend Reads Return?
Season 4 of Midwest Coven Cast Presents: Weekend Reads is in early stages of production. Although we do not yet have an exact date, we are aiming for a release sometime in the summer. We are busy working on the companion e-text, which (in a change from past seasons), we will make available IN FULL at the beginning of the season. We hope to have more details out to you soon on this front. Stay tuned
Southern Hemisphere Shout Out: Lughnasadh
We wish our friends in the Southern hemisphere a blessed Lughnasdh! May the start of your harvest season be bountiful! Feel free to check out our Lughnasadh newsletter from the north’s Lughnasadh turn!
CALENDAR
1 February Imbolc Begins (sundown)
2 February Imbolc ends (sundown)
9 February New Moon (4:59 PM CST)
24 February Full Snow Moon (6:30 AM CST)
10 March New Moon (4:00 AM CST)
20 March Ostara
Spring Equinox