The Ancestral Mother
An Interview with Max Dashu

December 24, 2017

Interview by
Joanna Harcourt-Smith

In this week’s episode Max Dashu speaks with Joanna about: Cailleach, the Old Woman; her aspect as megalith builder; the bones of the Earth; drinking from the pool of regeneration; the Cow Mother from Ireland to India; the temple, astronomical observatory and ancestral sanctuary at Newgrange; recent genetic evidence supporting the work of Marija Gimbutas; an ancestral mother to many people; the mythical degradation of women following the political and economic shifts to patriarchy; the Germanic Blessing Goddess of winter nights.

Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970 to research and document women’s history from an international perspective. She built a collection of 15000 slides and 30000 digital images, and has created 150 slideshows on female cultural heritage across human history. Dashu’s work bridges the gap between academia and grassroots education. Max Dashu is known for her expertise on ancient female iconography in world archaeology, women shamans, witches and the witch hunts.; mother-right cultures, patriarchies and the origins of domination. Dashu has published “Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1000” (Veleda Press, 2016). This book is Vol. VII in the 15-volume series “Secret History of the Witches”, with two more volumes forthcoming. She has also produced two videos on dvd: “Women’s Power in Global Perspective” (2008) and “Woman Shaman: the Ancients” (2013).

“I Can’t Sit Still”, original music by Evarusnik

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