An exploration of the connections between feminine consciousness and altered states from ancient times to present day

• Explores the feminine qualities of the psychedelic self, ancient female roots of shamanism, and how altered states naturally tap into the female archetype

• Discusses feminist psychedelic activism, female ecstatics, goddess consciousness, the dark feminine, and embodied paths to ecstasy

• Includes contributions by Martina Hoffmann, Amanda Sage, Carl Ruck, and others

Women have been shamans since time immemorial, not only because women have innate intuitive gifts, but also because the female body is wired to more easily experience altered states, such as during the process of birth. Whether female or male, the altered states produced by psychedelics and ecstatic trance expand our minds to tap into and enhance our feminine states of consciousness as well as reconnect us to the web of life.

In this book, we discover the transformative powers of feminine consciousness and altered states as revealed by contributors both female and male, including revered scholars, visionary artists, anthropologists, modern shamans, witches, psychotherapists, and policy makers. The book begins with a deep look at the archetypal dimensions of the feminine principle and how entheogens give us open access to these ancient archetypes, including goddess consciousness and the dark feminine. The contributors examine the female roots of shamanism, including the role of women in the ancient rites of Dionysus, the Eleusinian Sacrament, and Norse witchcraft. They explore psychedelic and embodied paths to ecstasy, such as trance dance, holotropic breathwork, and the similarities of giving birth and taking mind-altering drugs. Looking at the healing potential of the feminine and altered states, they discuss the power of plant medicines, including ayahuasca, and the recasting of the medicine-woman archetype for the modern world. They explore the feminine in the creative process and discuss feminist psychedelic activism, sounding the call for more female voices in the psychedelic research community.

Sharing the power of “femtheogenic” wisdom to help us move beyond a patriarchal society, this book reveals how feminine consciousness, when intermingled with psychedelic knowledge, carries and imparts the essence of inclusivity, interconnectedness, and balance our world needs to heal and consciously evolve.

Maria Papaspyrou, MSc, is an integrative psychotherapist. She has given talks and published articles on the healing properties of entheogens, supporting their re-introduction in psychotherapy. She lives in Brighton, England. Chiara Baldini is an independent researcher who studies the evolution of the ecstatic cult in the West. She lives in Portugal. David Luke is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Greenwich and guest lecturer at the University of Northampton. He lives in East Sussex, England.

Acknowledgments

FOREWORD
Psysterhood by Allyson Grey

INTRODUCTION
The Genesis of Feminine Consciousness

PART 1
Archetypal Dimensions of the Feminine Principle

1 Femtheogenic Consciousness: Archetypal Energies of Regeneration Maria Papaspyrou

2 In Search of Goddess Consciousness: Archetypal and Embodied Paths to Interconnectivity
Patricia ‘Iolana

3 The Dark Feminine: Mediators of Transformation
Tim Read

PART 2
Ancient Roots of Female Shamanism

4 Woman Shaman: Uncovering the Female Ecstatics
Max Dashu

5 Her Share of Divine Madness: The Role of Women in the Ancient Rites of Dionysus
Chiara Baldini

6 The Lady Who Served the Mystery Potion: The Botanical Symbolism behind the Mysteries of Eleusis
Carl A. P. Ruck

7 The Volva: Women in Norse Witchcraft
Maria Christine Kvilhaug

PART 3
Embodied Paths to Ecstasy

8 She Dances and Trances Again: Exploring, Healing, and Developing Feminine Aspects through Trance Dance
Christa Mackinnon

9 She Who Births: The Psychedelic Nature of Procreation
Alana Bliss

10 Rebirth of an Ancient Calling:The Modern Medicine Woman
Shonagh Home

PART 4
Psychedelic Feminine Principles

11 The Embodiment of Feminine Qualities in the Psychedelic Self: The Realm of Mystery and Potential
Kathleen Harrison

12 Toward a Radical Uncertainty: Into the Darkness
Anna Luke

13 The Bioethics of Psychedelic Guides: Issues of Safety and Abuses of Power in Ceremonies with Psychoactive Substances
Eleonora Molnar

PART 5
De-gendering Psychedelics

14 De-essentializing Notions of the Feminine in Psychedelic Research: Western Women, Ayahuasca, and Possibilities for Transformation Lorna Olivia O’Dowd

15 The Feminine Enshadowed: The Role of Psychedelics in Deconstructing the Gender Binary Cameron Adams and Timothy Davis

PART 6
In Service of Vision

16 Creating Portals into Other Worlds: Sharing My Visionary Symbolism Martina Hoffmann

17 Eggstatic Creations: Remembering Our Feminine Core
Amanda Sage

18 Feminine Flowers of Consciousness Bloom
Alana Bliss

19 Reflections on the Gift of Blood
Omolewa

PART 7
Feminist Psychedelic Activism

20 Creating a Community of Wisewomen: The Women’s Visionary Congress
Annie Oak

21 Beyond Psychological Patriarchy: Plant Medicines and the Resurgence of Medical Eros
Adam Aronovich

22 Cognitive Dispossession: Ecofeminism, Entheogens, and Neuroqueering Drug Policy
Nadia Erlam

23 Psychedelics, Self-Creation, and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights: A Feminist Perspective
Charlotte Walsh

CONCLUSION
Weaving Our Way Back Home

Contributors

Bibliography

Index