Submission by:
me (saw it posted on this post)
Title:
PantheaCon Red Tent 2018
Image:
Publishing date:
January 27th, 2018
Author:
Karen Rudolph
Website published:
lite.evernote.com
Article length:
944 words
~ 4 minute read time
Red Tent sisters, feminist allies, and extended community,
It is with great sadness that we share, after much careful consideration and thoughtful reflection, the difficult decision to withdraw the Red Tent Temple from PantheaCon 2018. In full transparency, it has come to our attention that there are some community members who are “irate” and thoroughly “outraged” at the very idea of a Red Tent and that our safety, privacy, and sovereignty would be at “high alert” level risk.
These protestors suggest that the “entire concept of the red tent is offensive.” They argue that, in some cultures, women have been confined to such spaces. This argument, of course, erases indigenous traditions of moon time through a patriarchal lens, negates the power of reclamation in healing, and dismisses all of the cultural and anthropological evidence that in many other contexts around the world through time immemorial such spaces have been sacred centers for reverence, empowerment, and communion.
In addition, and perhaps more importantly, there is the prevailing taboo around holding intentional focus for “Women’s Mysteries”—even, now, in private. This does not change the fact that the average woman will spend thousands of days of her life (nearly 10 solid years) menstruating. Such shared experiences, including childbirth, miscarriage, abortion, menopause, and other issues and diseases related to female embodiment, such as toxic social conditioning, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and other body traumas, are all valid and worthy of our exploration.
In response, the PantheaCon management team informed us that we needed to change the description of our event (see below) to read “events for All, Male Allies, Self-identified Women, and a couple of limited access for specific groups (semi-private).” While not an outright ban, this language is a loyalty oath that re-centers the space and erases the female experience. Those topics, we were told, should “be only advertised in the suite, word-of-mouth or other means…Using the term ‘initiates only’ is something our pagans can accept easily.”
We’d like to address this topic head on. Being designated “female” at birth *is* our initiation. Words hold power and it is important for us to not only speak our truths, but to also bear witness to each other doing so. It should not be considered offensive or controversial to speak of female embodiment, socialization, and systematic oppression. And yet, we live in a world that is deeply gynophobic--where women’s bodies are policed and politicized, where reproductive rights that our mothers fought for are under attack, where even the President of the United States is given a pass for admitting on tape that he can grab women “by the pussy” and get away with it.
What this request tells women is that we should shrink ourselves back into the murky shadows of the back alley (or hotel hallway, in this case). That it is acceptable for women to have to walk the gauntlet (as they were forced to do at PantheaCon 2012) to get the support they need, if they are brave enough to seek it. That we should only speak of our sacred selves in shamefully hushed tones and euphemisms.
Standing in our integrity, we are unable to comply with this repressive mandate. This work is simply something we have been called to do, from our hearts, in support of those women who we know first-hand desperately need these spaces. This work is not about the whole, it’s about individuals. Real women dealing with real, substantive issues. That is where the healing begins.
As uncomfortable as it may be for some, that is the truth and the underlying issue. Sometimes, we need to take a “yes, and…” approach. There should be enough room for us to come together as a community *and* give one another enough space for all women to get the support they need and deserve. We call on our extended community to carefully reflect on these points in the hope that we can move forward with deeper understanding and greater compassion.
We would also like to note that we were actually able to secure the resources to hold open temple hours for all self-identified women, a special circle for male allies, and circles with intentional focus on women’s mysteries, as we did without incident last year. We were also open to hosting additional circles, as requested by the community, assuming a facilitator with relevant lived experiences stepped forward to hold the center.
Alas, Chaos is afoot, and we take the responsibility to create a safe space for our community seriously. So, at this time we are mindfully choosing to disengage from any and all distractions that would divert time and resources from our sacred work. Given the history at this event and the extended/open nature of a four-day Red Tent experience, we ultimately just do not have confidence that we can keep everyone safe (mentally, spiritually, and physically).
Respectfully,
Lithia Brigan Presiding Priestess, Red Tent: Lost Forest Lodge
#RedTent #YoniMagic #SacredSisterhood #WomensMysteries #TheFutureIsFemale
For reference, here is the original description as submitted to PantheaCon for the 2018 program (same as 2017):
Join us in sacred sisterhood as we rest, reconnect, and delve deep into the core of Women’s Mysteries. Inside the Red Tent we gather to continue the legacy of our foremothers, as women have done for millennia in diverse cultures around the world. Together, we uncover and reclaim our lost herstory. We speak and bear witness to our truth. We bless, adorn, and explore the magical nature of our female bodies through important rites of passage (menstruation, childbirth, menopause). We activate our innate wisdom and personal power through physically embodied experiences and hands-on creative projects. We raise our voices in spirit-song as in ancient times.