LA area author and radio show host talks about her Pagan/Goddess path part 2

Second part of Karen Tate's interview. She tells us about teaching, her books, and her radio show.

Tell us about your books, “Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations” and your latest, “Walking an Ancient Path.” What are their central truths?

Well, I like to say they’re great book ends. “Sacred Places of Goddess: 108 Destinations” is very much the encyclopedia of Goddess culture around the world, told through the lens of sacred places, with a nine page bibliography listing scholars from all religious traditions. It’s the linear, very left brain book. You can use it as an armchair traveler or as an actual guide book because it tells readers how to get to these places and lots more. It’s garnered very prestigious endorsements and through serendipity, you can actually use it to plan a West Coast pilgrimage, or a Western U.S. pilgrimage. People always ask if I've been to all the places on almost every continent and I say, about 75% of all the destinations in the book. Roy and I have traveled together across five continents chasing down sacred sites of Goddess.

On the other hand, “Walking An Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth” is much more about storytelling, sharing, intuition, doing ritual, emotion and politics. It’s the right brain approach to Goddess so one might have a template to birth Her into their life or community today. It’s also been called a spiritual, socio-political look at Goddess Spirituality. It was a finalist in the USA National Best Books of 2008 Awards in the spirituality category.

I dedicated Sacred Places of Goddess to Isis and Thoth to fulfill a promise and Walking an Ancient Path, I dedicated to Roy because he really is the wind beneath my wings – alongside Goddess, of course.

You’ve given lectures and taught the “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” course at the Goddess Temple of Orange County. Where else have you taught? How do you like teaching and will you continue?

Have Sistrum Will Travel is my motto. I travel wherever there is a group who wants to hear what I have to share. I’ve taught at PantheaCon, Gaia Fest, Loyola Marymount and other local colleges, Joseph Campbell Roundtables, the American Academy of Religion/WESCOR, HerChurch and California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, and I’m a regular at the Goddess Temple of Orange County. I donate my time to worthy causes like Pagan Pride events, Project Butterfly, convocations, interfaith temples and metaphysical groups. Lots of groups, lots of cities. I’ve really come to enjoy teaching and giving public talks.

Your Blog Talk Internet Radio show, “Voices for the Sacred Feminine,” has been very successful. How did this come about and do you plan to continue?

Well, sometimes I’m a dolt. Goddess has to hit me between the eyes three times or more before I pay attention and get Her message. That’s what it was like leading up to my hosting Voices of the Sacred Feminine. I was getting lots of requests to do interviews for other radio show hosts in major and minor media. And I kept getting producers of the shows tell me I should have my own show – even offer me my own show and I’d just laugh. Well, after about the third time, I paid attention and Voices of the Sacred Feminine was born. That was three years ago and it’s really become my guilty pleasure. The archives are truly a treasure trove of movers, shakers, leaders, foremothers and fathers. It’s been an honor to get to know these people and provide them a platform for their work and wisdom. And in the “What’s the Buzz” section, I share what’s going on out there in the world either in sync with or violating Goddess ideals or human rights.

What’s your day job and how do you view it?

I manage a large apartment complex – a really large complex. Sometimes I think, though I’m childless by choice, at my job I am a mother and caretaker. Sometimes I’m called on to use tough love. I actually have to do that a lot! It’s really amazing how irresponsible and unaccountable some people are, whether it’s conscious or not. Other times I’ve acted as minister or mentor to some neighbors in times of need. I’ve had to call out psych teams when I’ve had tenants lose it. I’ve had tenants commit suicide, mysteriously disappear with their apartment ransacked, or die of natural causes. Roy and I are kinda like the archetypal Mother and Father watching over their unruly brood in our really big house. But at least I don't have to keep it clean!

Do you have any other spiritual or inspiring experiences to share?

Well, this would be quite a long answer and I hope it’s okay to suggest reading “Walking An Ancient Path.” I’ve had remarkable dreams, insights, guidance, auditory and metaphysical experiences with Isis and Sekhmet. There was magic in how I got my first book contract. Magic happened on sacred journeys. Maybe I can just say, I really believe we have to meet Goddess half way and She is there for us. It’s about reciprocity, not a one way street with us being selfish children always on the receiving side of the relationship. I’d say open yourself to Her. Follow your intuition and let the spigot flow. We don’t have to act on everything our Divine Self suggests, but I think we all have the capacity to have a joyful, loving, fulfilling and divinely guided life. And I think it is very important to show gratitude. I think it’s important to have tenacity and practice discernment. I think it’s important to appreciate the liberation of surrender and not expect to do everything perfectly, but to do something and do our very best. And don’t cast your pearls before swine. I also think women should do better at supporting each other rather than acting from their Shadow, being back-biting, petty and jealous of each other. And as a friend taught me, look for the gift in everything, even in the most challenging times, because it’s there.

What are your future plans?

Coming up in November, I’ll be giving a presentation at Gaia Fest in Santa Barbara on the Sacred Feminine for a Sustainable Future. I’m looking forward to again teaching the feminist theology curriculum put together by the Unitarian Universalist Women called “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven.” That was just so rewarding seeing women have these ah-ha moments. And it was great fun and sisterhood, too. I might open the classes to men because I believe they need the information as much as women. I’m going to be teaching the other UU curriculum, “Rise Up and Call Her Name.” I’ll certainly continue my radio show, Voices of the Sacred Feminine, on Wednesday nights because it’s just too much fun and seems to be so important to people who are really isolated and depend on it for a lifeline to a spiritual community. I’ll keep giving workshops and writing my Women’s and Goddess Spirituality Examiner column. I keep getting that nudge to write another book and ideas are percolating. Roy and I are leading a sacred tour for women and men, “On the Trail of the Great Mother Goddess” in Turkey, in November 2011. And I have some surprises I’m keeping close to the vest right now, including I might finally, after much tenacity and work, have the chance to bring Goddess to a much wider audience. I just have to remember to trust in Her wisdom and timing.

There are free downloadable meditations people can access on Karen’s website on the Goddess Store page. And if you go to her You Tube channel, you can see/hear lectures as well as see her Isis Temple of Thanksgiving and Sekhmet's Mountain Sanctuary.

If you missed part 1 click here.

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