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Dawn "Sam" Alden interviews Melissa Funke and Chelsea Gardner of the Peopling the Past project - a website, a podcast, and so much more. In this meta episode, they talk about talking about the ancient world, how archeology actually works, and why focusing on the everyday in antiquity is so important to getting the complete picture.

In this episode we sit down with Walter Penrose, PhD, associate professor of history at San Diego State University. Dr. Penrose specializes in the History of Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and South Asian contexts. We talk with him about the historical views of the Amazons, particularly in the non-Western world.  Female bodyguards were employed by the Ancient Indians and Persians and many of these women came from the Black Sea region-- the same region where the Greeks identified the presence of Amazons.  We discuss the Indian concept of "Stri Rajya" or "The Kingdom of Women"  which the Ancient Indians located to the west of them, towards the Eurasian Steppe and Caspian Sea-- in the same neighborhood as the Black Sea.   Lastly, we also explore the stories of Hellenistic warrior queens and their connection to the warlike tribes from the same region as the female bodyguards and The Kingdom of Women: the Thracians, Scythians and Sauromatians.  Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

Kimberly Rockwell, Dawn "Sam" Alden and Lauren Torres talk about the music that shaped their youth. The songs we scream-sang, and those that comforted us when we were heartbroken - did we ever really listen to the lyrics? Music has power to teach, and words set to music stick in our heads. What were we absorbing when we were young, what were we being taught by the music on the radio?

Kim Gould is a mentor and coach who teaches people to access their own unique way to create meaningful change in their lives through astrology and the human design system. Join us as we discuss how Ms. Gould reframes the astrological viewpoint to focus on the myths of women and the space objects, like asteroids, named after them. Lauren Torres and Sean Marlon Newcombe co-host.

Join us as we interview Dr. Sandra Glahn, professor at the Dallas Theological Seminary, about her wonderful book, Nobody's Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament.  Nobody's Mother is a scholarly re-examination of the cult of Artemis of Ephesus and the cultural world surrounding early Christianity—especially the world behind 1 Timothy 2, a New Testament passage long used to restrict women’s leadership. Were the Apostle Paul's writings in 1 Timothy 2 a response to the nature and power of the cult of Artemis?   Tune in as we explore this fascinating topic. Sean Marlon Newcombe hosts.

In today’s episode in the Founding Mother’s series, we explore two influential women from the past: Lilian Gilbreth, an American psychologist, industrial, consultant and educator who was once described as “a genius in the art of living," and Edith Clark, an electrical engineer who is credited with laying the foundation for the smart grid. Both women were born in the late 1800s, but both of them made impacts in their fields that affect our lives to this day. Join Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell as they discuss the legacies (sometimes controversial!) of these two fascinating women.

"Karen"-- a term that became ubiquitous in 2020.  It was used as a verbal cudgel to upbraid a certain type of woman: white and very outspoken. Some say the term had its origin as a response to racism; others say it was the product of misogyny. Either way, the word "Karen" became a weapon of derision, mockery and humiliation.  It was a way, quite simply, to silence a group of women.  Join us as we do a deep-dive into the history and facts surrounding this term and in our quest to uncover the truth of its purpose.  Also, please, feel free to share with us your thoughts and experiences with the word at [email protected]

"Rob from the rich, give to the poor!"  This is the famous rallying cry of Robin Hood.  But is he the only legendary figure to do so? And were there any female Robin Hoods in history?  Well, ask no more!  Join Dawn "Sam" Alden as she introduces us to the stories of various women throughout history who have broken the law to break bread for the hungry. Sean Marlon Newcombe co-hosts.

We're back!  We hope you've all had a wonderful summer break!  Now it's time to Make Matriarchy Great Again. :-)  Join us for our preview of our sixth season. We'll give you a taste of what's upcoming as well as take a quick look back at the last five fantastic years.  We can't wait to get things going again!

Our final episode of the season is an encore presentation, in memoriam, of the first episode of the season-- Sally Roesch Wagner and the Suffragists-Native American connection.   Sally Roesch Wagner passed on June 11 at the age of 82.  She was an historian of women's history and the Women's Suffrage Movement, an author and an educator. She was the founding director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation and Social Justice Dialogue Center which honored the accomplishments of pioneering suffragist, Matilda Joslyn Gage. *****In this episode:  The Iroquois, alternatively referred to by the endonym Haudenosaunee, are a confederacy of Native Americans and First Nations peoples in northeast North America.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Lucretia Mott had formed friendships with Haudenosaunee women that enabled them to see the real possibility of creating a very different structure for their American culture, a matriarchal one, like the one that their Haudenosaunee sisters had experienced for generations.  We talk to Sally Roesch Wagner about this amazing story and how she discovered this overlooked pieced of American feminist herstory. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time of year when cultures celebrate the return of light and warmth after the long, cold nights of winter.  In many places, this return of bright days and nature's bounty has been represented by the divine feminine.  So, let us celebrate the Goddesses of Summer!  Join Dawn "Sam" Alden as she regales us with their stories.  Happy summer everyone! Sean Marlon Newcombe co-hosts.

In another installment of our continuing series called, "The War Against The Goddess," we welcome Max Dashu once again as she joins us to discuss the cults of Magna Mater (Cybele) and the Great Mother Goddesses in the Ancient World and the many attempts to destroy them from Ancient Rome through early Christianity.  Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden co-host.

The sine qua non of this podcast: Matriarchy.  What is it and why is it desirable.  Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe have an open and frank discussion on the topic of "matriarchy."  A defining episode for this series. 

Marvelously acted, written and director, the film Tár was a critical darling.  But this will not be a film review, but rather an appraisal of how Hollywood handles strong women in leading roles.  We will examine the movie from different perspectives--feminist, cultural, personal-- and give our own take on what this kind of movie says about how strong women are handled in popular entertainment.  Sean Marlon Newcombe, Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell host.

Kimberly Rockwell and Dawn "Sam" Alden discuss the Female Gaze - is there such a thing? How does a film camera typically "look" at a woman vs how it "looks" at a man? We've been discussing movies a lot this season, so we thought we'd zoom out (pun intended) and think about how filmmaking controls the way we perceive characters in the movies we watch.