The Daughters of the Goddess come from the old school of New Age Feminism. Spelling womyn with a y, they are about creating a space for women, by women without the interference of men. A group based in Contra Costa County, they hold a vibrant performance of the Spiral Dance each year. The Spiral Dance is a performance in Goddess spirituality that observes the idea that energy flows in spirals; a Spiral Dance celebrates Hallowmas, or Samhain. This feminist spirituality group will be holding their Spiral Dance at the Orinda Masonic Temple on Oct. 26.
"It's a time of year where we celebrate the ancestors," says Leilani Birely, a faculty member on the Masters program of Feminist Spirituality at New College in San Francisco, and High Priestess of the Daughters of the Goddess. "The veil is very thin between the ancestral realm and the human realm."
What can be expected at a Spiral Dance? Altars are set up to honor ancestors and pay tribute. Various ceremonialists of many different cultures get together for singing, dancing, and drumming, and a portion of it is dedicated to multicultural prayer. "We are sending a lot of our intention to world peace," Birely says. "There is a global intent."
Women of all cultures and familiarity with feminist spirituality are encouraged to attend. "The idea is to build a container for anyone to feel welcomed, honored, and held," Birely says.
Women-centered spirituality is incredibly important to this group, Birely explains. "There's not a lot of women-only spaces," she says. "There's an energy that's created amongst women when we're not watched by the male gaze. Women respond really differently. It helps to bring us together to discover sisterhood."
The Daughters of the Goddess Spiral Dance is a ticketed event open to all women. Ticket info ($23 in advance, $27 at the door; discounts for groups, students, and teens): (925) 787-9739.
For those interested in attending a Spiral Dance in San Francisco, the Reclaiming's 28th Annual Spiral Dance will be held at Kezar Pavilion in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, Oct. 27. It is all-gender inclusive, and doors open at 6 p.m. The cost is $20-$100 sliding scale, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.