WE ARE NOT THE GODDESSES (Of Hubris and Self Cherishing) - Caitlin Matthews and Imelda Almqvist

This presentation and dialogue between Caitlin Matthews and Imelda Almqvist was moderated by Christian Thurow and recorded on Tuesday 28 May 2024.

This event was sparked by an essay Caitlin posted on her Substack account, which attracted a lot of attention (both supportive and critical).

... It is my personal belief and observation that the interaction with powers greater than ourselves can bestow incredible blessings and teachings. Committing to this work has changed my life completely, without any doubt at all! However, I would never confuse our innate divinity (the divine spark which makes us ensouled beings) with actually being a Deity or Goddess. I work with Skaði but I would never claim that I AM Skaði. (I shudder to think how she would respond, if I even tried!) This is what I teach all my students (of both Seiðr and Sacred Art) as well. In my work this is a foundational principle in everything I teach, in any location. [Imelda]

Here is a quote from a follow-up essay that Caitlin wrote (titled Honouring The Invisible Ones): “Women discussing themselves as if they were goddesses (rather than devotees of a goddess) show us the lines along which understanding of divinity is breaking down. What may seem like nonsense, on the surface, hides profoundly deeper splinters of harm, beneath that. All kinds of autocracy, self-aggrandisement, and abuse come with this unstructured identification with a divinity, ultimately, and it really harms those who follow any spiritual leader so identifying, because our humanity will be the casualty every time. Like tectonic plates sliding over each other, divinity will always win out over humanity for those identifying as a divinity.” [Caitlin]

From: https://imeldaalmqvist.substack.com/p...

Link for Caitlin's original essay:

https://hallowquest.substack.com/p/we...

Feel free to continue the discussion in the comment section!

Imelda