When we begin to learn about the Sacred Feminine, many of us quickly realize that She is much more than we have imagined Her to be - and that Her nature is fundamentally contradictory. As Damascena Tanis, my guest for this episode, says, to work with the Goddess is to be repeatedly invited into paradox. Damascena is a writer, astrologer, and a recently bereaved mother, living on the shores of Lake Erie with three earth bound children. She is currently learning how to be the mother of a child who has journeyed beyond the veil. She is also the Founder of the Planetary Priestess Mystery School, devoted to Venus. In this episode, we discuss the paradox of the Goddess, as well as: * Damascena's spiritual awakening as a pregnant 15-year-old, and what it taught her about the Sacred Feminine * How living in Palestine as a young mother initiated her into a deeper understanding of the feminine * Damascena's work as an archetypal astrologer, and why she thinks it's important to explore what she considers the dimension beyond archetypes * The Venus cycle, its connection to the myth of the Inanna, and how it can guide our own inner journey of self-discovery * The lessons offered by deep grief, which Damascena experienced through the death of her son * Understanding the current conflict in Gaza through the lens of astrology