The Revelation Project - Episodes Tagged with “Empowerment”

Episode 189: Celene Lillie - The Thunder Perfect Mind: Defying Conventional Gender Rules to Embrace Union & Divinity

Monica Rodgers | Revelation Media LLC — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

What would it mean if the voice of God were a woman?

Many of you are familiar with my beloved returning guest and Scholar, Dr. Celene Lillie, from our episode together about her book The Rape of Eve an episode that continues to be one of my most popular.

Today she joins me for an inspiring, evocative, gender-bending, and ever-twisting exploration of an ancient text known as The Thunder Perfect Mind, the self-portrait of a divine feminine being.

In this episode we discuss this ancient text which sustains itself for some nine pages of papyrus - sometimes commanding the scene like a goddess, other times disdained and thrown down in the dirt, she keeps challenging those around her. Still other times, she shape-shifts into a masculine form or intentionally contradicts conventional expectations of her previous utterance.

Like many other important ancient scripts, The Thunder: Perfect Mind was discovered in rural Egypt, where the dry air inhibits decay of ancient material. Thunder belongs to the increasingly famous Nag Hammadi collection of what appear to be mostly early Christian documents, all found in the same jar in the hills above the Nile. It is likely that the Nag Hammadi documents had been collected by an early desert monastic community. Found in the mid-twentieth century and translated within several decades afterward, these documents were initially published in English in 1977, but only accessible to the general public within the last generation. Thunder was one of 52 Nag Hammadi documents.

Thunder has nevertheless already distinguished itself in public consciousness and has captured the imaginations of many. It stands vigil at the beginning of award-winning novelist Toni Morrison’s works Jazz and Paradise. Umberto Eco also cited it in his novel Foucault’s Pendulum. Julie Dash’s award-winning 1991 feature film, Daughters of the Dust, opens with a long citation fromThunder. Its text also anchors a 2005 film by Jordon and Ridley Scott, whose shortened version has appeared widely as a commercial for Prada women’s fashions.

More in this episode:

Why you can not utter the name of God in Hebrew and how it can be spoken through the breath
Learn how women once occupied a huge range of possibilities before patriarchal rule
Hear the deeper meanings of THUNDER and why these texts have been considered “seminal”
Learn why this piece pushes against our contemporary notions of what is possible and inspires our imaginations
Why the word “occupy” can be so problematic and how we can bring more nuance to our understanding of embodiment
How the poem THE THUNDER PERFECT MIND invites us to claim all of our “stuff” and be with the messiness of our lives without being diminished by them
How Human Design and The Gene Keys give us freedom from being “all things to all people”
Why The Thunder Perfect Mind is medicine for what is happening in the world at this time

Celene Lillie is Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder; an Adjunct Professor at the University of Oklahoma and The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology; and the Dean of the Westar Institute's forthcoming Academy (launching this Fall). Her scholarly work focuses the New Testament, the Nag Hammadi Codices, and other early literature of the Jesus movement, with a particular interest in gender and violence. She is the author of The Rape of Eve: The Transformation of Roman Ideology in Three Early Retellings of Genesis; co-author (with Jaeda Calloway, Maia Kotrosits, Justin Lasser, and Hal Taussig) of The Thunder: Perfect Mind: A New Translation and Introduction; and Director of Translations for A New New Testament (edited by Hal Taussig).
If I were to name one connected specifically to my work, I'm interested in bringing forth voices that are typically marginalized or hidden in early Christian literature.

Special Guest: Celene Lillie.

Episode 174: Seana Zelazo: The Way of Inanna: A Heroine's Guide to Living Unapologetically

Monica Rodgers | Revelation Media LLC — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, my guest, Seana Zelazo, delves into the mythology of the Sumerian goddess Inanna and the powerful lessons this myth holds for women and personal transformation.

We discuss topics such as the influence of Inanna's mythology on our own journey and the impact of patriarchy on our perception of the divine feminine, the significance of the second chakra and creativity, the initiatory experience of darkness and rebirth, the importance of self-love and embracing the messy parts of ourselves, and the role of forgiveness and compassion in healing.

We also explore concepts of feminine power, the dismantling of power systems, and the birth of a new world. Through this conversation, we invite listeners to reflect on your own experiences and to embrace your divinity.

Topics Discussed:

Inanna's mythology and its relevance to todays modern women
How the patriarchy influences our perception of the divine feminine
Transcending the binary
How Inanna teaches us to embrace cycles and seasons of our lives
The power of the second chakra and our creativity
The initiatory experience of darkness and rebirth
The importance of self-love and embracing the messy parts of ourselves
The role of forgiveness and compassion in healing and relationships as a mirror.
Understanding our own challenges
Feminine power and dismantling power systems
The birth of a new world

Entities Mentioned:

Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love and war

Seana Zelazo, LICSW is an author, psychotherapist, intuitive channel, and spiritual coach. Her book, The Way of Inanna: A Heroine’s Guide to Living Unapologetically, is available from booksellers worldwide and at Amazon. Learn more at seanazelazo.com

Special Guest: Seana Zelazo.

Episode 171: Megan Jo Wilson - Sacred Sisterhood And Why We Need It Now

Monica Rodgers | Revelation Media LLC — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Embark on an empowering journey into the heart of sisterhood and self-liberation in this compelling episode of the Revelation Project Podcast.

Monica Rodgers is joined by guest Megan Joe Wilson, renowned trainer, coach, and author who's been empowering women entrepreneurs for over 19 years. Let Megan's insights inspire you as she delves into her work with esteemed feminist icons Mama Gina and Marianne Williamson, and the transformative power of her mentorship programs and Rockstar Camp for Women- a somatic adventure that will rock your world!

This episode is not just a conversation; it's a circle of sisterhood, with surprise guests joining in, sharing their profound experiences and triumphs that led to their personal transformation. Tune in to know why embracing sisterhood, collaboration, and adaptability is feminine leadership at its best; learn the power of bragging, and immerse yourself in the divine essence of feminine power that breaks the chains of patriarchal restraints.

Topics Discussed:

Sisterhood and the power of raising our voices
The Impact of singing and stage performance on a woman’s psyche
Why some women don’t see their own oppression
Re-contextualizing Sisterhood and why we need it now more than ever
Breaking patriarchal rules and structures that keep us in the trance of unworthiness
Personal stories and experiences from women who graduated from Rockstar Camp
The power of somatic healing and pleasure
Embracing vulnerability and overcoming challenges
The celebratory power of bragging and why women need to own their own accomplishments and dare to shine

For the last 19 years, Megan Jo has been training Women Entrepreneurs to embrace visibility and lead profitable, impactful Coaching Businesses.

Her experiential courses, “Rockstar Camp” and “No More Playing Small” for Women Entrepreneurs are based on her unshakable belief that confidence can be learned and mastered. In 2020, she worked for two years as a Master Coach with Spiritual Teacher and Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson, and is a regular Co-Conspirator with Feminist Icon and Author, Regena Thomashauer aka “Mama Gena”.

She is a faculty trainer at the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and author of the best-selling business books for Women, “Who the F*ck Am I To Be a Coach” and “No More Playing Small.”

Special Guest: Megan Jo Wilson.