Goddess-makers in an Age of Autocrats
The Power of the Creative Feminine to Re-Shape the World
An Arts-based Research Conference
September 26-28, 2025
Hosted at Pacifica’s Beautiful Ladera Lane Campus
801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Registration details coming soon
Goddess-Makers in an Age of Autocrats:
The Power of the Creative Feminine to Re-shape the World
September 26-28, 2025
This hybrid event, held both on campus and online, will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and performances that illuminate the many faces of the creative feminine—from ancient goddesses to contemporary changemakers.
Call for Papers
Submission Deadline: May 22, 2025
**Please note that we are only accepting submissions from Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni and Faculty for this conference.
Please click the CALL FOR PAPERS tab for more info.
In an era marked by the resurgence of authoritarianism, the creative feminine emerges as a force of transformation, resistance, and renewal. Goddess-Makers in an Age of Autocrats explores the depth psychological dimensions of the archetypal feminine—its capacity to shape culture, inspire justice, and reimagine collective futures in the face of oppressive systems.
History offers us a powerful example of this transformative potential in the figure of Enheduanna, the first known author of the written word. A high priestess and poet of ancient Sumer, Enheduanna used her storytelling genius to craft a vision of the goddess Inanna, the fierce and radiant deity of love, war, and justice. Through her hymns, she wove a narrative that not only deified Inanna but also unified two warring kingdoms under a shared mythic and spiritual identity. In doing so, Enheduanna demonstrated the profound ability of the creative feminine to shape consciousness, reconcile opposites, and forge new worlds.
Hosted by Pacifica Extension, this conference invites scholars, artists, activists, and visionaries to engage in a rich dialogue on how the feminine, in its many mythic and embodied forms, catalyzes personal and collective transformation. Drawing upon Jungian and archetypal psychology, feminist theory, mythology, and the arts, we will explore how figures like Enheduanna—and the goddesses, muses, and creators who followed—continue to inspire movements for justice, healing, and rebalancing power.
This hybrid event, held both on campus and online, will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and performances that illuminate the many faces of the creative feminine—from ancient goddesses to contemporary changemakers. Like Enheduanna, we will explore how storytelling, myth, and the imagination can serve as tools for resistance and renewal in the face of oppressive systems.
Join us this September to reclaim the radical, world-making power of the feminine and cultivate pathways for deep, lasting change.
Reclaim the radical, world-making power of the feminine and cultivate pathways for deep, lasting change.
Keynotes:
Susan Rowland
Coming soon
Sharon Blackie
Coming soon
Elizabeth Nelson
Coming Soon
Performances:
Coming Soon
Panel Discussions
Workshops
At Pacifica, we recognize how important it is that the choices you make for your personal and professional development align with the journey your soul is leading you on. Don’t miss out on some of the exciting events we have planned if you are considering furthering your education and career at Pacifica.
Conference Schedule
Details coming soon
Dr. Sharon Blackie is an award-winning writer, psychologist and mythologist. Her highly acclaimed books, courses, lectures and workshops are focused on reimagining women’s stories, and on the relevance of myth, fairy tales and folk traditions to the personal, cultural and environmental problems we face today.
As well as writing five books of fiction and nonfiction, including the bestselling If Women Rose Rooted, her writing has appeared in anthologies, collections and in several international media outlets – among them the Guardian, the Irish Times, the i and the Scotsman. Her books have been translated into several languages, and she has been interviewed by the BBC, US public radio and other broadcasters on her areas of expertise. Her awards include the UK Society of Authors’ Roger Deakin Award an
Susan Rowland is Core Faculty, and Advisor in Research and the Humanities in MA Depth Psychology and Creativity, as well as teaching in the Doctoral Program in Jungian and Archetypal Studies. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle and her MAs from the Universities of London and Oxford. In 2003 Susan became the first Chair of the International Association of Jungian Studies (IAJS). She is author of many studies of Jung, literary theory, the arts and gender including Jung: A Feminist Revision (2002), Jung as a Writer (2005), and also edited Psyche and the Arts (2008). Another recent book is C.G. Jung and the Humanities (2010), showing how Jung’s work is a response to the creative, psychological, spiritual, philosophical and ecological crises of our age. In 2012 her book, The Ecocritical Psyche: Literature, Complexity Evolution and Jung was published by Routledge, followed by Remembering Dionysus (2017) and Jungian Literary Criticism: the Essential Guide (2019). Particularly important is Susan’s exposition with Joel Weishaus in Jungian Arts-Based Research and the Nuclear Enchantment of New Mexico. Here Susan shows that depth psychology animates art into providing therapy with the world. Her own work in JABR is represented by her first mystery novel, The Sacred Well Murders (Chiron 2022). See her website: https://www.susanrowland-books.com/
Elizabeth Nelson has been a member of the faculty since 2003, and has served as Dissertation Office Director, Dissertation Policy Director, and currently chairs the Graduate Research Council. She specializes in scholarly writing, research process and strategy, methodology, and dissertation development and also teaches courses in dream, imagery, technology, and cultural studies. Her own research interests include personal and cultural expressions of the shadow, gender, and power, with a particular devotion to dangerous women in text, film, and life. Elizabeth is the author of two books, The Art of Inquiry coauthored with Joseph Coppin, which is now in its third edition (Spring Publications, 2017). Her second book is Psyche’s Knife: Archetypal Explorations of Love and Power (Chiron, 2012). She has also published several papers and book chapters. As a professional writer and editor for over 30 years, Elizabeth continues to coach aspiring authors across a variety of genres and styles.
Featured Artists
Registration Details
Registration Fees and Deadlines
Details coming soon.
Call for Papers
Goddess-Makers in an Age of Autocrats: The Power of the Creative Feminine to Re-shape the World
An Arts-based Research Conference Hosted by Pacifica Graduate Institute | September 26 – 28, 2025
Submission Deadline: May 22, 2025
**Please note that we are only accepting submissions from Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni and Faculty for this conference.
In a time of rising authoritarianism and cultural polarization, the creative feminine emerges as a force of transformation, resistance, and renewal. This conference invites scholars, artists, film-makers, activists, depth psychologists, and cultural creatives to explore the power of the archetypal feminine to reimagine, reconcile, and reshape the world.
We welcome proposals that engage with themes including, but not limited to:
- The legacy of Enheduanna, the first known author, and the mythopoetic power of storytelling to unify and transform.
- Archetypal and depth psychological perspectives on goddesses, muses, and feminine mythic figures as forces for cultural renewal.
- The power and necessity of archetypal Feminine creativity for re-storying the world through art, literature, and activism.
- The shadow of the feminine: destruction, chaos, and the role of the Dark Goddess in collective transformation.
- The power of the creative Feminine in leadership and activism in contemporary resistance movements.
- Embodied, somatic, and ritual approaches to awakening the feminine principle in self and society.
- Intersections of the sacred feminine, eco-justice, and social healing in an era of crisis.
- The role of depth psychology, mythology, and the emerging archetypal feminine in fostering new paradigms of power and relationality.
Presentation Format Options
We encourage a diversity of formats to engage attendees in intellectual, creative, and experiential ways:
- Academic Papers & Lectures – 20-minute individual presentations or 60-minute panel discussions on relevant themes.
- Workshops – Interactive sessions integrating creative, somatic, or ritual-based approaches (60–90 minutes).
- Experiential Sessions – Guided movement, dreamwork, active imagination, storytelling, or artistic practices exploring the conference themes (60–90 minutes).
- Roundtable Discussions – Informal, facilitated conversations that encourage deep dialogue and exchange among participants (60 minutes).
- Film Screenings & Media Presentations – Short films, digital storytelling, or multimedia works that engage the creative feminine.
- Performances & Creative Readings – Poetry, music, theater, or spoken-word performances that embody the power of feminine creativity.
Submission Guidelines
Please submit a 300-word proposal outlining your presentation, including:
- Title of your presentation
- Presentation format (from the list above)
- Abstract detailing the focus and relevance to the conference theme
- A brief biography (100 words) including your professional background and affiliations
Submit proposals by May 22, 2025 to Extension@pacifica.edu. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by June 22, 2025.
This conference will be held both on-campus and online, allowing for a global gathering of voices committed to exploring and embodying the transformative power of the creative feminine.
We look forward to your contributions in reclaiming the archetypal feminine as a world-making force.
General Information
Location
Hosted at our Beautiful Ladera Lane Campus. Click here for directions to: 801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Cancellations
Cancellations 14 days or more prior to the program start date receive a 100% refund of program registrations. After 14 days, up to 7 days prior to the program start date, a 50% refund is available. For cancellations made less than 7 days of program start date, no refund is available.
For additional information, including travel, cancellation policy, and disability services please visit our general information section.
Travel and Transportation Information
Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Ladera Lane Campus
801 Ladera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Directions to the Ladera Lane Campus
Driving Directions From South
Hwy 101 North: Northbound through Carpinteria. Exit Evans Ave, Turn left onto Ortega Hill Rd, Turn Right onto Ortega Ridge Rd, Turn Right onto East Valley Rd, Turn Left onto Ladera Lane, Arrive 801 Ladera Lane.
Driving Directions From North
Hwy 101 South: Southbound, through Santa Barbara and Montecito. Exit 92 on the left –Sheffield Drive, Turn left towards Sheffield Drive, Turn Right ono North Jamison Lane, Turn Left onto Ortega Ridge Road, Turn Right onto East Valley Road, Turn Left onto Ladera Lane, Arrive 801 Ladera Lane.
Travel
Major airlines provide service into the Los Angeles International Airport located 90 miles south of Santa Barbara and into the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, approximately 18 miles from the Campus. Additionally, there is an Amtrak Train Station located in downtown Santa Barbara, approximately 15 miles from the Best Western Carpinteria Inn and/or the Ladera Lane Campus. Uber/Lyft and taxi service is available from train station.
Transportation from Los Angeles Airport
The Los Angeles International Airport is approximately 90 miles from the Santa Barbara. Various car rental options available at LAX. Additionally, the Santa Barbara Airbus provides bus transfer service to both a Carpinteria drop-off location (Between Chase Bank & Union Bank at the Casitas Plaza Shopping Center – 1000 Casitas Pass Rd) as well as a Santa Barbara location (3845 State St., Santa Barbara 93105). A taxi service or Uber/Lyft can be taken from the Airbus drop-off locations to the Ladera Lane Campus or the Best Western Carpinteria. Reservations for the Airbus are strongly recommended, and rates will be discounted if reservations are made at least 48 hours in advance. For schedules and reservations, call the Santa Barbara Airbus at 805.964.7759 or 800.423.1618 or online at www.santabarbaraairbus.com.
Transportation from Santa Barbara Airport
The Santa Barbara Airport is approximately 20 miles from the Best Western Carpinteria Inn and/or the Ladera Lane Campus. Car rental services are available. Additionally, Lyft/Ubers are available as well as taxi service. The following cab companies often offer special rates if reservations are made well in advance and Pacifica is mentioned as your destination (via the Best Western or directly to the Ladera Lane campus):
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- Blue Dolphin (805.962.6886)
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- Rose Cab (805.564.2600)
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- Checker Cab Company (805.964.6666)
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- Fly by Night Taxi (805.745.8294)
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Transportation from the Santa Barbara Train Station
There is an Amtrak Train Station located in downtown Santa Barbara, approximately 15 miles from the Best Western Carpinteria Inn and/or the Ladera Lane Campus. Uber/Lyft and taxi service is available from the companies listed above, again, often with special rates if reservations are made well in advance and Pacifica is mentioned as your destination.
Accommodations
Pacifica’s Ladera Lane Campus
801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108.
Housing accommodations can be reserved at the time of registration, or by contacting retreat@pacifica.edu
A 14% Santa Barbara County Occupancy Tax is additionally added
Accommodations in the Residence Hall at Pacifica’s Ladera Lane Campus consist of standard, single rooms. These rooms include a full or twin-sized bed, sink, mirror, desk, chair, small desk fan, and alarm clock, as well as shelves and hangers for clothing. All linens and towels are included. Our Residence Hall has shared men’s and women’s bathroom and shower facilities. All shower stalls include bath mat and soap. We recommend that guests bring all of their own toiletries. Our recently renovated Semi-Suite rooms, located on the second floor of the Main Building, include a queen-sized bed with a shared bath and shower per every two rooms.
The Residence Hall has a Guest Lounge on the First Floor, complete with couches and a large screen TV. There is also a small kitchenette with refrigerator, water dispenser, and microwave.
Best Western Carpinteria Inn
4558 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013
(800) 528-1234
Shuttle service is provided between the Best Western in Carpinteria and the Ladera Lane campus.
Driving Directions From South to Best Western Carpinteria
Hwy 101 North:. When you reach Carpinteria, take the Santa Monica Rd exit and turn right at the stop sign. Turn right again at the corner of Santa Ynez and Via Real, go over the freeway bridge, and continue to the signal lights. The Inn will be on your left at the corner of Santa Ynez and Carpinteria Ave.
Driving Directions From North To Best Western Carpinteria
Hwy 101 South: Approximately 10 miles past Santa Barbara to the Reynolds Ave exit and continue to the stop sign. The Inn will be on your right at the corner of Carpinteria Ave and Santa Ynez Ave.
Pacifica Graduate Institute Transportation – Shuttles
Pacifica Shuttle 805-896-1887 or 805-896-1888
Pacifica Graduate Institute provides courtesy shuttles to campus visitors. The shuttle is available any time during business hours by calling and requesting a pick-up. The shuttle will be running the entirety of the conference weekend.
- Pacifica Shuttle stops:
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- Ladera Campus (801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara)
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- Lambert Campus (249 Lambert Road, Carpinteria)
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- Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn (4558 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria)
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- SB Airbus Carpinteria (5400 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria)
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- Carpinteria Amtrak Station (475 Linden Ave, Carpinteria)
- Service is not available from the SB Airport in Goleta.
