Charlottetown, PEI- In October 1991, 70 women attended a weekend Women’s Spirituality workshop in the chapel area of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI).
The event was co-hosted by the Sisters of St. Martha, the Sisters of Notre Dame (whose Provincial attended), and the Women’s Network. Director Sr. Brenda Pettigrew, a Sister of Mercy from St. Johns Nfld., described it as “ a specifically feminist spirituality work-shop.”
Activities included circle dancing, chanting, mime, and various neo-pagan rituals. Topics covered included a feminine god, the goddess within, the earth as a living being, energy creation and transfer through touch.
The thrust of the gathering: “women do not need teachers, guides, or gurus.” Sr.Pettigrew advised participants to further their spiritual growth by turning to feminist writers, some of whose work had been used during the workshop, and to her own article, “Feminist Spirituality as Revolution.”
She also recommended “the wonderful [National Film Board] Studio D films by Donna Reed, especially The Goddess Revisited, and The Burning Times- a wonderful source of information.”
A follow-up workshop to prepare for the winter solstice is planned.
