Creativity, sovereignty, and myth converge in this soulful conversation: an exploration of how women can reconnect with their creative essence, navigate blocks, and tend to the inner fire of imagination.

Joanna Gardner, PhD, is a writer, mythologist, and magical realist whose work centers on creativity, wonder tales, and goddesses. She co-authored Goddesses: A Skeleton Key Study Guide and is the author of The Practice of Enchantment: MythBlast Essays, 2020–2024. Joanna serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at the Joseph Campbell Foundation and is a regular contributor to its MythBlast essay series. She also teaches in the Mythological Studies programs at Pacifica Graduate Institute and the Kosmos Institute, and co-leads the Fates and Graces community—offering webinars and workshops for mythologists and friends of myth.

Connect with her work:
Website: https://joannagardner.com/
Newsletter: https://joannagardner.com/subscribe/

✨ Women & Mythology Podcast is a soulful exploration of myth as a living force in our contemporary lives.

Hosted by Maria Souza — Comparative Mythologist, Poet, and Educator.

📖 Learn more: www.womenandmythology.com

🎧 Follow on Instagram: @womenandmythology

💌 Subscribe to the Mythic News newsletter for stories, reflections, and upcoming events: https://www.womenandmythology.com/subscribe

This conversation explores the myths of Medusa and Athena — their intertwined images in ancient art, the cultural shifts that reshaped Medusa’s story, and the deeper truths these goddesses carry about feminine power, protection, and duality.

Images we talked about at: https://www.womenandmythology.com/medusa

Dr. Carla Ionescu is an ancient historian, Artemis expert, and author of She Who Hunts, a groundbreaking exploration of the enduring legacy of Artemis across cultures and centuries. She is the founder of The Artemis Research Centre, host of The Goddess Project Podcast, and a passionate field researcher documenting goddess temples and artifacts across the Mediterranean.

Connect with her work:
Website: https://artemisresearchcentre.com/
Social Media: @‌artemisexpert
Substack: https://artemisexpert.substack.com/

✨ Women & Mythology Podcast is a soulful exploration of myth as a living force in our contemporary lives.

Hosted by Maria Souza — Comparative Mythologist, Poet, and Educator.

📖 Learn more: www.womenandmythology.com

🎧 Follow on Instagram: @womenandmythology

💌 Subscribe to the Mythic News newsletter for stories, reflections, and upcoming events: https://www.womenandmythology.com/subscribe

In this powerful episode, we remember the mythic Eve, the power of sacred disobedience, the role of creative transgression, and the lifelong journey of sovereignty. Together, we reflect on what it means to shed obedience, reclaim the sacred feminine, and remember ourselves as our own truest source of knowing.

Dr. Vanya Leilani is a depth psychologist, writer, teacher, storyteller, and author of The Flesh and the Fruit: Remembering Eve and the Power of Creative Transgression. Through her work, she supports others in recovering their inner voice, reclaiming sacred agency, and living lives that are more expansive, meaningful, and free.

Connect with her work:
Website: https://www.drvanyaleilani.com/
Book: https://www.drvanyaleilani.com/thefleshandthefruit

✨ Women & Mythology Podcast is a soulful exploration of myth as a living force in our contemporary lives.

Hosted by Maria Souza — Comparative Mythologist, Poet, and Educator.

📖 Learn more: www.womenandmythology.com

🎧 Follow on Instagram: @womenandmythology

💌 Subscribe to the Mythic News newsletter for stories, reflections, and upcoming events: https://www.womenandmythology.com/subscribe