In the Northern Hemisphere, this is the time of year when cultures celebrate the return of light and warmth after the long, cold nights of winter. In many places, this return of bright days and nature's bounty has been represented by the divine feminine. So, let us celebrate the Goddesses of Summer! Join Dawn "Sam" Alden as she regales us with thei…

Friday is for f*cks...join us for some chit chat on what we are giving a f*ck about this week - basically things we are spending our f*cks on...in a good way or a bad way. This week, we're throwing down with Atlanta Traffic and selling on Amazon. Oh yeah, and Happy 4th of July!By Pop&Circ Media

In this episode of Pop and Circumstance, Hart gets you in the loop with all things X-Games (02:10), the rise of the skateboarding prodigy Chloe Covell (02:57), and the scandalous Brad Pitt burglary (07:51). Elizabeth covers the alarming itchy Zyrtec syndrome (13:00) for long term users, then gets you on the lift by sharing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 7…

Stream Team Tuesday is the streaming chit chat you need - not too long, not too deep, just enough to give you some ideas to stop your Netflix scroll. Hang out with Hart and Elizabeth for a quick 10 on what they're streaming this week.By Pop&Circ Media

In this episode of Pop and Circumstance, Elizabeth gets you in the loop with the rise of viral collectibles like Labubu (00:45) and what drives today's pop culture trends. We unpack Elio’s box office performance (07:45) , shifting animation styles, and the return of Alix Earle’s podcast (13:15). We also talk about Diddy's viral baby oil moment (14:…

Hart and Elizabeth chit chat about what they've been streaming on our Friday bonus segment Stream Team. In this bonus episode, we talk about America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders documentary season 2 on Netflix (00:23), Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu, (04:41), Waterfront and Sirens on Netflix first impression (06:27)…

A Man falls in love with his ChatGPT 00:26 Benson Boone dropped a new album 7:50 Taylor popped up for surprise performance 13:14 Woody Breast Syndrome is making chicken so terrible these days 15:17 Locus of Control - focus your mind, change your life 19:33 ChatGPT Fiancé: https://nypost.com/2025/06/19/us-news/father-chris-smith-proposes-to-ai-progr…

Parents beware: we're letting down our hair in our weekly Tuesday bonus content - One F*** to Give - Hart and Elizabeth sound off on something they are choosing the give their one f bomb of the week on.By Pop&Circ Media

Get in the loop with a quick rundown from Elizabeth on Cannes Lions and Karen Read verdict, then get a lift from Hart with a refresher on solid sleep hygiene. 00:52 Cannes Lions Rundown 08:49 Karen Read Verdict 13:25 Pop Off Takeaways 14:03 Sleep Hygiene Refresher 29:54 Shift Happens Takeaways Links from Episode Topics: Cannes Lions: https://www.ca…

In another installment of our continuing series called, "The War Against The Goddess," we welcome Max Dashu once again as she joins us to discuss the cults of Magna Mater (Cybele) and the Great Mother Goddesses in the Ancient World and the many attempts to destroy them from Ancient Rome through early Christianity. Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam…

Your new Monday/Thursday thing. Part catch-up, part check-in. Pop and Circumstance gives you a quick hit of what's happening in the culture — and a quick lift for your life. Two hosts. Two segments. One very good decision.By Pop&Circ Media

The sine qua non of this podcast: Matriarchy. What is it and why is it desirable. Dawn "Sam" Alden and Sean Marlon Newcombe have an open and frank discussion on the topic of "matriarchy." A defining episode for this series.By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Sean Marlon Newcombe, Dawn "Sam" Alden

Marvelously acted, written and director, the film Tár was a critical darling. But this will not be a film review, but rather an appraisal of how Hollywood handles strong women in leading roles. We will examine the movie from different perspectives--feminist, cultural, personal-- and give our own take on what this kind of movie says about how strong…

Kimberly Rockwell and Dawn "Sam" Alden discuss the Female Gaze - is there such a thing? How does a film camera typically "look" at a woman vs how it "looks" at a man? We've been discussing movies a lot this season, so we thought we'd zoom out (pun intended) and think about how filmmaking controls the way we perceive characters in the movies we watc…

Right now, the world needs goddesses, so there's no better time to give an encore presentation of our episode on the Titanides with Max Dashu! Tune in and enjoy! ***** It is our pleasure, once again, to present a fascinating conversation with Max Dashu! Max Dashu has championed the various lost histories of women and championed female-centric civil…

Join us for a wonderful, foundational episode: we're making matriarchy great again! Laura Hirch is a filmmaker, writer, artist and a scholar of matriarchal studies. Her six-part documentary, From The Goddess, explores the concept of the Great Goddess and how matriarchal societies, centered around Goddess worship, thrived in peaceful coexistence for…

The Thracians - Once the most numerous people of Europe, but, now, lost amidst the fog of history. They were known as formidable and warlike-- and some even said that they were the people who spawned the Amazons. (Amazon queen Penthesilea was thought to be Thracian by the ancients.) It's this potential Amazonian connection lead us to the fascinatin…

Co-hosts Dawn "Sam" Alden and Kimberly Rockwell discuss the works of author Kate Quinn and the women characters in her WW2 novels. Most based on actual women, these stories of spies, pilots, investigators, and drunks with dark secrets are compelling and fun reads. Join the discussion, and leave a comment if you have read these novels as well! Suppo…

The last in our series, this might actually be what a true Female Revenge Film looks like! Dawn “Sam” Alden and Kimberly Rockwell talk about this brutal gem of a movie. Content warning: because the film contains implied castration, implied pedophilia and the aftermath of the murder of a minor, we talk about these topics as they arise in the movie. …

Was Crete one of the latest Matriarchies to resist infiltration and overthrow by the waves of Indo-European invasion? What evidence is hidden in plain sight to support the presence of Matriarchy on the island? Joan Cichon talks about her book “Matriarchy in Bronze Age Crete” which she has generously made available to all online. Joining the discuss…

The gang's all here and we're ready to discuss the sexism and misogyny imbedded in many words in our language and we're using the book Wordslut by Amanda Montell as our starting point. Amanda Montell, reporter and feminist linguist, deconstructs language—from insults, cursing, gossip, and catcalling to grammar and pronunciation patterns—to reveal t…

The Motherpeace Round Tarot deck is a co-creation of Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble. Created in 1978, within a year of being given their first tarot deck, Motherpeace represents a vision of Goddess energy and a transmission of ancient wisdom. The Motherpeace deck is based on the traditional tarot system and uses ancient images from goddess-centered cu…

It’s the 20th Anniversary of an amazing documentary, Double Dare. We speak with the director and one of the stars, and speak fondly of the other star, lost to us this year. Or, the one in which Zoë muses, Dawn rants, and Amanda puts things perfectly. (And all remember Jeannie fondly.)By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Dawn "Sam" Alden

Dr Felicitas D. Goodman was an anthropologist who made some ground breaking discoveries in her field. She discovered and verified that holding specific postures altered states of consciousness and that these postures were represented on ancient representations in art and pottery. Join Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam" Alden as they discuss this amazing …

Dr. Carla Ionescu joins us again, this time to talk about Spartan women! The women of Sparta were unique in the Ancient Greek world for the level of freedom and power that they enjoyed. Renown for their athletic skill and beauty, they were also reviled by some Greek writers for their learning, economic wealth and open sexuality. Drawing on the grou…

A frank discussion about abortion.By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Dawn "Sam" Alden

We're back for the 2024-2025 season! And what better way to begin than to discuss the history of a sisterhood between the Haudenosaunee women and the American suffragists. Join us as we interview Sally Roesch Wagner, noted feminist pioneer, activist and author as we discuss her book, Sisters In Spirit. The Iroquois, alternatively referred to by the…

A belated season-end thank you from the 34 Circe Salon to all of our listeners! We concluded the 2023-2024 season with our Medusa episode and we'll be back again in October for the 2024-2025 season. We're already recording, so get ready for discussions of all of your favorite topics from warrior women and goddesses to stuntwomen and Bad Marthas. Th…

In this episode, we delve into the matriarchal reinterpretation of the Medusa myth, contrasting it with the traditional patriarchal narrative of Ancient Greece. Starr Goode, Miriam Robbins Dexter and Joan Marler each bring their unique insights and years of scholarship to our understanding of this famous legend. Starr Goode is a noted writer and te…

Join Lauren Torres and Dawn "Sam' Alden as they welcome author Molly Remer and discuss (and praise) the Goddess Persephone. Goddess of spring and Queen of the Underworld, the myths of Persephone are familiar in the Western World. In this episode, as always, we examine this goddess using a matriarchal rather than patriarchal lens. We also view Perse…

Just a brief message to our sponsors from the newest members of the 34 Circe Make Matriarchy Great Again family, Lauren Torres and Kimberly Rockwell. Thank you all for your support and we look forward to bringing you more exciting matriarchal content in the coming seasons!By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media

Taking care of new mothers by restoring their health through rest, bodywork, and nourishing foods can be found in every society, most in the not so distant past. Why then does it become all about the new baby that has arrived? Why don't we think of offering care and support to the parents? New mothers are born into a new role and ceremonies like Cl…

Join Dawn "Sam" Alden and Kimberly Rockwell as they discuss the female revenge film Peppermint (2018). Starring Jennifer Garner, Peppermint tells the story of woman whose happy life is destroyed when a drug cartel kills her husband and daughter. The event turns her into a vigilante and she will not be satisfied until she has her revenge. Our hosts …

We're back with the long-awaited follow-up discussion to our foundational episode on Amazons and Matriarchy. In Part I, we discussed the movements of the Old Europe matriarchies in the third millennium B.C., as well as Vicki's concept of the "Double-Goddess," its significance for matriarchy and it's connection with the Amazons. In this episode we p…

Has it been four years already? Why, yes, it has! Join us as we celebrate our fourth anniversary and take a trip down memory lane. Favorite episodes and stories from Dawn, Sean, Laruen and Kimberly... and a VERY BIG thanks to all of our listeners!By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media

They are the daring action women that we all adore, but what is it really like to be a stuntwoman? Join us for a really fun discussion with four Hollywood stuntwomen: Katie Rowe is the head of the Hollywood Stuntwomen's Association and an amazing stuntwoman of more than two decades. Angela Meryl is also legendary stuntwoman who has doubled such lum…

In preparation for our upcoming part 2 episode, we bring you the uncut version of part 1 of Vicki Noble's discussion of the matriarchal origins of the women called "Amazons." This was the first episode that we recorded for our "Make Matriarchy Great Again" podcast and you can tell as we're still introducing ourselves to all of you. :-) Here we go..…

Join us for the first episode in our Founding Mother Series! Viola Spolin developed a complete system of education which she called Theater Games and her methods are the roots of contemporary improv. While the power of Viola's system is widely recognized in the theater education community, her fundamental contribution to improvisation is just begin…

We welcome back Professor Walter Penrose, specialist in gender and sexuality in the Ancient World, to discuss everyone's favorite Amazon: Wonder Woman! Fans had demanded a Wonder Woman movie for decades, so when the movie reached theaters in 2017, the reactions were huge. With Professor Penrose, Dawn and Sean look back on that moment, as well as th…

It's no secret that Artemis is beloved at the 34 Circe Salon Make Matriarchy Great Again podcast, so this episode is a match made in heaven for us.... because it's all about Artemis! Our guest is Dr. Carla Ionescu who is one of the leading experts in the worship and ritual of Artemis. In the summers she scavenges new locations and cities world wide…

People speak of virginity as if it’s a thing. It’s not. It’s not a thing. Kimberly and Dawn talk about the science and the myth of virginity, and why it can be useful, but mostly isn’t.By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Dawn "Sam" Alden, Kimberly Rockwell

It is our pleasure, once again, to present a fascinating conversation with Max Dashu! Max Dashu has championed the various lost histories of women and championed female-centric civilizations for decades. Max Dashu founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in January of 1970 to research and document women's history on a global scale. In today's epis…

Join new Make Matriarchy Great Again host Lauren Torres as she talks with Lucy Pearce, the founder of Womancraft Publishing. Lucy is a multi-faceted creative whose work spans the expressive arts, exploring the lost archetypes of the feminine and symbols of the soul. She is the author of multiple life-changing non-fiction books, including Nautilus A…

As with so many women in Greek mythology, Medea has seen her nature, persona and story changed pejoratively with every retelling by the men who spoke her name. In today's episode, we chat with guest Miriam Robbins Dexter and our regular host and founding member of the podcast, Vicki Noble, about the origin of Medea and the true nature of her story.…

Women talking to each other - how dare they? Kimberly and Dawn talk to each other about the origin of the campaign against gossip, and how most of it is actually very good for all of us. Let’s chat!By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Dawn "Sam" Alden, Kimberly Rockwell

The founder of the Academy Hagia and one of the strongest voices in the Modern Matriarchal Studies movement, Heide Göttner-Abendroth has written books and articles and given amazing talks on historical and extant matriarchy around the globe. It is her definition of what makes a matriarchy that we use on our podcast. We are SO thrilled to be able to…

Time for a shout-out to two great Amazon warriors, Penthesilea and Hippolyta. Join old-school hosts, Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dawn "Sam" Alden, as they welcome one of our new hosts, Lauren Torres, to discuss these fabulous warrior women. It's good to be back!By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Sean Marlon Newcombe, Dawn "Sam" Alden, Lauren Torres

We're back for the new season (finally) and we're introducing our new hosts as well. Join us as we get back into action making matriarchy great again!By 34 Circe Salon, 34 Circe Media, Sean Marlon Newcombe, Dawn "Sam" Alden

Hey, everyone! There are some changes afoot for the podcast. We are going to reorganize in order to keep bringing you content that helps make matriarchy great again!By 34 Circe Media, 34 Circe Salon, Sean Marlon Newcombe, Dawn "Sam" Alden

The Trojan Horse. One of the most iconic figures, images and stories in the history of the world. It is neither in The Iliad nor The Odyssey that we learn its story. We learn it in Book II of The Aeneid. Join Sean Marlon Newcombe and Dr. Gary Stickel as they take us on a journey through one of the greatest tales the world has ever known.…