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Balitcs, June, 2005 BALTIC DISCOVERIES: WOMEN OF NORTHERN EUROPE, June 11 - 24, 2005. The Baltics have been a great discovery for us and we want to share them with you. What makes the Baltics so fascinating? Women are emerging from years of oppression under the Soviets to become part of the West. They have inspiring models of gender equality nearby in the Nordic countries, but also suffer from a lack of resources and experience in working on women's concerns. They are eager to interact with women from other countries and share concerns. In addition, the Baltics offer a window on the ancient goddess culture of northern Europe. This Institute program will tap intro the pagan religion of today and more ancient, goddess-centered traditions by celebrating the legacy of Lithuanian archeomythologist, Marija Gimbutas. Finally, we will enjoy a truly wonderful and not very well known tourist destination. The Baltics are European cities and civilization at half the price! The Baltics are a true crossroads between north and south, east and west, complex and compelling in terms of history, ethnicity, and religion. You will be able to enjoy great cultural events -- music, dance, opera -- and tickets are inexpensive. These countries are small and manageable -- you can cross borders in 4-hour bus rides and see a lot in a short time. They are serious about preserving traditional life and art -- you can visit beautiful open air museums and discover arts and crafts that take you far back in time. The Baltics are delightfully northern in summer -- 18 hours of light and no fear of a heat wave. Lastly, you will be safe and welcomed as an American -- perhaps the only place in the world where Americans are still seen for their best. A bit about Vilnius and Riga. Vilnius has one of the largest old towns in Europe. The architecture is lovely and the pace is slow and low-key. The shopping for amber is excellent. The Lithuanian people are very open to exchanges. You will meet fantastic women and the leaders of the ancient religion -- Romuva. Riga is even more exciting. The city has the fabulous Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture. It is a very international city with restaurants from everywhere, including Baltic cooking. Food is not very expensive although wine prices equal the U.S. Old Town Riga has an amazing collection of museums, indoor and outdoor cafes, and lovely parks. Certainly, one of the most thrilling things about the Baltics is discovering that the goddess is alive and well there. You can find goddess religion in the holiday celebrations, especially summer solstice, celebrated nationally as St. John's Day, in the old songs, in the ancient goddess names women bear today. If you dig a little deeper, you find people practicing the Romuva religion in Lithuania and Dievturi in Latvia, pagan traditions with inspiring gods, goddesses and the sacred grass serpent. We will leave for the Baltics in mid-June in order to be there for the Solstice. The Institute program will be, as usual, a melange of interests -- contemporary women's concerns and politics, modern history, exchanges with women from all sectors, and women's spirituality. We will stay in lovely places, move around by bus, and enjoy a northern break from the heat of US summers.
Already, many Institute alumnae have expressed an interest in this program. If you are an alumna or new to the Institute and are interested in joining us, please let us know: iwsi@aol.com
We all hope you will join us on this great women's adventure.
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