Beyond Borders – s2e5 – At Aunties’ Table, When God Was a Woman ’til Now
Judy Talaugon, Martha Cinader
Season 2 Episode 5
February 26, 2026
At Aunties’ Table
Judy and Martha invite you to Auntie’s early morning table as we explore each other’s state of mind, origin stories and societal norms which leads to Merlin Stone, who collected goddess stories from around the world, emphasizing the divine feminine and the sacredness of womanhood, and the Witches’ Hammer, an instrument of erasing all that, and we bring it forward to today, particularly in relation to motherhood.
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Martha brings out her copy of “Two Old Women” by Velma Wallis, which tells a profound women’s story. Judy shares a personal experience on the Dan Ranch, watching her elder chop kindling during a blizzard. Martha also talks about the book “Tsunami” an anthology of women writers in Mexico who question traditional definitions of femininity and motherhood. Judy affirms the wisdom of traditional knowledge and we talk about the need for a deeper understanding of spiritual reality and the feminine embodiment, which is often overlooked in favor of dogmatized religions and belief systems.
We also talk about “Tribunal Rising,” which Judy is an editor of. The book documents the 1992 campaign to dismantle the myth of discovery and challenge the New World concept. It highlights the role of women and their allies in the indigenous movement, particularly in the context of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ arrival. The book serves as a testament to the ongoing struggle for community building, sovereignty, and women’s rightful place within the movement.

CREDITS– HOSTS: Martha Cinader, Judy Talaugon. Sound Design: Hernán Ramiro Rodriguez Sierra. Theme Music: Mana Luca, arranged by Hernán Ramiro Rodriguez Sierra.
YOUR HOSTS
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Judy Talaugon -Land Protector, Storyteller
Read more: Judy Talaugon -Land Protector, StorytellerJudy Talaugon is a Chumash and Filipina Land Protector from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. She is the daughter of farmworkers and immigrant leaders. Growing up among Mexican and Filipina communities in California, she has been a long-time activist in numerous struggles, ranging from human rights to housing, land rights, and the fight…
VIDEOS
CD’s AND BOOKS
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When God Was A Woman
Read more: When God Was A WomanHow did the shift from matriarchy to patriarchy come about? In fascinating detail, Merlin Stone tells us the story of the Goddess who reigned supreme in the Near and Middle East. Under her reign, societal roles differed markedly from those in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures: women bought and sold property, traded in the marketplace, and inherited…
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Two Old Women by Velma Wallis
Read more: Two Old Women by Velma WallisBased on an Athabascan legend passed along from mother to daughter for many generations on the upper Yukon River in Alaska, this is the tragic and shocking story–with a surprise ending–of two elderly women abandoned by a migrating tribe that faces starvation brought on by unusually harsh Arctic weather and a shortage of fish and…
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Malleus Maleficarum – Sprenger / Kramer
Read more: Malleus Maleficarum – Sprenger / KramerEarly Christian authorities initially dismissed witchcraft as a delusion, though belief in demons and exorcism created a framework that later justified harsher responses. In the late fifteenth century, Heinrich Kramer authored Malleus Maleficarum after failing to secure convictions and facing criticism from church officials, using the text to legitimize aggressive witch-hunting and reinforce gendered suspicions…
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Heather Cleary and Gabriela Jauregui – Tsunami
Read more: Heather Cleary and Gabriela Jauregui – TsunamiFeaturing personal essay, manifesto, creative nonfiction, and poetry, Tsunami gathers the multiplicity of voices being raised in Mexico today against patriarchy and its buried structures.
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Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood
Read more: Ancient Mirrors of WomanhoodThis collection of ancient images of women as goddesses and heroines brings together legends, rituals, and prayers from China, Celtic Europe, South America, Africa, India, North America, Scandinavia, Japan, and elsewhere.













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