Faces of the Crone: Tyna Redpath

An honouring series of beloved Crones who the Goddess Conference co-organisers have personal connection with, randomly chosen from a selection of photos by Ann Cook, Conference photographer of the last 20+ years.

Of course, there are many more trail blazing elders in the Goddess movement and beloved Crones of the Conference; this series stands to celebrate them all through the examples of these women, and the appreciation we have for them.

Tyna Redpath

Tyna was one of the two women who dreamed in, created and held the first Goddess Conference in 1996, and the subsequent first decade in which this fabulous yearly event manifested to celebrate all things Divine Feminine. As part of the visioning and the tenacity that it takes to dare to manifest a Goddess event, Tyna brought her grace of doing what it takes in a particular way, which helped build connections, and laid the foundations of the Goddess Conference.

A keen crafts woman herself, nowadays especially interested in stitchwork, Tyna had opened ‘The Goddess and the Green Man’ in Glastonbury, one of the first specifically pagan oriented little shops in town. Here people expressing Goddess in jewellery, sculpture, painting and other art, could find an outlet for their ware, and for us hungry seekers, this shop was, and continues to be, a haven for finding these Goddess items of beauty.

Tyna also worked for the Chalice Well trust for several years and so, with her background as an artist and community builder, she was instrumental in organising and finding people for the many fabulous Goddess art exhibitions, and for creating the volunteer ‘Melissa’ team, which she co-ordinated.

I remember the beautiful exhibitions, the art and little stalls lining the walls of the Assembly Rooms, at my first ever Goddess Conference, which blew me away and added so much to the magic of the whole event, as Goddess art and craft has done ever since.

From a participant’s point of view in those early days of the Goddess Conference, Tyna appeared to me as a red haired, flaming force of presence, as she introduced presenters during the talks and performance of the mornings and directed melissas throughout the Conference days.

I remember her wearing amazing clothes and fantastic jewellery. I felt a little awed, as she moved around, draped in amber necklaces, welcoming people, while being very focussed in her dedication to details, to make sure that things ran smoothly.

For many of us participants, Tyna, together with Aine and Kathy, was one of three women who gave the first taste of a triple sisterhood of ceremonial priestesses.

During one particularly moving ceremony, I witnessed Tyna holding this ceremonial space with such a beautiful quality of stillness, as all maidens walked through a blessing spiral to be received by the veiled priestesses who blessed and sprinkled rose petals upon them in the centre. All our inner young ones were blessed in that ceremony, whether we walked the spiral or helped hold, or witnessed it. I have missed Tyna’s presence with us since she decided to step away from co-organising the Goddess Conference in 2005.

For co-initiating the Goddess Conference and raising awareness of the Divine Feminine through art and beauty, I particularly honour Tyna Redpath as trail blazing Goddess Conference Elder.

Katinka Soetens

Goddess Conference co-organiser