PROGRAM
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE CULT OF THE GODDESS:
FEMININE SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL FEMINISM AND WOMEN’S CIRCLES
(CONCULTDIOSA I)
DATES:
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, AND FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026
VENUE:
ALTABIX BUILDING (ELCHE CAMPUS), MIGUEL HERNÁNDEZ UNIVERSITY OF ELCHE
THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026
AFTERNOON
Aula Magna
3:15 – 3:45 p.m. COLLECTION OF MATERIAL AND ACCREDITATIONS
3:45 – 4:10 p.m. OPENING CEREMONY (to be confirmed)
– Dr. Ángel Antonio Carbonell Barrachina. Vice-President of Research and Transfers, Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– Mrs. Cristina Hernández Martín.Director, Women’s Institute (Ministry of Equality), Government of Spain.
– Mrs. Davinia Bono Pozuelo. General Director of Equality and Institut Valencià de Les Dones, Generalitat Valenciana.
– Dra. Anastasia Téllez Infantes. Full Professor of Social Anthropology, President of the congress. Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
4:10 – 4:40 p.m. PRESENTATION: “THE GODDESS, FEMINISM AND SPIRITUALITY: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH”
Lecturer: Dra. Anastasia Téllez Infantes.
Full Professor of Social Anthropology, Director of El Portal de la Diosa, the Observatory on Masculinities, and ECULGE Research Group, Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
4:40 – 6:00 p.m. OPENING LECTURE: “RITUAL CIRCLES IN GODDESS TRADITIONS”
Lecturer: Mrs. Starhawk — Miriam Simos (United States).
Writer, ecofeminist activist and international referent of the spiritual movement of the Goddess. Founder of the Reclaiming movement, which combines feminism, spirituality and political action.
Presenter and moderator: Dr. Maite Sarrió Catalá.
CEO of Escuela Infinita, Director of the P.I.D.E. Program. “Diploma in EpiHappiness, Conscious Leadership, and Spiritual, Personal and Professional Empowerment for Women” of Universidad NIU, based on the SER Infinita® approach.
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. COFFEE BREAK
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION: “HEALTH, BODY AND FEMININE SPIRITUALITY”
Panellists:
– Dra. Mónica Cornejo Valle. Professor of Social Anthropology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
– Dra. Marta Blanco Fernández. PhD in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, Professor of Secondary Education.
– Dra. Maribel Blázquez Rodríguez. Professor of Social Anthropology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
– Dra. Sara Pastor-Talboom. Professor of Social Anthropology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia.
Moderator: Dra. Juana Aznar Márquez.
Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2026
MORNING
Aula Magna
9:30 – 11:00 a.m. CONFERENCE “WOMEN, CIRCLES AND SPIRITUALITIES FROM LATIN AMERICA“
Lecturer: Dra. Mª Rosario Ramírez Morales.
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at the Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico).
Presenter and moderator: Mrs. Mª Amparo Calabuig Puig.
Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. COFFEE BREAK
11:30 – 1:30 a.m. PANEL DISCUSSION: PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES WITH WOMEN’S CIRCLES
Panellists:
– Dra. Maite Sarrió Catalá. Facilitator of “Infinitas” Women’s Circles.
– Dª. Belén Carbonell Magdala. Facilitator of Women’s Circles and Sacred Soul Dance.
– Dª. Remedios Calpena Padilla. Facilitator of “Feminine Renovation” Women’s Circles.
– Dª Marta Nuñez Múgica. Facilitator of Women’s Circles from a transpersonal perspective.
Moderator: Mrs. Lydia Sellés Catalán.
Equality Agent, Facilitator of Women’s Circles, “El Viaje de Ariadna”.
AFTERNOON
Rooms 0.2 and 0.4, Altabix Building (UMH)
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS WITH PRESENTED PAPERS
– SCIENTIFIC SESSION 1 FEMININE SPIRITUALITY, SPIRITUAL FEMINISM, THE CULT OF THE GODDESS AND THE SACRED FEMININE – ROOM 0.2. (Altabix Building, Elche Campus, UMH)
Coordination:
– Dra. Ana María Martí de Olives. Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– Dra. Rocío Cifuentes Albeza. Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– SCIENTIFIC SESSION 2 WOMEN’S CIRCLES – ROOM 0.4. (Altabix Building, Elche Campus, UMH)
Coordination:
– Dra. Montserrat Jurado Marín. Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– Dra. Laura Cortés Selva. Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. COFFEE BREAK
Aula Magna
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. CLOSING CONFERENCE: “THE GODDESS IN GLASTONBURY. IN THE NATURE OF AVALON, GODDESS PILGRIMAGES IN GLASTONBURY’S SACRED LANDSCAPE”
Lecturer: Mrs. Kathy Jones (England).
Initiating and Founder Priestess, Creative Director and Weaver of the Glastonbury Goddess Temple, The Goddess Hall and The Goddess House. Founder of the Glastonbury Goddess Conference and Initiator of MotherWorld.
Presenter and moderator: Mrs. Carmen Paz.
Writer, Mentor of Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Priestess of Avalon and Feminist Theologian. Creator of “The Initiated Woman”.
8:00 – 8:30 p.m. INSTITUTIONAL CLOSING
– Dra. Rosario Carmona Paredes. Director of the Equality Unit, Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– Dra. Mª Jesús Navarro Ríos. Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies (CIEG), Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
– Dra. Anastasia Téllez Infantes. President of the congress. Director of the Masculinities Observatory, Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
