Coiled Tails and Pinioned Wings
One day seminar presented by Nine Ladies
at the University of Westminster 17 May 1997

TALKS

Culture Shop

Today’s social ideology requires open-mindedness, but the idea that we can break free of our conditioning and become completely independent and unprejudiced beings is wishful thinking. We are creatures of our origins – historically, geographically, culturally – and no amount of political correctness, or shopping around amongst other cultures, can free us of their influence. What is a culture? Is it dependent upon a common ideology or religion? Is our cultural base a foundation or a prison? To what extent does our culture determine our everyday attitudes and values, and the choices we make as individuals?

Kim Knott was a Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Leeds. In 1997 she taught contemporary forms of Hinduism and Asian religions in Britain. Her research focused on women’s attitudes to questions of destiny. In 2019, she is a Professor of Religious and Secular Studies at Lancaster University.

The Worm Turns: a new perspective on striptease

In a culture of consumerism, which depends upon want to stimulate cash flows, the beautiful woman represents the ultimate symbol of desire. Bombarded with this image, women put themselves under constant pressure to conform to the current ideal, resulting in extremes of body worship and denial. However, the body is a storehouse of knowledge. Our vertebrate structure links us to our roots and other life forms. Our sensory and motor skills have unlimited potential. Preoccupation with surface cuts us off from these resources. Draw on them and we can forge vital connections between body and psyche, redefining ‘materialism’ in the process.

Briar Maxwell is a teacher of The Alexander Technique. Over the last thirty years she has run courses in London and at her home on the island of Islay exploring the relationship between movement and philosophy. She is a founder member of Nine Ladies.

Spinning the World Wide Web

Will the World Wide Web free the cultural mind of the vast amounts of information it currently holds, or will it bind us to its security, and sap the initiative to explore outside its confines? Working with threads (whether literal or metaphorical) has long been a female province. In the past simple, repetitive tasks, such as spinning and weaving, left the mind free to wonder; now such activities are generally devalued and cast aside in favour of more (apparently) stimulating pursuits. We have innate understanding of pattern and an innate need for space. Do the webs we weave reflect the patterns within? Do we repeat patterns and themes, with threads that stretch through time as well as space?

Sarah Shaw works on and teaches Buddhist texts, particularly about narrative and meditation, and (in 2019) is currently an Honorary Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. She is a member of the Samatha Association, a Buddhist meditation group, and lives in Oxford.

Re-Eve-Valuation

Integration requires difference, but the current trend is towards standardization. Generations brought up to value standardization will tend towards the Inquisition, rooting out whatever does not conform. The individual is essential for evolution – individual initiatives always precede cultural assimilation – but the cult of the individual threatens the fabric of society. How do women reconcile the conflict between the individual and the collective? What responsibility do we have for ensuring the integrity of our culture?

Briji Waterfield has worked in the charitable sector and leads meditation retreats. She is a Spiritual Director and has had a life-long interest in all the mystical traditions, particularly Christianity. She is a founder member of Nine Ladies.