Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Oral History of Hallie Iglehart Austen |
Collection |
Oral History |
Scope & Content |
Drawn to Mill Valley's beautiful nature and history of spiritual practice, Hallie Iglehart Austen shares their love for the land. A noted leader of both the spiritual feminist movement and ocean conservancy efforts, Hallie finds an innate connection between environmental activism and spiritual worship. From an early childhood studying Greek myth, Hallie's dedication to Goddess studies led them throughout the world, including an extended stay in Tibet, where they participated in rituals led by Buddhist monks. Invigorated by the 1970s consciousness revolutions of the Bay Area, Hallie recounts the social and political millieu that set the scene for her book, Womanspirit. As part of her work on Goddess studies, Hallie would lead conferences and workshops detailing this vital aspect of early human history. Hallie also discusses their time in Druid Heights, learning from Elsa Gidlow and Anne Kent Rush, and their relationship to rituals. Transitioning into ocean conservancy with a spiritualist perspective, Hallie worked for decades to clean up beaches locally and beyond through multiple organizations. Now, Hallie can explore the intrinsic connection between their spiritual practice and environmental praxis. This oral history provides an expansive scope through the major movements of feminist spirituality and environemtal activism from the perspective of a leader in both fields. Hallie's celebration of her 'momo' stage of life brings a heartwarming prescence to the conversation, and finds hope in the personal connections she continues to make in Mill Valley. |
Audio and Transcript |
Click here to hear recording. Click here to read the transcript. |
Dates of Creation |
2023-06-06 |
Interviewee |
Austen, Hallie Iglehart |
Interviewer |
Thompson, Benja |
Extent and Medium |
Transcript: 20pp Recording: 1:16:01 |
Search Terms |
Druid Heights Muir Beach Mill Valley Community Center Mill Valley Public Library Rodeo Beach |
Object ID |
2023.031.001 |
Object Name |
Recording |
Copyrights |
Transcript and recording copyright Mill Valley Public Library, 2023. Materials are made available for research purposes only; all rights are reserved to the Mill Valley Public Library. Requests for permission to quote for publication or for any other usage must be obtained from the Library. |