"Herstory: The Visionary Life of Lydia Ruyle and the Banners of the Divine Feminine," (2019, PBS air date 2021) is a 56-minute PBS documentary film by Dr. Isadora that shows the colorful and heartwarming story of Lydia Ruyle, a scholar, author, professor, political activist, matriarch, and iconic artist. At age 60, she began creating her Goddess Banners, which are visionary images of the Sacred Feminine drawn from all cultures. The collection grew from 18 banners to over 300, which she used to inspire, empower, teach, and share their herstories all over the world. The film also documents the incredible story of how her worldwide community came together, with less than 2 weeks notice, to celebrate her, say goodbye, and how they honored the passing of a matriarch.
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Herstory: The Visionary Life of Lydia Ruyle and the Banners of the Divine Feminine
About Lydia Ruyle
Lydia Ruyle, also known as Ya-Ya was an 81-year old crone and matriarch who passed away in March 2016. She was an artist and scholar who had been pursuing Goddess research for decades. Her Goddess Banners depict sacred images of the Divine Feminine from the many cultures of the world. Since 1995, the icons have become spirit banners, which flew around the globe weaving the sacred energies of the Divine Feminine. Her research into sacred images of women took her around the globe. She created and exhibited her art, did workshops and lead women’s journeys throughout the U.S. and internationally. Lydia was the author or two books, Goddesses of the Americas was published in 2016 and Goddess Icons was published in 2002.
How did Lydia find the Goddess? She called her and she listened. The Goddess asked her to listen, see, touch, learn, laugh, cry and share with art, stories and sacred places of Mother Earth.
Over 30 years ago, she began collecting images of women from art history, which she taught at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. In 2010, the university created the Lydia Ruyle Room of Women’s Art to continue Lydia’s mission to teach. In March 1987, an art exhibition at the Loveland Museum and Gallery in Loveland, Colorado called “Better Homes & Goddesses” was the first display of Goddess icons, born for National Women’s History Month. In 1993, Lydia invited other women to travel to sacred places with Goddess tours in England, Wales, and Cornwall. Since then, over 300 women have joined her to travel in 14 countries.
Lydia made her first Goddess Banners in the series for an exhibition in 1995 at the Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey where they flew and spread their energies throughout the month of July. Since then the banner collection has grown from 18 to over 300. She has used them to empower, teach, and share their stories at sacred sites in 38 countries.
