‘Goddess Chant’ this weekend promotes masculinity, femininity

KAPAA — The Goddess Chant is a culmination of Shawna Carol’s life’s work.

“It’s a combination of musical and ritual,” she said.

Creating an equilibrium of masculinity and femininity is the objective of the gathering at the Hilton Garden Inn Wailua Bay on Saturday and Sunday.

“This is a ceremony that honors and brings forth the divine feminine,” Cobb said.

This year’s Goddess Chant will be her third musical. It was written to inspire others to understand the importance of femininity in today’s society.

“We need to balance the masculine and the feminine. We’re out of balance, we don’t have enough caring in our culture,” Carol said. “And the feminine principle involves caring, healing and cooperation. And we need that everywhere, especially on Kauai. If we could all sit together and cooperate, we could have such a better island.”

The musical came to Carol in the 1980s during meditation. It took over 10 years to complete.

The concert will feature a 34-person choir. Daniel Nelson sang in the last Kauai Goddess Chant in 2010, and now finds himself directing the chorus.

“It’s such a huge blessing. Connecting with Shawna has been extraordinary in my life,” Nelson said.

From wading in the ocean to exploring through jungles and forests, Nelson viewed nature as feminine. So when he locked horns with Carol, he realized the importance of her work.

“Connecting to a feminine side of the divine is something that really spoke to me because it’s an aspect of the divine that is more nurturing and supportive and more gentle than a punishing god,” he said.

Proceeds from the Goddess Chant will go toward women’s empowerment, benefiting the YWCA Kauai and Malama Pono Health Services’ Women’s Wellness Program.

The Goddess Chant will take place at 7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for youth.