About: Amalya Professional Bio & Interviews

Amalya grew up with a great love of dance and drawing which eventually guided her to land at UCLA in the mid 70’s as an art major, then later as a Bachelor of Science graduate in Graphic Communications from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA. Her college years afforded her many opportunities to study world religions, and to learn of art, abstract painting, photography, graphic design and dance. Additionally, her life in the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority at UCLA planted the initial seeds of interest in ritual and women’s community.

 

After college, her early professional career developed her marketing skills in graphic design and print production management as she worked her way through the commercial advertising industry. Additionally, Amalya pursued a side career in Massage Therapy, completing her certificate at the school of Massage in Santa Barbara, CA.

 

The next highlight in her creative pursuits was earning a Master’s of Arts degree in Arts and Consciousness from John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, California in 1996. The studies, projects and thesis production she completed for this degree enabled Amalya to assimilate and present many unique ideas weaving artistic creativity into a spiritual and sacred feminine context. During this time Amalya was not only prolifically painting large abstract canvases, but she had her first class in Goddess studies and concurrently started belly dancing and exploring women’s ritual. Thus these years were extraordinarily fertile for Amalya as she began to fully integrate all her passions for dance, painting, design and Goddess mythology. This process culminated in a graduate show that provided not only a platform for exhibiting her art and her first Goddess Scrolls, but also gave her the first opportunity to create a sacred space for art, ritual and devotional dance combined! This graduate show was the seed that grew into Amalya’s greatest vision--to build a permanent sacred space to honor the Divine Feminine in art, dance and ceremony.

 

After completing her M.A., Amalya continued to do freelance graphic design and print production work and to paint and exhibit her work around the San Francisco Bay Area until she relocated to San Diego in 1998. After settling in San Diego, however, her focus shifted from painting to producing women’s ritual events, and then she started to teach belly dance as well. Eventually, her art interest returned with a revival of her photography passion due to the new technologies of digital cameras and Photoshop.

 

Then at last Amalya’s greatest vision began to take root, and in 2003 Amalya designed, built and founded the Goddess Studio—an intentionally created sacred space dedicated to honor the Sacred Feminine through dance, ceremony and art. Since then she has produced, facilitated and hosted numerous events, workshops, dance concerts, and monthly women’s circles and seasonal ceremonies. In particular she has co-facilitated 22 bi-annual “Awaken Your Inner Goddess” full day retreats; as well as over five years of monthly Sisters of the Moon gatherings; plus six years of MeetUp circles; taught weekly belly dance classes; and continues to devote her full time to designing activities and ceremonies for the Goddess Studio, hosting special guest presenters, and to creating her Glorious Goddess Portrait photo-digital art.

 

A priestess to be sure, Amalya brings great passion and compassion into her endeavors to create a sacred space for all women to feel seen, heard, encouraged and empowered.

 

Priestess experience:

• In Northern California Amalya was a co-facilitator of Rosa Mandala—a coed group which gathered eight times a year to honor the Earth’s sacred days. After settling in San Diego in 1998, Amalya helped co-create Goddess Temple Events which offered elaborate quarterly celebrations through 2001 of the solstices and equinoxes attracting a large community of women.

 

• Furthermore, for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 & 2007, Amalya was a guest presenter and workshop instructor at Jane Richmond’s Self Heal School's annual Women’s Retreat in San Diego leading ceremonies and dance programs.

 

• Additionally she completed a six month Priestess Training program in San Diego with Melissa Seaman in 2005.

 

• And she fulfilled a one year Priestess Training program from 2010-2011 for the Wheel of Place with Mary Samantha Inman and affirmed vows to serve as a Priestess.

 

• Plus, Amalya has participated in many women’s moon circles as well as larger events with themes of the Goddess, ritual, and other spiritual self-enrichment content, including being a guest Priestess at the Museum of Women (previously known as The Goddess Temple of Orange County) and a workshop presenter at the 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019  Women's Spirit Rising conference in Malibu, Ca.

 

• Since founding the Goddess Studio Amalya has facilitated hundreds of rituals for the Sabbats and women’s circles at her studio from full day elaborate retreats for up to fifty women to more intimate sized gatherings.