Portrait of the Goddess Within: Seasonal Self Portraits
Summer Session
July 5, 2025
1-2:30pm Pacific
Classes via Zoom
This event is for Mount Shasta Goddess Temple Mandala Members. Join the Temple and get access to this event, plus hundreds of hours of video classes and private gatherings!
An empowering online photography class led by the priestess Linda M. Toki. Meeting four times: spring, summer, fall and winter between 2025-26, this class is designed to help women explore their inner strength and beauty through the art of portrait photography in conjunction with a goddess or goddesses they wish to embody. With a focus on capturing the essence of the “goddess within,” participants will delve into essential photography techniques such as lighting, composition, and the use of color. The course explores both indoor and outdoor backgrounds, encouraging women to experiment with settings that enhance their best attributes. Additionally, participants will have the chance to explore the creative possibilities of costuming to bring their goddess-inspired visions to life.
In the winter class of Portrait of the Goddess Within, we will make use of the dark, cool bluish and purple tones of winter, the gray days of rain and snow, drawing inspiration from winter goddesses associated with transformation, rest, introspection and death. Through themes of the dying landscape and hibernation or cocooning, we’ll create portraits that honor the cycle of renewal and the quiet power of winter. What goddess best fits the sometimes-harsh reality of winter?
The class will touch on a variety of gear, from professional DSLR cameras to iPhones. Linda will guide students through posing techniques that flatter their subjects and help convey emotion and personality as well as the nature of the goddess they will portray if they choose to. She will also introduce editing techniques, showcasing popular programs and user-friendly apps to enhance and refine images. Whether you're a seasoned photographer looking to expand your skills or a beginner aiming to capture inspiring portraits, Portrait of the Goddess Within promises a journey of fun, creativity and self-expression.
Linda M. Toki
Priestess Linda is a multifaceted leader and artist deeply rooted in her local community of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. As a Skydancer Priestess with the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple, she brings a wealth of experience and passion to her spiritual practices. Currently enrolled in the Via Carmen Pythia program, she has been reading tarot since 2014, enriching her connection to divination, intuition and guidance. With her expertise as a reiki master and mesa carrier in the Andean tradition, Linda creates a unique blend of healing and spirituality. She’s also ordained by the Universal Life Church, where she performs handfasting ceremonies.
As the creatrix of Gettysburg Goddesses, Linda fosters women’s spirituality through rituals, ceremonies, and community activities. Her leadership has helped expand the organization following her completion of the Mount Shasta “Raise the Temple” program.
After a 33-year career in federal government service with the Farm Credit Administration, where she excelled as an award-winning graphic designer and photographer, Linda retired in 2020. Her educational background includes a BS in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Art Education and minored in Art History.
Linda's commitment to community engagement is evident through her involvement with groups like WE Women Empowered and Businesswomen Influencing Gettysburg, and in her role as a board member for the Gettysburg Community Theater.
A lifelong photographer inspired by the beauty of the Western Pennsylvania, her love for nature shines through in her artistic work, particularly in the sacred imagery of birds within her goddess mandala. Linda hopes to inspire and uplift those around her through her artistic projects and spiritual assistance.