 Sunrise
New Beginnings
New Life
Happy Spring
With Love
Ruth Ann
(click here) |
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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
2009 Dates for Rehearsal are:
Sunday, April 19th, 4:00pm-6:00pm
Sunday, May 2nd, 4:00pm-6:00pm
Goddess Choir: If you'd like to be a part of the ever-growing Temple of the Goddess choir, email choir@TempleoftheGoddess.org. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
NOTE: The May issue of Between The Columns will be dedicated to both Mothers Day and the Earth, with a focus on Recycling. Please send any related essays, articles, interviews, and poetry for temple newsletter to newsletter@TempleoftheGoddess.org.
Click here to find out about Community Events. If you would like to post an event with Temple of the Goddess, please let us know by submitting the date and pertinent information to: Events@TempleoftheGoddess.org. |
Spring Equinox Highlights
We'd like to share some images taken during the rehearsal of this year's Spring Equinox celebration and myth: Myth of Lilith and the Fruit of Knowledge. Photos courtesy of Les Nakashima. Click Here For All Photos.
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 Soothsayings: March - April 2009
by Rosemary Clark
Springing Forward
We enter a new season with the planet Venus, who brings rejuvenation and harmony in the cosmic environment, moving forward on April 17. While retrograde planets are so viewed from only the Earth's perspective, delays and obstacles inevitably take place when they appear at a standstill or move backward in the sky. With the kind influence of Venus waxing once more, we can also move forward and look to fortunate events ahead.
Goddess Times
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd, a time to reflect on our bond with the planet we inhabit and the great spirit that enlivens it. Even if some do not relate to Deity as mother, it is self-evident that all existence is dependent upon one's cooperative relationship with nature, and what it provides us to grow and mature throughout its rhythms and seasons as that bond deepens.
 The ancients seemed to understand this intrinsically and consistently. The Romans honored the goddess Flora, patroness of Spring, from April 28-May 2nd. The Floralia was both a festival and an evocation of the dormant powers of life in the soil to awaken. Though reported to be an event of indulgence and licientiousness, it is one of many ancient festivals acknowledging the bond between mortals and nature, the mating of humankind with the Earth. It marks the onset of the agricultural calendar, the first sowing of the seed.
The union of man and goddess, the seeding of the soil and the fertilization of the land, was celebrated in ancient Egypt with the Festival of the Joyous Union, the annual mating of the goddess Hathor with her consort, Horus. In an elaborate holiday involving temples, citizens, and fleets of Nile boats, the image of the goddess sailed from her great house at Dendera upstream to the god's domain at Edfu at the New Moon in Taurus (this year on April 24th). Shut within the sanctuary for 14 days, the powers of the deities fused, to later disperse in a great ceremony at the Full Moon of Taurus (this year on May 8th-9th) marking the conception of their child, Ihy lord of harmony. In modern Egypt, the ancient festival is still commemorated in the public holiday of Sham el-Nessim ("breathing the air"), held on the Monday following Coptic Easter (this year on April 20th). More. . .
Photo: The Goddess Flora by Luca Giordano (1634-1705), The Goddess Hathor embraces Pharaoh Seti, embodiment of her consort Horus - Tomb of Seti I, Valley of the Kings
(*) All phenomena are cited for the Tropical (Western) Zodiac
© Copyright 2008 by Rosemary Clark
Rosemary Clark is author of The Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt: The Esoteric Wisdom Revealed and The Sacred Magic of Ancient Egypt: The Spiritual Practice Restored. She has also written The Everything Meditation Book and her work is included in Menopause: A One-Stop Resource for Feeling Good and The Complete Dream Dictionary. When not writing and organizing spiritual expeditions to Egypt, she is saying sooth to an international cadre of students and associates. |
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SAVE THE DATE
"The seasons and all their changes are in me." -Henry David Thoreau
Our multi-cultural Earth celebrations are held at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church in Pasadena and are open to families and community. Our Sabbats are multi-media ritual theater combining mythology, music, visual art, dance, liturgy, spoken word, and participatory theater which fuses drum and dance with personal enactment to re-connect us to the seasons and the Earth.
 June 20, 2009 Summer Solstice
- September 19, 2009 Autumn Equinox
- October 24, 2009 All Hallow's Eve
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
818-771-5778
Website: www.TempleoftheGoddess.org/Events
We hope you will join the temple, in community, to honor the seasons, the Earth, and our own personal growth for our 2009 Ritual Sabbats. |
One Of Our Own - David Jacks
by Pythia
 Curiosity is a basic animal instinct. It informs us to both the dangers and the rewards available in our environment. But, it's more than that. When we wonder what the other person is thinking, or the "come from" of another, in effect, we're trying to understand ourselves a little bit better. This column attempts to shine the occasional spotlight on our temple folk so you may know something of their minds, their hearts, and their souls.
This time we focus on David Jacks, a musician in Temple of the Goddess. He's multi-talented, playing drums, guitar, using his beautiful voice in song and narration, and at times, acting in the myths at Sabbat Celebrations. We honor his commitment to the Pagan community of Los Angeles. We all have walked a curious path to end up where we are today. Each story is unique, beautiful, and worth knowing, since the knowing of other stories helps us understand our own story.
David grew up, the youngest of four children, in the Bible-Belt South. And yes that means, as a very young child, he was exposed to small town religion. As a very young child, he visited the church his grandfather founded, based a bit on the Holy Roller style. He remembers the services to have been "enthusiastic". As is common with children, David's mother rejected her father's Ol' Time Religion and embraced atheism. But, smart woman that she was-she welcomed feminism way before it was popular (and remember we're talking the Deep South here). She also raised David to think for himself, to be open to any spirituality that seemed right for him. David was instilled with anti-racism (deep south. . .) when his parents sent letters to the newspaper against racism, they had to use an alias, "Leo Dow", which was of course based on Lao Tzu and his theory of Taoism (pronounced Dowism, hence the 'Dow'). More
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DONOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Temple of the Goddess wishes to acknowledge, honor, and welcome those who have joined, tithed, or donated to the temple this month. You keep the temple doors open for all of us.
 Realm of Air
Kamala
Realm of Earth
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Tatum
eScrip Donations: $127.00
Thank you for shopping using eScrip!!
Click here for information on becoming a member of TOG. Temple of the Goddess has a variety of ways that you can participate fiscally in our vision. To learn more about making a tax-deductible donation to the temple, go to Gifting Opportunities.
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Power of the Feminine Film Festival
Secret Garden Night by Jeanne Leiter
April 11th brought a small, but select group out to view The Secret Garden. I had seen it before, but every time you see a good movie or hear a fine piece of music-it's different. This one, made in 1993, was much more magical than I remember. The lives of Mary, Colin, and her uncle were dark, shadows collecting around the threesome. When Mary discovers the 'Secret Garden', then works to bring it back to life, the colors of Nature flow around and through her. Discovering the feminine in all their lives brings love and balance to all.
It was enjoyable to be in a small group of like-minded people watching this film stretched out on the floor, propped up on pillows, blankets snuggling them. It was a family viewing, in comfort, with plenty of popcorn, Snickers, brownies, cookies, and soda to last the entire film.
Afterwards, everyone talked about their favorite scenes or meanings, both overt and subtle. Even those, like me, who had seen it before, saw it with fresh eyes this time. The 'discussion' was not literary, but a sharing of thoughts.
I'm looking forward to attending the next movie, The Secret Life of Bees on Saturday, May 23rd at 7:30. I've seen this one, too, but I bet I see something different this time around. "You cannot step into the same river twice. - Heraclitus, in Diogenes Laertius, Lives |
The Secret Garden Film Review by Dr. Gloria Avrech
The film The Secret Garden is based on a novel by Frances Hodgson Gurnett, published in 1911. Several previous films and a stage musical have been based on the story, which has the quality of a favorite childhood fairy tale. The story is fateful and formative, holding a personal and collective significance, and seems to appeal especially to girls and women, who speak of their love of it in enthusiastic terms. Many people who have seen the film have closely identified with at least one character.
The initial setting of the film captures a central theme throughout the story: the absence or abuse of the Feminine. Mary Lennox, the story's protagonist, born in late nineteenth-century India, is orphaned at age ten when her parents, who paid little attention to her, are killed in an earthquake. A spoiled, angry, and sullen child, she is shipped back to England, to the home of her uncle, Lord Craven. A desolate and depressed man in his thirties, crippled by a spinal curvature, Lord Craven is filled with unresolved grief over the death of his beloved wife, Mary's mother's twin sister, ten years ago. Besides the painful memories of his wife, he can't stand to be in the presence of his sickly, death-obsessed, ten-year-old son, Colin (Mary's cousin), and so travels frequently.
This story captures the malaise of a patriarchal society that is narcissistic, materialistic, power-, pleasure- and dominance-oriented by highlighting the disturbances in this unhappy girl, her grieving uncle, and her sickly cousin. All three are powerfully affected by the absence of positive feminine energy and by the presence of deeply wounded masculine energy. Mary, however, finds within her psyche a wellspring for her own and other's healing. More
Gloria Avrech, Ph.D., L.C.S.W. is a Jungian analyst in private practice working with people of all ages in Pasadena, California. Reprinted from Psychological Perspectives, 1994 (Fall/Winter), Issue #30
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Power of the Feminine Film Festival
Let's gather for a fun evening as we come together to view and discuss films that illuminate and engage us in the Power of the Feminine. Join us at the movies! Dress casual, (PJ's acceptable), bring blanket, beach chair. Popcorn and other snacks will be available to purchase for the benefit of the Temple. Some films will be Family Friendly and others will be 13 years or older (parental discretion). Our next film will be:
The Secret Life of Bees
[May 23, 2009 - 7:30 pm]
Family Friendly!
Our next featured movie for the Feminine Film Festival is The Secret Life of Bees. This marvelous film is based on the historical fiction 2002 best-selling novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. The book is a touching story that rightfully became a New York Times bestseller. It was nominated for the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction. The book was adapted to a screenplay by Gina Prince-Bythewood and stars Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson. The film was released on October 17, 2008.
Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees revolves around 14 year-old Lily Owens, whose life is shaped by her blurred memory of the afternoon of her mother's accidental death. Lily's black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three racists in town, and in order to save Rosaleen's life, they both run away. They end up in Tiburon, South Carolina.
Lily has lonely at home and feels that she is unloved by her father, T. Ray, who punishes her harshly for small, and sometimes, imaginary infractions. When she comes to live with, and work with, August Boatwright, one of three sisters, she discovers that she has many people who love and care for her.
Since Lily was not allowed to ask questions of her father, she begins again to find out who she is. She writes down her thoughts in a notebook, and finds her first love, Zachary Taylor. She finds out who she really is when she learns about her mother's past.
When she discovers her past, she begins to see where she fits in the present. When one has a past, one also has a future.
Come watch this wonderful film with the Temple family, then discuss its meanings in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
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Kid's Realm ~~Childhood is a journey, not a race.~~
 Egghead Eggshell Planter
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Easy
Age: 5 and up
This is a fun project for Earth Day, Easter, or just about any spring day you can think of. No fancy materials are needed. With just an eggshell, a little soil and some seeds, you can grow your own egghead. It's the ultimate in eco-friendly craft ideas! More |
Herb of the Month
by: Fee, Certified Master Herbalist from the Global College of Natural Medicine, Keeper of the Gardens
"The more simple we are, the more complete we become." --August Rodin
 A Happy and Joyous Spring to all! The gardens are bursting with life and glorious color!! April has the sweet pea, the daisy, and the lily! The sweet pea is used for friendship and strength. The daisy and lily are both faery favorites. The daisy symbolizes love. The lily is employed in the breaking of love  spells. When lilies are planted in the garden, they keep both ghosts and sinister influences away from your home. The white lily is the symbol for the Archangel Gabriel.
Prevalent in my garden right now, is Larkspur (Delphinium). Larkspur has the magickal property of health and protection. Larkspur is a tall border plant available in white and different shades of blue. They can be grown as an annual or a perennial.
 These pretty flowers are great for arrangements and add color in potpourri mixes. Larkspur grows anywhere from two to four feet tall and usually needs to be staked as it grows. It prefers moist, fertile soil and likes full sun. Bloom time is usually late spring to early summer. Perennial larkspur grows best in milder summer climates. Zones 3-7.
Garden Witchery - Magick From The Ground Up
Ellen Dugan, Llewellyn Publications 2003
Sweet Pea - www.gstuff.co.nz, Daisy - www.natorp.com, Lily - roses.toytrains1.com
For gardening or herbal questions, contact Fee at khotbc@yahoo.com |
Temple of the Goddess PAGAN BOOK CLUB
May 5, 2009 ~ 7:00pm
 Do you enjoy reading and discussing books? Then please join us for the temple's Pagan Book Club. Some of our young people are hungry to read what many of us older Pagans have long ago read so this is our chance to re-read, share our wisdom, and get some fresh new perspectives from the next generation (or two). We will be reading both fiction and nonfiction. If you're interested in joining us, our next book will be:
The Burning Time by Robin Morgan
Based on the true story of the Inquisition's arrival in Ireland, and one remarkable woman's fight against it.
This riveting tale of the struggle for the soul of a country-drawn from actual court records of the first witchcraft trial in Ireland-is the exciting story of one extraordinary noblewoman, Lady Alyce Kyteler. When the Catholic Church brings the Inquisition - also known as the Burning Time - to Ireland, Lady Alyce refuses to grant the Church power over her, her lands, or her people, and she refuses to stop the practice of the Old Religion. She is declared a dangerous heretic by an ambitious emissary of the pope-who stakes his future on bringing her to heel. To lose the battle with Lady Alyce, he tells his superiors, is to lose all of Ireland. But Lady Alyce is just as determined to fight back against the invaders' injustice, its forced imposition of a new religion, and its blatant seizures of land. After she outmaneuvers her adversary in a court trial, there is no return: Against the penalty of being burned at the stake, she risks all to protect her people, her faith, and her beloved Ireland. Battle plans are laid, and what ensues is a vivid account of an astonishing but little-known historic figure and a gripping tale of bravery, treachery, guile, and redemption. (Review courtesy of Amazon.com)
Click here to buy this book from Amazon and help support the temple. For more info contact Inanna at: PaganBookClub@templeofthegoddess.org
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The Frame Drum "Tool of Remembrance" with Miranda Rondeau
A Special Program for Women ~ Introductory Workshop  Sunday, May 24, 2009 ~ 10:00-2:00 p.m.
Goddess Studio, Escondido (North San Diego , CA)
The frame drum is one of the oldest universal instruments in the world. It is a powerful archetype and tool of remembrance. Its circular shape symbolizes wholeness, unity, and oneness, while its drum strokes corresponds to the elements. In the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, the frame drum was used for religious functions, rites of passage, communal bonding and celebration. The predominant players then were women, priestesses in service to the Goddess.
ABOUT THE DAY
- Miranda will Open with song offerings
- Learn to play in the upright position with our hands
- Learn to recite and play basic strokes of the drum
- Explore basic music concepts
- Explore different rhythm & stroke combinations
- Weave in the symbology and intention of the strokes.
- Develop a relationship to the drum integrating the body & mind
**Absolutely no drum experience necessary**
The fee for the day includes use of drums that Miranda will provide. Earlybird fee before by May 17: $45; or $55 after May 17 or at door. At the Goddess Studio, Escondido (North San Diego, CA) Address & Directions sent upon registration! Click here for more Info or questions contact: AmalyaGoddess@aol.com or call 760-432-6574 |
Wiccan Out Weekend:
An All-Women Camping Goddess Extravaganza
 May 29-June 1
Indian Cove Campground, Joshua Tree National Monument
Please join our tribe as we share joy, tears and compassion in Mother Nature. The weekend will explore our themes, the Crone in the tarot and the Year of the Ox in Chinese mythology. Develop community and dance around a blazing fire to rhythmic drums as together, we create global magic.
agauldin@pacbell.net. Produced by Anne Gauldin & Ruth Ann Anderson |
Temple of the Goddess Moon Lodge for Women
We gather to honor and celebrate the Moon Mother and her cycles which we embody with her sacred gift of rhythm and blood. Together we will celebrate stories of our own moon-time, from our experiences of menarche to menopause. We will share stories of Her ebb and flow, reconnecting ourselves with these divine and timeless cycles. Our repose in this dreamtime within the safety of a circle of sisters has the power to heal and reunite our deeper selves with the natural world. The Moon Lodge is held on Wednesdays between 7pm and 10pm.
 April 22 May 27 June 24 July 22 August 19 September 16 October 14 November 18 December 16 Dress comfortable and bring comfy pillow and blanket to snuggle in. Bring any sacred offerings you may wish to share with the Goddess on Her Altar. And a decadent snack to share with your sisters. Contact Kamala@templeofthegoddess.org |
 Temple of the Goddess ~ Full Moon Celebrations
A special note of thanks to Temple Priestess, Pythia, who shared her knowledge of Shamanic Trance Drumming with us all at last month's Full Moon Celebration. It was truly a magical experience for all who were able to participate. In our individual journeys to the underworld, we were all able to share time with our own power animals, and receive the messages uniquely our own. As we sat within our sacred circle and shared our personal experiences it was amazing to learn of how many of us had similar experiences while each of us held meditative space so totally individualized as each of us there. I thank you all for sharing this experience with me, many many thanks to Pythia, and bright blessings to all. I look so forward to seeing you all under the silvery moon, Morfreyja
Monthly Celebrations are held on the night of the Full Moon, unless listed otherwise.
Upcoming Dates:
Friday May 8, 7-10pm
Sunday, June 7, 7-10pm
Strong lunar energy pulls everything out of hiding and reflects it back at us. Emotions seem closer to the surface and social inhibitions melt away. While neither Waxing nor Waning, the Full Moon is a highly charged time for release and gain.
During the Full Moon Celebrations you will learn the energy flow of each monthly Full Moon, meditate to draw down the Lunar power, create magic within sacred circle and use divination tools to release the unwanted as well as bring in the desired.
Click here for more information about Temple of the Goddess Full Moon Celebration, and a pdf flyer or email FullMoonCelebration@TempleoftheGoddess.org or phone: 818-771-5778 Picture Courtesy of Isquiesque |
 Trance Journey Through Drumming
New class offered by Temple of the Goddess
This is not a "learn how to drum" class, but deep meditation instruction. In this class you will learn about Shamanism and what a Shaman does when she or he moves into a trance and enters another reality. If you've wanted a different way of meditating to "sort things out" then this might work for you. In addition to the trance work, the class will study various topics including:
- Shamanic Trance Drumming-what it is and where it has been in practice.
- Spirit Guides-how to obtain one and what a Guide does for you.
- Relevancy of Shamanic Trance Drumming in today's world.
Classes led by Pythia, Temple of the Goddess priestess and a practioner of Shamanic Trance Drumming for 18 years. Classes ongoing. For dates and times, contact Pythia@templeofthegoddess.org and put Trance Journey in the subject.
Click here for more info and a downloadable pdf flyer. |
 In a Sacred Circle of Sisters, Come Home to Your Authentic Self
The Shamanic Tantric Dance is a meditation in motion, a sacred dance spontaneously sourced from body impulse.
One Day Encounter - $30.00 (no one turned away for a lack of funds)
Saturday, May 23, 3 to 6pm
Saturday, June 27, 3 to 6pm
SERIES OF FIVE CLASSES -- $150.00
Monday, July 13, 2009 thru August 10, 2009 from 7 to 10 pm
No Dance Experience Necessary. For more info click here.
Contact Kamala: kamala@terrakino.net | |
