 I am dust particles in Sunlight.
I am the round Sun.
To the bits of dust I say, stay.
To the Sun, keep moving.
I am morning mist,
and the breathing of evening.
I am wind in the top of a grove,
and surf on the cliff.
Mast, rudder, helmsman, and keel,
I am also the coral reef they founder on.
I am a tree with a trained parrot in its branches.
Silence, thought, and voice.
The musical air coming through a flute,
a spark of a stone, a flickering
in metal. Both candle,
and the moth crazy around it.
Rose, and the nightingale
lost in the fragrance.
I am all orders of being, the circling galaxy,
the evolutionary intelligence, the lift,
and the falling away. What is,
and what isn't. You who know
Jelaluddin, You are the one
in all, say who
I am. Say I
am You.
-Rumi, "Say I Am You"
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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
2009 Dates for Rehearsal are:
July 26th, 4-6pm
August 9th, 4-6pm
Autumn Equinox Ritual Planning Committee meeting at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 17, 2009 at Sutton Studios.
All Clergy Meeting, Saturday, July 25, 2009, 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Location TBA. Biennial Clergy Self-Review due immediately.
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: 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. |
Soothsayings: July - August 2009
by Rosemary Clark
 It is once again the time of year in the northern hemisphere that coincides with a forty-day period when Sirius the alpha star in the constellation Canis Major (the "greater dog") rises with the Sun. Hence, this time is known as the "Dog Days" (July 4 August 11). But throughout the ages, Sirius (Greek for "scorcher") also represented the appearance of a foremost goddess Sothis of the Greeks, Sopdet of the Egyptians, Rudra (Shiva) of the Vedas.
Goddess Appearing
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky that rises after the constellation Orion. The forty days of her rising with the Sun were regarded as most sacred in the ancient cultures of the Levant from Egypt to Babylonia, including Greece, India, and as far East as China. Near the end of the forty day Solar conjunction, the star appears on the horizon at dawn before the solar aura becomes visible (the heliacal rising). This was viewed by the ancients as "the herald of the Sun's divine companion."
The lore associated with this event has been passed down through the ages. A shade of the naturally blue-white star is significant if it appears bright and clear, the ancients foretold an abundant harvest and a year without conflict. If it was dim or reddish, a poor harvest would be expected with hostilities from foreign lands. More.
*Isis-Sothis, herald of the New Year - Temple of Philae, Egypt
(*) 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.
- 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. |
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
Morfreyja
Realm of Fire
Anne Gauldin
Realm of Water
J. Clark
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar-Sutton
J. Tatum
eScrip Shoppers = $2.65, Amazon Shoppers = $17.74
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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You are sitting around a fire after a hard day of work. The air cools and the sun sets, the frogs and crickets begin singing as the sky darkens. Suddenly the person you have been eagerly awaiting leaps to the center of the circle. Your Shaman begins her story about Coyote and Mouse. You have heard the story a hundred times, but the antics of the animals and the wisdom in the story never fail to give you pleasure. As she weaves her tale, the knowledge that every thing is alive, carrying its own power and wisdom, soothes your soul.
Let us join together, in this virtual circle, and share these Animal Tales. Let us once again feel how the stories connect us to the natural world and remind us that we are all part of a vast Circle of Life. Listen now as the Shaman's animal stories whisper tales of that power and wisdom in your ear. Let us begin with the story of How the Animals Got their Tails:
Long, long ago animals had no tails. One morning when Elephant was drinking at Mangochi with his friends, it was very hot, and the flies were bothering them.
"It would be a wonderful thing if we had tails," said Elephant. "We could chase away the flies with tails. I wonder where one gets such a thing as a tail?"
"Across the valley, and over the hill lives Kudu who has boxes full of all sorts of things. perhaps one of them is full of tails," answered Eland. So Elephant lumbered off across the valley and over the hill to where Kudu always browsed.
"Now that the sun is shining and the flies are bothering me, I have come to get a tail," said Elephant as he approached Kudu, who was resting under a big kachere tree, surrounded by his boxes. "All the animals want tails, and you have many boxes. One of them is surely full of tails, is it not?"
Kudu looked at his visitor. "I'm not sure," he answered. "But look through one of those boxes, Elephant," he said. "Perhaps tails are packed away in it." Elephant lifted the lid of a box with his trunk and peered inside. All he saw were dozens of beads, all made of glass. Continued . . .
This story is taken from Legends of the African Lakes: Tales from Malawi and the Great Lakes of Africa, retold by Ann Walton. Animal Tales Column brought to you by Kamala. Animal Tales logo by Anne Gauldin, Gauldin Farrington Designs.
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Kid's Realm ~~Childhood is a journey, not a race.~~
Water Bottle Holder
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Average
Age: 7 and up
As the mercury rises in the outside thermometers, use patterned felt and old t-shirts you can make your own water bottle holder. Continued.
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A Contentious Debate: Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.
July 9, 2009
In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown from an
issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a nationwide
controversy. Indeed, in the last five years, the debate over gay
marriage has been heard in the halls of the U.S. Congress, at the White
House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in the
rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels.
Moreover, the battle over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed
to wed shows no signs of abating. In the last year alone, three states
have banned same-sex marriage and four states have legalized the
practice. As the debate rages on, the American religious community remains deeply divided over the issue.
A National Controversy
Recently, both sides in the debate have scored important victories. In April 2009, for example, Iowa's Supreme Court ruled that the state's constitution guarantees gays and lesbians the right to wed; the high court in Connecticut had issued a similar ruling in May 2008. Meanwhile, gay marriage advocates also won important legislative victories in a number of states, beginning in April 2009 when the Vermont Legislature legalized same-sex marriage. The Vermont law marked the first time gay marriage was legalized as the result of a statute rather than a court ruling. By the end of May 2009, two other state legislatures, those in Maine and New Hampshire, followed suit, bringing the total number of states that allow same-sex marriage to six. Finally, in June 2009, President Barack Obama granted family medical leave and certain other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal workers. (The presidential memorandum did not include health insurance coverage, which would require congressional approval.)
For full report of Same-Sex Marriage Debate, click here.
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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
[July 18, 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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RhythmSong
With Haize Hawke of A-Muse-Sent and Joselyn Wilkinson of Calabash Productions.
Saturday - August 8, 2009, 1-4P
 Goda Yoga
9711 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
$45 single workshop
$10 per child of workshop participant (aged 3-10)
(Price includes creative activities, materials and light snack) Please RSVP to info@joselynwilkinson.com.
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Temple of the Goddess PAGAN BOOK CLUB
July 28, 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 Chalice and the Blade
Our History Our Future
by Riane Eisler
 Some books are like revelations, they open the spirit to unimaginable possibilities. The Chalice and the Blade is one of those magnificent key books that can transform us and...initiate fundamental changes in the world. With the most passionate eloquence, Riane Eisler proves that the dream of peace is not an impossible utopia.The phenomenal bestseller, with more than 500,000 copies sold worldwide, now with a new epilogue from the author--The Chalice and the Blade has inspired a generation of women and men to envision a truly egalitarian society by exploring the legacy of the peaceful, goddess-worshipping cultures from our prehistoric past. (courtesy of amazon.com)
This international bestseller -- now in 23 foreign editions, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, and most European languages-- tells a fascinating new story of our past, present, and the possibilities for our future. Weaving together evidence from art, archeology, religion, social science, history, and many other fields of inquiry into new patterns that more accurately fit the best available data, it shows that war and the "war of the sexes" are neither divinely nor biologically ordained. It provides verification that a better future is possible--and is in fact firmly rooted in the haunting drama of what actually happened in our past. (courtesy of raineeisler.com)
Click here to buy this book from Amazon and help support the temple. For more information regarding the PBC or carpooling contact Inanna at: PaganBookClub@templeofthegoddess.org |
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.
 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
Monthly Celebrations are held on the night of the Full Moon, unless listed otherwise.
Upcoming Dates:
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)
Please save the date and join us on Saturday, June 27th, 3-6:00pm.
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 | |
