~ June Supplemental ~

Kid’s Corner

What dad could resist using this glittery paperweight on his desk to show off your love for him? Paint it with his favorite color or to match his office décor.

What you'll need:
∙ 1 rock heavy enough to weight down paper, about a palm size
∙ Acrylic paint
∙ Gold glitter glue
∙ Paintbrush
∙ Acrylic sealer spray
∙ Black Marker

How to make it:

∙ Choose a rock that is about the size of your palm. It should be heavy enough to weight down a few papers and not be blown away.
∙ Wash the rock with warm, soapy water and a scrub brush; be sure to get into all the crevices. Wipe off water with a towel.
∙ After rock has completely dried, paint the entire rock with acrylic paint. Let the paint dry and then paint on a second coat.
∙ Paint the entire rock with a thin layer of glitter glue and then let dry.
∙ Use a squeezable glitter glue bottle to carefully write “DAD ROCKS” on the rock.
∙ Let dry overnight.
∙ The next day, use a black marker to outline the letters to make them stand out better.
∙ Get a grown-up to spray the entire surface of rock with acrylic sealer spray.

Tips:

∙ Instead of writing the words with glitter glue, try a paint pen. They write like a pen but go on like paint. You can find them at your local craft supply store.
∙ Some glitter glues dry puffy and some dry flat (like ours) Experiment with yours first if you like to see how it will turn out.
∙ Instead of just one rock, paint two and put “DAD” on one and “ROCKS” on the other for a matching set.

www.kidsdomain.com
 

The Best Fathers
by Jeanne Leiter

Continued . . . Then, last month, my eyes were opened. I went to a Nine Muses Fundraiser at Haize’s house, a priestess of Temple of the Goddess. The afternoon was warm in Southern California and, I have to admit, I was not prepared to be immersed in a sea of children. I sat on the fringe and watched, with more than a little trepidation. For me, children mean noise, interruptions, chaos. There had to have been twenty children, the majority of them under the age of three. An older six-pack played in the pool–so I dismissed them, and watched the backyard full of babies and toddlers.

My hours of watching were rewarding. We had live music, including Adaawe, who play very energetic African drumming music. The toddlers did their own, inimical renditions of actual adult dancing. The little ones really captured my attention. Fathers sat on blankets spread out on the lawn with babies and pre-walkers between their legs. Fathers placed small drums or shakers in tiny hands and laughed at the music their child made. Fathers held their wobbly-legged babies and laughed as the little bare feet stomped on the blankets. They held their children close and kissed them tenderly.

I couldn’t get enough of watching the fathers with their children. These men, of all shapes, religion, and ethnicities, were not those news-not-worthy Bad Dads. These men were strong enough in their sense of self, their sense of worth, that they not only didn’t mind showing the ‘feminine’ traits of nurturing, compassion, and love, they reveled in it. All around me, men watched toddlers pushing plastic lawn mowers or baby-doll strollers, watching so their child would not get hurt. They watched as their children moved around the patio so if the child needed them, they’d be there in a flash, ready to console or praise. They made sure the child had a toy or a musical instrument. They fed them and wiped excess food from their chins. They made sure their child had on a sweater and a hat when the sun started sinking into the Pacific.

The event featured a May Pole. Dads held their young pre-walking children, ribbons clutched in both their hands, as they crisscrossed with the other dancers to weave their ribbons around the brightly-festooned May Pole, laughing the entire time. Both Fathers and children hung on to each other with such love it radiated outward, wrapping me in the knowledge that there is a generation of Dads out there that are as loving, as supporting, as giving as my father was to me.

On this Father’s Day, I bless the memory of my father and I bless all those Fathers I saw last month. They will raise their sons and daughters with tenderness, for they are strong men who know the value of love.
 

Urban Ordination: Creating a Goddess Dozen
by Pythia

Continued . . . With the preparations done, lying on their backs in a very warm Southern California afternoon, they were led on a guided journey by priestess Mnajdra. Each moved forward on their mental path, walking through woods to meet the Goddess. This private, individual meeting, this exchange of information, of love, of support, prepared them for the coming ordination.

Although each heard the same words, each journey was unique. The narrator’s words filter through the individual brain exciting unique memories, desires, goals. Upon walking back up the path, and rejoining their bodies, they slowly re-entered Ordinary Reality. All held their singular experiences inside. It was for them alone.

After a short break the three women and two men walked into the front yard. This house, this front yard is special. The house is on a small hill, the garage cut into it. The top of the garage flows into the green grass, trees, and flowering shrubs. And on the top of this urban garage is a seven circuit Cretan labyrinth. Lovingly created by the owner/priestess RA, the labyrinth is outlined with small, smooth stones. To enter it, one must walk through an arbor of jasmine flowers which today, scented the air with every breeze. Unlike a maze, labyrinths have no dead ends, one cannot become lost or stranded in a labyrinth. It has one way in and one way out––the same path, but different depending on whether one is going in or coming out. Walked with reverence, the labyrinth is a meditation tool––another way to meet oneself, meet the Goddess, meet and join with all of Creation.

As the ordainees walked toward the labyrinth, they passed an ordination altar blessed with a statue of the Minoan Snake Goddess where earlier each ordainee had placed their consecrated ritual tools. These sacred items included stones, chalice, jewelry, personal Goddess statues, flowers, an athame, and candles. The meaning of these sacred items remained silent, known only to each celebrant. They walked past the ordination altar, past family and friends sitting on the porch and lawn here to witness this event. They stand strong, shoulder to shoulder facing the labyrinth. It was early evening by now, the sun still shedding its light, but not its vicious heat of the afternoon. An almost full moon shone in the south, blessing the area with soft promise.

Xia, founder of Temple of the Goddess, spoke to the ordainees, reiterating the seriousness of their actions. The women and men, dressed in black, or white, or the Tartan plaid of Scotland smiled in joy. Each knew this was the right path for them at this time.

Then Xia walked the stone path to stand in the center, the heart, soul, and womb of the labyrinth. Inanna, the temple’s youngest priestess, walked behind, Xia’s right hand, keeper of the crowns and pendants. Each one approached the labyrinth, but before entering was greeted by the Crone, repository of all wisdom, then Lilith, the First Mother, who challenged each ordainee with questions. After receiving answers, the ordainee was allowed to pass.

Singly, each entered the labyrinth, walked the circular path and met with Xia, themselves, and the Goddess. After Xia spoke with each woman, blessing them with channeled energy and consecrating them with myrrh, she placed a silver circlet on each woman’s head. The crowns were graced with a crescent moon and a hanging amethyst cabochon. Each man received a pendant hung about their necks; a pentacle holding an amethyst above a crescent moon. Both fitting symbols for women and men doing Goddess clergy work in western society.

Lilith, the gate keeper, greeted each priestess and priest with their chosen ritual name and asked yet more questions. With answers received, Lilith bade the priestess or priest to meet once again with the Crone. She invited them to light their ordination candle to symbolize the act of illuminating their path in this world.

When all had exited, Xia spoke a last blessing and declared that by the power of the Goddess and the State of California, the three women and two men were officially ordained clergy in Temple of the Goddess, enlarging our numbers from nine to a Goddess dozen of fourteen–twelve women and two men. With Xia exiting the labyrinth, happiness and fulfillment swam in the night air. Each newly ordained priestess and priest was officially introduced to the crowd of family and friends.

Shortly after all five ordainees had walked the Labyrinth Ritual of Ordination, an ice cream truck cruising the street added its music to our festivities. Those joyous sounds added laughter to the tears of happiness coursing down all new and previously ordained priestesses and priests.

Later, we feasted . . . celebrating five new clergy adding what they can to help make the world a better place, one person at a time.

So, what kind of women and men decided to be ordained this May 18th? Certainly, strong, independent, intelligent, and compassionate people. But, what of these particular women and men? All of them active in their careers, some with children, some without. The careers include: business woman and owner of a web store featuring soaps and lotions; a shaman and yoga teacher, a film and tv producer, a musician and recording artist, and one is an astrological jeweler, teacher, and musician. They come from varied backgrounds with a multitude of skills. One of their most important skills is commitment. Commitment to change the world in which we live for the better, for the seventh generation to come. It’s a big commitment. It’s a huge challenge. But, these women and men consist of spirit and energy, and know that the Goddess walks by their side every step of the way.

Temple of the Goddess welcomes the following priestesses and priests:
 

* From left to right:

Jeaninne Payne
Priestess of Maat; Defender of Truth and Justice

Leighs Lochran A Ceud Aingeal aka Maurice Lee Davis aka Chokaé
Priest of Healing Torch of the First Light

Ananda aka Cheryl Caddick
Priestess of Her Song

Night Eagle Dancer aka Howard Hansen
Priest of Celtic and Shamanic Mysteries; Warrior/Protector of the Goddess

Morfreyja
Priestess of Sacred Offerings, Song, and Rúnaí
 

YOUTHFUL DEDICATION
by Pythia

Continued . . . Each young adult walked the Labyrinth to meet with Xia, Founder and Director of Temple of the Goddess. She placed pendants around each neck. A pentagram-Yin/Yang around the young men’s necks and a crescent moon around the young women’s. After they were blessed with channeled energy their tear stained faces were radiant with smiles. They moved out to sit on the grass or the swing and witnessed the ordination that followed.

Our prayer is that as these young, strong, intelligent women and men move into the next phase of their lives, they will carry with them the strength, the integrity, the compassion of the Goddess. They know that we as Temple clergy are supporting them in their activities, will be here for them if they need us. They also know that the Goddess is forever with them, showering them with everlasting, unconditional love.

Temple of the Goddess welcomes the following dedicants:

* From left to right:

Zachary Tatum-Nolan

Ariel Miasnik

Anwyn

T'Lark Galeas

Kathryn Payne

Alex Endrenyi