 Come into the fire, come in,
come in, dance in the flames of the festival
of the strongest sun at the mountain top
of the year when the wheel starts down.
Dance through me as I through you.
Here in the heart of fire in the caves
of the ancient body we are aligned.
Our cells are burning
each a little furnace powered by the sun
and the moon pulls the sea of our blood.
This night the sun and moon dance
and you and I dance in the fire of which
we are the logs, the matches and the flames.
Marge Piercy, from
"Shadows of the Burning; The Lunar Cycle"
|
|
Temple of the Goddess Announcements
Temple of the Goddess wishes to thank the wonderful herbalist, Fee, for her lovely contributions of botanical delights and information these past months. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Goddess Choir Rehearsals
2009 Dates for Rehearsal are:
July 12th, 4-6pm
July 26th, 4-6pm
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. |
 As the Wheel of Life
spins, the seasons bear witness to the covenant of the Goddess, Her promise
of life and the never-ending cycle of birth, death, and renewal. To each of
us in times of both joy and sorrow She sweetly whispers, "Be not afraid of
my cycles and embrace the changing nature of all things, the permanence
within the impermanence. The seasons bear witness to this promise I
manifested for you. For surely, the darkness and death of winter is followed
by the light and renewal of spring."
 In the great Circle of Life, we acknowledge the rites of union which bind us with one another. Temple of the Goddess congratulates Kathy Doughtie and Roger Nolan on their upcoming nuptials which take place on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena. The merger of these two families makes our community stronger and fuller. We send Roger and Kathy our blessings and wish them a long and happy life together.
|
Soothsayings: June - July 2009
by Rosemary Clark
Solstice Season The month of June brings a solstice, a "standing still" of the Sun as it appears at the zenith in the sky, it's most northerly position on the horizon for the year. In Neopagan lore it is the feast of Litha, opposite the feast of Yule at the Winter Solstice in the sacred year.
To honor the peak of the Sun's passage through the sky, bonfires are lit throughout Europe, with each country interpreting the Sun's ascent to the north in a distinctive way. But a commonality is shared as well all recognize the creative fire of the Solar gods, past and present, east and west.
Native American Plains Indians hold the renewing Sun Dance at the Summer Solstice and Hindu tradition holds a number of celebrations throughout the month to the goddess Parvati, consort of Shiva and mother of Ganesha.
The day before the Solstice is Midsummer's Night's Eve, traditionally a time of magic and power. Dreams and the visitation of fairies are attributed to this night, as Shakespeare so cleverly demonstrated in his timeless play of this event.
Tradition also has it that medicinal plants and magical herbs gathered at midnight are said to be at their full potency of the year and may be dried or distilled for the coming months. Cancer-ruled plants harvested on this day include St. John's wort (Hypericum), associated with John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic church on June 24. The plant is said to banish depression and treat alcoholism. Others include Catmint, Lemon Balm, Poppy, Cardamom, Chamomile, and Licorice. More. . .
*2005 Summer Solstice at Stonehenge by Andrew Dunn
(*) 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. |
Sexy, Spirited and Strong:
Becoming a Positive Energy Woman
by Meloney Hudson
 We are proud to announce the release of the inspiring new self-help book for women from author, Meloney Hudson, Temple of the Goddess Advisory Board Member. Sexy, Spirited, and Strong: Becoming a Positive Energy Woman is the guide to help women achieve radiant energy and high self-esteem, and enable them to create the lives they dream of and positively influence the vibration on the planet.
Sexy, Spirited and Strong: Becoming a Positive Energy Woman offers insights and techniques of Eastern and Western origin, which revitalize the three energetic centers in the body-sex, spirit, and strength/power-which make up the Energetic Triangle, and increase a woman's overall energy and her feelings of sexiness, spiritedness, and strength. A healthy Energy Triangle is the generator of positive energy and the foundation of a woman's high sense of self.
The information presented in Sexy, Spirited, and Strong: Becoming a Positive Energy Woman will help you achieve: Confidence as you've never experienced before.
∙ Glowing self-esteem.
∙ Happiness and joy most, if not all, of the time.
∙ Attracting other positive people and exceptional relationships into your life.
∙ Becoming the best you can be and living to your highest potential.
∙ Bringing your grandest dreams to reality.
∙ Radiant beauty, and eternal, youthful energy.
∙ Positively affect those around you and the entire planet.
Meloney Hudson is a teacher of women's empowerment workshops based on Tantric and Western principles and has made it her personal mission to empower women to change themselves and popular perceptions of women for the betterment of the planet. More.
www.iUniverse.com
www.positiveenergywoman.com
ISBN-10: 0595480829
ISBN-13: 978-0595480821
|
|
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
Charles & Joanne Elliott
Gloria Avrech
Roger Nolan
Bekah Finch
Realm of Earth
J. Clark
Anne Gauldin
Kathleen Forrest
Ruth Ann Anderson
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Tatum
eScrip Shoppers = $3.94
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.
|
The Goddess Guide: Exploring the Attributes and Correspondences of the Divine Feminine by Priestess Brandi Auset
 Book Review by Jeanne Leiter
The book I chose to review this month is The Goddess Guide: Exploring the Attributes and Correspondences of the Divine Feminine by Priestess Brandi Auset.
It covers 400 goddesses from around the globe and is a great starting point for research since the first section of the book is alphabetically arranged, having 30 to 50 words on even the most obscure goddess.
What's nice about this book is that the various goddesses are listed (in separate sections) under different headings including: attributes such as agriculture, but also menopause and illusions. The color section covers thirteen colors, even containing the rainbow.
The four basic elements along with their emotional and physical manifestations have yet more listings. The Regions and Cultures section is most informative since one can look up a geographic area and see which goddesses are associated with which land.
The only real perceived oversight I can mention in the entire book is in the section covering "Maiden, Mother, Crone." These are the three categories of the Divine Feminine according to Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess so have been around for quite some time. I wish Auset had included the fourth face that has arisen in the last few years, that of Queen. Many feel that this fourth aspect more fully rounds out the phases modern women travel through nowadays. But, this is a minor point. This section also deals with "Threefold Groups" such as Oshun, Oba, and Oya (West African-associated with water). Continued . . .
|
|
Kid's Realm ~~Childhood is a journey, not a race.~~
Uncle Sam Hat Treat Holders
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Easy
Age: 6 and up
Decorate your table this Fourth of July with these adorable treat holders made to look like Uncle Sam's hat. Fill with your favorite treats and give away as party favors at the end of the party! More.
|
Religion and Science: Conflict or Harmony?
Event Transcript-Monday, May 4, 2009
 Some of the nation's leading journalists gathered in Key West, Fla., in May 2009 for the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics and public life.
Francis S. Collins, the former director of the Human Genome Project, discussed why he believes religion and science are compatible and why the current conflict over evolution vs. faith, particularly in the evangelical community, is unnecessary. Collins, an evangelical Christian, talked about his path from atheism to Christianity and his belief that science provides evidence of God. He cited the Big Bang theory and the fact that the universe had a beginning out of nothing. He added that the laws of physics have precisely the values needed for life to occur on earth and argued that would seem to point to a creator.
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, the religion correspondent for National Public Radio, discussed how the brain reacts to spiritual experiences. She talked about the current debate over whether transcendent experiences are merely physiological events or whether they reflect encounters with another dimension. Bradley Hagerty said she believes that "God is a choice," that people can look at scientific evidence and conclude that everything is explained by material means or that they can look at the universe and see the hand of God.
For full transcript of Religion and Science Conference, click here.
|
|
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.
|
 Earn Cash for the Temple of the Goddess!
July 1 - July 27
High School
Students from Finland, France, Germany,
Spain, and Switzerland are coming to Pasadena to improve their English and learn
about American culture!
EF Educational Homestay Program (EHP) is looking for caring volunteer families in
our community to welcome these students for only 4 weeks this summer. When you host a student, you will have the
opportunity to learn about your student's customs and traditions, as he or she
discovers the culture and lifestyle of America while improving their
conversational English. You have fun and for each student hosted,
the Temple of
the Goddess will receive $25.00 You may also have a chance to brush up on a
foreign language you are studying!
Even if you don't
live in Pasadena, EF has arranged for bus
transportation from Crescenta
Valley, North Hills area,
and Monrovia/Arcadia area.
Please contact Cyndia Z. Klein at 626-379-2414
or czklein@singular.com if you are
interested.
|
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:
July 7th, 7-10:00 pm
August 5th, 7-10:00 pm
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 | |
