|
Director's Message
Come join us for Spring Equinox as we remember, re-claim, and celebrate our
deep connection with the cycles of life and the seasons of Mother Earth. The
theme of all our 2008 Sabbat rituals is remembering the Names of the Ancient
Ones and through them, our legacy, our heritage of divinity. "Forgotten, she
does not die, but sleeps, whispering in her dreams (Dreams that are the
lives of men) until these words, remembered, wake her."* As children of the
divine, we begin the year with Spring and the growing light, we remember
Her, we whisper Her many names, we awaken Her, and we call Her, once again,
into the world.
*
Names by Clay Gilbert
|
|
Spring Equinox Ritual & Celebration
Saturday March 22, 2008,
7:30 PM
Doors Open 6:45
The evening of myth and ritual theater begins with a reprise of Inanna who like
many of the divine goddesses, teaches us that just as the seeds we plant each
year "die, be reborn and rise again,"
we too are part of the ever continuing cycle of life. Through dance and song,
Inanna graces us with the wisdom she found while on her underground winter
sojourn.
As our spring story and enactment unfolds, Sophia, daughter of wisdom loses
herself, her consciousness of home and her own divinity. She wanders in the
cold, the last snow of winter, crying out for help. She meets several animals
who share their wisdom of home and their connection to the divine. Until at last
she finds an injured and dying blue jay. Heartbroken, she calls upon the
Nameless Ones to help save the bird. We then meet Ostara, the Goddess of Spring,
who hears Sophia's cries and comes to her.
Journey with us to meet Ostara, the ancient Teutonic fertility Goddess and
witness her magical gift of Easter.
Newcomer's Meeting in Lobby at 6:45pm, before the ritual.
If this is your first Temple of the Goddess Ritual or you just have questions,
meet with the Priestesses of TOG in the lobby before the ritual. Bring your
questions, fears, hopes, and desires.
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
818-771-5778
For more information, download flyer at
www.templeofthegoddess.org/events
|
|
Temple of the
Goddess Announcements
Choir Rehearsals have resumed and will be held on the first and third Sundays at
4-6.
March 16th, 4-6:30
April 6th, 4-6
April 20th, 4-6
Automatic Donations Really Big Deal!
Auto Donations from eScrip, Amazon, Zazzle for February was
$68.76. Thank you to those few dedicated Temple members who have been shopping
using their eScrip membership and others who have been buying through Temple of
the Goddess store.
Essays, articles, interviews, and poetry for temple newsletter can be submitted
to newletter@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: March-April 2008
The Vernal (vernalis,
"spring") Equinox has been honored since ancient times as a transition from the
hibernation of one season to the awakening of another. In the northern
hemisphere, this event heralds the planting season; for skywatchers it is the
astronomical beginning of a new year. Visually, the Spring Equinox (equi,
"equal" and nox,
"night") marks the time when the Sun crosses the celestial equator and moves
north; it will visually appear high on the horizons until its southerly descent
begins in the Fall.
This year's Spring Equinox (March 19 at 10:49 pm PDT) is followed by a Full Moon
(March 21 at 11:40 am PDT). Solar and Lunar phenomena that take place together
presage unique events, and the period (March 18 - 30) should be considered
advantageous for taking unorthodox action, even veering off into new directions
rather than following the same pattern or habits. This becomes possible through
the vitality offered by the Equinox and the revelations certain to be disclosed
at the Full Moon.
More . . .
(*) 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.
|
SAVE THE DATE
"
The seasons and all their changes are in me
." -Henry David Thoreau
We hope you will join the temple, in community, to honor the seasons, the Earth,
and our own personal growth for our 2008 Ritual Sabbats. This year's theme is
"Reclaiming the Earth."
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.
SAVE THE DATE!!
- March 22, 2008 Spring Equinox
- June 28, 2008 Summer Solstice
- September 20, 2008 Autumn Equinox
- November 1, 2008 All Hallow's Eve
Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church
301 N. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91103
818-771-5778
Website:
www.TempleoftheGoddess.org/Events
Artwork from Ritual Path
DVD by artist John Banks of
Artek Images
and music by
Fritz Heede
. Available from Temple of the Goddess
Music & Media Store
.
|
|
Saudi Arabia: Halt Woman's Execution for 'Witchcraft'
Fawza Falih's Case Reveals Deep Flaws in Saudi Justice System
(New York, February 14, 2008) - King Abdullah should halt the execution of Fawza
Falih and void her conviction for "witchcraft," Human Rights Watch said in a
letter to the Saudi king.
The religious police who arrested and
interrogated Fawza Falih and the judges who tried her in the northern town of
Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence against absurd
charges that have no basis in law.
"The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes
like 'witchcraft' underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal
investigations," said Joe Stork, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
"Fawza Falih's case is an example of how the authorities failed to comply even
with existing safeguards in the Saudi justice system." Continued . . .
Human Rights Watch
www.hrw.org
|
|
Kid's Realm ~~Childhood is a journey, not a
race.~~
by: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Easy
This cute little bunny fell asleep inside of one of your Easter eggs! Shhh,
don't wake him--he needs his strength to deliver those goodies.
Click for more . . .
|
The Pope Rules Out Feminist Theology
By Malcolm Moore in Rome
The Vatican has cracked down on feminist
interpretations of the liturgy, ruling that God must always be recognised as Our
Father.
In a move designed to counter the spread of gender-neutral phrases, the Holy See
said that anyone baptised using alternative terms, such as "Creator", "Redeemer"
and "Sanctifier" would have to be re-baptised using the traditional ceremony.
The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith said yesterday: "These variations
arise from so-called feminist theology and are an attempt to avoid using the
words Father and Son, which are held to be chauvinistic."
More.
|
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
J. Clark
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J.Tatum
Ruth Ann Anderson
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
.
|
First Wiccan Chaplain in History To Meet with
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Update on Patrick McCollum at US Commission on Civil Rights - February 8, 2008
Remarks Delivered Before Commission
Statewide Wiccan Chaplain, California Department
of Corrections, Patrick McCollum will speak at a briefing on prisoners'
religious rights at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Washington, DC on
Friday, February 8, 2007. This marks the first time that a Wiccan expert has
spoken on religious freedom issues at a Commission briefing.
Continued . . .
|
|
Ostara Meditation - The Potential Within
by Karen Tate
Find a comfortable position. Close your eyes and breathe. Breathe in - and out.
Breathe in - and out. Allow your mind to release any thoughts as you make ready
for our inner journey. Let the suggestions of the journey unfold on the movie
screen of your third eye. Breathe in - and out. Drop into that special space you
go to to receive suggestions from the Divine. Allow. Allow. Allow. Be ready to
open yourself to ideas and guidance important for you to grasp. Breathe. Allow.
Allow yourself to be a container - filling up with inspiration and wisdom you
might glean from this journey. Let your consciousness go deeper, moving away
from this place. It is as if you are sinking into luxurious pillows, or walking
down a flight of stairs. One step at a time. You go deeper and deeper with each
step. Breathe and relax. Keep moving down that staircase to the potent darkness
of your being.
Continued. . .
|
Temple of the Goddess
Moon Lodge
Wednesdays 7 PM to 10 PM, April 9, May 7, & June 4
In the
dark of winter I was given this "Call to Power" by a sister priestess, she had
been deeply moved by it and was ready to answer Brooke Medicine Eagle's Call. As
she read it to the women gathered with her, we were all moved by the deep
emotion and truth it brought up for us. Here is a brief excerpt from Brooke
Medicine Eagle's Call:
"This call is for honoring the deep function of Mother's gift of life blood
within us-to bring forth vision and make it real for our families at a time when
vision is so important for us and for the healing of Mother. Honoring this cycle
within you will be more than empty form and words; it will be given new life by
men and women alike. And wonderfully, we will notice healthier, more comfortable
menstrual cycles and birthing.
These are simple, ancient ideas, powerfully useful when put into practice. Your
feeling may be one of not knowing what to do; the line of feminine teachings may
have been lost to you. And I say, Mother's truth is always within us; be willing
to discover it within yourself. Reach back across the gap. Be willing to now
know, to reach into the unknown, the Great Mystery. Then you and we are
following the model Buffalo Woman gifted to us; we are carrying the water of
Spirit to the people. We are nurturing and renewing at the most profound level."
Women,
now it is your turn to answer this call. Join me as we gather in the Temple of
the Goddess
Moon Lodge
to answer Brooke Medicine Eagle's "Call to Power."
For more info and/or to participate, contact Kamala, Priestess of Life Cycle
Empowerment,
Kamala@TempleoftheGoddess.org
Illustration by Linda Childers, The Sacred Path Cards
|
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.
Introductory Class
Saturday April 14, 2008 from 1 to 4 pm
SERIES OF FIVE CLASSES
Monday, March 21st thru May 19th, 2008 from 7 to 10 pm $150
No Dance Experience Necessary. For more info
click here
.
Contact Kamala: (310) 455-3876 or
kamala@terrakino.net
.
|
|
Travel to Sacred Places of the Divine Feminine begins again . . .
Guided by Karen Tate.
On your sacred tour, history, spirituality and culture come alive, creating a
continuum between past and present. Time and distance dims. The line between
traditional and non-traditional faith fades. You become one with the Mother.
Paris and Chartres - May 2008, Turkey - October 2008
SACRED SUNDAYS Sunday, April 13th, 11AM - 1PM
For more information go to
KarenTate.com
or contact the author at karentate108@ca.rr.com or 310/450-6661
|
|
Come join us in 2008! Conversation and sacred
travel allow us to open our minds, hearts and spirits to new learning...a chance
to exchange ideas and expand our world.
Goddess Conversations invites you to engage and
converse in the study of the Divine Feminine through spiritual journey and
pilgrimage to some of the most spectacular art, architecture and sacred lands on
Mother Earth.
Palm Springs, California: Mar 20th-23rd
Amazons in Turkey: July 1st - July 10th
|
Gaia Festival & Retreat
Featured Presenter for 2008: Margaret Starbird
This year's theme for Gaia Fest is Mother Mysteries and will focus on
connecting with our inner mother through meditation, journaling, drumming
and ritual.
What mysteries does She have to share with you?
Temescal Gateway Park, Pacific Palisades, CA
The Great Mother and the Dragon
by: Jessie Oster
|
|
