| Air by MoonSongstress
 Breathing low as the grass through the meadow
Of my mind, She came, Breath of my breath,
She said, exhaling life dew through me and out
The other side of existence. Me centre filled to
Its brim with the salty fresh breezes as it drank
Them in with the hunger of wolves scenting prey.
And I awoke to the life of now to stare into the
Eyes of the storm and feel her pass through me,
Leaving sharp traces of her cool knowledge and
Salt-pan crusting thought, rimming my mind with
Its diamond, crystal, biting edge. Teach me, I
Cried after her. But she was gone and though I
Searched, she was nowhere to be found. But the
Pricking knowledge called me and I scratched
Its surface down and down until I reached the
Core of my soul. There I found her deep in my
Centre, waiting the ages out for time's sweet
Wisdom to dawn in the light of my inner eye.
Yes, I am here, She said. Where did you think
You would find me? So I sat at her feet, looking
Into the grey mist of the morning light, and as
The soft edged dawn was born low in my mind,
Understood with the rising of my sun that She
Was me and I should look within for her shining.
The Pagan's Muse: Words of Ritual, Invocation, and Inspiration, Edited by Jane Raeburn
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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
2009 Dates for Rehearsal are:
Sunday, April 5th, 4:00-6:00pm
Sunday, April 19th, 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!
Essays, articles, interviews, and poetry for temple newsletter can be submitted 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: March - April 2009
 by Rosemary Clark
The seasonal transition that takes place between Winter to Spring has been universally regarded as the time for renewal and regeneration. In celestial terms, it is the Sun's passage from the watery torrents of Pisces to the fiery warmth of Aries, a restatement of creation when the spark of life arose from the depths of the cosmic ocean in timeless time. The Vernal (from Latin vernalis, "of the spring") Equinox (equi nox, "equal night") is the first of two events in the Earth's annual circuit around the Sun when the terrestrial axis is upright, when night and day hours are of equal length. Likewise, we may be raised up from the incline of winter and the preoccupations of physical existence, to reach for the sky's intangibles once more. In ancient Greece, the renewing forces of Spring were embedded in the great mythos of Persephone, daughter of the Earth goddess Demeter. Abducted by Hades and forced underground for part of the year, her return to the ream of the living was commemorated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, which celebrated the reunion of mother and daughter at the Vernal Equinox. Persephone's return from the underworld signifies the return of nature's fecundity and our return to nurturing and growing. Goddess Times of SpringThe embodiment of Spring is the Greek Chloris, goddess of greenery and growth. Consort of Zephyrus, god of the West wind, she governs fields and gardens, which come to life in her season. She brought the Rose into being from a lifeless nymph, a metaphor of nature's power to awaken our inner beauty. With her consort, she also gives life to the supreme goddess of devotion, Aphrodite. More. . .
Photo: Return of Persephone by Lord Frederick Leighton
(*) 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
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.
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!!
- 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
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. |
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
Gloria Avrech
Carla Perez
Realm of Fire
Anne Gauldin
Realm of Water
Morfreyja
Realm of Earth
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Tatum
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
by Kamala
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 blankets, pillows, beach chairs. 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 first film will be:
The Secret Garden
[April 11th Time: TBD]
Family Friendly!
For many people, the goddess is now expressed not necessarily as inherently female, but as what that feminine expression embodies: the concept of life as a whole, intricately woven together in sacred unity." -- The Mythology of Nature, Xia
 For me going to the movies can be a sacred experience. Film holds the power of myth and the imagination. Its "bigger than life" quality can transform us in a profound and magical way. As my understanding of the feminine grew, it was films like Thelma and Louise and The Piano that showed me what it meant to find my own voice and to stand in my feminine power.
"The world of the twenty-first century is out of balance. It is a world diseased by fear, hate, war, greed, violence, and all the subtle and obvious manifestations of suppression and subjugation of nature and the peoples of the world. These destructive aspects of human expression are typically considered the shadow aspects of the masculine: power not in service to the life force. It is our belief that what is needed to restore the essential balance of humanity and the planet is the life-enhancing aspects of the feminine: equality, reciprocity, and caring, to name a few." Xia, Director's Opening Message, Temple of the Goddess
So what is the power of the feminine? In the above quote "the life-enhancing aspects of the feminine: equality, reciprocity, and caring, to name a few." can certainly be considered aspects of the Feminine. Films such as The Secret Garden speak very pointedly to the loss of these feminine qualities, the Garden untended, the "mother" banished from the world. The film shows us a young boy and his father literally ill because they have cut themselves off from Her and the power of regeneration. As She is restored, so are they.
Other films like Children of Men, Cold Mountain, The Green Mile, and Jerry Maguire also speak of the great power of caring, regeneration, relationship, unity, and cooperation. These are the feminine aspects that will bring us back into balance, back to the Garden.
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Kid's Realm ~~Childhood is a journey, not a race.~~
 Fingerprint Flowers
By: Amanda Formaro
Difficulty: Easy
Age: 4 and up.
This darling craft makes a wonderful keepsake. Perfect for Mother's Day, Grandparent's Day or just to usher in spring. More |
Herb of the Month
by: Fee, Certified Master Herbalist from the Global College of Natural Medicine, Keeper of the Gardens
"In Eastern lands they talk in flowers,
And they tell in a garland their love and cares;
Each blossom that blooms in their garden bowers,
On its leaves a mystic language bears." --James G. Percival
With only days to go...it feels as if Spring were here already!! If you blessed us with your birth in March, you can claim the lovely daffodil as your flower. You know that spring has arrived when the daffodils start to bloom. Magically used for fertility and love, this favorite spring bulb needs to be planted in the fall. Daffodils are the traditional flower for the festival of Ostara, the spring equinox.
 In keeping with things spring, I give you Hyssop (Hyssopus Officianalis). This herb is used for cleansing. Harvest the flowering tops and newer leaves. These may be added into a ritual bath or used in charm bags tucked around the house to protect it. Hyssop is a fragrant herb and may be added to potpourri mixtures. Hyssop prefers light, well-drained, alkaline soils. It may grow eighteen inches to three feet tall, depending on the variety, and likes full sun. Zones 5-9.
A blessed Ostara to one and all, from my garden to yours.
Garden Witchery: Magick From The Ground Up by Ellen Dugan, Llewellyn Publishing, 2003
Daffodil Image www.scenicnursery.com, Hyssop Image www.american-natives.biz
For gardening or herbal questions, contact Fee at khotbc@yahoo.com |
Temple of the Goddess PAGAN BOOK CLUB
 Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Do you enjoy reading and discussing books? Then please join us for the temple's new 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 Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah--all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery.
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 Temple of the Goddess ~ Full Moon Celebrations
Monthly Celebrations on the night of the Full Moon.
Upcoming Dates:
Thursday, April 9, 7-10pm
Saturday, May 9, 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 |
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Temple of the Goddess
Moon Lodge
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.
Moon Lodge Schedule:
Wednesday, March 25, 7 to 10pm
Wednesday, April 22, 7 to 10pm
Wednesday May 27, 7 to 10pm
Wednesday, June 24, 7 to 10pm
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.
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 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)
Sunday, March 29, 3 to 6pm
Saturday, April 11, 3 to 6pm
Saturday, May 23, 3 to 6pm
Saturday, June 27, 3 to 6pm
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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 | |
