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Temple of the Goddess Newsletter |
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Woman
– Zachary Tatum-Nolan, (Age 11) On this day when women, Goddess, all Mothers are honored, we honor and celebrate you for all the love, creativity and compassion, for all the nurturing you give to so many. Happy Mother’s Day!
May is the month when we celebrate mothers and honor the women in our lives. So it seems a perfect time to revisit the ideology of the Goddess, the growing phenomenon of goddess veneration, and why Temple of Goddess came into being. Throughout history, goddess worship, in all its many and varied forms, has played a significant role in the world’s religious, cultural, and social structure. Beneath the veil of the Goddess is a wealth of feminine knowledge that has been lost, or forbidden, to women and the world. Knowledge is power, and learning of Goddess lore will empower women, and men, through knowledge of their ancient roots. The tapestry of the Goddess is richly woven with golden threads of rediscovered women’s art, history, cultural heritage, and folklore. Today, in an unprecedented time in human history, we are globally connected to one another with instant communication. What we are discovering in this many-colored quilt of cultural and racial diversity is that the common and constant thread is our very humanity. We are all family, and the Earth is the link in our divine lineage. This is the philosophy of immanence, the belief that the world and everything in it is alive; that the creative life force that courses through us also exists in everyone and everything. 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. Read more . . .
Our Mother,
Martha Weathers, a retired college teacher, is a
student, volunteer, and teacher at Brigid's Place.
Brigid's Place has been called "a sanctuary for the
female soul." For more information go to Brigid's
Place.
Kuan Yin, one of the many manifestations of Divine Mother energy. Still worshiped in China and other parts of Asia today, Kuan Yin is a near-perfect correlation to the Catholic Mary. Kuan Yin is known as a boddhisattva, a semi-divine being who had so much love and compassion for humanity that after attaining enlightenment, she chose to retain her human form rather than transcend into pure energy. The name Kuan Yin means “she who hears the weeping of the world.” There are many stories that speak of this loving deity who answers every prayer addressed to her. This is just one. Kuan Yin, she whose inner strength and abiding faith blossom into a mighty flower that flows with a river of compassion onto all the people of the earth. In her love and mercy, she makes no distinction between rich or poor, dark or light, male or female . . . the highest judge in the land or the worst criminal in the jails of China, her ancient homeland. The Goddess Kuan Yin, Earth Woman, is the embodiment of the compassionate mother. Her story is as old as time. She was a woman who just wanted to be herself, not subject herself to an unloving marriage. Upon her refusal to marry, Kuan Yin's father sent her to a women's temple, with instructions that she should be treated cruelly so she would see the error of her ways. More . . . Click here to submit an anonymous Prayer Request to Temple of the Goddess which is lovingly offered to Kuan Yin.
Temple of the Goddess wishes to acknowledge, honor, and welcome those who have joined, tithed, or donated money to the temple in May. You keep the temple doors open for all of us.
Realm of Fire 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.
This issue of Temple of the Goddess’ Newsletter is lovingly dedicated to Marija Gimbutas, considered by countless people to be the Mother of the neo- goddess movement. Many of us owe our birth, our enlightenment, to her life’s work. The following piece about Marija’s life is reprinted from belili.org, and the producers of the documentary, Signs Out of Time, the story of Marija’s life and work. What allows a person to see what nobody else can see? What forces in a life create a woman who can speak her truth with passion and hold her own against ridicule and criticism? When Marija Gimbutas died in 1994 she was already considered by many to be one of the most influential and controversial archaeologists of this century. At a time when most scholars of ancient history confined themselves to recording and describing data, she dared to look for meaning. Her interpretations engage fundamental issues: Is war inevitable? Have men always dominated women? What are the true roots of Western culture? " I do not believe, as many archaeologists of this generation seem to, that we shall never know the meaning of prehistoric art and religion." -- Marija Gimbutas Marija followed the trail set in the early 19th century by female archaeologists like Jane Ellen Harrisson and historian Matilda Joslyn Gage – women who dared to challenge the findings and criteria favored by the "establishment" of their times. Like Galileo and other "heretics," Marija Gimbutas has also shaken the foundations of her society. Read on . . . To purchase the dvd of Signs Out of Time and learn more of the life and work of this remarkable woman, go to belili.org.
Our Summer Solstice Celebration will be held at:
Neighborhood Church
June 24, 2006
Mother's Day was originally started after the Civil
War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by
women who had lost their sons. The following is the
original Mother's Day Proclamation written by
Julia Ward Howe in Boston, 1870.
Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who
have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water
or of fears!
Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided
by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come
to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and
applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to
unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of
charity, mercy and patience.
We women of one country will be too tender of those
of another country to allow our sons to be trained to
injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated
earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm,
Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance
of justice." More . . .
Mother Divine image by artist Shannon
Delsol.
Sacred Places of Goddess: 108
Destinations
by Karen Tate
In a fascinating fusion of travel, cross-cultural
mythology and the Divine Feminine, author Karen
Tate takes us to one hundred and eight places
around the globe. Sacred Places of Goddess provides
both travelers and general readers with a vast array
of information. Its richly composed pages include
many drawings, photographs and maps, and this
helps create the effect of what is really a resource
encyclopedia. Aside from the well-organized contents
listing, I found the index highly useful in locating the
Goddess, place or subject matter that was of special
interest to me. Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East,
Oceania, North and South America, the West Indies
and Mexico are all featured.
Sites chosen by Tate demonstrate the indisputable
fact that Goddess religion was a deeply personal and
meaningful force in the lives of many of the world's
ancient peoples. In her introduction, she points to
the many artifacts worldwide that attest to the
universal belief in Goddess. "Belief in the Divine
Feminine," she states, " has not only continued
without interruption for thousands of years to the
present, but most scholars cite evidence for worship
of Goddess as far back as 30,000 years, possibly
predating worship of a male deity. . ." Read on. . .
Review reprinted with permission of The Beltane
Papers.
Many corporations and corporate foundations provide important financial support through their employee matching gift programs. By matching the donations made by their employees, these companies enable individuals to double - or even triple - financial support for their favorite charities. Through such programs, business and corporate institutions promote and encourage charitable philanthropy on the part of their employees. If you would like to participate in the matching gift program where you work, contact your Human Resources Office for eligibility requirements and to find out how to arrange your gift either to Temple of the Goddes or our arts affiliate, Nine Muses. For more information about Matching Donations, go to Gifting Opportunities at Temple of the Goddess. Or write to us at Development@TempleoftheGoddess.org. Your support keeps the vision alive.
Sacred Sensual Moving Meditation for
women INTRODUCTORY CLASSES AND SERIES OF
FIVE For Registration and
Information Call (310) 455-3876 or
Wiccan out Weekend: JUNE 9–12, Jackson Flats Campground, near Wrightwood Produced by Anne Gauldin & Ruth Ann Anderson Please join our tribe as we share joy, tears and compassion in Mother Nature. The weekend will explore our themes, the Lovers in the tarot and the Year of the Dog in Chinese mythology. Develop community and dance around a blazing fire to rhythmic drums as together, we create global magic. Cost: $75 to $100 Email: moonlght@pacbell.net or agauldin@pacbell.net
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