From the Director
Thank you to everyone who joined Temple of the Goddess in our seasonal celebrations of ritual theatre in 2009. It is your attendance, your participation, that made it worthwhile. Thank you also to our facilitators, the most amazing and talented group of spiritual artists I've had the pleasure of working with. I so appreciate your hard work and your dedication.
I'd also like to welcome the newest writer to our staff, Patrick Cleary. Most of you know Patrick for his musical contributions to our rituals as one of our fine guitarists. Patrick will now be serving the community with his contributions, as a writer, with a column to help us all be more environmentally aware. After all, as Pagans, environmental activism is a religious responsibility.
To all of you, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a season of peace. Blessings, Xia
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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
Pagan Book Club and Power of the Feminine Film Festival are put on hold until 2010. Please check back for future dates.
Goddess Choir Rehearsals
2010 Dates for rehearsal will be announced after the first of the year.
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. |
 It's Not That Easy Being Green
by Patrick Cleary
So much of
our spirituality draws on our relationship with the earth. We revere the elements that give us life and
which are the bounty of mother earth.
Yet our connection to the essential air, water and land we need in order
to thrive has never been more tenuous.
There are a plethora of credible organizations advocating for
environmental protections and regulations.
But do they go far enough? To
address the shortcomings of traditional conservation efforts, we need to ask
tough questions about the root causes of these conditions.
The
mainstream green movement is a top-down project embraced by corporations and
the highest levels of the federal government.
In December, 2007, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and
Security Act, which among other things established new efficiency requirements
for household appliances and called for the abolition of incandescent light
bulbs. Within the next three years, Americans
will be required to use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Many of us are already using energy efficient
bulbs. We might cheer this piece of
legislation because it validates our personal choices. But we should take a look at the statistics
of energy consumption before we judge whether this is sound public policy. Continued . . .
Patrick Cleary is a Temple of the Goddess musician. He has worked as a naturalist for Inside the
Outdoors in Orange County and in 2005 earned a B.A. in History from U.C.
Irvine. |
Soothsayings: November - December 2009
by Rosemary Clark
 Keepers of the Sacred Fire
In the season of Sagittarius, the fire of prewinter is renewed and tended to illuminate the darkness of the coming solstice. Associated in the Greek tradition with the centaur Chiron, teacher of the physician Asclepius, it draws together the disciplines of healing, the military arts, and weaving - an eclectic combination at first glance but reflecting the powerful motif of the Sacred Fire. It is this universal substance that sustains life, protects the community, and inspires creativity.
In ancient Egypt, the goddess Neit governed warfare and weaving, wearing a headdress of crossed arrows and alternately, the red crown of the Lower Kingdom or the shuttle loom of weaving. In all of these images, she preserves and protects life and guards the borders of divine territories. Similarly, the lioness Sekhmet, Lady of the Red Linen, embodies the scorching fires of combat and purification. She purges the body of afflictions and banishes the enemies of the Sun from sacred places. The priesthoods of both deities were healers and exorcists, tending the temple fires that purified instruments of both warfare and surgery.
Both the Pleiades and the constellation Orion set in November, signaling the onset of the cold, stormy season. As they hibernate, we call on the keepers of the Sacred Fire to protect and preserve us, so that we may remain custodians of their power. More. . .
* Neit, Lady of Sais - Luxor Temple, Egypt (19th Dynasty)
(*) 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. |
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
Realm of Fire
Anne Gauldin
Realm of Water
J. Clark
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Tatum
eScrip Shoppers = $3.97, Amazon Shoppers = $11.41
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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 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.
We Remember . . . Ruth Irene Whitehurst Nance, grandmother of Haize, Priestess and dancer in Temple of the Goddess, passed away October 29, 2009 in Daytona Beach, FL, where she resided the past six years. She was born July 29, 1919 to the late Marion and Emma Barnes Whitehurst in Enterprise, AL. She was the youngest of twelve children to survive infancy.
She graduated from Coffee County Training School and married her high school sweetheart, Y. C. Nance on August 25, 1941. They were married 25 years and to his union three children were born, Mary Sue Nance Hawkins, Orlando Tyrone Nance and Roscoe Nance.
She and her family lived briefly in Enterprise, Huntsville and Wetumpka, AL, before relocating to Union Springs, AL in 1950. A working mother, she was an agent for Atlanta Life Insurance Company while raising her three children. She retired in 1984 after thirty-two years with the company. Read more . . .
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 PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING
by Jeanne Leiter
We celebrate Thanksgiving Day this month. We give thanks for home, food, and family around the dining room table. Usually perfunctory, it's the pause before the sumptuous banquet. Sometimes we go one step further when each person says what they're grateful for. This is beautiful, but still a monologue with Goddess. When you think about it, our prayers are usually monologues with the Deity. A lot of mine have been "give me this, give me that, and I'll change my ways. Oh yeah, please." It finally occurred to me that I'd rather have a dialogue. I tried praising, thanking, and confessing my short-comings with a promise to do better in the future. I found myself conversing with the Big Kahuna.
According to my trusty Encarta World English Dictionary the word prayer comes from, you guessed it, Latin. Precarius means "obtained by entreaty", from precari to "entreat". The first definition is "communication with God or other being". It goes on to say, "It may express praise, thanksgiving, confession or a request for something such as help or somebody's well being." Continued . . .
Photo by Charles Elliott
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 You
are sitting around a fire after a hard day of work. The air cools and
the sun sets, the frogs and crickets begin singing as the sky darkens.
Suddenly the person you have been eagerly awaiting leaps to the center
of the circle. You
have heard the story a hundred times, but the antics of the animals and
the wisdom in the story never fail to give you pleasure. As she weaves
her tale, the knowledge that every thing is alive, carrying its own
power and wisdom, soothes your soul.
Let
us join together, in this virtual circle, and share these Animal Tales.
Let us once again feel how the stories connect us to the natural world
and remind us that we are all part of a vast Circle of Life. Listen now
as the Shaman whispers tales of animal power and wisdom
in your ear. Tonight's story is a Pueblo/Zuni
tale of the American Southwest. Turkey medicine teaches the spirit of giving. As with the
buffalo, the primary peoples of the Americas respected and revered the animals that provided them
with sustenance. Benjamin Franklin suggested the Turkey become the national bird. How different would our
country be if the bird whose medicine is the spirit of giving was the national
bird?
THE POOR TURKEY GIRL
A Native American - Santa Clara Pueblo and Zuni Tale
A very long time ago in the village of Shufinne, a young orphan girl lived with her aunt. The aunt spoiled her own children but was very mean to
the little girl. She made her work from sunrise to sunset gathering wood,
working in the fields, patching the mud walls of their house and looking after
the turkeys.
Each morning the girl would let the turkeys out of
their cages and take them into the canyons to let them search for food.
Each night she would go up into the canyons and call
the turkeys to come home. They would gather round her and follow her back to
their cages. Everyone in the village, including her cousins, called her Turkey
Girl.
She was often sent off with the turkeys without any
breakfast, and many times she went to bed hungry at night.
Turkey Girl worked hard for years. No one showed her
any kindness. But she was very kind and caring to the turkeys. They loved her
in return and came immediately she called them at night to lead them back to
their cages. Continued . . .
Retold by Oban http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/index.html. Animal Tales Column brought to you by Kamala. Animal Tales logo by Anne Gauldin, Gauldin Farrington Designs. |
November 16, 2009
Church campaign focuses on same-sex marriage
by Jennifer Torres
The Record
Sharon Henry, music minister at Stockton's Valley Ministries MCC church, had a commitment ceremony in October 2004.
Then, in June 2008, during the window when same-sex marriages were
legally performed and recognized in California, she and her wife, who
are raising teenage boys, had a civil ceremony.
"It was more validating than I ever thought it would be," Henry
said. "It was the first time I was able to say, 'I'm married.' It was a
pretty big thing."
The question of same-sex marriage continues to be a contentious one, with polls showing most Americans opposed to it. More . . .
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 Silver Phial
When: Saturday, November 21st at 9:00 p.m.What: Silver Phial will play the "Incarnations of Matahari"
evening of performances
Where: "Home" Restaurant and Bar
2500 Riverside Drive (at Fletcher) in Silverlake
(323) 665-0211
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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.
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:
December 2nd, 7-10:00pm
December 30th, 7-10:00pm
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 |
 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.
Mondays, 7-10:00pm
November 23
December 21
$30.00 (no one turned away for a lack of funds)
No Dance Experience Necessary.
For more info click here.
Contact Kamala: kamala@terrakino.net
For more information, click here.
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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. | |
