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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
Monthly Events If you are feeling the need for more frequent, intimate spiritual gatherings, please join Temple of the Goddess priestesses Pythia and Kamala for our monthly Full Moon Celebration on Monday, July 26th and the Women's New Moon gathering on Wednesday, August 11th, both held between 7-10 pm. See notices below for more information.
TEMPLE SURVEY If you didn't have time to take the 2010 Temple of the Goddess Survey last issue, it's not too late. The Board of Directors need your your input about the growth of the temple and how we serve your spiritual needs. Please take a few minutes, click here, and fill out our 2010 survey.
Pagan Pride Day 2010 Visit Temple of the Goddess booth at Pagan Pride Day on Sunday, September 26th. Details below. See you there!
Goddess Choir Rehearsals
(No rehearsals in July)
Sunday, August 8th
2:00-4:00
NOTE: Soothsayings, one of our regular Between the Columns monthly articles from astrologer Rosemary Clark will now run in conjunction with the Sabbats due to Rosemary's writing schedule. She is working on another book so we have that to look forward to as well. EverGreen, our newest series from Patrick Cleary will return in August when Patrick finishes school. I'm sure he'll have lots to share with us about the environment.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! -
Goddess Choir: If you'd like to be a part of the
ever-growing Temple of the Goddess Choir, please contact us at choir@templeofthegoddess.org
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. |
Sun Goddess (Kamala) by photographer Charles "Beautyseer" Elliott
 | 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
with the stars wheeling, the midges swarming
in the humid air like a nebula, with the clams
who drink the tide and the heartwood clock
of the oak and the astronomical clock
in the blood thundering through the greatest heart
of the albatross. 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.
By Marge Piercy, From "Shadows of the Burning: The Lunar Cycle"
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ONE OF OUR OWN: BRIANA MURRAY by Pythia
 We welcome Briana Murray as our new editor-in-chief of the Temple eNewsletter. She has been with the Temple since 2006, quickly moving from congregant to facilitator; assisting anyone who needed help with ritual set-up and take-down.
When a Temple Guardian Angel gave us the use of lighting trees for our rituals, Briana began setting up, operating, and dismantling the cumbersome equipment. The Temple facilitator "manual" states that tasks are asked for, not "assigned".
When Briana asked to take a more active part in the rituals, Xia suggested reading the liturgy. Briana accepted, and has been doing an excellent job. Recently, she asked if she could work on the eNewsletter. The answer was, and is, a resounding, "Yes!"
I have personally joined with her in rituals, both public and private, and am proud to say that I witnessed a young, sincere, powerful, deeply spiritual human being. I am glad that Fate has chosen to have Briana come into my life. My life is better for having her in it; Mother Earth is a better place for having her living in these times of so much destruction and pollution. Young people like her can, and will, change the world for the better.
Thank you for bringing more love and laughter into my life. Click here for more . . . |
The Poor Give More 
by Arthur C. Brooks Feb 19 2008
Surprising findings show that low-wage earners step up to the charity plate big-time.
Charitable giving is an American tradition. Surveys consistently find that between 65 and 85 percent of U.S. families make charitable donations each year, and we give away more than twice as much per capita as the citizens of even the most generous European nations. According to the Center on Philanthropy Panel Study, the average American family that gave to charity in 2002 donated $1,917. And contrary to what some might assume, this giving does not all-or even mostly-support houses of worship. The Giving U.S.A. Foundation reports that only about a third of individual gifts go toward religious causes; the rest are earmarked for secular concerns like education and health.
As impressive as these numbers are, there are still about 30 million American families that do not give charitably. Why not? According to Independent Sector's 2001 Giving and Volunteering in the United States survey of 4,000 households, common excuses include not being asked and fear that contributions will be used inefficiently by nonprofits. But the most common explanation for the lack of giving is a perceived deficiency of means: Two-thirds of nondonors say that they simply cannot afford to give. This sounds reasonable. There are plenty of Americans having trouble making ends meet, so why give away what little money they have? Thus we can logically assume that most of the Americans who don't give are poor, right?
Wrong. In fact, Americans at the bottom of the income-distribution pyramid are the country's biggest givers per capita. Click here to read more . . .
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Vatican Equates Women's Ordination with Priest Pedophilia?
by Mary E. Hunt, July 12, 2010
Pope Benedict XVI  | A new-released document includes the ordination of women in the same category as sexual abuse by priests.
Update:
The Vatican has now issued the norms on dealing with priest sex abuse
cases and other "more grave crimes" including "attempted sacred
ordination of a woman." They took great pains to distinguish the two,
claiming there are two kinds of such crimes-one related to the
sacraments and the other to moral issues. A Vatican official said, "The
two types are essentially different and their gravity is on different
levels." This does not answer the question why they are both in the
same list. - ed.
While Protestant churches like the Presbyterian Church USA have their
annual gatherings in the summer, the institutional Roman Catholic
Church, with no such meetings to worry about, uses the season to issue
documents from on high. According to published reports,
the Vatican is soon to release new norms that govern matters of sexual
abuse by clergy. (Ho hum-but wait, there's more.) They are expected to
include the ordination of women under the delicta graviora, the same category of grave sin that governs sexual abuse by priests. Cue the music of doom!
It is hard to see past the PR aspect of this to the theological. Mixing
the two issues, even under the same legal umbrella, is a profoundly
perverse proposition. Either these gentlemen are more ethically tone
deaf than one can imagine, or they are sly beyond the dreams of foxes
in an effort to redirect attention from the criminal behavior of clergy
against children to their wrath over the ordination of women. Neither
option is terribly appealing. Click here to read more . . .
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SAVE THE DATE "The seasons and all their changes are in me." -Henry David Thoreau
Our multi-cultural Earth celebrations 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.
- October 23, 2010 All Hallow's Eve*
- March 19, 2011 Spring Equinox*
- September 24, 2011 Autumn Equinox*
- October 29, 2011 All Hallow's Eve*
*Rituals scheduled
at the Neighborhood Church. Click here for more information and to download an event flyer. Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103 818-771-5778 Website: www.TempleoftheGoddess.org
We hope you will join the temple, in community, to honor the seasons, the Earth, and our own personal growth for our 2010 Ritual Sabbat.
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.
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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 Fire
Kamala
Charles & Joanne Elliott
Realm of Water
Nancy Ann Jones
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Clark
J. Tatum
eScrip Shoppers = $4.23
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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High Court Rules Against Campus Christian Group-Decision in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
LEGAL REPORT
June 28, 2010
A divided Supreme Court today ruled, 5-4, that a public law school can
deny recognition to a student group that excludes gays and lesbians.
The Court said the school could enforce a policy requiring official
student organizations to accept all students who want to join.
The case, Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, arose in 2004
when a chapter of the Christian Legal Society (CLS), a nationwide,
non-denominational organization of Christian lawyers, judges and law
students, asked to register as an official student group at the
University of California's Hastings College of Law. Groups that are
officially recognized by the school enjoy certain privileges, including
access to school facilities and the opportunity to apply for school
funding. But CLS membership requirements effectively bar non-Christians
and non-celibate gays and lesbians from becoming voting members or
assuming leadership positions, which conflicts with the law school's
stated policy of requiring registered student groups to accept any
students as members. After Hastings refused to exempt CLS from the
policy - known as the "all-comers" policy - the group sued the law
school, claiming the policy violated the group's First Amendment rights
to free speech, freedom of association and freedom of religious
expression. Two lower federal courts sided with Hastings, and CLS
appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in the case
on April 19, 2010. Click here to read more . . .
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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 this tale explains why things are the way they are. Coyote is the primary trickster of the Southwest. This tale comes from the Pima, a group of Native Americans living in Arizona. Tricksters are the animals that never seem to get it right, but in their silliness and missteps they often bring us a glimpse of something new and different.
How Bluebirds and Coyote Got Their Colors
retold by Oban
Long ago, Bluebirds did not have the beautiful blue feathers they have now, and Coyote's coat was bright green.
One morning two dull Bluebirds were flying and chasing each other. They found a lake they hadn't seen before. It was like a giant puddle and it was a beautiful blue color. From up in the sky the water looked so cool and inviting they dived down into it.
The Bluebirds bathed, splashing and singing "This water is so blue and we are in it. We will be blue too." They came back to the lake the next three mornings, bathed and sang the song again. On the next morning after that, when they flapped their wings under the water, their dull feathers came loose and dropped out. New shiny blue feathers grew in their place.
When the Bluebirds came back to the tree they usually rested in, Coyote was dozing in the shade of a nearby rock. He was very surprised to see their blue wings. "What have you done to your feathers?" he asked. Continued . . .
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Wendy Rule's Guided by Venus
Released March 2010
Special Los Angeles
Engagement:
Los Angeles, CA
Friday August 6th, 2010 McGroarty Arts
Center
The latest release from Australia's renowned Visionary
Chanteuse is a gorgeous union of beautifully orchestrated melodies,
tender and insightful lyrics, and of course, Wendy's incredible voice. Guided
by Venus takes us on a deeply personal journey through the world
of Love. From the epic title track, which sets us reeling on a stormy
sea, to the joyful "Radiate" (written for Wendy's son), the album
celebrates the full spectrum of emotion that only the Goddess of Love
can invoke. At times dreamy and lush, at others pure and stripped back,
this beautiful collection of songs is proof that Wendy Rule continues to
evolve and deliver her truly unique talent.
For More Information
go to www.WendyRule.com
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 Pagan Pride Day Los Angeles
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The mission of the Pagan Pride Project is to foster pride in Pagan identity through education, activism, charity and community.
Enjoy
a wonderful day celebrating your Pagan roots with like-minded,
Earth-honoring people. The day is filled with Rituals, Workshops,
Authors, Entertainment, Vendors, Food, Children's Activities. Please
visit us at our Temple of the Goddess booth.
The Meadows at
Whittier Narrows, Regional Park, South El Monte, 751 South Santa Anita
Ave. (off the 60 Fwy, south of the 605 Fwy) Admission is free, but you
are asked to bring a non-perishible food item for the food bank. For
more information, go to Pagan Pride Los Angeles.
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Temple of the Goddess ~ Full Moon Celebrations
Image by Felix Navin
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Monthly Celebrations are held on the night of the Full Moon, unless listed otherwise. Time for Moon Lodge is 7-10:00pm. Led by temple
Priestess, Pythia
Upcoming Dates:- July 26
- August 24
- September 23
- October 22
- November 21
- December 21
Moon Children are those born under the Zodiac sign of Cancer. But in reality, we are all Moon Children. We live half of our lives in the light of Grandmother Moon. She, like Mother Earth, has power. She shows us her power with the rising and falling tides caused by lunar gravitational pull interacting with specific attributes of our oceans. She shows us her power by lengthening the calendar 15 microseconds every year. And finally, she shows us her power by women's reproductive cycle.
At the Full Moon Celebration we will draw down Lunar Power to aid us in releasing that which no longer serves us, thereby actively creating room for an increased abundance in our lives. So, join us as we honor Grandmother Moon, using sacred tools in sacred space to create magick in order to enjoy a more fulfilling life.
Full Moon. . . Keywords for the Full phase are: fulfillment, illumination, realization, experience. It is the time in a cycle when you are given a clear view so that you can make adjustments to put you back on track to manifesting the goals you set at the new phase. Go to a public place. Do something with a friend. LISTEN. Receive awareness. Understand others.
Bring a blanket to snuggle in and a treat to share during after-ritual chat time. 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. |
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. - August 11
- September 8
- October 6
- November 3
- December 8
Dress comfortable and bring a 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. Led by Temple Priestess, Kamala. Contact Kamala@templeofthegoddess.org.
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 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*
$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
*Classes are not currently being held but will resume in the summer. See you then!
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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. | |
