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Director's Message
2010 was a transition year for Temple of the Goddess. We shed our proverbial skin in order to grow and thrive. We pulled back on our larger ritual theatre productions and nurtured our Full Moon Celebrations. We acknowledged our financial needs and many of you stepped up to support the temple with donations and tithes. We said good bye to some old friends and welcomed in new ones. At the heart of the changes in 2010 were a few growing pains as wll as a deepening of our spiritual artistic community. We became a Tribe. It is with a grateful heart that we look to 2011 and a calendar full of exiting events and a deepening of our ritual myths. To my beautiful Temple Tribe, I love you and am grateful for your presence in my life. Xia
My Tribe Through Darkness Comes Shining
When all is covered with dark lies
thick-like debris from fallen towers
my people pick up hearts.
When all that is shown is tinted
with black greed and stained with blood from false wars
my people wipe away tears.
When even food is fake and whole forests fall like leaves
and great ocean whales can barely breathe
my people still sing from the beach.
They sing a humble song with full voices
crying out for the wisdom any creature will share.
My people are reapers of the waste of humankind,
willing to take anything tossed aside
and build with it a temple.
My people see in every scrap
a glimmer of the miracle
of creation to be brought forth through their hands.
Bring it on then, I say, let it all fall down
into our laps, into our receiving hands,
into our welcoming hearts.
We'll make a new world out of anything
You give us.
Carole Bridges, 2004, Reprinted from the 2011 We'Moon Calendar
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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
WENDY RULE RETURNS! For one night only, February 12th, at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena. See below for full details.
Monthly Events If you are feeling the need for more frequent, intimate spiritual gatherings, please join Temple of the Goddess priestess Pythia for our monthly Full Moon Celebration. See notice below for dates and more information.
Goddess Choir Rehearsals
Sundays 2:00-4:00
February 6, 2011
February 20, 2011
March 6, 2011
March 13, 2011
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
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. |
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2011 - A year for "breaking down and rebuilding"
ASTRO-OVERVIEW 2011: GROUNDSWELL
Change is rumbling underneath us, swelling from every crack in the culture and through every choice we make. We can resist and feel torn by its tremors or choose to roll with the waves, set our sails toward personal and cultural evolution, and see where the current takes us.
We are breaking down and rebuilding during an era-birthing T-square between Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, all in active Cardinal signs for most of 2011. These three have been dancing in and out of challenging aspects since 2009. Saturn then moves on and lets us lay new foundations, but Uranus and Pluto continue to square though 2015 to make sure we keep evolving.
The word disaster breaks down to dis=against, aster=stars. A real disaster this year would be to try to prevent change; the tectonic plates of the earth and of the culture continue to move, and we have to adapt. We can't predict the direction of the change with so many wild cards in play, but we can guide it. Each day we need to hold on to our vision for ourselves and our world, and make decisions to move us in that direction.
Momentum builds toward a new creative era as expansive Jupiter conjuncts change-maker Uranus, and both trine warm-hearted Venus as 2011 begins-an aspect that flavors the whole year with hopeful and creative innovation. Jupiter then enters awakening Aries 1/22. This winter we get to review a delayed hope or plan we had in the late 1990s, revise it and begin to manifest, if we're willing to do the work and don't take shortcuts. Click here to read entire overview . . .
By Heather Roan Robbins copyright Mother Tongue Ink 2010 - We'Moon 2011
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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.
- March 19, 2011 Spring Equinox*
- Summer Solstice 2011, Date & Location TBA
- 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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Wendy Rule returns to give benefit concert for Temple of the Goddess!
Temple of the Goddess has the pleasure of presenting Pagan singer/songwriter Wendy Rule in Los Angeles for one night only: Saturday, February 12th, 7:00 p.m.. The concert will be held at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena.
 In the U.S. promoting her latest CD, Guided By Venus, Wendy completes her tour by generously offering a benefit concert for Temple of the Goddess before heading back to Australia. Guided By Venus is another great CD of powerful and haunting music.
As a songwriter, Wendy's music is deeply spiritual and touches on magick, mythology, deep emotions, nature and the cycles of life. Though a Pagan artist, her music pulses with life for the Earth and all humanity. Her songs span all spiritual beliefs, with resounding interfaith messages, affirming our divine commonalities. "Feel the world at your feet. Freedom calls you from time. And all because you shine. You are drinking the nectar divine." Guided By Venus is Wendy's tenth cd and Temple of the Goddess has incorporated many of her songs into our rituals and original myths.
 "Wendy Rule has firmly established herself as one of Melbourne's most uniquely gifted and prolific artists. Her music is a passionate union of her incredible voice - moving from soaring heights to intimate whispers - and her beautifully dark and visionary lyrics. Wendy's live performances draw on her love of ritual and theatre, enticing her audience into an otherworldy realm of power and Magic. After years of local shows and national tours, Wendy's music is now being recognized internationally."
This intimate concert will be held in the chapel of the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena.
301 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91103
Space is limited. Click here to order tickets, $20 general seating. For information contact us at 818-771-5778 or email: WendyRuleConcert@TempleoftheGoddess.org.
To read more about Wendy Rule and hear some of her music, go to: www.WendyRule.com, or myspace.com/wendyrule. To buy her CD's, please go through Temple of the Goddess Store. We receive a donation from Amazon.com for each sale. |
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A "sublime" review in ArtScene magazine
"Thickening the Plot" Reviewed by Betty Ann Brown
Gardens bring the bewildering abundance of the natural world into the balance and containment of the domestic sphere. In doing so, they straddle the nature/culture division that has operated in Western thought since Aristotle. "Thickening the Plot" - an exhibition ostensibly about gardens - allows diverse artists to investigate how nature and culture are perceived, whether it be as opposing forces, as  separate realms, or as ideological constructs to be radically reconfigured in our postmodern, post-oil spill world.
As with every group show this writer has ever seen or curated, some artists engage the exhibition theme more successfully than others. There are several earthworks and they range from the sublime to the, well, ridiculously cool. The sublime is presented in the labyrinth constructed on a large plot of land just outside the gallery. Designed and built by Ruth Ann Anderson and Jill D'Agnenica, the labyrinth is based on an ancient pagan model. Participants are invited to carry a small dark stone, limned with a meditative thought, through their circuit of the labyrinth and place it in the shallow pool of water at its center. The interlocking rings of the maze-like configuration are framed by plants alternating with seed-covered bread. Children race over the concentric rings, adults walk slowly, quietly, usually with their heads lowered in what may be for some an unconscious reverence. Click here for full article . . .
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DONOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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
Ruth Ann Anderson
Kamala
Realm of Water
Miriam & Greg Dexter
Realm of Spirit
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
J. Clark
J. Tatum
eScrip Shoppers = $15.56
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."
The Miracle of Prophet Silva. Born December 10, 2010 at 11:56 p.m.
 This last Saturday women from Temple of the Goddess were overjoyed to welcome a male into their midst. Little Prophet Silva was 36 days old. He was welcomed with open arms-literally. He was passed from woman to woman to woman around the circle, perhaps much like the Red Tent. He was cuddled, kissed, and danced with. Of course he slept a lot of the time, so won't remember the event. His mother, CandyJo Dahlstrom, had a chance to relax, nosh, chat, and yes, she danced too.
If you came to Temple of the Goddess 2010 All Hallows ritual, you saw (in a way) Prophet. He danced in CandyJo's womb as she danced to "As Above So Below". He just might dance with her again at the Spring Equinox ritual on March 19th.
As the women celebrated this new, beautiful human being, I was celebrating on an even higher level. I was seeing Prophet for the second time. Mama CandyJo and papa Ernie Silva blessed me with the gift of being present at Prophet's birth. I had never witnessed anyone or anything being born. For decades I had a need to witness the miracle of birth. It is such a precious thing, this birthing process. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's dangerous for both mother and baby, but CandyJo choose the natural way and actually had a short labor. Continued . . .
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RNS: Institute probes religion's role in peace-making
by Lauren Markoe - Religion News Service, January 10, 2011 WASHINGTON (RNS) Just steps from the Lincoln Memorial, the new building -- topped by a translucent white roof that resembles the wings of a giant dove -- is puzzling tourists and commuters alike. What is it? Who works there? The answer is the United States Institute of Peace, which is often followed by some variation of, "The what?" The headquarters of the 27-year-old independent institute, scheduled to open to the public later this year, is designed to raise the profile of a humble agency that now occupies five floors of the National Restaurant Association. "The new building is like a temple," said Qamar-ul Huda, a senior program officer in USIP's Religion and Peacemaking program. "We have monuments to those who fought in wars all over Washington, and rightly so, but we don't recognize the peacemakers. This building helps." It may also help to draw attention to Huda's small but increasingly active program, which studies the role of religion in war and peace, and engages religious leaders in peacemaking. Click to continue... |
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 it is a tale that explains why things are the way they. Why are there seasons? is the question answered in this story. Bear teaches us to rest, to look inside for our own wisdom. Bear represents that deep place of introspection and the dark of winter, when bear hibernates, a good time for musings and regeneration. This tale comes from one of Canada's First Nations, the Slavey tribe of NW Canada.
The Long Winter Adapted by Elaine Lindy Before any humans walked the earth, when the world was the land of the animals, a very long winter set in. The sun did not come out for three years. The air was always dark. Thick clouds hung low and covered the sky. It snowed all the time. The animals were suffering very much from this long winter. The lack of food was alarming enough, and the lack of heat made it all absolutely unbearable. They became greatly frightened. The animals called for a grand council to be held. All the beasts, birds, and fishes of all sizes and shapes were invited. At the grand gathering, as the animals looked about, they realized that one creature in all the animal world was missing: Bear. Then they realized that no one had seen any bears for three years. All the animals quickly agreed that the most important thing to do was to find out what had become of the heat, for without heat their sufferings would never end. Yes, the heat must be found! And it must be brought back again. They decided several quick and brave animals would go on a search mission to the upper world. That's where they suspected the heat had been taken. These are the animals chosen for the mission: Lynx, Fox, Wolf, Wolverine, Mouse, Pike (a freshwater fish), and Dogfish (a kind of small shark--dogfish is a funny name for a shark, isn't it?). After much traveling far and wide through the air, the group finally found the hidden doorway that opened to the upper world. Excited, they all climbed upward to the world above. More . . .
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Is Egypt Calling You?
Join Temple of the Goddess astrologer, Rosemary Clark, on one of her extraordinary journeys into the ancient world of Egypt.
Egypt is calling us once more, and the sacred world of its temples, tombs and pyramids will become accessible with a truly memorable expedition planned from May 5 to 18, 2011. A group of Charlottesville, VA egytophiles have formed the core group of our expedition, while other students and associates from around the U.S. and Europe are invited to join us.
This will be a ceremonial project, with living history recreations at many of the sacred sites. This year's program will reprise the approach that makes us so different from all other journeys -- we undertake all-land excursions to allow more time for photography, personal exploration, and meditations on the grandeur of the ancient places. No rushing through the sites with crowds of tourists -- only time to reflect, inspect, and renew our connection to the divine world.
We'll depart from Washington DC to Cairo via Europe. Or meet us on site when your travel plans coincide with ours. You'll find the complete itinerary at: http://www.templeharakhte.org/expeditions
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The Point at Which Time Stands Still
An installation by Jill D'Agnenica
WHEN: December 11, 2010 -- February 3, 2011
WHERE: 24-Hour Gallery at 80 North Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91101
Located in the public display cases on Holly Street, between Arroyo Parkway and Raymond Ave., directly across from the Pasadena Senior Center and the Memorial Park Metro Gold Line Station. The exhibition is on view twenty-four hours a day.
The 24 Hour Gallery and Light Bringer Projects are pleased to present The Point at Which Time Stands Still, an installation by artist Jill D'Agnenica. D'Agnenica plays with the idea of Time as an artificial and arbitrary construct to which we are enslaved. In researching this piece, she drew on such diverse sources as Cal Tech theoretical cosmologist Sean Carroll, the philosophical musings of Umberto Eco, and even her own harried life. Irrespective of its basis in the observable physical universe, when viewed across cultures and epochs, "time" is a malleable device used to create order. Click for more . . .
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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 of the Goddess Priestess, Pythia.
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.
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.
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 Trance Journey Through Drumming
Class offered by Temple of the Goddess.
NEW CLASS STARTING . . . February 8, 2011
This is not a "learn how to drum" class, but deep meditation instruction based on Dr. Michael Harner's book The Way of the Shaman. 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 20 years. These will be "classroom" lectures and include working sessions at $10.00 per class. Since repeated sessions are advised in order to understand and become familiar with the basics, a series of 7 sessions is offered for $50.00 (need not be attended consecutively).
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. |
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. - On hiatus until further notice.
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
Classes are on hiatus and will resume in the future.
$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
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