Minni Jo Mazzola Dancing Creation

Director's Message

Though the heat of summer is constant and continuing, September is fast approaching with the promise of cooler days before we descend into the dark of winter.

Thank you to all the amazing talent that contributed to our Hagia Sophia Awards Ceremony.  The goddess choir contributed some wonderful favorites with David Jacks as the choir maestro in Ananda's absence. Minni Jo Mazzola gifted us with her amazing voice on three solos. Both CandyJo Dahlstrom and Minni gave magnificent dance offerings to both music and spoken word pieces. And to all the other temple talents who offered so much, thank you and many blessings to you for your continued service to the temple and community.

Please join us for Autumn Equinox as we explore the myth of Artemis, the huntress and protector of the Earth. Artemis will teach us about finding our courage and strength to stalk our dreams and destiny. She will also release the mythical Green Dragon. The Green Dragon has become the metaphor for many conservative Christians against Pagans who are accused of trying to lure unsuspecting environmentalist into our religion. Our thought is to embrace this accusation and claim the symbology and mythic power of the Green Dragon. For more information about this controversy, please click here to read Joanne Elliott's article which includes links to videos of Christian's outrage and warnings of THE GREEN DRAGON.

I look forward to celebrating the turn of the Wheel of the Year at our Fall Equinox Sabbat on September 24th.   

Blessings, Xia

Temple of the Goddess Announcements 

Do not seek to cast off your fear.  

It is the bridge that connects

You to the pain and suffering

Of the world.

Surrender to your fear and  

Cross your bridge.

Move towards the healing of

The world as you reach

Across the darkness

To extend your heart.

Your capacity for healing is infinite.

Cross your bridge

And touch the face

Of the other.

Know them

Feel them

Send them your goodness

 Your power

your hope

Your strength, and

Your faith.

 In this way

We can most powerfully

Touch them.

The goodness of your service is infinite.

The touch of the divine upon you

Is without end.

This is the word as given in ceremony to: Annie RedCrow, Sacred Pipe Carrier, aka Nancy Ann Jones 

Nancy Ann Jones Honored:  

A Life Well-Lived by Joanne Elliott

The ceremony took place at the chapel of the Neighborhood church in Pasadena around the time of Lammas, first harvest.  This helped to remind us all that there are those in the community from whom we can harvest great knowledge and wisdom.  As the Pagan community continues to mature, we grow by learning from Elders who have gone before us.

Attendees caught a glimpse of a life well-lived in the words of Nancy Ann's friends and family. Temple members Anne Gauldin and Ruth Ann Anderson (RA) expressed their gratitude for Nancy Ann's friendship and mentoring. Artist, Robin Howes also told us how much Nancy Ann means to her and how she was inspired to become an artist by being in Nancy Ann's presence.   

One of the highlights was the life well-lived segment given by Nancy Ann's daughter Denise Gomez (left photo). She not only shared what it was like to grow up with such an inspiring and encouraging woman, she also recited the words of her four siblings so they could all participate in the celebration. The love of Nancy Ann's children showed through, especially in the act of two daughters traveling a long way to help celebrate their mother's life. Click here for full article... 

Nancy Ann Jones Receiving Sophia Statue at Hagia Sophia Ceremony.

Thank you Suzan 

& 

GoddessGift.net

for gifting our Hagia Sophia Lifetime Achievement recipient with a beautiful statue of Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom. 

Please support one of our temple sponsors by shopping at GoddessGift.net.  

Sacred Dance:  

A Moving Component of Ritual Theatre

By Xia, Founder and Director of Temple of the Goddess

Reprinted from Circle Magazine, Issue 109, Summer 2011  

In 2004 Temple of the Goddess incorporated as a Pagan temple in California and began exploring  ritual theatre in a modern context. The spiritual artists who began the journey lent their talents in a multitude of ways: writing liturgies, dance and choreography, music and song, acting, costuming, puppetry, mask-making, scenery design, altar art, and much more.

What evolved is beyond what I, as the founder, ever could have imagined. The seed of the vision was there, yes, but it was together with the selfless offering of time and talents from so many artists that helped birth the form that Temple of the Goddess is now presenting to the public on our Sabbats. With every public offering, each evolution and expression of ritual theatre, I am more amazed with the final outcome - - until the next Sabbat when the dancers, musicians, writers, choir, actors, altar artists, costume, make-up artists, set decorators, mask-makers, ritual producers, communion bakers go all-out and amaze the audience with something that they never could have imagined.  

Over the last five years of ritual theatre, dance has been utilized in multiple ways: spoken word, liturgical dance, serpent dance, ballet, solo pieces, group choreographed numbers, physical theatre, expressionist art movement, and last but not least the dance form which holds our evening of ritual theatre together - - collective group drum and dance.

We constantly surprise one another with the archetypal depth of the creative work. At our 2011 Spring Equinox Sabbat, dancer and choreographer CandyJo Dahl, performed a spoken word piece, Resurrection, written by Eileen Rosenteel, reprinted in We'Moon 2011 and read by actor Marcella Lentz-Pope.  Continue... 

Bolivia gives legal rights to the Earth    

Bolivia is to become the first country in the world to give nature comprehensive legal rights in an effort to halt climate change and the exploitation of the natural world, and to improve quality of life for the Bolivian people.

Developed by grassroots social groups and agreed by politicians, the Law of Mother Earth recognises the rights of all living things, giving the natural world equal status to human beings.

Once fully approved, the legislation will provide the Earth with rights to: life and regeneration; biodiversity and freedom from genetic modification; pure water; clean air; naturally balanced systems; restoration from the effects of human activity; and freedom from contamination.

The legislation is based on broader principles of living in harmony with the Earth and prioritising the "collective good." At its heart is an understanding that the Earth is sacred, which arises from the indigenous Andean worldview of 'Pachamama' (meaning Mother Earth) as a living being.  Click to read full article... 

Rising Restrictions on Religion

One-third of the world's population experiences an increase  . . . Analysis - August 9, 2011.  

Rising Restrictions on Religion, a recent report by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, finds that restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose between mid-2006 and mid-2009 in 23 of the world's 198 countries (12%), decreased in 12 countries (6%) and remained essentially unchanged in 163 countries (82%).

Because several countries with increasing restrictions on religion are very populous, however, the increases affect a much larger share of people than of states. More than 2.2 billion people - nearly a third (32%) of the world's total population of 6.9 billion - live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion rose substantially over the three-year period studied. Click here for more... 

Trance Journey Through Drumming 
Class offered by Temple of the Goddess.   

Temporarily on Hiatus

• 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. 

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.