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Temple of the Goddess Announcements
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
COMMUNITY EVENTS: Additional information about Community Events is available at the Temple of the Goddess website. 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.
JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY! Keep up to date with what's happening at the Temple. Get to know us better while you enjoy daily words of inspiration, interesting and helpful articles as well as the latest Pagan news. All you have to do is "Like" us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter under @TO_Goddess. See you there!
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Be, don't seek,
Sit warmly open,
lightness in your brow,
not questions.
Be ready for the quiet
when it comes,
and the creaking
of the house's bones
and the wind's music
playing the notes of the trees.
Be, don't brood.
Don't wait for life
to announce itself
in capitals
or high garb.
Be available to the whispers,
know how to listen
when it tells its true self
and not the lies
you've dreamt up.
Be able to breathe
and let go of your breath,
let go of life as you wish it to be
and take in the simplicity,
the facts ---
Be. Don't try.
Your weariness must have
shown you something by now.
Stay seated in your soul,
remember the sun is there,
truth and time are there.
Be, don't see.
You've already found.
You already have.
You already know.
You already are.
Elizabeth Page Roberts
We'Moon 2012
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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 autumn. You keep the temple doors open for all of us.
 Realm of Air
Pat Lentz
Marcella Lentz-Pope
Realm of Fire
Brad Fiedel & Ann Dusenberry
Realm of Water
Kamala
Ruth Ann Anderson
Karen & Roy Tate
Realm of Earth
A. Gauldin
Miriam & Greg Dexter
Realm of Spirit
J. Tatum
J. Clark
Dawn Bodnar Sutton
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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Express gratitude to the Temple as you shop during this season of Love
We are all grateful for Love in our lives, and we may wish to express that Love through gift-giving, especially during this season. February 14th, St. Valentine's Day, is set aside to honor Love. While we may wish to hand-make a gift for those we Love during this season, creating a special token to look at or to wear and know they are loved, we may also go shopping for that special 'something'. Since many don't want to get lost in crowds of shoppers at the malls, the easy choice is to shop on-line.
The best part of shopping on-line, specifically Amazon or Zazzle, is that you can donate to Temple of the Goddess at the same time, without any additional expense. When you enter Amazon.com or Zazzle.com through the Temple website, a portion of each and every purchase (books, CDs, electronics, jewelry, clothing...) is given to the Temple, complements of the merchandiser. Remember the Temple when you shop through Amazon.com and Zazzle... just use the following link.
www.http://templeofthegoddess.org/templebookstore.htm
Every donation is gratefully appreciated, and helps keep the Temple doors open.
eScrip: a method through which various merchants have agreed to donate a percentage of each sale to charity
 There are numerous and varied merchants willing to send a percentage of every purchase to the Temple, in your name. Fill out the required information and put Temple of the Goddess as your charity. Sign up your credit card (for extraneous purchases) and go to Von's, Bristol Farms, ValuMart, or Super A Foods to pick up your store eScrip membership card. Scan your card when you check out and the donation is automatic.
For those of you who have not signed up for eScrip yet, please go to the following link to instruct merchants you already frequent that you would like them to donate to the Temple every time you buy groceries, shop for clothes, or go out to dinner via participating merchants.
Last month we received an e-mail telling the Temple that we didn't have sufficient members to continue this type of donation. So, please, go to the following link and follow the simple instructions. Every participant and every donation makes a difference. Thank you. http://escrip.com/
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SAVE THE DATE: 2012 Temple of the Goddess Ritual Sabbats
"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. 
- Spring Equinox April 7 *
- Summer Solstice June 23, Location TBA
- Autumn Equinox September 22 *
- All Hallow's Eve October 20 *
* 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 2012 Ritual Sabbats.
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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Sound-Evoking Spirit in Ritual Theatre
By Xia, Founder and Director of Temple of the Goddess
Sound . . . simpl y vibration . . . traveling through space, evoking spirit as many expressions in ritual theatre; music, song, myth, liturgies, soundscape, poetry, and chanting . . . all woven together to create an experience of the sacred.
At Temple of the Goddess' Sabbats, the audience enters the sanctuary which is filled with a musical offering chosen to support the journey the participants are about to undertake. The sounds of this half-hour of opening music are varied and diverse such as the moving sounds of a young cellist, a kirtan band, or one of our temple musicians playing soft guitar chords, all meant to accompany the inner preparation of the participants who have been given a pre-ritual activity. At Spring Equinox this year, each person took a pencil and paper before entering the sanctuary to answer the question: What seeds do you wish to symbolically plant for 2011? While listening to the music, they contemplated the life they wished to create in the coming year, wrote down their dream seeds, the first step to manifestation, then placed them in a planting basket on the Spring Altar.
Our 2011 spring ritual focused on the rebirth of the Goddess Inanna. The journey began on Hallow's Eve with the descent of Kore. At Hallows, the myth of Kore's journey into the underworld mirrored our own journey into the dark of winter. "Each life is a story, a personal myth unfolding. We are the storytellers . . . writing the stories of our lives, our journeys revealed, dreams discovered . . ." Our spring myth, "Inanna Rising: Integration of the Dark Divine" was a celebration of Inanna's resurrection, the blessed
rebirth of the Earth, and our own divine renewal.
Like Inanna, we die, are reborn, and rise again . . . to share with the world what we learned when we were underground. Continue...
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The Labyrinth at Neighborhood Church
by Jeanne Leiter
I advise all those who desire to meditate (in any way, shape, or form) to visit the new labyrinth at Neighborhood Church.
 | | Neighborhood Church Labyrinth Courtyard |
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena, California, it is a religious community where the focus is on living meaningful lives of service, integrity, and joy. Their vision is for a church that will be a wellspring of liberal faith which brings together into a caring community people of varying beliefs, races, affectional orientations, ages, classes and cultures. I knew about the construction of it months ago and eagerly awaited its completion. I have frequently walked labyrinthian meditations and received many insights about myself and my share, good and bad, of the environment. Temple of the Goddess regularly holds rituals in Neighborhood Church's sanctuary. So, I looked forward to the labyrinth dedication ceremony on November 13, 2011. The ceremony opened with the Music Director Stephen Grimm, currently serving as the artistic director and conductor, leading everyone (at least one hundred and fifty people) in a song which welcomed everyone. All present sang another song, then Rev. Dr. Jim Nelson gave a brief history of how the labyrinth came to be, after which Rev. Hannah Petrie lit a flame to officially dedicate it. The two prime movers to have the labyrinth installed, he walking and she rolling in her wheelchair, were the first to walk it. They were followed by the congregation, male, female, old with canes, young skipping with joy.  | | Labyrinth Center Chalice & Flame |
I walked the labyrinth before the ceremony and had felt peace and clarity while standing at the center, in the flaming cup. It's a five circuit Chartres-style labyrinth, so it doesn't take a lot of time to walk it, although walking a labyrinth of any size takes as long as it takes. The Neighborhood Church is in western Pasadena, easily accessible from all directions. The next time you feel the need for a moving meditation, try the labyrinth at the church.  | |
Temple of the Goddess Paving Stone
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Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church 201 N. Orange Grove Blvd Pasadena, CA 91103 www.uuneighborhood.org Photography by Jeanne Leiter |
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 is a tale from the Native American group, the Caddo. The Caddo traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana, and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. This story is about Buffalo Woman. For Native Americans of the Plains, Buffalo was the bringer of abundance, a sacred creature who provided for the People. Buffalo reminds us to be grateful for the abundance in our lives and to understand that all life whatever form or path it takes, is sacred. Buffalo Woman Native American Folktale http://worldoftales.com Snow Bird, the Caddo medicine man, had a handsome son. When the boy was old enough to be given a man's name, Snow Bird called him Braveness because of his courage as a hunter. Many of the girls in the Caddo village wanted to win Braveness as a husband, but he paid little attention to any of them. One morning he started out for a day of hunting, and while he was walking along looking for wild game, he saw someone ahead of him sitting under a small elm tree. As he approached, he was surprised to find that the person was a young woman, and he started to turn aside. "Come here," she called to him in a pleasant voice. Braveness went up to her and saw that she was very young and very beautiful. "I knew you were coming here," she said, "and so I came to meet you." "You are not of my people," he replied. "How did you know that I was coming this way?" "I am Buffalo Woman," she said. "I have seen you many times before, from afar. I want you to take me home with you and let me stay with you." "I can take you home with me," Braveness answered her, "but you must ask my parents if you can stay with us." They started for his home at once, and when they arrived there Buffalo Woman asked Braveness's parents if she could stay with them and become the young man's wife. "If Braveness wants you for his wife, we will be pleased," said Snow Bird, the medicine man. "It is time that he had someone to love." Click to read full story...
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From Garden To Hearth
By Adele Shakal
As the light cycles again to returning, our year-wheel's celebrations recall not only the golden sun's lengthening daylight and slow-gathering strength, but also the silver of starlight and moonlight shining in our still-lengthened nights. In the chill darkness, if the sky is clear and if we find a patch of sky away from the city, our gaze may find the swirl of our galaxy overhead, in its grand spiral dance.
These evenings leading toward Imbolc are a great opportunity to purposefully and intentionally connect with ourselves through meditative cooking, and to connect with our families, friends and close community by sharing a meal together. We also may begin anew to connect with our broader communities and the wide world, by choosing how we wish to make our voices heard during the coming months, and by choosing mindful action.
Slowly, gently, the days are lengthening, and we may take this time to warm our hearths and hearts by sharing soup and bread together.
Milky Way Potato Leek Soup
In the kitchen... - a big soup pot
- a smaller mixing vessel, cup or bowl
- an immersion blender (or any hand-tool suitable for smashing cooked potatoes)
- soup bowls for everyone joining you in this meal
- bread suitable for either tearing into chunks, or slicing into spears for dunking (French bread or herbed Rosemary bread will go especially well with this soup)
- dollop of olive oil
- five large-ish leeks, rinsed and sliced thin
- four cups or so of vegetable broth or chicken broth (sodium-free versions will work fine)
- three large-ish potatoes, chopped into small cubes
- two tablespoons or so of flour (white wheat flour or any gluten-free alternative)
- one cup or so of milk (lactose-free or nondairy milks will work fine)
- a finely-chopped sprig of fresh parsley (or a shake of dried parsley flakes)
- ground white or black pepper to taste
Mindfully gather your ingredients, prepare your tools and cooking space, rinse and slice the leeks and potatoes, and rinse and chop parsley if fresh. In your big soup pot, heat the dollop of olive oil, add sliced leeks, and stir while cooking until leeks are tender. Add broth and potatoes, then bring the pot to boil. In the separate vessel, mix flour with milk, adding slowly to try to avoid creating big lumps. After 20 to 30 minutes, the potatoes should be getting tender in the big soup pot, so use immersion blender or potato-smasher to blend, being careful not to spatter hot soup on yourself! Reduce heat to simmer, then with a bit of a flourish and the vast sweep of our bright-spinning galaxy in your mind's eye, drizzle the flour-and-milk mixture from the smaller mixing vessel into the pot. Continue to blend or stir at simmer until the milk is well-mixed in the big soup pot. Serve topped with ground pepper and a sprinkle of parsley in each bowl, accompanied by bread for dunking.
soft sun's short chill days
starlit nights
warmth our hearth and world
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The Civic and Community Engagement of Religiously Active Americans by Jim Jansen
Dec 23, 2011
Some 40% of Americans are active in a church, religious, or spiritual organization. Compared with those who are not involved with such organizations, religiously active Americans are more trusting of others, are more optimistic about their impact on their community, think more highly of their community, are more involved in more organizations of all kinds, and devote more time to the groups to which they are active.
When it comes to their technology profile, Americans who are members of religious groups are just as likely as others to use the internet, have broadband at home, use cell phones, use text messaging, and use social networking sites and Twitter.
"Some analysts have been concerned that those who have active spiritual lives might not be as engaged with the secular world," noted Jim Jansen, author of the report. "We see the opposite. Those who are religiously active are more likely to participate in all kinds of groups and more likely to feel good about their communities. Those who are active in religious groups seem to be joiners. They also are active users of technology." Click to read more...
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Happening Around Town
The Village Gate Theatre of USC 3223 S Hoover St January 27 and 28, 2012 Tickets may be purchased at the door before the performance, or ahead of time online via www.heavyliketheweightofaflame.com/upcoming-events/  About Trout
What if you could have everything you ever wished for? For fifteen-year old Trout, that means surfing beyond his wildest dreams in perfect waves every day, all day. Magically, Trout is granted three wishes and finds himself tube traveling the planet with a crew of otherworldly surfers. They live for extreme adventures, yet once in their mysterious circle there's no getting out. When Trout discovers the secret to their hidden powers-and falls in love with a girl beyond reach-he finds that some dreams do come true, but at a very dangerous price. Trout Rising - A Novel by Kevin Naughton |
Identity and Community: 2012 Conference on Current Pagan Studies in Claremont
 "Identity and Community" in Paganism will be the focus of the 8th annual Conference on Current Pagan Studies sample of the papers to be presented include: February 4 and 5 at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) School of Religion in Claremont.
Keynote speakers include Dr. Z. Budapest and Hyperion. A selection of papers to be presented include
- Susan Harper, Ph.D. - We Are the Stories We Tell: Narrative and Pagan Identity
- Sabina Magliocco, Ph.D - Indigenousness and the Discourse of Authenticity in Modern Paganisms
- Sam Webster - Can a Magician be a Pagan?
- Wendy Griffin, Ph.D. and Marie Cartier, Ph.D. - Herlands: Finding Goddess on Lesbian Land
- Kimberly D. Kirner, PhD - Living Paradox: Defining Community and Identity in Non-Exclusive Spirituality
- Tony Mierzwicki - Cyberpaganism
- Joseph Futerman, Ph.D. - Identity and the Magickal Name
The annual scholarly conference was founded in 2005 by Kahena Viale, the current Conference Director and a Pagan from Upland who earned her Ph.D. in Women's Studies in Religion from CGU.
Conference fees: Claremont Consortium Students $25; students $45; others $55; save $2.50 by bringing your own coffee cup and $2.50 by bringing your own plate, or save $5 when you bring both. Registration form available via www.paganconference.com. |
Killing Shamans In the 21st Century
By Jeanne Leiter
I was disturbed when I recently received an email from The Foundation for Shamanic Studies. I like to think that the whole world is in the 21st century and has learned to be compassionate toward others. Alas, when I turn on the tv it's filled with fighting and killing. Political and, yes, religious killing.
I just cannot understand anyone who believes in any sort of Deity, no matter the color, garb, pose, commandments, or principles of said Deity, who could kill another soul for the glory of their religion and god.
The "Prime Directive" in most religions can be boiled down to the Wiccan Rede "Do as you wilt, harm none." or the Christian tenant of the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have done to you."
"We have just learned that over the last 20 months, 14 shamans have been murdered in Peru's northeastern jungle region of Loreto.
According to the newspaper La República: The provincial prosecutor's office said that the murders were allegedly ordered by the mayor of Balsa Puerto, Alfredo Torres, and carried out by his brother, Augusto, locally known as "the witch hunter." Only seven bodies have been found, however - either shot, stabbed or hacked with machetes. The seven other shamans have been reported missing. Roger Rumrrill, a leading researcher on Amazonian issues, said the murders are related to "protestant sects" that Torres and his brother belong to, the daily said. "For these protestant sects, the shamans are people possessed by demons, so they have to be killed," Rumrrill said. More details from the Peruvian Times."
I am not a political person. I do vote, but I seldom sign petitions or send letters to politicians, newspapers, or magazines to advocate or complain about a particular event. This time is different. It touched me personally. I have been on the Shaman path for almost twenty years, traveling to the Lower World to meet with Power Animals in order to heal myself, community, and the Earth. I do not deign to call myself a Shaman, but since I regard myself a student of Shamanism, these fourteen Shamans who were killed/missing were my mentors, teachers, holders of Sacred Wisdom that now can never be given to me or any other student.
So, this time, I plan to email those who can stop the murders in Peru. I cannot stand around, apathetic, living in my comfortable world, and do nothing. As the familiar phrase says, "The change in the world begins with me."
Please do not turn your face away from these innocents, murdered because of their religion. Please, for yourself, for the world filled with our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and teachers, take a few minutes and email the following addresses. Let them know that this situation must stop. Please ask the following authorities to immediately stop these atrocities and prevent the killing of our relatives, our elders who hold sacred, valuable wisdom. Click for more information, and to take action . . . |
| 2012 Astrological Overview
We'Moon 2012
 Stay alert, awake, aware and involved this year as a new era grows in its chrysalis, breaks out and begins to take flight. This year is a turning point. It is not an end, as some predict; we cannot get out of our evolutionary homework that quickly. Time spirals; it's the beginning of a new cycle, a new circle as the axis of the earth points towards the center of its galaxy. We saw a great deconstruction of old structures from 2008 through 2011 as Saturn opposed Uranus and squared Pluto. In 2012 Uranus -- now in pro-active Aries -- squares Pluto, electrifying the ground and seeding new forms, speeding up history now through 2015.
This new era is still malleable. We get spiritual therapy for our culture, as this Uranus-Pluto aspect shakes power structures down to the roots and lets us change at a deeper level than we might think possible, but leaves us unsettled the whole year long. It won't let us settle into a new groove, asks us to keep our shape soft and our plans mobile, and shouts at us "Grow!" Evolve in the face of personal, environmental, sociological and technological changes.
Tender shoots of hope and evolution spring up amidst the rubble, and under fire, we need to avoid beating on them for being imperfect, and instead give them shelter and nourishment.
The mood will be idealistically collective as 2012 begins and Venus conjuncts Neptune, trines Saturn. It will also be self-analytical with Mars in Virgo. Let's get right with ourselves and aligned in our habits to stay grounded through the changes. Mercury conjuncts Saturn, and depression whispers toward the end of January, urging us to critique cultural dynamics and empower voices that are not usually heard.
Saturn trines Neptune as the year begins, and again in the Fall, and reminds us to stabilize our spiritual practice, to make it real and tangible. This trine supports intuition, sanity, and compassion made manifest, but can bring up a religiously conservative streak. At this crucial moment in history we need to ensure spiritual diversity is honored.
We dive into the creative ocean of the collective unconscious around Imbolc as Neptune enters Pisces until 2025. Our dreams get wild. Neptune in Pisces opens up a new portal to our spiritual initiative and intuitive creativity. Last time Neptune was in Pisces, 1845-1861, the feminist-leaning, mediumship-based Spiritualist movement took off. Neptune in Pisces also heralded the declaration of women's rights; we can dream a change and then make it happen. But it will become essential to learn and practice good psychic boundaries, and look for ways to protect water rights and water sources in the decade ahead.
Mid-February, and again mid-summer, painful memories resurface so we can lay them to rest as Jupiter sextiles Chiron. Let splinters work to the surface and let them go; find a ceremonial way to release the past. Look for a chance to teach from lessons learned the hard way.
In March and April it's time to get the party started. Let's get physical but choose our fights carefully. This is a revolutionary time, old forms are challenged across the board, but we need to reign in the macho bravado and make sure action is intertwined with compassion. Mars opposes the Sun, bringing Mars close to earth, while Mercury and Uranus conjunct in Aries as Jupiter trines Pluto.
Several tough aspects to the asteroid Ceres later this spring ask us to plant extra food, pay attention to food supply stores and help feed those that need a meal. In May we need to slog through karma and pay logistical dues; delays may prove fortunate, so let's do the work and not take spiritual short cuts in the process. Look for a green light later on.
Uranus kicks the changes into high gear as it squares Pluto June 24th, September 19th, and on and off again through the spring of 2015. These two started a new cycle together during 1965-66 when they were conjunct, and as they square they intensify the shake-down of old structures of power, both political and electrical. These Changes ask us to reinvent new forms, from how our local co-op is run, to the way international power flows. A new generation begins to take the reigns of action.
The weather may be wild this summer with uneven patterns --too much water and wind, or too little -- as Jupiter enters Gemini June 11th and squares Neptune through the summer. They breathe new life into alternative communications systems. But in the search for new forms, let's watch that we're not bamboozled by someone with simple answers and false promises, as Neptune loves illusion.
On October 6th Saturn enters Scorpio and trines Neptune, insisting we walk our talk in how we sing, vote, garden, and cook. Religious views may become increasingly political; speak up for diversity. It may become extremely important to set a cultural boundary, to boycott an abusive company or lend money to a community bank. We'll need creative solidarity within the community to handle so many systems in flux.
In politics, the liberal wing becomes more focused on change and excitement with high energy, but this will diffuse in the fall as Jupiter sextiles Uranus. Meanwhile, the more conservative elements feel inspired and focused as Saturn trines Neptune and sextiles Pluto on and off all year, suggesting a longing for history and traditions --for the way things were-- even though they face the pressure to change. Political patterns can really polarize in response.
Although we may want to retreat from politics and dive into creative life, we'll need all hands on deck this fall to steer the changes into good directions. Keep truth on track -- the down side of the Neptune aspects is delusion. Ask tough questions, listen to the younger voices, and nurture the spark in the new cycle.
Heather Roan Robbins
© Mother Tongue Ink 2011
www.roanrobbins.com
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