Happy Lammas ~ Express Your Gratitude
Lammas (August 1) is the Sabbat of first fruits and green corn, the ending of summer, and a time of completions. It is the fertile, prosperous harvest that assures life's survival is nearly ready but not yet certain . . . it is still vulnerable to change.
|
|
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!
|
|
TOG DATES for Moon Circles and Classes
July & August
Center for Awakening Consciousness
See Classes & Moon Circle Descriptions Below
Held At: 690 East Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104
Contact Info: Info@TempleoftheGoddess.org OR leave a message at 626.765.7959
New Moon Celebration for Women
Suggested Donation: $5 - $10 (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Thursday, August 8th, 7-10 pm
Full Moon Celebration - Men & Women
Suggested Donation: $5 - $10 (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Thursday, July 25th, 7-10
Thursday, August 22nd, 7-10
Shamanic Tantric Dance Class Series for Women
Five Class Series: $125
Tuesday, July 23rd, 7-10
Tuesday, July 30th, 7-10
Tuesday, August 6 , 7-10
Tuesday, August 13th, 7-10
Tuesday, August 20th, 7-10
Shamanic Drumming & Journeying
Suggested Donation: $5 - $10
Thursday, August 15th, 7-10 pm
|
 O Saraswati! Thou art the sweetest Goddess of Speech,
Who dwells in the ocean of Supreme light,
Flowing like a divine river undaunted
From the top of the Snow capped mountains
With dancing waves of joy!
Having entered the hearts of forests
With swirls of laughter and jingle of anklets,
Followed by the chatter of royal swans,
Thou hast created a Heavenly music of rhythms
To enlighten the minds of men!
O Goddess of Divine Speech!
Thou art the destroyer of demons and
The Savior of Heavens through Words divine,
Thou art the sole refuge to men
At the times of distress or danger!
 O Mother of Scriptures Divine! May we live in thy sweet melody
With no separation from Thy poetic bliss!
May Thou illumine our minds with wisdom divine!
May Thou protect the rivers of life from extinction
With Thy pure and sweet waters of light!
Thou art the wish yielding cow of Heaven!
I take refuge at thy lotus feet, O Mother,
Lift up me unto Thy lap and
Lay bare Thy golden breast!
Give me Thy milk of wisdom, and
Grant the poesy with divine melody!
O Goddess Saraswati,
Sport as a Swan in the lake of my mind,
With lotuses of my thoughts, and
Sweetly dance upon my tongue with Rhythmic tunes!
Obeisance to Saraswati, the Goddess of Divine Speech!
Poem is based on Saraswati Suktam of Rig-Veda. - venkat © Copy right @ viswabrahma
Sarasvati, Goddess of Learning and all the Creative Arts.
(Photo by John Lienhard. Image provided by Balraj Sehgal)
|
 
|
Temple of the Goddess' 2013 Autumn Equinox Ritual & Celebration
 Join us on Saturday, September 21st as we honor Saraswati. Known as the beautiful one, she is the Goddess of poetry, art, inspiration, knowledge, and the spoken word. She carries wisdom and deep consciousness and dispels chaos and confusion.Saraswati, by Pieter Welteverde www.sanatansociety.com
|
 Your Guide to Connection & ExpressionThe Healing Powers of Nature Can Help You Live Your Best Life Ever (Part 2) by Joanne Young Elliott
Last week I talked about the various ways you can benefit from nature. I think as a culture we think we're separate from nature and by doing so we've brought many ills on ourselves.
It's my intention to bring to you the many ways you can get back in touch with nature to make your life better.
This week we'll look at some things you can do if you're indoors a lot.
Bring the Outdoors In
If you can't make it outside very often you can always bring the outdoors in. Plants filter the air and increase oxygen levels indoors. You also get similar benefits to those of being around green things in general. See last week's post to discover the benefits of being around nature.
Another interesting benefit is the good effect plants have on the brain. One study showed that people perform better on cognitive tests in a room with plants than in a room without plants.
Try it out: If you don't have any plants indoors I suggest you go buy some this weekend. Get some Philodendrons because they are great for filtering the air. Better air means you feel better which really helps with your outlook on life. Here is a list on Mother Nature Network of the best air filtering plants. Continued . . . |
Text of Atheist Prayer Given in Arizona House The Associated Press, May 22, 2013
An atheist lawmaker's daily prayer Tuesday at the Arizona House of Representatives led a fellow lawmaker to ask for a do-over the following day.
Democratic Rep. Juan Mendez of Tempe said he was looking for a way to convey his feelings like other members do when they participate in the prayer rotation at the beginning of the daily floor session. Rep. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) on Wednesday said the prayer wasn't a prayer at all.
The complete text of Mendez's prepared remarks is below:
"Most prayers in this room begin with a request to bow your heads. I would like to ask you not to bow your heads. I would like to ask that you take a moment to look around the room at all of the men and women here, in this moment, sharing together this extraordinary experience of being alive and of dedicating ourselves to working toward improving the lives of the people of our state."
"This room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of frustration. But this is also a room where, as my Secular Humanist tradition stresses, by the very fact of being human, we have much more in common than we have differences. We share the same spectrum of potential for care, for compassion, for fear, for joy, for love."
"Carl Sagan once wrote, `For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.' There is, in the political process, much to bear. In this room, let us cherish and celebrate our shared humanness, our shared capacity for reason and compassion, our shared love for the people of our state, for our Constitution and for our democracy- and let us root our policymaking process in these values that are relevant to all Arizonans regardless of religious belief or nonbelief. In gratitude and in love, in reason and in compassion, let us work together for a better Arizona."
|
It's Different When They Do It
(A Pagan Response to Atheist Prayer in Arizona House.)
Jason Pitzl-Waters - May 23, 2013
Earlier this week I reported on how the Supreme Court of the United States will be hearing a case about sectarian prayers before government meetings. Defenders of various inclusive sectarian models say that it promotes a healthy discourse in which all citizens are able to fully represent themselves. The truth is that when pluralistic-on-paper invocation models are tested, the results are usually far from ideal.
"An atheist lawmaker's decision to give the daily prayer at the Arizona House of Representatives triggered a do-over from a Christian lawmaker who said the previous day's prayer didn't pass muster. Republican Rep. Steve Smith on Wednesday said the prayer offered by Democratic Rep. Juan Mendez of Tempe at the beginning of the previous day's floor session wasn't a prayer at all. So he asked other members to join him in a second daily prayer in "repentance," and about half the 60-member body did so. Both the Arizona House and Senate begin their sessions with a prayer and a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance."
"When there's a time set aside to pray and to pledge, if you are a non-believer, don't ask for time to pray," said Smith, of Maricopa. "If you don't love this nation and want to pledge to it, don't say I want to lead this body in the pledge, and stand up there and say, 'you know what, instead of pledging, I love England' and (sit) down. That's not a pledge, and that wasn't a prayer, it's that simple," Smith said."
I'd say that this was an isolated incident, but it isn't. Time and again, when a non-Christian dares to speak in a space some Christians believe is theirs alone, the result is outrage and protest. What did Rep. Juan Mendez say that was so offensive that it required a Christian do-over the next day?
US Supreme Court Will Rule on Government Opening Invocation Policy - See more at: http://wildhunt.org/2013/05/us-supreme-court-will-rule-on-government-opening-invocation-policy.html#sthash.8wodAckF.dpuf
Wild Hunt reporting on US Supreme Court Will Rule on Government Opening Invocation Policy.
US Supreme Court Will Rule on Government Opening Invocation Policy - See more at: http://wildhunt.org/2013/05/us-supreme-court-will-rule-on-government-opening-invocation-policy.html#sthash.8wodAckF.dpuf
|
|
Circle of Life
"The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." Rumi
CONGRATULATIONS to CandyJo Dahlstrom, Ernie Silva, Isis, Essence, and Prophet on their beautiful ocean nuptials. We love each of you and we love you as a family.
We wish you so many good things in the years to come . . . happiness, joy, contentment, prosperity, creativity, and lots of love. -- Your Temple Family
|
|
SAVE THE DATE: 2013 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.
Autumn Equinox, September 21
Hallows Eve, November 2
A Center for Awakening Consciousness, Church of Truth
690 E. Orange Grove Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91104
We hope you will join the temple, in community, to honor the seasons, the Earth, and our own personal growth for our 2013 Ritual Sabbats. |
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 Air
N. Sivley & B. Murray, Charles & Joanne Elliott
Realm of FireRuth Ann Anderson, Melanie Goodyear
Realm of Water
Kamala Realm of Spirit Carolyn Potter, J. Clark
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.
|
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.
HOW COYOTE GOT HIS VOICE
Stories the California Indians Told
Anne B. Fisher
Long ago when the moon came up over Mt. Diablo, and all was quiet except for Coyote "yeowing" from the very top of the mountain, the Medicine Man called the Yokuts Indians together. This is the story he told them about how Coyote got his voice:
Once all the world was flooded except the place where Great Eagle Chief lived. Mt. Diablo and one other tall peak were all that stuck up out of the water. Coyote lived on top of Mt. Diablo. He was the only living thing in the world except the fleas that lived on his back.
Coyote was very lonely. He wanted company, so he sat on his haunches and tried to call out for someone else to come and stay with him on the mountain. Continued . . .
|
|
Full Moon Circles
 Full Moon (when the moon is in her bright phase) 7:00 pm (the door locks at 7:30) to 10:00 Women, men, and children accustomed to quiet ritual.
A small group gathering, casual with an opportunity to participate in a deeper ritual than is possible at our larger Sabbat rituals. After casting a circle, we briefly share where we are in our lives, and have a communion of fruit juice and bread. We often use divination tools to draw down that which we wish to bring into our lives or release or transmute those things in our lives that no longer serve us as they now are. Then we go on a guided journey. Afterward we discuss (if you wish) your journey and usually have a physical activity to link the journey to the real world (such as after a journey of the heart, we may cut out paper hearts and write the names and communications of the people we have met on the journey). After opening the circle we have some time to snack and talk with like-minded Pagans.
Items To Bring: A cushion or pillow for sitting, a notebook or journal to record your experience, small pot luck refreshment to share (No Alcohol Event).
|
|
Moon Lodge Circles
Moon Lodge (New Moon-the dark phase of the Moon) -- Once a month, 7:00 pm (the door locks at 7:30) to 10:00
As 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.
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.
|
|
Shamanic Tantric Dance Classes
 Shamanic Tantric Dance
Women Only-Series of five classes.
7:00 pm (the door locks at 7:30) to 10:00
A series of five classes, Shamanic Tantric Dance is a meditation in motion, a sacred dance spontaneously sourced from body impulse. As each woman dances, movement following the energy flow in her body, she is witnessed by the other women. No dance experience needed. Just a desire to move to your unique power coursing through your body.
In a Sacred Circle of Sisters, Come Home to Your Authentic Self.
Facilitated by Kamala, Temple of the Goddess priestess, and teacher/practitioner of Shamanic Tantric Dance; and Rev. Xia, Temple of the Goddess Founder and priestess, and teacher/practitioner of Shamanic Tantric Dance.
|
|
Trance Journey through Drumming Classes
Trance Journey Through Drumming
Women & Men - Once a month class, 7:00 pm (the door locks at 7:30) to 10:00
This is not a "learn how to drum" class, but deep meditation  instruction. In this class you will learn something about Shamanistic history 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. You will learn how to journey to the Upper and Lower Worlds, and how to gain a Power Animal and Guide. 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.
Class led by Pythia, Temple of the Goddess priestess, graduate of Michael Harner's Core Shamanic Workshop, and practitioner of Shamanic Trance Drumming for 20 years.
|
|
