News from the Temples

[Note from Medusa: Every few months, we hope to have reports from the varied and growing Goddess Temples around the world. The following reports were written by members/priestesses of some of these Temples. Temples' events are among those listed in the Events Coil, posted yesterday (directly below this post.) For previous articles on this blog about individual Temples, go to bottom of this post and click on the Label "Temples" ]

Temple of Goddess Spirituality Dedicated to Sekhmet
This Spring has been devoted to a number of temple beautification projects. We have created pathways from the Temple to our Labyrinth, Fairy Altar, and MayTree sites. We have also re-designed the ritual space outside the Temple. The entrance gate and outside fire pit are now aligned with the Temple Fire Pit, so when we enter the Gate we see this lovely sacred line, as we stand in the east and look out west through the door of the temple. This weekend, we will be constructing Sekhmet’s Pavilion which we will use for the Sekhmet Festival (August 10-12). At this festival, we process carrying the statue of Sekhmet out of the Temple at sunset and then hold an all-night ceremony for Her, returning Her to the Temple at sunrise. During the night, she will sit in Her Pavilion, which is adorned with beautiful red silks and flowers. She is surrounded by red pillows, with kyphi incense swirling around Her. You can see a picture of Her last year at
sekhmettemple.com/heartofthesunpage.htm

Our other annual work projects for the spring include painting, gathering Temple firewood, moving rocks, and a deep spring cleaning of our Guest House. We schedule these events in the Spring because the summer heat (regularly over 100 degrees), as much as we love it, precludes outdoor labor. Of course, our work days include eating and a drum circle in the evening. We always have a wonderful time when we get together here on this sacred land [in Nevada].
-Anne Key, Ph.D.
sekhmettemple.com & gift-economy.com

The Goddess Temple of Orange County
SHE HAS RISEN! The Goddess is alive and thriving at The Goddess Temple of Orange County! Since last year, we have increased steadily in membership and credibility. We are so very blessed with dedicated priestesses who are, more and more, taking on important roles in two service circles: Ritual & Liturgy and Membership & Outreach. We feel so humbled to be honored by the presence of such great Goddess Women (to name only a few) as Barbara Ardinger, Max Dashu, Vajra Ma, Mama Donna Henes, Ruth Barrett, Kathy Jones and Karen Tate.

We ARE a church! Did you hear that, ladies? BE ASSURED THERE IS A CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE, EVERY SUNDAY, WE WORSHIP HER! We praise HER name! We pray to HER divine presence in our lives! We recount HER stories of miracles, power and wonder! Each Sunday and with each Holy Day Ritual, it seems the energy expands greatly inside our hearts and inside Her Great Womb, which is reflected in our beautiful Temple to HER. We feel the golden energy grow and we feel healed, powerful, loving and prosperous. We send out our "world healing prayers" every Sunday (sometimes we howl them, drum them or dance them) and we hope you feel the energy too. Please visit us soon for a sacred pilgrimage to The Goddess Temple of Orange County [California] or check out what She is creating here: www.goddesstempleoforangecounty.com

BLESSINGS UPON BLESSINGS FOR A FRUITFUL SPRING!
-Sheryll Alexander, Her Priestess

The Australian Goddess Temple at Serenity
It is high summer here in Australia, and the sound of the cicadas is sweet in the background, as we chant morning practice in the Temple. Two new banners painted and donated by Priestess Stephanie seem to embrace the life-size sculpture of the Great Mother as the Venus of Willendorf on the main altar, as they adorn the wall behind Her. Our early summer retreat was wonderful, with sisters coming from as far as Sydney and Melbourne to "SING OUR CHAKRAS", and soon we gather again for our Oestra Retreat in early April, to share "THE GODDESS WAY".

Our Temple continues to offer sanctuary for sisters who travel long distances to come and celebrate the Divine Mother as they understand her. Those who travel are free to sleep in the Temple after evening practice. This is a sublime experience, to lie down in a sleeping bag in the remaining light from candles lit during our sacred work, and to gently allow the sweetness of the Dark Mother to enfold us. We give thanks and gratitude for our Temple.

To quote my song, "Blessed Be Our Sacred Temple":
"For so long, we yearned for sanctuary
A place to come, and share our hearts desire
In an alien world
We kept Her flame a-burning
Now, our journey's brought us home."
May you all be blessed be, and may we all meet on the Path.

In sacred sisterhood,
-Anique Radiant Heart, Priestess of the Sacred Songs
www.invokingthegoddess.com/
Australian Goddess Temple at Serenity
http://tinyurl.com/yw6mx7

Temple of Isis
The Temple of Isis at Isis Oasis in Geyserville, CA will present ISIS FEST, a Jubilee for the Egyptian New Year on July 18-22. It is a participatory costumed theme event with ceremonies & rituals, music & dance classes and performances, Egyptology lectures, arts & crafts booths, "Hatchepsut" a play by Rev. Loreon, and "Reborn" the Isis-Osiris legend presented by the Floating Lotus Dance Theater. More info available at www.isisfest.net, or email the coordinator Rev. Phoenix, tehuti@isisfest.net (beautiful promotional postcards available upon request) Also upcoming: June 15-17: Body-Mind Immersion Workshop with Michael Bloomfield & Lena Robinson, and the annual Convocation of the Temple of Isis & Fellowship of Isis - Oct 5-8, see www.isisoasis.org

-Temple of Isis
www.isisoasis.org/temp1

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