Monday, November 27, 2006

Winter Solstice Faire

Join Long Beach WomanSpirit and the Temple of Isis/Los Angeles for the
19th annual Winter Solstice Faire.

Saturday 2 December 2006
10:00AM - 4:00PM
Donation: $5 (includes 1 raffle ticket)
Many Unique, Goddess Themed Items
to entice your senses and celebrate your spirit
Plus All Day Entertainment,
Food Vendors, Networking Table,
and our Hourly Raffle of Vendor Items

Entertainment Schedule
Opening Circle 10:00AM
Ella Reed 10:30AM
Kahena and
Banaat al-Qamar 11:00AM
Lisa Thiel 11:45AM
Diana Wysinger
and Friends 12:30PM
Miranda Rondeau 1:15PM
Miri Hunter Haruach 2:00PM
The Nubian Divas 2:45PM
Closing Dance 3:15PM

Come and play and spend the day in the Cosmic Energy of the Goddess!
The Faire is held at Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
5450 Atherton, Long Beach
(just west of Bellflower Blvd, between 405 Freeway and 7th Street)

Event is sponsored by Temple of Isis/Los Angeles
and co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee of UUCLB

Click on the link below for more details!
http://www.longbeachwomanspirit.org/

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Who Is Isis?


Isis is actually the Greek name for the Egyptian Goddess Au-set, but since it is the most widely used version of Her name, I will use it here as well.

Isis, She of Ten Thousand Names, was said to be the daughter of Nut and Geb, one of 5 gods born to them during the epagomenal days, the 5 "days out of time" that were the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. The 5 deities born during these epagomenal days are commonly referred to as Osiris, Set, Horus (the Elder), Isis and Nephthys. Isis was paired with Osiris, her brother-husband, and Nephthys was often paired with Set.

There are many stories of Isis as Lady of the Words of Power who bested Ra (the Sun god), as Great Mother of Horus (the Younger), as the grieving and desperate wife of the dismembered Osiris. The stories are long, and perhaps a retelling will appear on these pages soon.

The worship of Isis began several thousand years ago in Khemet, or ancient Egypt. The one most often associated with Isis is the Temple of Philae, near present-day Aswan. The Isian religion eventually spread from Egypt to Greece and the entire Roman Empire. Archaeologists have found temples of found as far away as England. Modern worship of Isis can be seen in groups such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Fellowhsip of Isis and the Kemetic Orthodox Church. If you are interested in learning more about Isis, either in ancient Egypt or today, you might want to explore these books:

Isis Magic by M. Isidora Forrest
Offerings to Isis by M. Isidora Forrest
Dreams of Isis by Normandi Ellis
Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead by Normandi Ellis
Feasts of Light by Normandi Ellis
The Mysteries of Isis by deTraci Regula
Circle of Isis by Ellen Cannon Reed