I speak words of good intent.
I seek to avoid giving harm to others by my words. I provide constructive, not destructive, feedback. I allow the Wisdom of the Divine to speak through me, and frame things in a positive light.
In today's world, this is challenging. When someone cuts me off on the road, often my first reaction is a crude gesture or a curse, but I try instead to offer a blessing such as, "May you reach your destination safely, without causing harm to others." When doing magickal work to counteract psychic attacks, I choose to call on the powers of protection, rather than the those of revenge.
The Threefold Law is definitely in play here as well. If I speak words that deliberately cause harm, that harm will return to me. If I speak words that seek to create harmony and good intention, that too will return to me.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Laws of Ma'at - 10
I consume only my fair share.
This is where we struggle between "need" and "want". How much do I truly need? and how much of it is want/desire? That doesn't mean that I have to deny my desires, but it does mean that I have to consider them, rather than sating them impulsively.
Our resources are stretched thin. People around the world die of starvation every day while others throw away perfectly good food by the pound. Things we purchase are overly-packaged in non-biodegradable styrofoam and plastic. In some countries, you have to purchase water from the river that runs through your village even though until 5 years ago it was held in common. In other countries, we buy bottled water by the gallon every day because tap water "doesn't taste right".
Our resources don't have to be stretched so thin. They just need to be shared more fairly.
I recycle everything I can: plastic, paper, cardboard, glass. I gratefully accept hand-me-downs that are in good condition, even though they may not be this year's - or even last year's - fashion. I try to eat my leftover food before it goes bad, so that I am not wasting the resources or the money to replace it. I have cut down significantly on gasoline usage by living closer to work, not driving through city traffic, and taking public transportation when I can. I do what I can to live more "green", with the goal of decreasing my carbon footprint. I do what I can to donate resources to those who are in need.
I ask myself, "what exactly is my share?" and try to live accordingly.
This is where we struggle between "need" and "want". How much do I truly need? and how much of it is want/desire? That doesn't mean that I have to deny my desires, but it does mean that I have to consider them, rather than sating them impulsively.
Our resources are stretched thin. People around the world die of starvation every day while others throw away perfectly good food by the pound. Things we purchase are overly-packaged in non-biodegradable styrofoam and plastic. In some countries, you have to purchase water from the river that runs through your village even though until 5 years ago it was held in common. In other countries, we buy bottled water by the gallon every day because tap water "doesn't taste right".
Our resources don't have to be stretched so thin. They just need to be shared more fairly.
I recycle everything I can: plastic, paper, cardboard, glass. I gratefully accept hand-me-downs that are in good condition, even though they may not be this year's - or even last year's - fashion. I try to eat my leftover food before it goes bad, so that I am not wasting the resources or the money to replace it. I have cut down significantly on gasoline usage by living closer to work, not driving through city traffic, and taking public transportation when I can. I do what I can to live more "green", with the goal of decreasing my carbon footprint. I do what I can to donate resources to those who are in need.
I ask myself, "what exactly is my share?" and try to live accordingly.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Brigit's Blessing
About her neat, about her kine,
About her horses, about her goats,
About her sheep, about her lambs;
Each day and night,
In heat and cold,
Each early and late,
In darkness and light;
To keep them from marsh,
To keep them from rock,
To keep them from pit,
To keep them from bank;
To keep them from eye,
To keep them from omen,
To keep them from spell,
South and north;
To keep them from venom,
East and west,
To keep them from envy
And from viles of the wicked;
To keep them from hound
And from each other's horns,
From the birds of the high moors
And from the beasts of the hills;
To keep them from wolf,
From ravaging dog,
To keep them from fox,
From "Luath" of the Fiann.
-- traditional Highland blessing, Carmina Gaedelica, Charm for Stock #368
Saturday, February 02, 2008
A Magdalene Candelmas
Imbolc greetings to all who have shared and seek to share the mysteries of the Magdalene!
This is an invitation to join me and assisting prestesses for a celebration of the Ninth Day of Imbolc (hence "Nonae") or as I have previously termed: "A Magdalene Candelmas", next Sunday, February 10, 2008 at the UU Church of Long Beach. Bring the inner sparks of new beginnings that you begin at this weekend's celebrations of the Maiden, of Brigid, of Candlemas, of the Maiden Sun to the cauldron of transformation that is the Magdalene's Gnostic Rite, next Sunday at 5:30PM
This celebration will also enfold remembrances of Crone suns passings last year and beyond. Many of our community have seen their Mothers go beyond the horizon, "away from the world and unto Goddess" at this time of year. I also have insisted upon this date in order to celebrate the birthday 100 years ago of my mother, Florence Catherine. Since the notice is short, I hope for RSVP at this address, or thearosa@netzero.com or call me at 323 982 9662. The Church calendar says 6P, but I plan to start at 5: 30 in order to leave most of Sunday evening free for your usual pursuits and relaxation. In keeping with our theme begun at Hallows, the Nonae bears the title: "She Wakes"!!
Snack foods and greens for the altar welcome! Men welcome!!
SHE WAKES: A Magdalene celebration of Imbolc, Bride, Candlemas
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 5:30 PM Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach 5450 Atherton Ave, Long Beach.
Bright Blessings of Bride,
Catherine
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Laws of Ma'at - 9
I speak the truth"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
Knowing the truth is not enough; we are called to speak the truth, even when it is difficult. Keeping silent is often the easier path, but a path of spirit is not always easy. It is often easier to tell an untruth than to speak the truth, because of the consequences of truth-telling, but Ma'at calls us to accept the consequences and grow through speaking the truth.
"There are no whole truths; all truths are half-truths. It is trying to treat them as whole truths that plays the devil". -- Alfred North Whitehead
None of us have a handle on "The Truth". We can only judge what is truth for ourselves and share it with others. We cannot force it on anyone else; trying to force "The Truth" on others has been the cause of many religious wars over the centuries. It also causes dissension among friends and family members! Often we have to combine our truths and piece them together into one puzzle that will give us a more complete Truth.
Speaking the truth means refusing to be silent in the face of abuse, whether it is yours or another's.
Speaking the truth means standing up for those who have no voice to cry out: children, elders, and all those in between who are abused, downtrodden, and taken advantage of.
Speaking the truth means going to the authorities when you have witnessed injustice or illegal activity in workplace.
Speaking the truth means that you are no longer a victim of circumstances.
Speaking the truth is a means of taking back your power and living your authentic self.
Thoughts on Truth:
"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods." -- Albert Einstein
"We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart." -- Blaise Pascal
"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off." Gloria Steinem
"Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence." -- Henri Frederic Amiel
Friday, October 12, 2007
Join the Spellweaving
Press Release
PAGANS OPPOSE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN
PAGANS OPPOSE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN
October 12, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Ellen Evert Hopman saille333@mindspring.com 413 323 4494 East Coast
M. Macha NightMare herself@machanightmare.com 415 454-4411 West Coast
We are an ad hoc group of Americans who practice diverse Earth-based religions. We affirm the wisdom of peace, tolerance, and justice. These principles are consistent with the values and beliefs of our Pagan religions. We seek to exist in goodwill and fellowship with all peoples, cultures, and nations. In so doing, we express our love for the Earth and acknowledge our interconnectedness with all living things.
In the face of escalating international tensions regarding Iran, we urge the use of diplomatic actions for a peaceful resolution of differences. We reject any rush to military action, since we believe that diplomatic means will lead to a safer, more just, and more constructive solution. Therefore, we call on our political leaders to use diplomacy to create goodwill, peace, and harmony among nations, religions, and peoples.
Organizations:
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF)
Assembly of the Sacred Wheel
Cherry Hill Seminary
Chesapeake Pagan Community
Church of All Worlds
Coalition of Earth Religions (CERES)
Connect DC
CUUPS-Continental
The Dragon’s Cauldron
Green Egg Zine
Lady Liberty League
Order of the WhiteOak
Our Lady of the Wells Church
Pagan Educational Network
Reclaiming
Sacred Space Foundation
Sierra Madrone Grove, ADF
The Suppressed Histories Archives
Individuals:
Maureen Duffy-Boose, President, CUUPS-Continental, Salt Lake City, UT
Ellen Evert Hopman, Co-Chief, Order of the WhiteOak, Massachusetts
Nancy Machin, Pagan Educational Network, Indiana
M. Macha NightMare, P&W, San Rafael, CA
Rev. H. Byron Ballard, Coalition of Earth Religions, Asheville, NC
Jo Carson, Fairfax, CA
Max Dashu, Oakland, CA
Gus diZerega, Ph.D., Sebastopol, CA
Ivo Dominguez, Jr., Elder, Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, Delaware
Holli S. Emore, Columbia, SC
Cerridwen Fallingstar, Forest Knolls, CA
Rev. Sean W. Harbaugh, Sierra Madrone Grove, ADF, California
Caroline Kenner, Chesapeake Pagan Community & Sacred Space Foundation. Washington, DC
Rev. Robert Lee (Skip) Ellison, Archdruid, ADF, East Syracuse, NY
Sabina Magliocco, Ph.D., Northridge, CA
Rev. Patrick M. McCollum, Director, Our Lady of the Wells Church Moraga, CA
Michael McDermott, M.D., Wisconsin
Katrina Messenger, Founder, Connect DC, Washington, DC
Nava Mizrahhi, Oakland, CA
Ariel Montserrat, Editor, Green Egg Zine, Tennessee
Anne Newkirk Niven, Editor in Chief, PanGaia Magazine, California
Penny J. Novack, Elder, Step by Step Tradition, Buckland, MA
Rev. Rayna Ardren Owens, Ph.D., Miami, FL
Beth Owl’s Daughter, The Dragon’s Cauldron, Durham, NC
Lynn Pacifico, New York, NY
Lauren Raine, Tucson, AZ
Angela Roberts Reeder, Baltimore, MD
Vibra Willow, P&W, Reclaiming, California
Michael York, Ph.D., San Francisco, CA
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Church of All Worlds, Cotati, CA
Rev. Denise Allen, Iseum of the Lady of Mystery, Long Beach, CA
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Lady Olivia's Visit
The Temple of Isis/Los Angeles
and the local Iseums/Lyceums of The Fellowship of Isis
are celebrating the 2007 visit to Southern California
(and the 90th Birthday)
of
Olivia Robertson, FOI co-founder
Join us in Celebration
Saturday, September 29th 2007, 11AM
in a
Blessings of the Goddesses Ritual
at the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
5450 Atherton, Long Beach CA 90815
Bring a small gift of Celebration to exchange
(Flower, Stone, Shell, Candle, Apple, Herbs…
use your imagination…and tie a ribbon around it!)
This event will be outdoors
Contact toila_lbws@yahoo. com for additional information
(TOI/LA events at UUCLB are co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee of UUCLB)
and the local Iseums/Lyceums of The Fellowship of Isis
are celebrating the 2007 visit to Southern California
(and the 90th Birthday)
of
Olivia Robertson, FOI co-founder
Join us in Celebration
Saturday, September 29th 2007, 11AM
in a
Blessings of the Goddesses Ritual
at the
Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach
5450 Atherton, Long Beach CA 90815
Bring a small gift of Celebration to exchange
(Flower, Stone, Shell, Candle, Apple, Herbs…
use your imagination…and tie a ribbon around it!)
This event will be outdoors
Contact toila_lbws@yahoo. com for additional information
(TOI/LA events at UUCLB are co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee of UUCLB)
Friday, September 07, 2007
Fall Equinox Ritual
The GODDESS TEMPLE of Orange County
“Women of The Sacred Feminine Priestessing the Earth towards Peace and Prosperity”
Saturday, September 22
“ENTER the GATES of STARLIGHTon AUTUMN EQUINOX”
(for women)
(for women)
with Priestesses of The TEMPLE of ISIS, Los Angeles
LAURA JANESDAUGHTER,DENISE ALLEN, ANNITRA RAVENMOON, and GLORY VERNON
Doors open at 6:00 pm, Ritual begins 7pm-8:30pm. Dinner to follow; please bring something to share. $10 love offering
The Temple of Isis invites you to …
“Celebrate the Turning of the Dance of the Earth and Sun, where the Light and the Dark are in Balance, with the Cosmic Goddesses Aset/Isis, Nebhet/Nephthys, and Their Mother Nut/Nuit. Enter the Gates of Starlight through the Body of Nut, the Milky Way, and envision the Cosmos in Its many Mysteries, where Dark and Light are different than we might imagine. Remember! …We are Stardust Walking."
Women’s ritual and women’s spiritual authority on Earth is what The TEMPLE is all about. We have been blessed to experience ritual led by The Temple of Isis priestesses, and we know this Autumn Equinox will be another fresh and beautiful offering from these Holy Women … You are warmly invited to join your Sisters in the Goddess for this season’s ritual of Autumn Equinox, light and dark, balance and beauty. Let us enter the Gates of Starlight together as Sisters to Each Other and Daughters of the Goddess … Blessed be.
INFORMATION: 949/651-0564
No woman turned away for lack of funds. To attend free of charge, call 949/51-0564 two weeks before the ritual to have your name put on the list for free attendance. In exchange, you must arrive at the Temple at 4:30 pm the day of the ritual to clean and set up and must stay afterward one hour to clean and break down. You must make these arrangements in adavance to attend free. There are no exceptions. Physically challenged women will be given jobs within their capability.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Trust
Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone who is a relative newcomer to AA and is struggling with the Second and Third Steps:
He said that he is struggling with gaining Faith.
I replied that often it is not Faith that we struggle with, but Trust. Trusting that not only is there a Power greater than ourselves out there, but that if we turn our lives over to that Power, our lives will improve.
I've been thinking about the concept of Trust in that Power ever since.
In my understanding, that Power is Goddess. I don't struggle with Faith; I know that She is there. I do struggle with Trust: trusting that all will be well, trusting that She will be there when I need Her, trusting enough to let go of my need to control my life even while knowing that I cannot control it, no matter how hard I try. There are too many things beyond my control. And I have struggled through the Dark Night of the Soul, when there has been no response to my prayers to Her, no sense of Her presence, for months at a time.
It is hard to Trust that which you cannot see when you cannot trust those whom you can. How do you learn trust when the adults in your life did not protect you when you were a child? when people around you have proven themselves untrustworthy? How can you trust that everything happens for a reason when you cannot determine what that reason might be?
We get stuck in fear and forget to use what little faith we may have. We get stuck in our woundedness and forget to trust in the process of healing. We get stuck in that which is known and therefore comfortable, and choose not to move forward into the Unknown where healing and wholeness can be found.
Sometimes, the first step is to ask for the willingness to Trust.
Then you have to just close your eyes and step into the dark chasm and Trust that She will teach you how to fly.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
He said that he is struggling with gaining Faith.
I replied that often it is not Faith that we struggle with, but Trust. Trusting that not only is there a Power greater than ourselves out there, but that if we turn our lives over to that Power, our lives will improve.
I've been thinking about the concept of Trust in that Power ever since.
In my understanding, that Power is Goddess. I don't struggle with Faith; I know that She is there. I do struggle with Trust: trusting that all will be well, trusting that She will be there when I need Her, trusting enough to let go of my need to control my life even while knowing that I cannot control it, no matter how hard I try. There are too many things beyond my control. And I have struggled through the Dark Night of the Soul, when there has been no response to my prayers to Her, no sense of Her presence, for months at a time.
It is hard to Trust that which you cannot see when you cannot trust those whom you can. How do you learn trust when the adults in your life did not protect you when you were a child? when people around you have proven themselves untrustworthy? How can you trust that everything happens for a reason when you cannot determine what that reason might be?We get stuck in fear and forget to use what little faith we may have. We get stuck in our woundedness and forget to trust in the process of healing. We get stuck in that which is known and therefore comfortable, and choose not to move forward into the Unknown where healing and wholeness can be found.
Sometimes, the first step is to ask for the willingness to Trust.
Then you have to just close your eyes and step into the dark chasm and Trust that She will teach you how to fly.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
20th Anniversary of Long Beach WomanSpirit
LEAFING INTO THE FUTURE
We're celebrating our 20th Anniversary! ! Celebrate with us as we honor our roots and envision the future. Be part of our future, together in the Goddess. Our day will feature afternoon workshops, a lite supper, opportunities to walk a Labyrinth path, spend time in the meditation tent, tie a wish on our "Wish Tree", and help create a Retrospective Art Offering that will be part of the altar in our evening ritual. We will also have "BunniHotep" storytelling time. This event is open to all.
Saturday, August 25 2007 1pm to 7pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
5450 Atherton, Long Beach
$15-$20 donation requested
Please preregister; email bansagart@gmail.com for a registration form.
www.toila.org
www.longbeachwomanspirit.org
We're celebrating our 20th Anniversary! ! Celebrate with us as we honor our roots and envision the future. Be part of our future, together in the Goddess. Our day will feature afternoon workshops, a lite supper, opportunities to walk a Labyrinth path, spend time in the meditation tent, tie a wish on our "Wish Tree", and help create a Retrospective Art Offering that will be part of the altar in our evening ritual. We will also have "BunniHotep" storytelling time. This event is open to all.
Saturday, August 25 2007 1pm to 7pm
Unitarian Universalist Church
5450 Atherton, Long Beach
$15-$20 donation requested
Please preregister; email bansagart@gmail.com for a registration form.
www.toila.org
www.longbeachwomanspirit.org
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Lammas
"Warmed and watered by the heavens, Earth has set its harvest table before us."
If we take a moment to pause from the craziness and stress of our lives and open our senses to the world around us, even in the city we can see the seasons change. Now, halfway through the summer, the grapes are heavy on the vines. The grasses have become a golden brown, waving on the hillsides. The stores are full of the fruits of summer: melons, berries, peaches, corn, plums. The harvest is beginning to come in.
In agricultural societies, this is a time to celebrate the first fruits with bread-making and brewing of grain beverages. The communal sharing of a meal - breaking bread together - is a symbol of unity and peace. It is a time of celebrating the gifts of the earth, the fruits of hard labor,and the interdependence of all members of the community.
This is the First Harvest, dedicated to different Deities in different parts of the world throughout history:
Cotton Mother in India
Lugh and Tailltu in Ireland
Green Corn Mother in the Native American Southwest
Ceres in Rome
Dagon in Phoenicia
Demeter in Greece
Chicomecoatl in southern Mexico
Pachamama in the Andes
This harvest festival is not like Thanksgiving as we celebrate it in the United States - it is not the time to store up food; winter is still far-off. It is not the time to bake elaborate meals, for there is still much work to be done. The first fruits have been harvested, yet the fields are still full, still ripening. The fields must be watched very carefully, so that the harvest is not lost. Heat, thunderstorms and insects could destroy the harvest and jeapordize the people's survival. An abundant fall harvest (at Mabon) means that the community will survive the coming winter. And so people still tend the fields, carefully encouraging Mother Earth to continue providing an abundant harvest.
Many of us today have lived our lives in the city. US culture doesn't celebrate the summer harvest, unless you go to the county fair. It is easy for us to become disconnected from the earth and the cycles of nature.
So what can we learn from this season? What does Lammas (or Lughnassad as the Celts called it) have to do with us?
As I have learned to live in harmony with the cycles of the Earth, I have found that my life reflects the seasons, and at this time of the year, I tend instinctively to evaluate my life.
Who am I now?
What have I accomplished?
What do I still want to do with my life?
What are my hopes and dreams?
What do I fear will prevent me from attaining them?
In effect, I gather the first fruits and take them to the threshing floor, separating the grain from the chaff of my life, milling it and baking it into whatever will sustain me while I tend the other crops of my life that have yet to ripen.
What do you hope to harvest in your life this year?
What seeds did you plant?
Did you sow them on fertile soil?
Did you tend them? water them? pull the weeds that threatened them?
Did they get enough sun? or too much?
What has grown?
Was it what you thought you had planted?
Will it nourish your body and your spirit?
Is it something you are proud of?
Is there enough to share with your community?
If not - this is the harvest time, the time to sacrifice some of the crops and make room for others to grow. It is not too late to plant for the fall harvest.
If you are satisfied with what has grown, this is the time to nurture it. Make the commitment to see it to fruition, whatever weather may come. Make the commitment to share your crops, your fruits, your gifts with the members of your community. Save enough of your harvest to have seeds for next year's planting, enough to exchange for seeds that others may offer you.
Our lives follow the cycle of seasons: our lives and our dreams are born, grow into maturity, and are harvested, to return again in a new way and a new form with the next turn around the wheel. May our hopes and dreams be a bountiful harvest, laying the ground for the next crop.
c. Bansagart 2003
If we take a moment to pause from the craziness and stress of our lives and open our senses to the world around us, even in the city we can see the seasons change. Now, halfway through the summer, the grapes are heavy on the vines. The grasses have become a golden brown, waving on the hillsides. The stores are full of the fruits of summer: melons, berries, peaches, corn, plums. The harvest is beginning to come in.
In agricultural societies, this is a time to celebrate the first fruits with bread-making and brewing of grain beverages. The communal sharing of a meal - breaking bread together - is a symbol of unity and peace. It is a time of celebrating the gifts of the earth, the fruits of hard labor,and the interdependence of all members of the community.
This is the First Harvest, dedicated to different Deities in different parts of the world throughout history:
Cotton Mother in India
Lugh and Tailltu in Ireland
Green Corn Mother in the Native American Southwest
Ceres in Rome
Dagon in Phoenicia
Demeter in Greece
Chicomecoatl in southern Mexico
Pachamama in the Andes
This harvest festival is not like Thanksgiving as we celebrate it in the United States - it is not the time to store up food; winter is still far-off. It is not the time to bake elaborate meals, for there is still much work to be done. The first fruits have been harvested, yet the fields are still full, still ripening. The fields must be watched very carefully, so that the harvest is not lost. Heat, thunderstorms and insects could destroy the harvest and jeapordize the people's survival. An abundant fall harvest (at Mabon) means that the community will survive the coming winter. And so people still tend the fields, carefully encouraging Mother Earth to continue providing an abundant harvest.
Many of us today have lived our lives in the city. US culture doesn't celebrate the summer harvest, unless you go to the county fair. It is easy for us to become disconnected from the earth and the cycles of nature.
So what can we learn from this season? What does Lammas (or Lughnassad as the Celts called it) have to do with us?
As I have learned to live in harmony with the cycles of the Earth, I have found that my life reflects the seasons, and at this time of the year, I tend instinctively to evaluate my life.
Who am I now?
What have I accomplished?
What do I still want to do with my life?
What are my hopes and dreams?
What do I fear will prevent me from attaining them?
In effect, I gather the first fruits and take them to the threshing floor, separating the grain from the chaff of my life, milling it and baking it into whatever will sustain me while I tend the other crops of my life that have yet to ripen.
What do you hope to harvest in your life this year?
What seeds did you plant?
Did you sow them on fertile soil?
Did you tend them? water them? pull the weeds that threatened them?
Did they get enough sun? or too much?
What has grown?
Was it what you thought you had planted?
Will it nourish your body and your spirit?
Is it something you are proud of?
Is there enough to share with your community?
If not - this is the harvest time, the time to sacrifice some of the crops and make room for others to grow. It is not too late to plant for the fall harvest.
If you are satisfied with what has grown, this is the time to nurture it. Make the commitment to see it to fruition, whatever weather may come. Make the commitment to share your crops, your fruits, your gifts with the members of your community. Save enough of your harvest to have seeds for next year's planting, enough to exchange for seeds that others may offer you.
Our lives follow the cycle of seasons: our lives and our dreams are born, grow into maturity, and are harvested, to return again in a new way and a new form with the next turn around the wheel. May our hopes and dreams be a bountiful harvest, laying the ground for the next crop.
c. Bansagart 2003
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Solstice Faire
Long Beach WomanSpirit and the Temple of Isis Los Angeles
present our 2007
SUMMER SOLSTICE FAIRE
Saturday, June 9 2007 10AM - 4PM
Unitarian Universalist Church/Long Beach
5450 Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815
(just west of Bellflower Blvd, between 405 Freeway and 7th Street)
Goddess Crafts & Arts - Entertainment - Networking Table - Vendor Raffle
$5 donation requested - includes one raffle ticket
This event is co-sponsored by the Spiritual Practices Committee of UUCLB
For more information on this and other events
including the LBWS 20th Anniversary Celebration
visit our websites
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Laws of Ma'at - 8
I regard all altars as sacred
Everyone has a right to their own religious expression. As the old saying goes, "There are many paths up the mountain." An altar represents the mountain, although the details may represent a particular path.
All altars are sacred to their worshippers. I need not worship at an altar to regard it as sacred and respect it. I will not destroy or deface any altar, and I may in fact leave offerings at altars out of respect for that spiritual path. By my actions, I not only respect the sanctity of the altar; I put out my request to the Sacred World that my altars be respected and regarded as sacred by others.
I regard all altars as sacred, whether they be indoors or out in nature, whether they are currently in use or have not been used for generations.
Everyone has a right to their own religious expression. As the old saying goes, "There are many paths up the mountain." An altar represents the mountain, although the details may represent a particular path.
All altars are sacred to their worshippers. I need not worship at an altar to regard it as sacred and respect it. I will not destroy or deface any altar, and I may in fact leave offerings at altars out of respect for that spiritual path. By my actions, I not only respect the sanctity of the altar; I put out my request to the Sacred World that my altars be respected and regarded as sacred by others.
I regard all altars as sacred, whether they be indoors or out in nature, whether they are currently in use or have not been used for generations.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Thunder: Perfect Mind
Daniel R. McBride translation
I was sent forth through the power
and I have come to those who contemplate me:
I was found by those who sought after me.
Look upon me, you who contemplate me
and you listeners, listen to me.
Those of you who pay heed to me, take me to yourselves.
And do not banish me from your sight,
and do not cause your voice to imprecate me,
or your hearing.
Do not be ignorant of me (in) any place or (in) any time.
Keep watch!
Do not be ignorant of me.
For I am the first and the last:
I am the one who is honoured and the one who is scorned.
I am the whore and the holy one.
I am the wife and the virgin.
I am the mother and the daughter.
I am the members of my mother.
I am the barren woman whose sons are many.
I am she of many weddings and I did not take a husband.
I am the midwife and she who does not bear.
I am the solace of my labour pains.
I am the bride and the bridegroom
and my man is the one who begot me.
I am the mother of my father,
and the sister of my man and he is my offspring.
I am the servant of he who prepared me.
I am the mistress of my offspring:
but he is the one who begot me,
prematurely, on a day of birth.
And in time he is my offspring
and my power is from him.
I am the staff of his power throughout his youth,
and he is the staff of my old age.
And that which he wishes befalls me.
I am the silence that cannot be apprehended
and the idea that is often remembered.
I am the sound of the manifold voice,
and the word of many aspects.
I am the story: (I am) my name.
Those who hate me--why do you love me
and (yet) hate those who love me?
Those who deny me, confess me,
and those who confess me deny me.
Those who speak truth of me, lie about me,
and those who lied about me, tell the truth about me.
Those who understand me, be ignorant of me.
And those who do not know me, let them know me.
For I am the Gnosis and the ignorance.
I am reticence and loquaciousness.
I am without shame, I am modest.
I am assurance and I am fear.
I am war and peace.
Observe me: I am the one who is condemned
and the (one who is) great.
Observe my poverty and my wealth.
Do not be arrogant with me when I am cast out upon the earth,
and you shall find me among those who are coming,
and do not view me on the dung-heap--
do not go, do not leave me then, abandoned,
and you shall find me in the dominions.
Nor view me abandoned among those who are condemned
and in the inferior places.
Do not mock me nor cast me down among those brutally slain.
But I, I am merciful and I am cruel.
Be vigilant!
Do not loath my obedience and my self-control do not love.
In my weakness do not forsake me,
and do not be afraid of my power.
For why are you contemptuous of my fear and curse my pride?
But I am she who exists in all fears,
and the security in insecurity.
I am she who is weak and am made whole in a voluptuous place.
I am foolish and I am wise.
Why have you hated me in your counsels--
that I shall be silent among those who are silent?
I shall appear and speak.
Why then have you Greeks hated me?
Because I am a barbarian among barbarians?
For I am the Sophia of the Greeks and the Gnosis of barbarians.
I am the judgment of the Greeks and of the barbarians.
I am the one whose image is great in Egypt
and the one who has no image among the barbarians.
I am the one who has been hated and loved in every place.
I am the one called Life whom you called Death.
I am the one called Law whom you called Anarchy.
I am the one whom you have pursued and
I am the one whom you have grasped.
I am the one whom you have scattered and you have collected together.
I am the one before whom you have been ashamed,
and you have been shameless to me.
I am she who does not keep festival, and
I am she whose festivals are many.
I, I am godless, and
I am the one whose God is many.
I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
and you have scorned me.
I am unlearned, yet they learn from me.
I am the one whom you have despised and you reflect upon me.
I am the one whom you have hidden from,
and you appear to me.
But whenever you hide yourselves, I myself shall appear.
For whenever you [appear], I myself [shall be hidden] to you.
Those who have [...] by means of it
[...] in senselessness [...]
Take me [...] understanding through suffering,
and bear me to yourselves through understanding and suffering.
And bear me to yourselves from ugly places which are in ruin
and seize from those even in disgrace.
Out of shame accept me unto yourselves shamelessly;
and out of shamelessness and shame,
indict the parts of my being in yourselves,
and come into myself, those who (thus) know me,
and those who know the parts of my being,
and establish the great with the small first creatures.
Come to childhood and do not abhor it
because it is small and it is little.
And do not turn away greatnesses in some portions from the
smallnesses,
for the smallnesses are known from the greatnesses.
Why do you curse me and esteem me?
You have wounded and you have had pity.
Do not separate me from the first ones you have known
and do not cast anyone out, nor reject anyone
[...] [nor] return without knowing it.
[...] that which is mine.
It is I who knows the first ones and their descendants know me.
But I am the Nous of the [...]
and the repose of [...]
I am the Gnosis of my quest,
and the discovery of those who seek after me,
and the command of those who ask of me
and the power of the powers in my Gnosis with the angels,
they who have been sent by my word
and the gods in their aeons by my design,
and the spirit of each man existing with me,
and of women existing within me.
I am the one who is honoured and who is praised,
and who is despised scornfully.
I am peace and war comes to be because of me.
And I am a foreigner and a citizen.
I am the substance and the one who has no substance.
Those who exist together in my being are ignorant of me;
and those who exist in my substance are the ones who know me.
Those who have drawn near to me became ignorant of me,
and those far beyond me are the ones who have known me.
On the day I draw near to [you (pl)]; [you] are far beyond [me,
and] on the day when I [am far beyond] you [I draw near] to you.
[I am] [...] within.
[I am] [...] the inborn qualities.
[I am] the foundation of the spirits.
[I am] that which is asked for by the souls.
I am restraint and unrestraint.
I am in harmony with the dissolution.
I am the abiding and I am the dissolution.
I am the one below, and they come up to me.
I am the judgment and the forgiveness.
I, I am sinless and the root of sin comes from within me.
I am lust in (outward) appearance and abstinence exists within me.
I am the utterance attainable to everyone
and the speech which cannot be grasped.
I am a mute who does not speak,
and great is my multitude of words.
Hear me in weakness, and be instructed by me in strength.
I am she who cries out and I am cast forth upon the face of the earth.
It is I who prepares the bread and my mind inside.
I am the Gnosis of my name.
I am the one who cries out, and it is I who listens.
I appear and walk in a [...]
seal of my [...][...][. ..]
I am [...] the defense.
I am the one who is called "the Truth," and "Iniquity" [...]
You esteem me and you whisper against me.
Those who are victorious, judge them before they pass judgement upon
you,
for discernment and partiality exists in you.
If you are condemned in this way, who shall forgive you?
Or, if you are forgiven through this, who shall be able to control
you?
For what is within you is that which is outside you,
and the one who fashioned you on the outside
(also) shaped the inside of you,
and that which you see on the exterior
you see on the interior: it is revealed and is your garment.
Hear me you auditors,
and learn from my words those who know me.
I am the hearing that is attainable to everything,
I am the speech which cannot be grasped.
I am the name of the sound and the sound of the name.
I am the sign of the letter
and the manifestation of the division.
And I (lines 1-3 missing) [...] the light
[...] and [...] auditors [...] to you [...]
[...] the great power and the [...] shall not move the name
[...] to the one who created me.
I, however, shall speak his name.
Look then at his words and all the writings which have been completed.
Give heed then you auditors and for your part, the angels,
and those who have been sent,
and the spirits who have arisen from the dead...
that I am the one who exists alone,
and I do not have anyone to judge me.
For many are the delightful forms which exist in numerous sins,
and libertinisms, and condemned passions,
and transitory pleasures which are grasped until they become sober,
and they ascend to their resting-place
and they shall find me in that place,
and they shall live,
and they shall not die again.
I was sent forth through the power
and I have come to those who contemplate me:
I was found by those who sought after me.
Look upon me, you who contemplate me
and you listeners, listen to me.
Those of you who pay heed to me, take me to yourselves.
And do not banish me from your sight,
and do not cause your voice to imprecate me,
or your hearing.
Do not be ignorant of me (in) any place or (in) any time.
Keep watch!
Do not be ignorant of me.
For I am the first and the last:
I am the one who is honoured and the one who is scorned.
I am the whore and the holy one.
I am the wife and the virgin.
I am the mother and the daughter.
I am the members of my mother.
I am the barren woman whose sons are many.
I am she of many weddings and I did not take a husband.
I am the midwife and she who does not bear.
I am the solace of my labour pains.
I am the bride and the bridegroom
and my man is the one who begot me.
I am the mother of my father,
and the sister of my man and he is my offspring.
I am the servant of he who prepared me.
I am the mistress of my offspring:
but he is the one who begot me,
prematurely, on a day of birth.
And in time he is my offspring
and my power is from him.
I am the staff of his power throughout his youth,
and he is the staff of my old age.
And that which he wishes befalls me.
I am the silence that cannot be apprehended
and the idea that is often remembered.
I am the sound of the manifold voice,
and the word of many aspects.
I am the story: (I am) my name.
Those who hate me--why do you love me
and (yet) hate those who love me?
Those who deny me, confess me,
and those who confess me deny me.
Those who speak truth of me, lie about me,
and those who lied about me, tell the truth about me.
Those who understand me, be ignorant of me.
And those who do not know me, let them know me.
For I am the Gnosis and the ignorance.
I am reticence and loquaciousness.
I am without shame, I am modest.
I am assurance and I am fear.
I am war and peace.
Observe me: I am the one who is condemned
and the (one who is) great.
Observe my poverty and my wealth.
Do not be arrogant with me when I am cast out upon the earth,
and you shall find me among those who are coming,
and do not view me on the dung-heap--
do not go, do not leave me then, abandoned,
and you shall find me in the dominions.
Nor view me abandoned among those who are condemned
and in the inferior places.
Do not mock me nor cast me down among those brutally slain.
But I, I am merciful and I am cruel.
Be vigilant!
Do not loath my obedience and my self-control do not love.
In my weakness do not forsake me,
and do not be afraid of my power.
For why are you contemptuous of my fear and curse my pride?
But I am she who exists in all fears,
and the security in insecurity.
I am she who is weak and am made whole in a voluptuous place.
I am foolish and I am wise.
Why have you hated me in your counsels--
that I shall be silent among those who are silent?
I shall appear and speak.
Why then have you Greeks hated me?
Because I am a barbarian among barbarians?
For I am the Sophia of the Greeks and the Gnosis of barbarians.
I am the judgment of the Greeks and of the barbarians.
I am the one whose image is great in Egypt
and the one who has no image among the barbarians.
I am the one who has been hated and loved in every place.
I am the one called Life whom you called Death.
I am the one called Law whom you called Anarchy.
I am the one whom you have pursued and
I am the one whom you have grasped.
I am the one whom you have scattered and you have collected together.
I am the one before whom you have been ashamed,
and you have been shameless to me.
I am she who does not keep festival, and
I am she whose festivals are many.
I, I am godless, and
I am the one whose God is many.
I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
and you have scorned me.
I am unlearned, yet they learn from me.
I am the one whom you have despised and you reflect upon me.
I am the one whom you have hidden from,
and you appear to me.
But whenever you hide yourselves, I myself shall appear.
For whenever you [appear], I myself [shall be hidden] to you.
Those who have [...] by means of it
[...] in senselessness [...]
Take me [...] understanding through suffering,
and bear me to yourselves through understanding and suffering.
And bear me to yourselves from ugly places which are in ruin
and seize from those even in disgrace.
Out of shame accept me unto yourselves shamelessly;
and out of shamelessness and shame,
indict the parts of my being in yourselves,
and come into myself, those who (thus) know me,
and those who know the parts of my being,
and establish the great with the small first creatures.
Come to childhood and do not abhor it
because it is small and it is little.
And do not turn away greatnesses in some portions from the
smallnesses,
for the smallnesses are known from the greatnesses.
Why do you curse me and esteem me?
You have wounded and you have had pity.
Do not separate me from the first ones you have known
and do not cast anyone out, nor reject anyone
[...] [nor] return without knowing it.
[...] that which is mine.
It is I who knows the first ones and their descendants know me.
But I am the Nous of the [...]
and the repose of [...]
I am the Gnosis of my quest,
and the discovery of those who seek after me,
and the command of those who ask of me
and the power of the powers in my Gnosis with the angels,
they who have been sent by my word
and the gods in their aeons by my design,
and the spirit of each man existing with me,
and of women existing within me.
I am the one who is honoured and who is praised,
and who is despised scornfully.
I am peace and war comes to be because of me.
And I am a foreigner and a citizen.
I am the substance and the one who has no substance.
Those who exist together in my being are ignorant of me;
and those who exist in my substance are the ones who know me.
Those who have drawn near to me became ignorant of me,
and those far beyond me are the ones who have known me.
On the day I draw near to [you (pl)]; [you] are far beyond [me,
and] on the day when I [am far beyond] you [I draw near] to you.
[I am] [...] within.
[I am] [...] the inborn qualities.
[I am] the foundation of the spirits.
[I am] that which is asked for by the souls.
I am restraint and unrestraint.
I am in harmony with the dissolution.
I am the abiding and I am the dissolution.
I am the one below, and they come up to me.
I am the judgment and the forgiveness.
I, I am sinless and the root of sin comes from within me.
I am lust in (outward) appearance and abstinence exists within me.
I am the utterance attainable to everyone
and the speech which cannot be grasped.
I am a mute who does not speak,
and great is my multitude of words.
Hear me in weakness, and be instructed by me in strength.
I am she who cries out and I am cast forth upon the face of the earth.
It is I who prepares the bread and my mind inside.
I am the Gnosis of my name.
I am the one who cries out, and it is I who listens.
I appear and walk in a [...]
seal of my [...][...][. ..]
I am [...] the defense.
I am the one who is called "the Truth," and "Iniquity" [...]
You esteem me and you whisper against me.
Those who are victorious, judge them before they pass judgement upon
you,
for discernment and partiality exists in you.
If you are condemned in this way, who shall forgive you?
Or, if you are forgiven through this, who shall be able to control
you?
For what is within you is that which is outside you,
and the one who fashioned you on the outside
(also) shaped the inside of you,
and that which you see on the exterior
you see on the interior: it is revealed and is your garment.
Hear me you auditors,
and learn from my words those who know me.
I am the hearing that is attainable to everything,
I am the speech which cannot be grasped.
I am the name of the sound and the sound of the name.
I am the sign of the letter
and the manifestation of the division.
And I (lines 1-3 missing) [...] the light
[...] and [...] auditors [...] to you [...]
[...] the great power and the [...] shall not move the name
[...] to the one who created me.
I, however, shall speak his name.
Look then at his words and all the writings which have been completed.
Give heed then you auditors and for your part, the angels,
and those who have been sent,
and the spirits who have arisen from the dead...
that I am the one who exists alone,
and I do not have anyone to judge me.
For many are the delightful forms which exist in numerous sins,
and libertinisms, and condemned passions,
and transitory pleasures which are grasped until they become sober,
and they ascend to their resting-place
and they shall find me in that place,
and they shall live,
and they shall not die again.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Beltane
Beltane sits opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year, and in many respects, is its opposite. Where Samhain ushers in the dark season - time for reflection and inner work - Beltane is a harbinger of summer and a time for celebration of the Life Force, of youth and sexuality and sensuality and boundless energy.
Traditionally, Beltane was a time of purification, when hearth fires were extinguished and bonfires were lit on hilltops. The community gathered to celebrate the return of the growing season and the return of the animals to their pasture lands for the summer. Festivities included dancing around a May Pole, weaving patterns of color and energy for fertility and physical wellbeing. Couples would jump the Beltane fire and commit to a year-and-a-day together, a sort of "trial" marriage. When the community festivities were over, a piece of the Beltane fire would be taken home to relight the hearth.
Although Beltane is typically a celebration of action, there are still some possibilities for reflection. Here are some thoughts to consider during this season:
Where do you get your energy? How do you recharge?
What do you have to celebrate?
Where do you need to put your energy at this time?
Are you comfortable with your sexuality? sensuality?
What are you willing to commit to for the next year-and-a-day?
Happy Beltane!!!!
Traditionally, Beltane was a time of purification, when hearth fires were extinguished and bonfires were lit on hilltops. The community gathered to celebrate the return of the growing season and the return of the animals to their pasture lands for the summer. Festivities included dancing around a May Pole, weaving patterns of color and energy for fertility and physical wellbeing. Couples would jump the Beltane fire and commit to a year-and-a-day together, a sort of "trial" marriage. When the community festivities were over, a piece of the Beltane fire would be taken home to relight the hearth.
Although Beltane is typically a celebration of action, there are still some possibilities for reflection. Here are some thoughts to consider during this season:
Where do you get your energy? How do you recharge?
What do you have to celebrate?
Where do you need to put your energy at this time?
Are you comfortable with your sexuality? sensuality?
What are you willing to commit to for the next year-and-a-day?
Happy Beltane!!!!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Bunni HoTep
Yesterday, the Temple of Isis/Los Angeles held its annual spring ritual in honor of BunniHoTep. It was a ritual of laughter and tears, of story-telling and blowing bubbles, of healing and feasting.
BunniHoTep is a recently rediscovered Egyptian deity. She is the Finder of Lost Objects and a Goddess of Joy. She began revealing Herself to the priestesses of TOI/LA about four years ago. Lady Olivia signed the charter for the Iseum of BunniHoTep not long afterwards. Professor Lapin is the keeper of the scrolls of BunniHoTep, and Her most frequent channel. Her stories can be found on her LJ blog: Iseum of BunniHoTep.
BunniHoTep is a recently rediscovered Egyptian deity. She is the Finder of Lost Objects and a Goddess of Joy. She began revealing Herself to the priestesses of TOI/LA about four years ago. Lady Olivia signed the charter for the Iseum of BunniHoTep not long afterwards. Professor Lapin is the keeper of the scrolls of BunniHoTep, and Her most frequent channel. Her stories can be found on her LJ blog: Iseum of BunniHoTep.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Friday the 13th
Superstitions abound in European-based cultures about bad luck happening on Friday the 13th. Some people who suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia will even refuse to get out of bed, for fear of incurring bad luck.
There are many theories about where the Friday the 13th myth began, but most people attribute it to the simultaneous arrests of the Knights Templar in France on October 13, 1307. However, the superstitions about the day seem to have really begun in the early 1900s.
In pagan traditions, 13 is not an unlucky number. It is the traditional number of members of a coven, and the number of lunar months in a solar year.
Have wonderful Friday the 13th!!!
There are many theories about where the Friday the 13th myth began, but most people attribute it to the simultaneous arrests of the Knights Templar in France on October 13, 1307. However, the superstitions about the day seem to have really begun in the early 1900s.
In pagan traditions, 13 is not an unlucky number. It is the traditional number of members of a coven, and the number of lunar months in a solar year.
Have wonderful Friday the 13th!!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Artist on the Beach
Gaea
Creator
Earth Mother
Master Potter
your moist fingers
gently mold the clay
mixing earth and water
into a new creation
unceasingly
patiently
you lovingly caress
the clay
shaping it
changing it
to suit your needs
careful
to not let it dry out
repairing
any flaws that appear
keep me firmly on your
Potter's Wheel
spinning slowly
becoming
your Heart's desire
always in contact
with your firm
moist
loving
Hands
feeling your caress
knowing you are
Master Potter
Earth Mother
Creator
Gaea
Creator
Earth Mother
Master Potter
your moist fingers
gently mold the clay
mixing earth and water
into a new creation
unceasingly
patiently
you lovingly caress
the clay
shaping it
changing it
to suit your needs
careful
to not let it dry out
repairing
any flaws that appear
keep me firmly on your
Potter's Wheel
spinning slowly
becoming
your Heart's desire
always in contact
with your firm
moist
loving
Hands
feeling your caress
knowing you are
Master Potter
Earth Mother
Creator
Gaea
c. 1993 Bansagart
Happy Ostara
All around us, the Earth sings of Spring. The birth waters have broken open and the rainy season is upon us. Early flowers are blooming, and the animals are bringing forth their young. The Sun has reached the day of balance, with equal hours of light and dark. We celebrate resurrection and rebirth in all its manifestations.In many traditions, the stories of this time revolve around eggs and their hatching. It is said that Hathor, in the form of the Nile goose, laid a golden egg that was the sun. In Hawai'i it is said the the Big Island hatched from the egg of a giant water bird. The Chimu of Peru clain they are descended from the original egg, the moon. In Hindu mythology, Prappati, the creator, hatched from the great golden egg of eternity. It is also said that Brahma burst forth from a golden egg.
The egg is a symbol of birth, fertility and eternity. It has long been a symbol of Life. The egg holds the complete potential of the creative energy of life. The giving, receiving and decorating of eggs is a symbol in many modern religious traditions: in Christianity, it is the Easter Egg; in Judaism, eggs are a symbol of Esther and Purim; eggs have also long been a symbol of spring in pagan traditions.
In natural situtations, hens lay eggs only from the spring equinox to the autumn equinox; egg-laying is controlled by the amount of light stimulating the retina of the eye. (The amount of light also controls the blooming of most flowers.) At the exact moment of the Vernal Equinox, an egg will stand and balance on its end, an icon of equlibrium.
It is believed that Ostara, the festival of the Vernal Equinox, was first celebrated about 12,000 years ago. In Teuton and Anglo-Saxon tradtions, the goddess of the dawn was named Eostre. She was also called the Queen of Heaven, titles attributed to Andraste, Astarte, Ishtar, Queen Esther and Isis, all of whose names appear to have similar origins.
With the balance of day and night at Ostara, we leave the winter behind. We come out of our hibernation, our months of reflection and inner work, and begin to reach for balance in our lives: the balance of reflection and action, of thought and will. In our gardens and in our lives, we till and turn the soil and plant the seeds of our desires. As the days lengthen, our seeds will sprout and grow and lead us to the harvest at summer's peak.
Where are you reaching for balance in your life?
How are you moving toward greater light?
What seeds are you planting at this time?
c. 2007 Bansagart
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