Circles of Sisterhood finally happening

Supporting – Encouraging - Empowering

:: Within a circle, we are all equal.
:: Within a circle, we are all honoured.
:: Within a circle, we will create a sacred space where we can listen and be heard, share and learn, encourage others and be empowered ourselves.
:: Within a circle, we will honour the Sacred Feminine the resides around us as well as within us as we ebb and flow with the forces of life.

It has long been a sacred tradition for women to gather around the new moon where they would share wisdom, support each other, and connect to the sacred wisdom that is found within aligning with the ebb and flow of the moon and nature. Within the creation of such a sacred space, we (re)learn the arts of healing, divination, self-nurturing and trust as well as remembering and honouring the wise women who have gone before us for we are all manifestations of the Divine Feminine, the Goddess, the Sacred She.

The Spiral of the Wise Woman

The following are an assortment of quotes taken from Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series) by Susun S Weed:

"I begin at the center, says the wise woman seer."

"I come from the chaos and the completeness at the centre of the spiral."

"In the natural flow of my expansion and enrichment, I encounter pain; I lose control; I die."

"In the natural flow of my curiosity and play, I discover joy and wisdom.  I am born."

The Sacredness of the Feminine Divine Meditation Event

International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women and takes place every year on 8th March.

This year on Wednesday, 8 March 2017, the Isian Centre of Metaphysics will be holding a special MEDITATION ON THE SACREDNESS OF THE FEMININE DIVINE to celebrate International Women’s Day.

This special women’s only event will commence at 7.30pm and will last for approximately an hour.

Entry to the Isian Centre of Metaphysics for this event will be available from 7:20pm.

Yemaya Blessing of the Waters Event

For the last ten years, around the first full moon of the year, I have lead a special beach side devotional rite in order to  Yemaya (also spelt Yemoja and Iemoja), the Yorùbá Orisha or Goddess of the living ocean around.  This year is no different.

On Thursday, 12th January I invite you to join me in this informal rite that will be held at Grange Beach where we will be asking Yemaya to bless the world's waterways, seas creations and all other beings that fall under Her protection.

Around 8.00pm we will be gathering on the grassed area along the forefront in front of the Grange Hotel (look for the purple banner) before heading down to the shore at 8.15pm.  The rite will commence around 8:30pm.

Dreaming Back the Sisters

On this day when families gather, and others remember, and as we journey ever closer to the ending of one calendar year  pausing for the new year to commence, I would like to share with you this beautiful poem by Marie Elena Gaspari. In doing so, I would also like to invite you all to dream back your sisters, your feminine line (both biological and spiritual) as an inspiring and beautiful intention for 2017.

A wonderful way to continue this dreaming back is to join other women as we gather together.  One type of such gathering are Sister Moon Circles that welcome women of all ages.  The first of the Sister Moons Circles for 2017 will be taking place at the Isian Centre of Metaphysics from Friday, 21 April 2017.

The Mother Wound

This morning I came across an article that talked about the difficulties and challenges experienced between mothers and daughters which are often not openly spoken about.  The root of these issues is the "Mother Wound", the "pain of being a woman passed down through generations of women in patriarchal cultures".

According to Bethany Webster, the author of this article, our patriarchal, male-dominated culture has conditioned women to think of themselves as “less-than” and not deserving or worthy.  When such “less-than” feelings are internalised and passed down unconsciously, they often form "limiting beliefs" about one's own true potential and power.  When the daughter does recognise them as such and decides to actualise her own potential, then she does so with the risk of possibly being rejected to some degree by her mother where upon seeing her daughter embracing empowerment may trigger sadness or rage within the mother at having had to give up parts of herself in her own life.

Encountering the Shadows and the Realm of the Dark Goddess

The shadows have always been a source of mystery. Often, fear and terror rule the dark places, holding our imagination captive and sometimes paralyzing us with the horror of the unknown. The shadows hold the secret to our own rising rebirth, the secret of the wisdom of ourselves. The ultimate mystery is that of knowing oneself. This is the lesson the Dark Goddess teaches.

 

The Dark Goddess is the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess. However She does not always take the form of the older, wiser sage. She can appear as the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Many associate her powers with the underworld and even evil. But the darkness was not always seen in that way, the way of polarity, black and white, good versus evil. The darkness was just that, the absence of light. The way of the Dark Goddess is the way of the mirror, truth and reflection. She is not the kind and gentle Mother Goddess, who coaxes us to explore our lives.

    

How will you honour your Sacred Gift of Womankind?

In her book, The Thirteen Original Clan Mothers, author Jamie Sams asks us:

 

“We are being asked to honour the gifts of womankind and to call on the strength of our sisters in order to discover ourselves. The circle will come full when every human can see the beauty within the Self, as well as in all others.  The transmutation of competition, separateness, hierarchy, jealousy, envy, manipulation, control, selfishness, greed, dependency, old wounds, and self-righteousness must be accomplished before we will come to wholeness.  These attitudes are the enemies of humankind and are found within the Shadow-self, rather than outside ourselves.

 

The Path of She: Walking with the Goddess

Walking the path of the Goddess, the Divine Feminine, can be likened to connecting with the deeper, soul-based needs and desire whereby we feel an overpowering sense of peace and inner stillness when experiencing the most simple of things.  Noticing the first changing leaf that signifies Autumn is on its way, or how the sun's light plays upon a pond surface, the darting of sparrows, or the resilience of that pumpkin plant that is determined to take over my  back garden no matter how many times I cut it back.  All this subtle things may appear unworthy of any such "spiritual" attention, yet when viewed from such a perspective, they present great insight and wonder.  After all, one aspect of the Goddess is Gaea, Mother Earth.

 

International Women's Day Gathering of Sisters

A special Gathering of Sisters to mark International Women's Day will be held at The Goddess House on Tuesday, 8 March 2016 from 10:00 am.

Participants are encouraged to bring a photo or picture of a woman whom they admire or who has inspired us as together we will be creating an altar to honour and acknowledge those women who have gone before us, who are still with us and who are still yet to come.

Please also bring a flower to decorate the altar, a plate of food to share afterwards and a $5 donation to help cover all other incidental costs.

 

Grainne Ni Mhaille - the Irish Pirate Queen

Statue of Grainne Ni Mhaille

by Michael Cooper

From the mysterious world of the Celts a number of women were renowned for their power, warrior strength and independence.  They led revolts against their enemies, wheeled and dealed to require the best possible outcome for their people, and were even said to have used their “woman’s magic” to curse the lives of those who sought to cause them (or their loved ones) harm.  One of these such women was Grainne Ni Mhaille, who is better known to us by the English version of her name - Grace O'Malley, the 16th century Irish pirate queen.

 

Celtic Queens and Warrior Goddesses coming to Melbourne

Amongst the legends of the Celts can be found various powerful and fascinating women.  Rebellion leaders, pirates, initiators of heroes, fierce warriors, and foretellers of doom.  Some who are historically known to us, while others are blended with the mists from a somewhat romantic past.  

 

Regardless of whether they are fact or fiction, there is something immensely powerful and awe inspiring about these Celtic women, some of whom include:

Ebbing and Flowing with the Times

If there is one thing that I have been forced to learn over the last eight months is that flexibility is the key for you never know when carefully laid plans need to be changed or when new opportunities appear waiting for you to grasp them.

 

After a restless night the difficult decision was made this morning to cancel to commencement of the proposed Sister Circles that was to commence at the Morella Community Centre in March.  While I am still very passionate for this venture to commence, the timing does not appear to be right at the moment.  I am hoping that another opportunity to present this venture to the community will make itself available later in the year.

The Three Fold Brighid - Goddess, Saint and Druidess

The 1st or 2nd of February is the sacred day of Brighid, the triple formed Celtic Goddess, Saint and Druidress.

 

Within Irish mythology, Brighid (whose name means, amongst others, "exalted one") was one of three daughters of the Dagda, the chief God of the Tuatha de Danann, all of whom were named Brighid.  She was also the wife of Bres (a Fomorian) to whom she had a son named Ruadan.

 

Sister Moon Circles

A lot has happened over the last 12 months and now with the new calendar year fast approaching, pieces are in the process of being picked up again.  One of the first things that will be on offer in 2017  are the Sister Moon Circles.

Commencing on Friday, 27 January 2016 (the Friday closest to the first new moon of the new year) these circles will be open to women of all ages and backgrounds who desire to gather together in order to explore and share various aspects of life that relates, nourishes and strengthens our own personal connectedness to the feminine energy in our modern world.

Sister Circles are continuing the "Legacy of Women"

Waking up to a peaceful morning, my attention was drawn to the following excerpt from Jamie Sams' book, The Thirteen Original Clan Mothers: Your Sacred Path to Discovering the Gifts, Talents, and Abilities of the Feminine Through the Ancient Teachings of the Sisterhood.  Realising that it had in fact been some 15 years since I read this book, and considering that I am currently in the process of formulating community based "Sister Circles", the synchronicity of things brought a smile to my face.  Synchronicity?  Or maybe it is the way of the Goddess, the Sacred She, working  Her subtle ways yet again.

 

Is there the need for Community Sacred Circles for Women

Not being able to work over the last few months due to health reasons (a situation that will continue into the new year) has not prevented my mind from churning over an array of possibilities of what I would like to put into motion in the future.  When I was diagnosed with cancer, my doctor did say to me that my current perception on life and what is important to me will change, and whilst not necessarily a surprising change, one of the things that has been in the forefront of my mind over the last couple of weeks is the ongoing need for Goddess or women's circles in our modern times.

 

It was this deep need for such a circle myself that resulted in me establishing The Goddess House in 2007 where I set about to create a venue where women could gather to experience for themselves that the divine feminine is all about.  After all, whilst we are familiar with the divine masculine the God, still today many women do not realise that there is indeed also a Goddess, and in fact she was the first deity ever honoured by out ancestors - and in some cultures, still is very much alive even today.

Sif - the Norse Goddess of the Grain

With the grain harvest underway already in some parts around South Australia, the Norse Goddess of the Grain, Sif, often comes to mind around this time of the year.

The drinking horn is filled and empowered

Who offer toasts as they drink from the horn.

To Sif who feeds the people of the land

To Sif’s husband who protects the farmers ...

(“Drunk on the Mead of Inspiration" by Jim Davis)

 

Little information remains today despite her being one of the Aesir, the Gods of the Norse sky. What does come down to us about Sif tends to stem from the Poetic Edda, which was compiled in the 13th century from earlier sources, as well as the Prose Edda written by Icelander historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson (also dated to the 13th century).

 

The Conpassionate Kuan Yin

Revered as both a bodhisattva (an individual who has attained Buddha hood, but decided to stay with the human race in order to bring enlightenment to every human being) as well as a goddess, Kuan Yin has been worshipped in many cultures and religions, with her worship still extremely popular today.  Images of her grace almost all Taoist Temples; she can be found in almost all Chinese Buddhist temples; she is revered within Shintoism; and her significance is even understood within Christianity where she has a strong resonance with the Virgin Mary.  As such, there are numerous spellings of her name (Kwan Yin, Quan Yin, Guan Yin or Guanyin) and just as many interpretations and titles of her name such as - “She who harkens the cry of the world”, “Goddess of salvation from misery”, “Goddess of one thousand arms and eyes” and more popular, “Goddess of mercy and compassion”. 

 

Queen of Olympos devotional now available

I am very excited to announce that Queen of Olympos: A Devotional Anthology for Hera and Iuno is now available via Amazon.com.  This anthology, the fourth to date that something I have submitted has been publishe, explores the often misunderstood long suffering "wife" of Zeus (and his Roman counterpart, Jupiter).  However, as readers will discover, there is so much more to Hera/Iuno that what is commonly considered today.