Goddess Temple News Beltane 2016 Donations Welcome
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Goddess Temple News Beltane 2016 Donations Welcome Rhiannon Room, Goddess House moon lodge, red and white tent, sensual In writing this editorial I asked Rhiannon sound baths and embodiments, as well as what She wanted to have expressed. What a place of meeting like-minded people to came through and made my heart leap build community that manifests as Love-in- was the inquiry ‘what would love do’? It is The Goddess Temple, Action in the world. difficult to stay committed to experiencing 2-4 High Street, A new example of our Goddess Her Love and the practices of peace, when community coming together to manifest you are experiencing heart break, illness Glastonbury, BA6 9DU beauty and love is the Goddess House, or are in fear. When acts of terror, great www.goddesstemple.co.uk a recently opened centre for healing, suffering, war and violence are profoundly wellbeing and Goddess awareness. In an current and trigger reactions and rebellion. amazingly short time, through the work of When fear, the opposite to love, is spun and s the wheel turns, and we journey love of many hands and hearts, a place of runs wild, it is so easy to get sucked into the deeper into the mysteries with splendour and potential has been birthed. re-active places of anger, dis-empowerment, each passing season, Beltane You can find the Goddess House on hopelessness and paranoia. always opens me to the experi- Magdalene Street. Do visit and gift your But it is precisely in days of fear and Aences of love and aliveness. I hear Rhiannon’s self a healing or wellness treatment, or join sadness that it becomes more radical and song in the voices of the dawn chorus and a group or event held there. necessary to listen and respond to Rhiannon in the evening vesper of blackbirds singing Our Goddess Temple here in Glastonbury as Goddess of Love as She asks us at all the winged beloved home to nest. I see is a beacon of Goddess Love in the world as times to place first and foremost in all our Her joyous dance of life in Her sky dancing well as the open temple space for everyone thought and actions what Love would do. swallows that return to our shores, invit- who chooses to come and be held by the This is not an easy task. Rather then giving ing us all to feel, to move, to celebrate and Love and presence of Goddess, to celebrate, in to inertia, overwhelm, hopelessness or express our love and gratitude for life’s gift. to be healed, to rest, to experience and reactivity to the pull of the patriarchal ways Since the Spring Equinox, Her fire honour Nolava of Love : Lady of Avalon of violence, I see it as part of the role and delicately colours the Earth, softening stark at Beltane and Goddess Rhiannon ; Lover lived commitment of people of the Goddess edges with a haze of purple promising Queen of the May. to choose to enhance, help build, support enlivening leaves that becomes the bright Regardless of what our life journey has and empower Love-in-Action. Keeping our liquid green our hungry eyes drink in after brought us, the Goddess of Love brings us heart open, feeling it all and choosing what months of winter grey. Feasting on colour, the possibility to surrender into the truth love would do in each moment. May we be the celebration of all the shades of life of Her Loving presence and to really ‘see’ the change we long for this Beltane, in this emerging triumphant out of the depths of the soul gift of love that this precious life is. now, and may Her Love radiate through us death and dreaming, the magic of Life seeks Ribboned maypole dances and leaping of for the greater good of all. for expression and dances. fires are the invitation to become conscious Katinka Soetens, Priestess of The Temple is once more dressed in red of how love is wanting to manifest through Rhiannon, Priestess of Avalon. Tutor, and ready for ceremony ; sacred marriage, us into the world. Priestess / Brotherhood of Rhiannon A Beltane Tale by Janet Bliss Sister of Avalon ay ran down the path that led into the woods. She was very angry ! It was her birthday tomorrow but everyone in her family was too Mbusy to give her a party, take her out somewhere special or even make her a nice lunch or tea. Her Dad would be out with the Hobby Horse and then up before dawn and not back until midnight. Her Mum and her older sister would be with the Morris sides, dancing their way around most of West Somerset. They would end up celebrating with Dad and the other “sailors” in the Old Ship Aground and walk home with Dad long after May was in bed and asleep. Tomorrow her Grandma and Granddad would be helping So off they set, at P shaking his silver branch to set the bells organise the children from the First School who would do the tinkling and May skipping down the path with him. At each tree he Maypole Dancing and they would have May’s younger brother stopped and did a little dance or sang a song and then touched the with them. Her other grandparents lived further away and were too tree’s trunk and listened. “That’s the birch awake, she’ll keep order, busy to come and see her on her birthday as they were going to a she may be slender but her branches carry a lot of authority oh yes, Jack in the Green party in the evening. just think of the schoolmaster’s rod” said Pat. “What rod” asked May May was even angrier once she’d thought of everything everyone “do you mean a cane ? They aren’t allowed to have those any more”. else would be doing on her birthday. Why did she have to be born Pat raised an eyebrow but carried on through the wood. on the 1st of May ? And why did she have to be called May ? What “Now this is a mighty oak we’ll need to wake him for he’ll be was she meant to do all day ? Why didn’t anyone care about her ? needed for the battle” said Pat. “What battle?” asked May “I don’t May slumped down with her back to a tree and wept. know about any battles tomorrow” “There’s always a battle on May It was the tinkling of the bells that caught her attention first and Day” said Pat. “We’ll look for his opponent soon”. she lifted her head and looked around. She couldn’t see anything “Oh good the Hawthorn is already awake just look at her so slumped back down. Tinkle, tinkle there it was again, little bells beautiful flowers. You’ll be able to come and pick plenty for your ringing. She tried to ignore them. Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle ! They were house tomorrow” “What are you talking about” exclaimed May, drawing nearer, and she could hear little footsteps too. The bells “don’t you know its really bad luck to bring them into the house”. Pat and the footsteps stopped in front of her, “Well and what have we frowned at her but carried on down the path. here ?” said a rich voice with a slightly unusual accent “What are “Oh no look at this poor holly, how is he to fight?” “Still they you weeping for on this fine May Eve ?” all have to be woken, perhaps he’ll keep out of the way and stay “Its none of your business but for your information I’m not weeping here with his lady” May couldn’t contain herself at that “I’m not a I just have sore eyes”, said May. Then she opened those sore eyes to child you know, I’ll be eleven tomorrow, and I know better than to see a little figure about three feet tall dressed in shades of green with a believe trees fighting and walking around in the woods.” jacket, breeches, long socks, boots and a cap. He had a red and white “Well, well well” he said, “Now when you told me about kerchief tied around his neck and carried a silver stick with bells tied your Dad and the Hobby Horse, your Mum and sister and the to it. “Oh my goodness” May exclaimed “What are you ?” Morris, your Gran and Granddad and the Maypole and your other “Well I’m not a what but a who thanks very much, I’m the herald Grandparents and Jack o’The Green, I really believed you must have of May” “The what”, said May “Why do I need a herald” “No not been taught about the old ways and the folk of the forests and the your herald” he said “I’m the herald of May” “Yes that’s me, I’m May” hollow hills.” He shook his head slowly “But I see now this is not so.” she said, “and perhaps I do need you after all”, she thought. “Now come and sit with me awhile for we have time a’plenty yet” He rocked back on his heels and threw back his head and roared So they sat on a fallen trunk and May reached into her pocket for a with laughter. After what seemed to May like a very long time he small bar of chocolate to share with Pat. stopped laughing and the bells stopped tinkling.