6/27/2012

In the news: Turkish museum to feature Mother Goddess art



Quote from article: "Thousands of years ago, the world’s most famous scientists and artists created unforgettable works; sculptor Praxiteles’ world famous naked Aphrodite sculpture, astronomy scientist and mathematician Eudoxos’ sundial are some of them. We serve in the academy with our sculpture, ceramics and glass workshops. By organizing sculpture symposiums, we want to open Turkey’s first mother goddesses museum. . .”




(photo copyright Doğan News Agency)

6/26/2012

The Goddess Ibu Pertiwi


Ibu Pertiwi means "Mother Earth" and is honored as the motherland of Indonesia.  She is highlighted in many of the country's poetry and songs, including in these lyrics, often sung by children:

1st verse:
I see Mother Pertiwi,
She is in sorrow.
Your tears is flowing
Remembering your lost gold and diamonds.
Jungles, mountains, paddy fields, and the seas
Storing the richness.
Now mother is sad,
Sighing and praying


2nd verse:
I see Mother Pertiwi,
We come to serve you.
Behold your sons and daughters
Will make mother happy.
Mother, we still love you
Your faithful ones,
guarding the heirloom
For homeland and nation.



(Photo of statue at the Jakarta National Monument, by Gunkarta. Composer of song unknown.)

In Her Name ~ Temple of Learning

6/20/2012

Happy Summer Solstice!



In the ancient Baltic traditions, the Sun Goddess Saule ruled the heavens, riding across the sky in her golden and silver chariot, pulled by twin stallions. (sons of the Sky Father, Dievas)

"Saule, with her two gold horses,
Rides up the stone mountain
Never heated, never weary.
Never resting on the way."

Her festival was held on the Summer Solstice - bonfires were lit, blessings were asked, flower wreaths signifying the sun were made, and a special meal was shared.  Celebrants would stay up the entire night before so not to miss her rising.

"The Sun dances over the silver mountain
Silver shoes she hath on her feet. . ."


(Quotes from the "Encyclopaedia of Religion & Ethics", Ed. J. Hastings. Symbol of Saule on display in the National Lithuanian Museum.)

6/14/2012

Home-study - Enrollment Deadline



 Just a reminder that our next enrollment date is July 1st, and applications need to be in by June 20th. We currently have openings for full student memberships and one partial scholarship. (There is a waiting list for our full scholarships right now.) For more information on our home-study courses in the Goddess mysteries and Priestess training, please see this section of our site:

6/12/2012

Artio, the Bear Goddess


The Bear Goddess Artio.  This bronze statue was found in Bern, Switzerland and portrays her with a diadem, seated on a (missing) throne with a patera and fruit.  Artos means "bear" in the Gaulish language. 


(photo, Historical Museum of Bern)

More information on Goddesses and their corresponding animals may be found on our site:  In Her Name

6/04/2012

Hymn to Venus


Hymn to Venus:
Heavenly, illustrious, laughter-loving queen,
Sea-born, night-loving, of an awful mien;
Crafty, from whom necessity first came,
Producing, nightly, all-connecting dame:
'Tis thine the world with harmony to join,
For all things spring from thee, O power divine.
The triple Fates are ruled by thy decree,
And all productions yield alike to thee:
Whatever the heavens, encircling all contain,
Earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main,
Thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod,
Awful attendant of the brumal God:
Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight,
Mother of Loves, whom banquetings delight;
Source of persuasion, secret, favoring queen,
Illustrious born, apparent and unseen:
Spousal, lupercal, and to men inclined,
Prolific, most-desired, life-giving, kind:
Great sceptre-bearer of the Gods, 'tis thine,
Mortals in necessary bands to join;
And every tribe of savage monsters dire
In magic chains to bind, through mad desire.
Come, Cyprus-born, and to my prayer incline,
Whether exalted in the heavens you shine,
Or pleased in Syria's temple to preside,
Or over the Egyptian plains thy car to guide,
Fashioned of gold; and near its sacred flood,
Fertile and famed to fix thy blest abode;
Or if rejoicing in the azure shores,
Near where the sea with foaming billows roars,
The circling choirs of mortals, thy delight,
Or beauteous nymphs, with eyes cerulean bright,
Pleased by the dusty banks renowned of old,
To drive thy rapid, two-yoked car of gold;
Or if in Cyprus with thy mother fair,
Where married females praise thee every year,
And beauteous virgins in the chorus join,
Adonis pure to sing and thee divine;
Come, all-attractive to my prayer inclined,
For thee, I call, with holy, reverent mind.



(Orphic Hymn, translation by Thomas Taylor. Photo of Venus and the Seven Sisters, NASA.)

Read more Devotions to Venus here:  In Her Name

6/03/2012

Blessings of the Lunar Eclipse


In the mythology of the indigenous Pomo people of Northern California, a Bear wanders along the Milky Way until he meets up with the Sun.  Neither wishing to give way to the other, a fight ensues, which the Bear wins, resulting in an eclipse of the Sun.  The Bear continues on his journey and soon his path crosses with the sister of the Sun, who is the Moon.  The bear argues with her as well, resulting in a Lunar eclipse.  And that is how the cycle repeats each time.

May we learn to give way to that which needs to be eclipsed in our own lives!


(Photo of lunar eclipse by NASA.)