The Ways of The Goddess: May 2010

Monday, May 3, 2010

Ritual Structure

With Ritual, we create ceremony. Both ritual and ceremony are used to mark an occasion, rite of passage, transition, or event. It can be used to mark an ending or beginning, to ask for blessings or to release something from our lives. A great way to honor the goddess is to hold ceremonies during the new or full moon to offer her thanks, asked for blessings for one’s self or another, and to use intention to release and clear your space. Here is a basic structure you can use. Be creative and change it to fit your needs.

( )Purification -
clear yourselves and the space with sage or incense

( )Casting the Circle –
Psychically and with sound, intend on a circle of white light protecting you and the entire space

( )Invoking the Directions, Elements, and Earth Mother -
Ask them to be present in your circle

( )Drawing Down the Full Moon –
This can be done of full moon nights. Ask the energy of the moon to fill your circle.

( )The Charge of the Goddess –
Ask the Great Mother to keep you divinely protected and guided throughout the ritual and always.

( )Invocation / Purpose of Ritual –
What do you want to accomplish?

( )Raising The Energy and Power –
This can be done with drumming, dance, singing, chanting, etc.

( )Meditation

( )Body of the Ritual

( )Self- Blessings –
Ask the Great mother to bless your health, body, spirit, life, work, etc

( )Grounding (after) –
Breathe deeply. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Intend on being present in your body.

( )Opening the Circle & Giving Thanks to all involved –
Thank the earth, the directions, elements, any spirit guides you might have invited, and thank the Great Mother

( )Endings with Hugs, food, drink, dance, and celebration

Positive Affirmation to Honor The Goddess

Positive Affirmation to Honor & Welcome in The Goddess

The Goddess is my source.
The Goddess is my foundation
The Goddess is my center
The Goddess is my life
The Goddess wants me to be happy
The Goddess loves me
The Goddess gives me power
I am grounded n the Goddess's goodness
I find safety in The Goddess
I am the light of The Goddess
I am the perfection of The Goddess
I am the truth of The Goddess
I am blessed by The Goddess
I live and laugh within The Goddess
I am lead on a clear and perfect path by The Goddess
I trust fully in the Goddess
The Goddess is all there is

Lunar Cycles for Healing, Ritual, & Ceremony

The moon is ruled by the Goddess. By honoring, acknowledging, and flowing with the lunar cycles, you naturally align with the great cosmic cycles. You begin to reclaim your natural rhthym.
We lose our natural rthythm due to the over-stimulation, fear, busyness, artifical lighting, and excessive negativity in our society. Here are some basic insights to begin:

New moon:
Time for divination, solitude, self-reflection, comtemplation, and internal work. Preparation for blessings in your life.
Ruled by the Crone goddess and the Night
Season: Winter

Waxing moon:
Time for spells of invitation, growth, new projects, increase of power, money, and fertility.
Ruled by Maiden Goddess and the morning
Season: Spring

Full moon:
Time for maximum power, coven work, sacred sexual union, earth magic, healing, empowerment, and workings of culmination.
Ruled by Mother Goddess and the Mid-day.
Season: Summer

Waning Moon:
Time for discovering inner secrets and performing cleansing spells of banishing, binding, or decrease.
Ruled by the Matriarch and the afternoon.
Season: Autumn

GODDESS MYTHOLOGY

Most of humankind has moved far from Goddess Worship. Many of us in the present day are reclaiming “She” in our personal lives. You can never redo the past, we are not meant to, but we always need to go back and embrace that which still serves us well. Goddess worship is that force that we must keep and cherish to heal and flourish again.

When the Patriarchy (western civilization) destroyed and distorted the earth plane, feminine archetypes, woman’s sexuality and nature, they also tainted her mythology. Most of the mythology available is incorrect. Many stories were changed to depict how Men gave birth to civilization through masturbation and violent mutilation. Also, there is an over emphasis on European myths and neglect of others.

All things are born from a woman.

The Goddess has always ruled love, beauty, shamanism, midwifery, belly dancing, herbology, crystals, tantric sexuality, nurturance, creativity, expansion, holistic wellness & being, the great cycles, menstrual blood, sacred darkness, the Earth, protection, the waters, grain and wine, and milk.

We need more books and informational sources dedicated to Goddess Mythology from all over the world.

Goddesses of Egypt------------------------------------
Hathor: The Celestial Cow, Lady of the Universe
Isis: The Great Mother
Maat: Truth, balance, Divine Harmony, Justice
Mut: Vulture, Rebirth
Neith: The Hunteress
Nephthys: The Friend of The Dead
Nut: The Sky Goddess
Tawaret: Pregnancy, Birth
Tefnut: Dew, Moon
Wadjet: The Cobra Goddess, Wisdom

Goddesses of Mesopotamia, Persia, & Canaan------------------------
Ishtar: Love, Death, Birth, Grain
Astarte: Great Mother

Aztec and Maya Goddesses------------------------------------
Chalchihuitlicue: Waters
Cihuacoatll: Earth Mother & Divine Midwife
Coyolxauhqui: Moon
Ix Chel: Lady Rainbow, Moon, Serpent
Tlazolteotl: Lady of the Witches

Greek and Roman Goddess----------------------------------
Aprodite/Venus: Love
Artemis/Diana: Virgin Huntress
Athena/Minerva: Goddess of Wisdom
Circe: The Sorceress
Demeter/ Ceres: The Goddess of Corn
Fortuna: Fertility Goddess
The Furies:
Gaia: Mother Earth
The Graces/The Charities: Fertility
Hecate: Magic, Underworld
Hera/Juno: Sacred Union & Marriage
Hestia/Vesta: Health
Muses: Inspiration
Persephone: Dead, Underworld
Rhea: The Great mother
Senua:

Celtic Goddesses-------------------------------------------------
Brigid: The Wise Woman
Ceridwen: Mother of Prophecy and Divine Knowledge
Danu: Waters of Heaven, Fertility
Epona: The Divine Horse, Bringers of the Dreams
The Morrigan: The Great “Phantom” Queen

Native American & South American Goddesses---------------------------
Changing Woman: Mother of Humankind
Quilla: Moon Goddess, Childbirth
White Buffalo Women: Great Mother
Cherokee Sun: Fertility

Norse Goddesses-----------------------------------------------
Freja: Love, Death
Frigg: Queen, Earth Mother, Love, Marriage
Hel: Underworld, Dead
Idun: Eternal Youth & Spring
Sif: Thunder

Indian Goddesses--------------------------------------------
Durga: Warrior Goddess
Kali: Creator, Preserver, Destruction
Lakshmi: fertility, abundance
Mahadevi: The Supreme Goddess
Parvati: Beauty
Radha: sacred Union
Saravasti: Water
Sati: Wife and lover
Usas: Cow Goddess

Chinese Goddesses-------------------------------------------
Kuan Yin: Compassion, love, Buddhahood

Japanese Goddesses-----------------------------------------------
Amaterasu: Sun Goddesses
Izanami: Mother of the Gods

Oceania Goddesses--------------------------------------------------
Papa: Earth Mother
Wawilak Sisters: Female ancestral spirits, Dreamtime

African and Carribean Goddesses------------------------------------------
Eleggua: Opener of the Path, gateway
Eruzulie: Beauty, love, Grace, luxury
Inkosikazi Yezulu: The Goddess of Maidens
La Sirene: Mermaids
Orunmila: Wisdom, Divination
Oshun: Divinity of the Waters
Oya: Weather, Ruler of the Dead
Yemaya: Seas, Maternal Love

Goddess Archetypes

The information for this page was retrieved from the book “Circle of life” by Elizabeth Davis and Carol Leonard. It is a great book on thirteen primary Goddess archetypes that are present in every women’s life cycle. Reminder, these phases can occur at any age or stage of life, depending on the person. Some of these archetypes we may not have honored fully in our lives at the time they manifested and we may choose to cultivate them more now.

Daughter
February 1
Qualities: Youth, Beauty, Virginity, purity,
one-on-one relationship with her essence

Maiden
March 20-22 (Spring Equinox)
Qualities: Balance, Menarche, Budding sexuality, beholden to no other

Blood Sister
Qualities: Strong companionships with other women, boldness, self-expression, menses

Lover
May 1
Qualities: fertility rites, love, intimate partnerships, sacred marriage, creativity

Mother
June 20-22 (Summer Solstice)
Qualities: Childbirth, creative projects, surrendering, control, warmth, nurturing of others

Midwife
Qualities: teacher, facilitator, assists others with personal transformation not only in birth but in life as a whole, healer, shamaness, witch

Amazon
August 1
Qualities: Self-directed, warriorship, courageous, strong, independent

Matriarch
September 20-22 (Fall Equinox)
Qualities: Director of her family, head of her clan, Grandmother, authority, security, calm, emotional strength, menopause

Priestess
Qualities: Joyous student of the Great Mystery & Mother Goddess, handmaiden, honest, self-healing

Sorceress
November 1 (Samhain, Day of the Dead)
Quallities: Madwoman, alchemist, wielder of power, Understands herself, facing your deepest fears

Crone
December 20-22 (Winter Solstice)
Qualities: comes to terms with herself, peaceful, wisdom, clarity, storyteller, preparing for her death

Dark Mother
Qualities: Impending and Actual death, takes her own private journey into the unknown, release, honored, reaper, relinquish old out-dated beliefs

Transformer
Qualities: the center of life, the Great Cosmic Womb, The great void, darkness, cauldron, the place where all is potential and possible, our refuge, our opportunity to rest and regroup, may appear elusive

Goddess Altarwork

An altar is a sacred space you create in your home, office, and wherever see fit. It is a space that you commune with when you desire to get more in touch with the Goddess and Great divine. At the altar, you may wish to pray, meditate, chant, etc. Your altar is a reflection of your devotion to the Goddess, so take care of it.

It can be simple or complex, large or small, create it with love and things that move you as a spirit. These are some suggestion of what you can use to create your altar:

a.Pictures (of yourself, family, Goddesses, etc.)
b.symbols, talismans, jewels
c.feathers (for air)
d.crystals (for earth)
e.incense holder or burner
f.candles (for fire)
g.glass of water (to be replaced daily)
h.flowers
i.bells
j.money (to encourage abundance)
k.Goddess Figurines
l.Ceremonial bowl

Goals of a Goddess Priestess

To become and be a Goddess Priestess requires action. It is not just something you can say. You must live and breathe it. You must dedicate your life, your life’s work, and your being to further understanding, appreciating, assisting, honoring, and knowing the Great Mother Goddess. Here are some ways to grow more into becoming Goddess handmaidens:

I. Know Yourself
II. Know Your Craft (Goddess Worship & Spirituality)
III. Learn
IV. Receive healing work (to become healthier & clearer)
V. Apply Knowledge with Wisdom
VI. Achieve balance
VII. Keep your words in good order
VIII. Keep your thoughts in good order
IX. Celebrate Life
X. Attune with the Great Cycles of the Earth & Cosmos
XI. Breathe and Eat correctly
XII. Exercise the Body
XIII. Meditate (to best align with spirit and your higher self)
XIV. Honor the Great Mother Goddess

Earth Holy Days (Pagan Sabbats)

These are the mark of the seasons that have been used to honor the Great mother and Earth for much of human existence. Seasonal worship was not only common to Europe but to Africa, Asia, Native Americans, South Americans, and Aboriginals. I state this because our western culture has much racism and tends to make herstory and history more Eurocentric.

Many ancestors from all the ancient civilizations (Egyptian, Incan, Mayan, Sumerian, etc) understood the great cycles of the Goddess & the Earth and her key periods of power and release.

February 2
Festival of Renewal. The time of Initiation.
Time to dedicate and re-dedicate your life to the Goddess. Can be celebrated with binding ceremonies.
first signs of spring and new life.

March 20-22
Spring Equinox
Ruled by The maiden and the number 3.
Time of fire and fertility festival. Balance between our feminine and masculine energies, light and dark, and our spiritual and physical lives.

May 1
Festival of Expectation
Time of the lovers, honoring sacred sexual union, and fertility rites. Beginning of the light part of the year.

June 20-22
Summer Solstice
Ruled by the Mother and the number 6. This is the time of greatly energizing our creative projects and works. The time of abundance and wholeness. Nurturing ourselves and others.

August 1
Festival of Reminder
Ruled by the Amazon and female warrior. Time of the first fruits of the harvest.

September 20-22
Autumn equinox
Ruled by the Matriarch.
Time of the festival of thanksgiving and the main harvest. The bountiful mother.

October 31/ November 1
Festival of Remembrance
Time of rebirthing the self. Honoring of death, the ancestors and the sacred darkness. The veil between the worlds are at their thinnest. Beginning of the dark part of the year. Significant time for divination and sorcery.

December 20-22
Winter Solstice
Ruled by The Crone and the number 9.
Beginning of winter. Time of self-reflection, clearing, and solitude. Rebirth of the sun god by The Great Mother.

Divine Names of the Goddess

The Great Mother has many names and many forms. She is in our cells, our breathe, the earth, the winds, the night, the great void and she gives birth to all things. Here are some names of her names from our ancient civilizations & ancestors:

The Great Mother Goddess
Mother Goddess
The Great Provider
Mother of Every God and Goddess
Primeval Great Goddess
The Divine Feminine
Queen of Heaven and Earth
Goddess of Water, Blood, and Milk
Lady birth Hut
Earth Mother
The One with Many names
Goddess of the Grain
Universal Mother
The Great Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer
The Great womb
The Prime Creator
Goddess of Birth, Life, Death, and Rebirth
The House
The Great Mystery
Mistress of the Wild Beasts
The All-Begetting Mother
The Lady of the Mountain
Tree of Life
Mother Nature
Lady of the Uterus
The Golden One
The Beautiful One
Lotus Goddess
The Initiator
The Great Protectress
The Fertility Goddess
The Lady of the Trees

Dedications to the Goddess

The Goddess loves all of her creations. She does not ask us to honor her because we are given free will. But if you choose to pay homage to the Great Mystery & the Great Womb to offer thanks and reverence, you can honor her in many ways. Here are a few:

1.Your Time of Celibacy
2.Your dancing
3.Your music
4.Your singing
5.Food and Drink
6.Rituals and Ceremonies
7.Your Life’s Work
8.Sacred Sexual Union
9.Your time of Silence
10.Blood Libations (Menstral Blood)
11.Your Newborn’s Life (place them under her Protection)
12.Prayers
13.Chanting
14.Tiths (aka tidings, karma yoga, volunteer work, etc)
15.Your sexuality
16.Your Artistry
17.Your writing and poetry

Recommended Books on The Goddess & Her Craft

The Goddess has power over all things. From the ancient times, she and women have always been the first to cultivate our studies over many aspects of lives like healing, astronomy, childbirth, and agriculture.

The Goddess has always ruled love, beauty, shamanism, midwifery, belly dancing, herbology, crystals, tantric sexuality, nurturance, creativity, expansion, wholistic wellness & being, the great cycles, menstrual blood, sacred darkness, the Earth, protection, the waters, grain and wine, and milk.

Astrology--------------
Astrology for the Soul by Jan Spiller
Spiritual Astrology by Jan Spiller

Belly dancing---------------
Belly Dancing: The Sensual Art by Coluccia, Paffrath, & Putz

Crystals-----------------------
Crystal Awareness by Catherine Bowman
Love is in The Earth by Melody
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

Chakra Healing-------------------------
The Book Of Chakra Healing by Liz Simpson
Chakras for Beginners by David Pond

Doula & Midwifery----------------------------------------
Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide by Elizabeth Davis
Childbirth without Fear by Grantly Read
The Thinking Women’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
Bestfeeding by Susan Arms
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Birthing from Within by Pam England
Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League Int'l.
Unassisted Birth by Lynn Griesemer
Wise Woman for Childbearing Years by Susan Weed
The Doula Book by Marshall Klaus
Birth Without Violence by Fredrick Leboyer

Healing work--------------------------------------------
Soul Love: Awakening your Heart by Sonaya Roman
The Mayan Oracle By Spilsbury & Bryner
Awareness Through Movement By Moshe Feldenkrais
Woman Who Glows in the Dark By Elena Avila
Hands of Light By Barbara Brennan
Essential Reiki By Diane Stein
The Goddess Tarot By Kris Waldherr
The Women's Book of Healing By Diane Stein
You Can Heal your life By Louise May
Craniosacral Therapy By John E. Upledger
The Pleiadian Workbook By Amorah Quan Yin

Herbs---------------------------------------------------------
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs By Scott Cunningham
Wise Women Herbal By Susan Weed
Common Herbs for Natural Health By Juliette Levy

Herstory-----------------------------------------------
Woman’s Sexual Passages by Elizabeth Davis
When The Drummers were Women By Layne Redmond
Witches, Midwives, and Nurses By Barbara Ehrenreich
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene By Jean-Yves Leloup
The language of The Goddess By Marija Gimbutas
Blood, Bread, and Roses By Judy Grahn
The Chalice and The Blade By Riane Eisler
Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves By Sarah Pomeroy
365 Goddess By Patricia Telesco
The Woman With the Alabaster Jar by Margaret Starbird
Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile by Margaret Starbird
14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine by Margaret Starbird
The Feminine Face of Christianity by Margaret Starbird
Magdalene's Lost Legacy by Margaret Starbird
The Goddess in the Gospels by Margaret Starbird

Money & Abundance--------------------------------------------------
The Soul of Money By Lynne Twist
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind BY T. Harv Eker
Creating Affluence By Deepak Chopra
Rich Dad, Poor Dad By Robert Kiyosaki
Your Money or Your Life By Robin, Vicki, & Joe Dominguez
The ABC’s of Getting out of Debt By Garrett Sutton
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
Money and The Law of Attraction by Esther Hicks

Mythology---------------------------------------------------
Myths of the Female Divine Goddess by Leeming & Page
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
The Mist of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Women Who Run with the Wolves By Clarissa P. Estees
The Double Goddess By Vicki Noble
The Great Cosmic Mother By Monica Sjoo & Barbara Mor
When God was a Woman By Merlin Stone
Goddess: Myths of the Feminine Divine By David Leeming
The Once and Future Goddess By Elinor Gadon
Dark Mother: African Origins By Lucia Birnbaum

Shamanism---------------------------------------------------
The Last Ghost dance by Brooke Medicine Eagle
Of Water and Spirit by Malidome Patrice Some
The Wind is my Mother by Bearheart
The Way of The Shaman by Michael Harner
Rainbow Medicine by Wolf Moondance
Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan

Tanric sexuality-------------------------------------------------
Tantra, Spiritual, and Sex By Osho
Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving By Catherine Muir
The Kama Sutra

Wicca--------------------------------------------------
The Spiral Dance By Starhawk
The Goddess Celebrates By Diane Stein
Positive Magic By Marion Weinstein
The Path of the Priestess By Sharon Rose
Drawing Down the Moon By Margot Adler
The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries By Z Budapest
The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets By Barbara Walker

The Blood Mysteries

Womens menstrual blood has always been revered as holy and sacred. We need to remember this and come back to this ancient truth. Menstrual blood is a divine elixir that can be used for many purposes. Women must begin again to honor themselves, their bodies, their wombs, their blood time, and their sexuality. We set the standards in society and we always have (Example, If we allow abuse in our lives, the world will treat us accordingly). We must raise our standards and vibrations, as women, if we truly want change for ourselves, our families, and our planet.

What are the “blood mysteries”?
There are books that go into this (like "Earth" by Barbara Marciniak) but I can give you the basics. The blood mysteries are mysteries that connect and bond womens’s lives to the Great Goddess from their menarche, to their menses, through childbirth, and then to menopause. With each of theses great transitions, the spirit of the women is transformed, expanded, and initiated into divine wisdom & knowing.

What are some of the other names for our “menses blood and period”?
Moon Blood, Magic Blood, Sacred Blood, Wise Blood, Holy Menses, Blood Time,
Blood Bonding

How to honor your bloodtime more?
1. Create prayers focused on your bloodtime and read it each day
2. speak kindly of your menses and welcome it every month
3. speak openly to those you love about your blood time
4. join a women's group and talk about your menses
5. speak to your lover openly about your bloodtime
6. create pictures with your blood
7. mark your body with your blood
8. write a thank you letter to your body and womb

How can you nurture yourself more during your menses?
1. eat more red foods
2. use more red spices like chayenne and chili
3. take hot showers and bathes
4. put hot water bottles on your womb
5. drink hot teas and beverages

Various ways to use your sacred blood to honor the Goddess
1.water your plants, gardens, trees relatives, etc.
2.pouring libations to the earth & ancestors
3.marking your body for blessings
4.marking your home and space for protection
5.going into nature with other women and bleeding into the earth
6.drink it as an elixir and sacred communion

Contact Information

Thanks to all our visitors, fans, students and clients!!!!!
Thank you for visiting my site and business

I have a healing practice & Goddess Mystery School

You can reach me by email at TheGoddessAsLove@hotmail.com

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Bright Blessings!!!!!!!