Encountering the Dark Goddess

The Dark Goddess is often associated with the Jungian “Shadow self”, an archetype that represents the neglected side of our nature that can drag us down into a pit of despair.  In his book, Shadow Dance: Liberating the Power and Creativity of Your Dark Side, David Richo describes the shadow as "that part of us that is incompatible with who we think we are or are supposed to be. It is the realm beyond our limits, the place where we are more than we seem".  He further states that it is "ironically humorous because the opposite of our self-image proves to be true in spite of all our tricky attempts not to believe or display it."

Offerings for the New Year

Already a number of events are being organised for 2017.

YEMAYA BLESSING OF THE WATERS
(12 January 2017 – 8.00pm)
This annual beach side rite is held in honour of Yemaya around the first full moon of each new calendar year.
We meet on the grassed area outside the Grange Hotel at Grange Beach around 8.00pm (look for the purple banner) to head down to the shore in honour of Yemaya, the Queen of the Rivers and Oceans. Rite to commence around 8:30pm.

In this informal rite, we ask for Yemaya’s blessings of all the world’s waterways, sea creatures, and all other beings that fall under Her protection.

Please bring an offering to Yemaya (flower, crystal, stone etc) that will be thrown into the ocean. Participants will also be invited to share in a libation of watermelon (Yemaya’s favourite food).

Psychic Development Course starting soon

Starting Wednesday, 7th September for initially four weeks until 28th September with the possibility of evolving into a regular group, "Sacred Journeying", a course in exploring the psychic centres, will be taking place.

Psychic (sometimes also referred to as "intuitive") development is learning to open yourself up to your guides, the higher Universal energy or even listening to your higher self (or subconscious) and listening to these often subtle messages that come through. In essence we are ALL psychic or at least have the ability - it is just that we have closed off this ability for various reasons.

Melbourne Workshops over ANZAC Day Long Weekend

I am delighted to announce that I will be presenting two workshops over the ANZAC Day long weekend for Muses of Mystery.  These workshops are Celtic Queens and Warrior Goddesses (to be held on Saturday, 23 April 2016), and Encountering the Dark Goddess (to be held on Sunday, 24 April 2016).  There will also be a ritual held Saturday night.

 

The Many Sacred Woods

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.

Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity,

and some scarce see Nature at all.

But to the eyes of the man of imagination,

Nature is Imagination itself.

 

(“The Letters” William Blake, 1799)

Within contemporary Paganism many sacred trees can be found.  Within Wicca, for examples, there are nine such sacred trees mentioned in the “Rede of the Wiccae”[1] whose wood is deemed appropriate for burning in ritual fires.  These trees are:

Registrations are open for the 2016 "The Wytch's Circle"

The Wytch's Circle is a six part intensive course on ritual, magick and the Craft that will commence around the new moon in April 2016 (Thursday, 7 April 2016) at the Temple of the Dark Moon's covenstead in Parafield Gardens (Adelaide).

Specifically designed for those who have some knowledge of the magickal arts and who would like to put this knowledge into practice, as well as those who are seeking to gain a more solid foundation upon which to base their own magickal practice.

 

Beginners to ritual magick are welcome to attend however the design of this course is that it is not only a 101 course.

 

Submission Call: Bibliotheca Alexandrina devotional to the Dark Gods

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, whose devotional anthologies I have contributed to in the past, are in the process of calling for submissions with respect to an upcoming anthology dedicated to the Dark Gods.  Deities that fall within this category include Hecate, Kali, Loki, Set, Lilith, Ereshkigal, Hel, and Hades, amongst others. Even benevolent deities such as Apollo, Freyja, Isis, and Brigid all have their shadow sides.

 

Dark is often associated with things like death, war, destruction, and violent change. But dark does not equal evil, even if the ways of the dark ones are often sombre, mysterious, and even frightening.

 

Bibliotheca Alexandrina are seeking stories and poems of the Dark Gods and Goddesses of any pantheon or religion.  Make these deities accessible, turn the old stories on their heads, or show the Dark Ones in all their glory (but in a way that makes them more than just a villain or nemesis for some other deity).