Daughters of the Goddess Womyn’s Temple
Aloha Moon News
January 23, 2012 New Moon in Aquarius
Hawaiian Moon Phase: Hilo
The moon is so full of mysteries, stories, and magick. From a western perspective, the new Moon is the dark Moon, the moon that we cannot see once every Moon cycle. From a Hawaiian perspective the new Moon is the Hilo Moon, the first observable tiny crescent Moon in the Moon cycle. Hilo means a small streak of light, as well as navigator (both the proper name of the famous Hawaiian navigator and the occupation of navigator). It also means twisted and braided. Thus, the Hilo Moon is the first visible Moon of the Lunar cycle and is the navigator for all of the Moons that follow. The Hilo Moon guides us and shows us the way.
Hawaiian Word of the January Hilo Moon: Kahiau
Meaning: To give generously or lavishly with the heart and not with the expectation of return.
Aloha Goddess Womyn,
How precious are these cool winter days; full of contemplation, calm, and warmth. The Hilo Moon, our bright, beautiful and braided navigator speaks from the heart. As we sit at the fire with Her, She talks story, teaching us about kahiau. She sees some of us struggle with this concept, while others sink into it comfortably. To those of us who struggle, She firmly requests that we contemplate our resistance. What is it that stops us from being able to give generously without the expectation of reciprocity? To those of us who are eager to embrace kahiau, She asks us to be mindful that kahiau is different than the codependent Western model of giving as martyr and without self-care. Hilo, our navigator, takes our hands into Hers, and She prays with us. She begins by breathing deeply, a sound that comforts each of us at the fire. Her words are deliberate and slow. She smiles, eyes closed. “Our Dear Mother, bless this womyn, your daughter; that she will be graced with a path that allows her to give generously and without the expectation of return while simultaneously receiving the same precious gifts from those in Her community with the same intention.” As Hilo prays with each Sister, the warmth of Her smooth, soft hands comforts the hands that She holds. The navigator opens our hearts and shows us the way.
Happy Birthday Wishes to our Aquarian Sisters!
Upcoming Open Rituals
Please join us in sacred space as we honor the Goddess and transform our lives!
These rituals are open to all Womyn.
Thursday, February 2. Daughters of the Goddess Annual Temple Dedication Ceremony. Celebrate Bridgid, Laka, and Artemis.
Thursday, March 8. Celebrate Roman Goddess Fortuna of Luck and Fortune.
Monday, March 19. Celebrate Spring Equinox and Goddess Estara.
Monday, April 9. Celebrate Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Household Crafts.
Witch School ~ Transforming Our Lives!
Still celebrating the Initiation of five new witches earlier this month, Daughters of the Goddess will begin teaching a new Witch School class in February! It is so beautiful to witness the blossoming of womyn as they embark on this journey into living a life ripe with Womyn’s Mysteries. Witch School meets one Sunday per month for a year, culminating in the students’ Initiation as Dianic Witches. Some of the focuses of this year and a day of study include, self-empowerment, creation and strengthening of a personal daily practice, spell work and candle magick, the creation of altars and sacred space, and much, much more! Come and be among the sixth class of ou’ole/fearless, courageous Witches!
Hawai’i Walking in Paradise Retreat
Daughters of the Goddess will be embarking on our second Temple Pilgrimage to O’ahu from Saturday, April 28 to Thursday, May 3, 2012! How precious it will be to set foot on this sacred island with Leilani and to visit Queen Liliuokalani’s Palace, the Lei Day Hula Festival, the North Shore of the Island, precious birthing stones and to work in the Taro fields! The price for the retreat is $1300 due in full by March 5, 2012, with a non-refundable deposit of $400 due currently. The price of the retreat includes lodging and 2 meals per day. The Pilgrimage will be limited to 13 womyn! We look forward to enjoying this time and space with you! Aloha!
Delicious and Fiery Beltane
Please save the date! We will be celebrating Beltane on Saturday, May 12 in Alameda! The event will last from 4:30-10:00, with the ritual beginning at 6 p.m. Come early and enjoy the offerings of delightful craftswomyn in the vendor area!
Open Kokua Meeting of this Series
Kokua means “Helping Hands”; the hands that work together to make the mission and visions of the Temple manifest. Though it seems like Daughters of the Goddess rituals and events just magically appear, there are actually countless hours of care, planning, and effort that go into our work! Kokua Sisters meet once a month to plan and discuss Temple work and events. Once per ritual series, we hold an open Kokua meeting during which we invite all of the womyn of our community to attend. If you are interested in seeing how the Temple runs, our leadership structure, how we share tasks, etc. the open meeting is a wonderful opportunity for learning. Our open meeting for this series will be on Thursday, March 15 from 7:00-10:30 in Concord. If you would like to find out more about Kokua, you can click on the “Kokua” link from the Daughters of the Goddess website. Please note that attending the open Kokua meeting does not in any way obligate you to join Kokua, although we always appreciate more helping hands!
Daughters of the Goddess Newsletter
The Daughters of the Goddess Newsletter contains a letter from Leilani and our ritual schedule for the coming series. It is published and mailed via regular U.S. mail twice per year in September and March on the Equinoxes. The newsletter is also posted on the DG website! If you are not on our mailing list and would like to receive our Spring newsletter, please contact us and we will see to it that you are added! Also, if you are receiving the Newsletter through the U.S. mail and would prefer that we e-mail it to you, we can certainly make that change!
Offerings from our Priestesses:
Readings and Consultations
High Priestess Leilani is available for private readings and consultations. If you feel that you would like to supplement your ritual experience with more insight, a reading with Leilani is highly recommended. Please contact her at Leilani@DaughtersoftheGoddess.com
Website Design
Temple Priestess Patrice, in partnership with Daughters of the Goddess, is now offering website creation and maintenance services, specializing in Spiritual sites. If you are interested in having your own website, or have one that you need maintained or updated, please contact Patrice@DaughtersoftheGoddess.com for more information.
Praise and Thanks to our Kupuna/Elders, Source, Tradition
We would like to offer praise and thanks to Mary Kawena Pukui for the Hawaiian Dictionary, to the Hawaiian Civic Club for their production of the Ancient Hawaiian Moon Calendar, and to various websites on the Internet including InstantHawaii.com for their Hawaiian lunar information page and www.wpcouncil.org for their information on Hawaiian Moon phases, culture and the connection between the aina and the people. Together these resources allow us to learn and better understand ancient Hawaiian traditions. May the information flow like water into the hearts of every human being.
In Closing
May the Hilo/Waxing Crescent/Hawaiian New Moon/Navigator bless you with calm and certainty in the coming months!
May you bless others and be blessed by kahiau/giving generously or lavishly from the heart and without the expectation of return!
We look forward to seeing you in circle!
Blessed Be!
For more information about anything that you have read here, please contact us!
Daughters of the Goddess
928-787-9247
3527 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, #353
Lafayette, CA 94549
A Dianic, Womyn-only Goddess Temple dedicated in the Spirit of Aloha to the preservation, perpetuation, and promotion of Goddess culture, public ceremony, ritual, and Womyn’s Mysteries.
If you would like to print out a copy of this Aloha Moon News please click here for a pdf.
