Earth Mother of Willendorf

* BELIEFS of THE TEMPLE * WOMEN'S SPIRITUALITY

Goddess of Laussel

Women’s Spirituality is the first religion of humanity, the underpinning of all forms of spirituality, and the root of all modern-day religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The archaelogical record indicates that the veneration of the Great Goddess began all over the world at least in the Paleolithic, if not much earlier—some thirty thousand years ago. Christianity, Judaism and Islam, along with all other modern day religions arose very recently by comparison… and as the story and symbology of these religions is peeled away, one finds the Goddess at their root. Patriarchy has ruled humanity for some six thousand years --- much to its detriment --- and now many are returning to the basic principles of “reverence for all life” found in Goddess Spirituality. Thousands of women are recalling their Ancient Priestess Queen Selves, and are returning to women-only circles to celebrate, to heal, and to remember truth. Without women’s spiritual leadership, men are lost. We see this in the state of the world today. Men want and need our female spiritual authority and power. Reclaiming it is to the benefit of all! Women’s/goddess spirituality includes many different ideas. As practiced by The GODDESS TEMPLE of Orange County, our thealogy (not a misspelling) and our philosophy is grounded in these timeless and eternal truths:

The religions of ancient peoples grounded in Goddess worship, honoring Mother Nature, Mother Earth and Her cycles...

The modern day Goddess movement and the teachings of metaphysics...
includes these concepts...

• There is One Divine Power of which each individual is an Essential Expression; this Energy can be directed with Our intentions, thoughts, prayers and actions to improve Our lives and to heal Our world.

• All forms of Energy directed by any individual are ultimately returned in some form to the sender.

• Each woman is free to do as She will, providing Her intent is wholesome, to Herself and to others.

• Every woman is Priestess of Her own life and can use Her Divinely-inspired intuition to guide Her. Divinity lives within all; every woman can access this Holy Spirit for Her own benefit; no intermediary is needed.

• Each woman already holds the entire body of knowledge of the Universe within; accessing this Infinite Knowledge requires releasing negative ego and accepting Oneness.

• Each woman is honored as Sister and Priestess to all other women, and Queen of Her Own Realm © (that for which she is 100% responsible); every phase of woman's life from child to elder is honored as essential to the balance of society and the well-being of humanity and the environment.

• Healthy diversity is celebrated: ethnic, racial, sexual, economic, social and appearance.

• The patriarchy (“rule of the father”/dominator model) under which humanity now lives is inexorably giving way to the eternal Goddess principles of reverence for life, wholeness, the interconnectedness and oneness of all living beings (and everything is alive!), justice, mercy, peace, sharing, harmony, love and the consideration of the good of all.

• Goddess births all in the multiverse that is Seen and Unseen. Women are welcome to refer to the Divine by any name with which they are comfortable. In prayers led by Temple Priestesses, the Divine is generally referred to in the female form: Great Mother, Goddess, She of Ten Thousand Names, and sometimes a gender neutral form such as Eternal Power, The Mystery, Ground of Being or Great Spirit.