Priestess Practicum: Goddess of Love
The primary issues we will be working in the Goddess of Love moon are the true nature of unconditional love , and thus its shadow of comparison and its attenuating hand maiden, insecurity. In a culture that is media blitzed with comparison and competition being used to create the tension that has people buying things to resolve that tension and thus feel better about themselves, it is difficult not to have picked up this shadow even if you started with a great sense of self and your own inner beauty! This moon will be our archetypal “media blitz” to reprogram this injurious pattern of comparison/competition!
It is our intention to walk as an open hearted beings in unconditional love, in a world that is often closed. This will be a major focus this moon as well. We are also working with intimacy and its connection to vulnerability. (Not as weakness, but as an opening to what is Divine.) I will be asking you to observe how you create intimacy with people. Checking in with the question, “How can I be closer to you? More intimate?” with people you care about. Knowing what it takes to be intimate with you. Thus, working with expanding the art of invitation and offering, making invitations to become more intimate. Beauty is also a major focus this moon… to understand the more expanded function and nature of beauty as an attribute of the Divine.
Each archetype has a Rite for embodying the energies of the archetype, in this case, the Goddess of Love. Depending on your preference you may either do the Rite of Real Nurturance or the Great Rite, or of course, both if that is your pleasure. There is a tremendous amount of information in both rites from a Goddess perspective on Sacred Sexuality. They can be done as a holy rite making love to God and the Self, (self unifying) or with a partner. It takes preparation time for gathering material concerns for this rite, so look at that early in the moon. You may wish to incorporate the consecration prayer and sacrament with your rite at the end of the moon to honor and step more fully into this archetypal essence!
Also as an adjunct to this information, oddly enough the most conscious and clear spiritual information I have found on sacred sexuality, comes from a book called Pronoia by Rob Brezney. Chapter 9. The book is worth having, just for that chapter, and the rest is hilariously written by his Muse. This chapter opens us to the possibilities for the evolution of consciousness, through holding our sexuality as sacred.
Listen to the CD for the Goddess of Love if you have it and write in your journals what gifts were offered you by this archetype.
The most quintessential distillation of each archetype is found in the two or three word description on the 13 Moon Oracle game board. To truly understand and embody the archetype, these three principles need to be experienced directly and integrated. This moon notice how feelings, response and beauty are connected in your personal experience through your interface with this archetype. I feel. I respond. I beautify.
The sacred tool this moon is your senses. This moon is about exalting the senses as multi-dimensional tools! Please have and offer as much sensory experience as possible this moon, slowing the process down so that you can track a scent, sound or a taste to its expanded field of remembrance and multi-dimensional awareness, rather than simply having a sensory experience. (This is looked at in the Rite of Real Nurturance.)
Please track the energy and position of the moon token on your 13 moon wheel, starting with the dark of the moon/new moon , and moving the token around the moon with your intention that was set at new moon. This is a concrete means to sensitize to the different energies of the moon in her various stages.
Sacred Geometry is the most quintessential aspect of the Mystery. Please meditate with the sacred geometry for each archetypal face, the vesica pisces this moon. As you are able to visualize it in your third eye, begin to spin it there, to receive the vision/insight/awareness intrinsic to the sacred geometry for this archetype. Let it offer you divine truth and wisdom directly. More in depth information about it is always found in the frequency card for each archetype.
If it is in your joy, please set up a simple altar to Her and begin to collect a pink altar cloth, an image for The Goddess of Love or statue, totems such a dove and swan, a cornucopia, shells, etc.
This moon, color/frequency/sound, scent are the priestess specialties for extra focus. Dip into that exploration in any way that you wish to, utilizing both the Alchemy and the 13 moon. We began our exploration of mudra, mantra and yantra in the Goddess of compassion. This is another deepening focus with sound, and how to use sound in ceremonial contexts especially for re-directing energy. If you wish to speak to me about this directly, please do. There is a section in the 13 Moon Oracle on sound principles “The Mystery Held in this Sound Frequency” that each moon holds information which can be deeply meditated with to garner amazing insights from the Goddess through sound. (Getting a copy of the Luminous Cocoon from Ariel's website and toning along with it, is a sound exploration from which you might gain insight.)
Explore the animals totems of Swan and Dove. Perhaps try to see one in nature if possible or take an inner journey with one, to see what information that leads you to. If you have a direct experience of their teachings, please make note in your journals.
Read the transmission for fire and water and work with these elements directly as much as you are able to this moon. Sacred bathing, could be a sensual focus for water. An incredible book on this subject is in your bibliography is called Spiritual Bathing by Rosita Arvigo is really worth having if this area piques and inspires you.
Work with the crystals, rose quartz, rhodichosite, rubyzonite or pink sapphire.
“I am rose quartz and what I am here to offer is…” Learn directly from them about frequency and journal your experience.
Use the scents of rose, apple, mimosa. Allow them to directly show you ways to work with and utilize them in your priestess practice, and to inform you as to what they are best used for. “I am rose.. and what I have to offer your awareness is…” let the scents speak to you directly. If you have the actual scent there, profound remembrance and insights can show up to guide you directly.
Practice the art of Invitation and Offering this moon. Look at your handouts to deepen your appreciation and understanding of these Goddess arts.
Please call your ally sister this moon to do the Diad Questions following to share more deeply and take this precious opportunity to become more intimate with each other as priestess sisters!
Diad Questions for The Goddess of Love
Use this as a practice time to allow these answers to emerge from the womb of silence and the heart temple of your essence, rather than from the past reservoirs of the ego mind. Don’t be attached to words coming up, perhaps only an image or metaphor will arise. Allow the Mystery to speak in its own way. Before you begin, please sit in silence to establish essence contact in Source and resonance with each other. Given adequate time, if nothing emerges from the silence of essence, let the question go rather than answering from ego and what you have known from the past.
The way I keep my heart “protected” and “safe” from possible hurt or rejection is…
What still makes me afraid is…
The way someone can treat me sensitively is to…
The way you can be closer/more intimate with me is…
What makes me feel most receptive and open hearted is…
What purpose does beauty serve in spiritual evolution?
Answer honestly. Do you ever engage in seduction or sexual manipulation? If so, what are you afraid of really? What does seduction have to do with power?
How are unconditional love and freedom related?
What shields do you still wear in front of your heart to protect you from the possibility of rejection or hurt?
What distortion lies beneath comparison and competition?
Feel the color pink. What does it have to offer your awareness directly in this moment?
Have a deliciously rich sensory experience this moon! Embody the Goddess of Love this moon!
