Sumeria & Babylonia
Hebraic Tradition
Dark & Middle Ages
In the 19th Century
As the Shadow
Reclaiming Her
| Past Events 2009 - 2010 |
| Samhain Yule Imbolc - Imbolc was celebrated with a daytime ritual to welcome the resurfacing from the long-dark that included blessings of the candles and a journey to Brigid's Forge for inspiration, awakening and renewal.The proceedings were guided by the Ladies Zolah Dia and Moon Storm, whose drumming held the heartbeat from opening to closing and ensured Strength in Serenity throughout, for which many were rewarded with an inspired journey. We were graciously hosted by Grandma Amey, with ritual being followed by a bountiful potluck feasting. The quarters were close and the company great, we were surely gifted with Blessings of the new Season! |
| Past Events 2008 - 2009 |
| Samhain Yule Imbolc Ostara Litha Lughnasadh Mabon AGM |
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| Samhain We honoured the Dead and the Season amongst good fellowship. Eighteen Temple members and guests gathered together in a cozy space to celebrate this year, the first Samhain since the passing of the Temple's founder, Lady Lilith. And yet she was present, still. The rites started on time and included recognition of the Darkening Light, the Wild Hunt, a toasting and a divination. Special thanks to our guest-drummer and the able members assisting in the rite. The potluck feast was bountiful (though some used napkins for plates - remember your feast gear!) and the gift table was well received with a large proportion of those present participating. Clean up was a breeze with all attendees doing their part and making for little work by those in charge. Thank you all! Yule Imbolc - The beginning-of-Spring celebrations were postponed for one week due to dire snow forecasts (which then did not materialize). About a dozen people met in the living room of a member's house to celebrate Imbolc. The ritual centred around blessing the earth in our Wheel-of-the Year flowerpot with the ashes that each person brought from their wishes made after our Yule celebrationand Lady Polgoda performed the rites with the assistance of one of our male Temple members furrowing and fertilizing the earth (with oatmeal cookies) while one of our younger participants provided beautiful musical interludes on her flute. Branches of flowering wirch-hazel decorated the altar. The rites fulfilled, we rounded off the event with a potluck supper and merriment afterwards. Ostara - We celebrated our rites of Ostara a week late, on March 29th, in order to allow a group of our members to travel to the Okanagan to attend ritual there. Vernal Equinox was celebrated in the house of a Temple member with about a dozen members and guests present. Lady Polgoda led the rites with the assistance of a female member. The ritual centreds around blessing the earth in our Wheel-of-the-Year flowerpot which symbolized Mother Earth for whose healing we each made pledges. Flowering forsythia decorated the altar and the ritual was acented by poignant musical accompaniment on flute and a capella. Potluck feast and festivities followed. Beltane - Celebrations were held at a beautiful, secluded urban retreat surrounded by trees with a labyrinth hidden in the meadow behind us. This opportunity was generously allowed us by the owners of the property, a friend of a Temple member. There were about 18 members and guests present, including the owners of the property and their family. Beltane rites were led by Lady Polgoda and ably assisted by another member and musically enhanced with a capella singing and wooden flute by a younger member and a guest. We chose by lots our Lord of the Greenwood who then chose our Queen of the May and the two of them planted a marigold in the Wheel-of-the-Year pot and then poured blessings upon the wishes of each member as the participants paraded between them and on around the Circle. The altar was decorated with fresh lilies brought by a member and the rites were followed by merriment and an abundant and well-received potluck feast around the fire. Litha - Summer Solstice was celebrated at the same delightful place as Beltane, with the addition of the hosts many guests. The Solstice rites were shared with many strangers, and so were a series of surprises - and the Goddess laughed! All who participated shared their knowledge of way-side 'weeds' gathered on the way to ritual, with everyone learning something new about the local plant life. Sacrifice was made of the plants in the bonfire afterwards, with the meaning of 'sacrifice' (to make sacred) being explained - though with such a large and vaired gathering, we're not sure if the explanation made sense to all! A bounteous potluck feast was held afterwards, as well as a dedication of the newly-reclaimed labyrinth which Temple members and other friends had previously dedicated time and energy to making possible. The evening was rounded off by the blessing of a Children's Theatre production complete with performance, as well as the ever-appreciated bonfire with hot chocolate and marshmallow roasting. Lughnasadh - This lovely, if damp, celebration of the Second Harvest was an out of doors event and we were pleased to draw the curiosity of one of the resident horses, in our honouring of the Horse, for the duration of this Rite. The Circle was defined by apples and grapevines, and what was intended to be cleansed by Fire was instead cleansed by Water - and the Goddess laughed! We were a small gathering that all fit snugly in the house afterwards - just in time to watch the deluge that followed. Everyone remembered Feast Gear, the potluck was scrumptious and bountiful, and the gift table was well-attended. Blessings Be Upon This, Thy Second Harvest! Mabon - Cancelled, with regret. Abbotsford Multicultural Festival - Abbotsford's first annual Multicultural Festival was a busy day, there were so many different cultures and traditions present a person would be hard put to leave without having learned something new about different peoples of the world. Unfortunately, the skies opened up midway through the day and because we were in a seperate building from the main events, the visitors to our booth trickled to nothing before the end of the day - no one wanted to face the deluge in order to see more! Even so, the labyrinth got a fair bit of traffic and we educated a few folk on Paganism, Labyrinths and any number of other interesting tidbits - no, Paganism is not a cult! We had a static display of Earth Air Fire and Water with a cards describing what the Elements are and what each means, a tabletop bookcase with an eclectic list of titles, handout sheets on Wicca, Neo-Paganism, Heathenry, Labyrinths and the Lilith Temple Society, and some nice instrumental (canned) music for ambiance - which was sometimes/often drowned out by the stage set up one booth over, but when it wasn't added a nice touch. We had plenty of members to mantain the booth and answer questions throughout the day, and two of our younger members performed a small set of songs on the stage for the Festival. All in all, it was a successful day that we hope to repeat next year! |
 Elayna
Morgane
Born into this
Life July 12, 1944 Deep Peace, of the
running wave
to you. |
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| Samhain 2005
The weather held clear and allowed 22 stalwart members and guests to attend Ritual by firelight in the clearing outside Lady Mystica's house, though a few participants wished they'd worn warmer costumes! Anticipating the Wild Hunt that starts this Season and ends at Yule, we honoured our ancestors and the Gods in ceremony, ate the cakes and divined the treasures found within them. The apple cider we toasted with was still warm to our cold fingers, and the Goddess had Her little joke by turning the cookies into sweet tooth-breaking rocks. The ritual was followed by an abundant potluck feast and a very full gift-sharing table, and throughout the evening the bonfire flickered. A good time was had by All, and everyone went home with full bellies and memories to take them into the New Year. Merry we met merry we parted and merry we'll meet again! Mabon 2005
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| Imbolc
Our Imbolc festival for this year was written and led by Lord Tyr, took the form of an Asatru Blot giving honor to the Disir, the ancient mothers and recognizing our needs to support kin and clan in time of need. Much appreciation to the participants, Thorskal, Lady Zola Dia and Lady Mystica for their efforts. Ostara
Bealtane
Litha
Renaissance
Faire Lammas Silver
Web Picnic Mabon
Samhain
All
Fallen Hero's Yule
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| Imbolc 2002 A comedy play was done for Imbolc, starring Lady Astarte, Lady Lilith, written and narrated by Lord Tyr. Based on the awakening of Mother Earth (with some encouragement from her handmaiden) who is needed by her children, who are weak and tired from a long winter. Disgusted by the state of affairs on earth, Mother Earth refuses to return to awakening unless her children show some appreciation for her. With the sweet scent of incense offerings and a cleaning up of the earth, she is convinced to return. Ostara
2002 Beltane
2002 Litha
2002 Renaissance
Faire 2002 Lammas
2002 Silver
Web Picnic 2002 Mabon
2002 Samhain
2002 All
Fallen Hero's 2002 Yule
2002 |
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