Temple of the Waters

It’s the season of long days, of endless birdsong, of summer plants bursting forth in all their vitality, and of spring plants going to seed and fading. It’s a time that’s the end of semesters and “I didn’t think I’d survive finals week this time,” it’s a time of travel if you’re a traveler and of tourist gridlock if you live in a seaside beach town. It’s a gateway to high fire season, and all that entails…

It’s a time of the kids being home, and the farmer’s markets being jammed, and long sunlit work hours and sunburns and aloe and salt water and chlorine in your hair. Sweating and swimming and dripping with the incredible power of our planet’s very very specific relationship with its Sun, which is So Potent that when we lean a little bit away from it, it’s winter, and when we lean in just a tinsy bit, it’s summer. It’s sand in your lemonade and “I wore too many layers” and rollercoasters and here come the berries. It’s plenty of sun for our gardens and our skin.

And so we gather. We gather in this time to celebrate. To mark the turning of the wheel of the year. To remember that we are a small part of a much larger cycle of death-rebirth-life. To use these heartbeats that our ancestors gave us in service of those great rhythms. To use these breaths we’re borrowing from our descendants to give them something to hold on to when chaos strikes.

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Full invite at link in bio!

Due to predictions of heavy rain, we're converting our meadow dance into a dinner potluck and prayer/song night, complete with an invisible Maypole Dance.

All the details are in the updated invitation at the Temple website.

There’s a seed.

It was planted on the longest night of the year, on Winter Solstice.

It slept in the soil until it was awoken at the time of Imbolc, the feast of Brigid.

It felt around for traces of warmth and light that reached through moistened earth to its graceful cocoon.

It pierced the surface on Spring Equinox, as the light and the darkness found their balance.

And it is now blooming. Exploding. A riot of life, of color, of scent as we approach Beltane.

This is the moment between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice that we mark with gatherings, and flower garlands, and fire jumping, and a Maypole dance that weaves so many colors together in sacred, shared, goofy movement rites.

>>> full invite continues at link in bio

Upcoming event by one of the parents of a beloved Temple of the Waters community member! Check it out, spread the word!

Beloveds —

We are amidst the season of Imbolc, or the Festival of Brigid, the halfway point between the long night of Winter Solstice and the balance of Spring Equinox. “Imbolc” has been roughly translated as “sheep’s milk” or “in the belly” — signifying the time that these pastoral people were celebrating the promise, and hope, and fragility of new life in their midst. And Brigid is one of the Celts’ most revered deities. She is the patron of the well, the forge and poetry — and this is coming from a culture where a satire from a good poet could dethrone a king.

And so what does this mean to us?

That’s a real question, you know.

To me, this moment of the year coincides with elements of what’s come before us, in different ways. The light’s imperceptible daily growth since Winter Solstice has become noticeable, the way that the little ones among us — lambs, tiny humans, plant shoots — grow a little bit each day and then surprise us with their size. It feels to me like the dreams of this cycle are still fresh. Still awash in possibility. Like they could still go in any direction.

And it also feel like the well and the forge. It feels like the rains that have blessed us and drenched us and challenged us. And the warmth I move into when I take refuge. And the big pot of soup on the stove, that tastes so much better in February than it does in July — and isn’t that an echo of the countless cauldrons that were sanctified in Brigid’s name, as hearth-tending mothers prayed for her guidance and protection over them and their families as they stirred this fusion of water and fire, well and forge?

And so, what does this mean to us?

Very practically it means that it’s time for another gathering. On Saturday night (February 3rd) from 600pm to 900pm - you are invited to a Brigid ritual that will be largely co-created.

Reaf the rest of the invite and get logistical details at link in bio!

Collective futures, collective dreams

Details at link in bio

[temple of the waters] Sun 7pm: Tears and Tunes for Justin -

[temple of the waters] Sun 7pm: Tears and Tunes for Justin https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Giving thanks, clearing sight -

[temple of the waters] Giving thanks, clearing sight https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Prayer link for tonight -

[temple of the waters] Prayer link for tonight https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Sunday night altar prayer canceled -

[temple of the waters] Sunday night altar prayer canceled

Some of us went to the rally/march in SF yesterday that was demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.  It was a beautiful, heart-rending, recharging, demanding day.  There was an altar/ofrenda set up and in this time when the veils are thin, two of us offered up a prayer to Joe Biden's Irish ancestors to intervene with him to point out who the Irish are and who the English are in the Palestine-Israel conflict.  I offer this in case you'd like to join our prayer.

At the rally, we learned that a shipment of war supplies bound for Israel was meant to leave the Oakland docks this past Thursday morning (November 2nd).  Some local activists learned about it and showed up at 6am to stop the ship from leaving by occupying it.  Included in this group was a Jewish woman who lost relatives in the Holocaust who said, "Never again means never again for anyone" as she participated in occupying the boat for five hours.

This is a hard time, and this is a time of possibilities.  A time of fear and a time of hope, a time of dread and a time of action.  Two places you can go to find upcoming actions, whether they're in person or letter-writing campaigns are www.shutitdown4palestine.org and www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/take-action/

Blessed be the peacemakers.

If you'd like to join us for prayer tonight, link is in the bio. DM for address to join in person.

[temple of the waters] Prayer link, Gaza, gratitude -

[temple of the waters] Prayer link, Gaza, gratitude https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Samhain tonight, liturgy Sunday, breakfast Friday -

[temple of the waters] Samhain tonight, liturgy Sunday, breakfast Friday https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Samhain next Saturday, prayer tonight -

[temple of the waters] Samhain next Saturday, prayer tonight https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

10/15: Mourning lives lost in Israel and Palestine — The Temple of the Waters Zoom link for Sunday night’s prayer (8pm California time): us02web.zoom.us/j/84951808326?pwd=c0lMSUwzcHBudXJlakJPN1ozcm5PQT09

There is much to mourn, there are many to grieve. There are an infinite number of opportunities for gratitude and celebration.

Join us for this rite of tasting the sweetness and the bitterness of our lives. A rite to honor our beloved dead. A moment to see this moment in the great cycle.

Bring your tender, beautiful, tired heart. We'll bring ours.

Full invitation and details at link in bio, absolutely please spread the word.

[temple of the waters] SC Spiral Dance & Samhain ritual invitation - https://mailchi.mp/9ac98d857672/temple-of-the-waters-also-heres-a-link-to-tonights-zoom-prayer-5832454

[temple of the waters] Prayer tonight, Sukkot on 9/29 -

[temple of the waters] Prayer link, Equinox reminder, Sukkot invitation https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

Tonight's water altar prayer time will be dedicated to Amara Hollowbones. Link and full invite at link in bio.
..still can't believe they're gone and we're just here, still living, earth still turning like it's okay...

[temple of the waters] Solstice final directions up, no Zoom prayer tomorrow -

[temple of the waters] Solstice final directions up, no Zoom prayer tomorrow https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Solstice location now posted! -

[temple of the waters] Solstice location now posted! https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Sunday night prayers only in-person this week and next! -

[temple of the waters] Sunday night prayers only in-person this week and next! https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Link for Sunday night prayer -

[temple of the waters] Activated prayer Sunday night -- link https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] Prayer link for Sunday, SC event June 18th - https://mailchi.mp/9c93c484d02c/temple-of-the-waters-also-heres-a-link-to-tonights-zoom-prayer-5817677

Beloveds!

Very grateful to be able to share with you our full Summer Solstice invite for Sunday, June 25th starting at 1pm. We'll post directions to the location as the time draws nearer, but everything else in terms of the intention and shape of the ritual/afternoon is right here for you:
http://www.templeofthewaters.org/actions-events/2023summer

Please feel free to spread the word!

With gratitude and in faith,
Wren & Iridaea

We've got a date set aside for this year's Summer Solstice Ritual!

Please join us in the afternoon on Sunday, June 25th for a celebration of the season, a moment of giving thanks for the positive things we've experienced since Winter Solstice, a (non-obligatory) opportunity for a pagan baptism, followed by Celtic and old-timey tunes and a (non-obligatory) opportunity to dance and swim in the San Lorenzo River.

More details coming soon...

https://mailchi.mp/c99825865b33/temple-of-the-waters-link-for-sunday-prayer

[temple of the waters] Link for Sunday prayer https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

And here we are, arriving at the mid-point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. A time when there’s cool breezes in air that still carries an echo of water, a time when many of us are beginning to transition from the relative predictability of school rhythms into the “what day is it, again?” of the summer months, a time when the people of Santa Cruz are girding for the forest fires and tourist traffic-jams that the summer season brings, a time when green is bursting, the blue of the sky is mesmerizing, and the jasmine is ridiculous.

A time when oh! my! goddess! are the bees and the flowers keeping fertility on the mind. When nature is transitioning from the relatively staid restraint of winter into the fevered wild eroticism of spring’s mating rituals. And humans, in kind, are peeling off layers of protection from the cold and exposing ourselves, and perhaps our Selves, to the warming spring sun.

For the ancient Celts, this was also a season of transition at a deeply pragmatic level. The name Beltane translates roughly as “Two Fires,” and this was known as the moment when cattle were moved from their winter fields to their summer pastures. They would light a smokey fire on each side of the gate out of the winter grazing area to help cleanse the cattle. Similar to what one might do by lighting a sage bundle and dowsing their body with the resulting smoke.

And so the name carries that lore, that impulse, with it, to cleanse ourselves as we move from darkness into light. To lighten our burden, to set down our winter clothes and travel lighter as we move into the lighter portion of the year.

And so we carry that with us, into this Beltane celebration and its Maypole dance.

What is a Maypole dance? In the simplest of terms, it involves tying many ribbons to the top of a pole and dancing in a circle around it in such a way that the ribbons are woven together.

And why is a Maypole dance? The dance of the Maypole we do for many reasons. We do it because our ancestors have done it, we do it because it is joyous, because the moment is joyous and we seek to express this joy. We do it because it’s beautiful. We do it because it reminds us that the trees that were left stripped bare by winter are now being clothed in the brilliant raiment of spring.

Won’t you join us?

4/29: Beltane Maypole dance — The Temple of the Waters And here we are, arriving at the mid-point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. A time when there’s cool breezes in air that still carries an echo of water, a time when many of us are beginning to transition from the relative predictability of school rhythms into the “what day is it, agai...

[temple of the waters] Sacred readings, sacred songs -

[temple of the waters] Sacred readings, sacred songs https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters

[temple of the waters] A (brief) Community Survey -

[temple of the waters] A (brief) Community Survey https://www.instagram.com/temple_of_the_waters/ https://www.facebook.com/templeofthewaters/ https://twitter.com/templeofwaters