The Journey through the wheel this year has seen us host 7 wonderful ceremonies in the temple. We would like to thank all those who have supported these ceremonies and made them successful. We are back again to round off the year with our Winter Solstice ceremony which will continue our exploration of the elements, this time focusing on Air.

Air is a wonderful element to connect with. It’s dual nature to be able to cleanse us, and also to bring in inspiration and rejuvenate us. So if you are unable to attend the temple or our ceremony during this, possibly the busiest of seasons, we invite you to find some time for Air. I have to say my favourite thing is a walk on a windy day. Feeling the air on my face whilst the rest of me is wrapped up warm, the wind blowing my hair back, I can envisage it blowing through my soul, releasing the old and what no longer serves and leaving room for new, fresh air. Fresh ideas and inspirations are carried in on the breeze.

My favourite place to do this is on Brean Down, but if that’s not possible any hill will do! I’ve even been known just to stick my head out of a window at home, or wind down all the windows of my car for the drive home, whatever is going to work for you!

Whilst we enjoy being comfy and cosy in temple with cushions and blankets, at the end of the day, Paganism is all about connecting with the seasons of the land!

We are excited to announce that 'Ceremony Weavers of the Wheel' will now also be facilitating rituals at Stanton Drew stone circle for the Cross Quarter festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lammas!

Our first was at Samhain and we would be delighted to have you join us for our next at Imbolc! The atmosphere at the Stones is wonderful and their power palpable. Dress for the elements and join us for a beautiful ritual!

For 5 fabulous years Gemma and Alex have brought stories to life for our youngest visitors. With gorgeous hand crafted puppets to help tell the story of Luna Moon Hare and original tales penned by themselves, they give meaning to the wheel of the year to the next generation.

So now the younger children will be in the big room for stories, dancing and crafting. The older children will be in temple itself and there will be an age appropriate guided meditation, discussion on what the current season means to them and crafting of spiritual items in keeping with the season. 

In October we held the first “Tarot Talk” group.  This is a group to discuss and share and learn from each other, rather than a “taught” lesson.  

We brought along and shared our favourite decks, and there were a great variety of them!  There was a range of experience in the room from experienced readers to beginners, people who only read for themselves, and people who are thinking of taking tentative steps to reading for others.  

​There was no such thing as a stupid question, which led to some helpful hints on how to shuffle those larger cards!  The time flew by and people said how lovely it was to have the opportunity to discuss their hobby, passion, and pick up some hints and tips.  

​The group will be back in February, so watch the Temple page for further details.

​The traditional feasting of yule is represented in the light box scene surrounded by mistletoe and holly. This greenery represents life in these dark days indicating good things to come and some traditions believe mistletoe represents / enhances male fertility.

​Mistletoe is believed by some to have healing and protective qualities, and for this reason it adorns the head of the goddess statue. This plant has long been revered by Druids and other traditions as magical and sacred, borne between the earth and the heavens. During the cold winter months its vibrant green leaves and dazzling white berries grow in the bows of leafless trees. Many people hang mistletoe in their home all year round to ward off evils spirits, burning the old sprig and replacing it with a new one each Yule.

​The winter solstice is not only the shortest day but also the longest night. In celebration of the night the spiral doll honours the moon goddess. Above her head she holds a moonstone and on her back the dark swirls represent the shadows on the other side of the moon. 

​The smudge fan represents the element of air, which Is honoured at this time of year by the Wheel of Avalon goddess tradition.

​We are happy to announce a new monthly ritual is coming to the Bristol Goddess Temple.  Starting in January the Priestesses and Sisters of Cerridwen will be holding a Dark Moon Ritual.  This will take place each month at a date close to the actual dark moon, and before the new moon when the priestess healers open the temple for the New Moon Healing event.  The dark moon is a significant time of increased intuition and self-awareness, and during this moon phase we will gather in ritual to reflect, release, and raise energy to offer gratitude and send healing where most needed.

​As these events will be a ritual and not a ceremony of seasonal celebration, we will be working magically in a safely held sacred space, invoking the Celtic Goddess Cerridwen into our circle.  Cerridwen, Goddess of the Cauldron of Testing, Transformation and Rebirth.  Who better to bring the change we need to see in the world right now.  Each month we will introduce an aspect of Cerridwen and how she informs our devotional work.  We will be adapting the directional Wheel of Ana as we create a sacred space, and including a guided meditation, chanting, magical working/activity, and time for reflection.  This is deep work, and the theme of each month will be different and relevant. 

​So come along and join the Priestesses and Sisters of Cerridwen for a Dark Moon Ritual, a monthly magical ritual of release, gratitude and healing.  A time to gather our power as Goddess loving people and invoke the Goddess; when together we will activate our magic through song, reflection, dance and action; raising energy for healing to be sent into the world.

May the energy flow.
So mote it be.
​Blessed be.

Check the dates for Dark Moon Ritual and how to book:

The longest night, the shortest day. The still point of the darkest hours of winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears to pause for three days at the southernmost stage of its journey along the horizon, before beginning its slow path back northwards, giving us an increase of light each day. At the moment of the Winter Solstice – which this year is at 21:47 on Wednesday 21st December – the North Pole of our planet is at its furthest from the sun.

Druids celebrate this moment at the festival of Alban Arthan, when the Sun Child is reborn. In the Goddess tradition, we honour Danu, Mother of Air, as well as the Cailleach or Veiled One – aspects of the Divine Feminine that express the awe of the deep starry sky, the dominion of winter and the duality of death and rebirth, creation and destruction. For thousands of years, as their monuments of stone bear witness, our ancestors watched, waited for and presumably celebrated the Winter Solstice as the rebirth of the sun.

​They would have known that spring follows winter as surely as day follows night. Today we put up our small lights to brighten the darkness and bring the evergreens indoors to remind ourselves that the green flame of growth never truly dies. Warmth and light will return to the earth!

And yet, let’s not ignore the teachings of the darkness and the act of wintering. All of nature – which includes us – needs a time to slow down, pause, rest and restore itself,  gathering energy for the active time of spring and summer. Finding a way to sit and watch a flickering fire, walking in your nearest open space and noticing the winter with all your senses, lighting a candle in a dark room and watching the interplay of light and shadow, or just allowing yourself to do less, when you can, and giving yourself that time to sit with your thoughts and notice what wants to come up… these are just a few ways in which to honour the cycles of nature in our own lives.

​Come and visit us at Bristol Goddess Temple to connect with the sacred and yourself in our beautiful, warm space. All are welcome.