The   Goddess Shrine was officially released on Saturday 2nd September with a spectacular ceremony in the Lunation Temple.

One guest commented that the Ceremony was like 'a United Nations of Paganism,' with official speeches and performances by, and on behalf of many well-known members of the Goddess community in Australia.

It was certainly the most inspiring Rite I have been involved in. The beauty was not in the Ceremony itself, but the many people who were involved and made it so incredibly special. I have the deepest sympathy for those who couldn't or didn't make it on the night. To those people, you missed a very powerful shedding of the layers to awakening of Goddess Culture for Australia. I only hope we see many events like it in the future.

The Ceremony started by collectively calling forth the Feminine Divine in her roles as Chaste Maiden, Abundant Mother, and Wise Matriarch. The room buzzed with the power of over fifty voices calling to the Maiden, Mother and Crone, bringing forth three robed and masked figures in the respective Goddess colours, white, red and black...

Official guests were then invited to speak in honour of the Goddess, bringing gifts and inspiration. Patricia Corner, President of the Goddess Association in Australia (GAIA), spoke moving words about the webs that build amongst our communities, through the lives of women, through the lives of those she called 'the Sons of the Goddess' and the children of our tribes.

'Finally,' she said, 'the webs we have each built are beginning to weave together across the nation, from coast to coast, to build an even stronger web entranced with the power of the Goddess...'

And so it was fitting that her speech was followed by Ishara, from the Daughters of Ishtar Temple, WA. Ishara spoke of her Earth Dreaming tradition, where both the land and the Goddess are honoured equally. She performed a beautiful song and gifted The Shrine with three special offerings represeningt her work with the Sacred Feminine Divine.

Soror Potnia Therion, from the Burley Griffin Oasis of Ordo Templi Orientis read from the Litany of the Holy Spirit (Isis), Gnostic Mass, and also the Priestess' Oration from behind the Veil. The words from these texts, of great importance to the OTO, were striking for their beauty. 

Sean Galadar represented the Church of All Worlds with a terrific performance of a song about when God was a woman, and even managed to get everyone to join in!

By this stage of the night the room was crackling with emotion and power, but still speakers came forward representing the Pagan Awareness Network, the Alexandrian Wiccan tradition in Canberra, We the Temple of the Moon, and individuals including; Katherine Cunningham of the Temple of the Blood (Vic), Lilith West of Goddess Place (SA), Glenys Livingstone author of Pagaian Cosmology (NSW), author Stacey Demarco (NSW), Wise Womon of the Goddess, thea Gaia (ACT), Michelle Royce aka SpiralDancer, of the feminine path, and author of Moon Rites (NSW).

Official speeches ended with the great, great grandchildren of Robert Graves who read a passage from his book The White Goddess, reminding us of the beauty and poetry of the Sacred Feminine...

At this point we shared a delicious supper that consisted of all types of Goddess inspired delicacies that had been brought by those present. Guests were now also invited to visit the Shrine and honour Her in their own way. The figures representing the three aspects of the Goddess took to the centre altar to empower a brew, of which the recipe will be copied each month at the ongoing ceremonies.

Many visitors left notes and wishes to the Goddess, and all of these were collected after supper to be raised to Her. 

This part of the ceremony is the same as will be used each lunation to honour The Goddess Shrine, and build the power of the Feminine Divine throughout the City, and in turn the Nation. Water was used for this part of the rite, because water holds memory of the Earth and Her people.

Water can take energy and hold it, then disperse it elsewhere, and this is exactly the purpose for this ritual. The 'wishes' were taken to the figures of the Goddess and their essence entranced to the water. The water was later taken to ground level, outside of the Temple - to the Centre of the City of the Nation's Capital. This water, filled with the power of The Goddess and the wishes for and to Her was placed on the earth to soften the ground, and those who walk over it. The aim in doing so is that the Nation will take on the essence of the Goddess, and allow Her life, abundance and wisdom to empower us all...

The evening ended with all who were present sharing in the rich, powerful Goddess brewed punch, and a whole lot of hugs, laughter and blessings...

The Goddess Shrine official release was more than just another Opening Ceremony. This event enabled deeper networking of the Goddess and those who work with Her. It was a testament to the case that The Goddess Shrine is there for all creeds, all genders, all ages, and all beings.

"We all come from 

the Goddess, 

and to Her we 

shall return, 

like a drop of rain, 

flowing to the ocean." 

~ Z Budapest