Aloha Daughters of the Goddess,
It was a beautiful Winter Solstice, I’ve kept the altar going for a while. The candles still shine with that special light. The days are definitely getting a bit longer, the nights shorter. The Sun has begun Her journey. The holidays are almost over, deep breathe. It is time to begin the journey out of the dark closet. Start the calendar year by joining us in a ceremony celebrating Califia. Come and celebrate with us!
Celebrate Amazon Warrior Queen Califia
Black Empress of California
Thursday, January 4th, 7:30 p.m.
Waning Moon in Leo, Sun in Capricorn
Concord locale, directions given upon RSVP
$30 per ritual/$15 first time visit
Queen Califia was an African Amazon Queen who came to the land, now called California. She created a Queendom of powerful Amazon womyn. California state is named after Her. The first time in the patriarchal writings that She is found is in the early 1500’s by a Spanish writer named Garcia Rodriguez de Montalvo. In most writings She is referred to as a “mythical Queen.” In all references to Her and Her people it is said that they were courageous with great strength, lived in a community of womyn, and strove to live in a pono/right way.
Of the Queen herself it is written ” She was not petite, nor blond, nor golden-haired. She was large, and black . . . . . .she was reputed the most beautiful of women; and it was she, O Californias! who accomplished great deeds, she was valiant and courageous and ardent with a brave heart, and had ambitions to execute nobler actions than had been performed by any other ruler — Queen Califia..”
Due to Her color and the fact that She was a womyn Her Herstory has been written off as fantasy, as most powerful womyn have been. But She is calling to me, calling to us. Califia created Her tribe of powerful womyn and She is calling to us to do the same. But we cannot come together as powerful womyn if we ourselves do not feel the power within. We tend to try to feel intimidated by those womyn who do stand in power in order to not feel less than. The issue is not with those powerful womyn, the issue is within ourselves and our own internalized lack.
How can we embrace our own woman spirit/power? How do we have a voice without tamping down the voice of another who is willing to speak up/out? How do we see/acknowledge our own gifts as important and worthy? And how do we stop envying and destroying others who have their own gifts different from ours? How can we stand together as empowered womyn, seeing and embracing each others gifts and elevating each other? In doing these things we will be able to come together, make changes, and create a powerful temple of Amazon womyn.
For the altar, please bring any images of the Queen or of Amazons. A candle in a glass container of a color that represents change and self-empowerment to you. I am also going to have a gift of life donation for Chief Teish, African/Yoruban elder who has given so much to our temple. So please bring a contribution in multiples of 5 for Oshun. To clarify this means 5 dimes, 5 quarters, 5-1$, 5-$5, 5$10 ~ you get the idea.
We-will have a feast after the ritual so please bring something to share.
If you are interested in participating in our rituals please see our participation page for details and RSVP
