About Our Practice

Let me try to present a brief outline of the basic concepts which most modern followers of the Goddess share. It should be noted, however, that there are many different Goddess groups in existence today, and naturally I can't speak for them all.

One fundamental premise of our religion is that the primordial Goddess has been recognized instinctively in Neolithic cultures throughout the world, and those early cultures were peaceful and egalitarian in nature.

Following the Kurgan invasion, a violent male war-god was introduced, and the primordial Goddess was reduced to a secondary status. Over time, many additional deities were created, and although some of them descended from the primordial Goddess, they were frequently corrupted by the patriarchal values of the post-Kurgan societies in which they evolved.

Modern followers of the Goddess strongly reject the war-god archetype, as well as recognizing the inherent flaws of the many deities descended from the Goddess in post-Kurgan societies. Consequently, most modern followers of the Goddess usually seek to encounter Her in a pure form, which is free from historical baggage, and is essentially monotheistic.

Critics of modern Goddess religion have sometimes said that our view of Goddess cultures in pre-history is overly idealistic. That may be true, but it must be remembered that our practice is not intended to be a mere revival of some Neolithic tradition. It is technically a brand-new and fully modern religion, which embodies the most enlightened contemporary social values.

One of the most significant aspects of our religion is that it is perceived instinctively, and does not need to be taught to people from a book, or by some member of a clergy. Therefore, while most other religions depend on indoctrination or "brainwashing", we find such practices to be highly unethical, and believe that they demonstrate the artificial and fraudulent nature of those religions.

In addition, history clearly shows that widespread belief in such religions places a tremendous amount of political power in the hands of their leaders, who may manipulate and dispense their artificial spiritual "truth" in whatever ways they wish. This has been the cause of tremendous human suffering and injustice, to say nothing of preventing millions of people from attaining true spirituality in their lives.

As followers of the Goddess, we place great value on direct personal experiences with Her... and therefore, we encourage our members to study various techniques that will facilitate such experiences. In this way, they may perceive for themselves the reality of Her existence.

Of course, we believe that life is a precious gift... and therefore we posses a deep respect for animals, nature, and the Earth. Many of us are vegetarians and environmentalists. Our chosen days of celebration are usually the solstices and equinoxes, which mark the cycles of nature that link us to our planet, and to our heritage and ancestors.

We generally prefer not to assert things which we do not know to be true. For example, the Goddess has made Herself known to us, to our satisfaction, but She has never stated that Her power is unlimited, or that She is the creator of the universe. We therefore make no claims regarding those issues.

Furthurmore, it seems apparent that the Goddess does not interfere in the affairs of the world, and is not directly responsible for events, either good or bad, which occur here. We therefore do not pray to the Goddess for miracles, or blame natural disasters on Her.

Our understanding of the Goddess is that She exists in a metaphysical dimension of the universe, which we may have contact with, in certain specific ways. For example, we believe that the Goddess may communicate with us, through prophetic dreams or visions, as well as manifesting Herself to us during certain rituals. For that reason, we often have an altar or a small shrine in our home, where we can perform such rituals.

A typical modern altar

On a more basic level, we manifest our reverence for the Goddess through proper daily action. We strive to lead an honorable life, to treat others with respect, and to engage in reasonable behavior, such as healthy eating, moderate drinking, and safe and responsible sex.

Our religion does not have a precise set of rules or regulations. Our philosophy is simply that each person should establish a direct relationship with the Goddess, come to know Her will, and use their own judgement in dealing with their personal affairs. Of course a Priest or Priestess can usually offer some advice, if we request it.

Finally, during our research we discovered that the primordial Goddess seems to have survived through historical times in one especially noteworthy incarnation... as Cybele, a rare stand-alone deity, who was not a member of any pantheon. It is from Cybele, therefore, that our temple takes it's name.

By the way, there is no formal process for membership in our temple. Anyone who identifies as a follower of the Goddess is welcomed. Of course some people may have different opinions on various aspects of the religion, but that is to be expected within any group.

Our temple also has a number of ordained clergy members, including both men and women, who have made a commitment to serve the Goddess and their community. Each of them defines the exact manner in which their ministry operates... typically it involves such things as the performance of weddings and funerals, private teaching and counseling, or dealing with occasional problems of a paranormal nature.

If you are interested in joining our clergy, or in need of clergy services, please contact the person responsible for handling public inquiries... their email addess can be found at the bottom of the main (home) page.