fires of venus

The Tribes of the Cauldron, Flame, Guardians, and Rhythm represent the spiritual body of the Temple of Venus. Together, these four Tribes form the Mirror Clan, a mirror-window of the universe, reflecting unconditional Love.

The Cauldron of Venus is never empty. Its ever-flowing, unconditional love shapes and sustains the universe. The Cauldron is her endless heart, full of desire for her Consort, whose beauty lies as much in imperfection as in grace. Her purpose is to love without limits, and this boundlessness is mirrored in the core of every human heart.

The Mirrors of the Cauldron hold the energy of Venus herself: we are both active and receptive, sensing, exploring and embracing all those who offer themselves to us. We transform and transmute whomever we encounter, facilitating the release of beliefs and barriers that block joy. In ritual, we encircle the cauldron, charging and nurturing the spell. In circle, we embody Divine Love, inviting others to open to its healing flow.

As a Mirror of the Cauldron, you will join others called to become healers, initiators, and Priest/esses of the sensual mysteries. Together, we will invite Venus to transform our lives. Through energy play, paired and group exercises, and consciousness altering techniques, we will prepare to channel the Divine.

Our tribe will draw on the tools of Sensory Spirituality (sensual play, energetic touch, aromatics, and dance/movement) to awaken our own erotic and transformative power. We will use this primal force to welcome Venus into ourselves and share her with those hungry for her Divine Presence. By becoming channels for our goddess, we will challenge and transform ourselves, deepening our capacity for love and erotic delight.

flame

Here's the thing: to talk about core groups, we need to talk about the whole fire. So bear with us briefly:

The Elementals give us a solid foundation to work.
The Mystics provide direction, and bring our personal energies forth.
The Mirrors of the Cauldron, loving as Venus, work to collect and transmute and meld all of our energy.
The Mirrors of the Flame, loving as Consort, carry the intent of our spell and stir the brew.

So: are you a spoon?

See, this is what we do as Keepers of the Eternal Flame: we stir. We keep people moving. We keep the circle and the energy and the spell going, all weekend long. We strip ourselves down, shuck off concerns and fears, and

Just. keep. it. moving.

We work to see Venus in everyone around me, and to love Venus. The Flame itself is eternal in change - like the Consort's love for Venus. The love is eternal, but the expression, the shape, the tone and color: these are always changing, always moving.

We are ecstatic dancing frolicking chanting loving spoons, and we do our best to thrust my personal energy into the task of drawing your personal energy into the group energy, into the great work that we are engaged in. As you do work in the temples, as you bring that to the cauldron, as you generate power and strip off that which you do not need, we keep it moving.

Cleansed by air, fed by earth, quenched by water, and stimulated by fire, fueled by drums, contained by the Cauldron, the Flame stirs the spell.

But one - or even two - spoons aren't enough. Neither of us may be the best choice to draw you in and bring you focus, and we want every ounce of energy involved. We need a variety of spoons maintaining that intent, layering and flavoring and weaving together our people and our worship and our work.

So back to the question: are you a spoon? Can you draw people up and out of themselves and into ourselves? If "yes," then we need you to become a Mirror of the Flame. Embody the Consort and explore things like prolonged eye-contact, conscious and intentional hugs, and the dual work of seeing Venus in each other and the value of yourself, with a focus on finding the connections between us all.

guardians

The Guardians of Venus are the defenders of loving, sacred space. They are the ones entrusted to maintain energetic and physical safety in the Temple of Venus. The energy of the Guardians is one of loyal protection; to hold safe space for the entire tribe.

The intentions of the Guardians of Venus are to create emotional, physical, and healthy safe space for the tribe of Venus to explore love in all of its facets. This is done through guarding privacy in rituals, this is done by smudging people, this is done through fire circle monitoring, making sure that certain aspects of ritual and safety are maintained. As sacred witnesses and protectors, it is our highest priority to maintain the freedoms to explore love openly.

The Keepers of the Guardians of Venus will seek to evaluate and find the strengths of the Guardians of Venus and employ them for Venus's higher greater good. We will establish a variety of tests of mental and physical aptitudes to determine what type of Guardians we have that Venus can rely on. Guardians can have quite a variety of strengths, and these activities are intended to include guardians of all types.

These tests will also decide this year's Champions of Venus. In 2009, there were two Champions selected: Shelly, the Champion of the Heart, and Stewie, the Champion of the Hearth. A number of exercises were done to determine their mental and physical fortitude, and they stood vigil during intense rituals in the Temple of Venus.

Will you take up the challenge to love more than yourself or family, and give of your love for the whole Tribe of Venus?

rhythm

Rhythm: the magical, spiritual, and powerful vibrations from the fire, the Divine, our breathing, our spirits, and our heartbeats. All of this music moves into and through the drummers, singers, musicians, and the dancers to create a living, moving, pulsing container which is the Temple of Rhythm.

This force permeates all emotions, activities, and actions throughout the sacred spaces and the sacred fire. All beings within and around the Temple of Venus are affected by it. Love, Sex, and more are fueled by this constant presence of sonic energy throughout the night and throughout the event. This sonic force also vibrates to, from, and with the Divine Herself.

As an Elemental of Rhythm, you take on a commitment that is rather serious yet that can provide great joy, fun, and more to you and to the entire community of the Temple of Venus. The living pulse, the sonic container, along with the Fire of Venus itself, is one of the most crucial and key components of the greater Temple and each night's sacred events.

Working and playing together each day, we will co-create rhythmic and musical ideas to enhance the focus of each evening's fire, to entice the spirits of every participant in the greater temple and to energize all the other temples within the Temple of Venus. We will become a beautiful, passionate, and united core in service to sustaining the sonic temple, the Fire, the Divine, and the Tribe.

Do you have a rhythm, a riff, a musical idea that would serve these purposes? Bring it On!