Pagaian Cosmology Forum
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#1 2008-01-25 09:34:36
New Ritual Space at BigTree
Here is the latest photo of the emerging MoonCourt at our Place "Bru-na-BigTree" - as taken September 2009, as we prepare for Eostar ritual. The Seasonal markers are on the wall: Winter Solstice window with Triple Spiral on the left, the Equinox triangle with Loughcrew symbol in the centre, and the round Summer Solstice window on the right. The floor has a brass spiral representing the Universe Story - ready for Cosmic Walk rituals.
For more detail of the Equinox marker see post #25 in this topic.
And for the Cosmic Walk script that will be used for the inaugural Cosmic walk ritual on October 10th 2009, see Winter Solstice reflections S.H. 2009 post#2
Check some of the last posts in this topic for pics of the MoonCourt decorated for recent rituals.
A new topic has now been created for the ongoing events at MoonCourt .... now that the "era of construction" is largely done.
Below is something of the story of the MoonCourt's emergence- as we began to tell it in January 2008. And Taffy has completed a series of 3 videos published to YouTube, documenting the process so far - as at early April 2009:
PaGaian MoonCourt - the foundation
PaGaian MoonCourt - the cob wall
and PaGaian MoonCourt - the roof and shelter.
The story - as we began to tell it 25th January 2008:
BigTree is the affectionate name for our Place ... where the Akkademie PaGaian Cosmology happens - the rituals, the courses, the writing and all matters domestic, which are the basis of the religious (connecting) practice engaged in here.
Taffy and I have commenced the building of new space for the rituals. It will have cobwalls and rammed-earth floor, an open roof (shade sail of some kind) and much more ... to be unfolded as we go. Just yesterday we ordered wrought iron artwork of the Triple Spiral within a Winter Solstice window which will be in the Vesica Piscis shape - the yonic sign of Goddess.
Here is a photo of the beginnings, at the time of Lammas 2008 in the Southern Hemisphere (early Feb):
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#2 2008-03-14 10:00:19
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
"It's happening Reg!" as Ruth says in "Life of Brian" ... here it is unfolding at last, as at the 13th March 2008: 
We might call it the PaGaian Ritual Courtyard ... a Place for courting the Mother.
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#3 2008-03-18 09:51:53
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
PaGaian Ritual Courtyard 18th March 2008 
The pole in the middle of the foundations, marking the centre, is a garden torch that will be used to light the Autumn Equinox Underworld in the ritual this weekend. I'm not sure whether the Underworld might be able to be situated on the Courtyard surface ... we'll see what the state of it is by Saturday 22nd.
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#4 2008-03-19 21:42:47
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
20th March 2008 ...
the Moment of Equinox - Autumn Equinox at our Place on EarthGaia.
Taffy marked out the place of sunrise this morning, as seen from the centre of the Courtyard, on the foundation wall. He also marked the place of sunrise for Summer Solstice as we know it to be, but this time as seen from the centre of the Courtyard: so we can put the Summer Solstice window there in the wall. He did the same for the Winter Solstice place, and had me hammer in the marker.
Taffy is making a video of it all, which will probably go up on YouTube.
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#5 2008-03-24 22:13:12
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
The Ritual Courtyard as it was for the Underworld part of the Autumn Equinox ritual, 22nd March 2008:
It had rained most of the day, but cleared enough for us to "go out into the Night with Persephone and plant our seeds." The full Moon came out and took a look at us too! 
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#6 2008-04-06 23:04:06
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
Taffy buried a special heart shaped stone in the centre in the foundations. As he was feeling the loss of this stone, he was visited next day by an ibis (on the neighbour's roof) – associated with the heart shape and temple building.
We have never seen one of these birds here before. Taffy took video footage which will eventually go into documentation of the building of this sacred place.
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#7 2008-04-16 09:20:24
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
This email arrived from Brian Britten today:
Hi Glenys,
I was looking through some mesoamerican images on a
website and the Maya glyph for 'heart' reminded me of
your Pagaian triad spirals. I found a really good
example of this symbol on an archaeologist's drawing
of an artifact and saved the image in my picture file.
Later in the day,I received your e-newsletter and I
attached your web page logo to this image and it is
attached . It seems so appropriate to have the 'inner
life force' of the heart depicted in the same design
as the goddess matrix..smile.
Regards,Brian
and here is the pic:
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#9 2008-05-03 13:07:22
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
The cob walls have begun to grow and the Winter Solstice window goes in - 30th April 2008:
Go here for the full album so far:Taffy .Mac site
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#10 2008-05-08 14:44:57
#11 2008-05-14 01:54:29
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
After much playing around with words, Taffy and I have decided to call the ritual courtyard a PaGaian MoonCourt ... this being a new word for Sacred Space, instead of "church", "temple" or equivalent. A PaGaian MoonCourt is for celebrating Cosmogenesis - the Triple Spiral.
It is a place for getting caught by the Moon, where Her law/lore is laid out. The seasonal rituals as we do them are a celebration of the dance of Light and Dark - the rhythm of waxing peaking and waning, as Moon holds them within Her round face.
We did also think about naming it a MoonAsylum ... for it is a "refuge" for learning and celebrating Her Wisdom.
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#12 2008-05-25 09:18:00
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
As of 23rd May 2008 ... Summer Solstice window goes in place, along with the Winter Solstice window:
and solar panels go in the same day ... 12 on the roof altogether. Our electricity meter now goes in reverse! Taffy got footage of it (going in reverse) and has posted a story PaGaian Seasonal Wheeling - in Reverse
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#14 2008-06-22 22:47:53
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
Set up for Winter Solstice ritual:
A video of the Solstice dawn and the lighting of the Triple Spiral window can be viewed here: Triple Spiral at Bru na BigTree
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#15 2008-06-26 23:54:05
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
The MoonCourt with its seasonal markers of Sun at Winter and Summer Solstice and the Equinoxes is mind-altering I am finding. It is placing me in a new way.
Building your own MoonCourt is an ecological way of shifting one's mind .. build your own "Newgrange" - Bru na "wherever" - instead of flying to the original ... though it is nice to know it is still there and its energy is creating this one.
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#16 2008-08-02 10:30:08
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
Further to the transformation of the Place - "Bru-na-BigTree", Green Man and Medusa have been moved from the wall of the garden shed and placed on BigTree's newly created spaces (2 limbs lopped off). Green Man holds the upper position for the waxing light part of the cycle - as it is right now in the Southern Hemisphere, and Medusa will hold the upper position for the waxing dark part of the cycle ... we swing them around at Summer Solstice. (See post #21)
photo by Taffy
PaGaian Cosmology celebrates the Virgin/Young One aspect of Goddess throughout the light part of the cycle ... and Green Man is included as a face of the Virgin dynamic of the Triple Spiral, the Urge-to-Be who expresses Herself in all beings and genders.
The Crone/Old One aspect of Goddess is celebrated throughout the dark part of the cycle ... and Medusa is one of Her faces - not "Old" but definitely One who Creates-Space-to-Be, which how I understand the Crone dynamic of the Triple Spiral: She is essentially Creative. For more: see Chapter 3 or "Search this Site".
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#17 2008-09-02 10:19:09
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
MoonCourt as we approach Spring Equinox - early September 2008 ... but still more to done yet: have to get that Summer Solstice window in, artwork at the Equinox marker (where the flowers are), rendering, a reciprocal roof and finishing the floor.
Taffy and I did make this Imbolc video just before this: Celebrating Imbolc 2008
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#19 2008-09-24 10:16:05
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
As I looked at the three markers for the four solar points of Equinoxes and Solstices on the MoonCourt wall, I realized another valency of the significance of the Triple Spiral. I hadn't seen that before ... how Sun moves back and forth over the period of the year, through three points on the horizon: the Equinoxes are the same midpoint. Having this construction is mind-altering.
And here is a photo of Spring Equinox morning 2008 @ MoonCourt - after the ritual the evening before, and after the wind had blown quite a bit of the decorations away. Sun is rising directly above the Equinox marker - midpoint between the Winter Solstice window and the Summer Solstice window. The Equinox marker will have some artwork there by Autumn Equinox 2009.
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#20 2008-12-04 11:01:47
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
The morning after Beltaine ritual, November 2008 - our wrapped Nova-pole (Southern Hemisphere version of "Maypole"). This is a view from the back of the MoonCourt looking up towards the Summer Solstice window:
and this one the day before the Beltaine ritual: ... that's a reciprocal roof that has just been put in place - with 7 poles - note the shadow on the floor:
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#21 2009-01-04 11:04:09
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
We held an "Opening Concert" on the 17th December 2008 - Wendy Rule came and sang for us. We had almost 50 people: Wendy Rule @ PaGaian MoonCourt and Wendy Rule @ Bru-na-BigTree
Photo as taken at Summer Solstice Southern Hemisphere (December 21st 2008):
Here we are ready for Summer Solstice ritual - December 20th 2008:
and the inaugural lighting of the Summer Solstice window and some Summer Solstice Poetry can be viewed on YouTube: Summer Solstice 08 @ Bru-na-BigTree
and now Summer Solstice 2008 has just passed, it is the time of the waxing Dark: so we have swung Medusa and Green Man around on BigTree. See post #16 for brief story on them in regard PaGaian Cosmology. Here they are:
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#22 2009-01-23 00:25:46
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
... and very pleased for MoonCourt to be linked here: Glastonbury Goddess Temples Elsewhere. I feel Glastonbury as a Home of my lineage, and of the tradition celebrated in the MoonCourt.
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#23 2009-02-15 07:15:40
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
MoonCourt dressed for Lammas ritual 31st January 2009:
and here is video done in the MoonCourt: Celebrating Lammas 2009
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#24 2009-03-24 21:08:34
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
Autumn Equinox at MoonCourt on the morning of the 21st March - a little after dawn, and post-ritual the night before - which was right on the Equinox Moment:
And Celebrating Mabon 09 - the video for YouTube that Taffy and I made from footage and photos taken over a 48 hour period in the creation of the ritual and the "leftovers".
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#25 2009-03-28 11:26:29
Re: New Ritual Space at BigTree
Artist Tom Giffin has added the design to the Equinox marker: the sunwheel in the centre is a re-creation of the 5000 year old one on the backstone at Loughcrew in Bru-na-Boinne Ireland, which is lit at the Equinoxes there:
And here is a video of this symbol being lit there at Loughcrew ("Hag's Chair") at Spring Equinox 2005: Knowth.com
And the umbrella has gone in today - 28th March 2009:
and closed up she looks like the guardian Abbess:
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