Welcome.
Welcome to the beginning.
My hope is that each special deity that we meet may help you journey to a place of rest and of compassion.
Perhaps that we may feel,
As our ancestors once did,
That these goddesses watch over us in some way as we find a peaceful place,
Our own healing sanctuary in sleep.
Our journey begins with the stars to help guide our way,
As we journey with the help of the star maiden Asteria of Greek mythology.
She is the titan goddess of the fallen stars of dreamtime and there are messages to be found within the stars and as we settle into our restful place,
Take your time,
Surround yourself in softness and warmth.
How blessed we are to have somewhere safe to rest and to breathe as we take as long as we need to close the eyes,
To settle.
In our mind's eye we will envisage a beautiful marble temple,
A great Greek temple for the goddess of the stars.
Give yourself time to visualise this sacred building before you,
Beautiful and glowing as the stone shines under moonlight and starlight.
See the beautiful decorations carved into stone,
The columns,
The step and the warming lanterns that hang by the door to welcome you in,
To guide you into this special sacred place.
And as we ascend marble steps and enter past great marble columns,
We find ourselves in a temple that is perfectly made for a goddess of the stars because above us there is a great window to see the night sky and we see the sparkling stars.
It is said that Asteria is goddess of shooting stars and falling stars and in this beautiful place perhaps it seems as though the stars move down from the heavens and drift around us.
We light a candle at the temple for the goddess,
With the light of candles and stars around us,
We see the lights that may help guide our way,
Guide our journey tonight and for the nights ahead and for any paths that we may seek.
With the gentle glowing lights of stars and candles around you,
A beautiful painted mural upon the walls of the temple can be seen.
It is a story,
A story from legend of the goddess Asteria.
She,
Titan goddess,
Goddess of the stars,
Once,
The goddess was pursued by the amorous god Zeus,
But this goddess had her own plans and her own path to walk.
So she transformed herself into a bird and flew to an island.
Here,
As a bird in her sanctuary,
She lived her own life,
Took her own path,
Flying in her own way and by the path charted by her own stars.
Here within this temple of starlight,
Perhaps we watch the stars and dream of what they may have in store for us,
Watched over by the goddess who knows what it is to follow your own stars.
And whether you wish to fly or to rest,
The great Titan goddess can watch over us.
