World Goddess Day 2023 with the Priestesses of Kernow

In this article Priestess Gail describes how she went to Cornwall to spend time at the World Goddess Day that was hosted by Priestess Elayne Bines and the Priestesses of Kernow.  This was such a respectful honouring of Cerridwen and many other Goddesses.  Long may it continue.

 

World Goddess Day 2023 Event at Heartlands in Cornwall, hosted by the Priestesses of Kernow

The first Sunday in September each year is World Goddess Day. Claudiney Prieto, author of Wicca – A Religião da Deusa (Wicca – The Religion of the Goddess), initiated World Goddess Day in 2014 with the intention of uniting worshippers of the Mother Goddess worldwide and honouring all Her manifestations through the millennia – the Prima Mater, Inanna, Ereshkigal, Ishtar, Asherah, Sophia, the Shekinah, Lilith, Isis, Artemis-Diana, Athena-Minerva, Demeter-Ceres, Persephone-Proserpina, Hecate, Kybele-Cybele, Kali, the Kelle, Ker, Cerridwen, Mary Magdalene, the Black Madonna, Morgan le Fay, etc. On World Goddess Day we are encouraged to take some time in nature, meditate, and connect consciously with Goddess.

 

Elayne Bines has been a devotee of Goddess for over forty years. She lives in Kernow (Cornwall) and has been a Priestess of Kernow since 2009, after completing the two year training course. Since then she completed the three-year Priestess of Rhiannon training, with Katinka Soetens and trained for two years with Bee Helygen, initiating as a Priestess of Cerridwen in 2021. 

A teacher and holistic therapist for many years, Elayne facilitates workshops, gives presentations, creates and performs rituals, holds pop-up temples, creates events on World Goddess Day, is a Melissa at the Glastonbury Goddess Temple and a frequent participant in the monthly Cerridwen Dark Moon Rituals on Zoom.

Elayne brought back the Priestess of Kernow training in 2021, sharing her knowledge and training with new circles of women.  All who join her course have answered the call to know more about Goddess, to deepen their relationship with her and to serve the land of Kernow they love.  Find out more about the training here: https://priestessofkernow.weebly.com/ 

 

Elayne has been organising events to celebrate World Goddess Day since it started in 2014 at different venues around Kernow. In 2023 World Goddess Day fell on September the 3rd.  The venue Elayne and the Priestesses of Kernow chose was Heartlands, a 19 acre Cornish Mining World Heritage Site designed to promote Cornish culture.  “I chose Heartlands because it is very Cornish and has all the facilities we need”, Elayne explains.  

The 3rd of September turned out to be a bakingly hot, sunny day.  As people approached the main conference hall, the ground was dry and dusty. However, when they neared the entrance, they were greeted by a green river of herbs.  The Priestesses of Kernow had lovingly gathered armfuls of fragrant herbs from the land where they lived and had strewn them on the ground, marking the path between the checking-in point and the Temple space.  Everyone was invited to walk mindfully along the winding snake of herbs, delighting in the scents released as they passed.

Elayne said that the first time she saw the large stone warehouse at Heartlands she knew it would be just perfect as a Temple. The structure is constructed of huge boulders and timber.  It feels very ancient and solid.  The thickness of the walls kept the air inside cool, despite the heat of the late summer’s day.  The Priestesses of Kernow had worked with and amplified the natural atmosphere of the building, creating a calm, welcoming space for quiet contemplation.  

As people entered the Temple, a Priestess offered to cleanse and bless them with an essence spray and paper fan.  

Three different labyrinths were laid out on the floor to slowly walk around, if you chose to.  The one pictured here had been lovingly hand-stitched and painted onto fabric.

There was also a curtained tent where anyone wishing to receive a sacred tattoo could go.  The tattoos were applied by hand and a special blessing was offered at the end of the process.

 

At the far end of the Temple was a raised platform where a glorious altar had been erected.  The nine Goddesses of the Wheel of the Priestesses of Kernow were represented and honoured.  The first Goddess, to the far left, is Cerridwen, seen below next to the Cailleach.

Elayne is fantastically knowledgeable about archaeology and herstory.   She has included displays of Goddess figurines discovered dating from thousands of years before the common era and coming from many different parts of the world. 

As well as space for private worship and meditation, there were also formal, ceremonial elements to the Day.  Elayne says “I decided to keep the opening ceremony very simple, so we processed out to the Earth heartbeat,”

“The Priestesses took up their positions and I announced that the Priestess holding Maeve ( the Element of Fire ) would light the flame of Kernow to declare that the World Goddess Day was open. Maeve lit the candle and from there they started to call in.”

“It was lovely to watch everyone turn with them. We were surprised to see that there were probably forty people in the circle”. 

After the opening Ceremony, visitors could enjoy a series of workshops and talks.  They could choose from a wide range of different healing treatments on offer, given by experienced practitioners.  Inside the main conference centre there were also two floors full of stalls where people were selling handmade products and Goddess-related wares.

Elayne believes in practical Priestessing and the Priestesses of Kernow support a variety of local charitable causes, some of whom were represented at the event,  including a wildlife sanctuary called Ravenswell.  Elayne sees this as part of their service to the wildlife of the county. 

As World Goddess Day came to a close for 2023, Elayne said “my intent was to show the Priestesses of Kernow helping to bring Goddess to the Cornish community. I believe that we did that. We had over 200 people attend today. For the first year after COVID, I think that was a good result”.  Absolutely, what a fabulous achievement, congratulations to all involved.  The thought, hard work and love which went into creating the Celebration shone through so brightly.  We can’t wait to see what World Goddess Day will bring in 2024.

All image credits: Elayne Bines, Gail Spiritstar and the Priestesses of Kernow and friends

 

Gail Spiritstar Roberts, Priestess of Cerridwen

Gwynedd, Wales

Gail Spiritstar is a Priestess of Cerridwen and an Awenydd of the Anglesey Druid Order. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Gail has always known in her bones the essential, deep connection with nature and a love of wild places. She has been consciously following a path of nature-based spirituality for 35 years. Gail moved to Wales in 1995 to train with the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. She is an experienced actor, singer and storyteller. Gail now lives in Southern Snowdonia, not far from Llyn Tegid, Bala. As a Priestess she enjoys serving by co-creating ceremonies, building community and…anything else Cerridwen may require!