This month's full moon altar honours the Phrygian goddess, Cybele. Phrygia was part of Asia Minor's Anatolia region, which is in Turkey these days. As a Mother Goddess representing the deified Earth, Cybele is crowned and seated on her Lion Throne, holding the greatest symbol of her power -- the sacred frame drum which creates and measures out the heartbeat of life. The roundness of her frame drum represents the full moon, another symbol of the Divine Feminine. In those ancient times, only women were allowed to engage in sacred drumming to honour Cybele.
I obtained this statue from Sacred Source about 15 years ago. My hoop drum rests behind Cybele on the altar, with its drumstick before her throne. I blogged last week about making my drum, which you can read by clicking here, if you want. The folded-up altar cloth is actually a large 4-foot-round cloth circle which I used for many years as a centre altar cloth when facilitating my women's drumming circle (you can see a photo of it in action here).
Cybele's sacred plant is the pine/fir tree, so she is flanked on one side by a lovely beeswax tree candle which my sister gave me for Christmas, and on the other side with three large pine cones gleaned from Edmonton's river valley.
Cybele was also a very popular goddess in ancient Rome, where she was known as Magna Mater ("Great Mother"). Her temple stood where the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica stands today. When Christians came to power in Rome, they tore down her pagan temple and used its stones to build their own church. Because drumming was so closely associated with Cybele's worship, drumming was never historically allowed inside any Catholic Christian church.
Oh, by the way, if you want to read how My Rare One and I reclaimed St. Peter's Basilica for Magna Mater when we were in Rome in 2008, just click here and here.
[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, May 2021]
How wonderful, I read the St Peter's posts, very-very good.
ReplyDeleteInteresting history on a powerful symbol. It is no surprise the Christians destroyed Cybele and used her stones to build their church, just like they stole many traditions from the Pagan ways.
ReplyDeleteloved this one absolutely dear Debra !
ReplyDeleteyour drum is divine and so is sharing my friend :)
this is completely unfamiliar thing to me as i thought women drumming in circle for their divinity are part of Asia only :)
i enjoyed how it was common even before church ,thank you for the link ,i found her an totally inspirational woman indeed!
Gorgeous set up! LOL, I loved reading about the Vatican shenanigans. I hope the mini statues stuck around for awhile.
ReplyDeleteI like this one, and the statue! What's not to like about a full moon?
ReplyDeleteI love this one - beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNow I wanna be in a drumming circle.
ReplyDeleteThey had drumming circles during full moon here in Chi near the lake before COVID hit. I went to two and it was fantastic.
The idea of xtianity destroying temples to build its churches tells us all we need to know about it.
XOXO
Hello Debra, You'll forgive my not joining in with you on this one. Since Cybele was the head of a castration cult, I'm not going to do anything to honor or encourage her. By the way, your beeswax tree candle looks exactly as though it were made of maple sugar.
ReplyDelete--Jim
@ Parnassus (Jim) -- Yes, Cybele did have voluntarily castrated male followers who wanted to serve Cybele as priestesses, which means they would also dress and live as women. I've always assumed that these men were expressing transgender identities in the only way possible in ancient times.
ReplyDeleteMission Impossible 13: Pranking the Vatican. Now there's a movie I'd pay to see.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful, Debra, and full of energy. I love everything about it.
ReplyDeleteI an't imagine the Catholic church not allowing drumming in the church..Go figure..LOL
ReplyDeleteHow big of a drumming circle would it take to encircle Vatican city?
ReplyDelete@ Mike -- Hahahahahaha, I'd love to organize that!
ReplyDeleteI love that alter. Everything has meaning.
ReplyDeletesacred drumming - That reminded me that Karen Carpenter was a drumming. She didn't get much notice as a drummer. Play your drum. Just don't bang the drum all day.
ReplyDeleteLove this! I think she is one of my favourites now.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful altar and I love that candle.
ReplyDeleteI'm with brewella deville on this one!
ReplyDelete@ brewella deville and @ Tundra Bunny -- I love the idea of a movie too, LOL! But who, oh WHO, would play me in the movie? And don't say Tom Cruise! I'm sporty but not THAT sporty!
ReplyDeleteAngelina Jolie in a fat suit?
ReplyDelete@ Tundra Bunny -- Hey, those with big bunny butts shalt not cast the first rabbit poop pellet.
ReplyDeleteA simply beautiful altar.
ReplyDeleteJeez, I thought I was being complimentary -- my first thought was to suggest Roseanne Barr!
ReplyDeleteI never noticed or even thought much about drums not being played in Christian church before, but now that you've brought it to my attention, that it's because it might bring undue attention to a drumming goddess, well, that's a very interesting fact.
ReplyDeleteI can only conclude that there's no such thing as a Organist Goddess.
Cybele is one I know little about. But I do remember having to use her name in a writing class back in cegep.
ReplyDelete"Heartbeat of life" I love that. What a beautiful altar, Debra.
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed with how you made your drum. Very cool!!
Elsie
A beautiful altar this month, D. (Well, they have all been beautiful, tbh.)
ReplyDeleteI love the stories of your drumming circle and your daring escapades to reconsecrate the Goddess's temple. You and Your Rare One are like the Divine Feminine Ninja Squad!
Damn Christians had to destroy all things good and meaningful. Wait, did I say that out loud? Nah, I just wrote it here. Love live Cybele.
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful statue and altar! I am so envious! And what a shame about the temple. I would love to join a drumming circle. Maybe when the world is in a more normal state.
ReplyDeleteLovely, Debra! Your alters fill me with peace.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Deb! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete