About Us
Priestess Laurelinn:
Donna Mead
Laurelinn is an initiated 1st and 2nd degree Wiccan, through a local traditional Wiccan group, as well as an ordained Priestess of Sekhmet. She's been a practicing Wiccan for over 30yrs. Laurelinn went through & completed the Ordination Program of the Temple of Goddess Spirituality under the guidance of Priestess Candace Ross with Priest Naheem. She was the resident Priestess at the Temple of Goddess Spirituality from March 2020 to July 2020 when Priestess Candace Ross stepped down. Now Laurelinn has joined in with Naheem & Novaembre, to form Sanctuary of Solace, creating an all inclusive, diverse community where everyone is welcome to worship Sekhmet in their own way.
Priestess Novaembre:
Candace Kant, Ph.D., Academic Dean
Novaembre: holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in history from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Ph.D. in history from Northern Arizona University. She has taught history, women’s studies, and religious studies courses at the College of Southern Nevada since 1976, including such classes as the History of Witchcraft, Goddess Traditions, Introduction to Modern Paganism, and Modern Pagan Thought, all of which she developed. After 32 years of teaching Novaembre: retired and was awarded the title Emerita. She developed and taught courses in practical Pagan and Goddess Spirituality at the Temple of Goddess Spirituality dedicated to Sekhmet in Cactus Springs, Nevada and through the College of Southern Nevada Continuing Education. A devotee of Sekhmet, she was ordained at the Temple of Goddess Spirituality in 2003 and has served as one of the temple priestesses from 2006 to 2020. Novaembre: is currently a founding member and Priestess of Sanctuary of Solace.
Priest Naheem:
Edmond Costello
Our youngest founder, Naheem is one the last students who completed the Ordination Program of the Temple of Goddess Spirituality under the guidance of Priestess Candace Ross. He is also the first man to have completed the ordination program there. Naheem was a very active member of the Temple of Spirituality and brings his high motivation, thirst for knowledge and strong leadership to the forefront of this new community.
Community Vision
A small group of Sekhmet followers have come together to create a new fully diverse, all inclusive, Goddess based community, (with the same emphasis on our beloved Sekhmet) here in Las Vegas. The Valley had been lacking in this type of Goddess Temple for awhile, and from that the need, Sanctuary of Solace has emerged! As stated, the SoS is fully diverse and inclusive, leaving no one out from any and all roles, including of course ritual and leadership.
Currently we are all still social distancing, so the SoS will be running as an online virtual community. When the time comes to be together again, we will be holding rituals in Candace and Jim's home, then possibly rotating to others in the future. We would love to have you all join us in celebrating this new community.
Sa Sakem Saku