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Path of Levanah: New and Full Moon

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Path of Levanah: New and Full Moon
by Tau Malachi Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:59 pm

The Path of Levanah – the Moon

In the tradition we follow the Path of the Sun and Moon in sacred ceremony – the Path of the Sun
we honor with eight Holy Feasts following the movements and mysteries of the Holy Gospel through
the Solar Year; the Path of the Moon we honor with spiritual and magical work, including the
imparting of initiation and empowerments – twenty six movements in all, counting the new and full
moon of thirteen lunar cycles that compose the Lunar Year. This forms what is called the “Outer
and Inner Continuum,” respectively, and altogether, if they are remembered and kept, there are
thirty-four sacred ceremonies a year between the Solar and Lunar Continuums.

The themes of the Solar Feast are set through the Solar Year – from one year to another they
remain the same, though new ceremonies are made for them every year, and different aspects of
the theme and mysteries they represent may be explored from year to year. The themes of the
Lunar Rites are very different, however, for they are fluid and flowing, every shifting and changing,
and through the year no set theme is given to any of the thirteen moons – all different kinds of
prayers, meditations and sacred ceremonies are done honoring the cycles of the moon, some very
mystical in nature, others distinctly magical; the moons are typically honored with whatever
spiritual or magical work is needed for the people.

New Moon corresponds to purification and initiation; it is the time of mystical death and rebirth, a
time of new beginnings, but with new beginnings the shedding of the old and obsolete – it is
*conception*, and the entire cycle towards the Full Moon is *gestation*, the Full Moon representing
what is *birthed and made manifest*, a time of consecration, magical workings and seeking dreams
and visions, and all manner of expressions of the Divine Life. Then, following the Full Moon is the
time to experience and integrate what has been manifest, until once again the New Moon comes,
and the entire cycle begins again.

There are all manner of examples of New Moon Ceremony and Full Moon Ceremony that can be
given, but here I’d like to give a simple example of one of each, set into the context of group
ceremony, but easily adaptable for solo practitioners; the following are a New Moon and Full Moon
Ceremony anyone can perform.

New Moon Ceremony

You will want a moon crystal – a crystal that is especially good at working with lunar energies, and
you will need a sacred feather, also smudge and a smudge pot, along with some symbol of the
elemental force or wind affecting this moon: hence another special feather or feather fan, or a
dagger, if Air; or a cup or bowl of water, if Water; or a candle or wand, if Fire; or another sacred
crystal or stone, or pentacle, if Earth. A rattle or drum is also used in this ceremony.

It is good to begin indoors with this sacred ceremony so that people can experience the transition
to outdoors when called for, or if outdoors, then within a sacred circle so that people can
experience the transition of going out of the circle and returning to it.

The leader of shaman begins by enacting a smudging ceremony, smudging themselves and everyone
in circle, and honoring Father Sky and Earth Mother, and the Powers of the Four Directions, and
giving special honor to Sister Moon; then, in one way of another, the leader or shaman calls upon
the power of the Moon, drawing the Spirit of the Moon into the Sacred Circle – for this they may
use the sacred feather and moon crystal, or else the holy staff and moon crystal, along with the
Spirit of the Moon they may also call upon the corresponding Wind, or else the corresponding Wings
of the Wind.

*If a Sacred Circle has already been made by the shaman and they have already smudged
themselves, then they will smudge each person before they enter, and each person will enter from
the West and walk moonwise (which is counter-sunwise) to their places in the circle. Then, when
all have entered the Divine Powers will be honored and called.

When this is done, all who are gathered are asked to sit in holy meditation to become open and
sensitive to the energy and influence of this New Moon – open to the various thoughts, feelings,
intuitions and images the Mother Spirit might bring with this moon; they become empty of
themselves to be Spirit-filled.

At the beginning of this meditation the chant of El Shaddai may be taken up – “God, the Breasted
One,” or as a chant cycle: Ah-La Sha-Da-Ah-Yah.

Request everyone to open themselves to impressions and images of this Lunar Cycle.

Then, either pass the moon crystal or sacred feather moonwise around the circle, and as each
person holds the sacred object she or he shares whatever thoughts, feelings, impressions or images
are coming to them; when each person is done they pass the sacred object to the next person, and
so it goes around the Sacred Circle until it returns to the leader or shaman. (If a person does not
want to share, or feels they have nothing to share, they hold the sacred object in silence for a few
moments, respectfully, then touching it to their heart they pass it on – once passed on the sacred
object must continue around the Sacred Circle and it does not return to anyone again, save for the
leader or shaman.)

The leader or shaman adds whatever they are inclined to add, and then, taking everyone’s
impressions, weaves a story-prophecy of this moon and names this moon accordingly; for example,
a moon in December could be called “the gifting moon” or perhaps “the bright star moon,” or a
moon in May might be called “the happy moon” or maybe the “new life moon.”

At this point everybody goes out to greet the New Moon by name and to speak prayers and
invocations of this moon, as well as prayers and invocations on behalf of the people – all our
relations. (All go out through the West but return through the East.)

*The sacred objects remain in the center of the circle when everyone goes out. (A small sacred rug
is most often used as an altar to hold sacred objects in such ceremonies – so these items are on a
special little rug.)

Then the leader or shaman takes up a sacred song or chant, with a rattle or drum, and calls the
people back to circle – in circle the leader or shaman speak of the sign this moon is in and of the
corresponding Wind and Direction, and they may speak a teaching, or may speak a vision.

Everybody is asked to go to the symbol of the element and its draw power to themselves as though
they were smudging – then the ritual is closed by some song or chant, maybe a little celebration
and dance, worshipping in the Divine Presence and Power, and giving praise and thanksgiving to El
Elyon and the Divine Powers.

When all is said and done, later the leader or shaman will purify all of the sacred objects that were
used, and when they do this they will pray for everybody who was there and for all the people.
This completes the sacred ceremony.

*Afterwards there may be a celebration or party.

Full Moon Ceremony

Once again you will want a moon crystal, smudge and smudge pot, a sacred feather, rattle or drum
(or both), a candle or lamp, and a bowl of water – also you will want some meal offering that can
be held in hand, like some seeds, cornmeal or something like that.

*Ideally, this sacred ceremony is to be done outdoors in a place where you can see the Full Moon,
but if there is no place available that allows for it, then it can be done indoors.

Everything is arranged for this sacred ceremony by the leader or shaman before the people arrive –
an something of a continuum of prayer and tending circle is kept for some time before the people
are due to arrive, all Divine Powers, except for the Moon Power, having been invoked into the
Sacred Circle in advance.

The leader or shaman will choose a direction to enter the Sacred Circle through the inspiration of
the Mother Spirit, and when the people have arrived and it is time, she or he will call them to the
Sacred Circle – having already smudged themselves and the Sacred Circle, they will smudge the
people, and when all are purified in this way, the leader or shaman will enter into the Sacred
Circle first, walking moonwise, and they will take their place as guardian by the gate and guide in
the way. All will enter the same way until the circle is full – at the close of the rite, all will
complete their journey around the Sacred Circle to exit by the direction they entered.

When everyone has entered, the leader or shaman will go to the center of the Sacred Circle, they
will offer up the water to the Divine Powers and the Moon; then, with the moon crystal and sacred
feather, they will perform an invocation of the Spirit of the Moon, often using the method of the
sacred hexagram, and they will hold the crystal to the moon, drawing the Moon Power into it –
using the crystal they will then direct the Moon Power into the bowl of water, flicking, as it were,
the energy off of the crystal into the water with four or so gestures, as though shaking the energy
off. Then they will put the moon crystal by the bowl, along with the sacred feather.

The leader or shaman then picks up the meal offering, and taking a pinch of it offers it to Sister
Moon, along with any song, chant or prayer that is inspired; then they pass the meal offering
moonwise around the circle and each person in the Sacred Circle does the same – the remainder is
then poured around the sacred rug with the holy objects on it (on the earth, not the rug), and
prayers are spoken for all relations, all beings.

The bowl of water is offered up to Sister Moon again with prayers that she blesses it, specifically
with her powers of lucid dream and spirit-vision; then it is restored to its place and the leader or
shaman gazes into the water seeking a spirit-vision, then one by one each person is invited to come
and gaze, walking a straight line from their position in Sacred Circle and returning by the same
path.

Then, gazing briefly again, the leader or shaman takes a sip of water from the bowl, with a silent
pray that this water helps them and their people dream good dreams and see in the spirit-vision,
and to know and speak the truth of this moon, and to use the power of this moon well; then the
bowl is passed around the Sacred Circle and all who are present do the same.

When the bowl of water returns to the leader or shaman they offer it again to Sister Moon and pray
for all of the people – especially praying that all have good water to drink in this moon cycle, and
enough food to eat, and then the remaining water is given to Earth Mother, with a prayer of
blessings pouring out upon all our relations, all beings.

At this point, there is worship in the Shekinah of Yahweh, praise and thanksgiving, and continued
salutations and invocations uplifted to Sister Moon; in fruition of this, a song or chant may be taken
up, and the rattle or drum is used. (Sometimes a Wedding Feast may be performed as part of the
worship.)

*An actual banishing of the energy of the moon for purification is performed in closing, and a
prayer is spoken for the resurrection and ascension of this Good Earth.
The leader or shaman gathers up all of the sacred objects used in this ceremony, if necessary with
a helper, and they depart the Sacred Circle first, followed by everyone else – all finishing their
walk of the Sacred Circle and leaving by the gate through which they entered.

There may be something of a celebration or party afterwards, and perhaps some sharing of
experiences from the holy rite.

When everyone has left, the shaman purifies all sacred objects that were used and prays for the
people – this completes the sacred ceremony.

These are two examples of Moon ceremony, in some time others will also be shared – but these are
a good beginning.

*These two sacred ceremonies are also taught in the Order of St. Gabriel, as both are said to be
invocations of prophecy.

May we walk the Path of Sun and Moon in a sacred manner on earth, and pass in ascension
through the Middle Way; amen.

Blessings & shalom!

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