Celebrating the Moon Festival

Celebrate the Moon with a festival in her Honor. That is Festival moon cakes. Invite your women friends to gather outdoors before sunset to watch the moon as she rises. Ask them to symbols of the moon, readings or poems in honor of the moon and foods that remind them of the moon. You can buy moon cakes from a Chinese bakery or make them using the recipe below from Nina Simond’s book Chinese Seasons. I like to make lemon-balm tea (since lemon balm is an herb of the moon) and serve honeydew melon. Or bring the traditional plates of pomegranates, grapes, apples, melons and peaches.

Before the moon rises, set up an altar in the middle of your space with an image of the Moon Hare, surrounded by 13 moon cakes, the fruit, and any other symbols that represent the moon, like pearls, dimes, abalone shells, mirrors, water, tarot cards representing the Moon. You may want to decorate your space with lanterns.

When I celebrate with my women friends, we gather shortly before sunset, set up the altar and then worship the Moon silently as she comes up. We draw her down into our bodies, using the posture of drawing down the moon, arms open wide and held up above our heads. When we are bathed in her silvery rays, we usually sing “Neesa,” a Native American song in honor of the moon, found in Kate Marks’ book Circle of Song. This is followed by the reciting of the poems and readings we’ve brought to honor her.

I always bring a large blue bowl, which we fill with water and use to catch the reflection of the moon. Drinking the water brings the power of the moon into our bodies. There is also a cake to enjoy, Mooncake.

Then we sit down and feast on the moon foods and talk about our experiences with the moon over the years. I’ve found that most women have great stories about feeling a special connection with the Moon. As a child I always watched for her and felt that she was communicating privately with me. My most recent encounter with the Moon was during a sweat lodge under a full moon. When I lay in the meadow, naked, between the two sweats, the moon danced above me and then swooped down into my body. It was an ecstatic experience.

Festival moon cakes is a special festival. Let’s celebrate it with someone we love.

Our ritual usually closes with another singing of “Neesa,” which works beautifully in rounds (most appropriate for the moon).

Source : http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/celmidaut.html

Festival moon cakes. Invite your women friends to gather outdoors before sunset to watch the moon as she rises. Ask them to symbols of the moon, readings or poems in honor of the moon and foods that remind them of the moon. You can buy moon cakes from a Chinese bakery or make them using the recipe below from Nina Simond's book Chinese Seasons. I like to make lemon-balm tea (since lemon balm is an herb of the moon) and serve honeydew melon. Or bring the traditional plates of pomegranates, grapes, apples, melons and peaches. Before the moon rises, set up an altar in the middle of your space with an image of the Moon Hare, surrounded by 13 moon cakes, the fruit, and any other symbols that represent the moon, like pearls, dimes, abalone shells, mirrors, water, tarot cards representing the Moon. You may want to decorate your space with lanterns. When I celebrate with my women friends, we gather shortly before sunset, set up the altar and then worship the Moon silently as she comes up. We draw her down into our bodies, using the posture of drawing down the moon, arms open wide and held up above our heads. When we are bathed in her silvery rays, we usually sing "Neesa," a Native American song in honor of the moon, found in Kate Marks' book Circle of Song. This is followed by the reciting of the poems and readings we've brought to honor her. I always bring a large blue bowl, which we fill with water and use to catch the reflection of the moon. Drinking the water brings the power of the moon into our bodies. There is also a cake to enjoy, Mooncake. Then we sit down and feast on the moon foods and talk about our experiences with the moon over the years. I've found that most women have great stories about feeling a special connection with the Moon. As a child I always watched for her and felt that she was communicating privately with me. My most recent encounter with the Moon was during a sweat lodge under a full moon. When I lay in the meadow, naked, between the two sweats, the moon danced above me and then swooped down into my body. It was an ecstatic experience. Festival moon cakes is a special festival. Let's celebrate it with someone we love. Our ritual usually closes with another singing of "Neesa," which works beautifully in rounds (most appropriate for the moon). Source : http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/celmidaut.h>