Last August I helped with a red tent and participated in a Women of the 14th Moon ceremony. It was a weekend of camping on a gorgeous piece of Oregon countryside, being exclusively with women, creating sacred space, performing sacred service, and honoring the three stages of womanhood as well as our ancestors. Wow! This is not something we normally come across in our culture! It felt very Native American and very far out! I loved how Spiritual it was- connecting us strongly to Source and Mother Earth. I loved how there was no negativity amongst the group, no “pissy judgements” as the intercessor asked us to do without for the time we spent together. We were asked to not use any alcohol, or drugs so that we were not in the least bit altered. We were also asked not to use our cell phones. I can’t remember the last time I spent three days straight with no one using their cell phones! It was rather astonishing to witness.
To be honest, I often squirmed during this ceremony. Some of the rituals took a long time to set up or accomplish. It was a challenge to keep my patience. But after returning to “reality” and my daily routines, I felt profoundly impacted in a very positive way.
When I was a kid, I used to fantasize about and yearn for the Native American way of life. I understood their love and respect for Life, the Earth and Spirit. You could say I resonated with them. There, at Women Of the 14th Moon, I fulfilled some of that yearning. And experiencing these rituals of honoring the stages of being a woman with a large group of heartfull women has re-energized me for a long time to come. I will take this charge and march forth in my endeavor to create an easily accessible, modern red tent called Moondays, where women can get their daily, weekly or monthly rejuvenation. May we come to know and experience more of these rituals.