New Years Eve New Moon

Momiji Rite for the new moon

- Renew/make oaths/vows for 2017
- Adhere to a virtue (first in the cycle) : Active Benevolence & Compassion
- Make a personal choice for the month
- Make an offering to Momiji

What will you do to start off the New Year?

Momiji New Moon Rite for December

For Scarlet, the New Moon is dedicated to Devotions to Momiji.
At this time, Vows are renews (or new one's sworn).
Consideration of a Virtue from among the Bushido virtues lends to the focus of the coming month.
I evaluate the Choice I made last month to see if it was actually good for me.
I make a Choice for the month, something that will benefit me, or help me grow.
Then I evaluate my previous offering I made to Momiji, and make a new offering.

Today.
The vow I renew is my Threefold Vow: Be true to my word, my path, and myself.
The Bushido Virtue to focus on this month is: Benevolence/Compassion.

Through intense training, the Samurai becomes quick and strong. You are not as other people. You develop a power that must be used for the good of all. You have compassion. You help the people at every opportunity.

My Choice is to listen to what Raven advised: Trust. Take things one step at a time and trust that they will work out smoothly, so long as I do not rush and believe in both myself and those around me.

What offering/sacrifice will I make to Momiji? What does she want?
She wanted me to plan something fun that would hopefully draw in children. That project is definitely in the works and out there! But... what now?  Stay the course and see the project to fruition.

New Year, New Changes

So... She assured me that I was on the right path. The afternoon vision was a relief. While things were not working out the way I had initially planned, things were indeed working out, just changed and manifesting in a different way. The initial ideas were but a catalyst to reconnect me to other people, a catalyst to bring me to a special place, a catalyst to walk a path that has been calling me for a very very long time.

Apparently, the vision was incomplete.
Apparently, I was not going to get sleep.
Apparently, she asks for a meet...
... Of the best and strongest links I keep.

So... what is the next step (that I had to be kept awake for till 5am)?

Bring together the people I want to walk this path with. Stop doing it alone. I don't have to do it alone. We are walking similar paths. Time to walk them together. In Service...

In the quiet before the Equinox

Equinoxes bring about change and balance. Everything equalizes. Sometimes that means the few weeks before the Equinox are a flurry of events and activities, chaos and emotions. Sometimes it is like the calm before the storm, everything feels stagnant and unmoving.

Sometimes you have both situations paradoxically at the same time.

The Equinox falls exactly between the Full Moon and the Dark Moon this year. So here are some things to consider for these weeks of energy.

Full Moon
Month of the Ivy: Search for the self, nourishing your soul, inner strength, facing our mistakes, self-evaluation, tenacity, survival, primal, instinctual, ruthless, constricting, breaking barriers, reformulation of reality
Harvest Moon: A good time clean and clear up the issues of life. A ritual for healing old wounds, emotional and physical, forgiving transgressors and yourself. A "letting go" time. Your harvesting the abundance of your soul and your growth, so get rid of that old stuff and make room for the new enlightened you!
You are reaping what you have sewn over the year.

Dark Moon
Introspection. Take some time for YOU, to adjust to the dark half of the year and ready yourself for it. Think about what you have gained and harvested. Think about what you need to cope with the coming darkness and cold.

Moon Rites

Moon rites continue to be a stable of this coven's work. I host Dark Moons and now Full Moons for the public. I am glad everyone seems to benefit from attending them as much as I do sharing them.

Dark Moons: for introspection and letting go (honoring Morrighan & Raven)

Full Moons: celebrating wisdom, creativity, and exploration (Honoring Sophia & Cat)

There is a third moon that I do, specifically for Momiji. I usually do this one privately. Last New Crescent Moon, I hosted it for the public. We all listened to the meaning of vows as my own commitments. Then we considered a virtue: Heroic Courage.

"Courage is not blind, it is intelligent and strong. While always remaining cautious and on point, the warrior is not easily intimidated." http://www.mindbodyvortex.com/the-seven-virtues-of-bushido/

"Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage: Courage is worthy of being counted among virtues only if it’s exercised in the cause of Righteousness and Rectitude. In his Analects, Confucius says: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’" http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/

Along with virtues, we consider choice we make in our lives, choices that will benefit our lives, and encourage out personal growth. My own was to write at least weekly, something that was not WORK or SCHOOL related. Write for the fun of it. This is good for my soul and sometimes I need to remind myself of it.

Finally, we made offerings or promises of offerings to Momiji for the blessings she brings into my life and possibly into the lives of others. I promised to visit the Botanical Gardens and give some energy to the momiji bonsais. I managed to do this on my birthday (July 24th) and made an event of it so that others can enjoy the gardens. It was such a fulfilling afternoon.

Open Full Moon Ritual & Coven Meeting

DATE & TIME: June 19th at 5pm 
LOCATION: 43 Westminster North (3rd floor), Montreal-West
COST: $5

Full Moon rituals in Sophia Rising are in honor of both the Goddess Sophia (Wisdom) and the Cat Totem (or Bast). This month, we open the ritual for the public for a Strawberry/Rose Moon (where we celebrate our accomplishments) focusing on the Sacred Holly tree and the Ogham of Tinne (where we mark our spiritual steps forward).

All are welcome to this ritual!

Those interested in Sophia Rising Coven and wishing information will learn more after the ritual with a short information session. Interested people may fill an application and if accepted, will be invited to a meeting before the Dark Moon of July to start the Outer Court 4-month process.

Remember that there are many reasons for people to be accepted and refused. You might think you are a good fit, when the coven as a whole disagrees. Do not take it personally, we are keeping your and our best interests at heart. The same is also true in reverse. The coven might think you would be the perfect addition, but if you do not feel comfortable for whatever reason, then trust your instincts. Now might not be the right time for you. This group might not be the one. If it is... welcome to an incredible new journey along your and our path.
  
Possible requirements:

- Completion of Crescent Moon School's Level 2 program
- 5 years active study with proof/references
- 1 year full community attendance/involvement

Outer Court Process
The Outer Court process costs $25 ($20 to your mentor and $5 to the coven). With a mentor, complete the Outer Court lesson in 3-4 months’ time. This includes the reading material for the lesson and the preparation and presentation of personal research. All coven esbats must be attended. And understand that completion does not guarantee dedication.

Want to know more about Sophia Rising?
http://momiji-moon.blogspot.ca/2015/06/normal-0-false-false-false-en-ca-x-none.html

Devotionals and Oaths

This month, I attended a Morrigan Devotional where we renewed vows to the Morrigan, thanked her, made offerings to her, or swore new oaths to her.

I swore a new oath to bring her Raven Dark Moon rituals back to the public starting after Imbolc.