Ritual For Moon Maidens: The Chandrian Order Contents i. Introduction I. Format A. Ritual Outline 1. Readying i. Outfitting a. Cladding b. Adorning ii. Ordering a. Ware-Laying b. Mood-Making 2. Rendering i. Convening a. Invoking 1. Binding 2. Crowning 3. Kindling 4. Awakening b. Offering ii. Communing a. Focusing b. Engaging iii. Closing a. Dedicating b. Departing 3. Reflecting i. Reviewing ii. Recording II. Nightly's A. Moonup 1. Readying for Moonup 2. Rendering Moonup 3. Reflecting on Moonup B. Moondown 1. Readying for Moondown 2. Rendering Moondown 3. Reflecting on Moondown III. Moonthly's A. Moontras B. Phase Rituals C. Moondance D. Moontide IV. Annuals A. Winter Solstice 1. Readying for Winter Solstice 2. Rendering Winter Solstice 3. Reflecting on Winter Solstice B. Vernal Equinox C. Summer Solstice 1. Readying for Summer Solstice 2. Rendering Summer Solstice 3. Reflecting on Summer Solstice D. Autumnal Equinox E. Chandria Day F. Your Birthday V. Occasionals A. New Moontide B. Eclipse VI. Meditations A. Degree Dedication B. Hope Burst C. Strength Seeker D. Gift Giver i. Introduction Ritual for Moon Maidens. This book details the common ritualistic practices of Chandria. A ritual is, at its most basic level, a habit-a habit of marking a noteworthy occasion with a customary act. Rituals add a sacred element to life, encouraging us to slow down and take notice of ourselves, others, the natural and man-made worlds, and the events transpiring around us. Chandrians get into the habit of performing rituals to mark noteworthy events, and every day contains events worthy of note, from the simple acts of waking and breathing to the momentous, course-altering ones. More common events require less formal rituals, whereas occasional and one-time events call for more formal rituals. Chandria offers a complete set of rituals to aid us along our journey. Some are intended for solitary use, while other are meant for group participation within a ring. Some ask us to focus on celebration; others, reflection. Some are lengthy, while others are short meditations. Some are rare; others routine. All have their place in the scheme of things. When we consisently use the set of rituals Chandria offers to us, we benefit immensely. I. Format Each of us is a ritual conductress. We conduct ritual in three parts: before, during, and after. Before ritual, we prepare or ready for the particular pursuits of the specific ritual. During ritual, we carry out or render the activity at the heart of the ritual. After ritual we reflect on the experience. We think of the ritual as beginning in the preparation and ending in the reflection. The longer and more formal the ritual, the more important it becomes for us to take the time to prepare for, engage in, and reflect on the experience, whereas short meditations like the nightly's require less time for preparation and reflection. Whenever we conduct formal Chandrian ritual, we follow the format provided here, substituting ritual-specific verses as indicated in the phase books and here too, as well as find finding our own verses to personalize our practice. By so doing, we elevate and intensify our experience, to give it the specialness it deserves, and to preserve our beautiful tradition for ourselves, our sisters-in-spirit, and all who will pass this way one day. I.A. Ritual Outline I. Ready 1. Outfit a. Clad b. Adorn 2. Order a. Ware-Lay b. Mood-Make II. Render 1. Convene a. Invoke b. Offer 2. Commune a. Focus b. Engage 3. Close a. Dedicate b. Depart III. Reflect 1. Review 2. Record I.A.1. Readying I. Ready 1. Outfit a. Clad b. Adorn 2. Order a. Ware-Lay b. Mood-Make Before ritual, we, conductresses, prepare or ready ourselves for the activity. Readying involves dressing ourselves appropriately for ritual. It also emcompasses setting up the ritual space with standard items and others that are ritual-specific. I.A.1.i. Outfitting b. Clad c. Adorn Outfitting involves dressing for ritual in proper attire and applying the adornments that reflect our status. There are standards we observe for all rituals described here. For one-time and occasional rituals, we make more of an effort to help preserve the special experience in our memory. I.A.1.i.a. Cladding Cladding refers to clothing ourselves appropriately for ritual, beginning with comfortable attire of our choosing and concluding with the sashes and cords that signify our status. Status cladding for solitary rituals is recommended, but not required. - New Moon Maiden Sash. All initiated members are entitled to wear a 2 yard length of 4 inch wide white satin ribbon by draping it over the right shoulder and securing the ends at the left hip. - Full Moon Maiden Sash. Full Moon Maidens and beyond are entitled to wear a 2 yard length of 2 inch wide purple ribbon on top of the white member sash. - Honor Cord. Honor circle members are entitled to wear a 2 yard length of 1/4-1/2 inch wide silver cord on top of the full member sash. Only Blue Moon Maidens and above are entitled to wear the honor cord. I.A.1.i.b. Adorning Adorning refers to putting on the items or adornments that reflect our spirit and status. - Moonstone. All members wear or carry a moonstone pendant regularly, especially during ritual. Until we obtain our moonstone, we use a proxy stone or charm fastened around our neck by a silver chain, or black or purple cord. - Star Badge. Stellar Sisters are entitled to wear a star pin over the left side of the chest beneath the shoulder to signify their achievement. - Circlet. We wear our circlet whenever we conduct Chandrian ritual and keep it resting on our emblem standard the rest of the time, ringing the center spirit circle and touching each of the phases, with the charm or closure over the new moon phase. - Tiara. Penumbrian Princesses are entitled to wear a small tiara on the crown of the head, inside the circlet. I.A.1.ii. Ordering Ordering refers to setting up or putting things in order for ritual. Before we begin to conduct Chandrian ritual, we learn to set up the ritual space. We conduct formal Chandrian rituals around a printed and laminated version of the Chandrian emblem, which we call our standard. To create our standard, we print the emblem from the Downloads page and cut it out. Then, we laminate it using no heat self-sealing sheets we find at an office supply store. These are like full page-sized sheets of tape. We put one on the front and one on the back and trim around the emblem leaving a 1/4 inch border. As an alternative, we can use strips of clear packing tape to protect our printed emblem. Once we create our standard, we find a special home for it in our room on a dresser or nightstand, laying it with the light full moon at the top and the dark full moon at the bottom, closest to us. For a special touch, we place a purple cloth, such as the traditional square paisley-patterned bandana underneath. We keep our standard out at all times as a constant reminder of our journey, along with the wares and mood-makers described next. I.A.1.ii.a. Ware-Laying Ware-laying involves arranging our tools or wares for ritual use, not just decoration. - Bell. We place a small bell or chime to the right of the standard between the last quarter and waning crescent. Its tone is low enough not to call outside attention, but loud enough to call us to a heightened state of awareness. - Binder. We place a looped and tied 16 inch length of 1 inch wide silver ribbon to the left of the standard between the waxing crescent and first quarter phases, making sure the loop is wide enough to fit a door handle through. - Beacon. We place a white tealight in a small clear holder inside the center spirit circle of the emblem. We never use taper candles or place the metal tealight directly on our emblem because it poses a fire risk. - Spirit Symbol. Choose a 1-2 inch item that you hold precious and feel represents you to call your spirit symbol and bring with you into the Chandrian realm. I.A.1.ii.b. Mood-Making Mood-making involves decorating the ritual space and setting the environment through the three types of mood-makers are sights, sounds, and scents. More routine rituals call for less decoration, whereas one-time and occasional rituals should be more elaborate. - Sights. We set the mood with visual cues, such as medallions, gems, and ribbons. We place decorations around the standard, not on it. We also dim the lights while we focus on our candle to symbolize our ability to tune out from the darkness of fear and into the light of our hopeful spirit. - Sounds. We set the mood with sounds, such as soft music without words, nature sounds, or simply silence. We make sure to turn off all audio devices that might be distracting to our ritual experience, including cell phones, TVs, and alarms. - Scents. We set the mood with scents like perfume, incense, potpourri, and essential oils. Recommendations for which scents to use are provided within the text of each ritual. I.A.2. Rendering 1. Convene a. Invoke b. Offer 2. Commune a. Focus b. Engage 3. Close a. Dedicate c. Depart Rendering a ritual means carrying it out or conducting it. The rendering portion of formal ritual follows the three-step format outline above, each step containing its own individual rites. I.A.2.i. Convening a. Invoke b. Offer Convening refers to the beginning of a ritual. During the convening portion of a solitary ritual, we open ourselves, tap into the Chandrian realm, and offer our gifts to our sisters-in-spirit. We begin by binding the door, after which we crown ourselves with our circlet and kindle our candle or beacon. Finally, we awaken ourselves to a heightened state of awareness with the ringing of our bell. I.A.2.i.a. Invoking We convene formal ritual with a sequence of invoking rites, consisting of: binding, crowning, kindling, awakening, and offering. Following this sequence, we use an appropriate variation of the opening verse or invocation provided with each individual ritual. With these acts we tap into the Chandrian Realm. I.A.2.i.a.1. Binding The invoking sequence which begins with the task of binding the door. This signals our preparedness to enter into the sacred space and time of ritual, with all its secrecy and solemnity. We do this by placing the binder over the doorknob while reciting this verse... Be bound and beware of prying eyes. Block worldly cares from spirit's affairs. Let much good from these rites arise. I.A.2.i.a.2. Crowning Once we bind the door, we settle outselves in front of our standard, whether seated or standing, and continue with the crowning during which we adorn ourselves with our circlet reciting the Member Mantra as we do so... I am beautiful, powerful, and true. I.A.2.i.a.3. Kindling Following our crowning, we see to the kindling of our candle--the beacon that represents our hopeful spirit--offering the Chandrian Charm as we do so... For all that I am, and have, and know I honor she who is me and feel her glow I.A.2.i.a.4. Awakening After kindling, we see to the awakening of our spirit to a heightened sense of awareness and receptivity. For this rite, we ring the bell, and offer a variation of the following opening verse or invocation under the sign of request... Sister spirits everywhere Hear my thoughtful (ritual) prayer Send your (ritual-specific request) my way That I may travel (power description) this day I.A.2.i.b. Offering We begin our ritual by first sending our gifts to our sisters-in-spirit. This is known as offering. We send strong, loving, and hopeful thoughts out from us, focusing on the particular qualities of the current moon phase. We offer what we have to give, making sure to expend as much effort on this as we do on gathering gifts from our sisters for ourselves. To send our gifts, we close our eyes and imagine ourselves in the Great Meeting Hall across from a Sister in need of the quality we are prepared to share. Then, we say to ourselves "from me to thee" and think about our store of this quality. We then envision a burst of light leaving us and infusing the seeking Sister, setting her aglow with the light of our loving kindness. As we envision, we make the sign of offering, found in the Ritual book, along with the rest of the common signs. I.A.2.ii. Communing a. Focus b. Engage Communing is the portion of ritual during which we turn our attention to the pursuits of the particular ritual and engage in relevant activities. I.A.2.ii.a. Focusing During the focusing rite, we direct our mind to the task before us in which we will engage during the heart of the ritual. When we are ready, we read the specific focusing verse given for the ritual or provide our own, reading it under the sign of focus, found in the Ritual bookour own opening thought for our ritual under the sign given for the beginning of the ritual to direct our mind to the task before us. I.A.2.ii.b. Engaging The engaging rite contains the heart of the ritual. It is the main activity around which our ritual is structured. It is the reason that we have entered ritual time and space. It is our work through which we seek personal development, enrichment, and empowerment. For example, the heart of the moonthly phase rituals includes phasework and twinklings. The activities of other rituals are provided with their descriptions. I.A.2.iii. Closing a. Dedicate b. Depart During Closing we end our ritual time and convert our sacred space back into a worldly place. During this end portion of ritual-rendering, we, conductresses renew ourselves for the journey and offer our continuing dedication to the Chandrian Journey. I.A.2.iii.a. Dedicating Dedicating involves renewing our commitment to ourselves, our sisters, and the journey. During the dedicating rite, we recite the Chandrian Chant and/or other suggested verses for the particular ritual we are conducting. We then follow with the standard closing refrain or Member Measure. The Member Measure is always given under the sign of renewal. I.A.2.iii.b. Departing Departing is the time when we end the ritual, strike or clean up the ritual space, and shed or remove all ritual-specific drapes, adornments, and clothing, as applicable. Immediately following the Member Measure, we extinguish the beacon and ring the bell. Next, we remove our circlet, pausing briefly with our hands resting gently on our crown to recite the Member Mantra once more: "I am beautiful, powerful, and true." Then, we take one deep breath, inhaling love and light, remove our circlet, and return it to its home on the standard. Then, we unbind the door saying "Be unbound and unblocked, open again to all who would knock." Finally, strike the ritual space and shed your ritual attire. I.A.3. Reflecting III. Reflect 1. Review 2. Record Reflecting on a ritual entails remembering and preserving our experience of it. We do this within a few minutes of concluding the ritual itself by engaging in the activities of reviewing and recording. I.A.3.i. Reviewing Reviewing involves recalling the events of the ritual in our mind, taking the time to form lasting images and feelings that we will store in memory for future recall, enjoyment, and appreciation. I.A.3.ii. Recording Recording is the act of recounting the events, impressions of the event, and/or ideas about the topic of the ritual in writing, making sure to record special feelings and note ways in which we can improve those rituals that we will repeat. These reflections can take the form of either quick, abbreviated notes, or full paragraphs, depending on both the type of ritual and our experience of it. II. Nightly's Chandrians perform two rituals to frame the night, one on either side. For this reason, they are known as the nightly’s. The ritual that marks the beginning of night is called moonup. The other marks the end of night and is called moondown. II.A. Moonup Moonup is the ritual we use before retiring to sleep at night to make peace with the events of the day, resolve to do better tomorrow, and guide ourselves into the night in the peaceful security afforded to us by the power of hope. We use this meditative ritual to symbolize the end of our productive day and perform it when we are ready to remove our moonstone, generally after retiring to our room at night and readying ourselves for sleep’s renewal. This is a brief ritual which does not strictly follow the ritual format. We do not use the bell, beacon, and binder or circlet for the moonup meditation. This ritual utilizes our moonstone. If we do not have a moonstone yet, we choose some other treasured item to wear or carry with throughout the day and use for our nightly rituals. II.A.1. Readying for Moonup Outfitting. We clad ourselves in nightclothes or nothing, adorned with our moonstone or other treasure, or with it nearby. Ordering. We make sure our spirit symbol is on the line leading to the current moon phase of our emblem standard, reciting the appropriate moontra, if we have received it, each time we move our spirit symbol. Then, we darken the room. II.A.2. Rendering Moonup Convening. We stand before the window looking out into the night sky, or sit or lay upon our bed. If Chandra is within view, we focus our gaze on her and think of our sisters-in-spirit, often using the gift giver meditation as an informal offering before directing our thoughts inward. Communing. We reflect on the day's events with our hands over our heart, one on top of the other, nodding in appreciation of our successes and in acknowledgement of our shortfalls. When a negative thought comes up, we drop our hands to sides, clench them into fists; then, open them again while thinking of letting go and saying softly "flee from me that a new day may be". We continue this way until our mind begins to quiet down. Closing. We whisper this verse to ourselves during the dedicating portion of the ritual... Though day has slipped away and night set in I fear neither the night of darkness nor of despair For I have within a light that cannot dim Which will, this night, my spirit with hope repair We depart this ritual time and space by removing our moonstone or other treasure from around our neck or taking it in hand and placing it in the windowsill for Chandra's beams to shine on throughout the night. II.A.3. Reflecting on Moonup Review. We recall the feeling of letting go as we lay our head on our pillow and try to drift off to sleep with that last thought. We try not to allow ourselves to replay the events of the day in our mind after we have released them in our moonup meditation. Record. We keep a notepad by the bed to write down any last lingering thoughts about the day or concerns about tomorrow so that we can let go and drift on into the peace of sleep's renewal. II.B. Moondown Moondown is the ritual we use to send us off into our day renewed and ready for the adventure that lies ahead with a resolve to do ever better in our thoughts, words, and deeds. During this ritual, we use verses to empower ourselves for this fresh start, pledging to leave all but the lessons learned from yesterday's events behind us as we journey forward. We perform this meditation when we are ready to adorn ourselves with our moonstone and head off into our day. We perform this ritual in our room, after arising in the morning and before leaving our private space to engage the day. This is a brief ritual which does not strictly follow the ritual format. We do not use the bell, beacon, and binder or circlet for the moondown meditation. II.B.1. Readying for Moondown Outfitting. We conduct this ritual while still in our nightclothes. Ordering. If the sun does not lighten our room sufficiently when we awake in the morning, we turn on a light next to our bed, which does not require us to get up. II.B.2. Rendering Moondown Convene. The moondown ritual begins when we awake and open our eyes. Commune. We whisper this focusing verse to ourselves... Day has arrived and I am new-made Equipped with the limitless power of hope Ready to conquer the world unafraid Through anything able to thrive and cope We spend a minute trying to recall our dreams and any special messages they might have for us. Then, we make plans to accomplish in the day ahead, replacing any negative or fearful self-talk about them with positive and encouraging thoughts. Close. We use the Member Mantra as our dedication, saying "I am beautiful, powerful, and true." In departing, whether or not we are ready to put it around our neck yet, we take our moonstone or other treasure from the windowsill and put it in its pouch or carrying case or lay it where we will remember to put it on before heading off into our day. II.B.3. Reflecting on Moondown Review. We recall the feeling of empowerment we experienced while we made plans for ourselves and try not to allow ourselves to dwell on any fears or concerns we have that might get in the way of accomplishing them. Record. We keep a notepad by the bed to jot down any insights gained from our dreams along with our plans or a simple to do list for the day that helps us to gather ourselves together and leave the ritual ready for action. III. Moonthly's The moonthly's are rituals that take place once each lunar month. These primary include the phase rituals. Additionally, all Chandrians observe the full moon with a special ritual, regardless of our degree, and one to mark our menstrual period. III.A. Moontras The moontras are short refrains we recite upon spying the moon in the sky. We learn the moontra for each phase as we progress to the corresponding degree of Moon Maidenhood. We begin by offering the New Moontra. Once we become a Crescent Moon Maiden, we add the Waxing Crescent Moontra and so on, until each time we spy the moon in the sky we have a verse to recite that is specific to the current phase. Before we reach the corresponding degree and learn the moontra for it, we gaze upon the moon's majesty and wonder what secrets the phase might hold for us. We may then offer the Chandrian Chant. We can also offer the Chandrian Chant after we recite a moontra. III.B. Phase Rituals Each moon phase has a corresponding phase ritual, which we learn as we progress to the corresponding degree. We begin by performing the New Moonthly Rituals at the time of new moon. Then, when we become a Crescent Moon Maiden, we add the Waxing Crescent Moonthly Ritual and so on until we have a ritual to conduct for of the eight phases. The details for each phase ritual are provided in the corresponding phase book. The heart of the phase rituals consists of phasework and twinklings. III.C. Moondance During the full moon, all Moon Maidens are encourage to moondance, especially with other Moon Maidens, though in solitude is fine too. Both are highly encouraged. Moondancing entails free-form moving and twirling about, as our spirit moves us. There is no right or wrong way to moondance, except to not do it. There is also no prescribed length of time for moondancing, except none. We wear our circlet while we moondance, being sure to pin it in place. When moondancing within a ring, the sister serving as Host speaks the Moondancer's Muse over us before we begin dancing. When moondancing in solitude, we recite the Moondancer's Muse to ourselves before we begin. We find this verse in the Ritual book. While moondancing, we repeat this refrain to ourselves, either once or multiple times... Hope be with me Joy be mine Love draw near me And peace I’ll find III.D. Moontide Moontide is the occasion of menstruation. It has been suggested that the moon once had, and may still have, some influence over women’s cycles. Although the validty of this notion remains uncertain, we, Chandrians, employ the symbolism for our own benefit. We do this through the moontide meditation. Moontide is the occasion of menstruation--the most tangible sign of our emergence into womanhood. Each moontide that passes while we are yet engaged in our becoming serves as a reminder of the preparation period, of adolescence, from which we will eventually emerge into full womanhood. We perform this meditation in solitude on the first or second day of each moontide. We tie a burgundy or red ribbon around our waist, allowing the ends to dangle between our legs, representing the blood both within and flowing out of us. We then recite this verse... This day I honor my link with the moon In cycles bold and steady I'm made strong This is my entrance to the way of woman And I accept it wholly for my joy IV. Annuals The annuals are celebrations that take place once each calendar year, including the four season changes and other notable days. The rituals involved are generally more informal, social, and open to a good deal of personalization. That means we put some effort into personalizing each. We commonly refer to the annuals that mark the season changes as seasonals and tend to go all out in decorating the ritual space. The annuals can either be solitary or social, but should be social whenever possible, especially Chandria Day and the summer and winter solstices. IV.A. Winter Solstice The winter solstice is the longest night of the year and marks the start of the winter season. It happens around December 21st each year. Chandrians tend to celebrate the winter solstice with a lavish and highly personalized ritual, often shared among friends in a Chandrian ring. IV.A.1. Readying for Winter Solstice Outfit. Dress in holiday colors such as off-white, dark green, blue, and or/burgundy, with gold and/or silver accents. Order. Decorate the ritual space with the season’s finery, like pine cones, holly, garlands, and bows. Use spicy scents of cinnamon, ginger, clove, along with evergreen and berry. Light the ritual space with tiny white lights for a soft, warming and festive mood. IV.A.2. Rendering Winter Solstice Convene. Choose an opening verse that pertains to winter and the winter holidays, and/or has themes of caring, courage, and compassion. Use any related verse that appeals to you, whether it be from a song, poem, book, or even just a short and simple quote. Commune. For social ritual, hold a candle circle. The candle circle, for social ritual, and the standard convening rites for solitary ritual may be followed by any of a number of festive activities, such as making ornaments, wrapping gifts, listing things to give to charity. Or, our favorite, crafting a seasonal collage to capture the festive feeling that we can recall again and again every time we look at it thereafter. Close. Use the standard closing refrain, or some other suitable closing verse that you find or write yourself. IV.A.3. Reflecting on Winter Solstice Review. Replay the events of the ritual in your mind, bearing silent witness to your thoughts and feelings. Record. Write down some thoughts about how the ritual felt, or some thoughts about winter, womanhood, caring, courage, and/or compassion that came up during the ritual. IV.B. Vernal Equinox On the vernal equinox, the daylight and dark hours are equal. This marks the start of the spring season and it happens around March 21st each year. Chandrians tend to celebrate the vernal equinox with a light ritual, often shared among friends in a Chandrian ring. IV.C. Summer Solstice The summer solstice is the shortest night of the year and marks the start of the summer season. It happens around June 21st each year. Chandrians tend to celebrate the summer solstice by spending the longest day of the year outdoors or at a summery spot like the beach or pool, usually with friends, and by spending the short night in a lavish and highly personalized ritual, often shared among friends in a Chandrian ring. IV.C.1. Readying for Summer Solstice Outfit. Dress in bright jewel tones or sandy beige and bronze tones. Order. Decorate the ritual space with green leaves, bright flowers, sand, and seashells. Use citrus scents like tangerine, fresh scents like the ocean, and full blooms scents like jasmine. Light the ritual space more brightly than usual for ritual or perform this ritual during daylight hours. IV.C.2. Rendering Summer Solstice Convene. Choose an opening verse that pertains to summer and/or has themes of wholeness or fullness, joy, and success. Use any related verse that appeals to you, whether it be from a song, poem, book, or even just a short and simple quote. Commune. For social ritual, hold a candle circle. The candle circle, for social ritual, and the standard convening rites for solitary ritual may be followed by any of a number of festive activities, such as pressing flowers or stringing bead jewelry. Or, our favorite, crafting a seasonal collage to capture the feeling that we can recall again and again every time we look at it thereafter. Close. Use the standard closing refrain, or some other suitable closing verse that you find or write yourself. IV.C.3. Reflecting on Summer Solstice Review. Replay the events of the ritual in your mind, bearing silent witness to your thoughts and feelings. Record. Write down some thoughts about how the ritual felt, or some thoughts about summer, womanhood, joy, happiness, and/or success that came up during the ritual. IV.D. Autumnal Equinox On the autumnal equinox, the daylight and dark hours are equal for the second time in the year (the first being vernal equinox). This marks the start of the fall season and it happens around September 21st each year. Chandrians tend to celebrate the autumnal equinox with a lavish ritual, often shared among friends in a Chandrian ring. IV.E. Chandria Day August 8th (8/8) is Chandria Day. We celebrate by connecting with other Chandrians and seeking new ones both locally and virtually. We display the Chandrian emblem prominently, talk about Chandria to friends, refer new sisters, and engage in a special public version of the moondance in which non-members are invited to participate. Formally, we renew our pledge of sisterhood by going through the initiation ceremony again as though we are witnessing or accompanying new initiates as they undergo their own, but entering our pledge as our own to rededicate ourselves to the sisterhood. This day marks the official start of the membership drive sprint toward the end of the year Miss Chandria contest. IV.F. Your Birthday We celebrate our birthday by squeezing in a little alone time, in addition to celebrating with friends, to reflect on the past year and make plans for the year ahead. V. Occasionals The occasionals are rituals we perform as the occasion arises. They signify one-time and rare events along our journey. For this reason, we make sure to observe them with the specialness they deserve. The occasionals include: initiation, new moontide, eclipse, degree progression, sweet sixteen step up, and honor circle induction. V.A. New Moontide New Moontide refers to menarche--the first occasion of our menstruation. We formalize this ritual, observing the whole ritual format, focusing on the woman we want to become, and using this verse... This day I honor my first link with the moon In cycles bold and steady I'm made strong This is my entrance to the way of woman And I accept it wholly for my joy Note: If we have already begun our moonthly cycle prior to finding Chandria, we observe new moontide on the first day of our next period, and then use the moontide meditation for each successive cycle. V.B. Eclipse In Chandria, eclipse is the strongest reference to death and change, both physical death and energy transformation and personal death of an old habit, or way of thinking and being in the world. For those who so believe, eclipse marks the end of a spirit’s grand journey and the continuation of that spirit beyond the earth on the sublime journey. We refer to this event as eclipse because during a total lunar eclipse, the moon appears to rapidly cycle through all eight phases, and symbolically all eight stages of life, making this a perfect time to reflect on a life, whether our own or someone else's. Additionally, though the moon seems to disappear, in truth, it is still wholly there and reappears before our eyes, offering the proof we can only take on faith, if we so believe, when it comes to human mortality. Similarly, when it comes to the death of an old habit, we can only trust ourselves to apply the new and healthier ways of thinking and being as the light of hope resurfaces after the beautiful dark night when we commit to make a change. We observe an eclipse-like ritual on a smaller scale each new moon with the Milepost Phasework and nightly during Moondown when we let go of the day's pain and look to awake the next morning renewed. But, during lunar eclipses, especially total, but partial as well, if we like, we perform a life review on the scale of the one we did in preparation for our initiation into The Chandrian Order. VI. Meditations Meditations are brief and inforal or less formal rituals that we use both as necessary and as directed. Many of our formal ritual verses are meditations, in and of themselves. The meditations that follow are additional to those contained within the rituals described previously in this book. With the exception of the degree dedication, which we use during the phase ritual for our current degree, we generally use these verses for our own purposes both inside and outside of ritual time. VI.A. Degree Dedication The degree dedication is a two-part rite we use to commemorate our current membership degree. We include it during the moon phase ritual that reflects our current membership status. For example, when we are New Moon Maidens, we include the degree dedication during the New Moonthly Ritual. Then, when we progress to the Crescent Moon Maiden Degree, we include the degree dedication during the Waxing Crescent Moonthly Ritual. The first part of this rite is a written activity we complete outside of ritual time, during which we reflect on what the degree means to us. For example, we write about what is means to us to be a New Moon Maiden, what our Chandrian experience has been like so far, and what we have learned about ourselves. We gather these reflections in our Chandrian Chronicle, that we might have a collection of heartfelt works to commemorate the milestones on our journey. The second part of this rite is a verse we recite after first rereading the reflection we have written earlier. We offer the following degree dedication under the Chandrian Sign during the dedication rite for the closing portion of the phase ritual, following it with the Chandrian Chant and Member Measure: Members of The Great Circle, this night under the (moon phase), I, (user/legal name) proclaim my joy to be a (degree) Moon Maiden of the Chandrian Order. For emphasis, after making our proclamation, we use a flower or wand-type object to "endow" ourselves by touching it first to the left shoulder and then to the right. We choose a flower whose color fits with that of the degree, or use a white or purple one. If we choose to do so, we can preserve a large flower by hanging it upside down, or press a small flower by sliding it between the folds of a piece of paper and placing it inside a heavy book. VI.B. Hope Burst We use the hope burst meditation outside of ritual time to center ourselves, calm our fears, and boost our strength whenever we need it. This is the text of the hope burst: Heart of hope, hold me here. For emphasis, we rest our hands over our heart, one on top of the other on "heart of hope". Then, make a clockwise circle, keeping contact between hands and chest on "hold me here". VI.C. Strength Seeker We use the strength seeker meditation outside of ritual time to connect with the circle and ask the sisters for support in getting through some rough patch within the course of a day. The text of the strength seeker is: Sister spirits, send your strength. For emphasis, we lift our hands with elbows bent and palms facing up on "sister spirits". Then, make a gathering motion toward our solar plexus-the area just beneath the chest over the bottom of the rib cage, letting our hands come to rest there one on top of the other on "send your strength". VI.D. Gift Giver Just as we seek strength, we also send our own. We use the gift giver to send our support to others whenever it comes to mind or we perceive a need, thinking of a specific person or just sending a loving thought out from us when our heart feels full and we want to share it. We perform a longer and more formal version of gift giving during the offering rite of a ritual. The gift giver text is: Light of love, lift and linger. For emphasis, we place our palms flat over our heart, one on top of the other on "light of love". Then, burst them out and upward on "lift and linger".