Prayer & Ceremony
We cross ourselves with moon water, but that crossing represents acknowledgement of the powers of the four cardinal directions and the four elements. We cross ourselves with moon water, which is kept in sconces hung by the inside doorways of the enclave’s structures. ‘Earth, Fire, Wind and Waters, Mother Goddess, bless your daughters’. Or, if you want to be more gender neutral, we change it up sometimes to ‘Earth, Fire, Wind and Waters, Bless your Sons and Bless your Daughters’.
It is the custom of the Sisters to call on the ancestors of our family, our bloodline ancestors, as well as the ancestors that belong to the ground we walk upon. We call on the spirits of both the people and the land prior to beginning a prayer ceremony or talking circle.
Ordination happens when the elders decide it is to happen, if it is to happen. Young women are required to take their vows three times, under three separate full moons, over a two-year period of time. Women healers, of a mature age and with a depth of experience in the healing arts, they come in as elders. Brothers are present at the will of the Sisters and are not required to take vows.
It is our custom to pray before meals, but we often have the cook bless the food for the enclave, as it feels less pretentious. We suspend the blessing of the food when we are out in public and the only public prayer we engage in is speaking and saging, standing in a circle, in preparation for some event or in gratitude afterward. It is our preference that all prayer is done in private places, however, as public displays of affection toward our spiritual practices might be mistaken as righteousness or the opposite of being humble.
Our meal blessing: Corn and grain, meat and milk, on the table before us. Hands and hearts come together to nourish and restore us. Bless our food and bless our folk and keep us in your grace; ensure this sacred walk we take respects this sacred place.
We include astrological readings in all our full moon ceremonies, using them to give advice and guidance to the tribe navigating the changing moon energies.
We open every prayer ceremony and service by calling on our ancestors and we never send them away. We put a lot of energy into keeping our sacred ancestors close and gratuitous noise (like random whistling or humming or music blaring or honking) chases them away and that annoys the good Sisters.
Parents of small children are given wide latitude in deciding to attend ceremonies and activist events. They are encouraged to come with the children, but also, are always at liberty to leave as the demands of the child dictate.