New Bitter Moon and Soyal

Tonight is the new moon. This last new moon of the Chinese year is called the Bitter Moon, because we are into the month of the bitterest cold.

The new moon is the start of the lunar cycle, a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

Soyal is a Hopi ceremonial period that begins at the new moon closest to the Winter Solstice and lasts for 16 days. Soyal is short for Soyalangwul, which means Establishing Life Anew for All the World. It's a sacred time of peace and preparation for the new growing season.

Agenda Today:

1. Read a novena

2. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being

3. Choose a month theme

4. Map and plan mental nurturance habits

5. New moon altar

6. Prayer Candle ceremony

1. Read a novena:

I've been reading this Creation Novena from the Indian Catholic Matters site:

Day 8: A Prayer for Vulnerable People

Creator God, we give thanks for means to care for the poor. We give thanks for their resilience, for their strength, and for their example. We give thanks for the opportunity to know them, to serve them, and to love them. 

As climate change troubles those who live and work so closely with nature, help us grow in solidarity. Help us follow the words of Proverbs, to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”

Help us speak truth in the presence of corruption, selfishness, and short-sightedness. Help us speak prophetically to our brothers and sisters, and to reflect on Your truths in our own lives, that we may change our habits to truly care for all Your beloved children.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen

2. Settle into the Soyal Way of Being:

During Soyal, the Hopi follow a special way of acting and being, to help turn the sun back toward its summer path, establish the right mood for the coming year, and reach a unity of everything in the universe. 

This year, since Soyal falls right at the end of advent, when I normally have a 12-days-of-Christmas retreat from normalcy, I'm going to do my best to honor the Soyal Way of Being for the full 16 days, through January 7th. To do that, I will:

• Be quiet and be respectful. Use nice words. 
• Move slowly and as silently as possible, for all life is germinating in the mother's womb. 
• Strengthen my bonds with my family. Be helpful and caring.
• Review the Divine laws, as I see them.
• Reflect on the past year, my own conduct and the conduct of people as a whole.
• Make plans for the coming year based on what I think the Spirits want.
• Pray- Ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

3. Choose a month theme:

View from the top of the South Sister.

At the new moon I choose a new theme to give attention to. My theme this next 30-days is stillness. I picture this like a climb up a sacred mountain to an isolated cave; the mountain has reached the peak of upward movement, and in stillness holds its place as the highest. This great immovable mountain represents meditation, and the resting of body, mind and spirit.

Stillness is a peaceful inner space where I can absorb and integrate my daily experiences; it's my time to read, write, meditate, and pray. When I build quiet into my daily routine, I honor the full rhythm of life - the yin time of stillness balances my yang action. To become wise, I need to be dedicated to my practice and nurture my inner self with intention. Being a mountain allows my ego to disappear for a bit, and all my studies, artwork, and adventures are transformed into wisdom; I can then turn back to the outside world seeing myself as a part of the whole rather than an isolated individual.

Goals for stillness might have to do with cultivating my curiosity and my wisdom, improving my mental health and peace of mind, sharing my knowledge in a useful way (teaching, modeling, or advising), balancing activity with alone time for reflection, getting a handle on re-occurring mistakes, and any kind of inner study, self-growth, preparation, or education.

My stillness practices (incorporating the Soyal Way of Being):

1. Practice equanimity: Be respectful of Mother Earth, and move slowly and quietly about my tasks, because all of life is now germinating in the Mother's womb. 
2. Choose one of my core values to meditate on and write about each day, and make plans for the coming year based on guidance from the Spirits.
3. Practice a prayer-candle ceremony; ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

4. Map and plan mental nurturance habits:

At the end of each year I take a deep look at my self-renewal practices - how I nurture the physical, mental, and spiritual parts of myself - and set some goals for the new year. I'm going to start off Soyal by looking at one part of me each day, and today I will make a plan for my mental nurturance in the year of 2023.

Mental nurturance comes in the form of life-long learning - the process of acquiring and expanding knowledge and skills throughout my life. Learning is just as nurturing as is eating good food; if you give your brain something fascinating and challenging to digest, in small bites, you will be amazed at the insights and ideas that will bubble up, and the new mental strength and clarity you will gain.

Today I ask myself: 

How can I foster my curiosity? What is my Inner Guide leading me to learn?

What new skills might be useful in the new year? What specific new skills do I need, to complete my goals and leadings? 

What areas of study will lead me to my mission in life? What topics are of interest to me now? What topics will be a challenge to my usual way of thinking? What do I want to learn so I can teach it? 

What study will help me to understand myself better, and help me to grow? What social skills do I still need to work on? What will make me more resilient?

What are some current events or issues I should understand better?

What kinds of resources can I use (books, videos, podcasts, workshops, etc.) and what is my timeline? 

My ideas for learning goals so far in 2023 are:

• Read about (and practice) ways to be rooted to the earth, and find unity with nature.
• Learn more about permaculture practices that fit into the wheel of my year.
• Research the Native People who my ancestors impacted, and where they are today.
• Grow in equanimity skills, and loving kindness.
• Gather preschooler art ideas.
• Learn (and teach) how to use mixed media and collage in paintings.

5. New moon altar:

It's time to clear my altar, and discern what to put on it for this next 30-days. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke? 

Today I cleared everything except my straw doll, for luck and protection, and pine cones, for potential growth and enlightenment - and added:

• a turquoise candle for thought and study
• a sun, for the returning light after the solstice
• a picture of a mountain, for stillness and meditation
• a dragonfly, for change, transformation, adaptability, and self-realization
• the rune "isa", ice, for the stillness of a frozen day, the development of concentration, and curbing of emotional outbursts

6. Prayer Candle ceremony:
At Soyal, Hopis make prayer feathers for their family and friends, for personnel well-being, for the increase of animals and crops, and for any other purpose they can think of. At the Soyal ceremony, they breath their wishes and prayers on the feathers, then hang them up so that the wind will carry their prayers skyward.

I decided to use candles instead of feathers, which are more rooted in my own ancestral past. I will have a daily prayer candle ceremony throughout my extended Christmas retreat, using small candles and candle ends, and will choose a new candle to add each day.

Today I light a small white moon candle, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

Hopi Prayer: Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy ---Myself--- Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.