The New Moon and the Autumnal Equinox...

The New Moon and the Autumnal Equinox – September in the Red Tent

On a beautiful, mild, almost-Fall day, the land was full of light, the corn picked, and the women came together to celebrate. Two days after the New Moon and two days before the Autumnal Equinox – exquisite timing – we met at the farm to greet the new season and each other. The tent was especially beautiful and welcoming in that way that seems to happen when the harvest is almost done and the leaves begin their annual rainbow display. Thoughts turn to shorter days, the warmth of a fire, and all the gifts of Nature so abundant at this time of year.

Not the least of those gifts is a community of women who share a common bond: the wish to honor themselves and each other and the Divine Feminine in their own unique, diverse, and open ways. During our informal time, there was much laughter and listening as we shared our many stories…who we are, where we’re from, married, single, grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. Over delicious soups and teas, salad and bread – indeed the sideboard groaned – we took our time to relax into who we really are and who we really want to become. And we know that this time we give ourselves each month helps us to do that.

The energy is always special and as we enjoyed it, we gathered in circle. Ananda called in the four directions, then Danna, our priestess for the day, asked us to think about being lost, getting lost, feeling lost, and how we experience it in our lives. The stories ranged from getting lost while driving the car to feeling lost after the death of a loved one. We listened deeply and honored each other’s experiences and feelings. The circle was alight with the energies of compassion and caring, joy and sadness, trust and wisdom.

We left the Red Tent that day with feelings of peace, nurturing, and having been renewed in uncountable ways. All the women know that we are each wonderfully different and yet have those common bonds of sisterhood with which we can celebrate each other, enjoy a quiet, peaceful day together, and return home a little bit more ready to face the challenges of our daily lives. We hope that you will join us next month, on October 18^th, and take part in a day of sustenance, renewal, and celebration. Namaste.

Red Tent Temple, September 20, 2009, Bloomfield, CT

~This photo was taken by my Mother, Lucy, at the 2009 Women's Herbal Conference in New Hampshire. It is (left to right) the beautiful and inspiring ALisa Starkweather, with me (Ananda) and my daughter McKenzie. It was amazing to see ALisa again and gave me a rekindled hope and passion for a sustainable future of Red Tent Temples around the world. Thank you to the women here who have dedicated so much time and heart to keep our Temple stable and sacred.

and Thank you ALisa. Indeed, we do it for our daughters. ~

It’s time!

To gather in honor of the feminine divine in our magical Red Tent Temple.

Please join us. Bring a Sister, a Mother, a Grandmother, and most importantly, YOU.

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Red Tent Temple ~ Sept. 20, 2009 ~ Bloomfield, CT
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~Recreating the Women's Moonlodge for today's culture~

Please forward this to anyone you wish to be invited!

~ It is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, from 11 am to 5+ pm.
~ Set up will be from 9-11am.
~ A brief opening/orientation circle will be held at 12 noon if there are more than a few new women attending.
~ 11-12 am and 12:30-3pm will be free-form, organic time, where you can do what you wish in the space.
~ Formal Circle will be held from 3-5pm
~ 5-7 pm will be community time (farewells, hugs, networking, resting after circle..) and break down of the space.

Located on the beautiful land of Auer Farm we will be held in the arms of Mother Earth while we retreat safely and honor the feminine spirit. The Red Tent will happen every month, on the Sunday closest to the New (dark) Moon.

Inside the Red Tent .........you will find a space to heal and be heard. To be your whole self. To go within and tap into your divine creative source. There will be space to rest, journal, cry, connect with sisters, breathe, meditate, and reconnect with what ties us all together: being woman. Womb or not, bleeding or not, all women from all walks of life are welcome.

Suggested Donations of $10.00 to $20.00 are requested to help pay for the rental fee and hopefully create some funds for Red Tent supplies and future needs.

There will be a beautiful storytellers chair, a grievance altar, a community altar, herbal teas and homemade soup. It is sacred space to go within and honor your divine feminine being. A place to remember.

Young women of Menarche age are welcome for all of the day except the formal circle at 3:00 which is adults only.
Nurslings are welcome until walking age.

This vision is held in the spirit of community and collaboration. Everyone who sets this up is working on a volunteer basis, which makes your attendance and contributions integral. Please take a look at the share list below to see where you are called to collaborate to keeping this vision alive and well. On the side bar to the right, there is a donation button you can use to make financial contributions if you are not able to attend but would like to help.

It is vital to our culture and to our next generations that we reclaim our innate Spiral Traditions. We are a culture starved for authenticity - but we don't have to be. The Red Tent Temple is a transformational and Global movement.

RSVP's are important. We need to know how much soup to make or request, who can Priestess, and who can bring what. When you refer to the share list below - please email us on what it is you are called to bring or do, so we can keep this day organized and wonderful.

Priestess for Circle
Set up -
Break down
Providing Soup/s-
Breads -
Providing herbal belly tea/s-
Welcomer, Greeter -
Drumming, music,
Cloth bringers (Collective: We really need more than one woman for this. It will take a lot of cloth to paint the room)
Red Tent Journal -
Pillow, backjack, mat bringers-
Altar objects -every woman is encouraged to bring something for the altar, to be charged up with energy while she attends. Taken home after.
Candle provider-
Talking Bowl/stick bringer -
Healers; energy healers, body workers, oracles, wanted to serve either for free or at lowered cost. -
Massage Table -
Markers -

Belly Blessings,

The Red Tent Temple Team

Origins of the RTT Movement: ALisa Starkweather