Noon New Moon Gatherings

R U Fond o' Fondu?

2012-01-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Plans to make Valentine cards inspired us to welcome in the Chinese New Year with origami boxes, crocheted hearts, and chocolate fondu

Trying to follow Margaret's flying paper-folding fingers

Rachel sang as she showed us how
"First you make a loop...

then you take some yarn...

...and start all over again"

Good friends!

Good food!

That's all she wrote!

Lots o' Latke!

2011-12-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

In honor of Hannuka, Tal and Aby made traditional latkes with potatoes and flour, Rachel made SCD latkes with carrots and parsnips.

Darwin helped set up the red tent

We feasted

Lynn and Dody made pressed cookies...

Rachel cut Margaret's bangs and pierced Debra's ears

our new look for a new moonth

This Little Light of Mine...

2011-11-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

Coming into the darkest time of year, it seem only right to prepare by hand dipping beeswax Hanukkah/Solstice/Christmas candles. Warm, glowing, honey-gold, sweet smelling remembrance of summertime sunny days, working with beeswax is a light-giving miracle before one lights the tapers!

2011-10-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

The October new moon marks the start of Dvaali, the Hindu New Year and Festival of Lights and we marked our doors with chalk in order to welcome in Lakshmi, Goddess of Prosperity.

We also painted brooms to take home and clean house from top to bottom in order to make way for new ideas, creativity, and Lakshmi's blessings of abundance.We joined Alicia celebrating her birthday and...
"Because it is also near All-Hallows Eve when the veil between worlds is thinnest, we brought in photos of our ancestors to honor. We shared stories and wishes from and for our fore bearers.

Shana Tova

2011-09-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

We danced in the Jewish new year... 5772!

Baked moon cakes for the first time.

Served tea

and feasted!
We'll be making more moon cakes next month on Oct 26, and as we near All Hallows Eve and the thinning of the veil between worlds, we'll put on masks to try out other ways of being, so we can
... decide
Which is right
And
Which is an Illusion*
(Moody Blues: Nights in White Satin)

Round We Go!

2011-08-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Getting set

Warming up

Stretch and shimmy Stepping out
Follow me!

going round

Good Tymes, Bye Lymes

2011-07-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Preparing "tea."
Whipping cream
reading poetry,
remembering our ancesters,
washing dishes to news from Wisconsin.
A very wiggly isosceles triangle.

Wheel Visions

2011-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

With stacks of old magazines, posterboard, scissors, and glue; Alicia guides us to imagine and represent our desires on "visioning wheels" for the April 3rd New Moon.

Darwin loves "PINK!"

Wash Day

2011-02-02T18:50:00.000-08:00

A fun swim in the Geer pool and a good lunch at Grandma Jean's...

The February 2 new moon is the first evening of Adar, the twelvth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. It is a time of joy and renewed hope expressed during the full-moon celebration of Purim when Queen Esther courageously stepped forth to expose Haman's deceit and save her people. February 2 is also Ground Hog's Day, the midpoint between winter solstice and the spring equinox. Pagan rituals include setting out a loaf of bread and an ear of corn to entice the blessings of the goddess of swelling grain, Brigid and her white cow. Christians bless candles for "Candlemas" in honor of the day Mary first presented her son Jesus (the Light of the World) to the temple as part of her cleansing as a new mother. In New England, this is time farmer's hope their hay supplies are only half-way consumed for we are mid-way through winter.

Stirring Cycles

2011-01-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

This January new moon marks the beginning of the Jewish month, Shevat. Trees are honored this month as they begin a new cycle of life. In the midst of winter's stillness, their sap starts flowing to the tips of their newest branches, brightening their color and ever so slightly causing their buds to swell. We quietly honored our cycles too. Darwin painted with watercolors for the first time with her older friend Margaret and with Margaret's older friend Rachel (Darwin's mother) as Rachel's older friend Debra (Margaret's mother) took pictures.
Rachel stitched a dowel into a weaving done by Debra's mother Jean to give it new life as a wall hanging.
Dody and Lynn stopped by and Dody took up trying to churn cream, (that wonderful gift from our cows' lactation cycle) into butter. When its unwillingness became apparent, she took it home to make into luscious cheese (with the help of microbial life cycles).

Rachel continued her sewing theme and created a hand-stitched maxi-pad out of fabric from one of Debra's old sheets, giving new life to an old "rag" while honoring her own cycle of life.

Red Letter Day for Rachel!

2010-12-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today we bedecked the house in red in honor of Rachel's first period since Darwin's conception.

Margaret and Darwin played with marbles...

Rachel cooked red Hannukah latkes... Debra made a red cabbage salad....

We feasted...

sewed...

and re(a)d!
This was the first evening of Tevet, the tenth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Cold Moon or Long Night Moon. This year the full moon falls on the Winter Solstice when nights are at their longest and darkest, and winter cold settles in for the season. It is the natural time for rest and introspection.

SOUND Asleep

2010-11-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Rachel continues with her goal of softening the sounds in her living room... this time by making a fabric window curtain.

Darwin modeled rest and relaxation.

Margaret creates a backing for her beadwork while helping Jean and Debra

write the collophon for their Dave's Words book

and then helped Darwin get ready for the night's contra dance!
This is the new moon of Kislev the ninth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Beaver or Frosty Moon. It is a time when beavers (and all rodents) are very actively preparing for winter.

Egg Curtons

2010-10-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

To soften the sounds
in Rachel's living room
we made wall curtains
out of egg cartons.

Then we watched
Debra's movie:
Dave's Words

of Jean's latest
Art of the Book assignment,
a 5X5inch accordion book
on the topic of words

while Darwin entertained us with ukulele tunes.
This was the first evening of Cheshvan, the eighth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Hunters' or Blood Moon. As we near the end of our pasture season, our cattle are in prime condition for slaughter. Cooler weather also means fewer flies and good temperatures for hanging fresh meat to cure. Now is the time to finish filling the freezer and for smoking meats.

Rosh My Blues Away

2010-09-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

In honor of Rosh Hashana, we threw bread in the stream to represent washing away anything we don't want in our lives any more... old emotions, habits, problems that no longer serve us well. Rosh Hashana is one of at least 4 Jewish New Years. Rachel tells us that, that way we get many chances to start over! We also talked about forgiving each other for anything we may have done to hurt the other during the past year.

Back at the house we dipped apples (from trees in Rachel's yard!) in honey and ate them for a sweet year.

This was the first evening of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year and the holiday of Rosh Hahanah. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Harvest Moon. Gardeners will literally be reaping the fruits of their labors; drying, freezing, and canning our harvests for winter use.

American Woman

2010-08-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

For August's New Moon, Debra and Nita traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to view an exhibit of the American Woman as perceived by the world from the 1890s through the present. Starting post-Civil War with the corseted "heiress" with exotic hairstyles and foreign-made ball gowns; through the outdoors-athletic (but still corseted!) image of the "Gibson-Girl" look; through flowing tunic Bohemian styles; through the pale frail Flapper style; through WWI and Suffragette movement; through the tough, rough, and sexy Movie Stars of the 30's; right into a changing photo collage of the many individual choices of fashion for today's American Woman including Michelle Obahma in her inaugural gown, and minimally clad swim champions.

Looking at the garb for riding sidesaddle and swimming at the turn of the nineteenth century, we wondered at the torturous discomfort and actual physical danger women endure (and enforce among themselves) in order to maintain a "respectable" image in the eyes of men. Even with our relative economic, political, and sexual freedom of today, how do these attitudes continue to affect our lives? It was interesting to note that until very recently, the "American Woman" has been considered to be white, of European descent, and quite wealthy.

The August new moon was the beginning of Elul, the sixth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon will wax into the Grain or Green Corn Moon. We are already enjoying a bountiful harvest of juicy sweet corn and fresh tomatoes!

Please visit Motherhouse.us to learn of other gatherings.

Lunar Essence

2010-07-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

This month,we celebrated the "birth" of the Hay-Makers Moon with another picnic at Local Farm. Rachel and Darwin went to a Wolfe Clan reunion. Alicia used the dark phase of the moon to draw out the essence of morning glory to add to her growing collection of flower essences. For Alicia, creating flower essences is an intuitive process, connecting her to Life. She plucks a single blossom that "speaks to her," puts it in a clear glass container, pours fresh water over it and sets it out under the night sky. She brought by some of the resulting "stock" the next day us to sip... To preserve her essences for later use, she mixes 1 part brandy to 1 part essence and only uses a few drops at a time for its subtle healing properties.
This year, the July new moon coincided with a full solar eclipse. It was the first evening of Av, the fifth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this new moon waxes into the Hay Moon or Thunder Moon. Farmers will be mowing, raking, and baling hay in the strong drying days of sun... then hurrying to get it stored under cover before one of the many thundershowers of this time of year.

Chickened Out

2010-06-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

After a full day of EGGS-periencing Chickens ala Motherhouse Old Style Life-Skills Series Workshops, we gathered for an early supper in the cowshed at Local Farm.
The June 12 new moon marked the first evening of Tammuz, the forth month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this moon will wax into the Strawberry Moon or Honey Moon. We can expect to find strawberries ripening on their low three leafleted plants. Beekeepers will be extra vigilant for swarms as their hives burst with nectar-gathering activity.

Please visit Motherhouse.us to learn of other gatherings.

What A Card!

2010-05-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

Darwin and Rachel hostessed. Darwin showed us it's not (c)hard...
Bea showed how to fill our teeth with the wool thing.
Margaret wooly showed us how to comb.
Debra and Nancy spun yarns.
We were all wool hungry for a yummy lunch!
The May 15 new moon marked the first evening of Sivan, the third month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England, this moon will wax into the Milk Moon or Frog Moon. For those of us with recently freshened goats or cows, we will experience a flood of milk as our animals are turned out onto fresh pasture grass. We'll watch and listen for frogs singing love songs to their mates by the light of this moon.

Please visit Motherhouse.us to learn of other gatherings.

Gather Round

2010-04-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Margaret hostessed the April New Moon in the Motherhouse yurt. What a delightful vision greeted me as I came down the drive toward the yurt's open door... young children exploring nearby as the older folk chatted, carded wool and practiced using drop spindles. The circular yurt walls seemed to embrace us all as we shared our thoughts and visions of healthful education. We finished off with a lunch of fresh garden greens, home-made cheese, and (for some) Mother's Milk!The April 14 New Moon started the first evening of Iyar, the second month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. In New England this moon waxes into the Egg Moon or Yellow Moon. We'll watch for a flurry of nesting activity and even increased egg production in the hen house! Dandelions, marsh marigolds, daffodils, and a whole slew of yellow blossoms will be opening to usher in warmer weather!

Spinning in Place

2010-03-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Rachel hopes to use her sheep's wool to knit or crochet soakers or "butt sweaters" for Darwin, so this New Moon we gathered at Debra's to try our hands at spinning. Janet Lynn of the Wheel Thing Spinning Supply House in Lakeville, CT, generously donated several drop spindles for us to use. Margaret carded wool. Jean read and reread directions; especially the line exhorting us to "Try and try and try." Debra and Rachel tried and tried and tried...
After lunch, we looked at hand-made books and a photobook of Debra and Margaret's trip to San Francisco designed by Margaret's brother Zach. We sang songs, Jean played the piano, and Darwin played with finger puppets.

Then Rachel pulled out the materials for making our own drop spindles out of old CDs, dowels, and plumbing supplies. The directions were also a suggestion from Janet. Debra finished one and found it a REALLY smooth spin. Join with more wool works at this Saturday's Mother/Daughter retreat! Contact Debra@Motherhouse.us to register.

The March 15th new moon began the first day of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year in which they celebrate Passover. As a holiday commemorating freedom, this is an excellent time to reflect on freeing ourselves from rigid habits and harmful thought-patterns. (For a woman-centered version of the thought-provoking 49 day ritual called "counting the Omer" see Ritualwell.org.) In New England this moon will wax into the Sap Moon or Worm Moon. We'll watch for sweet and tasty "sapsicles" made by freezing trickling sap from broken maple twigs. Warming soil will hearken earthworms to the surface and we can expect to observe many worm castings in the coming weeks as well. As the 2nd full moon in March, it will also be the only "Blue Moon" in 2010.

Tugging at our Heart Strings

2010-02-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Margaret and Debra paused in their site-seeing tour of San Francisco on a rock overlooking the Pacific Ocean to honor the Valentines Day New Moon. Watching the waves roll and crash on the rocky beach below, we wondered at the power of the moon's pull.

Come to the Table

2010-01-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Jean set a beautiful table complete with new moon gift towels at our places,
and served us delicious turkey chili
After we cleared off the empty dishes, she spread the table with papers, ribbons, and other goodies for making valentines
Darwin and lovey bear showed us what valentine's day is all about.

PORTA-TENT TO PORTA-MEAL

2009-12-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

Jean Hosted...
Darwin explored...
We all feasted...

played music...
laughed...
relaxed...
cut...
stitched...
created and...
CELEBRATED with two new noon-new-moon-noorsing-mumus!!!!

Berry Nice!

2009-11-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

Rachel and Darwin met us at their home for the November New Moon. It was an unseasonably warm and golden day.

After lunch, Rachel gave us each a dreydl she had made and boxed with the origami boxes made during the July New Moon. Also, folded in the boxes were accordion books telling about the dreydls and how to use them.

Then Debra and Jean watched...

Darwin...

and Rachel...

dig holes...

to plant BLUEBERRY bushes!

Blood Moon

2009-10-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

This particular new moon will wax full into the Blood (or Hunters' or Shedding) Moon. In New England, this is a busy time of harvest in preparation for winter. Farmers and hunters, wild animals and human householders alike are harvesting and storing food... either as body fat or in caches and storerooms. For many, this includes shedding the blood of animals in order to provide meat to eat during the cold months ahead. How appropriate for a new moon gathering in which we honor the females' monthly (blood shedding) cycles. Even the trees are "shedding" their leaves in preparation for a time of rest. Darwin sorted apples.

Margaret made an apple pie with locally grown apples and butter from our own cows. Jean showed us how to print greeting cards with some of the leaves she had picked up and pressed the day before.

We gratefully shared nourishment from our friend Brigitte's first deer of the season:
"The doe was the third I had seen in a healthy year. Many acorns, lots of grass and now wild and domesticated apples.
The state of Connecticut certified me to teach hunting- to boys and girls and men and women. So I do my best to teach what I have learned- from a good innate sense and from others who know about patience, and an appreciation for the wild that must be a religion.
I tell them, let go that first shot with your arrow. Take the second. If your can't match the rhythm of your breathing, in the rush of adrenalin, to the rhythm of the deer, don't shoot. let it go.
Anti hunting critics say bow hunters injure deer. I tell them about the deer I shot at 35 yards with an arrow through the lungs, that had a shotgun shell hole through its ear.
The Indians had a belief that deer chose the hunters that would fell them. Hunting silently, as close enough to your prey to see the ticks on its ear, is far different than the machismo of gun hunting. they are ruminants, like cows, and have many similar movements. So this doe was the third I had seen. I passed on the other two, that had single fawns in September still in spots. It was a late rut last fall, warm. The fawns are weaned now. Still its hard to rationalize the emotion. This doe had twin fawns, perhaps I thought better able to care for each other. She took the arrow at 21 yards, and ran 50 before falling dead. It was a good, painless kill. The fawns lingered in the distance, then ran up Indian Mountain..
I dragged her down, and across, carrying my metal stand on my back, and my bow in my hand, as proud as any Indian could have been on Indian Mountain."
Read Blood M oon for more thoughts on the sacred act of eating meat and this special time of year.

ALOHA!!

2009-09-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

For September's New Moon, we joined in an Hawaiian Luau at Jean's retirement village home.

We
celebrated
our
creative
spirit
by
dressing up...

and
by
dancing
to
the
music

We
nourished
ourselves
with
the
home's
banquet
buffet

And relaxed with an outdoors stroll and by reading to each other.

ANGELS WATCHIN OVER ME

2009-08-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

We met at Rachel's to make kool-ade colored angel mobiles.
Rachel had already made the angels out of white, carded lambs wool.

We filled custard pots with hot water and kool-ade...

and dunked our angels in for a swim.

When they were saturated with color, we rinsed them in cool water and laid them out to dry.

Then we tied them to a sanded tree-branch and hung them up where we can watch them watching over us!

HELLO DOLLY!

2009-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Jean shared copies of her Art of the Book group's paperdoll illustrations of the stanza's from Maya Angelou's Best Poem Ever (see the May 09 post)and we tried to guess which dolls matched which stanzas.

BOXED IN or OUT OF THE BOX???

2009-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Debra's birthday with a special lunch and were treated to a recounting of Debra's birth by her mother, Jean. We lit a candle for the family and friends of a young man who had disappeared in the river. Rachel taught us how to fold paper boxes out of origami paper and we mass-produced several for her dreidl project.

MAYA ANGELOU'S BEST POEM EVER

2009-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

We met at Rachel's and brainstormed packaging possibilities for her dreidl project, ate lunch, napped, and discussed Jean's Art of the Book club assignment. She was to "illustrate" three specific stanza's of the following poem by designing clothes for a standard paper doll figure. We enjoyed thinking about the poem and its relevance and/or applicability to our own lives.

MAYA ANGELOU'S BEST POEM EVER

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

Enough money within her control to move out

and rent a place of her own even if she never

wants it or needs to…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

Something perfect to wear if the employer or

date of her dreams wants to see Her in an hour…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

A youth she’s content to leave behind…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..

A past juicy enough that she’s looking

forward to retelling it in her Old Age…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and

a black lace bra…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

One friend who always makes her laugh…..

and one Who lets her cry…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

A good piece of furniture not previously

owned by anyone else in her Family…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …..

Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,

and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests

feel Honored…..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…..

A feeling of control over her destiny…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

How to fall in love without losing herself…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

How to quit a job; break up with a lover,

and comfort a friend without ruining the

friendship…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

When to try harder…..

and when to walk away…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

That she can’t change the length of her calves,

the width of her hips, or the nature of her

parents…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

That her childhood may not have been

perfect….But it’s over…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

What she would and wouldn’t do for love

or more…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

How to live alone…..

even if she doesn’t like it…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

Whom she can trust, Whom she can’t,

and why she shouldn’t take it personally…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

Where to go…..Be it to her best friend’s kitchen

table…..Or a charming inn in the woods…..

when her soul needs soothing…..

A WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…..

What she can and can’t accomplish in a day…

a month…a year…..

JOLLY JUMPROPE JINGLES

2009-04-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

jumping rope, sushi lunch, naptime, and making our own jumprope rhyme booklets

NEW MOON RECIPE FOR RADICAL RECREATION

five fabulous females
+ flipping, flying fiber fun
+ a faintly fishy flashy feast
+ a flat-out fortifying felinely flop
+ a fine-art folder-fabricating finale

Red Tent Beginnings 2006

2009-04-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Deirdre and friends gather and stitch

Our first hanging

Debra crashes after a great meal

Margaret and Rachel visit Goodwill and Salvation Army for just the right garb

Tie-dyed finery

2007 Images of the Red Tent

2009-04-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

January 07
February 07

April 07

August 07