Importance of Ritual

Rituals have a very important role in every society and allow for a culture to thrive in their element. One of these roles is maintenance of a society; how the society remains structured. The rituals of Children of the Moon allow for a sense of order as well as purpose in the society. Each separate ritual reinforces the acceptance and belonging in our society. The education ritual, where new initiates are bathed in the moonlit water, shows how they are now a part of Children of the Moon and belong with us. Also, we teach them that there will always be light and guidance even when it may seem dark. We accept them from wherever they belonged before and wish to wash away their fear of rejection and reinforce that they are now home. Our religious ritual gives purpose to everyone’s ideas as all are respected. No one idea is ever cast out and all of them are allowed to speak freely as they wish. This allows for that sense of belonging to become prominent as well as showing how all our ideas become one in our community. They represent all of our different aspects that join together to become Children of the Moon, one entity. The family ritual, where all members give their blessings to the newborn baby, is the ultimate ritual of belonging for us. We try to teach even the youngest of members the importance of tolerance and that they will always have someone to care for them in their times of need. This shows maintenance by giving the newborns an unconscious awareness of how Children of the Moon is setup and how it shall be ran. From day one, they are taught by the subtlest of ways our structure. In the government ritual, where a feast is held for the new leader, order is seen. This ritual shows leadership and respect for one another. Members are in consensus of who shall lead them at that time and they understand that in order for the society to function, they must put their trust into the new leader.

Another role of ritual is perpetuation in which there is cultural continuity. For rituals to embrace this, attendance to process is key. Without this attendance, rituals would have no way to be passed down from generation to generation to keep their culture alive. When attendance is not seen, the existence of a culture changes and their whole makeup is altered. They are now seemingly a new society, better or worse, and no longer have ties to their origin. In Children of the Moon, all rituals are inclusive and everyone participates. In the education ritual, every new member is washed in the water (and everyone before them has been cleansed), and in this, all members are connected and have attended to being cleansed. In the religious ritual, everyone’s ideas are key players. If one’s ideas were to be shot down, they would have no interest in attending the ritual or even being a part of the society which will not allow for transfer of culture. For the family ritual, the subtle teachings of tolerance to children allows for an immediate continuation of society. We are teaching them in that very moment so that they will one day teach their newborns of the importance of our culture. If we did not perform this ritual, children would have no connection to us and then would have no feelings to continue this society. In the government ritual, the leader is chosen in hopes of guiding the society to a greater being. We hope that our leaders can further our prowess on acceptance of all societies and therefore continue our culture as new members look to them for guidance.

Another important role of ritual, and my favorite, is the ideology of the society. Rituals allow for the explanations of a society’s values to be taught in an artistic form. Rituals themselves may not be simple, but they allow for a multidimensional view of each culture. In our education ritual, we show how looking for guidance is nothing to be ashamed of and we often ask for help. Seeking light in the dark is an exceptional quality especially when one accomplishes it. For the religious ritual, our value of acceptance is seen. We firmly believe in religious idea and belief tolerance, and no one shall ever dismiss someone’s spirituality, or lack thereof.  Our society is based upon those who were judged and wanted to create a safe place for those who may not be in the mainstream society. This ritual emulates this story, as everyone is safe in our society. The family ritual reinforces this safety net as the baby is passed around to be shown that all members will take of it, not just the parents. They are creating a supportive environment as well as allowing for the importance of tolerance to be prominent as each person gives their own blessings to the baby. In the governmental ritual, offerings are made in exchange for a grand leader. Our society believes in giving it their all to create a loving community. We give our best crops in hopes that our new leader will give their best to allow our society to grow and become even better than before. 

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Ritual Classification

For Children of the Moon, the noitacude ritual for education is a very therapeutic ritual. The new members are cleansed in a nearby river, which helps to cleanse their bodies from any outside emotions. This cleansing helps the initiates to recover from any imbalances their bodies may have encountered from a prejudiced society. Also, they are taught that the moon is here to guide them for whatever journey they choose to endure, as if the moon is their mother, which is a very calming, therapeutic image. Mothers are always there for their children when they need them and in this sense, the moon will always be a light in their darkness. When anyone in the society feels their bodies need to be rejuvenated, they can wash themselves in the moonlit water.

Noigiler, the ritual for religious ideals in the community, can be classified as an ideological ritual, more importantly rites of intensification. The idea of seeing the lunar eclipse (moon, sun, and earth forming one being) conveys who we are as a society. We recognize the continuation of the past as lunar eclipses have always happened and that our society is based upon ideals that are ancestors embraced. This ritual emulates the values that every belief is equal and the mind, body, and spirit must come together to achieve social cohesion in the community. Even though everyone has different ideas, we all are swept away in the social current of acceptance and tolerance (progressively acculturating ideas into our vast society).

Our societal ritual of the family, ailimaf, is a major protective ritual. As everyone gathers around a newborn, we are blessing the child protection from any dangers or obstacles they may encounter in their life. When we pass the newborn around, we are actively showing the child that we are all in this together and will always be here for any guidance they may need in the future. When they have no where else to turn, we will protect their ideas and beliefs and accept them fully. Once the baby is taken home, sachets full of lavender and thyme are set around the house in belief that these herbs will protect the baby until it can recognize the community as a safeguard.

Noomredael, the ritual for government initiation, can be seen as a rite of exchange and communion. Once a leader is chosen, the banquet is set. At this banquet, members of the community bring food and drinks from their crops and vineyards and offer them to the new leader. In return for this offering, the community expects the new leader to emulate rightful actions and make decisions that will benefit the society and help it grow even further. Society members take time out of their day and beneficial crops from their homes in hopes that the new leader can benefit them on a larger scale by allowing for the society to advance in a safe environment. 

Ritual Process

Our society takes pride in their many rituals that symbolize our connectivity and acceptance. Here I will tell you of four of our most important rituals that relate to our own institutions that our society is based upon.

Our ritual related to education is coincided with moon phases. This ritual, noitacude, is performed when a new initiate has seen their first full moon after being accepted into our society. On this night, the new initiates are brought to open meadows surrounding our society and undressed. They are cleansed with water harvested from nearby rivers and streams that have been purified by the moonlight. Afterwards we dress the initiate in white clothing to coincide with the full moon. This ritual symbolizes the stages the moon goes through, the initiate at first being a new moon (naked) and transitioned to a full moon (dressed in white).  The initiates are washed of their old world ways and are taught about the importance of acceptance in our community. We do this ritual to teach initiates that even when the moon is not seen we still can look to her for guidance, just at they were not seen (being naked) yet were still an important part of our society.

Our ritual for our institution of religion is based upon tolerance and connection. At every lunar eclipse, which is not a definitive time but usually occurs twice a year, our society gathers together for a night of joy. This ritual, noigiler, includes giving offerings to the moon (whichever crop is most abundant during the eclipse season). We gather in clans or kinships and perform the song and dance known as ecnarelot that gives praise to the moon and her being. This dance is similar to those in the Zulu tribes of Africa; everyone participates in ecnarelot though. This ritual reminds us of how the earth, moon, and sun must come together to create this beautiful eclipse. It relates to our idea of the mind, body and spirit coming together to create a beautiful existence. The earth is our body, as we physically live on earth; the moon is our mind, how we think; the sun is our spirit, for the sun gives light to the moon and our spirit gives insight to the mind. Ecnarelot shows how differences can become one; planet, star, and moon create an eclipse and all of our religions come together to create a community.

Our ritual for the family is centered on birth. We understand that many societies do not focus on the actual birth of a child and we believe children to be a great gift. As soon as the baby is born, the mother will nurture it for a week. After this week is up, the infant is brought to the society for celebration. Everyone is dressed in minimal cloths to mimic the infant’s stage of life. While the society chants different mantras the baby is passed from person to person and is given personal blessings of any faith or belief. In this sense, the baby is taught, unconsciously, that religion is open. Also, the passing of the baby shows that no matter who the parents are, the baby will always be taken care of by everyone in the society. As the ceremony goes on, wine is passed around and consumed to symbolize the importance of the blood the baby received from the mother while in her womb. We believe the wine drinking will show the importance of survival upon others in the community as the baby survived through the mother. This ritual, ailimaf, elevates the importance of codependency on others.

Our ritual for government occurs when a new leader has been chosen for each community. This ritual, noomredael, is performed every winter solstice. This may be the shortest day of the year, but is also the longest night of the year when our mother can come out. We throw a huge banquet to honor the new leader and each family brings food from their most recent harvest. After the banquet, the new leader is cleansed in the river nearby (just as initiates are cleansed) and is given a new name; this name is usually a celestial or lunar name to symbolize the importance of our guide, the moon. The food resembles the wish for our leader to be fruitful in his decisions and actions. They are cleansed so that any biases he/she may have obtained or kept from previous times will be washed away so that they may lead our society in the best way possible. Noomredael helps to establish a certain order in our society and allow for its potential to keep growing and obtaining new members.

Rite of Passage

One of the most important rites of passage for women includes marriage. When women are ready for relationships they start the rite of passage; the age is not important, but they usually fall between sixteen and twenty-five. At first there is separation from the society in a sense that the woman is no longer available for dating as she has chosen a mate. This state can last for however long they choose, depending on when they start the rite. After this stage, women pass into a liminal state of being when they become engaged. They do not fit in the structure as they are fighting between their maiden name and their fiancée’s last name. In this stage, the women are taken out of the society for a month where they spend time away from their mate. In this time, the elder married women teach these women how to cope with a new identity, which will be attributed to them soon. Also, they are taught how to become bearers of children, as they will carry on our society. The women are shown the importance of their role in the society and how vital it is to pass down our traditions. After this stage is completed and they are married, they are reincorporated back into society with their new last name. They have gained a new identity and will soon be able to start a family if they so choose to do. 

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Symbol Theory

The institution for religion/religious ideologies in our society in an example of Victor Turner's criteria for condensation. This symbol connects many aspects of our culture into one simplified drawing. It represents our belief that the mind, body, and spirit of humans are one of the most important aspects of life. These are parts to a whole connectivity to the heart of the society. The heart is where we relate to our mother, the moon. We take everyone in with open arms and hearts and accept them for who they are. The crown represents the royalty that everyone in our society belongs to. Everyone is a king and queen in our eyes and can rule their own lives however they choose to do so. When we unify our own bodies within ourselves, we can then unify with each other to become one with our mother. The idea of treating yourself like royalty (and others as well) helps to show your body, mind and spirit every ounce of love in your heart and respect yourself for who you are. We understand that no one is the same and we use this symbol to show you how differences are a beautiful thing.

The institution for education in our society is an example of Turner's unification of disparate significanta. The representations of this symbol of moon phases all relate to education of our society and its learning processes. We educate our society on our mother's phases so they know when is a good time to ask her for guidance, even if she seems to be regenerating herself. Also, this relates to the different learning styles that members have; some may be just starting out while others may be in a full swing of things. Not everyone is starting their life journey in the same place; some may have the gift of acceptance while others take time to learn. The phases of the moon equate to the phases of education in our society. We do not just stop learning one day; we may rest for a while but then we start over again. It is a continual process just as our mother is continually renewing herself, going from light to dark to light (where dark is not meant as bad, more of as a time of rest).

The institution of government in our society is an example of Turner's polarization of meaning. The symbol of holding hands or interlaced fingers can have both ideological and sensory meanings. On the ideological side, this can represent unity. As we interlace our fingers we are becoming one with each other and unify for a greater good. It can also represent safety, as our society prides itself on always being a guide to others in their times of need. This symbol also shows how everyone is on a equal plane, which can relate to our religious ideals. No one person rules over our whole society, yet there may be leaders. On the sensory side, the interlaced fingers can evoke emotions of connectivity. We can come together and do something extraordinary through what Durkheim would call a collective effervescence. Also, this symbol can spark feelings of comfort and being surrounded by love, a sort of warmth if you will. When you see this symbol, I hope you feel that you shall never be alone on your journey through life.

The Light Side of the Moon

I am a child of the moon, as are you. We are all her children as we journey through life and death.

We are accepting, empathetic, curious, independent. Children of the moon choose to live life as it should be lived- with arms wide open to all those who wish to feel as if they belong. We are here to help those move on to a better life and transition into a state of love and welcomeness. We relate to the moon as when other places seem dark, we offer a light.

The moon is our guide and our mother. Our society sees her as our leader and she will always be the light in our dark times. We all go through phases of change, just as the moon. Some may change faster than others or be in different stages- Children of the Moon are always here to offer a hand. Sometimes it may seem that no one is there for you. Just as the moon goes into a new stage, we may be harder to find but we never leave.

Children of the moon are mainly an organic society. We like to live from the land and cultivate our nourishment, yet we understand not everyone can do this. We have created our own farms, vineyards, and orchards that provide us with all the nutrition we need. We do not all settle in one place; children of the moon are located all over the globe. Mainly settlements are located in grassy areas with great soil and lots of acreage as well near a river to capture fresh water. We do not judge those that prefer to eat processed foods and use inorganic materials for everyone is allowed to believe and do whatever it is that makes them the happiest and feel one with the world. Our main goal is to promote a society that is accepting of everyone, no matter their race, gender, or sexuality. It seems that today's world tries to promote these ideas but they are never accomplished. We are here to change that. Take pride in who you are! Remember though, as you take pride and nobility in who you are and want to be, you should never diminish another's ideas or push your own ideas onto someone else. Let them make their ideologies and beliefs.

Understand that if someone does not ask or want help, it will not be forced upon them. If one wants to change the way they live, the moon's children can provide anything and everything they may need. We have no preconceived ideas or cookie cutter model of who is to be a child of the moon. We come in all shapes and sizes and would never fit into a mold. Don't be hesitant to ask any questions and do not worry if you feel overwhelmed at first. We know the concept of no prejudices may confusing in this day and age but we promise nothing but love and guidance.

Children of the moon belong everywhere in this world; we are here to stay and help others who may be lost.

This is the root of Children of the Moon; it symbolizes the religious ideals that we hold. 

We are all royalty and encompass the mind, body, and spirit to connect to hearts.


We have no official religion for we believe that faith is a gift and one shall not be persecuted or judged for what they believe in. Everyone is treated equally and with respect for no one person shall rule over another; who is to say that one person is better than another? We are all a part of the same family and will strive to help those who ask for help. If we choose to have any description for what we hold as a religion it would be this: children of the moon see everyone as royalty. All are treated with respect and we believe that three most important components of a human (mind, body, and spirit) are all connected to give life to the heart.

Our hands are always intertwined and interlaced to show the connection we have between each other.


This symbolizes our root of government. Everyone is involved with the structure of our society for everyone's opinion is important and valued. The moon is the only part of the society that is charge of everyone else. There are leaders for each settlement that is created but they are not dictators. In a sense, we promote democracy but we choose not to have "party alignments" for that only separates our society.

We also will be the strength you need to carry on and will always be there to guide you.


This symbolizes our kinship and family. Every child of the moon is part a whole family that believes in freedom and acceptance. There are no initiations to be a part of this family and they will always be there for you. We value helping others and our family will always guide you on your quest to whatever you would like to achieve. We are here to help carry your burdens and eventually eliminate them from your life.

The phases of our leader are extremely important to us as they show how we learn.

This symbolizes our education system. We are forever in a learning process of how the earth and people work. We all go through phases in our learning and everyone learns differently. We understand that some people need more time while others need less time; we are always here to help. We would love to have you as a part of our beautiful society and cannot wait to show you how to live a purely blissful life with the greatest and largest family on earth!