The New Moon Altar
Conscious, chaotic creation of a sacred space,
using sacred images from Eastern, Western and tribal cultures, help us sanctify
the dwelling or open space where we throw the New Moon rave.
The party begins with one person lighting a bundle
of sage. He or she carries the smoke through every nook and cranny of the
place to soothe troubled energies we've brought with us or which are already
there. At outdoor locations the sage is burned around the sound system and
the participants. The spirit of the sage is requested to bring us its healing
power. We ask it to keep away official guardians and instead bring happy,
excited attendees.
Sage is a fragrant herb native to North America. Dried
and tied in a bundle, it mades a wand and is a gift of the earth everyone
has a right to enjoy. To sage yourself: light the sage, fan it front of
your heart and think about love. M.'s advice: You should also sage anything
you plan to put into your body. Expose it to the smoke and tell it what
you would like to experience.
The New moon is a time to wake up to the symbolic unities
between planetary and biological cycles. The waxing of the moon is growth
and the waning moon is decline. The Full Moon is richness, and the Dark
Moon symbolizes the moment of death and rebirth. It's good advice to remember
that during the dark moon, anything can happen.
Every New Moon party has an altar of some sort. This
is the most difficult-to-explain aspect of the party, but if you see one
or participate in its creation, you would instantly know what it is about.
An altar can be anything from a few stones placed with
love in warm sand or an elaborate, many-tiered construction incorporating
lots of candles and other meaningful objects. It usually starts out small,
and ends up enormous. Here some pictures:
Altar at Goat Rock, July '95
Friends and Family Halloween
party, '95
Altar at the Digital Be-in, '97
Your Sisters' House -a women's collective that happened
weekly for over a year- as well as the New Moon party, were many people's
first experience of having altars at Bay area events. The idea has caught
on in big way since then. Very few renegade, free events don't have an altar
these days. Bringing an item for a communal altar is one way people feel
connected to each other and the party. The urge to decorate one's surroundings
is irresistable. And when you go to someone's house, it's polite to bring
something. When people ask what to bring to a party, I always say: Bring
something for the altar. Anything at all. Candles. Photographs. Mirrors
are nice. Flowers work, too. Silk flowers, perfumed with a sacred oil- are
especially nice because they can be shown again and again.
Bring Something Meaningful To An Altar
Everyone that comes to a party where an altar is
to be assembled should bring some object that expresses some personal emotion
or idea. Combined together into a shrine, these objects unite into a material
symbol of the party itself. The meanings and energies in each object resonate
with others. For example, at the December, 1995 Communal Full Moon party,
someone brought a single size eleven red high-heeled shoe. Someone else
brought lace. Together these objects evoke feminine sexuality and power,
an idea consistent with the fact that the party itself was orchestrated
by a woman. The shrine was arranged in an circle enclosed by flowers, creating
a strong symbol of female energy.
Or so it seemed to me. Other people focused on other
aspects of the shrine as symbolic of emotions and ideas pertinent to their
own moods and experiences. At this particular party, there were two altars-
one in front of the dj and the second farther away in a more peaceful, quieter
spot. We've found that having two altars creates two different types of
spaces. It's always nice to have more than one altar at any party. One day
perhaps, different groups of friends will bring their own altars to express
a collective, almost tribal vision of their own group identity.
History Of The New Moon Altar
The New Moon altar started out as a collection
of objects a group of friends used to decorate their weekly ambient party
called Aurgasm,
held at the King Street Garage. When this party ended and the New Moon was
born, these objects were then incorporated into the New Moon altar. When
we can muster the energy, we try to bring parts of the altar to whatever
events we attend, provided we feel the party's organizers are receptive
to this. The altar for us has turned into a medium of self-expression. Since
anyone can do this, we hope that more and more people will pick up the idea
and create their own sacred spaces at parties.
Where To Find Items For An Altar
Where can one find suitable shrine material? Flea
markets! Garage sales! Your parents' attic! At the party itself, especially
if it's an outdoor event, you can usually find leaves, grass, flowers, stones,
sand and other natural objects to beautify the human-made materials you've
brought. Candles, particularly for night-time events, are essential. Otherwise,
people will have difficulty seeing what you've created. Candles may be bought
cheaply from many sources. Our favorite is the FoodsCo store on San Pablo
Ave. in Richmond, CA, where tall, glass-encased 12-day candles cost less
than a dollar each. You just have to look around.
Since the scene includes people from many backgrounds,
we must be sure not to get too dogmatic about altar-building. Otherwise,
the custom will get sterile and boring. Most people would agree that sterility
and boredom don't belong at a rave.
-Ann
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