New Moon. 12:54 PM, CST. July 28, 2022.
(Liturgy length: 15 minutes)
Supplies:
A scented candle, incense, essential oil diffuser, or any tool to impart airborne scent
A match or a lighter (if necessary)
A blank sheet of paper
A pen
Go to a place that instills you with spiritual contemplation. Prepare that space appropriately as dictated by your personal practice. Find a comfortable place to sit down, and begin reading.
Opening
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
— John Lubbock
Place your incense, candle, diffuser, or other scent carrier in front of you at arm’s reach. Light it, or set it in motion to release scent. Then read the following out loud:
“The New Moon is here today. The Full Moon is for the whole, but the New Moon is for me. I choose to participate in the cycles of nature, resting in the quietude of waning as I prepare to grow full once again.”
Action: Clap twice
Welcome! With your act of creation and participation, the Liturgy has begun.
Breathwork
July’s New Moon brings rest through the comfort of summer. Step into warmth and rest with 7 deep, full breaths.
Sit up straight, aligning your spine. Wrap your arms around yourself, giving yourself a hug. Breathe inward slowly through your nose, filling the base of your lungs — pause for a moment, gently holding your breath — then breathe outward slowly through your mouth, exhaling in an even, controlled manner.
If you can lie down on the floor, please do so, or rest your back against a chair or the wall. Keep your arms wrapped around yourself. With each inhale, feel yourself expand into your arms and against the floor. As you exhale, feel yourself relax into the physical space you created for yourself.
Self Care - Tapping
Tapping on your body to help process personal weight, anxiety, and sadness connects the mental with the physical and can unlock emotions that have been stagnant in various parts of your person.
Take your pen and sheet of paper. Briefly write down three things that have made you feel anxious, frustrated, or sad in the last two weeks. Then, for each of the three things, write a variation of this sentence; “Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Now sit up, and take a moment to assess your body. Is there anywhere in particular that feels tense when thinking about the things you wrote down? It might just under your collar bones. It might be just above your cheek bones. Identify the area of tension in your body, wherever it may be, and begin to tap gently with the tips of your first two fingers. If you feel the tension moving around your body, slowly follow the tension with your gentle tapping.
If you don’t feel drawn to a particular area, focus on your arms, gently tapping from the top of each arm all the way down to your wrist.
When you have grown comfortable with tapping your body, read each of your three sentences out loud, three times each, as you tap:
“Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I have this [fear or problem], I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Let any emotion you feel, even numbness, rise to the surface as you tap. No emotion you feel during this practice is wrong. Let your body and mind experience what it needs to, embracing it and letting it flow up and out of you.
When you’ve finished, take a few deep breaths. You did a great job.
Self Care - Doing
It is a spiritual practice to identify your needs and to move in care for yourself.
Do you need to lie down quietly for a while? Do you need to do 5 minutes of stretching, or go for a short walk? Do you need to eat food or drink water or tea? Ask your body and soul what it would like in this moment, free from guilt or “I should” statements.
When you are done with whatever activity your body would like you to do, come back to this space and sit down.
Minute of Quiet
Welcome back! It’s important to take a moment to sit with yourself as you take the time you need to care for your person. No matter how you are feeling today, you are worth spending time with, especially when you are spending time with yourself.
Sit up straight in a way that feels comfortable, and gently rotate your palms upward. Place your dominant hand on top of your non-dominant hand, like you are holding a small bowl. Rest your overlapping hands in your lap, feeling your arms and back relax as you do so.
Close your eyes, and slowly count to 60.
You may do so out loud or in your mind. If you have any thoughts besides counting, feel them enter your mind, hold them for a moment, then let them fade in their own time.
When you’ve finished, open your eyes and continue the liturgy.
Breathwork
As you sit in the wake of the effort you have put into caring for yourself, you may begin to feel unlocked emotions burbling to the surface. If that is your current experience, it’s ok and natural to feel that way. Walk through your emotions with 5 deep, full breaths.
Sit up straight, relaxing as you feel your spine find a place of balance. Gently place each hand on your knees with your palms facing upward. Breathe inward slowly through your nose, filling the base of your lungs — pause for a moment, gently holding your breath — then breathe outward slowly through your mouth, exhaling in an even, controlled manner.
Identify the physical area of your body that feels the most agitated. Try to keep from attaching thoughts to the sensation. As you breathe in, send your breath to the agitated portion of your body. At the top of your inhale, gently hold your breath in that space for a few seconds. As you exhale, let your breath carry tension out of your body, pushing it out slowly and fluidly. Be with yourself, and keep breathing. You are loved by many people, and number one on the list of people who love you is yourself.
When you are finished, open your eyes and continue the liturgy.
Closing Blessing
Bring your palms together in front of you in front of your heart. Read the following out loud:
”As the New Moon reserves its light for itself, I will also bask in care for myself. The universe does not question its worthiness of rest. So as a part of that universe, neither will I. Here are blessings for myself and for all that binds us together.”
Action: Clap twice
Thank you for participating in this Liturgy.
Enjoy the presence of today’s New Moon!
A new liturgy will be published for the upcoming Summer Cross-Quarter on Sunday, August 7.
If you would like to receive an email notification as soon as it becomes available, subscribe to the Liturgy of the Cosmos’ mailing list through the button below.