PREPARATION BEFORE THE DANCE

Previous to the dance, it is important to prepare your body (Physically, mentally and energetically), so in that way your process can be more beautiful and soft.

1. Intention Letter: Write a letter explaining your intentions and purpose to participate in this circle of Moon Dance directed to Brenda Miquiztli or to the grandmother Lupita Itztlixochitl, so in that way you can already start too have a clear purpose of what the intention of your prayers are and why you feel the call to participat. This is also a way that you can introduce yourself and we start to know all the participants in advance.

2. Donation: Please make the payment of the donation. Your donation helps our circle to continue to work harmoniously. Each year we will pay for the site (trying to have a beautiful natural reserve, not far from the main cities). This also supports the travel expenses of the elders coming from México to support our prayer and for them to share their wisdom, as well as the support we offer to our sisters coming from abroad to support our prayer.

The donation will also go to all the firewood that will nourish our dance circle and the sweat lodges for 4 continuous nights of our prayer. It will also go towards all the food, cacao, tarps, and other expenses that make this ceremony possible.

Your donation includes 4 nights camping in the area, 1 small soup daily, teas, 8 sweat lodges and all what we need to make this prayer flow in beauty and harmony (250e-280e).

3. Sweatlodges: Prior to the Dance, it is important to attend sweat lodges near you, as part of the preparation for the Moon Dance. It’s not obligatory, however it will prepare you for the Moon dance, bringing more strength and clarity for your prayer.

4. Diet: In the 30 days before the Dance, it’s important to prepare for fasting, so avoid the consumption of salt, sugar, coffee, fats, and meat. Eat more vegetables, fruits, and seeds, and balance your protein intake with fish, legumes, soy, and mushrooms for good nourishment and energy.

5. Water: Increase your water consumption a month (30 days) before the dance, so you can be properly hydrated. Staying well hydrated is essential for proper brain oxygenation (remember there will be eight Sweatlodges over the four days, which can cause dehydration).

6. Sexual: When having sexual interaction, an energetic layer remains that can block the solar plexus and the greater connection with your own energy. It is recommended a minimum of 14-days or 28 days.

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REQUIREMENTS DURING THE DANCE

Tobacco and Copal: In many indigenous cultures they use natural copal and tobacco as a spiritual gift to receive all the wisdom that you will receive from the elders. Those gifts can be any size and amount that feels good for you and will be delivered during the first night to Brenda Miquiztli and the grandmother Lupita wrapped in a red cloth. Those offerings will be used during the whole ceremony from morning to night. Tobacco and copal are medicines that connects our prayer to the spirit and supports our connection with the invisible energetic layers of reality. (You can find them on the internet and some sisters are gonna be selling before we start the moon dance).

Sweatlodge: It is mandatory to participate in the 8 Sweatlodges during the Dance, since this medicine is a fundamental complement to our Circle, which will provide you with the necessary strength to sustain the prayer. We only do 2 short doors per sweat lodge, so those are not as long as a normal 4 doors sweatlodges.

Clothes: Special attire is required for the dance. This is a lunar outfit, white and blue. It symbolizes the movement of water and purity, honoring the movement of the mother earth with our father sun and its principal events. It is essential to comply with the characteristics exactly as is, respecting the color, the position of the ribbons, and the design of the patch of the attire. Part of the attire is a white poncho, white skirt, and few more details. You will receive more details once you register and you can make it yourself or buy it from us.

Ayoyotes:We use during the dance a hand rattle and coyoleras which are also Ayoyotes. They consist of a set of hard shells from the ayoyote tree, fixed to a cloth-leather piece to be tied to the ankles of the dancer. They help to maintain a beautiful flow of energy between ourselves and Mother Earth. It’s not obligatory but during the dance some artisans will be selling. You can start your attire and expand it little by little.

The Obsidiane Pipe

The obsidian pipe is an instrument for praying and connecting our prayers with the spirit during our moon dance and in between dances: Please note that the pipe will be offered only to the ones asking for it and only to the people that is familiar with the moon dance and will 100% commit to 4-5 years consecutive dances with the pipe in this circle “Ollin Metzitlalinicue” (interviews will be one on one).

The obsidian crystal carries ancestral energy, formed deep within the earth, guiding us to connect with this time and space and together with the wooden stem (uniting the masculine and the feminine) and the tobacco, we communicate our prayers to the spirit.

Each night of the dance we share the prayer with the sisters and brothers in the moon dance and we make our petitions for all what we care for, in union with our gratitude for life and for all that we receive from Mother Earth and spirit and we continue our prayers after the Moon Dance every full moon night during the year till next year’s dance.

Materials to keep your prayer during the dance (only for the dancers who will
receive their pipe):

●Tobacco to smoke for the pipe and matches.
● Bag or backpack for your Pipe and stem, as well as a bandana or cloth for
wrapping it.
● Incense burner (small popochcomitl) (only for the dancers who will receive the
pipe).

Camping

A primordial part of the moon dance prayer is to be connected with nature, that’s why we will have different areas designated for camping and everybody will camp during the whole dance and we will make exceptions only to elders or people who seriously require something else. However the medicine of camping is an important part of our prayer. Please make sure you have a tent for 1 or 2 people max or a hummock and all what its necessary for the dance.

More information will be provided when you register.