Black Moon Rising
[Courtesy NASA
While the term Black Moon is not a standard astronomical term, it has gained popularity in modern usage to refer to the second new moon in the same calendar month. Normally, there is one new moon per month, but occasionally, a month can have two new moons. This occurrence happens about once every 29 to 30 months, due to the lunar cycle being about 29.5 days long.
The December Black Moon has occurred three times since 1900: 1910, 1967, and 1986.
Some practitioners suggest that the energy of a Black Moon supports new beginnings in astrology, marking the start of the lunar cycle and in this year’s case, the close of the year.
Because of the alignment with the sun and lunar calendars, it may be a particularly important time for manifestation, setting intentions, and planting the seeds for new ventures in 2025. In addition, this Black Moon drops in the determined sign of Capricorn. So it may advise building a solid foundation for our long-term plans laying even the simplest groundwork beginnings for their realization.
Congratulations to the 2024 December Graduates of Cherry Hill Seminary!
Columbia, S.C.—Cherry Hill Seminary held its Winter Commencement on December 22, recognizing the achievement of summer and fall students, and announcing the Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year. A third special award was presented, the Hypatia Award For Excellence in Education. The ceremony began with a keynoted address by Dr. Jeffrey Keefer, Chair, Board of Directors
Following the keynote, Academic Dean Margot Wolfe presented Helene Grogan of Massachusetts and Stacy Patterson of California who each earned the Community Ministry Certificate this year. The CMC represents thirteen months of self-directed study with the guidance of a faculty-mentor. The Seminary acknowledged the many hours of dedication demonstrated by these students.
Four additional students were honored as the first cohort to complete the Writing As A Spiritual Practice certificate: Margaret Meggs, Diana Payton, Troy Robinson, and Diane Sontum. The year-long intensive program culminated in the creation of an anthology of students’ work. Hypatia Dreaming: An Anthology of Poems, Prayers, and Stories by the Students of Cherry Hill Seminary. The book is in the process of publication and should be ready for purchase by early January.
Rev. Diane Cacciato, Professor of the Year
Each year the Votaries Alumni Circle leads the selection of the coveted Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year award.* This year the recipient is Rev. Diane Ciacatto. Diane is the creator of the Writing As A Spiritual Practice certificate. Votary Polly Springhorn said, “Rev. Cacciato’s students experienced firsthand her wealth of personal experience, wide array of informational resources, and her willingness not only to provide personalized feedback, but to edit and finalize multiple submissions for publication – all while scheduling classes to accommodate students living all over the globe. Thanks to her, the cohort of four is armed with a well-rounded approach to the writing process and renewed inspiration to communicate their spiritualities and learn about those of others.”
Jeffrey Keefer, Chair of the Board of Directors, delivered a keynote address to the virtual gathering, including these excerpts:
You know that education is not easy – we are stretched [as students], we are challenged, and we are transformed often in ways great and small. If this were easy, you would have finished this years ago. But whatever forces were at work needed this time and now we need you, to minister, to support, and to encourage a world desperately in need of your gifts. There is not always a perfect time to serve, there’s not always a clear invitation. Sometimes there is not even a clear way forward, but serve we must. Your CHS experience will likely not make you rich, or powerful or even powerful, but you knew that when you started. . . Your CHS experience will help you look into the mirror and respect who is looking back at you, for what you are going to bring to you. You will work with people who need what you offer. And there are few things greater than to serve those who need you.
Following recognition of all the graduates and the Professor of the Year, longtime board member Ron Schaefer presented Dr. Keefer with the Hypatia Award for Excellence in Education. “This award goes to someone who as our namesake Hypatia has the intellect and the temperament and the motivation and the focus to bring all of us of disparate background, on the board, staff, faculty, to serve together in a unified cohesive manner to press forward with the goals of Cherry Hill Seminary – this usually requires someone to go beyond their normal daily duties and their standard mundane work.” Schaefer continued, “It’s reaching out to someone in need, it’s helping someone who needs a hand, it’s mentoring a new professor or staff, it’s resolving conflicts, doing that with skillful aplomb in the way and nature that we all understand Hypatia would have done.”
Executive Director Holli Emore added, “Jeffrey’s vision, expertise and curiosity have only been matched by his kindness and generosity of spirit. Always willing to listen, to advise, to suggest a fresh approach, he has been an example to me of true leadership. He is someone who leads by example, never seeking the spotlight. First arriving to our Seminary doors during our most difficult time, he has led us through more than ten years of expansion, innovation, and growing stronger.
Wendy Griffin Professor of the Year Award
Sponsored by the CHS Votaries Alumni Circle, this prestigious award is presented annually to one deserving faculty member who has demonstrated teaching excellence in the classroom and a commitment to spiritual growth for students. Nominations are accepted throughout the calendar year until Thanksgiving weekend, and the award is announced and presented at a special online event early in the new year following.
As Cherry Hill Seminary’s first permanent Academic Dean, Wendy Griffin (1941-2021) brought to Cherry Hill Seminary a dedication to academic integrity and a devotion to Pagan and Nature Spirituality. She was an academic pioneer in the study of Goddess Spirituality and Wicca, and served in the American Academy of Religion and on the editorial board of The Pomegranate: the International Journal of Pagan Studies. By the time she retired in 2018, Griffin had inspired students and colleagues alike with her intellect, skills and engagement.
Cherry Hill Seminary is the leading provider of education and practical training in leadership, ministry, and personal growth in Pagan and Nature-based spiritualities, empowering spiritual leadership, scholarship, and ethics, providing transformative education and empowering students to advance academically and lead spiritually
Our next Pagan Community Notes will be after the new solar year so we decided to share a few New Year’s Day traditions:
Our US readers, especially those in the American South, will be familiar with Hoppin’ John is a traditional Southern dish commonly eaten on New Year’s Day. It is made with black-eyed peas, and rice, and often seasoned with pork (such as ham hocks, bacon, or sausage) for flavor. The dish is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year, as the black-eyed peas are thought to symbolize coins, and the pork represents progress and good fortune. The dish is often served with cornbread and greens, such as collard greens, which are also considered symbols of wealth and abundance.
In Cuba and the Cuban diaspora, a pot of water is placed at the center of the home to gather all the negative energy from the past year (and nay lurking spirits wishing harm in side the house). At midnight, on January 1, the pot of water is tossed out the front door ridding the house of negativity for the stat of the year.
In Spain and in Latin America, many eat 12 grapes at midnight for a prosperous year. In Switzerland some have dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floors to keep prosperity there. In Dutch homes, fritters called olie bollen are served. Eating any ring-shaped treat, such as a doughnut, symbolizes “coming full circle” and leads to good fortune.
To greet the new year in Denmark, people throw old plates and glasses against the doors of family and friends to banish bad spirits. Some also stand on chairs and jump off them together at midnight to “leap” into January for good luck.
In Rome, many through our old anything, from clothes to appliances, to wash out the old and begin the new year with fresh energy.
The custom of First Footing is a Scottish and Northern English tradition observed on New Year’s Eve, especially at midnight, to bring good luck for the coming year. The “First Foot” refers to the first person who enters a household after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve (or New Year’s Day). This person is believed to bring either good or bad luck, depending on various factors such as their gender, appearance, and actions.
In traditional beliefs, it’s considered especially lucky if the first person to enter is a man with dark hair, as light-haired individuals were thought to bring bad luck. The First Footer typically brings gifts to symbolize prosperity and good fortune, such as coal (symbolizing warmth and good health), bread (representing food and abundance), salt (for flavor and wealth), and whisky (for good cheer).
The custom is part of a larger set of Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland, where the aim is to start the year off on a positive and prosperous note. First Footing is also practiced in other parts of the UK and some cultures in the United States with Scottish heritage.
Greece has a similar tradition. Podariko is a Greek custom that takes place on New Year’s Day, particularly in some regions of Greece. The term “Podariko” translates to “the first step” or “the first foot.” On New Year’s Day, the first person to enter a household is considered to bring good or bad luck, depending on certain factors, such as their appearance or actions. The first person to step into the home, typically after midnight, is often chosen based on their qualities, such as being a man (sometimes preferred) or someone with certain characteristics that are believed to bring good fortune, like fairness and generosity.
The custom also sometimes includes symbolic gestures like bringing gifts or performing certain rituals to ensure a prosperous and fortunate year for the household. Podariko, like other New Year customs, emphasizes the idea of starting the year with good energy and positive omens.
Let’s not forget Janus on January 1
The Feast of Janus is an ancient Roman celebration held in honor of Janus, the god of beginnings, transitions, doors, and time. Janus is unique in Roman religion because he is often depicted with two faces, one looking forward and the other looking backward, symbolizing his dominion over both the past and the future. This makes him particularly associated with the turning of the year, with January 1st, a key time for honoring him.
Although there is no formal “Feast of Janus” historically in the same way that other Roman gods had specific festivals, the first day of the year is a time of reflection and renewal. It is an opportunity to seek Janus’s favor for the coming year, asking for a prosperous future while reflecting on the lessons of the past while opening doorways and gates, symbolizing new beginnings and safe transitions. Indeed, many individuals leave a candle or an offering at the door.
Janus, from a book, Illustrium_imagines, published in Rome in 1517
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Events and Happenings
The Spring Mysteries Festival announced its cast this week. The Festival wrote that its Early Bird Ends at the end of December. They are taking only 300 initiates this year. Just announced: Jason Mankey Celia Farran, Tish Owen, and Atalanta Moonfire will be headliners this year.
More information about Spring Mysteries is available on their event site. Here’s the cast:
Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: Enchanted Forest Felines Tarot by Jen Sankey, illustrated by Iva Dukić, published by Llewellyn Publications.
Card: Eight (8) of Saucers (Cups)
The week ahead is apt to offer up both subtle and not so subtle signs that some projects, ideas, or situations need to be abandoned and relegated to the past. There may be the temptation to hold off making such moves, but ultimately moving on now will make for a smoother path going forward.
In contrast, denying the truth or procrastinating in addressing a situation is unlikely to make it any less true or banish it. In fact, it is far more likely that postponing the inevitable will only make the situation worse.
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