Další cestovatelský příspěvek, tentokrát od mé úžasné studentky Jitky, která ráda cestuje a poznává nové kultury. Zve vás na Kostariku, kde zažila ceremoniál Danza de la Luna jako Tanečnice měsíce.
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I spent three weeks in the Costa Rican mountains. I participated in the ceremony of the “Fullmoon dance”. The circle of the Moondance (“Danza de la Luna”) is a very old tradition coming from grandmothers from South America. The first circle started in Mexico, later in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, or Portoriko.
Moondance ceremony is a spiritual path. The Dancers make a commitment to study for at least four years, to go through the circle of the four directions and the basic understanding of our relation to the elements and nature. They fast and dance in a ceremonial circle for four days and nights, praying for humanity and honoring nature. The dancers sing medicine songs and form sacred movements according to the directions of the universe, with the elements, and around the great mother drum.
The ceremony has strict rules. For example, if you want to attend the ceremony, you need an invitation and support from some Godmother. She teaches you and guides you through the process of preparing for the ceremony and during the ceremony.
My godmother is Juliet. I read her book about her trip to South America. She described how she became one of the moon dancers, and a year later I met her in person and received an invitation to Costa Rica. I was excited and grateful.
Before the ceremony, I needed to make 52 prayers, small pieces of cotton cloth in blue, yellow, red, white, and green. They were filled with tobacco and tied with a special knot. It is very important to choose a quiet time to make the prayers, it is good to burn copal, palo santo, mugwort, or sage to create a sacred space. In the mountains – in the moondance place, prayers are installed around the sacred circle.
Before the ceremony, I had to make a moondance dress (a long white skirt with blue ribbon, white poncho with blue ribbon, white headscarf, red belt).
Before the ceremony, I helped to build a sweat lodge. The dancers receive the medicine of the sweat lodge every night before dancing and after dancing (to purify and rebirth).
I also helped to decorate the altar, we used colored sand, stones, rice, beans, and various seeds. Small statues and ritual objects were placed on the altar.
Some dancers own a sacred pipe. The pipe is one of the elements of the ceremony and helps to elevate the prayer in the dance. The pipe is a medium between us, the physical world, and the Great Spirit. I don’t have a pipe yet. It is a great honor and also a commitment – you have to take care of the pipe, to pray with her during the full moon.
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Slovníček:
participate in – zúčastnit se
spiritual path – duchovní cesta
commitment – závazek, odevzdání se
to fast – postít se
humanity – lidé, lidstvo, člověčenství
to honor – uctívat
sacred – posvátný
attend – účastnit se
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Text a foto: Jitka Konečná
Editing: Naty Stehlíková
