“A Red Tent is simply a gathering of women that occurs at the new moon when girls and women are most in need of support, rest and reflection. A timeless tradition observed by ancient cultures it serves as a regular forum for empowering one’s feminine sense of self-hood”

~ Tanishka ~

Why is the Red Tent held at the New Moon?

The New moon is the time of the month, when we cannot see the Moon light up in the sky, when the Moon is directly between the earth & the Sun, & therefore hidden. This effects our emotions and why we honour and practice certain rituals at this time. In the lunar cycle, It is two weeks after the full moon. It is in this darkness where are life is created. It is when we tend to feel more tired, inward and vulnerable. Many women begin their menstrual cycle around this time also and that is another reason why our female women of all indigenous societies gathered in circle at his time to reflect upon their lives, offering emotional support and healing to one another as they understood female emotions intuitively and were better able to support and fulfill all their emotional needs.

The energy of the New Moon is when our insecurities and old wounds surface ... our shadow self, subconscious, that we often try to hide from ourselves and others. To live in balance is to live with our shadow and healing is how we learn to accept our shadow or we continue feelings the pains and suffering that the wounds inflict. The shadow for many remains hidden and why it controls our lower dense emotions. The New Moon provides a natural and rhythmical container for this energy to rise and heal due to it’s dark intuitive essence.

The Red Tent was where women learnt the sacred arts of healing, channelling, dream analysis and divination as our mystical feminine gifts such as clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairsentience (clear sensing), clairaudience (clear hearing) and intuition (inner guidance) are amplified during our moontime (menstruation). By honing these innate tendencies girls at a younger age can further protect themselves by heeding their sixth sense and learning to read the signs. When we don’t learn this at a younger age we can become blocked, less trusting and suppressed by being out of alignment with these natural senses.

The energy medicine of a Red Tent at a New Moon

A Red Tent, or circle, is like a sacred container of - innate and shared wisdom, trusting and confidentiality, traditions of folklore and myth, some counselling and emotional support in a group setting, rituals, divination and ceremonies, beauty and crafts, cleansing and protecting energy, and importantly creating and amplifying your intentions and all you are giving new life to at the new moon. It is a time for slowing down to help you do this. This is about flow not forceful action.

The new moon energy supports your personal growth, healing and blesses new projects and ventures. The darkness pulls you inwardly to connect with your intuition guiding you. It also supports the need to be still. As much as there seems a lot to be doing in this space, the new moon is a time of stillness, for some bleeding you simply have to be, as there is a dip in energy, enthusiasm, motivation, and mood and it’s important to honour that. Retreating into a cave as this time can only help what you need.

It is also powerful because it empowers you to take the time and space to work on your divine feminine self and all that is needed to honour that in a healthy, sacred way.

It was in this safe environment that young girls learned about the responsibility of sexuality, through the teaching of the love arts and through access to many mentors, they would come to understand the importance of their role as women in society. Many rites of passage were supported in Red Tents from Maiden, Mother to Crone - a first bleed, motherhood and the passage of menopause.

Why have a Red Tent?

The world is changing rapidly and women in particular are actively seeking ways to empower themselves and change their lives for the better. It is why so many of us are being drawn and called to traditional ways and ancient wisdom to help us feel more balanced and aligned to thrive in the modern world and its complexities, stresses, ego comparing lifestyles, conflicts, chaos and disorder. In a Red Tent you can return over and over again, 13 times a year, to your truth and support yourself held in powerful group holding. Many people feel out of alignment and to return to a life of more harmony it is very natural for a women to want to attune to the lunar cycle and track their own energy, which is what I love to share in my moon gaterhings.

The rise in energy healing, divination and a life more connected to nature is part of the Golden Age of Aquarius and more and more women will call for this support as our ancestors did.

How to choose or considerations for a Red Tent Circle or gathering?

My guidance around this is much like choosing any facilitator for a circle/workshop; to be your healer/shaman. Know the values and information about each circle. Who is facilitating the space and are they qualified to hold space? A space holders qualifications really are down to your needs but you want someone who has experience, wisdom and some formal training around holding energetic space for a group of people. Of-course, each may be different but always trust in your intuition as to where you are being guided.

Modern Womens Circles are traditionally not the same as Red Tents that are held at the New Moon for the reasons above. However, there are similarities and why some compare but this is why I do not call any of my other circle a Red Tent in any other cycle of the moon. That’s the traditional, ancient mother, grandmother moon in me.

How to work with the energy of the Moon?

My next Red Tent is 10th March at the New Moon in Pisces ( a great way to connect as this energy is about embracing intuition, deciphering fact from fiction, listening to dreams) and then 9th April at the New Moon in Aries during a month long lunar cycle of guided healing meditations so you can learn and attune to the moon yourself. All on-line and you’ll see and feel why this can help also! I personally love this time and also help you on your cycle and how you are in tune with nature.