Friday, October 25, 2013

Tsukimi Recap

So, I promised this a while ago but I have yet to have the chance to post this latest blog entry until now. Please forgive me, but I do hope you enjoy this look at our Moon Viewing Festival from September (is October really almost over?!).

Sitting in the garden under the bright Harvest Moon, Tsuyu-chan, Amethyst-chan and several of our guests shared beautiful poems heralding the splendor of the full moon. I wish I was able to capture more images, but I was too busy listening to the poems and the nearby waterfall to remember to keep snapping away.





The following evening, Hamayu-chan hosted formal tea ceremony for Tsukiyomi-sama, the patron kami for Shinmachi. I don’t know why everyone wanted to sit on her right hand side…
 


 
The main event for the festival was the Moon Odori. Held in the dojo of the beautiful Keisei sim, the odori was separated into five sets: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous and the full moon.  

The dance began with an ode to the new moon, shingetsu, the beginning of the month according to the old Japanese calendar. Shingetsu has a connection to the heart, to the mind and to new beginnings. The moon is beginning its journey around the earth and we are given pause to reflect on what the new month will hold.

By the light of the waxing crescent, we are able to see the first glimpses of the oiran in all her beauty.


Under the first quarter and reveling in half of the moon’s light, the youngest members of Shinmachi cameout to play.


With nearly full illumination from the waxing gibbous, the shinzo take the center stage to contemplate the role of shadows in the night.
 

Our performance, and thus our festival, concluded with a celebration of Tsukiyomi and the magnificence of the full moon.


 

Since the performance ended, we have turned our attention to preparing the Godai Matsuri, our Five Elements Festival which will celebrate five wonderful years of Shinmachi’s existence in Second Life. The festivities begin on November 8th and we hope you will join us for the fun, events and performances.

Next week, I will post our finalized schedule of events for the festival (I promise!).

 

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