New Years Eve Celebration

December 31, 7:00 p.m. to ???

This New Years Eve is a blue moon (second full moon of the month), which is very rare, and it also coincides with a lunar eclipse, making it a rarified atmosphere in which to practice. Guests and newcomers are welcome. The evening will include:

• Mantra and Meditation - Energize your subtle energy system with chanting of Sanskrit seed syllables for the seven chakras, introduced earlier this year by John Casey, PhD. We'll also do Kuntuzangpo practice in English, a practice which is recommended at the changing of the year according to esoteric Buddhism, as well as other mantra recitation.

• Potluck - We'll break in the middle for a potluck dinner so those who are joining us from other places have time to get here. I'm providing traditional hopping john (black-eyed peas and rice with cheese on the side), sausage rolls, caramel cake, cookies, and tea. Bring whatever you'd like to share, vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

• Burning Bowl Ceremony - For years we have done this ceremony and have found it to be a meaningful way of making a transition into the new year. Using our indoor fireplace, we'll bring completion to the past and create aspirations that call us forth into the future, while staying nice and toasty at the same time! If you'd like to get started making your lists, see below.

• General Revelry with champagne at midnight! More snacks and sweets. Bring a sleeping bag and spend the night if you'd like.

Location: Home of Rita Frizzell in the Belmont/Hillsboro neighborhood, 1716A Linden Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212. 615-463-2374. See website for map.


Fire Bowl Preparation

Make lists on four separate sheets of paper:

1. Purify
List anything you would like to let go of so that you're not carrying old baggage into the new year. These may be attitudes, regrets, resentments, etc.

2. Rejoice
List blessings that you are grateful for from 2009.

3. Honor
Write down the names of any beloved ones who are no longer with us that you'd like to honor.

4. Aspire
Formulate intentions and aspirations for the coming year.

Bring your lists with you to the New Years Eve celebration, making sure each list is on a separate piece of paper.