rituals & traditions

Age of Ascension - Coming of Age ritual for cubs at 1 year of age. This a celebration of adulthood and preparation into the adult ranks of the pack. Typically a large celebration amongst the whole pack.
Rituals:
- vow of unity, honor, and dedication to the pack
- feast of all types of food items
- gifts of all types including herbs, amulets, objects, etc
- a test of strength, cunning, and speed, often times put into a quest or journey that the cub must complete to make it into adult ranks
- right of passage from apprenticeship/job interest into a functioning role in the adult ranks (ie: guardian apprentice to guardian; high priest(ess) to initiate) often through a quest, task, or other lengthy process to show dedication and ability
- occasionally, depending on the cub's apprentice craft, adoption of an alternative formal name.

Age of Fertility - Coming of Age ritual for females at the age of 2 years. This is a celebration of fertility and happiness of prosperity. Typically performed by the cub's mother and overseen by the high priest.
Rituals:
- vow of honor and dedication to future cubs
- gifts of strength, fertility, and protection including herbs, objects, amulets, etc
- unity of family and friends in celebration

Birthday - Annual celebration of the anniversary of one's birth date. Typically rejoiced by family, friends, and on some occasions, the entire pack (elders, leader tier, etc).
Rituals:
- feast, community howl, and group hunts
- gifts and offerings to the sea to provide another good year of life
- storytelling and sharing of lore

Mateship (Union) - A celebration of joining between two wolves (no gender specifications). Must be overseen and approved by high priest or high priestess and is celebrated by the entire pack.
Rituals:
- vow of unity, strength, and dedication to their significant other, pledging monogamy unless an open relationship; spoken with both wolf's paws upon a blessed rock to "set them in stone"
- pack howl, pack hunt, and other social activities
- offerings of gifts, herbs, food, and other items to the couple
- appeasement of the Gods/spirits/Loa to give fortune and mercy to the new relationship
- fertility charms, prosperity charms, and good luck charms

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January, Wolf Moon - a time of protection and strength during a season of death and desolation. New beginnings and endings.
Rituals:
- celebrations to reinstate the wolf's role as primary predator
- Feast of the Bear: a large hunt where pack roles are reinforced to celebrate, as a whole, the return of large prey.
- Day of the Rat: a strategic hunt of game trails, prey tracks, and herd observing to gather valuable information regarding prey migrations.

February, Fish Moon - a season of endurance, preservation, waning storms, and romance. A time of love, compassion, and children.
Rituals:
- Night of the Doe: ceremony of the female sex, honoring and respecting female elders with gifts and song. Rejoicing in female strength and longevity.
- Day of the Pup: a time of laughter and fun, celebrating the turnover of child to adult.
- Day of the Founding: the anniversary for when the pack was created, this day is in special honor of the pack's strength, unity, and dedication. Rather than honor deities, the pack rejoices in itself with howls, feasts, and celebration.
- potions, charms, and activities of romance, protection, and calm.
- offerings to the Primaries for mercy from tedious, winter-time storms and snows.

March, Bison Moon - a time of purity, newness, and special honor to the spirits. A season of growth, preparation, exploration, and planting seeds of life.
Rituals:
- celebrations of new life and verdant growth to rebuild from winter
- explorations for herbs, plants, and other vital earth needs
- no rituals; only prayers, offerings, and sacrifices

April, Hare Moon - a time of fertility, abundance, unity, beauty. All plans made during the long winter come to fruition. Birthing month.
Rituals:
- Day of the High Tide/Spring Equinox: offerings are placed within the sea to appease Sedna during the oceans highest/largest tide
- females are considered particularly fertile during this month; a late heat cycle should produce a son
- celebrations of gathering freshly grown herbs, spices, and plants to store for winter months
- Night of the Hare: rabbits are gifted to the sea to request fertility; sexual fervor
- Moth Offering: oils, flowers, and shells are placed on the sands to specifically attract newly hatched moths; it is thought that doing so draws newly awakened spirits from their slumber through the winter months into the fresh season with a new birth.

May, Owl Moon - a season of wisdom and deep reflection. Astral projection is highest at this time, allowing clairvoyant visions and spiritual dreams. This is a season predominantly devoted to working on inner spirituality rather than appeasement of spirits/Loa.
Rituals:
- either prompting dreams or preventing dreams
- exploration for study and knowledge
- Scrying

June, Seal Moon - a season of abundance and relaxation from spring's sudden burst of activity. A time of warmth, protection, honoring the dead and spirits.
Rituals:
- honoring the dead spirits by placing sentimental items at low tide so that when the tide rises, it sweeps the memories away.
- ceremonies of protection spells are at their peak in this season, allowing packs to build larger spell barriers than normal.
- sun rituals of offerings, gifts, and specific harvesting of wooden items
- meditation and empowerment gatherings

July, Whale Moon - a season of song, celebration, feasts, enchantment, and success. A time of friends, family, and unity.
Rituals:
- celebrations of songs, howls, and rejoicing at pinnacle of summer
- Night of Singing Insects: oils, flowers, and shells are placed along the low laying foliage to attract singing insects and join in on their songs
- offerings delivered to the highest cove cliffs to appease the gods for minimal summer storms and reduce lightning
- feasts laced with intoxicant to prompt astral projection and celebration into harvest
- celebrations along the coast for the whale spirit to ensure safe travel through tumultuous summer storms

August, Ram Moon - a season of unity and balance between the end of summer and beginning of harvest. A sacrificial month in preparation for the harvest to come.
Rituals:
- celebrations of collecting herbs.
- sacrifices in the form of herbs, plants, and wild game. Spirits and Loa dedicated to earth are particularly honored.
- Day of Fire: the earth is most susceptible to lightning storms that provoke fire during this time; this week-long ritual is in honor of those preternatural forces and appeasement to the sky gods.
- Evening of the Ram: heightened time of unity and generosity make the end of this month particularly potent for marriage. Song and prayers are woven into the waning sun of the last day to signify rebirth of life into a new adventure.

September, Beaver Moon - the time of harvest and great toil. Long days and nights of rebuilding, unity, and strength for the upcoming Crow Moon. Weak links are repaired. Looming dread for the Crow Moon.
Rituals:
- Day of the Bee: sweet mint and summer flowers are harvested to promote the pollen collectors for determination and strength in work.
- Night of Atka and Sos: the end of this season heralds a vital ritual dedicated to the Primary gods. Large, exotic prey (or blood of a wolf) are offered to appease the coming wrath of Sos in the Crow Moon. A particularly savage event, it dictates the entire outcome of the pack's survival.
- ceremonies involving sacrificial offerings and gifts are prevalent to help overcome the winter and prepare for hardship.
- Day of the High Tide/Fall Equinox: offerings are placed within the sea to appease Sedna during the oceans highest/largest tide

October, Crow Moon - a season of fear and dread for the Great Bear Sos awakens to seek revenge upon the living. A time of particularly heightened spirituality where the space between the living world and the underworld are at its thinnest. Temperatures change, seas come alive, and those who do not believe are punished.
Rituals:
- a season of sacrifices pertaining to blood magic.
- meat gathering of all types in epic proportions as prey migrates. It is prudent to collect enough for the winter survival but also living through the Night of Sos.
- Blood Moon: a ceremony of remorse and sadness for those who have departed the realm of the living and are either stuck between the underworld or suffering in the underworld. A day of reflection and honor to the elders.
- The Night of the Opossum: Judgement Day for those who have not appeased Sos. At the end of the month the Great Bear comes to the end of his savage rampage, knocking upon each den to lure the easily persuaded out. It is rumored the black spirit feasts on souls, swallowing all those within his path to leave not even a body behind. This ritual dictates offerings, as many as possible (for the bear's appetite is unending), in hopes it will move onto the next den. It is unwise and superstitious to stay out past sundown towards the end of the month.
- Hunt of Amarok: a feasting hunt performed during the night when the full moon is at its highest point in the sky. The objective is to prey upon as much game as possible while avoiding the great white legend, Amarok. A game of danger and death.
- Day of the Salmon: spawning salmon are in overabundance, offering quick, rich meals. A day of rejoicing, hunting, and sacrifices to the gods.

November, Raven Moon - a season of divination, spirituality, and banishment. With winter in full effect this month is spent on reflection from the Crow Moon.
Rituals:
- solitary celebrations of spiritual awakening.
- songs of legends and lore are shared with emphasis on education and understanding of pack faith.
- Night of the Crone: ritual of appeasement to those who have carved the path for spiritual enlightenment.
- Day of the Seal: ritual of offerings and prayers to the sea goods and water elements for protection from winter storms.

December, Bear Moon - a season of quiet, hope, and short, cold days. This month is dedicated to the Great Bear Gods.
Rituals
- celebrations of unity through feasts of wounded and sickly prey.
- Night of the Wolf: songs to bring togetherness throughout the pack. Dedication to family, hope, new life, and protection of the pack's borders.
- Day of the Bear: the shedding of one's past, mistakes, and follies to be reborn into the new year with aspirations, hope, and success.