Temple of the Twelve: Token Exchange?

[windinthemaples]

(As the creator of Full Moon Swaps, you might not be surprised at my idea.)

With so many of us beginning our Temple of the Twelve journey together, I had an idea that would bind us together more firmly. Each month in Caroline's Temple training, she is gifted with a token of the color whose task she has successfully completed. (In the case of the novel, I believe they're all feathers.) This is a gift from the Divine themselves to acknowledge her progress.

What if we, a handful of students, performed the same task for each other? I was thinking that halfway through the month (by the full moon), we could wrap up and mail to whoever our partner is for the month a small, inexpensive token of that color's teachings. Something that could acknowledge that month's success and be something the person can put on their future altars, if they so cared, to represent that month's work.

I mean it to be quite different from a mail swap. We could package those tokens in such a way that the recipient can choose to open them at the end of the month's work if and when they feel they've completed the material and come to earn it. And the sender, I hope, would use their intuition to find the right thing, to act as the Divine's hands in getting it to the student who earned it. Also, I envision it being quite private and sparse. Maybe most of us would choose not to share what our tokens had been and the sender wouldn't be including cards or extra gifts or other stuff in their packet.

So imagine, the way I have, that sometime before your month working with a color ends, a small packet arrives in the mail. Inside, there is a small bundle wrapped in black paper. You put that small mystery on your color altar and get back to work! :) On the night before the new moon, when you're going over the month's growth and accomplishments, you may come to a point where you know that you've earned the token of that color and are ready to move on to the next. You unwrap that black paper and there, inside, is a black river stone shaped like a teardrop or a tiny snippet of black lace or a black glass bead or a black artist's pencil or a tiny pot of black glitter or, in your case, the token that was meant for you, a ____________. Know that gift, while shuttled through another student's hands, was in fact from the Divine as a symbol of the month's completion.

We could discover our own tokens, just as we can perform our own divination, but I think there is a magick in allowing someone else to contribute to our spiritual work and being surprised on each "graduation" night with what we've learned and even never realized we'd learned (and earned!) along the way.

Would you like to participate in Black's token program with me? The full moon ship-by date, to ensure the packet arrives in time, would be no later than June 26th. If this idea resonates with you and you'd like to try it, let me know in the comments and I will happily arrange things so that everyone has someone on the lookout for their token.

Comments

[willow-cabin.livejournal.com]

Yes! I love this idea!

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Great! Thank you! YAY! :D :) <3 {{{hugs}}}

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

Also, now that I can actually form other words than a gigantic squee: Jenn and I were talking about this the other day, and unsure how to approach it. We knew we wanted to do something, but didn't know how to go about it. You're wonderful and awesome and OMG LOVE. <3333

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're amenable. :D :D :D I couldn't sleep, I wanted to talk about this *so* much. :D

Hey, I wanted to ask you if I'd need a rental car for my visit? I'm worried there won't be room to get you, me, Jenn, Karyn and Rhi (and our luggage) home from Buffalo on Friday night. What do you think?

Also, is there a spot I can "camp" in your house, or should I plan to buy/bring outdoor camping gear?

Please let me know so I can plan ahead. Also, is there anything else I should bring for the festivities?

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

Are you on IM? :D *LOVE*

Edited to add: Oh hey, never mind. XD I SEES YOU.

[cloverdew.livejournal.com]

I really want to do this, but I haven't started the Temple of Twelve and won't get to until I can get the books (will have to wait for my paycheck on the 22nd). Do you think I will be able to "catch up" to you all so I can work through the colors with you?

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

That's entirely up to you. You could begin working with us on Black while you're waiting for the chance to get the books. Or, after you've gotten the books, you can see if you can catch up to be ready to start the next color with us mid-July. Maybe losing time working with one color in order to catch up with us is worthwhile or maybe you'd benefit more by recruiting some friends to form your own group to start together later. Only you'll know what's right and best for you. :)

[cloverdew.livejournal.com]

I would love to start working with the color black now, especially after seeing your altar and Sarah's & Jenn's, too. I've been wanting to make one since I saw your black candle.

Aside from performing any ritual I come up with myself, is there any specific instruction or information I should have before I start?

<333

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

I think you should start, Sara. I think that rubymulligan is starting on Black before she got her book as well... I feel like you are ready. Just start by creating a small "sacred space" of some sort, for the color Black. *nods*

[cloverdew.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Thanks, Gemma. I will do just this! :)

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

The first month's big project is to create a self-portrait of yourself--soul and all--and to be as honest with it as you can be. (As Lady Black sees all we hide in the dark.) So that's one thing that most/all of us are doing. :)

The journal questions you can start working with deal with discovering your talents, observing how you use those talents in life, and how you think Lady Black would want you to use them. Also, think about the nature of black and darkness--do either scare you or put you off?

So, I think that's all you need to know. It is all about self-discovery and digging deep. :)

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

This sounds so lovely, but I feel uncomfortable starting on a color without having the book in hand. Perhaps if a group of us start a little later we'll have to try to do our own tokens...

Of course I've noticed that some people will repeat months dedicated to the colors when they feel they need to concentrate a little longer on those lessons so there might be future opportunities as well.

Strangely enough this month has been focused on the color black in a lot of ways for me, but not an organized exploration.

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

You are right, some people stay with one color longer than a Moon (both in the book and in "real life" :-) ), and some work with colors as they feel drawn, not in the order Caroline in the book does.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I think I'll try putting a post about this up every month and letting people working on different colors get tokens for each other. We'll see if that works out for everyone and if it does, and if you start studying the colors, then you can sign up for a later one. :)

[wanderlustlover]

Oh, this sounds like such a wonderful idea.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the new moon to new moon schedule we're keeping works for you and your studies, but if it does, you're welcome to sign up this month! :)

[wanderlustlover]

I would love to, I think. The more I read over these comment the more inclusive and amazing it sounds. And tokens for each month sound amazing, and getting to be part of the each month graduation for people I amazingly adore does, too.

I can't wait to see how it all gets put together in an official sign-up.

[folkchick3.livejournal.com]

I think this is a wonderful idea, and I would very much like to participate... only one thing that comes to mind (especially reading the comments above) is that not everyone will be on the same color at the same time. Colors will vary depending on where (and when) each student began, as well as varying when some may choose to repeat a month, or work with the colors in a different order than in the book. My suggestion is that when the list is created, each persons current color should be noted along with their name (we could do this each month)so that students working at their own pace (be it faster, slower or differently than others) could still be a part of this lovely, wonderful idea. Having said all that....please, please, please count me in!

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

*nods* you should base the tokens on what your individual partner is doing that moon

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

While I can't accommodate everyone's schedule/timing, I am perfectly willing to let people dictate which color token they're working on. If that works out well this month, we can do it again for next. You're welcome to participate! :)

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

I would like to just send tokens sometimes to any and all of you when something says to me, "I belong to so and so" -

so if it's ok, sometimes people will get a token from their partner - but sometimes also a special little token from the ELF here as well.

is that ok with everyone?

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I'll put a question about that on the official sign-up so that each person can choose to opt in or opt out of sharing their address with you. :) Sound good?

It's a lovely gesture on your part. Thanks for asking! :D

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

That would be perfect! :-)

[rubymulligan.livejournal.com]

I am SO behind on my friends list. It's horrible. You posted this yesterday... how did it escape my notice? OH, it's Shaun's fault. I'm elbow-deep *snort* in his book and it's hard *snort* to come *snort* up for air. Also, I think I might be channeling Ollie. DAMNIT, 15-year-old boys. DAMN YOU AND YOUR WEINER HUMOR.