Crafting Sacred Moments: The Making of "The Way of Blessing the Moon"

There’s a ritual in Jewish tradition that holds tremendous significance. In fact, our Sages say that this ritual is like greeting the presence of the Divine personally. 

And yet, not many of us are practicing it. Maybe you’ve never heard of it. We believe it’s time to change that!

For the past year, we’ve been hard at work crafting something truly spectacular: The Way of Blessing the Moon: A Modern Kiddush Levana.

It is our sincere hope that this accessible, heartfelt book will make this ritual into a cherished part of your monthly routine.

What is Kiddush Levana? 

In short, Kiddush Levana is a monthly practice of standing in the moonlight, welcoming the new month with intention and prayer, and soaking in the presence of the Divine. In Hebrew, Kiddush Levana means “sanctification of the moon,” or blessing the moon. 

It’s hard to overstate the spiritual possibilities for practicing this ritual. According to the Talmud:

“Reciting the blessing over the moon at the proper time is like greeting the Shekhinah [the feminine Divine] personally” (Sanhedrin 42B).

We know there is so much power in marking time with intention — and this ancient Jewish practice is a prime example.

Creating A Modern Kiddush Levana

Across the centuries, our Sages have offered guidance about the specific timing, wording, embodiment, and mindset for saying this monthly blessing. (See page X for a glimpse of the many sources.)

Over the past year, the At The Well team has gathered and distilled these teachings about the ritual of blessing the moon. So if you’re not regularly sitting down to peruse ancient rabbinic commentaries (and even if you are!), we have made these teachings so much more accessible.

The Way of Blessing the Moon guides you in two different ways to bless the moon:

1. We worked with the team behind Siddur Lev Shalem to bring you the traditional language of the Kiddush Levana blessing. If you love tapping into the specificity and legacy of tradition, this is the path for you!
   
   
2. We also collaborated with 13 women and nonbinary poets to craft brand new blessings — one for each new moon in the Hebrew Calendar. These stunning poems evoke the specific teachings of each Hebrew month, weaving in the mystical knowledge that each month has its own special lessons and invitations!

(In The Way of Blessing the Moon, the traditional Kiddush Levana blessing is offered in English, Hebrew, and full transliteration. The new blessings are all offered in English.)

Dozens of poets applied to take part in this groundbreaking project, and we were honored to be able to commission and uplift the writings of:

Kali Basman, Ester Eckhaus, Mushka Eidelman, Zo Flamenbaum, Aura Chaya Gispan, Caroline Kessler, Miranda Rose Mower, Hannah Prager, Kayla Rosen, Sarah Sassoon, Allegra Marino Shmulevsky, Bailey Spencer, and Remi Welbel.

Every word of The Way of Blessing the Moon was crafted with great care and intention — so that you can connect with this sacred ritual in the way you find most meaningful.

Plus, with elegant introductions to each month, and easy footnotes to help you feel the resonance of every gorgeous poetic reference, this is a book that meets you exactly where you are.

We can’t wait to hear how this ancient ritual touches and transforms your life, month after month.