Aloha Kākou,

Our February 17th New Moon Ceremony fell on a lunar eclipse and marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse. Unangan Elder Ilarion 'Kuuyux' Merculieff, President & Founder of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership & Lifeways, offered a teaching that many of you have been writing in to ask if we could share more widely. So here it is.

Ilarion's people, the Unangan (the People by the Sea), have lived along the Bering Sea for over 10,000 years. As Ilarion shared during our New Moon ceremony, his people never planned. They simply lived in the present moment, in the heart, setting their intention in alignment with all that is, and then let go, trusting at a cellular level that their prayers would be answered.

Ilarion reminded us that Mother Earth is going through a great shift right now. Every Elder he has spoken with confirms it. As her vibration increases, it pushes out everything within us that is lower in vibration, making visible what we've ignored. This is an invitation. To look, to feel, and to let go.

He shared a teaching that stayed with many of us long after the ceremony ended:

"Let go of the sides of the river bank. Move toward the center. Find those who have done the same, and celebrate."

Letting go of all human attachments. Going to your heart, the center of the river of life, because it knows where it's going. We do not. And finding your new tribe: those who have had the courage to jump.

"The most unselfish thing you can do right now is to heal yourself," Ilarion said. And that takes great courage. The courage to return to the places we once separated from, trusting that we won't relive the pain, but will instead find our way home.

Click on the picture above to watch Ilarion’s full message.

Every month, as we gather across continents and time zones, something shifts. The isolated becomes interconnected. The scattered finds its center. The forgotten remembers itself.

🌑 March New Moon Ceremony

These monthly ceremonies were born from a call by the Council of Indigenous Sages of Colombia to synchronize ceremony across the world. Each New Moon, Elders and wisdom keepers from every continent gather to cleanse, attune, and renew together. All are welcome in this growing Community of Practice.

Date: Wednesday, March 18th, 2026
Time: 7:30 AM Hawai‘i | 9:30 AM Pacific | 12:30 PM Eastern & Colombia | 6:30 PM CET

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 829 1391 4758

Passcode: Love

Help keep the Ceremonies Free & Open to All

A monthly pledge of $8 (or whatever feels aligned) helps sustain the technology, coordination, and infrastructure that makes this possible. Every contribution helps us keep the circle open.

Called to Go Deeper?

Our Ancestral Wisdom Collective follows the rhythm of the moon through weekly gatherings with Indigenous Elders from Hawaiian and Arhuaco traditions. Each lunar cycle brings a different practice: synchronized ceremony at New Moon, First Quarter Moon cultivating coherence together, Mamo Lorenzo's teachings at Full Moon, and Aunty Puna's wisdom at Last Quarter Moon.

Members receive full archive access to past ceremonies and teachings, connection with fellow seekers around the world, and a pathway into the living field of practice that Ilarion speaks to here.

Together, we're weaving a blanket of peace around the world. Will you join us?

Me ke aloha pumehana,
Your Kaiāulu ʻOhana