In my tradition we wear white to bring in the New Year. We fast. We take a long, hard look at where were are and where we’ve come from and we try to make change for the coming year. We throw stones or bread in the water (check out my song “One Stone” on the music page) to symbolize what we’d like to leave behind.

I was honored to co-lead prayers at Occupy Philly this year. The experience was a combination of all the rituals I just described, with a strong undercurrent of shared understanding. All of us felt an extra weight to these age-old rituals, as we prayed in the very space where a new reality was being born. We participated – and continue to participate – in this incredible, creative, exciting movement towards social change and justice in this country (the USA) and around the world.

The way we planned services was in line with the way the whole Occupy movement runs: democratic process, horizontal leadership, and co-operation. It was an honor to be a part of this ceremony as we opened the page on a fresh new year, together, down at Occupy Philly. Here’s what the Exponent had to say. Oh, and some pics to get a visual of the white garb!