Taken from Tribes That Slumber by Lewis and Kneberg:

Great New Moon Ceremony

When autumn leaves began to fall and the October new moon appeared in
the sky, the new year ceremony took place. This was the season of the
year in which the world was created, according to Cherokee tradition. The
proper name for the ceremony was Nuwatiegwa, meaning "big medicine",
but it was also called the Great New Moon Ceremony. In addition to the
usual preparations, each family that attended brought produce from its
own fields--corn, beans, pumpkins, etc. Part of this was for the general
feast and the rest for the chief to distribute among unfortunate
families whose harvest had been insufficient. On the night of the moon's
appearance, the women performed a religious dance. Only infants were
permitted to sleep, the rest of the people keeping vigil until just before
dawn. Then everyone, infants included, assembled on the river bank and
were arranged in one long line by the priest. At sunrise the priest
signaled for all to wade in and submerge themselves and their children seven
times. While this was taking place, the priest placed the sacred
crystal on a stand near the rivers edge. Then, emerging from the water, one
at a time, the people gazed into the crystal. If their image reflected
by the crystal appeared to be lying down, they believed that they would
die before spring. If, on the other hand, they appeared to be standing
erect, they would survive the coming winter. Those who felt themselves
doomed remained apart and fasted, while the others changed into dry
clothes and returned to the temple. There the priest made the usual
sacrifice of a deer's tongue, and a feast followed. Most of the night was
devoted to a religious dance by the women, and none but infants slept.
Before nightfall, those who had seen themselves lying down inthe crystal
were taken once more by the priest to the river bank where the
crystal-gazing was repeated. If on the second try, some saw themselves standing
erect, they repeated the seven submergings in the river and then
considered themselves safe. The unfortunates, whose images on the second try
were still reclining, had one more chance to escape their fate. But
this was deferred until the next new moon, four weeks later. This was a
short ceremony lasting only two days and nights. It was followed after
ten days by the fifth ceremony, the intervening time being devoted to
preparations.