Growing Goddess Seasonal Gatherings 2024/2025

Growing Goddess and Moon Mystics Autumnal Retreat

for young women ages 11-18

Friday October 4 -Sunday October 6

Join us for a transformative weekend designed to empower and nurture the spirit of young women as they open their voices, deepen friendships and learn important skills like cooking, sharing in council, preparing herbal medicines and making and tending fires. Guided by five incredible mentors, you will dive deep into sisterhood, community, and personal growth through ancient and modern practices that awaken the voice, body, and spirit.

Katerina Lily performing her original songs. Our courageous vocal growth guide and song doula for your original songs.

Mentors:

  • Tayel Songbird – Food as Medicine & Ritual Cooking

  • Lena Eastes – Herbalism, Salve Making & Skin Care, Fire Tending and Fire by Friction

  • Vox Lumina – Chakra Activation Yoga, Water Ceremony & Vocal Empowerment

  • Katerina Lily – Vocal Empowerment & Songwriting

  • Mariah Nolan – Mentorship, Healing, Leadership Skills, Way of Council

Retreat Highlights:

  • Sisterhood & Lifelong Friendships

  • Mentorship from 5 Amazing Women

  • Vocal Empowerment & Songwriting

  • Herbalism & Earth Skills (Fire by Friction, Fire Tending)

  • Chakra Activation Yoga

  • Seasonal & Ritual Cooking (Food as Medicine)

  • Water Ceremony & Rituals

  • Connection with Nature & Personal Reflection

Retreat Schedule:

Friday

  • 5:00-6:00 PM – Dinner (Soup, Cornbread & Salad)

  • 6:00-9:00 PM – Vocal Growth & Empowerment
    Dive into songwriting, freestyle jam, and singing harmonies in a playful and supportive setting. Strengthen your voice and deepen your practice.

Saturday

  • 8:00-9:00 AM – Chakra Activation Yoga with Vox Lumina

  • 9:00-10:00am- Breakfast

  • 10:00 AM-11:00 AM – Nature Awareness Games

  • 11:00-1pm Salve Making, Facials & Herbal Skin Care with Lena Eastes

  • 1:00-2:00 PM – Lunch

  • 2:00-3:00 PM – Outbreath: Journaling & Sit Spot for reflection and grounding

  • 3:00-6:00 PM – Food as Medicine – Ritual and seasonal cooking with Tayel Songbird (dinner preparation)

  • 6:00-7:00 PM – Dinner

  • 7:00-9:00 PM – Way of Council – Heart sharing circle, deep listening, and connection with Mariah Nolan

Sunday

  • 8:00-9:00 AM – Chakra Activation Yoga with Vox Lumina

  • 9:00-10:00am- Breakfast

  • 10:00 AM-12:00 PM – Fire Building – Learn the ancient art of fire by friction with Lena Eastes

  • 12:00-1:00 PM – Lunch

  • 1:00-3:00 PM – Water Blessing & Water Rituals with Vox Lumina

  • 3:00-4:30 PM – Parents are invited to join us for a Vocal Empowerment Journey & Song Share. Experience the songs and empowered voices of the young women and weave in your own voice. 

Location: Earth Song (Family home and small scale retreat center in Candler NC, address shared upon registration)

Dates: Friday October 4th feel free to start arriving as early at 3:30 and dinner is served at 5pm with our official programming beginning at 6pm-Sunday October 6th at 4;30pm

Investment: $260 includes all meals and supplies. 

This is a sacred opportunity to step into your authentic gifts and voice, connect with nature in community and amplify your vision in the shared wisdom of our circle. We invite you to embark on this journey with us and discover the strength of your voice, body, heart and friendships. 

…with a special bonus opportunity to join us in sweat lodge!

(see below)

You are invited to a Young Women and their Mama's Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Dear Growing Goddesses and Moon Mystics and their Mothers,

You are warmly invited to participate in a women’s sweat lodge ceremony, held in the tradition of a Temazcal. This powerful gathering will be an opportunity for us to hydrate intentions for the coming year, connect deeply with the elements, and strengthen our community and sister bonds.

Event Details:

  • Date: October 2

  • Time: 3:33pm-8pm

  • Location: Earth Song 10 Weaver Smith Dr. Candler NC 28715

  • Donations welcome but not required, firewood welcome but not required

This sweat lodge is inspired by the traditions passed down to me from my dear friend and teacher, Aixa Amankay, and the ceremonial practices of Abuela Malinanli's Moon Dance in Teotihuacan, Mexico. We built this lodge with specific intentions for our rites of passages and the healing and upliftment of women and young women.

What to Bring:

  1. Sweat Clothes: Wear comfortable cotton or other natural fiber clothing. We recommend a long skirt and a shirt that covers the shoulders or a long dress with sleeves. Please avoid polyester, bathing suits, see-through clothing, short skirts, sweatpants, or shorts.

  2. Towel: Bring a towel to sit on during the lodge and another one to dry off after rinsing.

  3. Change of Clothes: Have a warm change of clothes ready, including a sweater or poncho to keep warm after the ceremony.

  4. Food and Drinks: Please bring something to share with the group after the lodge.

  5. Flowers: If you wish, you may bring flowers to place on the altar.

Important Notes:

  • Each participant is responsible for keeping their personal belongings and the ceremonial tools organized and safe.

  • After the ceremony, we will uncover the lodge, fold or put the covers to dry, and pack away the tools and elements from the altar. Please assist in extinguishing the fire to ensure it is safe.

  • Young Women are welcome to come with or without their Mothers. 

This ceremony is a profound way to honor ourselves and each other. We look forward to sharing this sacred experience with you.

Growing Goddess and Moon Mystics Seasonal Retreat Weekends

Autumn (October 4-6, 2024) • MidWinter (February 7-9, 2025) • Spring (April 11-13, 2025)

I'm ecstatic to announce the birth of something I hold precious in my heart and that has been gestating for 15 years. Our Rites of Passage for young women, Growing Goddess and Moon Mystics, has often sought to grow beyond her deep-dive summer ritual and spread her wings into the year, the annual growth cycle of the initiates.

For how far we step outside of regular space and time in our 5-day summer gathering, and steep in ritual time or dance in the temple of time, there's also the reality that traditionally we would have had months if not years to deepen into a full initiation. 

And so we are allowing this beautiful teenager of a ceremony to honor her maturity and expand into the seasonal gatherings of a mystery school. I’m savoring the closeness of the sisterhoods and deepening of the teachings.

We will be offering a sleepover seasonal gathering for one long weekend in each season of the upcoming year:

Autumn (October 4-6, 2024), MidWinter (February 7-9, 2025) and Spring (April 11-13, 2025)

  • All retreats begin Friday afternoon/evening, include two sleepover nights (Friday and Saturday), and conclude Sunday midday. Meals and all activities included.

  • Each weekend retreat is valued at $260

  • Register in advance for all three retreats and save! Special package price of $633 for Fall, MidWinter, and Spring

MidWinter Retreat: February 7-9, 2025

Theme: Brigid’s Flame - The Bright Light of MidWinter

Ages 11-18

with Guides Lena Eastes & Village Aunties (TBA)

Spring Retreat:

April 11-13, 2025

Theme: The Blooming Earth - Magic and Medicine of Herbs and Flowers

Ages 11-18

with Guides Lena Eastes & Village Aunties (TBA)

Join us as we weave our connectedness through the seasons of the year, and deepen our connection with the wisdom and teachings seeded at Rites of Passage. As we savor our time together, we’ll attune to the practices and skills most needed to thrive as the spiritual, rooted, generous, and kind feminine leaders that our world is thirsty to receive: 

  • Self Love and Healing 

  • Body Wisdom

  • Self Care

  • Opening the Voice in Song

  • Communication and Community

  • Trust and Sisterhood

  • Developing Intuition

  • Ceremonial Arts 

  • Earth Skills

  • Dance and Embodiment Practices

  • Somatic Integration