Growing Goddess Spring Retreat April 11-13. Arrive 6pm Friday-4pm Sunday
🌿✨ A Weekend of Art, Roses, Honeybees, and Transformation ✨🌿
Step into a sacred space of belonging and transformation at our Spring Weekend Retreat, held at Earthsong, our beloved home and retreat sanctuary. As part of the Growing Goddess & Moon Mystics Rites of Passage program, this gathering invites young women ages 11–14 and 15–18 to deepen their connections, express their authentic selves, and awaken their creative spirits in a nurturing environment.
What Awaits You:
🌞 Soulful Mornings – Begin each day with gentle yoga, mindful meditation, and reflective journaling over tea, fruit, and nourishing smoothies.
🍵 Food as Medicine – Learn the healing power of food as we co-create an Ayurvedic-inspired menu, preparing meals that nourish both body and soul—wisdom to bring home and share with loved ones.
🎨 A Journey Through Art & Nature – This weekend is dedicated to art therapy and earth-based creativity, blending clay, watercolor, and hands-on earth tending to foster deep inner blossoming:
Sculpting with Clay – Ground yourself through hands-on, intuitive clay work, shaping emotions into form.
Watercolors by the Gardens – Let the flow of creativity mirror your expression as we paint in nature’s embrace.
The Art Journey – Experience art as a meditative practice, a conversation with your soul, and a path to self-discovery and healing.
🌿 Sacred Earth Work & Connection
Planting Heirloom Roses – We will plant and cultivate a Heirloom Rose Garden, learning the wisdom of these sacred plants and beginning our Way of the Rose curriculum, which will unfold throughout the summer.
Honeybee Hive Initiation – Learn how to start and care for your own honeybee hive, deepening your connection to the sacred world of pollinators and their essential role in nature.
Explore the Forest – Wander through the woods, listening to the whispers of the Earth.
Playful Connection – Laugh, run, and play games that bring joy and connection.
Song Circle by the Fire – Gather in heart-centered harmony through music, rhythm, and storytelling.
Finding Your Flow – Engage in the therapeutic benefits of art, using creativity to release stress, process emotions, and cultivate inner peace.
Join us at Earthsong for a weekend of renewal, creativity, and deep connection—where art, nature, and ancient wisdom guide us home to ourselves.
Spaces are limited—reserve your place today!
Guest Facilitator: Nikki Moon Shoneman
We are honored to welcome Nikki Moon Shoneman, an accomplished artist, Waldorf educator, midwife, herbalist, and bodyworker to lead us in several art therapy sessions with Clay and watercolor mediums. I have journeyed with Nikki as a dear friend and sister and through art therapy sessions over the years and find her work to be truly healing and transformative.
Growing Goddess and Moon Mystics Seasonal Mystery School Gatherings 2025
for young women ages 11-18
Mentors: Lena Eastes, Evie Irving, Iya Sangoma, Nikki Moon (pictured) Mariah Nolan, Cat Hood and Earth Path Apprentice Jaye Polgar
Nikki holds:
A Master’s Degree in Education from Antioch University
A BA in Fine Arts from UCSC
A Waldorf teaching certification (Grades 1–8)
Training in Anthroposophic Art Therapy through the Kairos Institute
With years of experience teaching Fine Arts, Waldorf mentorship, and Forest School, Nikki brings a rich depth of wisdom and creativity to our retreat. She lives in Asheville with her husband of 20+ years and their three children.
💧Join us for a weekend of self-discovery, healing, and creative expansion!
A Circle in Which a Young Woman is Seen and Honored
The Power of Rites of Passage & Community Healing
At Earth Path Education, we recognize that rites of passage are essential for young women stepping into new phases of life, self-discovery, and empowerment. These intentional experiences help us mark transitions, integrate personal growth, and connect more deeply with ourselves, our communities, and the natural world. Through Place-Based Education and Deep Nature Connection Mentoring, we guide participants in strengthening their relationships with forest ecology, inner ecology, and community ecology. By working with the land, singing, storytelling, practicing traditional skills, and engaging in meaningful ceremony, we cultivate a culture of belonging, self-trust, and reverence for life.
Join us as we weave our connectedness through the seasons of the year, and deepen our connection with the wisdom and teachings seeded at our annual 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 and Truth for the Healing of our Planet
Communication and Community
Trust and Sisterhood
Developing Intuition
Ceremonial Arts
Earth Skills
Dance and Embodiment Practices
Somatic Integration Tools
