Wildwood Sisterhood

Our journey is held within the embrace of a nurturing sisterhood circle—a contemporary haven akin to the "hut in the woods" from the German fairy tale "The Handless Maiden." Here, like the tale’s heroine who found healing through the guidance of mystical Wood Sisters, we support one another through the trials and triumphs of self-discovery and empowerment.

This sisterhood is a sanctuary where we share our experiences, weave our stories, and support each other in the deep work of recovery, restoration, and spiritual awakening.

Our monthly gatherings become a ritual in their own rite as they request our full presence and participation in the life and ground we inhabit.

Inspired by the Mystery Schools of ancient Greece and Rome, the Wildwood Sisterhood offers a space for spiritual initiation that transcends the intellectual and practical approaches of modern life. We delve into the mystical and applicable truths embedded in the fabric of mythical stories and the wild cadence of nature. Our school is not a rigid system or organization (you will not be receiving a certificate of completion), but a living, breathing circle of companions committed to eco-spiritual awakening. Here, we honor the many expressions of the Divine, drawing inspiration from the rhythms, stories, and spirits of the Earth.

The Wildwood Sisterhood is a modern expression of Mystery Schools. While our temple may be virtual, we will endeavor to foster Socratic conditions where lessons and longings are held in tandem as seeds, planting them within our inner-nature and allowing community and conversation to help them grow.

The Hut, our on-line resource space, will offer monthly reflections and practices guided by the wisdom of nature's seasonal expression; personal myth prompts that will help one develop their own sacred story; and rituals and personal ceremonies to honor the calendar of the Earth.

A bit more on Mystery Schools...

A Mystery School is an ancient institution or tradition focused on the exploration of spiritual, mystical, and esoteric knowledge. These schools offer teachings and practices that are considered "mysteries" because they delve into the hidden or inner aspects of life and the universe—truths that go beyond the ordinary and Western understanding of reality.

The Wildwood Sisterhood Mystery School seeks to unveil the wisdom that is contained within stories, the strata of the land, and the particularities of the seasons. We aim to reawaken and reconnect to the sacred guidance that is mirrored and modeled through the natural and storied world.

Key Aspects of a Mystery School:

1. Spiritual Initiation: Mystery Schools often involve initiation rites, which symbolize the transition from ordinary awareness to a deeper, more profound spiritual understanding. Initiates are gradually introduced to sacred knowledge that is not readily available to the public. A rite is essentially a ritual that moves one into a sacramental and/or enchanted worldview. Through the use of stories, and personal and collective earth-based rituals, we do the work together to shift our consciousness and spiritual life into one that is profoundly ecological and enstoried.

2. Esoteric Teachings: The teachings of Mystery Schools are usually esoteric, meaning they are meant to be understood only by a select group of people who are spiritually prepared. These teachings often include meditation, rituals, symbolism, and the study of ancient texts.

   While this may be true of mystery schools of old, the Wildwood Sisterhood Mystery School's framework is truly accessible to everyone. Eco-theology and Spiritual Ecology undergird the teachings, both modalities informing a profound sense of collective and mutual belonging, as well as an understanding that we are all nature. The communal lens makes this not so much esoteric, but understandably outside of the modern Western worldview.

3. Ritual and Ceremony: Rituals and ceremonies are central to Mystery Schools. These practices are designed to help initiates experience spiritual realities directly, often involving symbolic acts that represent deeper truths about the cosmos and the self.

4. Myth and Symbolism: Mystery Schools use myths and symbols to convey spiritual truths. These stories and images are not just metaphorical but are seen as gateways to understanding the deeper aspects of existence. Our use of story and myth comes through Applied Mythology and a narrative psychology approach.

5. Transformation: The ultimate goal of a Mystery School is the transformation of the individual. Through the teachings and practices, initiates are guided towards enlightenment, self-realization, or a higher state of consciousness.

Modern Interpretations:

Today, the term "Mystery School" is sometimes used to describe spiritual or esoteric groups that carry on the tradition of teaching hidden or sacred knowledge. These modern Mystery Schools often blend ancient wisdom with contemporary spiritual practices, aiming to guide participants towards personal and spiritual transformation.

In essence, a Mystery School is a place of profound learning and spiritual growth, where initiates explore the deeper mysteries of life and the universe in a structured, often ritualistic, environment.

Through rituals, mysticism, and myth, we embrace the deep, cyclical wisdom of nature to enrich our lives and souls. Each season offers its own unique teachings—whether it be the fertile creativity of spring, the full bloom of summer, the harvest of autumn, or the introspective rest of winter. As we move through these sacred seasons, we allow the Earth’s natural rhythms to guide us in our personal and collective stories, cultivating a deeper connection to the more-than-human world.

Students will gain knowledge and experience on various ways to integrate ritual into their daily and seasonal lives as a way to practice “story-code” postures, sacred practices that are offered like bread-crumbs through stories, offering integral clues for how we are meant to move through the world.

The ritual practice of sacred phenology invites a feeling of profound emplacement, while also providing a mirroring application of sensing into the seasons of our own inner-nature. Students will come through the year with a deeper sense of self and meant-for-ness as a result of attuning to the sacred particularities of place and story as expressed through bioregional seasonality.

The Wildwood Sisterhood Mystery School is a sanctuary for unconventional inner exploration, echoing the solitude sought by religious mystics who found communion with the divine in nature. Our approach is grounded in eco-spirituality and eco-mythology, recognizing the natural world as a vital source of wisdom and connection. As we gather in this sacred space, we awaken to the profound truths that lie within and around us, supported by a community of like-minded women who are committed to walking this path of spiritual awakening and transformation.

Over the course of the year, the Wildwood Sisterhood will explore the archetypal themes of Home, Departure, Initiation, and Return. We will court the story, The Handless Maiden (or The Girl Without Hands), as our primary text, which will encourage us to reflect on the narratives that shape our lives and the deeper stories we inhabit.

Together, we’ll map our own personal mythology, grounding it in our relationships with the places we call home. When we understand where we are, we also begin to understand why we are.

This work will help us uncover the stories we live by and recognize which ones may need an ecological evolution. Using the Personal Mythology Wheel, we'll delve into questions of identity ("Why am I?"), direction ("Where am I going?"), and purpose ("Why am I going there?") as we align our personal myths with the greater web of life.