* The Gathering *
A wild, loving and deep dive into the heart of Magic and Wonder.
An earth-honoring, spirit-embodying and sacred-invoking circle for those eager, ready and willing to claim their medicine, their power, their magic.
An 8-month program, meeting 6 times over the 8 months.
Reweaving, rebuilding, rewilding. Reconnecting, remembering...
An intimate journey to call ourselves back home, through the ancient practices of ritual and ceremony, intuition and magic.
For the brave and strong of heart, who know it is time to embody our true magic and medicine, to enable us to join in the real dance of alchemical healing for ourselves and our world. A journey for those committed to reigniting their sacred fire, in a world hungering for our passion. Sacred activism for witches. The real practice of transformation.
Starting on March 16th 2019, we will cast a strong, safe and sacred circle on precious land in Franklinford, Victoria. We will journey together with the directions and elements, the myths and stories. We will enter into a rite of passage, meeting the Wild within and with-out. And then on the wings of the faerie, we will rise, and we will know our true name.
Final circle in inner-city Melbourne on October 27th 2019.
Dates:
Autumn Equinox, March 16-17: Franklinford, Victoria – overnight camping.
New Moon May 5: Sacred Circle - Melbourne
Winter Solstice June 16-17: Franklinford, Victoria – overnight indoors
Full Moon August 15: Sacred Circle – Melbourne
Spring Equinox September 20-23, Franklinford, Victoria – 3 nights outdoor camping
Dark Moon October 27: Sacred Circle - Melbourne
My Intention
My deep wish and intention is for each of you to discover your own magical path that will contribute to the benefit of all beings. This program is designed as a rite of passage into your own true way.
I wish to teach and share what I have gathered and garnered from 18 years on the crooked witchy path. I intend to make space for what wants to naturally emerge from the field beyond our constructed selves. To cast a circle that can hold space for our great joy and delight, for the roar of ecstasy and expansion, and also for the hidden darkness of our shadow selves, wherein the gold lies
My intention is to create a space for open-hearted sharing, learning and discussion. I aim to pass on the knowledge and wisdom I have collected from my teachers, my own spiritual practice, my experimentation and my study. The circle we cast will be integrity and authenticity, so that we can dive deeply together into the realms of the sacred, with safety and respect for ourselves and the others. I intend to create a space of trust and respect, fun and joyfulness, depth and intimacy. A space to discover your true name and real medicine. A space to wander aimlessly, until you sniff out a path. A space to lean into discomfort and pain at times, with curiosity and compassion, for ourselves and others. A space that the gives rise to a true freedom of expression, thought and feeling.
Who is this program for?
This program is for the magic-curious, the spirit-seekers, and the dream-weavers. It is for those who hear the call of the drum, smell the smoke of the burning fire, for those who catch a glimpse of Pan in the woods. It is for those with a heart overflowing with desire for a deeper engagement with what lies behind the veil, beyond the known; those prepared to walk into the Wild. You hold a shimmering vision for what is possible, and you seek the support of a circle to encourage you to go deeper and further in your commitment to Life.
If you have differing abilities that you are not sure can be accommodated, physical, mental, psychological, please get in touch to discuss how we can make you feel welcome.
Please know, you will not receive a certificate, a diploma or a medal from me. I have mostly walked the path of the solo witch and I do not believe it is my role to initiate you into any particular lineage. I encourage you to claim your own ground and find what it is that you truly stand for. This is a space to honour ourselves fully for who we really are, witnessed by the Wild within and with-out.
A receipt is available for tax claims of a teaching nature.
About Melissa
I am an alchemical healer, medicine weaver, wise woman, witch. A walker on the path of Tao, and a shamanic space-holder. With a great capacity for deep listening and bearing witness, I walk between the worlds, weaving my unique witchy wisdom in the service of liberation and freedom for all beings. I am a fully qualified acupuncturist, with degrees in Psychology and Law, and a graduate of the School of Shamanic Womancraft and the 13 Moons Blood Mysteries. I have been training and working in the fields of healing and transformation for more than 20 years, and have been running a private healing practice for 10 years. I facilitate many sorts of sacred spaces including women’s circles, rights of passage circles, seasonal cycle ceremonies and shamanic drum journeys.
Course Outline
1. Autumn Equinox March 16-17: Overnight camping, Franklinford
Weave Your Story
Creating and casting sacred space together, we speak our intentions into the circle, and begin the weaving of a strong energetic container. In this space we are safe to consider questions around our personal stories, our lineage and inheritances, our relationship with the Other-Than-Human. We delve into the Other Realms of Witch and Shaman. We learn and remember the cycles we live within, and how we flow with the world around us.
Key Outcomes:
- Begin an understanding of the nature of Sacred Space, the practice of magic and what it might be to name oneself a Witch.
- Begin an understanding of relevant questions involved in practicing magic responsibly and with integrity.
- Develop an understanding of the Cycles of Magic, how we are in relation to the Great Mystery and the Other Beings we share this world with.
- Feeling into one’s own intuitive way and connection with the Sacred.
2. New Moon May 5: Sacred Circle - Melbourne
Invoking the Sacred
We consider the lores and laws of magic: Love and do as you will; that is the whole of the Lore. We meet the elements and directions again, and work more deeply into clearing and casting, altars, offerings, acknowledgments and gratitude. We start to remember and tell the stories of the Goddess and God of old, those passed down through myth and story, and those evolving amongst us.
Key Outcomes:
- Become familiar with the main elements of ritual and ceremony.
- Develop confidence in creating sacred space and casting.
- Begin to develop one’s own understanding and relationship with the Sacred, the Divine, Magic and Mystery.
3. Winter Solstice June 16-17: Overnight, Franklinford
The Heroine/Hero’s Journey – The Descent
Rites of passage are a critical and necessary part of our spiritual growth. Sometimes we enter a rite of passage with awareness and grace, sometimes they come upon us with surprise. Learning how to navigate the tricky Underworld realms is one of the greatest strengths we can acquire. Here we encounter the first story, of Inanna and her descent to the Underworld. We can use this original human story as an exquisite map, guiding us to great wisdom and insight.
Key Outcomes:
- To experience the challenge of the Descent into one’s internal worlds.
- To engage safely with one’s Shadow.
- To meet the darkness with kindness, care, compassion and courage.
- To rise with strength, commitment and renewed faith.
4. Full Moon August 15: Sacred Circle – Melbourne
Healing between the Worlds
We are mind and body, psyche and soma, heart and soul. Within us lives a whole universe, interdependent and interwoven within ourselves; interdependent and interwoven with the whole cosmos. We prioritize one part of our being at the expense of the whole. Our bodies are sacred vessels for the divine. Our spirits are sacred channels for our precious bodies. We learn to honour and take care of our bodies, honouring our physicality and sexuality as great portals for our medicine and power.
Key Outcomes:
- Developing kindness, care and love for one’s embodied self.
- Develop an understanding of the relationship between our physical, sexual and sacred selves.
- Develop insight into what the healed feminine and the healed masculine could look like, and how to bring these more fully into being.
5. Spring Equinox September 20-23: Camping, Franklinford
Harness Your Power
We feel a sense of what is arising, and now it is time to let go of the words and step into the flow of the 10,000 things. With commitment and grace, in the face of our uncertainty and perhaps confusion, we set off for a night alone and trust into the inner light to guide us home.
This is the time for deeper and more intimate soul-crafting. Here we take the time to step away from the call of the daily necessities, and make a time out-of-time to hear another call. What is your true name? What are you here to do? What is the soul contract you made before you came to Earth?
With preparation and support, a night of solo wilderness awaits. Afterwards, coming home to the circle, we find words again to share our retrieved treasures.
Key Outcomes:
- To develop a relationship with the Wild within and without.
- To take the time to deepen and soften into a quiet, contemplative relationship with self and Other, so that what needs to heard can be heard, what needs to be seen will be seen, and what needs to be known will be known.
- To experience time out of time in a safe, sacred and held container.
- To let Love in.
6. Dark Moon October 27: Sacred Circle - Melbourne
Live Your Gift
We join together in our last circle to share the riches we have discovered on our journey. We have settled into our sacred container and soon the eggshell of this magic space will crack and open, inviting us back into the wider world to live the gifts we have mined. Here we share our adventures and learnings, affirming our support for one another and for our chosen paths. And finally we celebrate the magical way, ringing in our deep commitment to Life.
Key Outcomes:
- To feel one’s ground and have a sense of the path ahead.
- To know oneself as needed and necessary.
- To have a grasp of one’s unique medicine gifts for the world.
* What’s included:
3 x weekend gatherings, a mixture of outdoor camping and indoor sleeping, at a private retreat in Franklinford, Victoria.
All meals provided; yummy, wholesome, organic food prepared with love.
3 x sacred circles in Melbourne, location to be advised.
1 x individual treatment session
Course content and personal inquiry suggestions before each gathering.
Reading list
What you will need to provide
Camping gear, eg tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow (packing list will be provided)
A journal and pen.
An open heart and curious mind.
Cost
The financial exchange is $2100.
Early bird price of $1800 available until February 16th.
If people have financial concerns, please mention this in the Application Form as support is available.
This cost includes retreat costs and venue hire, 1 x individual treatment sessions, teaching materials, teaching support and guidance, insurance, administration and other practicalities.
Open by application form:
https://form.jotform.co/90121367720853
For all enquiries, please contact Melissa with the contact form on this website,
or by mobile: 0448 828 121,
or email: melissa@sunmoonhealing.com.
I can’t wait to meet you!