Summer semester 2026

 Canvas courses do not open until 5/11 so I amy not be able to complete my planning until then. 

World Religions - Async  

Major Assignments:

• Reading Presentation 25%  - Present on one of the course’s readings. A sign-up sheet shall be provided during the first week of class
• Field Trip Presentation - Visit a religious site or service and present on it in the “Field Trip” section of the course. Keep presentations to under 10 minutes in length. Tell us about the site or service and about your experience visiting. 
• Final Paper - Write a paper 10-15 double-spaced pages in length on a relevant topic within the scope of the course. Submit the paper by the end of the term. Yes, so long as it relates to the topic of the course seriously, you can write about it! The vast world is yours to contemplate and to write about! 
• Will most likely have weekly discussion boards and recorded lectures. That was his style last semester. 

Books:

• Perry, W. N. The Spiritual Ascent: A Compendium of the World’s Wisdom. Louisville: Fons Vitae, 2008. 
• ISBN-13: 978-1887752046. 
• ABE BOOKS - $34
• Smith, H. The World’s Religions. New York: HarperOne, 2009.
• ISBN-13: 978-0061660184
• ABE BOOKS - $6

Spiritual Companionship 2

• Weekly Written Reflections for ALL readings. Reflections should be 1 or 3 short paragraphs (per reading) that engage some of the following questions: What surprised you in this week’s readings/video as particularly interesting or curious? What confused you? What resonated with you? Where in the reading did you experience resistance? What topic(s) had you thinking realignment was needed? - Due before class on Thursdays. 
• Professional & Ethical Materials Preparation (a document/brochure describing your services) - Due Thursday, 06/6, 5pm: Complete practical project relating to the professionalism and ethical practices of spiritual direction/companionship
• 1) design a written agreement regarding accompanying relationship (sample in Spiritual Direction Student Manual, Form 5); https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sK9FhFd3gscyT-t0UVrQpkOBSCONjNeZ/edit#bookmark=id.6vx2xmw0i795
• Include but not limited to: confidentiality statement, fees, time and session changes, etc.
• 2) compose a list of contacts for referral purposes; If a directee’s case is outside of your skill set use referral list for consideration
• 3) complete personal growing edges/gifts reflections. (Evolving Document)
•  The reflection is for you to talk to me (write a paragraph or 2) reflecting on your growing edge(s) as you see them and your gifts that you have identified/are developing and/or that others have identified that they see in you and your thoughts about that.
• Dyad Reflections - Due Thursdays, 6/18, 25, 7/2, & 23 at 5pm : Complete Dyad Reflections assessing skills required and processes for grounded and ethical praxis regarding one-to-one spiritual direction/companionship.  A one page reflection on each role you played: Directee, and Director. Reflection on the Process not Content of each role. Write 1-2 paragraph(s) on One Learning from your experience in each role
• In Class Supervision Reflection: Complete in class Introductory Supervision Review. Due Thursday, 7/16 (Supervision introduction presentation - guest)
• In Class Group Spiritual Direction/Companionship Reflection: Complete reflection assessing skills required and processes for grounded and ethical praxis. Due Thursday, 7/23 - A one page reflection that includes 1-2 highlights and/or concepts and write why you think they are or could be important to spiritual formation.
• Spiritual Direction/Companionship Conversation: One-to-one conversation with professor regarding skill set, praxis capabilities and desire to continue to Supervision phase of Spiritual Direction/Companionship Certificate Program. Please schedule a 45-60 minute, one-to-one session with Professor Johnson (on Zoom) sometime between 07/09 and 08/06. Due between 7/9 - 8/6.
• “Niche” Presentations of Contextual Spiritual Direction/Companionship Final Project: Research a specific “community” of interest to accompany, e.g., young adults, neurodivergent, aging, LGBTQ+, activists, etc., and in a 15 minute class presentation, in media or print format, share relevant information regarding accompanying this community in one-to-one or group spiritual direction/companionship. Also prepare a hand-out or visual which includes resources about the community.  Due 8/6 or 8/13 at 5pm (Final Submission on Sunday, 8/16 at 11:59pm)

Books:

• Mark Nepo. SevenThousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What Is Sacred.  New York, NY: 
• ISBN 978-1-4516-7468-2
• Online library 
• https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.theoref.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/detail.action?docID=5681990
• Todd Macalister. Looking to Nature: Exploring a Modern Way of Being Spiritual Without the Supernatural. Berkeley, CA: 
• ISBN 978-1-949643-54-1
• Online libary
• https://libguides-thedtl-org.theoref.idm.oclc.org/c.php?g=1262648
• Spiritual Direction International, Guidelines for Ethical Conduct (2018 edition). This is a brochure available for purchase from the SDI website: 
• https://www.sdicompanions.org/media/guidelines-for-ethical-conduct/
• Loretta Pyles. healing justice: Holistic Self-Care For Change Makers: New York, NY. 
• ISBN 978-0-19-066308-7
• Online livrary: YESSSSS ITS PDF
• https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.theoref.idm.oclc.org/lib/dtl/reader.action?docID=5313237&c=UERG&ppg=1

Week 0

Monday 5/11

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Tuesday 5/12

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Wednesday 5/13

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Thursday 5/14

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Friday 5/15

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Week 1

Saturday 5/16

• Reflections of a Soul Companion (Manns)   --- In Module - Wk 1
•  Nepo: Intro & pages 1-27/Intro - Section 3 The Gift in Receiving (If arrived) - Wk1
•  https://www.sdicompanions.org/docs/guidelines/Flip/guidelines_ethical_conduct.html
• Write Reflection. 1-3 paragraphs for EACH. 
• Read "ascend" - maya and illusion 

Sunday 5/17

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Monday 5/18

• Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 

Tuesday 5/19

• SDI Guidelines for Ethical Conduct - Sections 3-4 -- WK2
• https://www.sdicompanions.org/docs/guidelines/Flip/guidelines_ethical_conduct.html
• Nepo: Pages 28-50/Sections 4-6 Being Lost - WK2
• Write Reflection. 1-3 paragraphs for EACH. 

Wednesday 5/20

• Pyles: Intro-59/Intro - Chapter 3 - WK2
•  Write Reflection. 1-3 paragraphs for EACH.

Thursday 5/21

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Friday 5/22

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 5/23

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Sunday 5/24

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Week 2

Monday 5/25

• Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board
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Tuesday 5/26

• Nepo: Pages 51-74/Sections 7-10 A Conversation with the Elements - WK3
• https://www.sdicompanions.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/comparison_of_helping_fields.pdf
•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2iv3YHb9sY
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH. 

Wednesday 5/27

•  Pyles: Pages 60-130/Chapters 4-6 -- WK3
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH. 

Thursday 5/28

• Work on  -  Professional & Ethical Materials Preparation - WK3
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Friday 5/29

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
•  Work on  -  Professional & Ethical Materials Preparation 

Saturday 5/30

•  Finish: Work on  -  Professional & Ethical Materials Preparation 
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Sunday 5/31

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Week 3

Monday 6/1

• Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board - "Turn to any one of the entries in The Spiritual Ascent that resonates with you, and write it out here. You are welcome to let the quotation speak for itself or to add why you find it resonant and/or to comment on its content." - Maya and Illusion
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Tuesday 6/2

• Nepo: Pages 75-96/Sections 11-12 Deep Listening - WK4
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH. 
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Wednesday 6/3

•  Pyles: Pages 131-196/Chapters 7-9 -- WK4
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH. 

Thursday 6/4

•  DUE: Professional & Ethical Materials Preparation
•  Assignment: Dyad Reflection (Canvas) - do it right after class. - WK4

Friday 6/5

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 

Saturday 6/6

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Sunday 6/7

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Week 4

Monday 6/8

• Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board
•  Pyles: Pages 197-216/Chapter 10 - WK5
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH.

Tuesday 6/9

•  https://www.sdicompanions.org/docs/guidelines/Flip/guidelines_ethical_conduct.html
•  Nepo: Pages 97-126/Sections 13-17 What Happens When You Really Listen
• Write 1-3 paragraphs about EACH. - WK5

Wednesday 6/10

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Thursday 6/11

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Friday 6/12

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 6/13

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Sunday 6/14

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Week 5

Monday 6/15

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
•  Pyles: Pages 217-256/Chapters 11-12 - WK6

Tuesday 6/16

• Read: Nepo Pages 127-149/Sections 18-20 Seasons of Listening - WK6

Wednesday 6/17

• Date night? Darts?

Thursday 6/18

•  Dyad Reflection (Canvas) - do right after class
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Friday 6/19

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 6/20

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Sunday 6/21

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Week 6

Monday 6/22

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
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Tuesday 6/23

•  Asynchronous Assignment 1) Post in Canvas under Discussion your answer to the following prompt: Share at least two highlights from each of the reading share why they are important to you and your spiritual formation - based on the readings
•  Macalister: Intro-pages 48/Part 1 - WK6

Wednesday 6/24

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Thursday 6/25

•  Dyad Reflection  - do right after class so its fresh 
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Friday 6/26

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 6/27

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Sunday 6/28

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Reading Week

Monday 6/29

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Tuesday 6/30

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Wednesday 7/1

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Thursday 7/2

• Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMrNdxQfAZI
• 1 hr watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ffSWcYBxM 
•  Watch 1 hr - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9W7pYOlqps
•  write reflection - WK 7 
  

Friday 7/3

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Saturday 7/4

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Sunday 7/5

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Week 7

Monday 7/6

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
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Tuesday 7/7

•  Nepo: Pages 150-182/Sections 21-25 Knowing Where We are - WK8 
•  Articles/Videos (Canvas) -- ???? - WK8
• Write reflection 1-3 paragraphs EACH.
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Wednesday 7/8

•  Come prepared to share your experience in a conversation you have had lately that 1) required you to stretch your listening skills and 2) you asked an evocative question that you weren't sure you should ask. Remember we ALL have growing edges and learn from each other. - Not on Canvas - WK8 
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Thursday 7/9

•  Do the In Class Supervision Reflection? right after class so its fresh ?
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Friday 7/10

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 7/11

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Sunday 7/12

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Week 8

Monday 7/13

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
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Tuesday 7/14

•  Nepo: Pages 183-219/Sections 26-31 The Endless Search - WK 9
•  Write reflection 1-3 paragraphs EACH 

Wednesday 7/15

•  Macalister: Pages 77-110/Part 3 Nature as a Focus of Religious Attention to the end/Wrap Up - WK 9
•  Articles/Videos (Canvas) -- ???? - WK 9
•  Write reflection 1-3 paragraphs EACH - WK 9 

Thursday 7/16

• Dyad Reflection, do right after class so its fresh 
• Do: In Class Supervision Reflection: Complete in class Introductory Supervision Review?

Friday 7/17

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 7/18

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Sunday 7/19

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Week 9

Monday 7/20

• Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board  
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Tuesday 7/21

•  Nepo: Pages 220-255/Sections 32-38 No Strangers in the Heart
•  Write Reflection 1- 3 paragraphs.  - WK 10 

Wednesday 7/22

•  Work on Final presentation!!!!!
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Thursday 7/23

• DUE: In Class Group Spiritual Direction/Companionship Reflection due 07/30/26 - WK 9 do right after class so it is fresh
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Friday 7/24

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 7/25

• Obod meeting @ savanna circle 4pm 
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Sunday 7/26

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Week 10

Monday 7/27

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
•  Start writing final paper  - gather sources etc. 

Tuesday 7/28

•  Work on Final presentation!!!!!
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Wednesday 7/29

•  Finish  Final presentation!!!!!
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Thursday 7/30

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Friday 7/31

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
•  Camp early?

Saturday 8/1

•  Lunasughd camping trip 
•  Obod ritual 

Sunday 8/2

•  Camping come home 
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Week 11

Monday 8/3

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
•  Work on final paper

Tuesday 8/4

•  Work on final paper 
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Wednesday 8/5

•  Finish Final paper. 
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Thursday 8/6

•  DUE: “Niche” Presentations of Contextual Spiritual Direction/Companionship Final Project (Canvas)—due August 16 at 5:00 pm CST
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Friday 8/7

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 8/8

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Sunday 8/9

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Week 12

Monday 8/10

•  Watch Lecture 
• Discussion Board 
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Tuesday 8/11

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Wednesday 8/12

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Thursday 8/13

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Friday 8/14

•  Respond to Classmate's Discussion boards 
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Saturday 8/15

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Sunday 8/16

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Reflection - Embodied Practices

 Consider what are your own spiritual rituals and embodied practices. What are the rituals that you believe, or know, that your people at one time used to practice? Why did they give those rituals up? What would it mean for you to re-engage those rituals? 

I engage in ritual in small ways, although I have found that I actually really enjoy crafting rituals that are more ceremonial. Singing, drumming, sigil work, and poetry are probably my biggest form of embodied practice that I use in my rituals. If embodiment is the use of the whole body or the body from the neck down I would say all of these would count. 

Singing comes from the heart and throat, I would even go to say that poetry does too. Drumming is a whole body experience - especially when you hit a flow state. Sigil work comes from within your spirit, it moves through from thee heart/center, through the hands. Even a blind man can do sigil work - the head is not needed, in fact I would say that too much of the mind gets into he way and doesn't allow for a productive sigil. 

Singing, especially to nature, and drumming are practices - often used in ritual - that I feel were used by all lines of my heritage or the people I come from. They are used by all indigenous and ancient people in various forms; music is powerful magic. My "people" still use them. I sing to bodies of water, I sing to trees, I sing to nature  and spirits as offerings. I know this is not an uncommon practice amongst many spiritual people. 

Sigils are sacred symbols that come from Spirit, God, angels, spirits, Awen, Imbas, or whatever form of divine source you believe creativity comes from. I know my paternal family used them, although I do not know their methods on how they made them. I do know Christianity and social pressure for engaging in witchcraft is why this practice was done in secret, and that they were targeted by the local community for being witches. They now avoid that word - and call it "earth work" instead. 

Poetry is probably the one that may seem like the biggest stretch to most people as an embodied practice. I know its a spiritual practice my grandmother uses, she like me, has a gift of hearing spirits through writing poetry. For her it is limited to during thunderstorms, for me I can do it if I just get myself into a meditative state of sacred awareness. It is probably one of my biggest spiritual gifts that I do not utilize nearly as often as I should. 

Engaging in these rituals connects me to Spirit, to divine source, within myself and around me. It opens up my  "ears" to the unseen and allows me to channel messages and power from the divine. I don't engage in these practices as much as I wish I did and use to do. I know doing so would actually bring me great joy and fulfillment, and the sense of connection I feel to the divine is palpable. Whether that is Spirit, the gods, spirits, or ancestors - I think it varies, but the connection is there none the less. 

Spring equinox tarot

 What seeds need to be planted and nourished spiritually? 

X pents reversed: there has been spiritual knowledge that has beeen lost to me. Now is the time to work on finding it. = get back into learning witchcraft in general. This includes folk magic and herbal. Incorporate this into your existing practice (glamour). 

How can I nurture this/fertilizer:

X of swords: I will be learning more about baneful magic and it will trigger an internal shift in how I identify spiritually. This is more of a knowledge is power. I must be open to learning all forms of magic. Think back to the journey I had where I was some kind of fae creature that was known to be scary but also brought blessings - playing with the children, greeting the young women, the fearful and resentful respect from the men of the village… THAT kind of energy is what I am moving towards. 

Anything I need to prune/release?

No. 

What seeds need to be planted this spring in the physical world?

- strength: plant the seeds for the future you want, firmness of purpose! 

- 6 swords reversed: connoted challenges - I will continue to get sick. 

- X cups and X wands reversed: pursuing a life that makes us happy, but we need to be prepared for unexpected challenges though. 

- 3 of wands: partnership <3

What is needed to nourish/fertilize? 

- 4 of wands:celebration! Make sure to celebrate along the way! 

Smokey

 Its been three weeks since smokey passed. 

I am finally getting through the day without having a crying episode. I was able to get through the day without allowing or going numb and freezing. 

I have been struggling so hard since he passed I was getting behind in school and work and just overwhelmed. 

I am finally starting to come out of it, I don't miss him any less but it is both a curse and a blessing that my ADHD makes me focus on the present moment and makes anything out of sight fade from me emotionally. 

I am still overwhelmed and have  hard time focusing, but the brain fog of grief is starting to clear little by little. 

Electo Divina - The Return

 "We looked at each other and I could see the fear in her eyes, she could see the rage in mine."

This line in chapter 6 "the return" marks the moment that the author's grandmother got her power back after years of abuse and trauma. It really resonates with me. One of the things that made my voice within go quiet throughout my life was fear. Growing up in an abusive household made me afraid to speak my truth, it made me small, quiet, anxious. As I grew older I began to connect with the divine via spirit guides and different gods, and through them found that voice again, and found strength. 

Likewise, each time it was dimmed I was living in fear. Toxic relationship after toxic relationship, wounding friendships, where I conformed so I would not be left alone and afraid. I cut myself apart to fit the shape of what people around me wanted, out of fear of isolation because I was afraid of the world. 

Different gods helped make sure that I never fully lost that voice within me, but there was a wall of fear that would not evaporate and finally, one of the most benevolent goddesses in my pantheon directed me to another goddess that I had felt called to quietly at random points in my life: Lilith. 

Lilith helped me tap into what was under my fear - rage. All my life I had been told to hide my anger, I had to be sweet to be liked, and be the innocent girl so that people would be more inclined to help me when in trouble... but it also bound me and made me easy prey. And I was angry. So angry. 

I was angry at the abuse. I was angry at the expectations thrust upon me. I was angry at the world. I was angry at myself. I was both the woman with fear and the woman with rage. The fearful woman who kept my voice quiet and traumatized needed to die and the strong woman with the sacred rge inside her had a voice that would sing. and scream. and curse and cuss and stand up for herself and fight for justice. 

---

part 2 - recovering people pleaser

Working with Lilith saved my life. By tapping into that sacred rage, I tapped into a strength inside myself that only existed within the shattered pieces of consciousness. Once I allowed that rage to exist, I welcomed her out of the shadow and into the light, I was able to break that fear apart and let it burn within the fire of my heart. After about a year of being a living volcano of fire - fires of inspiration, passion, and rage - I began to level out and truly heal. 

But there was still some fear; it now just existed no louder than anything else. My cptsd treatment was finally starting to work and I was cleared from therapy. I was burlesque dancing and standing in the light of who I was - despite the fear. I am still anxious - and lately I have been growing more quiet, more dim, and I think about how Lilith would encourage me to shine and fight for what I want in life. 

I am the one silencing myself this time, I am letting the fear back in... because my rage has gone quiet. I have fallen in love and my nervous system is no longer in fight or flight - that rage is now just strength. I am embers, not dancing flame and as long as I do not allow myself to evaporate into smoke I know that the cycles of life will let me burst forth again.  What keeps me bound now is living in a system that does now feed my soul, forcing myself to maintain a lifestyle because I do not yet have the resources to creak the chains that bind me. 

But soon. Soon I will have the freedom that I crave. That rage is quiet but it has not disappeared. Instead that warrior inside me, the one who would strike the flesh from another if it meant freeing myself to live in my purpose, waits. Like in the Quran where it says not to engage in violence unless it is in the defense of self and one's spirituality, I still possess that rage and violence within me. I just know now, that it can only be tapped in the most dire of circumstances. But I have proven I am capable in the past, I am capable in the present, and should anyone try to bind me again I will be capable in the future. 

My pain and trauma opened the door for sacred rage to reforge who I am. I can now be soft - not weak - and I can be warm and friendly, without being a doormat. I am not non-violent, but I am only violent when necessary. I am a protector of me and mine, I will protect my freedom and the freedom of the people I love. To do that I must let myself be dimmer for a time until I can burst forth with power and bask in the light of my authenticity.  I am not quiet because of fear, I am quiet because I lie in wait. 

Reflection from Class tonight

Prompt 1) How does the concept of (re)membering and understanding of self resonate with what you have learned about spiritual direction? Where do you see differences? 

Spiritual direction is about helping other people connect with the divine and see how the divine moves in their lives. This is different for all people - for me I believe the heart of it is sacred authenticity. For some people this type of ancestor work is healing, it helps them access their sacred authenticity because it restores power and energy and life into them. If this is something that they are seeking it is a very important aspect and powerful tool for spiritual direction. 

Prompt Two: How does the idea that Black/African descended people, particularly Black women, have a set of knowledges and ways of being that are instructional for all humanity sit with you?

Absolutely. I believe that black women are powerfully intune with the divine. They possess enherent gifts given to them by their ancestors and through their hard work of reclaiming their power they set a striving example to everyone else. There is a reason where I come from everyone talks about how if a man were to call them honey or sugar, they would be up in arms, but the moment its from a black woman it bring elation. There is something powerful and sacred about the love and power found in black women that if others are willing, they can learn a lot from. 

 

Electo Divina - (re)membering

 (Re)membering. --> "we have had to continuously construct ourselves anew"

This word is such a challenge for me. Its about remembering the culture and ways and knowledge of our ancestors, even if we are disconnected from their ways now as a way or (re)claiming and (re)shaping ourselves. 

It pisses me off. There is such a pressure and expectation for us who have been taken away from the ways of our ancestors to reclaim and remember. I feel the loss of the culture but I do not feel a call to return to it. I do not feel the inclination to remember. I spoke with my ancestors and while they love me and what was passed on to me stays with me, they confirmed I am not meant to reclaim and remember what is lost. 

the past is the past and I can only move forward. My past is broken. It is not forgotten, it is broken, it is blocked from me.  

So what do I feel with this? frustration. anger. defensiveness. There is such an expectation that I should WANT to remember the ancient secrets of my past heritage that I feel I am defective or I may be seen as defective for not having this want. Everyone sees this as healing work and I feel almost rejected by my ancestors - but I am not. They accept me as I am and they have no expectation of me to search the past - instead it is they who help me explore the future. 

outline for ancestor paper

 Abstract: This autobiographical essay serves as a means to explore and reflect on identity, spiritual legacy, and cultural heritage centered around self examination and an interview with my mother and sister. Influenced by Cynthia Dillard’s framework of “(re)membering” I examine how spiritual knowledge has been passed down in my family through acts of ritual and spiritual philosophy. Although I experience discomfort when approaching ancestor work, upon reflection for this essay I began to recognize examples of spiritual legacy that have been passed down from my Grandmother, a practicing Native American Medicine woman, through my mother, unto my sisters and I. Through embodiment practices that I have cultivated, such as drumming and prayer, I have come to understand ancestor work not as reclaiming the past but as building a relationship in the present. By examining this topic through the lens of (re)search, (re)cognizing, and (re)claiming, this essay shows how spiritual legacy survives through lived practices, embodiment, and direct contact with one’s ancestors. 

Key Words: (re)membering, (re)claiming, animism, embodiment, ancestor communication, reciprocity, spiritual inheritance, shadowwork, genealogy, 

Outline:

Introduction: Discomfort and why (issues with identity), what the our lineage is, who I chose to interview and why, realizing that spiritual legacy is not always about reclaiming one’s culture and identity but rather lived practices.  Dividing the paper into 2 parts; the Native american and the irish. 

Part 1: Native American: explain our connection to the Abnaki tribe and why this information was stolen from us. Explain how my Grandmother, as an adult, found teachers and reintroduced herself into the culture. She taught my mom. My mom taught us, although my sister remembers it differently - saying she recalls it coming directly from my grandmother. Mom was raised Catholic and through my grandmother later in life? On her own? We were raised with the fundamentals of Indigenous faith and then taken from it when we moved to NC and raised in the baptist church. This influenced both my sister and I in different ways. Enter Sister interview - which mixes secular, native, and some christian perspectives as she does not identify as christian but acknowledges the influence of it. Add in anything from my mom’s interview as well. 

Part 2: Irish: explain our irish roots and how my mom believes this is where our spiritual gifts come from - “our gifts come from our fathers people but my mothers people taught us how to use them”. This is the lineage I felt more at home in, although I know almost nothing about modern irish culture. Explain the Geneology my mom has been doing and her connection to the Irish part of our line. Explain how this ultimatley reinforced my pagan path. While Irish deities were not my first guides, they are where I found the most familiarity. Talk about my faerie faith - distinctly Irish and Scottish.

Part 3: My reflection: This is where I will reflect on how I view ancestor work - through building relationship, not reclaiming culture that I feel I have no right to claim. I am too white and siconnected to try to reclaim my native lineage - although I claim the bloodline. I am too american to seek community and identity with Irish heritage. I am a mut and feel I have no home. My ancestors are vague but supportive, and like my sister I can only go off faith. For the longest time I doubted our Native herritage completely until I had a spiritual experience in which my ancestors protected me - after that I had no doubt... but even my ancestors confirmed the Native Culture was not for me in this life. I needed to persue my Irish roots more... but I feel like I don't know where to start and ultimatley there is a lot of searching the past. I agree with my sister the past has too many holes, I want to build a future instead. I do this through lived practices. This is where I talk about my artifacts and embodiment - The drum (both ancestors) and earrings (Native), cleansing ceremonies (native), prayer (both), faerie faith (irish), and bardic witchcraft (Irish perspective). conclusion: I do not like going too deep into ancestor work because most of the time there is a focus about reclaiming the past. I do not feel the need to do that, as a large portion revolves around reclaiming identity. My mom and my sister have a strong identity rooted in our lineage - I do not. But, like my sister I am rebuilding with using myself as ground zero, and like my sister my beliefs will probably die with me (from her interview). In the meantime I will do ancestor work through remembering specific practices and incorporating them, as a means of maintaining my living connection with my ancestors. I will forever feel this hole inside me, but it is as much a part of me as my actual bloodlines.

Sacred Thread - Facilitator Bio

Title: Mystic and Sacred Authenticity Facilitator

Pixie Sawyer is a mystic whose vocation centers on helping others reconnect with their personal power, embodied presence, and fostering the connection between the sacredness within one's soul with the sacred web of world around them. While her personal practice is rooted in animism and polytheism, she relates to the Sacred as the ground beneath all existence, something experienced through relationship, nature, creativity, and the movements of the heart.

Her work centers on sacred authenticity, with a special focus on glamour magic as an intentional expression of one’s inner essence. Pixie approaches this practice through embodiment and energy work, allowing for one to embrace their reality with lived confidence and joy. She emphasizes embodiment, self-understanding, personal sovereignty, and creative expression rather than expertise or authority. This work is collaborative, honoring each person’s pace, inviting exploration without pressure and growth without expectation. 

Her offerings include guided meditations and ecstatic journeys, co-creation workshops to explore the divine self, and creating warm, grounded spaces for reflection and connection. Lisa is currently training in spiritual companionship and will soon offer one-on-one presence-based support for individuals moving through transition, seeking deeper spiritual meaning, or longing for a more authentic relationship with themselves and the world.

Drawing from academic study in religion and folklore along with many years of lived spiritual practice, Pixie aims to help others notice the sacred threads already present in their hearts, weave those threads into a tapestry that reveals their inner beauty, strength, and love for life. 

mock up ideas for smokey tattoo

 i'm torn between realism and fine line abstract. These are just mock ups i would show the tattoos artist for her to do in her own style. 

I think I might actually go for optoin 3 

I am wondering if she would be willing to look into an option combining option 3 and option 2 in her own style vs just option 3. 

A Letter from Smokey.

 

Smokey — A Poetic Tribute

Mom,

I walked with you through so much life,
and I always knew where home was—
in your arms,
against your heartbeat,
in the quiet space between your breaths.

I felt your love in every moment:
in the nights you held me,
in the way you watched over my aging body,
in the gentleness you showed
even when your heart was breaking.

I wasn’t afraid.
Not once.
I trusted you to the very end.

You honored my dignity.
You kept my world soft.
You gave me peace
when I could no longer keep it for myself.

And now I stay with you
in the warmth you remember,
in the echo of my purr in your chest,
in every place we ever rested together.

Love doesn’t disappear,
Mom.
It just changes shape.

I’m still yours.
Always.

— Smokey

Life update.

 Charlie and I move into our new apartment in 33 days. 

We have 3 kittens - Maui, Banshee, and Valkyrie.

As of Friday February 27th 2026…. Smokey is gone. 

His kidney failure has progressed to where he was throwing up constantly and was in pain. So I had to make the very hard decision to say goodbye. He went to sleep on a good day. 

I am struggling. 

Snow is sad and needing extra love. She wears her heart on her sleeves. I think this is her first death and I know she misses him. 

Humu is grieving more subtly. He sleeps on the bed regularly now. He is a lot more open to affection. 

The kittens probably aren’t even aware. I think Banshee is. I think she was sent to me to help me process Smokey’s loss. 

I want to love them all. But I bounce between disassociatingly numb and overwhelming grief. I’m going through the motions but I don’t know how much I can give them all. 

Sacred Flame - About Me Tab

 About Me

I am a faerie-souled bardic witch and pagan mystic devoted to the path of Sacred Authenticity.

My spiritual life is rooted in animism, polytheism, and a panentheistic understanding of Spirit. I experience Spirit not as a conscious being who intervenes, but as the ground of being itself — the animating force through which all existence arises. Spirit is not separate from the world; it is the underlying process and substance from which gods, spirits, land, ancestors, and human lives emerge. It does not make choices for us. Rather, it is the field within which choice, becoming, and destiny unfold.

The world, to me, is ensouled — not because Spirit directs it with intention, but because everything participates in this deeper current of being.

Faerie-Souled?

The language of faerie-souled is the closest I have found to describe the mythic current that runs through my life. I hold a personal belief in reincarnation and experience my soul as resonant with the archetype of the Leannan Sidhe — an Irish faerie figure associated with inspiration, beauty, and the fierce intimacy between art and spirit.

In folklore, the Leannan Sidhe is remembered as muse and enchantress — a being who inspires poets and artists with imbas or awen: divine inspiration that moves like fire through the bones. She is radiant, creative, and bound to the unseen currents beneath the visible world.

While I am fully human in this life, that archetype shapes how I understand my gifts. My work is rooted in inspiration, creative devotion, enchantment, and the honoring of beauty as a spiritual force.

My Practice: Bardic and Glamour Magic

I define magic as the expression of will, desire, and life force experienced in the material world. It is not spectacle or domination. It is participation — a conscious engagement with the currents of becoming.

Bardic magic is the use of creative expression as spiritual technology. Poetry, music, dance, storytelling, and visual art become portals through which intention moves. Through art, emotion becomes invocation, longing becomes spellwork, and inspiration becomes embodied change. Creativity is not ornamental — it is operative.

Glamour magic, as I practice it, is not illusion or superficial attraction. It is the intentional shaping of how one’s essence is expressed in the world. Because Spirit is the ground of all being, tending to the self becomes an act of metaphysical alignment.

Glamour is the art of embodiment — refining the vessel through which will, identity, and presence move. Adornment, voice, ritual self-tending, aesthetic choice, energetic boundaries, and disciplined self-knowledge all become tools for coherence. When inner truth and outer expression are brought into resonance, the world responds accordingly.

Both paths return to the same understanding: the Sacred is not elsewhere. It is the very fabric of existence.

My Ministry: Sacred Authenticity

"Ministry” may not be a word commonly associated with pagan mysticism, yet it best describes my vocation.

For much of my life, I suppressed parts of myself in order to survive. Living in fragmentation fractured my spirit. The cost of concealment was disconnection — from my body, my creativity, and my sense of belonging in the world.

Through healing, devotion, and disciplined spiritual discernment, I came to understand that Sacred Authenticity is not self-expression for its own sake. It is the disciplined courage of living in alignment with one’s deepest nature. It asks us to shed inherited masks, to confront the places we have hidden, and to bravely embrace the fullness of who we are — then to live from that place.

When we deny that core, we fracture.

When we honor it, we begin to burn cleanly — and clean fire reshapes everything it touches.

Sacred Flame is not something I give to others. The ember is already within you. Your own devotion, honesty, and willingness to live authentically are the breath that feeds it. My role is not to ignite you, but to tend the fire as it grows — offering structure, reflection, ritual, and witness as you become more fully yourself.

The name Sacred Flame arises from my devotion for Brigid — goddess and saint, keeper of the eternal flame in Kildare. Brigid embodies healing, poetry, and smithcraft. She is a bridge figure, spanning pagan and Christian traditions, hearth and forge, inspiration and discipline. Her flame is not passive light, but creative fire.

Through Sacred Flame, I create spaces where people may encounter the sacred — not as abstraction, but as something that asks something of them: the courage to live as they truly are.

My Formation and Qualifications: (by the time I will be publishing this) 

I have been offering spiritual services since 2018, including home blessings, guided meditations and journeys, and spiritual companionship. I have provided divination readings since 2012.

My background includes:

• B.A. in Cultural Anthropology (focus in religion and folklore)
• Master of Divinity in Spiritual Direction
• Ordained Minister through the Universal Life Church
• Currently in the process of ordination as a Deacon and Lay Minister with the Sacred Well Congregation

I was first introduced to animism through indigenous spiritual frameworks in early childhood. That connection was later interrupted when I was raised within the Baptist church, where I developed a deep understanding of Christian theology. As an adult, I consciously returned to animism and polytheism with greater theological awareness and personal agency.

This formation allows me to move comfortably between traditions — honoring structure, mystery, and the many languages through which humans seek meaning.

Sacred Flame - Home page Tab

Sacred Flame - A Ministry of Sacred Authenticity

Sacred Flame is a devotional spiritual care practice rooted in animism, creative mysticism, and the courageous pursuit of authenticity.

At its heart is a simple belief:

There is an ember within you — a sacred core that longs to be lived fully and honestly.

Sacred Authenticity is not self-expression for its own sake. It is the gentle and disciplined courage of living in alignment with your deepest nature. When we deny that core, we may feel fragmented or dimmed. When we honor it, something steady begins to glow — and from that steady flame, real and lasting transformation becomes possible.

Through spiritual companionship, ritual care, divination, and creative practice, I offer spaces where that ember can be tended with patience and respect. I do not ignite the flame for you. The ember is already yours. Your devotion, honesty, and willingness to grow are the breath that feeds it. My role is simply to help tend it as it strengthens.

This work is not about becoming someone new. It is about aligning your inner truth with the life you are ready to live.

Sacred Flame welcomes those who find themselves between worlds: spiritual but not religious, religious but questioning, rooted in alternative paths, or simply longing for a deeper connection to their own becoming.

This is soul-to-soul work.

It is grounded, relational, and unfolding in process.

It asks for courage, nurtures in safety, and gently witnesses change.

Whether you are seeking a single conversation, seasonal support, or ongoing companionship, you are welcome here.

You are not here to become someone else.

You are here to live fully as yourself.

The ember is already yours.

Sacred Flame is simply a place to tend it.

Sacred Flame - Spiritual Companionship Tab

What is Spiritual Companionship?

Spiritual Companionship is soul-to-soul work.

It is a sacred conversation rooted in the belief that you are, at your core, a divine being — carrying wisdom, longing, and a living spark of the Sacred within you. My role is not to define that spark for you, but to help you listen to it more clearly.

Each session begins with a gentle threshold moment — a brief meditation, a poem, a breath prayer, or a small ritual gesture to help us arrive fully and intentionally. These opening moments create a container of presence before we begin. From there, the conversation unfolds intuitively.

There is no formula to follow. Each session may look different, the structure is flexible to serve you. 

Some sessions may explore:

• Life transitions and identity shifts

• Spiritual doubt, deconstruction, or awakening

• Grief, loss, or longing

• Creative blocks and inspiration

• Discernment and decision-making

• Building or deepening personal ritual practice

• Questions about faith, alternative paths, or living on the spiritual outskirts

Other times, you may simply need to speak freely and be deeply witnessed.

I do not work exclusively within the Pagan community, though I am most familiar with alternative spiritualities, animism, polytheism, and those who find themselves outside organized religion or on an interfaith path.  I welcome those who are spiritual but not religious, religious but questioning, mystically inclined, or simply seeking a space to explore their inner truth without judgment.

Not everyone has a religion.
Everyone has a spirit. 

Let us explore it together. 

This work can be devotional, mystical, reflective, or entirely secular. Some speak of God, others of Spirit, ancestors, the Universe,  the Divine, the Sacred, Source, or simply their inner knowing. We will use the language that resonates with you. 

My role is not to impose theology, but to help you listen more deeply to what is already speaking within you.

Sessions are typically one hour and may be held virtually or in person, depending on location. I offer a pay-from-the-heart sliding scale for virtual sessions. When meeting in person, I am open to barter and exchange as well. As I live semi-nomadically, flexibility and reciprocity are part of the sacred container we co-create.

You may come for a single session, for occasional support during a season of change, or for ongoing companionship as you deepen your relationship with your own sacred authenticity.

If you are longing to be seen — not as a problem to solve, but as a soul to honor — I would be honored to sit with you.

Sacred Flame - Tabs draft

 Not sure about the LLC part. By the time I make the website and this is published I will be ordained through the Universal Life Church and working on formal endorsement as a deacon through the Sacred Well Congregation. 

Home Page:

Business Name: Sacred Flame 

Services Offered: for single persons or groups 

• Home Blessings
• Spiritual Companionship Sessions
• Spiritual Care Sessions
• Divination Readings
• Ecstatic Journeys and Guided Meditations 
• Custom Spellwork 
• Group Community Ritual and Gatherings 
• Spiritual Workshops
• Witchraft 101
• Sigil Work
• Candle Magic 
• Glamour Magic 
• Divination 
• Basics of Journey Work 
• Building Ritual 

About Me tab:

I am a faerie souled bardic witch and pagan mystic with a practice based in honoring sacred authenticity, glamour magic, animism, polytheism, and pantheism. Thats a lot of words but what does it actually mean?

Faerie Souled

I personally believe in reincarnation and feel the past life that is the most influential on this one is one in which I was a type of Irish Faerie called a Leannan Sidhe. While I acknlowdge I am very human in this life, the origin of my soul does have an influence over my spiritual gifts and where my spiritual focus derrives from. 

Leannan Sidhe were a type of Irish faerie that depending on who you ask were more muse or more succubus. They are a type of being that is drawn to artistic expression and bless those they love with imbas or awen - divine inspirtation. This usually came at a price, as the Leanna Sidhe would feed on her lover's energy. This Faerie lover was known for her radient beauty and love of the arts. So how does this influence me today?

My Practice: Bardic and Glamour Magic 

My personal practice mostly revolves around bardic magic and glamour magic. One first must define what "magic" is. I personally define magic as the expression of will, desire, and life force experienced in the material world. Magic is a process in which we access the divinity within ourselfs to create change in our reality. Its not quite as fast and visible as protrayed in Charmed or Harry Potter, but a more subtle means of creating change. I do want to preface that magic is not about control, we can only exert so much change when in balance with fate. Witchcraft is the act of accessing and using magic - this can be done through spellwork or even prayer. 

Bardic Magic is the use of the arts and creative expression as the method of witchcraft and accessing the divinity within. It is fueled by divine inspiration. Dancing, poetry,  music of any kind, storytelling in any form, and fine art are all methods of bardic magic. You could write a spell as a poem and recite it over a ritual bath or read it outloud over a candle and allow the flames to fuel the words and the smoke to carry it up into the world. You could listen to mood music and charge an amulet with an intention, fueled by the energy that the chosen song generated. You could hold an intention in your heart and release the energy for it through a fan dance or while beating to the rythm Spirit has guided you to on a drum. All forms are valid - it is the transmutation of energy and connection through art. 

Glamour magic is a feedback loop of love and prosperity. Essentially, you manifest your desires through self care and love. We are divine beings - when we support and care for ourselves, we are supporting and caring for the divine energy of the world. In return, the divine energy of the world will support and care for us. The more we love ourselves, the more we take care the universe or Spirit, and the more the universe/Spirit loves and takes care of us. This is energy work, holds no financial requirement, and requires self care on all contexts: physical, emotional, and spiritual. With glamour magic, intention is key. The primary methods of glamour magic involve anything that makes you feel beautiful, powerful, and fulfilled. 

Ministry Tab

My Ministry: Sacred Authenticity 

"Ministry" May be an odd word one would associate with a pagan witch. It is however a more recognizable way of saying "my spiritual vocation or calling." Growing up I had to hide a lot of who I am as a person and this supression had an adverse effect on my spirit and the life I was living. I have dedicated my life to the persuit and honoring of Sacred Authenticity, a path revealed to me through spiritual healing, guidance from my gods, and inutitive discernment. As such I seek to use my own spiritual gifts to uplift, teach, support, and encourage others to connect with their own sacred core in order to feel emboldened to live a life that serves their highest good through spiritual care. I want to foster a connection for people to form an intimate bond with the divine in whatever form that takes - be it a deity, ancestors, spirits of the world, or their own sacred authenticity alone. In order to follow this desire, Sacred Flame was created. 

The name Sacred Flame emerged out of my devotion to the goddess (and catholic saint) Brigid. Brigid has a monestary in Ireland where an eternal flame is kept alight. She acts as one of the few triple goddesses in Irish Mythology. She embodies healing and hope (water), poetry and inspiration (air), and smithcraft and hospitality (fire of the forge and hearth). She is an alturistic goddess that inspires me to serve the communities and people around me. 

Spiritual Services Tab: (to build from original list)

Why Spiritual Companionship?

I am a queer woman, a pagan witch, and I live semi-nomadically. As such, I have a lot of experience as someone who lives on the less conventional side of society. I have a variety of spiritual practices, one of which is spiritual companionship. I am a firm believer that the divine is within all things, it makes up who we are as living souls and consciousness. Not everyone has a religion, but everyone has a spirit - a sacred authenticity that deserves to be heard and honored. I want to provide a time and place that allows people to truly experience, express, and explore that sacred authenticity. For some, this can include a relationship with a sense of the divine, and for others it is a relationship with just themselves. I want to help others explore how they see themselves, how they see the world, ponder their deepest life questions, and feel empowered to live a life that brings their greatest happiness. This could be in a religious, spiritual, or secular context - to me all are the same and I can approach it from a way that feels most comfortable for you. 

I want to meet everyone as they are, where they are on their journey, and be a companion who walks with them for a time - be that for a single session, as needed encounters, or consistent meetings. I believe all people hold value, all people have stories to be heard, and everyone deserves to truly be seen regardless of their religious or spiritual orientation. If you feel that I am someone you would feel safe to be vulnerable with and explore the core of who you are, I would be honored to offer you an introductory companionship session to see if we would be compatible.

Qualifications:

I have been offering spiritual services such as home blessings, custom guided meditations and journeys, and unoffical spiritual companionship sessions since about 2018, and offering divination readings since 2012. I have a background in animism from my childhood spiritual introcudction, a understanding of the Christian faith through being rasied in a Baptist church, and I have a BA in Cultural Anthropology with a focus in religiona nd folklore. After a few years I went on to get a M. Div. in Spiritual Direction and became an ordained Minister through the Universal Life Chuch. Currently I am in the process of ordination with the Sacred Well Congregation as a Deacon and layminister. 

For Future Notes to Self:

Ordination through Universal Life Church

https://www.ulc.org/training/ordination-training/wisconsin

Formal Endorsement through Sacred Well Congregation's Chaplaincy Internship (seeking Deacon Ordination) 

https://www.sacredwell.org/membership/ordination-information/