A Year-Long Online Mentoring Course
Monday June 13, 2022 - Friday July 7, 2023
Limited to 12 participants only
This year-long mentoring course is a rite of passage in itself. Through the slow work of marking seasonal ceremony and having your story witnessed in circle, you will feel a deeper remembrance of yourself, making the invisible threads of your life known. These hands-on teachings will help to uncover your own wisdom lineage so that you can lead ceremonial space of your own.
At certain times in life, we find ourselves wandering, not knowing how to find or hold on to what we need. These can be lonely, frightening, destabilizing periods when we lose faith in ourselves and the journey ahead.
But beneath the din of everyday life, we know there is a place for us. It comes to us in dreams, in sudden feelings that come over us, or in unexpected moments of insight and clarity. Within that place is a quiet longing, where a small voice whispers the words we’ve been scared to hear.
But beneath the din of everyday life, we know there is a place for us. It comes to us in dreams, in sudden feelings that come over us, or in unexpected moments of insight and clarity. Within that place is a quiet longing, where a small voice whispers the words we’ve been scared to hear.
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“We’ve become so cerebral - so in our heads - that we’ve lost touch with the ritualistic, symbolic, kinaesthetic aspects of transformation.The differentiating aspect of Kristen’s work is that which is non-verbal and primary. Her method works on the fabric of what we are, so that we might shape it to fit the new identity that is emerging.” ~ Sarah Kapoor, Writer & Creative Director |
Through the peaks and valleys of the seasons and the waxing and waning of the moon, we learn that everything is mirrored in the earth. And as we apply the lessons of the seasonal and lunar cycles through beautiful ritual practice, our inner world begins to change.
Lighting a candle, gathering leaves for the altar, and working art and symbol with our hands weaves us back into the rhythm we long for, connecting us to nature, to our communities and to ourselves.
As we walk the edge of threshold moments with careful attention and a listening ear, our ritual practice unites us once again with our first love ~ and we discover ourselves waiting there.
Lighting a candle, gathering leaves for the altar, and working art and symbol with our hands weaves us back into the rhythm we long for, connecting us to nature, to our communities and to ourselves.
As we walk the edge of threshold moments with careful attention and a listening ear, our ritual practice unites us once again with our first love ~ and we discover ourselves waiting there.
Historically, ritual, ceremony and transition were a community process, where wisdom was handed down from one generation to another. Today, many of us are without mentors, teachers or guides, but we go looking for something at this time because somewhere in our cellular memory we know life's passages weren't meant to be journeyed alone.
How the Course is Laid Out
Union is a year-long mentoring course for women and non-binary folk, limited to 12 participants, to create an intimate learning community. The curriculum includes:
1. Five Seasonal Modules
Seasonal modules are carefully designed as a rite of passage, starting and ending with the Summer Solstice to come full circle through the seasons. Each module includes narrative content and gorgeous ceremonial practice to bring you into union with yourself across the year. Through these modules, you'll create seasonal altars, engage in ritual and ceremony, work with archetypes and symbols, engage in powerful creative activities that align with the seasons, experiment with dreamwork, and weave your personal story throughout the process.
2. Thirteen moon rituals
Moon rituals are monthly sustenance rituals that deepen the lessons of the seasons across each of the thirteen moons. Each ritual is based on the Moon theme for that month and season.
3. Twelve group mentoring sessions (on Zoom)
Monthly New Moon mentoring sessions are guided journeys into the core competencies of creating and facilitating circle gatherings of your own. Through the process of participatory learning, you will share with and witness each other in circle throughout the year, while learning the foundations of convening your own circles. Some of the core competencies we'll cover include: the foundations of ritual & ceremony, holding space, working with relevant themes and context, weaving in story, grief tending, and working with symbols. You will have an opportunity to practice circle hosting within these sessions, and additional resources will be provided to support you in hosting your own circle by the end of the course.
Sessions will be on the Saturday closest to the New Moon, from 1:00 - 2:30 pm EST (Toronto), and recordings will be sent out the next day for those who can't attend. Call schedule:
1. Five Seasonal Modules
Seasonal modules are carefully designed as a rite of passage, starting and ending with the Summer Solstice to come full circle through the seasons. Each module includes narrative content and gorgeous ceremonial practice to bring you into union with yourself across the year. Through these modules, you'll create seasonal altars, engage in ritual and ceremony, work with archetypes and symbols, engage in powerful creative activities that align with the seasons, experiment with dreamwork, and weave your personal story throughout the process.
2. Thirteen moon rituals
Moon rituals are monthly sustenance rituals that deepen the lessons of the seasons across each of the thirteen moons. Each ritual is based on the Moon theme for that month and season.
3. Twelve group mentoring sessions (on Zoom)
Monthly New Moon mentoring sessions are guided journeys into the core competencies of creating and facilitating circle gatherings of your own. Through the process of participatory learning, you will share with and witness each other in circle throughout the year, while learning the foundations of convening your own circles. Some of the core competencies we'll cover include: the foundations of ritual & ceremony, holding space, working with relevant themes and context, weaving in story, grief tending, and working with symbols. You will have an opportunity to practice circle hosting within these sessions, and additional resources will be provided to support you in hosting your own circle by the end of the course.
Sessions will be on the Saturday closest to the New Moon, from 1:00 - 2:30 pm EST (Toronto), and recordings will be sent out the next day for those who can't attend. Call schedule:
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4. Private Facebook Community
All members will be invited into a private Facebook community to share the journey throughout the year. Although participation in the Facebook group is voluntary, it is a wonderful space to walk with others throughout the course ~ to share insights, ask questions, share photos and creative works, and to feel a sense of collective initiation.
All members will be invited into a private Facebook community to share the journey throughout the year. Although participation in the Facebook group is voluntary, it is a wonderful space to walk with others throughout the course ~ to share insights, ask questions, share photos and creative works, and to feel a sense of collective initiation.
Photo by David James Fernandes
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Kristen Roderick has more than 20 years experience as a community convenor and circle keeper. Following a Masters degree in Social Work, she worked for over ten years as a community-based social researcher/evaluator and then senior strategic manager, holding space for meaningful dialogue to create policy and social change around issues related to mental health, disability, immigration, diversity & inclusion, poverty & homelessness, youth engagement, affordable childcare, violence against women, education, and community impact. She trained dozens of youth to lead their own focus groups in youth-based organizations across Toronto, and presented her methods at national conferences.
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After leaving her career in the non-profit sector, she became a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant and shifted her work to creating spaces to honour significant life passages with ritual and ceremony. She co-founded and co-led a full moon women’s circle for three years, and has led many other circles in Toronto and online, including: the Toronto Tarot Circle, a New Moon Dreaming Circle, circles to explore transitions across the seasons, and circles in response to the growing need for connection amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Kristen holds space for hundreds of participants through her online courses and has led dozens of community ceremonies, including seasonal ceremonies, mother/parent blessings, book and business launch ceremonies, milestone birthdays, ceremonies to honour grief and loss, and many other ceremonies that honour the various stages of life, like moving, adoption, marriage, midlife and retirement. Find out more about her work and approach here.
~ Seasonal Themes ~
Summer Solstice ~ June 2022
In this module we’ll look at the meaning of circle, how it was used as a model for living and working, and as a symbol in ritual, mythology and story. We’ll discover how it applies today as a tool for following your own natural cycles. Ritual practice will focus on initiation, beginnings and creating your ritual container for the year.
Blessing Moon
of July |
Claiming Moon
of August |
Harvest Moon
of September |
Fall Equinox ~ September 2022
Our focus for this module will be on endings and deathwork. Looking at traditions that prepare people for death, we’ll gather insights and wisdom from end of life rituals, and apply them to what has died or ended in us. Ritual practice will focus on tending old wounds by releasing and mourning what has passed.
Huntress Moon
of October |
Mourning Moon
of November |
Elder Moon
of December |
Winter Solstice ~ December 2022
As we enter the darkest part of the year, this module will focus on the gifts of the dark, connecting with ancestral and crone wisdom, and journeying with the magic and symbolism of weaving. Ritual practice will focus on dreamwork, cultivating silence, and discovering your wisdom lineage.
Quiet Moon
of January |
Bone Moon
of February |
Crow Moon
of March |
Spring Equinox ~ March 2023
As winter fades and the days and nights grow equal in length, we turn our attention to alignment, balance, and rootedness. Ritual practice will focus on cleansing, self-care, and calling in what has been gestating through the dark part of the year.
Seed Moon
of April |
Hare Moon
of May |
Honey Moon
of June |
Summer Solstice ~ June 2023
We’ll complete our journey where we started, with the Summer Solstice. This module will focus on themes related to emergence, claiming and being claimed, and look at traditions of union and commitment. Ritual practice will be a sacred ceremony to mark the completion of your rite of passage, and an invitation to create a community ceremony with a group of your own.
Thunder Moon
of July
of July
By the end of the course, you will
Rediscover the sacred connection to yourself
Be mentored into the lineage of circle keeping
- Become intimately connected to the natural cycles of the seasons
- Find deeper meaning and purpose in times of change, loss & disconnection
- Become more rooted and grounded in who you are
- Discover and honour your unique brand of wisdom
- Create living vows to live by
Be mentored into the lineage of circle keeping
- Learn to create beautiful ritual space for yourself and others
- Participate in sacred circle and practice holding space for others
- Learn how to use ritual for personal and collective transformation
- Host a circle gathering of your own
How the Course is Delivered
One week before the course begins, you will receive a welcome email with instructions to help you prepare.
A week before each seasonal celebration and Full Moon you will receive an email to access the course material on my website to work through on your own time, as your schedule permits.
Monthly New Moon calls will be held over Zoom, and recordings will be sent out for anyone who can't attend.
A week before each seasonal celebration and Full Moon you will receive an email to access the course material on my website to work through on your own time, as your schedule permits.
Monthly New Moon calls will be held over Zoom, and recordings will be sent out for anyone who can't attend.
* Please note that although this course is an opportunity for deep inner work, it is in no way therapy, nor should it be a replacement for therapy. The course is a supportive environment where participants are witnessed by others. Listening and holding space is offered, rather than advice. Should issues arise beyond the scope of the course, it is the responsibility of each participant to seek out the support they need.
Tuition
There are two options for tuition payment:
Option 1: Full Payment
$1199 USD upon registration. For this option, click on the "Full Payment" registration link below. Canadians: You may send an email money transfer to kristen@spiritmoving.org if you prefer. Price is on par, but taxes will apply.
Option 2: Payment Plan
Six payments of $233 USD each. Payments will automatically be deducted every two months from the date of registration. For this option, click on the "Payment Plan" PayPal link below.
Option 1: Full Payment
$1199 USD upon registration. For this option, click on the "Full Payment" registration link below. Canadians: You may send an email money transfer to kristen@spiritmoving.org if you prefer. Price is on par, but taxes will apply.
Option 2: Payment Plan
Six payments of $233 USD each. Payments will automatically be deducted every two months from the date of registration. For this option, click on the "Payment Plan" PayPal link below.
Initial Meeting to Finalize Registration
Please contact me to schedule a 20-30 minute private session to make sure this course is the right fit for you and to finalize your registration.
Please contact me to schedule a 20-30 minute private session to make sure this course is the right fit for you and to finalize your registration.
Option 1: Full Payment
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Option 2: Payment Plan
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Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations up until Sunday June 12th will receive a full refund, minus a $100 administration fee. No refunds will be issued on or after June 13th.
Scholarship
A modest scholarship fund will be reserved for those who are not able to pay the full curriculum. Preference will be given to people from equity-seeking groups: Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour, women with disabilities, non-binary folks and trans women. Please apply here. Applications will be accepted until Monday June 6th, 2022.
Registration cancellations up until Sunday June 12th will receive a full refund, minus a $100 administration fee. No refunds will be issued on or after June 13th.
Scholarship
A modest scholarship fund will be reserved for those who are not able to pay the full curriculum. Preference will be given to people from equity-seeking groups: Indigenous women, Black women, women of colour, women with disabilities, non-binary folks and trans women. Please apply here. Applications will be accepted until Monday June 6th, 2022.
Testimonials
"I lucked into meeting Kristen a few years ago, and learning from her has been life changing. When I first learned about the Union course, I had no experience with honouring the full moons or celebrating the seasons in any special way. It was all a bit foreign to me. But I was going through a time of major personal transition, and the idea of grounding myself by following the seasons and deepening my connection to nature seemed really appealing.
After my first full moon ritual, I found that each month I looked forward to the next moon as a chance to reflect and reconnect with something bigger and more profound than my daily routines. As the year went on, I learned to look to the seasons for guidance and more and more began to trust their wisdom and rhythm.
I left the course with a greater certainty of my place in nature, and the lessons Kristen taught continue to unravel and grow. They have shaped how I think about my place in the world and how I move through it. Kristen also gave me the tools to confidently initiate my own monthly full moon circle. This circle has continued since the end of the course, and has allowed me to share what I've learned with others and shift from learner to teacher.
Kristen brings a great kindness and empathy to everything she does, and the Union course exemplified that throughout. It was a very welcome window and launching point into a more rooted and connected life." ~Michelle Kushnir, Canada
After my first full moon ritual, I found that each month I looked forward to the next moon as a chance to reflect and reconnect with something bigger and more profound than my daily routines. As the year went on, I learned to look to the seasons for guidance and more and more began to trust their wisdom and rhythm.
I left the course with a greater certainty of my place in nature, and the lessons Kristen taught continue to unravel and grow. They have shaped how I think about my place in the world and how I move through it. Kristen also gave me the tools to confidently initiate my own monthly full moon circle. This circle has continued since the end of the course, and has allowed me to share what I've learned with others and shift from learner to teacher.
Kristen brings a great kindness and empathy to everything she does, and the Union course exemplified that throughout. It was a very welcome window and launching point into a more rooted and connected life." ~Michelle Kushnir, Canada
"I signed up for this year-long mentoring course in the second year of the Covid pandemic, at a moment when I was struggling with some health issues brought on by the underlying stress of the previous year. At that moment it felt hard to make a decision to commit to something new, or to place my trust in the future. But I was craving space for meaningful ritual in the strange flatness of pandemic-time, and I already had a deep faith in Kristen's ability to hold rich and nourishing containers, so I took the leap.
Now that the year has come almost full circle, I'm deeply grateful for the inspiration and anchoring of this monthly group. We've built a lot of trust over the past year! Even over video, it always feels like a nervous-system reset to spend an hour-and-a-half with this warm and wise group of women. I've witnessed vulnerability and growth in each of the participants, had the chance to collaboratively facilitate one of our meetings, and learned so much about designing and holding this kind of experience in a meaningful way.
I've also been held, especially one month when I felt particularly emotionally flooded, and found myself in tears through most of our session. In earlier parts of my life, I wouldn't have felt safe to show up to a group experience in that state, but this is definitely a come-however-you-are space, and the circle--and Kristen in particular--beamed back total acceptance and belonging to me as I gradually came back into balance.
The solstice and equinox resources and the monthly ritual prompts are also beautiful, rich, and thoughtfully designed. I know I will return to them in future years, each time finding something new to nourish me." ~ Malgosia, Canada
Now that the year has come almost full circle, I'm deeply grateful for the inspiration and anchoring of this monthly group. We've built a lot of trust over the past year! Even over video, it always feels like a nervous-system reset to spend an hour-and-a-half with this warm and wise group of women. I've witnessed vulnerability and growth in each of the participants, had the chance to collaboratively facilitate one of our meetings, and learned so much about designing and holding this kind of experience in a meaningful way.
I've also been held, especially one month when I felt particularly emotionally flooded, and found myself in tears through most of our session. In earlier parts of my life, I wouldn't have felt safe to show up to a group experience in that state, but this is definitely a come-however-you-are space, and the circle--and Kristen in particular--beamed back total acceptance and belonging to me as I gradually came back into balance.
The solstice and equinox resources and the monthly ritual prompts are also beautiful, rich, and thoughtfully designed. I know I will return to them in future years, each time finding something new to nourish me." ~ Malgosia, Canada
“Union offered a beautiful container that resonated deeply for me throughout the year. Having a year held in the cycles of nature is something I really wanted, and I had the feeling of being in a telepathic time-flow, knowing in my body what would come next, without really knowing.
Above all, I learned to be a witness to my own life by not diminishing my voice but trusting in the wisdom already there, for my own healing.
Within the seasonal practices, I felt an energetic tie binding me to the ancestors, asking me 'What are you doing? Are you going to hold the purpose you decided to inhabit this body for? Are you going to hold the dream?' The practices from the course facilitated that connection and helped me hear that heart truth.” ~Jiselle Griffith, Canada
Above all, I learned to be a witness to my own life by not diminishing my voice but trusting in the wisdom already there, for my own healing.
Within the seasonal practices, I felt an energetic tie binding me to the ancestors, asking me 'What are you doing? Are you going to hold the purpose you decided to inhabit this body for? Are you going to hold the dream?' The practices from the course facilitated that connection and helped me hear that heart truth.” ~Jiselle Griffith, Canada
"Union was exactly what I needed to help me reconnect with the seasons, the earth, and the moon cycles, and these rituals have been a guide back to myself. My work with Kristen through Union, On Fallow Ground, and individually has at times been more powerful for me than some of my therapy sessions (and I’m a psychotherapist). Kristen creates beautiful and such intentional rituals and sacred space. Through the beautiful content she creates, she has been a mentor and a teacher as I rediscover, reconnect with and reclaim my own spirit medicine." ~Anonymous, 41 year-old, Colombia/USA
"I found Union to be deeply supportive, providing a rich resource and structure to fully explore the year long passage and the seasonal changes. There was great magic in acknowledging the passing of time in this way and in looking at the course of my life over the 12 month period. The group was a wonderful way to be witnessed and to feel heard and held. Kristen has created a beautiful year long course and I can really feel the deep resonance it has created in my life." ~ Hayley Tink, UK
"In 2019 I had the pleasure of attending Kristen's course 'Union: Rituals of Remembering through the Seasons.' I absolutely loved the course. Even though I had always felt deeply connected to earth's wisdom and its natural cycles I never really took the time to truly pause, honor and express this bond in a meaningful way. Learning how to establish a seasonal ritual practice was a beautiful new way to do that. I now feel even more connected to the seasons, and ritual has become an integrated part of my life. It feels like returning home to what was once familiar, a natural supportive and nurturing practice that connects the rhythms of the earth to my own.
Kristen is very knowledgeable and a skillful group facilitator. The course by itself was well-organized leaving lots of time and space to explore on our own as well as having the opportunity to connect within the community. Kristen creates a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for all participants, no matter their level of engagement. Besides having participated in a group setting I also had the opportunity to have a few one-on-one sessions with Kristen as I was seeking additional support while going through a personal transition in my life. I'm forever grateful for her wisdom, insights and guidance, but most of all for the depth of presence she brought to our conversations. To have someone truly listen without judgement and just witness with an open heart what I was going through at that moment felt very comforting, supportive and restorative.
Thank you again Kristen. I'm a devoted supporter of your work. Until we meet again." ~ Karin Van den Bergh, USA
Kristen is very knowledgeable and a skillful group facilitator. The course by itself was well-organized leaving lots of time and space to explore on our own as well as having the opportunity to connect within the community. Kristen creates a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for all participants, no matter their level of engagement. Besides having participated in a group setting I also had the opportunity to have a few one-on-one sessions with Kristen as I was seeking additional support while going through a personal transition in my life. I'm forever grateful for her wisdom, insights and guidance, but most of all for the depth of presence she brought to our conversations. To have someone truly listen without judgement and just witness with an open heart what I was going through at that moment felt very comforting, supportive and restorative.
Thank you again Kristen. I'm a devoted supporter of your work. Until we meet again." ~ Karin Van den Bergh, USA
