Initiation Program: Netivot - Pathways

In this stage, participants learn intensively about the priestess paths: the ways that Jewish women have met the sacred in generations past, and the ways we can meet the sacred in the present. Participants also learn basic components of ritual, and also how to pray and celebrate, using Siddur HaKohanot, in an earth-based, embodied, divine-feminine-centered mode. Completion of this stage of the program, if requirements are met, leads to initiation: a ritual discovering Shekhinah/Sacred Spirit in yourself and in your sisters. This stage is 4 retreats, occurring approximately every 6 months. 

RETREAT 1

SHRINEKEEPER, PROPHETESS, MIDWIFE

Women, Holy Space, and Holy Time (Wind); Ritualcraft I: The Touchstones of Ritual (Earth); Altar Practice: The Ancient World and Today (Earth); Prophetess-Priestesses: Women and Holy Vision (Wind) Hebrew Priestess Dreamwork (Water); Hebrew Priestess Drumwork (Water); Chant and Prophecy (Fire); Midwife-Priestesses: Women and Holy Birthing (Wind); Prayercraft I: Midwiving Prayer (Fire); *Jewish Ecology (Earth); *Cervical Activism (Water); *Blessings in the Mishnah (Earth); *Miriam’s Drum/Miriam’s Dream (Wind); *Labyrinth Work (Water); *Priestess Tools (Water); *Priestess Language: Important Hebrew Terms (Fire); *Midwiving Self and Others (Water); *Midwife Imagery in Jewish Tradition (Wind); *The Mishkan and Jewish Sacred Space (Earth) (asterisk indicates the course may be offered depending on the year)

RETREAT 2

WEAVER, LOVER, QUEEN

Prayercraft II: The Structure of Jewish Prayer (Fire); Ritualcraft II: Naming Liminal Moments (Earth); Wheel of the Year (Earth); Weaver-Priestesses: Sacred Weaving across the Generations (Wind); Mystical Love in Jewish Sources (Wind) Sexual Expression as Prayer (Water); Queen-Priestesses: Biblical Queen Mothers and Mother Goddesses (Wind); The Priestess as Guardian (Water); Ritual Practicum (Earth); *Activist Priestessing (Water); *Priestess Parnassah (Water); *Ritually Sealing Sacred Space (Earth); *Sacred Clothing in the Mishnah (Water); * Tallit as Divine Veil (Fire); *Names of the Divine Queen (Wind); *Presencing the Priestess Body: Food, Sex, and Healing (Earth); *Parashat haShavua as a Priestess Practice (Water); *Aryevut: Being a Lover of All Beings (Water)

RETREAT 3

SHAMANESS, SEEKER, WISE WOMAN, FOOL

Prayercraft III: Sinai Pilgrimage: The Torah Service (Fire); Ritualcraft III: The Four Elements (Earth); Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Shamans and Witches (Wind); Priestess Divination (Water); Priestess Spirit Journey (Water); Priestess Pilgrimage (Water); Lady Wisdom: The Book of Proverbs (Wind); Wise Women: Priestesses as Peacemakers (Wind); Exploring Initiation with the Wise Woman (Water); Sacred Clown Workshop (Water); *Women Monastics and Pilgrims (Wind); *Wheel of the Year (Earth); *Herbal Healing (Water); *Healing Ritual (Earth); *Movement as Prayer (Fire); *Jethro the Shaman (Earth); *Mishnah Study: Holy Clothing (Earth); *Priestess Peacemaking (Water); *Jewish Magic (Water); *Rachel the Thief (Wind); *The Green Energy of Priestessing (Water)

RETREAT 4

MAIDEN, MOTHER, MOURNING WOMAN

Ritualcraft IV: God/dess Language (Earth); Prayercraft IV: Sh’mantra (Fire); Biblical Girls, Maiden Festivals (Wind); The Divine Daughter: Shekhinah as Maiden (Wind); Maiden Initiations: Finding Our Own Mythic Patterns (Fire); Conscious Menstruation (Water); Mystical Teachings on the Divine Mother (Wind); Motherline Healing (Water); Mourning Women in Israelite-Jewish History (Wind); Naming our Hidden Selves (Earth); *Initiation Herstory (Earth); *Mishnah Study: Mourning Women (Wind); *The Book of Lamentations (Wind); *Inanna, Persephone, Ruth, Esther: Underworld Initiations (Earth); *Spirits in the Wires: Technologies of a 21st Century Priestess Water); *Writing Blessings (Fire); *Priestess Publicity (Water); *Naming New Archetypes (Water)

Ordination Program: Kedeishot - Celebrating Holy Rites

In this stage, participants learn intensively about the facilitation of lifecycle ritual, hone their ritual and prayer skills as Hebrew priestesses, and discern their unique priestess work. Completion of this stage of the program, if requirements are met, leads to ordination/smicha: a ritual dedicating each graduate to working with Shekhinah/Sacred Spirit in the larger community. This stage is 3 retreats. Retreats occur approximately every 6 months.

RETREAT 5

RITUAL MIDWIVES

Ritualcraft V: Ritual Theory and Practice (Earth); The Jewish Life-Spiral (Earth); Birth Ritual (Earth); Naming Ritual (Earth); Coming of Age Ritual (Earth); Prayercraft V: Deepening Our Relationship to Kohenet Prayer (Fire); Equinoxes and Solstices (Earth); *Circumcision (Earth); *Weaving Sacred Conversations: Listening as Prayer (Water); *Circumcision: Blood Ritual and Birth (Earth); *Tziporah and the Flint Knife: Priestesses and Circumcision (Wind); *Gerut: Conversion as Birth (Earth)

RETREAT 6

RITUAL WEAVERS

Ritualcraft VI: Identifying Mid-Life Passages (Earth). Weddings 101 (Earth); Creative Partnership Ritual (Earth); Simchat Chochmah: Honoring our Elders (Earth); House-Blessings (Earth); New Moons (Earth)

RETREAT 7

RITUAL MOURNING WOMEN

 Ritualcraft VII: Assigning Ritual Roles (Earth): Funerals 101 (Earth); Chevra Kadisha: Priestesses of the Underworld (Earth); Views of the Soul in Jewish Tradition (Wind); Return to the Earth: Conscious Dying (Earth); Rituals for Moving On (Earth); Creating Kavvanot (Fire)