Talia Johnson is an out trans, queer, lesbian, autistic woman. Her work as a Kohenet bridges the realms of spirituality, LGBTQIA+, and mental health and is expressed through leading services, facilitating workshops, teaching, and one-on-one work. Talia facilitates rituals marking important moments in life, changing a name, gender affirming surgery, and more. Her work and learning takes her across North America.
Talia is Chair of the Heartspark Press Board of Directors, part of the leadership team of Autistics for Autistics Ontario, and is active in Jewish communities in Toronto. She is co-editor of the Nothing Without Us anthology of Disability fiction released September 2019. Talia has been an activist for most of her life, with her first political activity at 8 months old, and her first words were likely, “That’s not fair!”
Lauren Stein
Lauren Stein is beyond description.
One can try anyway.
Lauren is a performer, writer, magic-maker, community-builder, expressive arts therapist, and generally fun to be around. She creates and performs one-woman improvised plays. She writes books and articles about what’s wrong with the world, and how to have more fun anyway. She treats individuals, couples, and groups for therapy, counselling, and coaching. She currently lives in Guelph, Ontario. You can find her online at SlightlyBetter.ca
Orev Reena Katz
Orev Reena Katz is an artist, curator, radio show producer, builder of sound machines, and a Spiritual Care provider for incarcerated people in the prisons of Southern Ontario. She/they work in community, with hands and heart, to make ritual, to build connection, and to struggle with collective justice. Orev lives with her/their beloved partner and feisty cat in Toronto, Ontario, traditional territory of the Huron, Wendat and Mississauga of New Credit nations. As a Jew and a treaty person, Orev strives to honour the One Dish, One Spoon Treaty of the Great Lakes Region.
Judith Maeryam Wouk
Judith is a Neviah Metophephet/Oracle of Rhythms/Re-Framer of Stories. A member of the Guild of Holy Drummers with a Certificate from the Holy Drumming Institute (Elat Chayyim, Spring 2011, Adar II 5771), she teaches beginning frame drum (tar) and riqq (tambourine) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. With degrees in anthropology and law, she is a ritual leader, and political activist for peace, environment and social justice. Women of the Bible, music of the Israelites/Hebrews, death practices, gift economy, sustainable cities, and the feminine divine are themes of her crone study, publications and advocacy.
Annie Matan
she/her
Kohenet Annie Matan is an ordained Hebrew Priestess, with a thriving business that offers Spiritual Guidance, Super-Power Mentorship, and Facilitation of Life-cycle rituals and Sacred Spaces. A Jewish, Queer, Polyam single Mama, Annie is passionate about supporting people of all genders to feel seen, heard, and held as their whole selves in all spaces in their lives. Her bespoke weddings, baby welcomings, funerals and other life cycle transition rituals honour the realities of Interfaith, Queer and Polyam folks by weaving together their families’ and ancestral traditions with their authentic, contemporary, feminist values. In her Spiritual Guidance sessions and online Red Tent circles, Annie offers mentorship and facilitates supportive conversations on intuitive gifts, transitions, sex and our intimate relationships with our bodies, ourselves and our partners. Annie is also an artist and singer, crafting expressions and explorations of the Sacred Feminine using crochet, clay, painting and song. You can follow her work on her Substack blog, The Priestess is IN and you’ll find archival episodes of her podcast partnership, Tending Lilith’s Fire with The Lilith Institute’s D’vorah Grenn on YouTube. Annie lives in Toronto, Canada and works both locally and online.
Anna-Sofia Maranta
Anna-Sofia is a wisewoman ritualist, and spiritual leader who seeks to create sacred space grounded in the values of radical compassion, listening and hospitality. She serves as a conduit for Healing Presence at the crossroads of life. She facilitates marriage and separation rituals, rites of passage, and mourning rites; and also provides education, mentoring and support to those on a spiritual journey. Anna-Sofia lives in Ottawa, Canada. She provides services on-line and in-person.