This series explores what it is like to be a spiritual seeker and Priestess in the 21^st century.

Is there more direct access to the Divine in the world now? 

I’m interviewing women involved in my Priestess Training Program to find out!

Hear How Kate:

• Talks about what being a Priestess means to her.
• How she developed a beautiful daily practice.
• What prompted her to join the Sage Priestess Certification Program for another year.
• And how she talks about the most important thing about the Program: LOVE!

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How do you describe yourself?

I have always described myself as a spiritual person, a creative person, as a seeker, as one who is committed to personal growth.

I like to find the bright side in any experience. I always want to know what is it I am supposed to learn.

I am a teacher, a facilitator, I can’t keep new ideas and things to myself I always want to share with others. I like to be a role model and example for younger women.

What have you struggled with on the spiritual path?

The things I have struggled with on the spiritual path are belonging and acceptance. I mean where else can you find people who think like you?

Even in The Unitarian and Universalist church I often attend I am not like the person who is sitting next to me. In the past few years, I find that I identify as Pagan. I left the Catholic Church as a young woman and paraded myself through a whole host of new ideas, Course in Miracles, Buddhism and a little Hinduism thrown in. I don’t really fit in one mould. I think I have always been looking for that place that I do fit.

What drew you to the Sage Priestess Certification Program?

I started following Vanessa early on in a Willing to Live In Magic challenge of sorts. I saw her model what a priestess was and that attracted me.

I’ve connected with the Goddess and the Divine Feminine for a while now but it was only in spurts. I felt the program would let me know more about the Goddess in all her forms.

What are some transformation changes that have happened on your spiritual path?

The transformational experiences that I have experienced have occurred at different times. I am not sure how to articulate that. It’s been like a remembering, a knowing, a calling back to the Divine Feminine. It’s come in stages that as I look back I can see how far I have come. I grew up Catholic and just being able to believe in a female divine was a big step.

What did you find in the Program that was unexpected?

I expected to find a loving warm group and that is what I found. I didn’t expect that I would resonate so much with everyone’s stories. I didn’t know how much I would count on the group to hold me up in those times when I needed it.

It was also the depth of the program, the amount of material and all those beautiful PDF’s that Vanessa created. The content from the Melissa’s was beyond amazing and all the guest teachers really opened my eyes to a lot of things I was unaware of. The infusion of the Tarot really led me to Tarot school and I am so grateful for that.

What will you take from the program?

I will take a sense of belonging, a sisterhood that is so deeper than it was before. I also take that this is just the beginning. I have a series of practices to return to again and again. Each time the experience will be deeper and more revealing than I thought.

What has being in the Sage Priestess Certification Program meant to you?

It’s been life-changing.

I don’t look at the world in the same way anymore. I don’t see the darkness and despair so prevalent in the world, I now see light and hope and have a suitcase full of practices to guide me on my journey.

Just recently I feel like some of the things we talked about early in the program are coming to light. Like the idea of devotions. I have been working on a new morning ritual where I sit outside on my backyard swing and watch the sunrise, listen to the birds, write in my journal and spend moments just being.

I’ve started drumming more, had a bonfire on the full moon all by myself. I usually would not do that alone. I feel like I am taking all the things I have learned and am starting to put them into practice. My spiritual life feels real and rich and ever-growing.

What are some of the most valuable gems you’re taking away from this year together in community and being in circle together?

That this work is sacred. That it is so important to continue on this path. To continue to study and deepen my commitments and devotions. To see the beautiful examples of all the guest teachers. To strengthen my connection to the earth and the Goddess. I have just begun to explore those relationships.

What spiritual strengths do you want to bring forth into the world?

I want to live my life as a vehicle for change. I want to offer programs connecting nature and art. I want to show how stepping away and making space is more powerful than filling your life up. I want to run my own circles and rituals. I wanted to gather a local community around me.

What blessings would you like to send to future priestess?

I would give courage to anyone who is unsure if this is for them! Take the leap, the rewards are endless. I offer compassion, understanding, gratitude and love.