Year Two Programme

Over eight weekends those who have successfully completed the first year of the Priestess of Avalon training learn the practical skills of a Priest/ess of the Goddess and of Avalon and explore their role as Goddess ceremonialist, visionary, journeyer and spiritual friend. The year culminates in a special Self-Initiation Ceremony as a Priest/ess of the Goddess.

The second year training is taught by Ren Chapman with assistance from Kathy Jones. Ren is the skillful teacher of the First Spiral of the Priestess of Avalon training. Kathy is the founder of the Priestess of Avalon training, the author of several ground-breaking books on the Goddess, the sacred landscape and healing, and has an international reputation as an authority on the Goddess. She is a co-founder of the Isle of Avalon Foundation, as well as Glastonbury’s Goddess Temple and the annual international Goddess Conference. Kathy currently teaches the Third Spiral of the Priestess of Avalon training and other Goddess courses.

On this course you will learn:

To deepen your dedication vow and understanding of what it means to be a true priest/ess.

At the end of the first year of training students take part in a special Self-Initiation Ceremony in which they dedicate themselves to the Goddess as Sisters and Brothers of Avalon. For this ceremony they write and speak their own Vow of Dedication. This vow marks an important step that requires daily commitment and focus.

On the first weekend of the second year of training students further examine what this dedication really means as a focus for daily spiritual practice and as it affects the choices they make in their daily lives, in work, relationships, location etc. Students explore what it will mean to become a Priest or Priestess of the Goddess, the goal for the end of the second year of training. The path of the Priest/ess is primarily a path of devotion to the Goddess as She expresses Herself through the cycle of the seasons of Her nature within the natural landscape, in legend and in present day revelations. On this training our devotion is particularly focussed on the Lady of Avalon, the Goddess of the Isle of Avalon and we need to know what that means.

How to perform Goddess inspired ceremonies with practice

On two weekends students learn the basic principles of creating and performing Goddess-centred ceremonies and together look at the many rituals and rites of passage they may be called upon to perform as Priest/esses. In ceremony Priest/esses consciously create conditions in which they and others can experience the energies of the Lady, moving within and between us all. Students explore the nature of the archetypal Priest/ess self and how to call her/him into their bodies. They learn how to evoke the Goddess and how to create energy containers in which the Goddess may be experienced by all those present. They learn about finding and holding inner stillness, how to hear and respond to intuition and the ability to be sensitive to movement within Her energy field. Students receive instruction on performing ceremony and then devise and practice their own Goddess-centred ceremonies with feedback and discussion.

Explore the relationship between women and men and the Goddess

Having the Goddess in the centre of our lives changes the way that we relate to each other as women and men, and to the wider society in which we live. We shall spend a weekend exploring the many gender issues that arise on the Priestess path. These include the role of women as the human manifestation of the Goddess in the world, the role of men as Her Guardians and Protectors, where God fits in, etc., as well as the challenge of living in patriarchal societies that encourage power over competition within and between the sexes and how we can all be empowered from within to be truly who we are. Students have the opportunity to explore some of their own prejudices and truths about gender and the Goddess.

How to journey between the worlds for healing, guidance and soul retrieval

The Isle of Avalon is the Otherworldly Paradise that lies beyond the Veil of Avalon. This veil is both a misty or fiery Veil that hides the sacred land of Avalon from the ordinary world. And it is an etheric Veil, a Veil in consciousness that separates the visible from the invisible spiritual worlds. Students learn how to journey psychically and spiritually between the worlds into these unseen realms, for personal healing, guidance, and soul retrieval for themselves and others. Students are taught how to make safe passage through secret pathways to the Isle of Avalon using sound, visualisation and veils, and how to return safely. They take part in guided journeys between the worlds to Avalon.

To read the signs in nature and scry for visions

The Goddess’s nature is everywhere and part of the Priest/ess path includes learning to read the signs that are visible all around us within Her nature, if we have the eyes to see and the ears to listen. Students learn to develop their inner sight and inner hearing. They learn to listen to their intuition and respond to its messages. They learn how to scry for a vision (read the signs), using the elements of Her nature – air, fire, water and earth, and how to hear Her voice within Her nature. Students learn to look into the present moment to unravel the difficulties of the past and to reveal the possibilities of the future, through visions which can inspire themselves and their communities.

To embody the Goddess in ceremony and daily life

The Goddess is both immanent and transcendent. She is within each one of us as our individual and collective Soul, and She is without, as the vast Source of All that is. Hers is the love that connects everything within Her universe. Students explore the nature of their own souls, learning how to manifest their soul’s energy in the world, as a source of love, creativity, generosity and compassion. Embodiment of the Goddess is an art which was once common in the ancient Goddess religions, and is being reclaimed within this Avalonian tradition. Students continue to hone the skill of invoking their archetypal priest/ess self into their bodies, and then learn how to call the Goddess into their own bodies and beings. They learn how to speak truly for Her, offering words of comfort, inspiration and love to those who wish to meet the Lady in a physical form.

The pathways through Her labyrinth in life and on Glastonbury Tor

On the final weekend of the second year training students learn the secrets of the seven circuit Labyrinth as an ancient Goddess symbol, as a ceremonial pathway, and as a transformational journey. They learn how to create a Goddess Labyrinth using flour, flowers, tape, stone or string. They explore the huge three-dimensional Goddess Labyrinth on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor and learn how to guide others through its hidden pathways. During their time within the centre of the Tor Labyrinth students take part in their special ceremony of Self-Initiation as Priestesses and Priests of the Goddess.