Goddesses of the Underworld

In this 3-month expressive arts group program for women, we will explore the myths of three goddesses: Persephone, Inanna, and Isis. In each of their journeys with grief, death, and the underworld, these goddesses grew into their own transformation. We will be using their stories as well as expressive arts (journal writing, soulcollage®, and expressive drawing/music) to assist you in finding your own wisdom in traveling with grief, death, the underworld,… and growing into your own transformation and integration as a fuller being!

Who is this program for?

This program is for any woman whose person has died. You could be grieving the loss of your partner, sibling, parent, aunt, friend, child, born or unborn baby. Grief is our initiation. We are all “abducted” into the underworld by grief, like Persephone. And then, like Inanna, we must choose more consciously to travel to the underworld, to give up our roles, and all that we previously knew, in order to travel in this new reality. Like Isis reassembling her dead husband Osiris in order to create a child, we are then faced with how we are going to gather the pieces of our loss back together and reassemble them, to conceive a new life.

Through it all, grief is our focus. Why? Because, grief is the doorway. Grief is the doorway to living a life of meaning, authenticity, personal and planetary healing, recovery, intimacy, connection, and, paradoxically, grief is the doorway to joy.

Why do this program?

If you join this program, you are invited to:

• drop into your body and relax your nervous system,

• join a sacred space being with other women that "get it,” and

• explore the deep wisdom wells that grief, expressive arts, and goddesses of the underworld have to offer.

This is a place where you are invited to “drop the mask” of people pleasing or needing to take care of others around your grief. It is a safe place to travel to the underworld, in companionship with others who are on the journey with you. During our time together, you will learn and practice new tools through writing, drawing, collage-ing and listening to ancient stories for the medicine they provide. You can explore the “scary” parts of grief (anger, loss of innocence, feeling broken) in a sacred container of other women.

Is this an art class?

No! Nonononono. You do not have to have any previous art or writing or moving experience to participate in this group. I promise! NO EXPERIENCE. You do not have to “be an artist” and any art judges or critics that show up will be immediately removed from the premises. I will not be teaching you any fine art techniques like shading or drawing a tree in the right proportions. The (expressive, not fine) art you will be making includes: soulcollage, drawing with shapes and colors (no shading! just shapes and colors of how you feel), and journalling. In addition, I will guide you in grounding and meditations. (Again, no previous experience necessary).

Is this therapy?

No. This is an expressive arts support group. It can work very well in conjunction with therapy and I am happy to collaborate with your individual therapist if you would like. The benefits of this group can be similar in: increased feelings of connection in your body and with others, healing, transformation, and relief from feelings of shame and isolation. You may also experience joy at finding your own inner grief guidance (which is especially empowering in a grief illiterate culture that offers very little helpful guidance!)

As one of my mentors said to me 20 years ago:

“Everybody’s looking for the answers up there and out there!

But that’s not where the answers are…

They’re down there and in here.”

Come, travel down, and in with us. Grief is the doorway, and the entrance, but it isn’t the destination.
You are invited on this transformative inner journey to see what wisdom you find.

Logistics:

We start in January and meet 3 fridays per month for 3 months.

January 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13, 27; March 6, 13, 20

Friday afternoons, Online, 1-3pm eastern time.

Cost: $333/month or $897 paid upfront