Re-enchant your life as a Nature Witch
(with training and community experiences)
Current Courses
Unlocking the Power of Magic
In this program, you’ll unlock the real power that makes magic work. The real power dwells within you and surrounds you - it is the power of your connection to the Sacred. The secret to real magic is your connection to divinity within and without.
Membership: Crossing into the Mysteries
As a member, you’ll engage in Nature-specific practices and structured monthly meetings with fieldwork as well as interact with our community. Membership will help you feel fulfilled, connected, as well as help you develop self-knowledge and wisdom. Deeper involvement will help you face life with creativity, calm and grace.
Level 1: The Deeper Wisdom of the Circle
Go on a transformational journey as you learn to experience the divine power that resides within each one of us and the world around us. You'll learn to understand the meaning and magic of the sacred circle, one of humanity’s most ancient spiritual symbols and practices. We will also explore how the circle connects us to the web of life, with the Great Mother and how to engage with Immanent and Immediate Divinity. We will guide you in the whys and hows of ancient, animistic techniques and practices that empower us to experience this communion and to create the miraculous in our everyday lives.
Level 3: Dancing with My Shadow
This intensive workshop introduces you to the Gatekeeper that stands between the life you are leading and a life of your dreams--your Shadow. You'll discover that your Shadow is not the reflection of your limitations, but rather your teacher and guide to a life of wholeness and happiness. This course is designed to help you uncover your shadow beliefs, your insecurities, wounds and fears, weaknesses, anger or doubts, and to help you see the "dark qualities" you bury, deny or project onto others as the source of self-knowledge, freedom and fulfillment.
Level 2: Communing with Immanent Divinity
In this intensive, 9-session online program, you will learn to master techniques to achieve altered states of consciousness so that you can more deeply commune with the Sacred found in Nature as well as within. These practices include advanced sensory training, fine-tuning your intuition, working with divinatory tools to engage in dialogue with and receive guidance from the Divine, obtaining and working with a power animal or spirit guide, and journeying in non-ordinary reality. This is a required course for Initiation. Prerequisites: Successful Completion of Level 1.
Level 4: Initiation Intensive
One of the most profound rites in the Ara Tradition is that of Initiation. Ara’s unique initiatory training and Initiation intensive experiences are cathartic rites of passage, held over the course of 4 days, in which the initiate embarks on a renewed spiritual journey of discovery. In keeping with our practice of deconstructing, we have devised our initiation experience that are cathartic rites of passage, acknowledging transformations of birth, death and rebirth.
Additional Experiences
Full Moon Rituals
Many indigenous cultures followed the cycles of the moon, knowing that, being the closest astronomical body to Earth, She has a profound effect on us. The moon relates to the basic rhythms of life. Like our ancestors, we continue that tradition through our monthly guided full moon rituals. Our guided Full Moon rituals are a complimentary part of membership yet non-members are more than welcome to participate.
Solar Celebrations
In ancient cultures, people were closely connected to the seasonal cycles. They had specific ways of synchronizing themselves with the various natural rhythms. Understanding and preparing for the different energies as you transition from one season into the next, enables you to flow with Mother Earth and maintain a harmony—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Nature Journaling Experiences
Exclusive to our membership program, as part of our field work. Nature journaling will help you slow down and pay attention. You will develop creativity and critical thinking skills, nurture connection with Nature, and instill a sense of curiosity. All to help you experience awe and wonder.
Shamanic Journey Circles
Held quarterly, our shamanic journey circles are open to Ara members who have successfully completed our Level 1 and 2 programs. Exclusive to our membership program, to support our relationship with Nature and Spirit.
Special Note about Our Initiations
Initiation is not the end of the metamorphosis; rather it is a catalyst, the beginning step in a new spiritual journey.
In the Ara Tradition, Initiation is not a “first degree” in a three-degree system—Initiation in the Temple of Ara is a unique, “stand-alone” event. For Ara, Initiation is a sublime and transformative experience that connects you to the Divine in a ritualized format. It is the culmination of your work up to that point, and it is the recognition of your devotion to and understanding of the Ara Tradition and its teachings. It is also a pledge between you and the Temple, to uphold its values and work toward its goals.
Once you have been initiated, we hope that you will continue to work and grow within the Temple’s structure and stay involved through our various programs. You may choose to enter into the Clergy Training Program and become legally certified clergy. You may choose to participate in Advanced Level workshops given by the Temple. Please be assured that it is perfectly acceptable, and honorable, to prosper spiritually while remaining an Initiate.
How to Qualify for Initiation
Preparation for Initiation can take several years of challenging, transformative work. Participants are required to be current members of the Temple, have successfully completed Crossing into the Mysteries program, actively participate in Outer Grove and complete our three initiatory training intensive workshops:
- Level One: Deeper Wisdom of the Circle
- Level Two: Spirituality of Immanent Divinity
- Level Three: Dancing with Your Shadow
Initiation is a very personal experience and for some it will lead to an ongoing commitment to the Temple of Ara as their spiritual home and community. For others, it will serve as a rite of personal transformation as they continue on their own, unique quest.
All petitioners for initiation must be members of the Temple in good standing. Mentoring in between the intensive workshops may be available for those who qualify yet is not guaranteed.
We hope that becoming an Initiate will deepen your experience of the Sacred and open you to new worlds of spirituality and connection with Life. We look forward to your contribution to building the Ara Community.
To learn more about the requirements for Initiation, please email us HERE.