Under the light of the Full Moon, I am trembling to share my enormous gratitude to everyone I have ever circled with. It is thanks to my friends, students, colleagues, teachers and family that I stand here with the capacity to celebrate and share with you that there is a practical path toward toward the vision that every girl on the planet can be mentored in the lore of womanhood.
Fort Collins Coming of Age Ceremony Filmed
Most especially I wish to thank the women and girls of Maiden Discovery Circle, Fort Collins, Colorado, who invited Journey of Young Women and Warrior Films to their Coming of Age Ceremony for Girls last weekend. We captured some amazing video footage of ceremony under the open sky as well as interviews with moms, mentors, and the girls.
It took my breath away when this community agreed to open up their coming of age ceremony to be filmed - a courageous act of vulnerability in service to vision. These woman and girls are on fire to show the world what it looks, sounds and feels like to usher girls into womanhood with intentionality, joy and mentorship. To show moms what is possible for their daughters, and for themselves. To remind everyone that girls thirst for mentorship and for circling with women and girls....and that every woman has gifts to offer girls on their journey to womanhood.
Co-led by Gina Loughrige, a graduate of the JOYW Mentoring Girls Certificate Training, this Girls' Circle has been meeting every other week for two years. I cannot wait to share some of the video footage of this coming of age ceremony with you and to tell you more about their story.
Warrior Films
I am delighted and grateful beyond measure to be working in collaboration with Frederick Marx and Warrior Films whose pioneering work in mentorship and rites of passage is already shaking the world and on whose Board I am proud to serve.
Frederick will use the footage from this Coming of Age Ceremony as well as the interviews of participants to support his World Wisdom Library on the subject of youth rites of passage and mentorship. He may also use it in his long form film on the same subject.
Opening a Flow of Resources into Girls' Mentorship
What's next? How can we bring coming of age ceremonies, mentorship, and girls' circles to every girls on the planet? How can we make this happen NOW rather than in some hazy future?
We are going to gather the women. We are going to welcome all ages and all genders. We are going to work together collaboratively to spread the good news about rites of passage and mentorship for girls, and to empower women locally, globally and online to mentor girls, lead Girls' Circles, and offer Coming of Age to Girls.
We are going to open a flow of resources into Girls Mentorship!
A Collaborative Process
We'll create this together in collaborative process that is also online, global and local and that empowers and nourishes everyone as we move forward. Once the collaborative process begins, much practical inspiration and resources will emerge, which we'll translate into do-able actions steps in the real world and online. We are moving toward the truly possible future of impacting the lives of ten million girls over the next five years.
This process will be bigger than Journey of Young Women, and we'll be partnering with and supporting others to fulfill their own complementary visions. We will be giving away power and empowerment and resources as fast as we can.
Please stay tuned for news about how you can freely participate in the powerful process that is about to unfold. If you can't wait, simply contact me to let me know you want information about how you can participate, locally or online, as our project moves forward. We'll be in touch with you!
Full Moon Gratitude
So, community, now you know why I am trembling with gratitude. Look what is before us! One short video (and more to come) that tells the simple but powerful truth that women can work together to help girls step forward as strong leaders and wise women - and in so doing create massive beauty, deep healing and vibrant community. In these troubled times, we can change the world and we will.
That is something to celebrate. We can sing, dance and weep to sky and earth with joy and gratitude.
We are enough and we have enough to co-create this!
If you're not feeling it yet, stay tuned! This is going to happen.
Look for more news with the next New Moon.
I am thrilled to hear more about this so much needed initiative!
Thank you, sister Cielja! Please contact me if you’d enjoy learning about ways you can contribute to the Change Her Story project.
I am weeping for Joy at this discovery 🙂 Please contact me… ty…
Patricia – Fantastic! I cry with joy and relief and excitement about the who she-bang myself. We are going to do this! I’ll email you.
This is just fantastic news!!! I am absolutley ready to be in service in whatever way I can to make this happen! Blessings.
Dearest sister Melanie – Yippee! I’ll be in touch with you. We going to DO this!