Priestess Process FAQ

1. Is this process only for women?

Though this process is most often conducted in circles of women (priestess initiates) and was originally conceived as a women's process, it is a process that welcomes men (priest initiates), too. Nicole Christine, the Creatrix of this body of work, was approached early on by men who wanted to experience the process, so our lineage now includes both priests and priestesses. Women go through the Priestess Process together and men go through the Priest Process together. There are also occasional mixed circles.

If you are a man interested in the Priest Process, please contact me so I may, with your permission, keep your name on a list. Priest circles are more rare than Priestess circles, so when there are enough men interested in going through the Priest Process, I will happily conduct one.

2. What will we learn during the Embodied Priestess Process™?

With so many years rendered in the traditional academic setting, we have become accustomed to using an intellectual framework to judge any new endeavor. “What will I learn?” is a fair question, but the Embodied Priestess Process™ isn’t so much about what you will learn intellectually as it is about what you will experience on a cellular, energetic, physical, spiritual and emotional level. This is an experiential process that will include generous amounts of sharing in sacred circle using a council-type process, living ceremony, journaling, movement, art, sacred play, mystery drama, deep introspection, conscious engagement of death and rebirth mysteries, shamanic journeying, group activities, visualizations/meditations and more.

Each weekend has a theme that will guide the activities and energies of that weekend. While there might be a few incidents of traditional “teaching,” the Embodied Priestess Process™ is most definitely not an academic environment. Your learning will come through a variety of non-traditional methods that facilitate integration and change on multiple levels, not just the intellectual.

3. Does this stuff have real application in my life?

In more ways than you could possibly imagine! My personal experience with deep spiritual processes such as this is that most people participate knowing there is at least one thing they’re conscious of that they want to heal. It could be a relationship with their spouse. It could be to step more fully into their personal power. But what happens for EVERYONE is they always get at least one major life-transforming epiphany out of the process that they had no idea was even an issue for them. I call it “the gold nugget.” Most people get many gold nuggets from this process.

But just as important, participants learn real life skills, things they can apply in their everyday life, such as: how to speak their truth, how to stand in their power, how to own their projections, how to have a difficult conversation with another person without losing their cool or their personal power, how to listen deeply to another person, how to recognize and stay out of co-dependent behaviors, how to say no, how to celebrate special moments with ceremony, how to listen to their intuition or guidance from Spirit, how to nurture and care for themselves, how to ask for what they want and so much more!

If you want to learn more about what I got out of the priestess process when I went through it in 2005, read this article I wrote.

4. Is the Embodied Priestess Process™ a cult or some sort of religious group?

NO!

The Embodied Priestess Process™ is first and foremost an opportunity for each person to deepen in their own spiritual journey and connection to their own Source, however that is defined for them. It is not associated with any particular religion (Christian, pagan or otherwise) or spiritual belief. Facilitators of this process uphold as a core precept that all beliefs and all spiritual practices are honored, welcomed and accepted.

The Priestess Process does not ask you to give up any beliefs or take on any beliefs. It is not a religion, cult or fad. We deeply honor each person’s individual path and ask that participants do the same.

To be clear, the Priestess Process is also not group therapy; it is not a place to dump on others; it is not a place to come and get “fixed” or to fix others; it is not a 12-step program; we do not engage with mind-altering substances (alcohol, drugs, etc.); and it is not an intervention.

It IS a safe place for women to come together and engage in deep spiritual work.

5. How do I know if the Embodied Priestess Process™ is right for me?

This is a question only you can answer and I encourage you to take your question into your meditation, prayer or dream time. Follow your intuition. Ask the divine mother for her counsel.

I can tell you that many women (including myself!) are drawn to this process through a strong calling or “pull” in their heart or gut, often without fully understanding the significance or reason why. If this is your experience, trust it! Your higher self is most likely trying to get your attention.

Remember, this is a process that activates the Priestess archetype at a very deep level. The fact that you are reading this demonstrates a recognition of these energies, which might even feel like “home” in a way you can’t even describe. Trust your inner wisdom.

CLICK HERE for the Ideal Initiate Checklist to help you further determine if you are in resonance with the energetic frequency of this process and the priestess archetype.

6. Doesn’t the term priest or priestess mean there’s a religious overtone to the process?

Not in this case. For many people, religion and spirituality are interchangeable words. But we define religion as being man-made (man’s interpretation of God/Goddess’s vision) and spirituality is about an individual’s own relationship to their Creator/Creatrix. So in this way the Embodied Priestess Process™ is definitely a spiritual process, but not a religious one.

As such, we explore the roles and definition of what it was to be a priestess in ancient times and cultures and update it to fit modern times. Being a priest or priestess isn’t so much about upholding specific religious principles or dogma, leading a congregation, living on the edge of society or denying ourselves human comforts or desires. Priests and Priestesses used to serve in part as mediators between man and God. The updated version we work with understands that we are now our own mediators. We are our own spiritual authority and we are no longer supported in our growth by the belief that we need someone else to mediate with God on our behalf. So part of the purpose of the Priestess Process is for each person to recognize and fully claim their own power as a Creator/Creatrix in co-creation with the Divine.

7. How do you keep so many people (opinions, beliefs) under control so that the circle doesn’t become chaos, especially with so much emotion being exposed?

Clear and distinct agreements around behavior, expectations, communication and boundaries are set on the first weekend that each initiate is asked to honor and uphold. As facilitators we maintain vigilant awareness of the energetics of the circle at all times and will speak to anything and everything necessary to maintain the safe, sacred, solid and pristine nature of the energetic container of this circle.

We know how crucial it is to create and nurture this kind of environment so that participants feel safe to journey deeply within themselves and to explore a deep level of vulnerability. While everyone’s own individual expression will be encouraged and welcomed, gossip, abusive language or behavior, bullying or any other dishonoring or violent behavior will not be tolerated.

In addition to circle agreements, we also do work around shadow and projections, teaching initiates how to openly and respectfully address other initiates when shadow elements or projections come forward.

8. Why this length?

The Embodied Priestess Process™ is a deep initiatory process. It is an initation into women's mysteries. If you think of it as an apprenticeship to the Goddess or the Divine Mother, then it creates a different kind of paradigm. This isn't an intellectual pursuit like a traditional degree. My favorite definition of a mystery is "the infinitely knowable." No matter how deeply you dive into the mystery of the feminine, the mystery of yourself or the mystery of life itself, there is always more to know. At some point you can claim competence, but a true master knows that mastery is over oneself, not over information or another person. On a linear scale, these processes are usually multiple months long because it takes time to integrate all of the experiences, activations, healing, releasing and remembering that occurs.

While as facilitators we can construct the process in any way we choose, it was originally conceived in a nine-month format because that engages the sacred energies of conception, gestation and birth. However, time is speeding up, the vibration of humanity is raising and women are moving through the initiations and activations at a quicker rate.

9. Do you recommend the process for people with health issues?

Each participant will be screened for basic physical or mental health issues, to ensure they will be capable of participating fully in the Embodied Priestess Process™ and not jeopardize their health. If health issues are triggered by emotional processing and deep introspective work, then I would caution the participant and possibly advise against participating. Every possible accommodation will be made for those with physical handicaps or limitations, and these issues should be discussed with the facilitator ahead of time so we know how best to prepare the participant and the space.

The process itself is not physically strenuous and anyone in reasonable good health should be have no problem participating fully.

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