Gate Two

Initiation: EARTH

At Gate Two, we work with the Dark Feminine through her earthly expression. Think rotting leaves; dark, rich soil; poison berries; mists and fog: howling gales; insects, crows, wolves, foxes. We work with the Cailleach whose name in Gaelic, means ‘old woman’ or ‘hag’. Cailleach was derived from 'Caillech' , a term meaning ‘veiled one’ in old Gaelic. Her most prominent title was 'Cailleach Bhéara': Master of Winter. Her magick is deeply rooted into earth, place and time. She is the wise old crone of the ancient Isles who throws her plaid across the hills, blanketing them in snow.

Goddess: Cailleach

At Gate Two our practices takes us out into the wild. We explore the world around us as the organic extension of our own bodily form: the earth body. You'll be guided on an audio journey which brings you into communion with the more-than-human world. Let yourself experience the dark feminine on the somatic level.

Gate Three

Initiation: womb

At Gate Three, we enter the Womb: the centre of gravity in woman's body and the somatic home of the Dark Feminine. Our guiding goddess for the womb gate is Isis. One of the earth's most ancient dark goddesses, Isis is a mother goddess who presides over fertility. She is both a goddess of maternal love and powerful magick. Under her wise gaze we learn what it means to be embodied in the womb and to life a womb-led life, guided by the creative pulse of our deepest energetic centre.

Goddess: Isis

Our practice for Gate Three is both energetic and physical. A powerful seated practice combining breath, visualisation and movement drops us deep into the womb space. Next, we move into self-massage for the abdomen, focusing on specific healing touch points which nourish the womb. This is a practice you can return to time and time again as a way to develop your loving relationship with your womb space.

Gate Four

Initiation: Sexuality

One of the most obvious ways the Dark Feminine has been hidden from us is in the exiling of sexual innocence and sensual expression. Inside every woman there lives a unique pulse of eros. Very often this pulse has been clouded over by social and cultural sexual dysfunction. In Gate Four of DFM, we call on Lilith to guide us as we unearth our sexual innocence. Lilith is the archetype of the woman punished for her sexual expression. medieval Jewish lore, Lilith was the first wife of Adam, who left Eden of her own choice because she would not submit sexually to her husband. 

Goddess: Lilith

In our Gate Four practice we combine sensuality with healing touch. First we massage the breasts with oil in a specific sequence designed to stimulate lymphatic movement, disperse stagnation and stimulate arousal. Then we move through a pelvic mapping practice where we work internally with our intravaginal tissues, using breath, touch and sound to release energetic blockages so that our sexual energy can flow freely throughout the pelvic bowl and pussy.

Gate Five

Initiation: voice

If the female root (pussy, anus, womb, cervix) is the somatic centre of the Dark Feminine, then the voice is perhaps her second home in the body. Sitting on the central channel, connected by the Vagus nerve our throat and vocal chords are fundamental to our authentic expression. Many women have yet to locate their authentic voice, which is an essential part of dark feminine embodiment. In this week we'll call upon Goddess Cerridwen and her cauldron of Awen to support us discovering our creative expression and allowing it move through us and into the world.

Goddess: Cerridwen

In our Gate Five practice we move through a sequence of self-massage, gentle, lower-body-based movement before working with our voice. We play with sounding from different parts of our bodies, singing to a drumbeat and then speaking with intention. The intention behind this practice is for you to locate your authentic voice and from here on, speak with it.

Gate Six

Initiation: MAGICK

In Gate Six, we've reached a key point in our journey and can begin to work with the more subtle realms. Here we work with magick, specifically, feminine magick, under the guidance of Hekate, an ancient goddess who predates the written mythology of ancient Greece and is known as the Queen of Witches. We learn how to bring simple spell work into our lives, weaving the threads of reality with intention and direction. Each woman has within her a wellspring of magick, encoded with her medicine. This week you'll be guided to unearth (or deepen) yours.

Goddess: Hekate

Sometimes spells are elaborate. And sometimes they are words whispered with clarity over a candle or into a simmering pot of herbs. This week you'll be guided to practise spells each night for five days as a nighttime potion ritual. This is a simple and effective way to bring the magick of kitchen witchcraft into your life.

Gate Seven

Initiation: the void

As we move deeper into the subtle realms, we meet the void: the limitless expanse of pure potentiality with a specifically feminine feel. Women are natural dwellers in liminal spaces. They are where we birth and bleed and orgasm. Built into our anatomy are doors into the void and Ma Kali is the perfect guide for us in this place.

Goddess: Kali

There is no better practice to be suspended inside the void in than Yoga Nidra. Enjoy a long, deep, nourishing guided practice where imagery of fertile darkness lulls you into profound relaxation. You might even find yourself in the liminal space of Yoga Nidra - between worlds.