Kate Belew

Join us for a six-month creative coven with monthly gatherings, rituals, prompts, folklore, and stories about the Witches of the crossroads, their potent gardens, and sacred symbols. Explore the crossroads, the realm of these stories, the liminal where magic is made.

Welcome to The Crossroads: The Shadow Months

Gather under the dark moon during the shadow months of October-March

During this six-month series and program, we will hold space with you at the creative cauldron. By the glow of the bonefire, and under the watch of the guardian oak tree, together we will explore and tell the tales of the Witches, Goddesses, potent plants, folklore, and myth. These stories are fodder for your creative work. They are rituals to hold you in the shifting of the seasons. Together we’ll celebrate the shadow months of the year, autumn, which turns toward winter, and finally gives way to spring. The dark moon is the keeper of many messages, secrets, and stories. And at the crossroads, a few of her favorite stories will be shared. Each class will contain a meditation, a discussion of sacred symbols, an exploration of the crossroads, a story retelling from the Goddesses and Witches of the dark moon, and an opportunity to write an invocation with guidance for each of these mythic figures.

Our Schedule

Wednesday, October 7th 7:00-8:30 pm EST, The Dark Moon of Hecate

Wednesday, November 4th, 7:00-8:30 pm EST, The Dark Moon of Medusa

Wednesday, December 9th, 7:00-8:30pm EST, The Dark Moon of Cerridwen

Wednesday, January 6th, 7:00-8:30pm EST, The Dark Moon of The Cailleach

Wednesday, February 3rd, 7:00-8:30 pm EST, The Dark Moon of Lilith

Wednesday, March 3rd, 7:00-8:30pm, The Dark Moon of Persephone

October: The Dark Moon of Hecate

The skeleton key of Hecate unlocks a door under the dark moon of October…

Alongside the whispering stars of October, Asteria welcomes us to the Shadow Months with a tale about celestial bodies, hallowed sight, and her beloved daughter, Hecate. Hecate is a spirit of witchcraft, skeleton keys, and the symbolic shadow lands. In stories, she’s flanked by hellhounds and ghosts, and as a goddess of the fringe, she is both tri-formed and moon-shaped. She is the only child of Asteria, a Titaness of shooting stars, and therefore, Hecate is the heiress of night. She is a nocturnal messenger and an embodiment of fire, her torches illuminate the numinous. Hecate’s origin is so ancient, so revealing, that her name is fixed in the starry Above. In our first gathering at the Crossroads, we’ll draw down the moon with Hecate’s words of power. Enshrined in magical speech the goddess’s sacred symbols, we’ll honor the restless parts of ourselves and unlock a constellation of potential.

November: The Dark Moon of Medusa

Medusa beckons to the Word Witches under the November dark moon…

Deep within the Gorgons’ lair, the memory of Medusa is alive and well. A monster who revels in turning men to stone, this snake-haired maiden is best known for her feud with Athena, Greek goddess of war and justice. But in an earlier life, Medusa stitched herself into the heavens under the guise of the dark moon. Beneath the cover of night, she was a Serpent Queen, oracle, and a healer. In November using Medusa as a mirror, we will gaze into our inner sanctums. We will don the Gorgon mask and draw down the moon. We will try on Athena’s armor, Hermes’ winged sandals, and pluck seeds of wisdom from the Olive tree. With any luck, Medusa will introduce us to the sea spirits, serpents, and a way of existing before the solar gods arrived.

December: THe Dark Moon of Cerridwen

Under the dark moon of Cerridwen we gather at the cauldron of the Goddess…

This month, cradled within the arms of ancient oak trees, we journey to a quiet lake called Bala. Beneath its enchanted waters, the Lady of the Lake stirs a potent potion. Poetry bubbles up from the deep, hymns to the moon, the mountains, and dedications to a boy with a radiant brow. Visions of a giantess ripple across the water, memories of a Crone-Mother, the keeper of an earthen cauldron. In our third Crossroads gathering, we meet Cerridwen of Wales. A goddess and guide, Cerridwen introduces us to her growing family. As we pack oak limbs beneath her cauldron, the goddess forages for the sacred plants to inspire her latest batch of Awen. When the brew begins to bubble, Cerridwen reflects on the pursuit of our muses, alchemizing creativity, and what she’s learned from her adopted son, the bard Talisen. 

January: The Dark Moon of The Cailleach

Under the dark moon of January, the Cailleach conjures the winter winds of inspiration…

Although the skies remain grey and the winds still howl, come January, spring beckons from the horizon. But the Cailleach doesn’t give up without a fight. So when the Winter Witch spots young Brigid reaching for her crown, the Cailleach captures the springtime maiden. Imprisoned in her cottage, Brigid dreams of her escape while chopping firewood. Little does she know, someone else dreams of her. An uninvited visitor angers the Cailleach, but not even a storm at the eleventh hour can reverse the seasonal wheel. Eventually, the earth exhales, snowdrops bloom, and the Cailleach retreats to her sacred waters.

February: The Dark Moon of Lilith

“It’s time to unleash your inner wild,” Lilith says under the dark moon of February.

It was only after molding Adam from earth, that God realized humans could not survive without love. So, he grabbed a second handful of soil and created Lilith. The first man was quick to fall in love with the first woman, but Lilith was hesitant. It's true that Adam was strong and beautiful, but he was also disrespectful and lazy. When he demanded Lilith submit to him (while refusing submission to her), she screamed the ineffable name and fled the Garden of Eden. Not even angels could convince her to return, and instead, Lilith made love to the Red Sea. From their union, the sea of consciousness was born.

March: The Dark Moon of Persephone

Persephone returns after her initiation with the coming of spring.

TBD

Exchange: 

A single payment of $444

Two payments of $222

Three payments of $148

The cost of $444 for the six-month program includes six 90 minutes class, with recordings downloadable, six downloadable PDFs with rituals, altar suggestions, and prompts for extended study, a Slack Community & Coven to connect with other Witches around the tales, potent plants, magic, astrology, ritual, and storytelling (including Kristin & Kate). We prioritize making our offerings accessible. If you require assistance, please write us a message to explain your situation and we can work together to find a solution. Payment plan are available.

FAQ: 

DO I NEED TO ATTEND ALL WORKSHOPS LIVE?

No! This program is intended to support any schedule. Workshops can be listened to via recording. And you can tune into these workshops from any place as long as you have internet.

DO I HAVE ACCESS TO ALL MATERIALS FOREVER?

The Slack Channel will end with the program (2 weeks after closing), however, the prompts, exercises, and PDFs from workshops are yours to keep forever.

WHAT EXPERIENCE DO I NEED TO HAVE BEFORE JOINING? 

No experience needed! Just a love of stories and plant magic required. 

What will happen in each meeting?

There will be a guided meditation, education around the sacred symbols of each mythic character, a storytelling experience, guidance and prompts to create invocations and word witchery for each witch of the crossroads.

Testimonials from Previous Crossroads Classes

I love the Crossroads series. Every five-week session is different for me. I love hearing the Goddess and plant stories and really enjoy the writing prompts. The Crossroads truly is a place of deep magic. It is very healing and revealing. Thank you Kate and Kristin for nurturing my witchy soul.

The Crossroads was and still is such a special hub for inspiration and creation. I have never written so many pieces of poetry in such a short time the way I did in each 90 minute session. So much magic resides in the stories and plants and Kate and Kristin know exactly how to bring you into that true space of the Crossroads where you can expand and travel into the realms of each. I have greeted the trees and the herbs, the Goddesses who tend them and have become entirely re-enchanted, I hope to do so again in the next one. I would recommend anyone remotely intrigued to run wild with the calling!

Kate and Kristin offer a tapestry of storytelling, the kind that our ancestors told long ago. The balance of ancient history with writing prompts truly helped me to overcome come hurdles and blocks within myself. I also appreciated the community that is built around the course, and being able to connect with others in the class to share their thoughts, stories and insights, made this feel extra special and deepened my overall experience. I look forward to future events, and continuing the journey.

My experience was just full of enchantment and I felt like I was just getting massive downloads of inspiration. It's so hard to pick a favorite but I really loved Kristen's stories. They were just crafted so well and I loved to hear her narrate them and feel the myth unfold in a new, special way. And also Kate introducing us to the plants - I'm not much of a plant witch, though I'd love to be and it was so cool to learn about plants and how they both have medicinal and magical correspondences but then weave into the story we've also heard. Those just worked so well together. And EVERY writing prompt was beautiful!!

After a few months of not writing a single word, The Crossroads reinvigorated my joy in writing. I came to The Crossroads to reconnect with my own voice and with the goddess archetypes that make up this inner voice. I left feeling optimistic and grateful about my writing, art, and life in general. Thank you for being so thoughtful and caring when creating this sacred, creative space for us! - A.

This course was a little bit of everything, and I cannot recommend it enough if you’re looking to connect with your creativity and the spirit of the changing seasons! There were beautifully told stories, primers on medicinal herbs, structured writing prompts that made the blank page far less daunting, a little bit of magic, and a really supportive community. I am walking away from this 5 week course with prompts and rituals that I can revisit anytime I want, some really powerful personal reflections & poems, and a fresh, creative spark. I can’t wait to sign up for the next one! - S.

Kate and Kristin use their incredible gifts of storytelling and wisdom to build a safe and loving container for beautiful things to be made and shared at the crossroads. The experience energized my creative life. Each week I felt inspired to create something as I integrated what I’d learned through writing and other art forms. Members of the online community were welcoming and supportive. There was just enough structure to the program to be organized and allow for creative expression. As someone who understands deities as metaphors only, I felt welcome to understand the characters being presented in the way that works for me without any pressure to see them in any other way. Highly recommend this experience! - D.

The way that Kate and Kristin wove elements of writing, magick, myth and herbalism into a sinuous experience was on a level all of its own; it was refreshing and definitely fuel for that creative flow we all need to keep life spicy and enjoyable. I am thrilled at the prospect of attending another. - T.

Your Guides: