The Ninth Wave journey stands on its own, and many women who complete it will feel they don't need to continue on with a program of spiritual discovery at that time. For those who feel pulled to continue on their journey, the next step is Farther Shore.

What is Farther Shore?

This is the second-year program for those who have completed Ninth Wave and wish to continue on. Unlike the Ninth Wave program, which goes from new moon to new moon, the Farther Shore starts at the beginning of the month, and participants can start at any point on the Wheel of the Year. Each month has a particular theme topic as well as suggestions for self-study and connection to Goddess. You will make a full turn of the Wheel of the Year, experiencing all the seasonal shifts within and without, upon the Farther Shore of your own spiritual quest.

What does the program involve?

Farther Shore is a journey through one turning of the Wheel of the Year. During this journey, you will explore one theme each month appropriate to the season. These themes are intended to help you continue to deepen your spiritual practice and your connection to self and Goddess. They were chosen intuitively to augment and add to the work of the Ninth Wave year. As with Ninth Wave, at the beginning of each month, you will be sent a link to a new set of web pages. These pages offer ideas for journaling, ritual, creativity, and other ways to explore the month's theme. In addition, specific Goddesses, earth allies (such as stones and plants), and useful spiritual skills are suggested. This program is perhaps even more self-directed than Ninth Wave. You will not be spoon-fed information or dogma – it is expected that you will seek out the knowledge you need for each month's theme, guided and encouraged by Lunaea and other priestesses. We will always be right there to help you along the path, with the understanding that you will comprehend more and grow toward wisdom as you follow your own inner guidance and the guidance of the Goddess.

Is this a priestess training program?

No. The work done in Farther Shore offers many opportunities for deepening, clarifying, and drawing closer to Goddess. Some women may feel the call to offer themselves in sacred service as priestess. At the present, we are not offering any programs that are intended specifically for priestess-dedicants. This may change in the future, and you are welcome to talk with Lunaea about that.

Do I work alone or in circle with others?

For the most part, you work on your own. In some cases, with women who are starting at the same time, an online mailing list can be set up for them if they all agree. And of course, women who have worked together in Ninth Wave will often want to continue that connection. But the main work is done on your own. The reason for this is that mailing lists and other computer-oriented work can be distracting from the kind of deep searching that Farther Shore encourages. We want you to absorb the web pages' information, and then go work some magic in the real world.

What does it cost?

As with Ninth Wave, you can take the Farther Shore journey as a Supported Solitary program, with contact one-on-one with Lunaea or another priestess, for $45 a month. If you prefer, you can take a Solitary (unsupported) path for this year's work, for $25 a month. You can, of course, continue working with your circle sisters if you did Ninth Wave as a local circle. In that case, the cost is the same as the Local Circle for Ninth Wave ($25/month for each circle sister, with a minimum of three participants).

How do I sign up?

The first step is Ninth Wave! When you have completed your Ninth Wave year, if you feel you'd like to continue on with Farther Shore you will be given information that tells you how to start. It is important to feel complete with Ninth Wave before moving on. If you skipped over some of the Ninth Wave material or life's circumstances prevented you from giving it your all, we strongly recommend that you go back over that material before starting Farther Shore. Contact Lunaea to discuss this and make a plan to get back in the boat and journey a bit more before alighting on the Farther Shore.