Joy Herbst, and the Sophia Sanctuary

06/23/2026

Full Moon Bonfire Ceremony for Women
Thursday, July 30 • Fairfield, CT

Join Joy Herbst and Tina the Graceful Warrior for an enchanting evening beneath the light of the Full Moon, gathered around a sacred beachside bonfire. As the tides ebb and flow under the moonlit sky, we will come together in sisterhood to honor the rhythms of nature and the turning of the Wheel of the Year.

This soulful and transformative gathering will weave together sound healing, mythic storytelling, guided meditation, and intentional ritual, creating a space for reflection, renewal, and connection. Through the elemental presence of fire, water, earth, and air, we will explore the wisdom of the season, release what no longer serves us, and call in the energies we wish to cultivate in the months ahead.

Surrounded by the soothing sounds of the ocean and the warmth of the fire, you will be invited to reconnect with your inner knowing, deepen your relationship with the natural world, and share in the collective magic of women gathering under the Full Moon.

Come as you are and bring an open heart. Whether you seek clarity, inspiration, healing, or simply a moment of sacred pause, this evening offers an opportunity to step out of the ordinary and into the timeless mystery of the lunar cycle.

Booking inquiries: [email protected]

Space is limited. Advance registration is encouraged.

06/11/2026

A thread on goddesses who transmit life-essence. Here it is HatHor within the sycamore (which is fruiting), a very common motif in tombs and papyri (Chapters of Coming Forth by Day, known to most moderns as the Egyptian Book of the Dead). She is pouring a stream of Ankh ("life") from the ewer, and wears another pot on her head. See Comments for more.

06/05/2026

I’m considering hosting a small women’s spiritual retreat in VT in the next few months. Please reach out to me if you would like to notified of further announcements with information. 🙏♥️🌳🪾🌀

Nemetona, Celtic goddess of the sacred grove, calls us back to the forest. Discover the ancient nemeton tradition and simple rituals to reclaim its sacred power.

05/31/2026

Limestone stele of a goddess depicted with the iconic Hathor wig, holding plants in her hands and standing on a lion. Dated 1300-1175 BC it was discovered at Deir el-Medina (Thebes) in Egypt. The goddess is honoured with titles as Qdš(-t) ‘holy’, Ke(d)eshet, ‘Lady of heaven’ and ‘Mistress of all the gods’.

British Museum, London, UK (apparently not on display)

05/17/2026

💫

I’m going to keep a little reminder at the top here for a while. If you plan to purchase the new 25th anniversary edition of Isis Magic, you can save 25% with the code ISIS25 at checkout from the p…

05/13/2026

Dancing Maenads, Roman, 1st century CE

04/30/2026

Such a beautiful gallery of artful and wise women to learn about!

Changing Woman GalleryWelcome to my photography gallery, Changing Woman: Contemporary Faces of the Goddess . This photographic essay grew out of my interest in the rise in consciousness about the goddess in the 1980s and how she figured in the lives of contemporary women. I wanted to know how the wo...

04/27/2026

Imagine a time when women were holy. Revered. Honoured. Sacred. Once we were warriors. And healers. And guides. And the embodied voice of the goddess. Once we were priestesses.

We served in grand temples built in honour of the goddesses and in the simplest of dwellings in our local community. We called upon our oracular skills and intuition in service to royalty and our neighbour.

We led powerful ceremonies and rituals watched by hundreds and seen by none. We gathered women in circles, honouring the moon and seasons and cycles of the Great Mother Goddess. We wove magic with herbs, wounds and deep longings of the soul.

While people had a birth mother—that they may or may not have known, just as it is today—their spiritual Mother, life provider and protector was the greatest and most honoured goddess of all.

She was, and still is, known as the Great Mother, Mother Nature, Mother Earth, the Great Goddess, the Great Mother Goddess, Gaia, Pachamama, Papatūānuku, Akna, Papahānaumoku and so many more names according to time and one’s culture and spiritual beliefs. I honour all Her names but call Her the Great Mother.

We were joyous songstresses, seamstresses, dancers and poets. We were fierce fighters on bloody battlefields and powerful political influencers behind velvet curtains. We were honoured and known by name for thousands of years into the future and passed through the veil to the underground unknown. We were of and for the people and we were both known and unknown.

We are all holy when seen through the eyes of love. All leaders when led by compassion. All priestesses when a decision is made to live in deep spiritual service to oneself and others.

We are creators of hope. Conduits of spirit. Holders of magic. Messengers of love. Priestesses. Priestesses of past and now of present too. We were. We are. We always will be.

Image - High Priestess by She Who Is
•