Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 9/04
1. What is the total cost of
attending?
2. How often do I need to pay
tuition, and how do I pay
my tuition?
3. What does my tuition include?
4. Is ordination offered?
5. How do I enroll?
6. Where can I purchase my
textbooks?
7. How do I receive my lessons?
8. Once I complete a lesson, how
soon will I receive
the next lesson?
9. Once I complete a lesson, how
soon will I receive
instructor feedback?
10. Will I be able to read other
students' lessons?
11. Will anyone besides the
instructor see my lesson
responses?
12. What about privacy?
13. What interaction will I have
with other students?
14. How many students are
enrolled in this school?
15. What does the curriculum
consist of?
16. What if I have absolutely no
experience in this
type of spiritual work?
17. What if I already am quite
experienced in this type
of spiritual work?
18. Is there any way to "test
out" of certain material?
19. How can I blend this
curriculum with my current
spiritual practice?
20. What if I disagree with some
of the information or
views in the textbooks?
21. What if I feel very
uncomfortable with an
assignment? Will I be required to complete it?
22. Will other students harass me
because of my
spiritual beliefs?
23. Why only focus on The Goddess?
What about God/The
God?
24. Why aren't men allowed to join
the school?
25. What is the required
time-frame for completing this
course?
26. What is "inactive status" and
how can I avoid it?
27. What is your refund policy?
28. Are further studies offered?
29. Level IV - High Priestess
1. What is the total cost of attending ?
The tuition for the first three levels is $360-US, plus fees for textbooks.
You will need 3 text books for
each of the three Levels, 9 total.
Level IV (High Priestess) is optional the cost for this course is $120.00 and there is one text book to purchase.
2. How often do I need to pay tuition, and
how do I
pay my tuition?
If you are on the payment plan, the monthly tuition of $30-US is due
at the beginning of every 4-lesson
segment. So your first $30 covers lessons 1 - 4; the second payment
covers lessons 5 - 8; the third, lessons 8 -12, and so forth. If you
wish, you may purchase an entire level at one time for $120-US. This
covers 16 weeks of lessons. You may pay online by credit card or check through Paypal
or by mail with a money order. Students outside the USA may
pay by International Postal Money Order in US funds.
3. What does my tuition include?
Tuition covers online lessons &
assignments, instructor evaluation
& feedback, and online interaction with other students. In
addition, students will receive some course materials through the mail
(including downloadable guided meditations & exercises) free of
charge.
Ceremonial
Cords and framable Completion Certificates are awarded to those
completing
each level at no extra cost.
4. Is ordination offered?
Not at this time, possibly again in the future.
5. How do I enroll?
First, fill out an online
Application. Next, send in your tuition or payment and order your textbooks. You will be able to enroll
online immediately after filling out the application and will receive
your first lesson within minutes.
Back to the Top
6. Where can I purchase my textbooks?
You may purchase the texts anywhere
you can find them. Our online
bookstore allows you to easily purchase your texts through amazon.com
(no credit card is needed -- you may send them a check) or to search
for used books on the web. Your local bookstores may carry these texts.
If not, the texts can be ordered from any bookseller. We also have a
sister-run library.
7. How do I receive my lessons?
You will receive your lesson URLs via
email. The lessons are web-based.
You will receive your first lesson upon enrolling. You will receive the
next lesson after the first lesson is completed. Correspondence through
U.S. Mail is also available.
8. Once I complete a lesson, how soon will
I receive
the next lesson?
Usually within 24 hours. You may
request the next lesson in advance
or two lessons at a time if you need one faster than that.
9. Once I complete a lesson, how soon will
I receive
instructor feedback?
Instructor feedback
is sent out on Sunday
for lessons submitted by the previous Thursday night. However,
your next lesson URL will be quickly sent out to you (within 24 hours), regardless of the day you
submit
your completed lesson. I am happy to answer any questions that need
quick
answers. Simply type "attention" in the subject line and send your
question
to goddessschoollessons@yahoo.com
10. Will I be able to read other students'
lessons?
Each week, I will ask students to
post their lessons to the classroom
discussion list for all to read. In this way,
you will be able to read
other students' lessons and respond to them on the "Lesson's Only" list.
Back to the Top
11. Will anyone besides the instructor see
my lesson
responses?
Only if you want them to. Lessons are
entirely private. Sharing
lessons with the group list is completely voluntary.
12. What about privacy?
Many students are concerned about
protecting their public identities. I
am committed to helping students keep their public identities private.
While students must give a valid mailing address when they enroll, only
I
have access to this information. It is not shared it with anyone.
Students concerned with privacy are
encouraged to use their "magical
names" or nicknames in the school and to create a new email address for
school purposes.
13. What interaction will I have with
other
students?
Discussion Lists
Participation in the classroom
discussion list (our GoddessSchool list)
is the only required interaction. But most students find they enjoy
this interaction with the wonderful women here so much that they would
like more!The list for sharing lessons, informal discussions,
introductions, passing
along information, and sharing prayer requests. No chain
letters, virus scares, religious or political proselytizing here please!
Monthly Group Rituals
Perhaps the most wonderful form of
interaction we have is our monthly
group distance ritual. This is an activity we each do on the same
night, wherever we are, with a specific intent in mind. A different
student will be asked to facilitate this ritual each month. This
student will determine (with feedback from others) the theme and the
date, which will occur during an appropriate moon phase. Participation
in the monthly ritual is encouraged, but not required. Participation
can be as simple as lighting a candle and meditating on the intent the
scheduled night or as elaborate as a full-length intricate ritual.
Face to Face Summer Gathering
We held our first Goddess Gathering
for the Order in July 2000, and
subsequently. Attendance is voluntary.
We also have various local gatherings
throughout the year.
14. How many students are enrolled in this
school?
Enrollment averages around 100
students.
15. What does the curriculum consist of?
The curriculum is experiential,
practice-based rather than
knowledge-based. Developing a consistent daily, weekly, and monthly
spiritual practice is the cornerstone of the teachings. We learn by
doing, by internalizing skills and knowledge and shaping them into an
individual practice compatible with our individual beliefs. This is not
Wicca 101.
- Level I priestess training is focused on creating sacred
space, engaging in ritual, and learning about the history of The
Goddess.
- Level II is focused on meditation, energy work, and
divination,
(especially via the Motherpeace Tarot).
- Level III is focused on dream work, astral work, healing and/or
magick. Most of these elements are incorporated in some way into each
level. Levels II and III offer the option of elective areas of study.
(For example, some people will choose to follow The Path of Prayer
rather than The Path of
Magick.)
- Level IV is a HPS 10 week course with the head of the Order.
Back to the Top
16. What if I have absolutely no
experience in this
type of spiritual work?
Then you are welcome here! You will
be given the basics in Level I and
allowed to progress at a comfortable speed.
17. What if I already am quite experienced
in this
type of spiritual work?
You are also welcome here! You will
be able to take what you already
know and build on that. The lessons are designed to be flexible to the
student's level of experience. As long as you are willing to try new
ways
of doing things and to consistently apply what you know in your daily
spiritual
practice, you will find the school has much to offer you.
18. Is there any way to "test out" of
certain
material?
No, there isn't. Because the material
is practice-based rather than
knowledge-based, you must be willing to experience all of the lessons.
19. How can I blend this curriculum with
my current
spiritual practice?
In any way that suits you! The focus
of the school is on The Goddess
with the premise that she is harmonious with all of spirituality. If
you
are a Christian, chose a Christian form of The Goddess to honor (Mother
Mary, Mary Magdalene, Sophia, a female saint). Place her on your altar
along
with Christ. If you are Jewish, choose Lilith or Asherah. If you are
Buddhist,
choose Quan Yin. Simply add The Goddess to whatever part of your
current
spiritual practice "works" for you right now.
20. What if I disagree with some of the
information
or views in the textbooks?
While we ask that you open your mind
to consider other viewpoints,
ultimately it is up to you to take what you like and leave the rest.
This is one of the strengths of Women's Spirituality -- You are
Goddess, You are Source. Trust your inner-knowing, and find what's
right for you.
Back to the Top
21. What if I feel very uncomfortable with
an
assignment? Will I be required to complete it?
Again, you will be encouraged to
"push the envelope" a bit on your
comfort level. But if your intuition tells you something is definitely
wrong for you, feel free to modify the assignment into something that
is more comfortable or to request an alternative assignment.
22. Will other students harass me because
of my
spiritual beliefs?
Certainly not. Such harassment will
not be tolerated. So far, we
haven't had any problems with this whatsoever. However, if any
harassment does
occur, it will be immediately stopped. GoddessSchool is dedicated to
making
the school a safe, comfortable environment for everyone. If you ever
feel
uncomfortable with a thread of discussion or with a developing
situation,
please contact me, GrannyMoon immediately.
23. Why only focus on The Goddess? What
about God/The
God?
Many of our students do honor God or
The God; some feel more
comfortable focusing on The Goddess only. The purpose of the school is
to contribute to a restoration of Spiritual Balance. Right now, the
world is clearly out of balance with an over-emphasis on male-dominated
spirituality. There are many more places to learn about male
expressions of the Divine than there are places to learn about female
expressions of the Divine. As we honor
the Feminine Divine, we honor the Divine in ourselves, as women. We
empower
ourselves spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and physically.
This
is the focus of this school. We are all Priestess of the Goddess.
24. Why aren't men allowed to join the
school?
In focusing on female empowerment, it
is necessary to limit the scope
of the school. Women need women-only spaces in order to heal and grow.
While we certainly hope that men will explore Goddess studies, we
regret that
our limited focus here cannot include them.
Back to the Top
25. What is the required time-frame for
completing
this course?
The suggested completion time is 13
months for all three levels. A
student needs to submit one lesson per week in order to complete the
course within this time frame. Students are allowed to work more
slowly, but they must submit at least one lesson per month during Level
I or they will be placed on "inactive status" and eventually
disenrolled. (Note that at the rate
of one lesson per month, it would take over 4 years to complete
this
program.) Once a student completes Level I, however, she may remain as
part
of the school community regardless of whether she pursues Level II
studies
or not.
26. What is "inactive status" and how can
I avoid it?
When a student has not submitted a
lesson for over a month, she will
be notified and placed on inactive status. During inactive status, a
student will be unable to participate in school activities or
discussion. When a student has been on inactive status for 3 months,
she will be disenrolled
from the school.
Inactive status may be avoided under
special circumstances when a
student requests an extension due to a crisis of some kind. An
extension will allow the student to continue to participate in school
activities and discussion, but please note that extensions will be for
a definite period of time.
The student must resume submitting lessons in a timely manner.
27. What is your refund policy?
If you voluntarily disenroll
from the school, you may request a school credit on your tuition. If you
decide to return to the school at a later date, your previous tuition
will
apply to your future lessons for up to one
year
from the date of your last payment. If you feel the need to
request
a school credit under special circumstances, please do not hesitate to
ask.
28. Are further studies offered?
GrannyMoon and Level III Students
will offer optional short courses
from time to time on a variety of topics. Students who are enrolled and
are
currently paying tuition are usually invited to take these optional
courses
for free, although some restrictions may apply. (For example, a student
might need to have completed the first 4 or 8 weeks of her studies in
order
to qualify.) Students who have completed Level I, but who are not
currently
paying tuition (see 26 above) will be required to submit a $30 payment
before taking any optional course.
29. Level IV - High Priestess
I offer a ten week High
Priestess
training, after completing the first three
levels. Title of High Priestess will be given to you at that time, as
well as a
certificate
and ceremonial cord.
This course is also $120.00