Via Carmen Pythia:
Way of the Singing Oracle
New program begins January 1, 2025.
Please join the Goddess Temple as a Mandala Member,
and fill out the Training Application at the bottom of this page to be considered for this class cycle.
Perhaps it started when you were a child, a vision in the darkness or a knowing that came over you.
Maybe you were told, “It’s just your imagination.”
But it wasn’t your imagination. It wasn't evil. And you were right.
Maybe it began when you started your first moontime, your gift rushing forth like a river from your third eye.
The visions! Were they real? An intimidating and empowering aspect of your coming of age experience.
Perhaps you were told you were “weird.”
But you weren't weird. You were Wyrd. And you were magical.
It’s possible that your powers blossomed after a traumatic event,
a near-death experience, childbirth, or the death of a parent or loved one.
An unexpected gift to help you cope with the pain of life’s changes.
You didn't seek this, it sought you. And now you are ready to use your gift to help the world.
There are so many women awakening to their innate mystical vision right now…but then what happens?
Will you use your gifts to help with the messy, awkward, unpredictable, and sometimes frustratingly slow process of healing our world?
Heed your inner voice,
surrender to the divine in ecstatic states of communion,
learn to read the world like a love letter written in a secret language
upon the shimmering, rippling landscape of apparent reality.
Become the Oracle you were born to be.
Join the Via Carmen Pythia, the Way of the Singing Oracle.
Learn to Read the Signs
Tarot cards, bones, curios and stones, dice, crystals, animal appearances, the language of flowers, whirls in the water, and flames in a flickering dance…there are hundreds of methods by which people have divined the messages of the universe over time. In this course, you will learn many different methods of divination. By the end of the training, if you apply yourself, you will be proficient in several of the systems we have studied, and able to move between these systems with ease, grace, and confidence in your ability to interpret the signs.
Discover the Sisterhood
Priestesses Yeshe Matthews and Devanna Wolf are historians and diviners who study the myths and biographies of spiritual women from antiquity to the present. You are not alone. There have always been women prophets and oracles who have helped their loved ones and communities by reading the patterns found in the natural world, and heeding the inner voice. During this course, you will be inspired by women of the distant past and recent memory who have been torch bearers, map makers, and wise guides for others, unafraid of using their unique gifts.
Cultivate A life of Spiritual Ecstasy
The Carmen Pythia Priestess nurtures an inner flame that is sparked and fed by her joyful appreciation of her magical life. She is a bride of the Mystery, and she passionately gives herself to her craft. She creates altars, brews potions, makes her own tools, grinds her own incense, steeps healing teas, and crafts protective talismans. Each month during this course, you will receive inspiring recipes, art projects, and magical techniques to try at home. These hands-on projects will help you infuse every aspect of your life with magic.
What to expect
The Via Carmen Pythia training includes:
Lessons each month with exercises, activities, recipes to try, and craft projects focused around our monthly themes
a monthly live video class with demonstrations of techniques, and check-ins with your sisters; recorded for those who need to watch later. with all recordings available for future reference
a monthly video “Sibyl Salon” session with your sisters
inspiring profiles of ancient and modern women who have walked the path of the Oracle
a private online group for personal shares and community-building
Priestess Yeshe’s Temple divinations each weekday
Monthly video Full and Dark Moon Goddess circles
the opportunity to learn to perform divinations in 22 different ways
optional meetings with Priestess Yeshe or Priestess Devanna (separate fee)
optional pilgrimage to Greece to celebrate the conclusion of the program at the Oracle of Delphi.
About Your Instructors
Priestess Yeshe Matthews is the Mandala Priestess of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple, and has been a professional diviner for over 20 years. During that time, she has offered more than 15,000 readings to clients worldwide. She is proficient in reading tarot and oracle cards, bones, curios, crystals, dice, and the language of phenomena. She will guide you through your Lessons, helping you learn how to see the world through the lens of your Priestess vision and how to find deeper meaning in seeming coincidences. Yeshe will teach you to embrace your gifts, treating them with respect and care, and she will help you open your mind to the Goddesses and Guides who are meant to partner with you in your sacred work. She can assist you in finding ways to help your family, friends, and others by using your psychic gifts, and she will support you in discovering and expressing your unique path as a Sibyl of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple.
Priestess Devanna Wolf is a Skydancer and Sibyl Priestess of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple, and she is an artist, metalsmith, and sacred visionary. Devanna has been reading the tarot for 35 years and has designed two popular divination decks: The Incidental Tarot and A Curious Oracle. She is currently working on her third deck, The Sibylline Tarot, which is deeply informed by her work in the Via Carmen Pythia and her study of the sibyls of the ancient world. Devanna will help you to frame and contextualize the material lessons of the course with visual tools, recipes, projects and other activities. Her unique role as an artomancer brings an exciting perspective to our oracular work that explores the relationship between visionary perception and magical manifestation.
“Yeshe was my mentor for one year when I was a student in her priestess program. I was highly impressed by her immense wisdom on so many spiritual topics. It’s amazing actually to receive from her fountain of knowledge. She was always very professional and personable. I could feel that she genuinely cared about me and my progress. Even more important to me was that I knew I could trust her. I could trust her as a person, as my teacher and trust her oracular talents. ”
How to join
Sign up for Mandala Membership in the Goddess Temple.
Fill out the Training Application linked below to qualify for the Via Carmen Pythia program.
Sign up for your initial Beeswax Divination with Priestess Yeshe.
We will be in touch shortly after that with program details and a registration link!
What this training offers:
Two year-long spirals of learning based in animist and Goddess-centered cosmology, exploring 22 different modes of divination from the ancient to the contemporary.
Two devoted, practicing Sibyl priestess instructors with 50+ years combined experience in divination, priestesshood and magic
Inspirational lessons featuring historical ancestresses, priestesses, and goddesses of divination and wisdom to support your path
Support for the emotional, psychic and spiritual well-being of the Sibyl with monthly readings from the instructors.
Monthly live online lessons, discussions, history, cultural roots and techniques of divination
Monthly practicums to utilize the tools and skills taught in each lesson
Printable illustrated PDFs of each lesson which include visual aids, graphics, and other tools
A beautiful keepsake book containing all the lessons and inspirations for Year 1, and another book for Year 2
The opportunity to develop strong collegial relationships with other dedicated learners and practitioners in Sibylline sisterhood.
What this training does NOT offer:
A la carte teachings on different modes of divination. While each month we focus on a particular discipline, each successive lesson builds upon the previous, guiding you to develop and deepen your own unique oracular and symbolic language.
Drop in and drop out status. This course is a commitment to yourself, your spirit, and your potential role as a sibyl, priestess, and healer in the world. You are not required to attend each live lesson, but we do expect regular attendance of all practicums, as this is where the real learning happens. Plus, this is where we come together in sisterhood and support for each other!
Generic, soulless how-tos of divination practices. This course teaches practical, embodied oracular presence and guides you on your personal path to sibylline priestesshood.
Instagram or TikTok witchery. There’s a lot you can learn on the internet and through social media about divination and magic. This course is a deeply rooted, multifaceted exploration of what it means to truly embody the role of Sibyl priestess in the world. Expect to be challenged, surprised, inspired, psychically charged, and soul-satisfied by your journey in the Via Carmen Pythia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I’ve been accepted to the program?
Applicants for the Via Carmen Pythia who fill out the form above will receive an informational email in late November 2024, with a detailed overview of the training program, instructions about how to register, a list of supplies that will be necessary, dates of live video conferences, and instructions about how to prepare for the first meeting in January 2025.
Do I have to be a woman to take this training?
Yes. Our Temple’s mission includes creating a specific type of learning environment, rooted in longstanding practices of women’s wisdom-sharing, designed around the female body and the history of women practitioners.
How much does the program cost?
In order to apply for Via Carmen Pythia, one must be a member of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple, which requires an initial commitment of either $99.00 for a Lifetime Mandala Membership. You are encouraged to join the Temple and participate in activities and programs for a few months to a year in advance of applying for Priestess Training with us, to ensure that you have familiarity with our Temple protocols, culture, and practices.
Annual tuition for the program is structured in two tiers:
$1500 ($125 monthly): Full yearlong course access including monthly live lessons, practicums, Facebook community chat group, and printable lessons
$2100 ($175 monthly): Full yearlong course access including monthly live lessons, practicums, Facebook community chat group, printable lessons AND personal monthly divination/consultations with Priestesses Yeshe and Devanna
You may pre-register for the full year at a discounted tuition cost of:
$999 for the regular course access
$1499 for the regular course PLUS monthly divination/consultations
Tuition for each tier includes:
Regular monthly Sibyl Salons with other members of the Temple
2-3 lessons per month in coursework
Two live video classes per month with instructors Yeshe and Devanna
Optional Full and Dark Moon video gatherings
Optional daily practice with Priestess Yeshe
Optional a la carte sessions with Yeshe or Devanna are available for a separate booking fee.
Are there refunds?
If you choose to pay tuition monthly, you may stop payment and drop the course if the program doesn’t suit you. There are no refunds.
Is this course appropriating from any culture?
No. This course is designed to introduce you to the history of divination practices and practitioners of many cultures, and to help you find your personal path as a modern Oracle. In this course, we acknowledge the difficult questions of lineage, de-colonizing the mind, and appreciation vs. appropriation. All spiritual methods shared in this class are from the instructors’ personal Priestess experience, or are self-guided according to your personal path.