
a year-long pilgrimage into archetypal wisdom
(this class is formerly known as “The Mystical Year”)
enrollment is closed until September 2026
Get started by filling out this “self-selection” application & register for the free information session HERE
“..they found messages everywhere: the pattern of birds’ wings, the way a stick fell or a leaf rode the current of a stream. They gazed into wells and skies. And because they were paying attention, the earth, the water, and skies, animals and birds yielded secrets.”
from Red-Robed Priestess by Elizabeth Cunningham
Darkwood 101
Darkwood 101 will empower you with tools and symbology that help you understand your process, get your feet onto the actual earth of your life’s path, and enjoy it.
Whether you’re tending your creativity, investing in self-awareness, or answering a mystical call, the “language” of the Darkwood archetypes will help you express, explore, and evolve.
Spend a year
- learning the symbolic language of the Darkwood archetypes
- learning each season of the Wheel of the Year
- learning rituals for anointing and seasonal honoring
- writing and creating Magic Mind poems
- living a consistent rhythm
- building self-awareness
- noticing and reflecting nature
you’ll get
- a one-on-one Advisory Call with me each season
- 8 online daylong classes
- workbooks for each season (pdf)
- the Materia Mystica
- a Seasonal Primer
- Altar Craft
- The Darkwood Beat for each season
- The 2027 Darkwood Almanac
- access to digital Student Library of all course materials, class recordings, and Student Resource List, which are downloadable
- set of anointing oils
- an invitation to participate in the 2026 grad programs
Testimonials
“Katie has such a special way of helping us all see the archetypes in us. I absolutely love the Magic Mind sessions, and I looked forward to the new poems we would create. I learned to know myself in 7 new lights, with 7 new dimensions. Katie is a master at holding space. I love when she gets into a channeling mode and just takes us down the path with her. It’s beautiful to witness. The content is unique but feels so familiar. Like I’ve known these archetypes, but they were hiding from me and Katie helped me find them. Her intuition is divine.
— Ally Karge, 2023 graduate of [Darkwood 101] & Awaken the Wheel
“After studying with Katie for a year, I am more attuned to what is real, to nature, and to women. I have normalized a part of myself that’s been hiding for some time. These teachings are a heritage that Katie has eloquently put words to. Having words to describe our experiences is all-important. I would recommend Katie’s work to every 20 something year old girl ever. It’s natural, a coming-of-age ceremony. Katie’s a rockstar.”
— Lily Ray, 2023 graduate of [Darkwood 101] & Awaken the Wheel
“In The Mystical Year [Darkwood 101], the archetypes really gave each season some character and additional medicine that I will take with me and make my own. The way in which Katie taught the archetypes and provided guidance on how to engage with their special magic was like being introduced to a wise being each season, allowing us to be with their wisdom and learn their song of the season. It felt poetic and personal and made a profound impact on me and my mystical practice. I cannot imagine the years of my life to come without the rhythm of the wheel of the year.”
— 2022 graduate
Read more testimonials HERE
Details & FAQ’s
is this the introductory class for The Darkwood School?
Yes! Darkwood 101 is a comprehensive course designed to teach you the “language” of The Darkwood School, which includes the seven Darkwood archetypes, the eight seasons of the Wheel of the Year, specific anointing practices, and seasonal rituals.
You will learn about each of the 7 archetype anointing oils and how to use them as tools for alignment, intention, and divination.
Once you’ve completed Darkwood 101, you’ll be able to apply the information to many aspects of your life. The Darkwood School’s pedagogy becomes a foundation for clarity, expression, and understanding your personal evolution for years to come.
Darkwood 101 is a certificate program. It is the pre-requisite to The Darkwood School’s graduate programs, which build upon the language you learn in Darkwood 101. Graduate programs include Darkwood 201, the Rest & Ritual Circle, and a Mentorship.
how often is Darkwood 101 offered?
It’s offered every other year (odd years). Doors open around October for the forthcoming year. The next time Darkwood 101 will be offered is in 2027.
how is the Writer’s Residency different from Darkwood 101?
The Writer’s Residency is a creative pursuit, while Darkwood 101 is didactic, specifically designed to teach you the “Darkwood language”.
The Writer’s Group is a creative atmosphere. It is an opportunity to explore your creative nature and your own rhythms using the unique pedagogy of The Darkwood School — archetypes, anointing oils & synesthesia, the Wheel of the Year, and writing. You can participate in writer’s groups year after year, enjoying the rituals, community, and creative atmosphere, and using it to inspire their own healing and Work in the world.
Darkwood 101 is more scholastic. Students are generally on track to deepen their study with Darkwood 201, continuing to build upon their knowledge of archetypal symbolism. Darkwood 101 includes more school supplies than the Writer’s Residency, like the full kit of anointing oils, a certificate of completion, eligibility for the grad programs, more class time, and the Student Library (a fantastic resource).
what are the online classes like?
Classes are all online (Zoom) to accommodate various locations and so that students can be resourced with their pets, plants, and regular habitat. All classes will be recorded for the class of 2027’s student library.
Each class focuses on the season’s archetypal wisdom and how to apply it to your life and creative process.
Using the Archetype Mapping technique, ritual, writing prompts, meditation, and divination, you’ll learn to embrace the seasons of your life and creative process, and speak the language of the Darkwood archetypes.
General class flow:
- opening ritual and meditation
- group check-in
- Archetype Mapping
- 1-hour break
- archetype and season lecture
- writing prompts
- Q & A
- closing remarks and ritual
when are the classes?
All classes are Fridays from 10 am – 4 pm EST. Dates for each season will be available when enrollment opens in September 2026.
- Priestess
- Girl Child
- Tantrika
- Queen
- Warrior
- Mermaid
- Wisdom Keeper
- Dreaming
what’s the attendance policy?
Participation is important. The seasonal classes are designed as interdependent experiences that reply upon collective contribution. You can miss up to 2 classes per year. If you miss more than that, we’ll have a chat about whether or not the program is a good fit for you. If you are dismissed for non-participation, you will still be obligated for the full tuition, including monthly payments.
what’s the refund policy?
There are no refunds. Enrollment means a commitment to pay the entire tuition, whether you are in attendance or not.
will I get one-on-one time with you?
Yes!
To help you individualize your experience, you will have a 30-minute Advisory Call with me per season (excluding the Dreaming Season); seven in total. During Advisory Calls I’ll listen deeply to the ways you are applying the season’s teachings and then offer potent reflection and guidance. These calls will help you understand how you’re aligning with and benefitting from the season and archetypes. We’ll also discuss your year-long archetype and how it’s contributing.
You will get a link each season to schedule your call. Calls are available Tues – Fri, generally between 1 – 5:30 pm est.
who participates in Darkwood 101?
This program is open to 6 or 7 women or femmes. Participants are all interested in self-awareness, self-expression, and studying and applying the course material with devotion and organization.
Darkwood 101 students are punctual, attend class with regularity and with enthusiasm, and have a natural aptitude for study, application, writing, and archetypal symbolism.
can I teach what I learn in Darkwood 101?
No.
Darkwood 101 is not a teacher or practitioner training. It is an instructional course that provides information for your own betterment and clarity.
A Darkwood Practitioner Training is in the works, though! If you are interested in offering the Darkwood divination techniques like Archetype Readings, Archetype Mapping and group Archetype Journeys, stay tuned. Darkwood 101 will be the pre-requisite for the Practitioner Training.
are there requirements for attendance and other things?
Attendance: students can miss no more than 2 seasonal classes per year. If a student exceeds this, we will consider dismissal with no refund.
Advisory calls: students can “no-show” or cancel without notice only once.
Tuition: students on the monthly payment plan will be invoiced and must pay on time, with a penalty fee for missed and late payments. Students who are dismissed for non-payment, late payment, or poor attendance are still responsible for making their monthly payments.
Intellectual Property: students will enroll with a clear understanding that Darkwood 101 is not a teacher training, and that participating in the program is not permission or preparation to teach or practice this material.
Student Contract: before acceptance into the Darkwood 101, all students will sign a contract clearly outlining requirements, rules, and agreements.
why so many rules?
In short, to help you show up for your Self.
Sadly, we live in a culture that encourages women to blow off plans with themselves when work, family, and/or romantic partners “need us”. Women have been trained to consider self-care and self-betterment “low priority” our whole lives; plans with our Self often reads as “no plans” and get easily replaced.
I know this because I’ve done it. A lot.
These rules are in place to help you stick to the plans you made for your Self and prioritize the relationship with “her” (you). They are here to support your commitment to self-awareness and personal growth. These rules are hearty incentives to show the fuck up for your beautiful, unique, miraculous Self.
I will be showing up for you for a year. I want you to show up “for you”, too.
Tuition & enrollment
Tuition:
- In full: $3,400 by Dec 19, 2026
- Monthly: $300 for 12 months, beginning December 1, 2026
Enrollment:
Enrollment will open September 2026.
Get started by filling out this “self-selection” application. We will never read it; it’s for your benefit only.

