Welcome!

See the bottom of this page for my latest update featuring upcoming events and other opportunities to connect.

Please feel free to contact Shakti Penelope through phone or text at (765) 460-6309 or through email at spiritunion@gmail.com

You can also connect with her on Facebook by clicking here.

MEMBERSHIP

Support us as a member for $100/mo.
Your membership gives you or a woman in need free entry to our 8 annual online women’s support circles as well as one free counseling session per year from myself, Shakti Penelope, MA.
This can be for yourself or you can give this opportunity to a woman who is in need of support, whether she be one of your friends or donated to a woman from my network here.

Your monthly contribution supports us in developing the Moon Lodge nature sanctuary and gathering space and supports our work in the world.
THE MOON LODGE MISSION STATEMENT:
Our mission is to cultivate a community within which women and girls have the opportunity to nurture their own development of wellness and empowerment in every aspect of their lives. We do this through events and retreats that cultivate a culture of mutual support, through contact with nature as therapy, and through our additional wellness services. We believe that because women are at the heart of families and communities, as they live in joy, wellbeing, and power the whole world benefits.

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Education

2019    M.A. Transpersonal Psychology
            Sofia University – Palo Alto, California
            Specialization in Creativity and Innovation
            Concentration in Transpersonal Eco-Psychology

2002    B.A. Environmental Studies
            University of California Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz, California
            Concentration in Interpretation
            Awards: College Honors, Department Honors, College Service Award

Training and Certification

Permaculture Design Certification – Sirius Intentional Community – Massachusetts, USA – July 2005

Winter Permaculture Design Certification – Lost Valley Educational Center – Oregon, USA – Dec 2008

Yoga Teacher Training Certification – Sivananda Yoga Farm – California, USA – Oct 2009

Thai Massage Level 1 Training – Sunshine House- Evia, Greece – Aug 2012

Journey Of Young Women Mentor Training – Athens, Greece – Dec 2013

Radiant Women’s Circle Intensive Training Course – Athens, Greece – June 2014

Moon Mother Level 1 Training – Georgia, USA – Feb 2019

40-Hour Yoga Nidra Facilitator Certification – Gentle Heart / Amrit Yoga Institute – Indiana, USA – Oct 2020

Rosemary Gladstar’s “The Science and Art of Herbalism” Certificate – Vermont, USA – Dec 2020

Moon Mother Remote Practitioner Workshop: Distant 1-to-1 Womb Blessing – Hampshire, England – March 2021

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UPDATE about Upcoming Events and Opportunities to Connect 2023

March 21, 2023
Hello beloved community,

Happy Spring Equinox!
What a lovely time of year, filled with love and hope as the warmth and light of the sun awakens the sleeping potential of nature!
As I type this right now, the moon is being reborn, the fading left crescent disappearing and emerging as a new crescent on the right side.
This is a wonderful time to reflect on what you are leaving behind in the old cycle and what you are cultivating as new growth.

I write below to share with you some activities coming up in (#1) the Peru, Indiana area; (#2) the Indianapolis, Indiana area; and (#3) the Global Moon Lodge Village.
Your participation in these events helps us develop the foundation that is the Moon Lodge gathering space and nature sanctuary, a land development project that shall be a place of healing and celebration for the Divine Feminine for many generations to come. It will host us for meetings and retreats, 8 wooded acres along the Eel River in Indiana. The land has been purchased and the main home is currently undergoing renovations.

Please consider joining us, taking part in this blossoming movement, supporting its growth.

Support us with a financial contribution on Patreon or Paypal by clicking the “Donate” button above on this very homepage.
And here is the link for others to join this newsletter: https://wisdomsourcewithin.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1e5fe1a84bff92f1d1ec83057&id=b407d660a1

INTRODUCING MEMBERSHIP! Would you like to be a member of the Moon Lodge for a minimum of $100 per month? Membership gives you free entry to the Zoom Online Moon Lodge Women’s Circles which happen 8 times per year as well as one free counseling session per year, either for yourself or as a scholarship for a woman or girl in need. To sign up for Moon Lodge Membership, visit this link: https://www.patreon.com/user/membership?u=89190433

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS BY GEOGRAPHIC REGION: 

#1 – Peru, Indiana
Our next Moon Lodge Women’s Circles will be April 6th and May 5th, both starting at 6:30 pm. Please keep an eye on the facebook event pages at this link so you can be informed of what to bring, cost, etc. LINK TO PERU EVENTS: https://www.facebook.com/groups/818489981615103/events

We are also starting an Herbalism Certification Course which will run for 2 years. You may join in person or by phone and follow along from home. See below for more detailed information about that. We’d love you to join us! We are buying our course materials presently and will begin classes July 1st.

ONGOING: Yoga class by phone, zoom, or in person – $10 per class
ONGOING: Counseling with Shakti Penelope by phone, zoom, or in person – $100 per session

RETREAT DATES: This year’s Moon Lodge Summer Retreat shall be June 22nd through June 25th. Details can also be found at the above facebook event page.

#2 – Indianapolis, Indiana
Our next Moon Lodge Women’s Circles will be this coming March 31st at the Playful Soul in Nora, Indianapolis from 6 – 8 pm. The one after that will be June 30th, same time and location. The one coming up at the end of March will honor the Spring Equinox.

Our next Women’s Drum Circle and Singalong will be May 12th at the Playful Soul in Nora, Indianapolis from 6:30 – 8 pm.
The Drum Circle and Singalong after that on July 28th will be co-ed, for men and women.
Indy women, we’d love to have you join our Herbalist Certification Course and Study Group. See details below.

Stay up to date on our Indianapolis gatherings by checking regularly this event page for the Indy community. On each event page you will learn important details about the gatherings including registration information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1534956906816001

#3 – The Global Moon Lodge Village
ZOOM WOMEN’S CIRCLES – Join us as we turn the wheel of the year together and accompany one another through the seasons of our lives.
Cost: $25 / €23 paid before the circle by paypal at
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/wisdomsourcewithin
All Zoom Moon Lodge circles shall take place at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, 6 pm UK Time, 8 pm Central European Time:
Mark your calendar for:
Wednesday, March 29th (RSVP by Tues the 28th)
Friday, April 28th (RSVP by Thurs the 27th)
Monday, July 3rd (RSVP by Sunday the 2nd)
We’d love you to join us!

ONGOING: Yoga class by phone, zoom, or in person – $10 per class
ONGOING: Counseling with Shakti Penelope by phone, zoom, or in person – $100 per session

GREECE – We will be having a women’s circle in person in Athens on the 7th, 8th, or 9th of June. Would you like to participate and have a preference which day best suits your schedule? Please contact me to let me know you are interested and I’ll keep you in the loop as plans develop. I so look forward to connecting with the Athens Women’s Circle. You can see this event page to stay informed as plans develop: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188434647972746/events

FOR MOON LODGE WOMEN IN ALL OF THE USA: Would you like to join us by phone/zoom for the Herbalist Certification Class?
We are currently recruiting to fill the 12 student spaces. I have completed this herbal medicine course and I am so very excited to share the experience with others. The certification course will take 2 – 3 years to complete and will give you an excellent foundation that will enable you to safely treat yourself and your loved ones with basic home remedies, many of which you can grow in your own garden!
COST: The initial course materials cost $375.
After this $300 is due quarterly to participate in the study group.
Also with each of the 10 chapters which we will spread out over 2 years, we will be buying herbs and other required materials for stocking our own herbal pantry and for making the preparations. This cost will vary chapter by chapter. By buying together in bulk, our cost will be much less than otherwise. I would assume you would need an additional $50 – $100 as we go through each chapter. No more than that.
We will be reading each chapter and getting together to complete our homework and make the preparations. You will send in your homework to a staff of master herbalists who will then send it back to you with notes, encouragement, and any corrections.
Would you like to be one of these herbal studies students? I do hope you will follow the heart call to join us.
To see if this course is for you, check out Rosemary Gladstar’s Youtube channel. Watch a few videos to see if you enjoy her teaching style and the information she presents.
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/@rosemarygladstar.official
*** We already have 3 of the 12 available spaces filled. Please send a personal message to me if you are interested. For the herbal medicine study group, we will meet either on Thursday evening or Saturday, twice per month. Joining us by phone is a possibility.
Frequently Asked Questions:
FROM ROSEMARY GLADSTAR: We have a number of people who ask us if it’s possible to get a job as an herbalist after they finish my home study course. Well, there are so many levels of answers to that question…
First and foremost, this course is designed for beginner/intermediate students and for people interested in using herbs for personal health care for their families and friends. If you are planning to become an herbalist and an herbal practitioner, this course provides the foundation and the basic knowledge needed, but it won’t prepare you to go into professional herbal practice.
However, many of our students apply themselves fully to their studies, do exceptional work, and bring a deep and abiding love of plants to their studies. These students often create or find jobs working with plants in a number of capacities; working as adjunct counselors, working in herb shops, making products, farming with medicinal plants, and even going into practice if they’ve had previous experience. Also, many of our students have studied herbalism previously and after they graduate from this course, they go on to study further if they wish to become professional herbalists. These students have great likelihood of finding jobs because of their previous in-depth knowledge and experience.
So, yes, there are jobs and opportunities out there for herbalists, many of them self created. But no one course, especially a home study course, will prepare you for professional practice. As in any other profession, especially those involving health care, it requires years of study and a heartful life long dedication. With herbalism as with many other health care professionals, an apprenticeship is helpful and/or the opportunity to work in an herbal health clinic under guidance to gain experience.
I hope this is helpful, I realize it’s a simple question; will I be prepared to work as an herbalist? But the answer is not so simple. As a reminder, even students who study and graduate from four-year universities are often not prepared for ‘professional practice’, nor are they guaranteed jobs. It’s a matter of how they apply themselves, the type of work they wish to go into, etc. With herbalism, there are so many different ways we can ‘practice’ our healing art: as gardeners, growers, herbal product makers, home health care (taking care of our personal needs and those of family and friends), cosmetics, plant spirit practitioners, adjunct practitioners, herbal educators, etc. etc. Some of these fields require more skills and experience than others do.
Wishing you all the very best as you pursue your love of plants and your quest for knowledge.

I am ever grateful to be co-creating with all of you such a beautiful community and sanctuary for healing and celebration, both global and local, in the physical and in cyberspace! We are making strides towards nonprofit status and we are soon to be putting roots down on our land. I will share with you updates as we make progress. 

Spring Blessings to each and every one of you! May the flower of your heart open within the safe sanctuary of your being. May we support you in that growth and development, encouraging your authentic expression and deep joy! 

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January 24, 2023
Dear Community,

I hope this message finds you well. I write to share with you some events coming up on our calendar so you may join us if you feel called. At the bottom you will see some ONLINE EVENTS in which you can remotely participate. Below you will also see an update about me purchasing our Moon Lodge building and land. I am very excited to start offering ONLINE Yoga and my new Mindfulness Support Group called “15 Minutes of Silence”. I am offering these two online events back to back 5 days per week. See more details below.

For everyone in the Peru, Indiana area please go to our facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/818489981615103) and browse the Events section of that group. There you will see all of the events for the entire year. It’s a good idea to mark your calendar ahead of time for the year. The next Moon Lodge gathering for Peru is Sunday, February 5th, at 12:30 pm. This coming Thursday, January 26th, you will also see there an event called Songs of the Moon Lodge and Drum Circle in which we enjoy exploring the world of music in a safe and supportive atmosphere.

For everyone in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, please go to our separate facebook group for Indianapolis (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1534956906816001) to stay up to date for local events.

Moon Lodge Women’s Circle Indianapolis:
FRIDAYS – 6 pm to 8 pm

Celebrating Spring Equinox – March 31
Celebrating Summer Solstice – June 30
Celebrating Autumn Equinox – Sept 8
Celebrating Winter Solstice – December 15

Location: The Playful Soul1001 E 86th St, Nora, IndianapolisCost: $22, register ahead at https://www.theplayfulsoul.com/mindbody-classes

We are also so excited to regularly be bringing our Singalong & Drum Circle event to the Indianapolis community!
Singalong & Drum Circle
FRIDAYS – 6:30 pm to 8 pm

Open to Women and Men – February 24th
Women’s event – May 12th (Mother’s Day is on the 14th!)
Open to Women and Men – July 28th
Women’s event – October 20th

Description: Bring your drums and any other percussion instruments you have laying around the house to this uplifting musical experience! Extra percussion instruments will be provided. We will be playing with rhythm in a community drum circle and sharing in an uplifting singalong including kirtan and other songs of love. Come join us on this collaborative musical adventure!
Location: The Playful Soul1001 E 86th St, Nora, Indianapolis
Cost: $22, register ahead at https://www.theplayfulsoul.com/mindbody-classes

MOON LODGE RETREATS

Summer Retreat June 22nd through 25th, 2023
LOCATION to be decided. We are hoping to have it at the 7 Pillars sacred Native American Miami Tribal Lands as we did last year which is in the Peru, Indiana area. Dates are dependent on the weather forecast.

Winter Retreat December 9th through 12th, 2023
LOCATION to be decided.

ONLINE EVENTS for remote participation:

• ONLINE YOGA CLASSES – Tues 10 am, Wed 6 pm, Thurs Fri Sat 10 am – Follow along on Zoom with this nourishing yoga practice led by Shakti Penelope. Yoga is your key to navigating life with grace, poise, health, and wellbeing. Join us by Zoom or simply follow along by listening to the clear, audio instructions by phone. Those familiar with yoga will be able to follow with audio instructions alone.
  $10 per class
  
• “15 MINUTES OF SILENCE” GROUP – Directly after the yoga class will be a 45 minute to 1 hour session devoted to cultivating peace and harmonious silence in the mind. Bring your journal as we discuss and share our experiences in this worthwhile endeavor for the benefit of all beings. Feel free to attend the yoga class and the silence group directly after or tune in for one or the other, as you wish. Join us by Zoom or simply participate by phone.
  $15 per class
  
• ONE-ON-ONE COUNSELING – With her master’s level coursework in Transpersonal Psychology, Shakti Penelope is uniquely equipped to provide a safe and nurturing space in which you may fearlessly walk into the next phase of your life journey that you may live with greater joy and prosperity. These helpful, one-hour sessions focus on healing and personal development. To schedule, contact Shakti Penelope directly.
  
• ZOOM WOMEN’S CIRCLES – Join us as we turn the wheel of the year together and accompany one another through the seasons of our lives.
  Cost: $25 / €23 paid before the circle by paypal athttps://www.paypal.com/paypalme/wisdomsourcewithin
  All Zoom Moon Lodge circles shall take place at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, 6 pm UK Time, 8 pm Central European Time:
  
  Friday, January 27th (RSVP by Thurs the 26th)
  
  Wednesday, March 29th (RSVP by Tues the 28th)
  
  Friday, April 28th (RSVP by Thurs the 27th)
  
  Monday, July 3rd (RSVP by Sunday the 2nd)
  
  Friday, August 4th (RSVP by Thurs the 3rd)
  
  Wednesday, September 6th (RSVP by Tues the 5th)
  
  Wednesday, November 8th (RSVP by Tues the 7th)
  
  Friday, December 8th (RSVP by Thurs the 7th)

UPDATE ON THE MOON LODGE LAND PROJECT

As many of you know, this past winter solstice of 2022, I became the proud owner of 8 acres. It’s move in time! My plan is to improve and develop the land over the course of my lifetime and to leave it to the Moon Lodge for Women and Girls Nonprofit that I shall create this year. I have so many ideas – a retreat center, a retail store, campgrounds, a yoga studio, a restaurant that prepares healthy food grown in our gardens… I am honored to have the opportunity to cultivate a truly beautiful sanctuary dedicated to the wellbeing of all! Your participation in the above events is very helpful in my endeavors! In addition, I am gratefully receiving donations from benefactors that would love to support this dream becoming a reality. Feel free to send me a private message if you feel called to be such an angel benefactor.

Over the next couple of months I will slowly and gently move my household over to the land, making the transition as smooth as possible for my mother who lives with us. This past December 30th she celebrated her 82nd birthday! We are so grateful to have her with us. Her smile lights up the world!

I shall keep you posted on the progress as we develop the Moon Lodge Land Project in the coming years. Please hold in your heart the vision of this healing sanctuary coming into being in the most harmonious and joyful way possible! I hope you can come to visit when we are at that stage.

Wishing for you every joy in 2023 and beyond!
May you live with peace, health, wealth, and abundance!
Know that this community is here for you, holding space for your continued success.

All the best!

Sincerely,
Shakti Penelope

Shakti Penelope, M.A. teaches yoga and facilitates group sessions focussing on creative expression through her organization Wisdom Source Within in Peru, Indiana. In addition to coordinating the women’s community the Moon Lodge, she is also an active artist and musician.