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.
The Via Carmen Pythia training includes:
Monthly PDF lessons with exercises, illustrations, activities, and recipes to try for each monthly theme
Monthly live video practicums with demonstration of divination techniques, group and individual practice readings, and personal check-ins with your sisters
the opportunity to learn to perform divinations in 22 different ways including guidance on how to combine different techniques into a personal Sibylline system
Individual monthly meetings with your instructors
a private online group for personal shares and community-building
optional pilgrimage to Greece to celebrate the conclusion of the program at the Oracle of Delphi.
About Your Instructors
Priestess Yeshe Meryemana Matthews is the founder and 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, and dice, and is experienced in interpreting the language of phenomena. With a Master’s Degree in Women’s History and a focus on women’s roles in ancient and modern spirituality, Yeshe has devoted herself to teaching women to embrace and empower their gifts of magic and perception as modern Priestesses and Sibyls.
Priestess Devanna Wolf is a Skydancer Priestess and Sibyl 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 makes a dedicated practice of creating tools for divination and magic that are deeply informed by her work in the Via Carmen Pythia and her study of the sibyls of the ancient world.
“We will expertly steward you through your Lessons, helping you learn how to see the world through the lens of your Priestess vision and how to mine the deeper meaning in the seeming coincidences of the shimmering rippling landscape of appearances. We will teach you how to embrace your psychic senses, treat them with respect and care, and help you open your mind to the Goddesses and Guides who are meant to partner with you in your sacred work. Our ultimate goal is to support you in discovering and expressing your unique path as a Sibyl of the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple.” -Yeshe & Devanna
How to join
Sign up for Mandala Membership in the Goddess Temple ($99).
Fill out the Training Application linked below to qualify for the Via Carmen Pythia program.
Sign up for your initial Beeswax Divination with Priestess Devanna ($145) to launch your path.
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
Monthly live online practicums demonstrating the divination techniques, discussing the nuances, and sharing personal experiences
Support for the emotional, psychic and spiritual well-being of the Sibyl in monthly consultations with the instructors
Printable illustrated PDFs of each lesson which include visual aids, graphics, and other tools
A network of strong collegial relationships with other dedicated learners, practitioners, and alumni 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 session, but regular attendance of the practicums is where the real learning–and the fun– happens! These sessions are where we really 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, but 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.
“Joining Via Carmen Pythia was a decision that changed my life in so many amazing ways. The program prepares you to become an oracular priestess and a true Sybil. You take the classes online but have the full support of an entire sisterhood of Sybils that are supporting you every step of the way. I can't say enough about my journey through the Via Carmen Pythia program and the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple.”
-Aislin, Sibyl and Via Carmen Pythia Alumni 2022
“I found the Mount Shasta Goddess Temple and the Via Carmen Pythia program while I was going through a very dark time in my life and felt very lost. I felt sure about the program but was uncertain how I could make a two year commitment at the time, but it called to me and I trusted. Now here I am, over two years later, in awe at the rippling effects and filled with gratitude. The Via Carmen Pythia program transformed me and my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Not only did I develop the intuitive and divinatory skills I hoped for and grow to feel confident as a reader professionally. The deepening of my connection to my own inner wisdom through the powerful guidance of both Priestess Yeshe and Priestess Devanna led me to listen even more deeply; take action and unexpectedly, my outward life has also been transformed. In many ways, the Via Carmen Pythia program supported me in the creation and manifestation of my dreams. The teachers went above and beyond in the care of their students. If you have been considering this program or connecting with the temple, I highly recommend it! It is so much more than just learning dozens of styles of divination. I learned to find my way and how to help others find their way through divination and feminine mysteries. The intuitive development and training as a Sybil, should you choose, will change you and stay with you for a lifetime. Such a magical experience!”
-Nym, Sibyl and Via Carmen Pythia Alumni 2023
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, you must be a member of the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple, which requires an initial commitment of $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. Click here for a full list of Mandala Membership Benefits.
If accepted into the program, you will be asked to book a one-time Beeswax Divination and Clearing with Priestess Devanna for $165 before the start of the program in January to start your path, identify gifts and challenges, and help you create a learning plan.
Annual tuition for the program is $1800 ($150 monthly). Full yearlong course access includes monthly printable lessons and worksheets, live practicums, instructor consultations, and an online community chat group.
You may pre-register for the full year at a 30% discounted tuition cost of $1200. This means you receive a deep, personal divination and energetic clearing by the instructor, a year of personalized instruction in the divinatory arts, and a lifetime membership in the Mt Shasta Goddess Temple with access to esoteric classes, salons, ceremonies and celebrations, and a discount on all priestess trainings and pilgrimages for less than $1500.
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.