About us
SACRED THREADโข is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to the thriving wellness of all.
OUR MISSION is to create accessible, non-religious spiritual spaces where people of all ages gather for shared practice, spiritual growth, and embodied care for the Earth.
Through ceremonies, teachings, and gatherings rooted in Earth-based spirituality, direct revelation, intuition, embodied awareness, and heart-centered living, we foster healing, connection, and belonging. We honor many paths, shared leadership, and an ongoing practice of listening to and caring for the Earth.
AS RAM DAS SAID, โWEโRE ALL JUST WALKING EACH OTHER HOME.โ
We believe non-hierarchical spirituality is essential to living in harmony with one another and with all of life. Systems rooted in division, separation, polarization, and the pressure to โpick a sideโ have persisted for thousands of years, yet continue to fall short of fostering equality, compassion, and collective well-being. In response, we choose to align our focus, words, and actions with the spirit of unity and care for the whole.
By honoring and celebrating diverse paths and the people walking them, we create the conditions for a world we feel excited to live in and pass on to future generations. Through shared vision and aligned action, we become the ancestors our descendants can feel proud to claim.
This is what it means to be part of the SACRED THREADโข community
SACRED THREADโข gatherings offer a regenerative thread of healing and pure potential, permeating the present while moving backward through time to tend and mend what came before, and forward to nourish and support those yet to come.
SHARED LEADERSHIP: OUR CIRCLE OF FACILITATORS
Guided by a Circle of Facilitators, SACRED THREADโข offerings are led collaboratively rather than hierarchically. This shared leadership model allows us to support one another, draw on diverse strengths, and steward community offerings with care and integrity.
Our Facilitators share from a rich tapestry of practices, including shamanism, forest bathing, yoga, Reiki, sound healing, meditation, ecstatic dance, and other contemplative modalities. Each facilitator is deeply rooted in their own craft personally, and many serve professionally via private practices outside of the SACRED THREADโข community.
At the heart of this model is our shared commitmentโto one another and to the SACRED THREADโข community- to choose love, compassion, integrity, humility, and open-hearted communication. On good days, this comes naturally. In the inevitable challenges of co-creation, we find our greatest opportunities to grow stronger together. In this way, we move out of division and separation and into a lived practice of unity, honor, and respect.
CULTIVATING COMMUNITY
Most SACRED THREADโข gatherings are held in person, though some offerings unfold online. We are nomadic by design, choosing each setting with care to honor the season, the land, and the spirit of the gathering itself. Youโll often find us in and around Madison, Wisconsin, with occasional gatherings in Baraboo, Mineral Point, and beyond.
The best way to stay connected and learn about upcoming offerings is to join our newsletter.
Upcoming events
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Foundations in Shamanism Workshop & Post Workshop Group Support Call
Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Highway M, Middleton, WI, US๐๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค:
- โ โ Integrate shamanic practices & a shamanic way of experiencing reality into your daily life for your personal healing, evolution, empowerment and connection to the web of life.
- โ โ Become a Shamanic Practitioner- this course is a prerequisite for Jessicaโs Shamanic Practitioner training, which will begin in January 2027.
โโ โง โ
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ:
The Foundations workshop will be a prerequisite to join the Shamanic Practitioner training, which will begin in January 2027. More info about the Shamanic Practitioner training is soon to come. For now, email Jessica at Jessica@sacredthread.org if youโre interested in more details.
โ- Tuition is $399 which will include lunch both days.
- Weโll be in class from 10am-6pm both days, and you must be present for the entirety of both days.
- Personal healing work is woven into this workshop, so itโs important to give yourself time after class on Saturday and Sunday (ideally 45-60 minutes), and maybe even 30-45 minutes before class on Sunday morning for integration. The integration time youโll need will be highly personal to you.
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โ โง โ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ & ๐&๐ผ ๐พ๐๐ก๐ก:
This call is scheduled for 6:00-8:30pm, December 8, 2026. This is an opportunity for us to share how weโve been implementing the practices that you learned in our training, to ask questions, receive support, and be inspired. The recording will be shared with those that canโt make it live.
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This will be a fun, connective, and experiential workshop in which youโll walk away with powerful skills that can serve you for the rest of your life!
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โ โง โ๐โ๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐! ๐๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฉ?
You must submit an application below & receive Jessicaโs acceptance into this workshop before registering. Do not register for this workshop until youโve received an invitation to do so. This process ensures that you will receive the most from this experience based on where you are in life at this time.
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>>๐๐ช๐๐ข๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐<<3 attendees
Gratitude & Giving FUNdRaiser Festival
McFarland United Church of Christ, 5710 Anthony St, McFarland, WI 53558, USA, McFarland, WI, USJoin us for a heart-opening day of gratitude, connection, music, shared wisdom, delicious food, and fun! Together, weโll explore the art of giving and receiving through a restorative sound bath, inspiring teachings and a guided journey with an initiated Elder, the joy of singing together, a community feast, and a closing fire ceremony.
This special ticketed event is designed to nourish the soul, celebrate community, and support SACRED THREADโข as we expand our programming and impact.
What to ExpectPlease arrive 10-15 minutes early to settle in - we will begin promptly at 1 pm.
Your preparedness helps us to co-create the best experience for all present.
1:00 Opening prayers & intentions with founder, Jessica Riphenburg
1:30 Soundbath with optional healing touch with Kelly Hepper & Ecca Silvera
2:30 Elder Talk, โThe Wisdom of Grandmother Whaleโ with Bridget Birdsall(more info below)
4:30 Community Singing w Ecca & Kelly
5:30 CommUnity Potluck (see notes below)
6:30 Fire Ritual & Close
7:15 End
What to bring:
Water bottle & layered clothes for your comfort
SoundBath & Healing Touch: Bring a yoga mat, eye mask, small pillow or blanket if desired. Something to support your knees can help keep your back comfortable. Gentle energy-based healing touch may be offered, but is not guaranteed or required. Discreet consent cards will be provided so you can indicate your preference.
Elder talk: You may bring your own Journal & writing utensil. We will have small journals
Potluck: A dish to pass (see more info below)
Elder TalkโThe Wisdom of Grandmother Whaleโ
In this ninety-minute session, Bridget will share her own unexpected and adventurous call to work with water as a vehicle of consciousness and quantum healing. Through a Shamanic Journey writing exercise participants can dive deep into the Wisdom of Grandmother Whale, the power of gratitude practices, and the true meaning of giving and receiving. For those who wish, you will also be given an opportunity to bless and be blessed with water that has been collected from holy sites and sacred wells on seven different continentsโincluding the Womb of the World, the highest mountain in Costa Rica, Diamanteโ, the only mountain that sends it waters to two oceans.
About Bridget BirdsallRev. Bridget Birdsall, MFA, (Grandma Be) is an ordained Minister of Walking Prayer, Initiated Elder, an award-winning Author, Poet, Teacher, Storyteller, New Earth Architect, a gifted intuitive and life-long practitioner of the healing arts; including Yoga, Breathwork, Mediation, Shamanic Journeying and Soul Path Companioning. Bridget is on a mission to remind others of who they really are and to uplift, inspire and encourage them through the transformative power of words, energy, and imagination.
bridgetbirdsall.comโ โalovewave@icloud.com
A Note About Our CommUnity Potluck:Please know bringing food is an invitation, not an obligation. We understand everyone has different capacities and your presence is a gift in itself!
Whenever possible, aim for real, whole-food ingredients with less added sugar and salt. Consider common food sensitivities when choosing what to bring. Please label your dish with its ingredients and note common allergens such as gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs and soy.
We know everyoneโs budget, time and cooking style are different. This isnโt about perfection or strict food rules. Store-bought items are welcome too!
Our intention is simple: make shared meals more welcoming and accessible so more people can comfortably participate in the nourishment, joy and connection of eating together.
Keep an eye on your email as the gathering approaches! We may send out a simple potluck sign-up so we scan coordinate a variety of dishes and create a well-rounded, abundant meal together.
We look forward to gathering in gratitude with youโฆAdvanced ticket purchase is recommended-this helps us with planning. Please reserve your spot in advance to join us for this special day of generosity, joy and togetherness
2 attendees
Past events
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