April 24 — June 12th, 2024
Tending
the Bones
Embark on an 8-week journey with Leah Song and Lydia Violet to rediscover and reconnect with your ancestral cultures, mythology, and folk traditions, with special guests Manchan Magan and Mahsa Vahdat.
Gather at the…
Wellsprings of Story and Song!
During this experience, Lydia Violet & Leah Song of the internationally acclaimed folk group Rising Appalachia will take you through an immersive curriculum of cultural self-discovery.
We will support you with resources for researching cultural histories, lessons on the nature of mythic truth, cosmology, and psyche, understandings on why we can feel so disconnected, and multiple pathways of reconnection through folkloric traditions.
You’ll participate in lectures, group discussions, vocal workshops, storytelling, and Q&A sessions. We invite you to come as you are, either participating live or catching our recordings.
Most importantly, you will practice reconnection within the diaspora, defining what a relationship with your ancestors means for you.
Your lineage holds potent medicine
To be diasporic means to be a member of any group of people who have been dispersed outside their traditional homeland. Many of the world’s population, including the vast majority of North American residents, exist within a diaspora. Alongside this same tie, there is a phenomenon of ancestral cultural separation, rootlessness, and amnesia that many of us inherit.
With this separation can come disorientation from land, language, and tradition and assimilation into modern cultures based on capitalism and materialism.
But we do not need to resign ourselves to this assimilation. We can study the past to inform our way forward. Humans have always stored their lessons and medicines in stories and songs, and every culture has a thread in this tapestry.
What is yours?
Learning about the cultures of our
ancestors can give us powerful tools for
healing harmful patterns, nurturing relationships, and creating a greater sense of meaning in our lives.
Because the medicine for the adversities our ancestors faced is often in their very culture. All humans gathered around imagination and creativity, confessing their life stories, wonderings, and prayers. Their humanity often came forward through these outlets, creating medicine for the hardships of life.
Through studying the stories of these cultures, we have an opportunity to connect to the psychic, spiritual, and material landscapes of our ancestors. These stories tell us the flora and fauna they were surrounded by, the fundamental patterns of daily life they engaged in, the foods they shared, and the celebrations they marked.This type of cultural learning is a pivotal step in connecting to our authentic selves and our own spiritual depth.
Tending the Bones is…
For you if:
You LOVE learning about mythology, land-based ways of living, soul, and song.
You’d love to learn more about your ancestral culture and traditions. (in a supportive, immersive environment)
It excites you to gain knowledge in a healing container with guides dedicated to education and healing. (through practices that engage somatically, intellectually, creatively, and spiritually)
You’d love to build meaningful connections with others and create a greater sense of belonging.
You seek to improve your well-being through the healing power of cultural reconnection.
You’re curious about harvesting wisdom and finding meaning by exploring your cultural heritage.
You’re curious about discovering the ancestral instruments and music styles singing in your blood.
You want to contribute well to your beloved world and community.
The Curriculum:
Main sessions are held on Wednesdays at 4:00 - 5:30 pm pdt
April 24
Session 1
A Cosmological Home:
Discovering Lineage and Legacy
Understand what a cosmology is and its relationship to culture, humanity, and story.
Dive into the rich cosmologies and cultures intertwined in your lineage.
Unpack the concepts of archetypes, psyche, and soul, and their relevance to you.
Explore 'de-orphaning'—reconnecting with the parts of ourselves disconnected from our own indigenous communities.
Understand mythic truths and how myths convey deep, often non-literal, insights
May 1
Session 2
Myth & Folklore I:
Archetypes and Universal Narratives
Delve into the mythic and literal truths hidden in folklore.
Learn about the role of archetypes, identify those you resonate with, and understand their significance.
Discover common themes and stories shared across various cultures, creating our shared humanity.
Uncover the historical role of storytellers and their cultural significance.
May 8
Session 3
Myth & Folklore II:
Global Connections and Conversations
Explore the interconnectedness of myths and traditions from around the world.
Engage in a dynamic Q&A session with Lydia and Leah.
Reflect on the evolution and future of folkloric culture.
May 15
Session 4
Special Guest:
Manchan Magan
Manchán Magan is an Irish national treasure. He is a writer and documentary-maker, writing for The Irish Times on culture & travel, presenting the RTÉ podcast The Almanac of Ireland, and is author of the award-winning, best-selling Thirty-Two Words For Field, and Tree Dogs, Banshees Fingers and other Irish Words for Nature.
His latest book is Listen to the Land Speak . He has made dozens of documentaries on issues of world culture for TG4, RTÉ & Travel Channel. He lives in an oak wood, with bees and hens, in a grass-roofed house near Lough Lene, Co Westmeath.
May 22
Session 5
Special Guest:
Mahsa Vahdat
Mahsa Vahdat is an award-winning , prominent Iranian singer, composer, and cultural activist dedicated to both her personal lifelong musical and artistic path and the greater cause of freedom of expression. Her artistic work has offered audiences around the globe a deeper appreciation of Iranian poetry and music.
Born in 1973 in Tehran, she received her B.A. in Music from the Tehran University of Arts and learned Persian traditional music with different masters. Without being visible in her own society because of restrictions of female solo voice after Islamic Revolution in 1979 in Iran, she and her sister Marjan Vahdat have continuous contact with a large audience who appreciates their art, both in Iran and abroad.
For Mahsa, artistic practice, creative freedom, and humanitarian principles are closely intertwined. She is an extremely effective cultural worker who utilizes the emotive power of her voice to raise awareness of suffering and injustice in the world, while simultaneously delivering messages of hope, beauty and transparency.
May 29
Session 6
Healing the Split Through Song: Vocal Harmony and Heritage
Participate in an expansive vocal exploration led by Leah Song; no music experience is necessary!
Learn how to research the percussion, string, and wind instruments used in the folk music of your ancestral cultures.
Experience vocal healing and discover the power of song in bridging divides.
Delve into the linguistic journey—embracing the sounds of your ancestral languages.
Discuss cultural inspiration, resonance, exchange, and how to accessibly and diligently pivot away from appropriation.
June 5
Session 7
Folk Music II + Tending the Bones Celebration: A Cultural Mosaic
Continue your journey in folk music studies.
Kickstart the 'Tending the Bones' celebration with a global showcase of cultural artifacts.
June 12
Session 8
Tending the Bones Celebration
We invite you (optionally) to share and celebrate on artifact from your cultural findings. This can be an image, story, mythic figure, instrument, or small song snippets that you were drawn to learn more about. No perfection needed, we are all learning how to do this together. You are welcome to either listen or share, and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Tuesdays from 4pm to 5pm pdt
Weekly Q&A sessions with Lydia Violet
For this cohort, we have added a new incredible form of support for our students! In addition to the 8 live sessions with Lydia and Leah, Lydia will offer 6 live Q&A sessions.
This session will be smaller than the full class, and students will have more space and time to ask questions and bring inquiries to receive support with their reconnection work. Lydia’s scholarship in diasporic healing, archetypal cosmology, and folk tradition research is an incredible resource for our students, and we are excited to offer more time with her as an optional additional support.
Testimonials
“Thank you for your wonderful stewardship of the course as a whole, such a blessing to connect and know so many others feel and care about the same things amidst the fragmented/warped culture today.”
— Eugene Seah
“This class felt like the opening ceremony for the rest of my life…”
— Hollyn Bermonde
“Participating in this course has brought more love, meaning, and vitality into my heart. This journey felt as if I was falling in love for the first time, staying up late researching wanting more, more, more!”
— A.S.
“I still feel the energy singing and vibing in my bones after this interesting and wonderful journey it has been traveling with you all tending our bones.
It feels like a footprint has sat its mark into my bone and cell structure, like a constant humming and melody, ancestors chanting and singing their songs. Like a path I can’t turn my back on now after stepping in these footsteps of histories, sharing, music, culture etc…like the show must go on 😅❤️👣”
— Trine Concordia Dams
“I jumped at the chance to participate in this course when I saw Leah was one of the teachers (longtime Raising Appalachia fan). I was unfamiliar with Lydia but have loved getting to know her passion, her insight, her wisdom, and her amazing creativity over the course of these last 7 weeks.
The assignments nudged me to connect my maternal heritage, which I have felt ambivalent about for a long time. In these modern polarized times, my rural Czech descent relatives and I land on opposite sides of most political and cultural views. About the only commonality we share are a love of dancing to polka music and eating kolaches. Following the Moravian threads has healed a division within me and given me the permission to choose what I wish to bring forward with me on my journey.
Thank you so much for creating this container to safely hold, nurture and inspire us while we go on these explorations.”
— cici singleton
Your Dedicated Facilitators
Lydia Violet Harutoonian
(she/her)
Lydia Violet brings with her a robust scholarship in cosmology, archetypal psychology, and group work facilitation aimed at individual and community repair. Through compassionate and grounded facilitation, Lydia’ is able to move her groups through both intellectual study, somatic tending, and emotional mending in a way that balances mind, spirit, and heart.
Leah Song
(she/her)
Leah Song brings with her 15+ years as the frontwoman of internationally-renowned folk group Rising Appalachia, born from her own lifetime immersion in a variety of folk music traditions. Leah is also passionate about somatic healing, offering groups her own unique synthesis of yoga, dance, meditation, and vocal exploration.
Join and get:
8 x 90 min live calls with Lydia Violet and Lean Song, with recordings available within 24 hours
Live Sessions with cultural touchstones Manchan Magan(Ireland) and Mahsa Vahdat(Iran)
An accessible and interactive online forum with Lydia and Leah (hosted on Circle)
Online resources for researching folk stories, mythologies, traditional practices, and folk music from your ancestral cultures
Access to future Tending the Bones Retreats with Lydia and Leah, of which this course is a prerequisite.
One-time Payment
$550
Three payments
$184
Per month
Six payments
$92
Per month
Scholarships
Thank you so much for all your scholarship inquiries! We have had a very high number of applicants and at this time, we have awarded as many scholarships as possible. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed to our scholarship fund to make this possible. If you aren’t able to attend our course without financial assistance, we urge you to apply again for our Winter cohort. Thank you!
FAQs
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The live sessions will be held at 4:00 - 5:30 pm PDT on:
April 24
May 1
May 8
May 15
May 22
May 29
June 5
June 12
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If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at care@schoolforthegreatturning.com. Our team will be more than happy to assist you.
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It’s completely private! Our courses and forum are hosted by Circle, and only School for the Great Turning members have access. Circle provides a social media-like layout, allowing for posts, comments, links, and direct messages between members, but you will never see ads, or content from outside the School.
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To sign up, simply click the "Join Now" button on our landing page, or click here, choose a payment plan, and complete the registration process.
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Not to worry! All sessions will be recorded and uploaded into our course portal within 24 hours, and you will still have full access to our interactive group forum to connect with other students and your teachers.
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There is no registration deadline, just know that our course sessions begin on April 24th, 2024