Jan 10th — Feb 13th

Tending
the Bones

Embark on a 6-week journey with Leah Song and Lydia Violet to rediscover and reconnect with your ancestral cultures, mythology, and folk traditions

Gather at the…

Wellsprings of Story and Song!

During this experience, Lydia Violet & Leah Song of the folk group Rising Appalachia will take you through an immersive curriculum of cultural self-discovery.

Together, we'll uncover cultural histories and delve into the realm of mythic truths. We will explore the depths of cosmology and the human psyche, unraveling the reasons behind our feelings of disconnection. And, we'll discover various pathways to reconnect with our roots 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 define and deepen your relationship with your ancestors from within the diaspora.

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 majority of North American residents, exist within a diaspora.

This dispersion often brings with it a sense of ancestral cultural separation.

With this separation comes 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 old patterns, nurturing relationships, and creating a greater sense of meaning in our lives

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 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’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 bones.

The Curriculum:

All Sessions are held at 4:00 - 5:30 pm PT

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.

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.

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.

Session 4

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 the delicate balance with appropriation.

Session 5

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.

Session 6

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. 

Testimonials

“Sending you BIG, BIG, love, gratitude, and appreciation. What you are doing with Singing the Bones is remarkable. I have long sensed that our people are always near to us and show themselves in a plethora of ways. In this class I have been able to foster that idea and begin to see a path towards sharing it. It has been so uplifting to see your work in action and connect with kindred spirits.”

— Beth Hutchinson

“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 feel somatically altered from the experience as the intelligence and wisdom of my Lithuanian pagan ancestors has been awakened within my bones…”

— Jamie Oksas

Your Groovy 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:

  • 6 x 90 min live calls with Lydia Violet and Leah Song, with recordings available within 24 hours

  • Additional audio and video recordings from past guest teachers of Singing the Bones

  • An 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

$450

Two payments

$225
Per month

Financial Hardship

Six payments

$75
Per month

We are grateful to have been able to fulfill 25 partial scholarship requests for this cohort of Tending the Bones. At this time, all our scholarships have been awarded. School for the Great Turning is committed to keeping our programming accessible. We are currently fundraising for our scholarship fund, and look forward to offering scholarships for all our upcoming 2024 programs.

FAQs

  • The live sessions will be on January 10, 17, 24, 31, and Feb 7 & 13 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • There is no registration deadline, just know that our course sessions begin on January 10, 2024