
The Cottage in the Woods
Every Winter, we at Yelala like to imagine ourselves sitting by the hearth, sharing ancestral wisdom and ritual arts with participants from around the world.
Since we live so far apart, our gathering takes place online, but we hope to capture the cosy and welcoming spirit of a Cottage in the Woods.
In this, our fifth season, we will be rekindling the honour for the home as a place of potent magic-making, welcoming you whether you are esoterically inclined or intellectually curious.
Whilst we centre the marginalised folklore and ritual practices of Jewish women and femme folk from antiquity to the present day, we welcome participants aged 16+ of all genders, and of all faiths and none.
Our cottage is led by Kohenet Rachel Rose Reid (Yelala) with special guests including artist Rima Staines and Kitchen Table founder, Sima Cutting.
In 3 courses over January-March 2025, we will meet on Sundays (12PT/ 15ET/ 20GMT) to and use anthropology, folklore, ancient texts, and practical activities to explore amulet craft, handicraft as sacred act, and the nourishment of heritage foods.
You can attend the whole season as a 'cottage resident', join an individual course, or join occasional single sessions.
Spend the Winter with Yelala:
Become a Cottage ResidentWhat's a Cottage Resident?
Booking a Cottage Resident place covers attendance of all Cottage in the Woods gatherings from 8 November 2020-22 March 2021, including Kabbalat Shabbat. The majority of our gatherings are weekly on Monday evenings from 7-8.30pm UK time. Kabbalat Shabbat takes place on Friday evenings from 6.30-7.45pm. Cottage Residents are also invited to participate in special Opening and Closing Doorway Circles and a regular sharing circles, so that we can learn and grow together through the darkest months. Cottage Residents will receive a 50% discount on any additional Yelala programming from November 2020-March 2021. Cottage Resident places are limited, so please book these as soon as possible.
Individual courses can be booked up until a week before they being, or until they sell out - whichever is soonest.
Kabbalat Shabbat can be attended at any time, see more below.What's the Schedule?
All sessions take place on Mondays from 7-8.30pm unless otherwise stated.
You can read more about each of these courses further down, but here's the basic schedule:Doorway and Sharing Circles (for Cottage Residents only)
Our time in the cottage begins and ends at the edges of Winter. Our Cottage Residents will be part of special opening and closing Doorway Circles, and regular Sharing Circles, to our hopes and lay the foundations for making our winter cosy, connected, and nourishing.
7-8.30pm, Sunday 8 November 2020; Sharing Circles, and Closing Circle, dates TBC.At the Bedside: Jewish Customs & Folklore of Bleeding & Birthing
Learn about Jewish customs around birthing and being born into the world from across the Jewish diaspora, with song, ritual, discussion, and room for practical ideas and adaptation to modern circumstances including. This course makes no assumption that attendees wish to be parents, and focuses on our relationship with this liminal doorway through which we have all entered life.
4 week course: 9, 16, 23, 30 November 2020In the Wild Woods: Jewish Ways with Winter Solstice
Learn about Jewish customs around Winter Solstice, including midrashim (folklore), Earth-centred practices, women’s practices, and the stories of the ancestresses we raise up at this time. This course will be a three-part series to help us prepare for the darkest time of year and the return of the light. It will culminate in a Jewishly-rooted ritual to mark the Solstice.3 week course: 7, 14, 21 December 2020
The Book Nook: The Wonder Women of the Tanakh
From tactical change-makers to fiery queens, from vulnerable daughters to wise women, let us encounter women of our ancient tradition. We will meet these women in all their boldness, vulnerability, leadership and complexity. Sessions include text study, as well as an embodied or meditative practice to connect to the medicine of each ancestress.
4 week course: 11, 18, 25 January + 1 February 2021
The Hearth: A Course in Ritual Craft
Sessions include gaining knowledge of ritual-making throughout Jewish history, practical ritual design and leadership skills, chevrutah study (in pairs) and the opportunity to lead and workshop your own ritual.
8 week course: 15, 22 February + 1, 8, 15, 22 March 2021
plus time for chevrutah (learning in pairs) and 2 mentoring sessions to be arranged with you to support your confidence / creation of ritualThe Kitchen Table: Kabbalat Shabbat
Bringing in the Day of Rest in community, with devotional song, meditation and connection.Every Friday, 6.30-7.45pm
How Much Does it Cost?
The standard price for a Cottage Resident is ᆪ270 in total. This works out at ᆪ54 a month.
We have limited Subsidised places available for ᆪ180.
We have Abundance places available for ᆪ370. If you can comfortably afford this option, it will enable us to make more subsidised spaces available for those in need.
If you cannot afford the Subsidised place, or if you would like to pay for any of these by instalments, please email us.Ready to book? Scroll down to the next section!
More Questions? Please see our FAQs below
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