Solis Lunae
(Of the Sun; Of the Moon)
A Yearlong Empowerment Program for Teen Young Women
“Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going.”
When a small group of teen girls approached us with the desire to have extended time on the land—time to explore the deeper mysteries of the natural world and the many sparkling facets of their own nature—we gathered the creative energies of those teens, a team of mentors, and a group of supportive parents and trusted advisors.Together we gave form to Solis Lunae, a year-long empowerment adventure that offers teen young women the time, space, and dedicated mentoring relationships that allow each to come into closer alignment with her fundamental nature. The time of movement through adolescence toward adulthood is filled with complexity. Returning to the rhythms of Nature at this potent stage of life opens everyone to a refreshed experience of vitality, confidence, and personal strength, while reaffirming a sense of belonging to our group, the larger community, and the greater web of life.
APPLY
Date: Early 2026*
Schedule: TBA
Tuition: TBA
Mentors: Jessica Jelinski, V Pond, Felise Gutierrez
Location: Various Drop-off Locations in SLO County
Ages: 14 - 17 (other ages with mentor approval)
*Annual enrollment is required. Multi-day discount available. Monthly payment plans are available.
On our Solis Lunae journey, we look to the attributes of the four seasons—Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer—and the four cardinal directions associated with each season—West, North, East, South—to mirror our inner landscape. We discover the relationship between our exploration of the external natural world (solar world) and our understanding of our internal world (lunar world). Each Season/Direction expresses one of the four physical elements of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth, as well. These elemental energies inform the nature of our projects, songs, stories, crafts, earth skills, movement experiences, treks, ceremonies, and more, as we cycle through our seasons together.
Following a year round calendar of Friday evening gatherings held around a fire under the moonlight, overnights on the land, and weekend camping adventures; we dedicate our time to creative practices that expand our awareness, we engage with tools designed to aid in graceful adaptation to change, and we build a strong foundation for a culminating August Rite of Passage experience on the land.
“Rites of Passage, present across cultures since ancient times, are designed to challenge the youth of a community and initiate them into the responsibility of using their gifts for a powerful purpose. Throughout the journey of Solis Lunae, we encourage young women to claim that gift and wield it for the good of their communities.”
Solis Lunae offers a rare opportunity to learn from Nature herself, together with a band of amazing friends and a team of devoted mentors. The safe space we create together opens up a whole world of inquiry and is a place for reflection and expansion. Because of the commitment required to participate, the Solis Lunae mentor team has put together an application process for both teens and parents to complete.
Not quite ready to apply? Please reach out to Solis Lunae mentors Jess and V to open up more conversation and discover if the program is a good fit.
If you have any questions about applying, please email us:.