Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed author and lecturer. Six of her ten published books have been New York Times Best Sellers. Four of these have been #1 New York Times Best Sellers. A Return to Love is considered a must-read of The New Spirituality. A paragraph from that book, beginning "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure..." - often misattributed to Nelson Mandela's Inaugural address - is considered an anthem for a contemporary generation of seekers. Marianne's latest New York Times Best Seller is A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever. A Course in Weight Loss was selected by Oprah to be one of her Favorite Things in 2010.

Marianne's other books include The Age of Miracles, Everyday Grace, A Woman's Worth, Illuminata, Healing the Soul of America and The Gift of Change. She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America and Charlie Rose.

Marianne is a native of Houston, Texas. In 1989, she founded Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. Today, Project Angel Food serves over 1,000 people daily.

Michael Gurian has been called the People's Philosopher for his ability to weave scientific research and practical information into his call-to-action for understanding boys and girls and how they learn and communicate differently. He is a family therapist, educator, and consultant.

His book The Wonder of Boys is a #1 New York Times best-seller. He is the author of over 25 acclaimed books about both genders. Co-founder of the Gurian Institute, he teaches, lectures, and leads workshops nationally and internationally for parents, school, and corporations. He has been instrumental in the application of gender studies as they affect homes, schools, businesses, corporations, and public policy.

He has two grown daughters and lives with his wife in Spokane, Washington.

DeAnna L'am (B.A.) speaker, coach, and trainer, is author of Becoming Peers - Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood and A Diva's Guide to Getting Your Period. She is founder of Red Moon School of Empowerment for Women & Girls™.

DeAnna helps women & girls love themselves unconditionally! She has been working nationally and internationally, for over 20 years now, helping women and mothers model self-acceptance, self-care, and self-esteem to today's girls, and lay foundations for lifelong friendship with the adolescent girls in their lives.

A pioneer in Menstrual Empowerment, DeAnna specializes in making womanhood richer at any age, and teaches women and Moms the art of welcoming girls into womanhood from authentic and confident places within themselves. She trains women to do this work in their communities.

DeAnna lives with her husband and daughter in California.

Susun Weed is the voice of the Wise Woman Tradition, where healing comes from nourishment. She is known internationally as an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. Ms. Weed restores herbs as common medicine, and empowers us all to care for ourselves.

She is the author of the Wise Woman Herbal Series - recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions around the world - including five titles: Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way, New Menopausal Years, Breast Cancer? Breast Health!, The Childbearing Year, and Healing Wise.

Melissa Michaels Ed.D. has served as a midwife for the soul for the past three decades, assisting young people around the world on their journey through adolescence into productive adulthood. She is the Founder and Director of Surfing The Creative® International Youth Rites of Passage Programs, the first contemporary youth leadership rites of passage program rooted in dance.

Her not-for-profit organization, Golden Bridge, has been engaged in the healing, initiating, educating, and mentoring of young people and the adults who serve them on every continent in the world. Melissa creates movement based cross-cultural educational opportunities focusing on the potential that is available at all of life's life thresholds.

Linda Knodle facilitates adult workshops on self development, adolescence, mother/daughter gatherings, rites of passage and sexuality. She mentors adults toward developing Coming of Age communities. Linda has been a Waldorf class teacher and co-authored The I Find My Star Curriculum, emphasizing Human Fertility education and Middle School issues.

She officiates for ritual and ceremony as a Celebrant, and more recently an ordained minister. She is a hospice volunteer and in training to become a death midwife. Linda has raised four children to adulthood. She and her husband live in Seattle, Washington.

Tim Wright has been a Lutheran pastor for 28 years. He currently serves as the pastor of Community of Grace in Peoria, AZ, a congregation he started in 2005. He's authored several books for church leaders and has spoken to church leaders throughout the United States and around the world.

Over the last 4 years he has been working with Michael Gurian in the creation of a Rite of Passage for Christian boys and their dads--Following Jesus: A Heroic Quest for Boys.

Tom Shelstad specializes in creating transformational experiences for youth. He draws his passion from a rich background in teaching, wilderness therapy, juvenile corrections, mentoring, personal and athletic coaching, working on challenge courses, running leadership development programs for teens, and developing and facilitating rites of passage.

As a faculty member at Southern Oregon University, he coaches others in creating rich experiential education experiences. When he's not facilitating or teaching, Tom can be found on long motorcycle trips, mountaineering & backpacking.

Tom lives in Ashland, Oregon, with his wife and their 4-legged friends.

Amber Kara is an observer and practitioner of interconnectedness. From her work as a marine biologist to her craft as a quilter, she sees how small things are connected to bigger things, how no action or interaction happens without reaction.

During her 17 years with the Summa Institute, Amber has taught Natural Learning Relationships to hundreds of parents, worked with many children, and now serves children, families and professionals as Summa’s Executive Director.

Janet Allison is a speaker, coach, and Waldorf teacher. She is the author of Boys Alive! Bring Out Their Best! As founder of Boys Alive! she loves sharing insights with parents and teachers about boys and what they need to succeed at home and in the classroom.

After time with Janet, many women have expressed their discovery of understanding their man better and men have been surprised to understand themselves better. Boys and girls benefit from the new understanding of parents and teachers.

Janet has raised two daughters - Katie teaches Special Ed. and Anna is preparing for her Peace Corps journey in Africa. She has many children-of-her-heart and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Rites of Passage Schedule:

Week 1: Monday - Friday, February 6 - 10
Week 2: Monday - Friday, February 13 - 17

10am Pacific/ 1pm Eastern/ 18:00 Europe (U.K.)
(Your dial-in number will be sent after ticket purchase)