Become a Member of Our Community
Finding the right community can be challenging. In The Ash, Oak + Yew Collective, we believe that communities are about growth, support, and connection. While we primarily focus on the Northern tradition, we are a community space that welcomes pagans who come from a variety of paths. In the Collective, we participate in monthly calls, ceremonies, Sabbat and blót celebrations, and more. We also make it a point to celebrate the rites of passage that adults, couples, and children go through. If you are on a shamanic (Seiðr), Earth-based, Celtic, Germanic, or Northern path and wish to connect with others, you are welcome in this space. Become a member
today!
YouTube Channel
Two Tiered Community Options
The Ash, Oak + Yew Collective is a community of pagans who wish to connect and share space. We discuss a variety of topics including Spirit, deities, nature spirits, ancestor worship, energy work, the cosmos, and more. All paths of paganism are welcome.
Community Tier $5
Includes access to the following:
- The Ash, Oak + Yew Collective Discord server
- Monthly Zoom calls
Energy Work Tier $10
Includes access to the following:
- The Ash, Oak + Yew Collective Discord server
- Monthly Zoom calls
- Monthly ASMR-style energy work-by-proxy sessions
Upcoming Events
February Monthly Call: Sacred Sexuality
During our February call, we'll dive into the topic of sacred sexuality. This is a topic that I have worked with Freyja and Freyr on quite a bit and we will likely revisit it in the future as it's quite multi-faceted (and deeply personal for everyone).
As conscious beings, it's important to acknowledge the power of our sexual energy, whether we access it and harness it with a partner or not. We'll take a look at the following questions:
-Why is it important to clear the energies related to our sexual history?
-How can we clear our sexual history and/or shame attached to our sexual nature?
-How can we clear any limiting beliefs or low-frequency energies regarding sexuality that have been passed down to us from our bloodline?
-How can we embody a more sacred connection to our sexual energy?
-How can we harness the power of our sexual energy for creational purposes (creation not pro-creation)?
-How can we enrich our sexual connection to our current (or future) partner?
-What Spirit allies can assist us with developing a more sacred connection to our sexuality?
Toward the end of our call, we'll take some time to practice an energy-clearing exercise to help clear and reset our sexual centers as well as our heart centers. We'll also work on clearing any stagnant energies between you and your partner if you have one. In essence, we'll focus on clearing any stagnant energies that may be keeping you from accessing deeper, more divine parts of your sexual energy.
Date: Sunday, Feb 23, 2025 6:00 – 7:00 PM CST
Pagan Book Club: The Cauldron and the Drum
This month, we're forming a pagan book club! Let's gather to discuss "The Cauldron and the Drum: A Journey Into Celtic Shamanism" by Rhonda McCrimmon. Feel free to bring notes on your thoughts, passages you'd like to share, thoughts about how the information presented has influenced your practice, etc.
Date: Saturday, Mar 15, 2025 4:30 – 7:00 PM CST
Details: This is an in-person event. If you would like to attend, please join our Patreon and Discord community.
Ostara Celebration
Purchase Your TicketDate:
Sat, April 12th from 1:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location:
Wapsipinicon State Park Rotary Lodge, 21301 Co Rd E34, Anamosa, IA 52205, USA
Honor the spring's warmth, the light from the sun, and the awakening of the earth with community during our Ostara celebration. Typically celebrated close to or on the Spring Equinox (March 20, 2025), Ostara celebrates balance, renewal, and rebirth.
To celebrate Ostara, The Ash, Oak + Yew Collective is hosting an event at Wapsipinicon State Park. (The exact location of the event will be sent via email to attendees who register.) The day's festivities will include:
-Community time
-Eating
-Egg coloring and crafts
-Outdoor activities
-A group meditation/sound journey
-An evening fire blót (ceremony)
Sound Healing Journey
During the sound journey, we'll connect to either a spring goddess, compassionate ancestor, or Norn with the intention of gaining insight for our ceremony. We will ask them for their advice on what to do and/or what intentions to hold during our ceremony as we celebrate Ostara.
Communal Altar:
We will create a space for a communal altar where sacred items can be placed to charge. Feel free to bring sacred objects with you. We will also place an offering to the ancestors here.
Goddesses We'll Honor*
- Eostre (Ostara): The namesake of the holiday, is a Germanic goddess associated with dawn, fertility, and the return of life. She's linked to the idea of rebirth and new beginnings.
- Idunn: The Norse goddess of spring and eternal youth. She is the one who tends to the golden apples which grant the gods and goddesses immortality and eternal health.
- Freyja: In Norse mythology, Freyja is associated with love, beauty, and fertility. She's a powerful and independent goddess who embodies the spirit of nature's renewal.
- Brigid: While Brigid is often associated with Imbolc, the Celtic festival of early spring, her qualities of creativity, inspiration, and healing can also be celebrated during Ostara.
*We plan to focus primarily on these goddesses during this event. However, if you have other deities (male or female) you'd like to give offerings to, please know that there will be space for that. We also make it a point to offer to the ancestors at every gathering.
RSVP:
If you plan to come at some point throughout the day, please RSVP by purchasing your ticket here
or by sending me an email. This is because the venue only allows a certain number
of people that we cannot exceed. This will also help us ensure there are enough craft materials to go around for those who attend.
Food:
Please plan to bring your own main lunch, dinner, and beverage(s). Access to a mircowave, an oven, and a fire pit are available for heating/cooking. The venue also has a refrigerator and a freezer if you need to keep items cold. Please bring dishes, cutlery, napkins, and other items needed for your food. If you'd like to bring an appetizer or dessert to share, you're welcome to do so.
Blót (Fire Ceremony):
The evening's blót is intended to be highly ceremonial. Please feel free to bring face paint and ritual/ceremonial garb to enhance your experience. I also suggest bringing items that you would like to give as offerings during the blót such as wine/mead/whiskey, flowers, homemade items, herbs, etc.
Suggested Blót Supplies:
If you can, please bring something to aid our fire creation. Either bring fire starter, a lighter, or a bundle of firewood.
May Monthly Call: Masculine & Feminine Energies
Regardless of our gender or expression, we all have a mix of masculine and feminine energy, and we need both in our daily lives. When feminine and masculine energies are balanced, we experience more harmony and a greater sense of fulfillment within ourselves. Together, we’ll review some information and take a look at the following questions:
-What are the qualities associated with feminine energy?
-What are the qualities associated with masculine energy?
-How can we tell when these energies are out of balance?
-Which energy feels more dominant within you? (Note: not everyone is 50/50)
-How can we work to cultivate our feminine and masculine energies?
-What Spirit allies can we reach out to for deeper insight into feminine and masculine energies?
Toward the end of the call, we’ll complete a journey to connect with a Spirit ally (or allies) to receive a message about our feminine energy, our masculine energy, or both.
Date: Saturday, May 24, 2025 6:00 – 7:00 PM CST
June Monthly Call: House Spirits
During this month's call, we'll learn about multiple kinds of house spirits. We'll also take the time to connect with the house spirits in our own homes. We'll explore the following questions:
-What is a house spirit?
-What are the different types of house spirits?
-How are house spirits different than ghosts?
-What house spirits reside in my home?
-What do my house spirits prefer when it comes to interacting with them?
-What are some good ways to honor house spirits?
Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025 6:00 - 7:00 pm CST
Community Member Feedback
I joined the Ash, Oak, + Yew Collective the minute I saw it in Laina's email newsletter. She is really creating something amazing - a collective of folks that not only want to learn and grow together in their spiritual practices, but a space to build community in uncertain and isolating times. Laina has done a brilliant job of organizing online and in-person gatherings and this type of community has been something I've craved for a while as primarily a solo practitioner. Along with curating a growing, diverse community, Laina shares and facilitates numerous meditations, energy work, educational videos and discussion sessions. She also does an excellent job of sharing her Norse practices while weaving in others (I follow a Celtic/eclectic path!). If you are someone who has been wanting to join an intentional, compassionate community to learn and grow with fellow pagans, I highly recommend joining the collective!
- Ashley H. (12/17/24)