Our why....
Envisioning
We envision a deeply valued and sacredly held, enlightened, empowered and embodied divine feminine energy that restores balance and allows humanity to thrive individually and collectively.
Mission
Our mission is to co-create sacred, safe, brave space required for nurturing the emergence and rebalancing of the Divine Feminine.
We Value
Sophia Unfolds values the Power of the Circle. It is here we are able to co-create the sacred, safe, brave space required for enlightenment, empowerment and embodiment. In these circles we laugh, cry, dance, connect deeply, hold ritual, remember our power and recognize the power of others. It is the container in which we are able to conduct our sacred works.
Our priestesses
Mara Evenstar
Priestess • Educator • Ritualist • Mentor
I am devoted to the sacred art of transformation. For more than two decades, I’ve been crafting spaces—ceremonial and educational—that nourish personal awakening and collective evolution. My work is a living tapestry, woven from threads of spiritual depth, intellectual inquiry, and embodied wisdom.
I hold a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology, with a specialization in spiritual psychology and organizational development, and a Master of Education focused on leadership and social transformation. My studies have carried me through the landscapes of psychology, religion, spirituality, transformative learning theory, feminist and integral theory, anthropology, the arts, and beyond. I am a teacher of the Realization Process and a Reiki Master Teacher (Usui / Holy Fire / Karuna).
In recent years, I’ve been walking a path of reclamation—reviving and re-imagining the ancient and sacred arts of the Priestess for our current times, and the coming age that we are birthing. I am ordained through The Sanctuary of the Beloved in the Order of Melchizedek, and I am an Initiate in the Priestess Presence Temple & School of Sacred Arts. I carry the Sophia Rose lineage from our deepest most ancient traditions into the frameworks for the New Earth. I honor what is sacred and universal in all paths, while listening for the whispers of the sacred feminine and attuning to the mythic currents that pulse beneath our everyday lives.
Dr. Katie Lynne
We are moving through a tremendous transformation-- but we are not alone, nor without resource.
Healing is an individual and collective evolutionary process. This process moves in revolutionary waves towards enhanced coherence with nature and inner truth. My name is Dr. Katie Lynne-- I offer a deep-holistic approach spanning neurobiology, eco-somatics, and spiritual discovery with a variety of tools and pathways to foster connection with personal truth and support living from this place of knowing. I am a licensed therapist and a clinical doctor of occupational therapy (OT), I am a performer and an artist, performing regularly with Djangophonique and Cabaret Boreale, and I am a student and teacher of subtle arts, including Kundalini Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra, and the sacred feminine.
Everything that I study, teach, and offer to others integrates and relates to the breathing rhythms of nature and the revolutionary turn towards alignment with the tone of truth implicit in that rhythm. The revolution is calling, and we are the response.
For my full curriculum vitae, with complete list of education, experience, training, and publications.
Substack: @RevolutionaryAlignment
Mary Thomason
Hello I am Mary Sarah Thomason also known as Wild Mother Mary. I am a womb priestess, reiki master, birth/death doula and an art therapist dedicated to holding healing space for the community. I have a passion for Red Tents, an ancient and sacred gathering of women where we honor our moon time, our cyclical nature, the Divine Feminine and our relationship to all life.
I have spent the last four years holding circles in the local community focusing on reconnecting with the Divine Feminine and the whole healed self. I work one on one and in groups as an art therapist and mental health counselor at the Radical Well-Being Center in Southfield. I also work one on one with women doing integrated energy work for trauma healing.
I am a native to Ypsilanti and passionate about serving this community and surrounding communities with my whole heart. You may also find me at the bedside of a loved one as I witness and sit at the veil with those crossing over. In all my work I honor the moments of transition and thresholds with my full presence.
Johanna Nader
Johanna Nader often refers to herself as a “rebel without a clue,” but she also believes her entire life has been a prologue to now: living a life of joy and purpose.
Johanna met the Goddess in her pursuit of Women’s Studies and Feminism at University There she first participated in and discovered the power of Circle. Johanna continues to study and learn the many ways and expressions of the Goddess.
Later, Johanna began creating and facilitating Women’s Circles wherever she could. Now retired, Johanna has given herself over to the study and practice of Circle principles and organization. She believes that Circle itself is Holy and transcends all forms of spirituality and religion.
Randall Stephan
Randall's information is coming soon!
In the beginning...
Sophia Unfolds is the creation of a mother-daughter team, Mara Evenstar & Andrea Evans. Andrea had just recently finished university and was looking for the next step in her path. She was wanting to attend the 2010 Women & Power conference held at Omega Institute in New York and was shy of the funds needed. Excited for this opportunity, Mara offered to sponsor her attendance with the understanding that Andrea would bring back what she learned and share it in some form with her local Michigan community.
The Women & Power conference ended up being a beautiful catalyst for the birth of Sophia Unfolds. When Andrea brought back her experiences and learning from the conference, she and Mara were inspired to share in the form of creating a women’s retreat titled, Feminine Wisdom & Leadership: A cross-generational dialog. This multi-generational retreat had women ranging from 16 to 70+ years old, with every decade being represented. It was so powerful and took on a life of its own becoming an organization and community called Sophia Unfolds.
Since then Sophia Unfolds has hosted numerous retreats, hundreds of full moon gatherings, and have added temples and seasonal offerings -- all in support of nurturing the emergence and rebalancing of the divine feminine. Along the way this beautiful community has been unfolding and growing!
...
Ten years after that first retreat, in 2021, we formalized the organization into an LLC, which included another founder, Leah Myers. It is likely that in the future we will re-organize as a not-for-profit to reflect how it is actually being run. In late 2024, Andrea took a step back from actively co-creating events and that is when we began inviting in other local priestesses to play!
