The Maiden Voyage

There comes a time in every girl's life when she begins to leave the shores of childhood and set sail towards womanhood...

Welcome Aboard The Maiden Voyage. Together we will embark on a year-long journey, lovingly crafted for mothers and daughters ready to step onto a transformative path side by side.

Mothers will be held and supported as they walk alongside their daughters through the sacred portal of puberty. Daughters will be gently midwifed through this powerful season of life with softness, nurture, and deep care.

For generations, this transition was honoured as a sacred rite of passage—a time when girls were guided, celebrated and welcomed into the next chapter of their lives by the community around them. Yet many of us entered puberty without a map, a compass, or a village to support us. Instead, we were left to navigate the changing tides of adolescence alone.

As our daughters prepare to navigate the physical, emotional and social changes of puberty, mothers are invited to walk beside them with greater understanding, confidence and connection. At the same time, women are offered the opportunity to revisit their own experiences of growing up, reclaim their inner maiden, and heal the stories they carry about their bodies, cycles and womanhood.

We will journey through the Wheel of the Year, gathering with the turning seasons and learning from the wisdom of cycles. Through circle, storytelling, nature connection, creative expression, body literacy, ritual and ceremony, we create a village where girls are celebrated, mothers are supported, and healthy sisterhood can flourish.

What We Hope To Cultivate

Throughout our year together, mothers and daughters will have opportunities to:

• Build trust and open communication

• Strengthen the bond between mother and daughter during this important stage of life

• Develop a deeper understanding of the physical, emotional and social changes of puberty

• Foster confidence, self-worth and body appreciation

• Explore healthy friendships, boundaries and communication skills

• Connect with the wisdom of nature's cycles and our own inner rhythms

• Create meaningful memories and shared experiences together

• Experience the support of a caring community of women and girls

• Honour the transition as your daughter steps toward womanhood with greater awareness, confidence and celebration

Walking The Wheel

The Wheel of the Year becomes our map and compass throughout this journey.

As we move through the seasons, we explore the understanding that life unfolds in cycles. The seasons of the earth, the phases of the moon, the menstrual cycle, our emotional landscapes, and the stages of life are inter-connected. 

The wheel reminds us that everything belongs, whether that be the seasons of growth and blooming or the seasons of rest and reflection.The times of beginning, becoming, letting go, endings, and renewal.

By learning to recognise these rhythms within ourselves, we begin to move with the rhythms of life, This wisdom can help us:

• Understand the connection between our emotions, energy and cycles

• Honour our need for both activity and rest

• Develop greater self-awareness and self-compassion

• Recognise that change is a natural part of life

• Celebrate all aspects of ourselves as we grow into wholeness

What to Expect

Each gathering weaves together learning, creativity, connection and reflection in a way that is engaging, age-appropriate and meaningful for both mothers and daughters.

Throughout the year we will explore:

Circle & Community – Gathering in circle to share stories, listen deeply and build meaningful connections.

Nature Connection – Learning from the wisdom of the seasons and developing a deeper relationship with the natural world.

Body Literacy – Understanding puberty, menstrual cycles, emotions and the changing body.

Creative Expression – Sacred crafting, art, journalling and hands-on activities that help bring learning to life.

Storytelling & Reflection – Exploring stories, myths and personal experiences as a pathway to insight and understanding.

Ritual & Ceremony – Honouring life's transitions through meaningful practices that celebrate growth, belonging and becoming.

No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to show up, be curious and journey together.

OUR JOURNEY AROUND THE WHEEL

IMBOLC – Gathering the Crew 

Beginnings, intention setting, circle agreements & introduction to the Wheel of the Year

Sunday 16/8/26 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

The beginning of every voyage starts with a single step.

At Imbolc we gather to meet one another and the land around us as we create our circle, set intentions for the year ahead, and explore the Wheel of the Year as our map and compass. Together we begin building trust, connection and a sense of belonging that will support our journey through the seasons.

OSTARA – The Awakening

Puberty, menarche, body literacy & reclaiming our stories as women and mothers 

SUNDAY 13/9/26 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

As spring awakens the earth, we honour the awakening taking place within our daughters and within ourselves.

Girls are gently introduced to the changes of puberty and the journey towards menarche, while mothers are invited to reflect upon and reclaim their own coming-of-age stories.

This gathering offers an opportunity to meet this threshold with greater awareness, understanding and reverence, laying the foundations for a positive relationship with the changing body and the journey into womanhood

BELTANE – Travelling Together

Relationship, Friendship, sisterhood, boundaries & healthy relationships

SUNDAY 25/10/26 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

No voyage is undertaken alone.

As our circle continues to grow, we explore the art of healthy relationships and what it means to journey in community. Together we examine friendship, belonging, boundaries and communication, learning how to navigate challenges with kindness, honesty and respect.

We also have a beautiful ritual to deepen the relationship between mother and daughter

LITHA – Navigating New Waters

Adolescent brain development, emotional changes & inner seasons of the menstrual cycle

SUNDAY 13/12/26 10:00am - 2.30pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

As we reach the height of the sun's power, we turn our attention to the remarkable growth and change taking place within us.

Together we explore the developing adolescent brain, emotional changes and the important developmental thresholds that accompany the journey from childhood towards adolescence. We also deepen our understanding of the inner seasons of the menstrual cycle and the wisdom each phase offers.

This gathering reminds us that change is not something to fear, but something we can learn to navigate with awareness and compassion.

LAMMAS – Harvesting the Journey

Rites of passage, reflection & noticing growth and change

SUNDAY 14/2/27 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

At harvest time we pause to reflect on how far we have travelled.

Together we revisit the intentions planted at the beginning of our voyage and celebrate the growth, courage and learning that has emerged along the way. We explore rites of passage from cultures around the world and reflect on the importance of consciously honouring life's transitions.

This gathering invites us to recognise that becoming is a journey worth celebrating.

MABON – Tending the Vessel

Self-care, body wisdom & understanding needs through the inner seasons of the menstrual cycle 

SUNDAY 21/03/27 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

As day and night come into balance, we explore what it truly means to care for ourselves.

Together we will discuss self-care beyond bubble baths and treats (although they are great too!) learning how to recognise and respond to our physical, emotional and energetic needs. Through the lens of cyclical living, we explore how our needs can shift throughout the seasons, the menstrual cycle and the different stages of life.

This gathering invites mothers and daughters to develop a deeper understanding of self-care as a lifelong practice of listening to, honouring and nurturing ourselves.

SAMHAIN – Wisdom of the Dark

Reflection, release & remembering our place

SUNDAY 9/05/27 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

As the earth moves into the darker half of the year, Samhain invites us to slow down, turn inward and listen deeply.

Together we will explore the gifts found in stillness, reflection and release. Through exploring lineage, belonging and place, mothers and daughters are invited to reflect on the threads that connect us — to those who came before, to the land beneath us, and to the greater cycles of life.

YULE – Celebration of Becoming

Rite of passage ceremony, acknowledgement & celebrating the journey into adolescence

SUNDAY 20/06/27 10:00am - 3.00pm

Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

As the wheel turns once more, we gather to honour the journey we have shared and the growth that has unfolded throughout the year.

Together we celebrate each maiden and acknowledge the courage, wisdom and unique gifts she brings into the world. Through reflection, ritual and ceremony, mothers and daughters will have an opportunity to pause and recognise the transformations, learnings and connections cultivated throughout our voyage.

As one journey comes to an end, another begins. May our daughters step forward knowing they are supported, celebrated and deeply valued.

MEET YOUR FACILITATORS

About Emma

First and foremost, Emma is a mother to a daughter.

Like many women, Emma’s own journey through puberty was not consciously honoured as a rite of passage. Through her lived experience, personal healing and journey into motherhood, she has been drawn to creating spaces where girls can be supported, celebrated and empowered through this important threshold.

Emma has trained with the Rites of Passage Institute and studied with Jane Hardwicke Collings School of Shamanic Womancraft, deepening her understanding of puberty as a sacred rite of passage, cyclical wisdom and women’s mysteries. She has also spent the past four years immersed in mother–daughter circle work—first as a participant in the Seeding Wisdom program, and for the past two years as co-facilitator to a free ongoing mother–daughter circle held alongside her own daughter in her local community..

Emma weaves together teachings on rites of passage, cyclical living, menstrual cycle awareness and education, nature connection and community, creating circles where both mothers and daughters can feel seen, supported and valued.

Her intention is that every girl who journeys through The Maiden Voyage feels inspired by who she is becoming, and every mother feels held as she walks beside her daughter.

About Madeleine

Madeleine sees herself as inhabiting the role of 'community aunty' in both her work, and life, in general.

Madeleine works with children as a nature-connection mentor, carer, and Developmental Movement Therapist. She also co-facilitates a Mother-daughter circle with Emma in her community.

Madeleine derives a deep sense of joy in journeying alongside the children in her life as they grow and walk their own paths, and providing them with support where needed.

Madeleine's role within The Maiden Voyage is to hold, alongside Emma, a safe container through which Mothers and daughters can feel witnessed, and gently guided towards a deeper sense of connection to self, and each other. She is committed to being community aunty for the girls, and having some fun along the way!

Investment & Enrolment

The Maiden Voyage is a year-long mother–daughter journey designed to support one of the most important thresholds in a young girl’s life.

This is not a drop-in workshop series, but a seasonal rite of passage experience that unfolds across the year—deepening trust, connection and understanding over time.

Your investment supports the full year of gatherings, facilitation, preparation, and the holding of a safe and consistent space for both mothers and daughters.

Investment

Full Year Investment: $1320 per mother–daughter pair 

Or
Payment plans available: 

$660 x 2 instalments

$330 x 4 Instalments

$165 x  8 instalments 

Prices are Inclusive of GST 

Cash welcome 

Please contact emma@manecollective.com.au to secure your spot

What’s Included

• 8 seasonal mother–daughter circle gatherings across the year

• All creative materials and resources for each gathering (with the occasional request to bring simple household items such as a bowl, rolling pin or similar)

• Guided rites of passage learning for both mothers and daughters

• Circle facilitation and held group process

• Nature-based, cyclical and experiential learning

• A supported community of mothers and daughters journeying together

A Note on Access & Support

It is important to us that this work is accessible. If you feel deeply called to this journey but finances are a barrier, please don’t hesitate to reach out for a conversation. A small number of supported places are held each year to help make this work available where possible.

Enrolment

Places are intentionally limited to maintain the intimacy and safety of the circle.

If you feel called to join this voyage, we invite you to step forward and secure your place.

We would be honoured to welcome you and your daughter aboard The Maiden Voyage.

Enrolment can be made by contacting emma@manecollective.com.au

FAQS

What happens if we miss a gathering?
As this is a small, committed circle and places are limited, missed sessions are not refundable. You are welcome to rejoin the same gathering in the following year, or we can offer a summary so you can stay connected with the journey.

Can I pay in instalments?
Yes, payment plans are available.

What if finances are a barrier?
Please reach out for a conversation. A small number of supported places are held each year to help make this work accessible where possible.

I’d love to join, but I'm not sure my daughter will… 

Yes — this is very common. Many girls feel unsure at first, especially if this is new for them. The circle is gently held with no pressure to perform or participate in any particular way.

The creative, hands-on nature of the gatherings (crafting, making, shared activities) often helps girls settle in naturally and feel at ease.

Most daughters soften into the space once they feel the warmth and connection of the group. If you feel called to the journey, that’s often enough to begin.

What age is this for?
Girls aged approximately 8–12, ideally before or during the early stages of puberty.

Do we need any prior experience with circle work or nature-based practices?
No prior experience is needed. Everything is guided and introduced in a simple, accessible way.

Where are the gatherings held?
Ulladulla Water Ski Club, Edward Ave, Kings Point NSW 2539

What should we bring?
A small list will be sent before each gathering. You will need to bring your own lunch (morning & afternoon tea will be provided) and cushions/pillows to sit on. Most creative materials are provided, though occasionally simple household items may be requested (such as a bowl, rolling pin or similar).

Can siblings come?
This journey is held as a one mother–one daughter experience, so that each pairing can be fully supported within the circle. 

Can a girl attend with an aunty, grandmother, or another significant female caregiver?

Absolutely. While The Maiden Voyage is designed around the mother–daughter relationship, we deeply honour the role of aunties, grandmothers, older sisters, mentors, and other trusted women within a girl’s village.

If there is a special girl in your life — such as a niece, granddaughter, or family friend — and you play a meaningful caregiving or mentoring role, you are warmly welcome to attend with her.

Is The Maiden Voyage a religious or spiritual program?

The Maiden Voyage is not affiliated with any religion, church, or spiritual organisation. The program is centred on supporting girls and the women who walk beside them through the transition into puberty, while fostering connection, self-awareness, creativity, and community.

Throughout the year we use the Celtic Wheel of the Year as a seasonal framework, with gatherings inspired by traditional festivals such as Imbolc, Beltane, and Samhain. These ancient seasonal celebrations help us explore the rhythms of nature alongside the changes girls experience as they grow. They are offered as cultural and seasonal markers for storytelling, reflection, and learning—not as religious observances or practices.

Families from a wide range of backgrounds are welcome. Some connect with the experience in a spiritual way, while others simply appreciate it as a meaningful, nature-inspired rite of passage. There is never an expectation that participants adopt any particular beliefs, and everyone is invited to engage in a way that feels authentic and comfortable for their family.