(Re)-Create your own Origin Stories
to shape-shift your present… and your future.
Uncertain and precarious futures evoke core questions of identity. Identity is shaped by our Origins.
You can partake in crafting origin stories that enhance interbeing.
Course starts Thursday, April 9, 2026, 6 pm to 7:15 pm ET
Story-crafting can be hard… and so many stories exasperate dominant narratives.
Where do we begin?
Amidst heartache for the brokenness of the world and a fair amount of doomscrolling, it is easy to focus on endings.
But the future invites us to also re-consider our origins as a pathway to deepen into who we are becoming.
You know that storytelling can be an agent of transformation… that the process of story crafting can be a sacred journey.
You don’t have to engage in this process alone.
Why Origin Stories?
Origin stories are amongst the most potent and powerful stories there are.
They shape understandings of personal and collective identity and purpose.
They shape notions of causality - what is the source of a particular problem - which directly influences how we understand its solutions. How you determine the origin of a problem/issue/family/present-moment-context determines the what and the how of the decisions you take to address it.
If the “problem” of America’s ills originates in “outsiders who aren’t like “us”” then the so-called “solution” becomes: “get rid of the outsiders.”
If the purpose of our life stems from our origins of deep interconnectivity with all beings, then we will find approaches to decision making - from investments and philanthropic giving to education and child-rearing - that enhance inter-being.
Join this course to craft an Origin Story that will support you and become a part of your repertoire for years to come.
At a time when our world needs powerful stories and empowered storytellers…
There are ways to craft Origin Stories that enhance interbeing.
Ours is a fractal process.
It works at the level of personal life, of family, of organization, church/temple/spiritual community, of nation, of cosmos.
You choose the story you most want to retell right now.
Become a part of a beautiful community of other storytellers
who also want to strengthen their voice, their meaning-making, their capacity, their actual stories.
Are you a storyteller?
Someone who wants to deepen into practices of ReMembering and ReEnchanting?
This course is for:
Religious/spiritual leaders (professional, vocational, and distinctly unconventional)
Writers, comix-creators, filmmakers, dancers, musicians and other artists
Mothers, Daughters, Grandparents, Sons, Aunties, Uncles, and others who are part of families, including chosen families
People who are actively reMembering lineages and traditions
Politically active citizens and leaders; those who are narrating political stories (ex: the story of the United States)
Environmentalists, social change makers, herbalists and healers
Small business and team leaders (who can influence the organization’s or your team’s origin stories)
Investors, philanthropists, program managers (who can influence story)
What People Are Saying…
“I’ve done anti-racism work, led people in ancestral connection work, and led individuals and groups in rituals for many years, and this course has opened me to new dimensions of myself and where I come from. My connection to my own origins has significantly deepened. I know what my next steps on my path are.”
— Robert W., New York, USA
“Becoming more aware and conscious of who came before me, and learning to hold the tension between oppressor and oppressed and inquiring into “landcestors” made me feel more connected to where I come from... I had not thought that would be possible. I highly recommend this somatic-informed course to anyone who questions their belonging.”
— Annette Lundebye, London, UK and Norway
About your guide…
Hey there. I’m Sara Jolena. People keep telling me that one of the reasons they take courses with me is because of … me. So, here’s a bit about how this course came to be. It took a few years for me to figure out how to tell that story in a way that enhanced inter-being - not guilt or shame or betrayal or furthering the already-existing broken promises. And then it took time to learn how to teach that new/old narrative in a way that got inside of people - not just some “intellectual narrative shift.” It’s a practice that I am still practicing.
In the meantime, I was steeping myself in powerful myths - including creation stories, which I see as a part of the larger category of origin stories. I was also honing my skills as a writer and an editor. Whilst in Seminary, I had the chance to study with Prof Sam Freedman at the Columbia School of Journalism: he was the first person who helped me see my gifts as a “pastoral editor” - I have a particular knack for seeing the stories that want to emerge in a person’s writing/storytelling. I’ve run several Writing Courses as part of our larger ReEnchanting work.
And helping other people shift their own Origin Stories.
Since 2019, I have been actively supporting groups in telling new Origin Stories. I’ve been impressed in what a difference it makes for so many people.
In 2020, we ran our first version of this class.
Now, in 2025, having increased skills and understandings of how Origin Stories - and Big Re-Story-ing works - we are offering this experience/learning journey. It is so much more than another online course!
Sara Jolena has been working with origin stories for over ten years.
It started with ReMembering the Origins of Climate Change…into the Doctrine of Discovery.
Which changed so many of the inter-related stories she tells.
And forged her unique approach to embodied storytelling and working with mystical dimensions of narrative.
Course Outline
8 Lessons over 10 weeks
The first six weeks are designed to 1) help you get into your own writing/storytelling process and 2) tease out different components of the story without rushing into writing it all at once. The last four weeks, with only two sessions in them, are more spacious, giving you the chance to focus on your writing.
All classes will be live Zoom calls lasting roughly 90 minutes. Classes will be recorded.
Course starts Thursday, April 9, 2026, 6 pm to 7:15 pm ET
Week 1
Orientation
Who is gathering together? How are we listening to one another? What stories do you want to work with? How can we work with portals into multiple ways of being and knowing as part of this process? No pre-work is required.
Week 2
Spiritual/Cultural Ancestors
What are the diverse spiritual, religious and cultural dimensions of your story?
Week 3
Relational Ancestors
Who are the different humans? Here we look at the story from different angles. Are there people whose perspectives have not been incorporated, and whom you would like to more fully include?
Week 4
Landcestors
What do the waters and lands have to say?
Week 5
Weaving with the Fantastical
What fantastical creatures, mythological places, and others want to emerge?
Week 6
Storycrafting as Weaving
We begin the process of weaving the different threads that we have been developing over the last six weeks.
Week 7
No class.
Book a 1-1 call with Sara Jolena.
Week 8
Sharing your stories
A time for expansive, compassionate listening and sharing.
Week 9
No class.
Storycrafting on your own.
Week 10
Sharing your stories and next steps
This course is structured around you…
and our community.
The primary work of this course is not listening to long lectures nor reading books.
It is about you and your mystical creative process.
For each class, you will:
receive a worksheet with (writing) prompts
a brief somatic exercise/ritual
Access to structure, guidance, and community to do this work with.
Structure, encouragement and accountability in developing your own writing/crafting process.
Over the Course, you will also receive:
A chance for a 1-1 storytelling coaching session with Sara Jolena
Receive compassionate and constructive feedback on your draft story from the community
Receive compassionate and constructive feedback from Sara Jolena
Have a structured space for writing/story-creation
Engage more deeply with your ancestors
Develop the basic skills needed to begin reMembering new origin stories for your family’s lineage.
You will walk away with an array of resources you can use for this process as you continue on your journey to deeper reMembering.
Let’s talk about financial exchanges and Our Happy Money Policy!
We value your time, energy, commitment, and presence for showing up for this deep work. We are committed to serving you to the best of our ability. With that commitment comes responsibility: for all of us to show up as best as we can. Sequoia Samanvaya has a "no refunds" policy. When you join the Origin Stories Course, please do so because you are ready to fully engage with this work. Not sure? That’s part of what the information session and the free exploration calls are for!
I only want to receive the investment from you that you feel good about making. This is an important part of our Happy Money Policy and our sliding scale, which you can read more about here. Keep in mind that all of our Courses stem from years of research, spiritual work, journeying and practice. As a result, each course offers rare and valuable teachings. There are no big funders supporting this work, and my ability to bring this material together and teach it in this unique way arises from a long journey. The financial exchange between us is part of what creates the container for this work to be possible.
Before you make the commitment to join us, try taking a moment to infuse the energy of the money you are sending with a sense of abundance, gratitude, and appreciation for all that you have learned that has brought you here, and for the lessons that you are about to receive. Let this financial exchange be made from a place of ongoing abundance for all of life.
Financial Exchange
Sliding scale. Suggested amounts:
$350; $473; $577; $650; $775
You can pay the full amount at one time
or contact us to set up a two-month payment plan.
ReMember (new) Origin Stories of Interbeing.
Hear the call to partake in the healing of yourself and your community through the creation of new (and more accurate) Origin Stories.
Strengthen your de-colonial practices through working on yourself and your own ancestors in ways that complement your other practices.
Deepen your relationship with your ancestors.
Enable more harmonious future cultures through telling different stories about our past.
Start crafting your ecological family history.
Stop doing this work alone and join an international community!
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t have time to go to the live 90-minute sessions but I am still interested in this class. What’s possible? Unlike most of my courses, this course is not heavily dependent upon the group. The group is valuable, and people absolutely learn from one another, but you can get a huge amount from just doing the worksheets and the exercises. It IS possible to do this course without being a part of the group. I will look at your submissions and support you via email as much as I can, and you will still be able to schedule get the 45 minute call with me. Just sign up for the course and send me an email letting me know you are doing this sans live-calls. I do not offer a reduced payment for this option.
What happens in the live session? I will respond to your questions and to what I saw coming up in the worksheet. Each person will have a chance to share some of what they are finding. Based on the size of the group, you will have a chance to learn from and contribute to your cohort via active dialogue and conversation. As appropriate to the needs of the group, I will give a teaching around what arises. This is not a lecture-heavy course.
Will the sessions be recorded? Yes. They will be available to everyone who is registered in the class. Do not share the recordings with people who are not in the class.
How much time is this course in between our meeting sessions? It depends on how much you want to put into it. It is possible to do the work in 1-2 hours. Students can spend anywhere between 3-10 hours. Some students report they wish they had more time to give it. Give it the time you can, get what you are able out of it, and you can always return to go deeper when it is appropriate. I encourage you to start a writing/reflection process as part of this course.
What happens if I don’t do the worksheet? You are an adult. You have priorities. You will not get kicked out of the class.
Are you offering 1-1 coaching work as part of this course? Yes. As a participant, you have the opportunity to schedule one 45-minute 1-1 session with me. I also aim to respond to your emails and questions within 48 hours.
If I have mixed ancestry from different cultures, is this a good class for me? Yes. So many of us do! To be transparent, I do have more experience in engaging with people carrying European histories and origin stories and I have a commitment to supporting those of European descent, especially those with long histories in the Americas, as part of our collective journey of decolonization. I have also worked with people whose ancestors herald from India, Indonesia, Philippines, Ghana, Kenya, Iran, Turkey, China, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Native America, to name a few. The questions and worksheets enable engagement with and from multiple lineages. Where appropriate, I will point you to others who have resources and experiences that I do not have whom might be supportive of you in your journey. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you want to talk through this particular question.
I really just want an expert to tell me what to do. Is this a good course for me? No, it is not. I can give strong suggestions but this is about your life, your family, and you taking greater responsibility in a creative way. I am not an “expert” that can solve your problems. I am not a therapist, nor am I a trained “ancestral healer.” I am a witchy mystic, healer, and eco-theologian, and I have done extensive work with my own and other people’s families to support the healing of colonial legacies. I am also on my own learning journey: I will be learning from and alongside you while you are learning from me and the other participants in the course. And really, this is mostly about you doing your own work more than “learning from” me.
Will this course include somatic experiences, music and poetry? Music and poetry are critical! They are also a great love of mine. There will be some music and poetry shared by participants, and you are encouraged to lean into your creative side in doing this work as much as possible!
What if I don’t like my ancestors right now? Everyone alive today has many many ancestors! I suspect you like some of them more than others. All emotions are welcomed. Please understand that I come from a place of honor, respect, and love towards all the ancestors. Sometimes, the best way to love your ancestors is to do today what they could not do in their time.
Do you encourage reparations? This course is not going to tell you that you “should” do one particular action or another. I trust spiritual and creative processes that enable people to sit and move in uncomfortable spaces for long periods of time and find what actions are in most alignment for them and their ancestors. Sometimes the most powerful actions are not what we think they will be or “should” be prior to entering a creative alignment process. Therefore, I don’t have a script of what your specific actions should be in your own journey.
That said, I actively engage in various forms of reparations and advise others in engaging in historical injustice, re-creating sacred relationships with land and oceans, and uprooting the seeds of violence. I am part of a remarkable global network of practitioners, from investors to activists, who are doing various dynamics of this work, including land return, reparations, creating sacred contracts with land, and supporting displaced and exiled people to have a relationship with their ancestral homelands.
Do you channel the ancestors? I do a lot of channeling work, but ancestral channeling per se is not my particular gift. I am cultivating a group of primarily female ancestral healers from different traditions that I can give you opportunities to engage with if you wish.
I’m not religious/don’t have a strong spiritual path. Can I take this course? Yes! And please feel free to ask me questions if the suggested exercises don’t make sense. Sequoia Samanvaya is a place where you can expand, explore and deepen your spirituality.
I don’t know who my ancestors are. Can this course still help me? Yes! For those who are adopted, this course can still be beneficial. There are many origin stories that you can engage with, not just family history origin stories.
How can I access your sliding scale? Please just contact us directly!
Do you do work with individuals and families? Yes, this is a part of my advisory services. It goes significantly deeper than does this work. Please contact me directly to learn more.
I’m realizing there is a lot of history I don’t really know, or I only know it partially. How can I go deeper? Take our ReMembering Course! It is our most time-tested, beloved, long-standing course that has significantly altered many people’s relationship to place and a variety of historical injustices.
Can I take this class and the ReMembering Course at the same time? Yes, it should not be a problem; they are different courses emphasizing different things.
Have you done this before? Yes. I have offered this course twice, in 2020 and 2021. Both times were amazing.
Is there a limit to how many students can sign up? Yes. I am limiting this to 15 students/cohort. This enables me to personally look at every response, get to know you and your family stories, and respond quickly and appropriately to any technological or other issues that may emerge.
Is this part of something bigger than a class? Yes! Sequoia Samanvaya is growing a community of people from multiple faith traditions engaged in the work of ReMembering, Anticipating, and ReEnchanting. In particular, I’m actively growing a diverse community of artists, healers, investors, activists, entrepreneurs, grand/mothers, grand/fathers and other cultural leaders who are working on telling new origin stories as part of healing and ending systemic racism, sexism, ecological destruction and other aspects of colonization.
Questions?
Please reach out to us! We would love to hear from you!