Questions
Questions families ask
Ages, funding, mentors, safety, and how to join.
Questions and answers
These are the questions families ask most often about Wild Souls Pathways, 13 Moons and Fire Keepers. If yours is not here, write to us.
What is Wild Souls Pathways?
Wild Souls Pathways is a nonprofit village in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California that offers yearlong rites of passage for young people. It runs 13 Moons for girls aged 11 to 14 and Fire Keepers for boys aged 11 to 14.
How is Wild Souls Pathways funded?
By donations from the village: families, friends and partners who give so the year can happen.
What ages are the paths for?
Both paths are for young people aged 11 to 14: 13 Moons for girls and Fire Keepers for boys.
Who are the mentors, and how are they screened?
In 13 Moons, a circle of women guides the girls. In Fire Keepers, each boy is paired with one man for the whole year, and this year's circle has six boys and six mentors. Every adult mentor in both paths has completed a California Department of Justice Live Scan background check.
Where do the gatherings happen?
On private land owned by mentors in the Santa Cruz Mountains: redwood forest, meadow, creek and ridge, with an occasional day on the water. Families receive each meeting place from the mentors before every gathering.
How long is a path?
One year. From autumn 2027, every circle runs from autumn to summer. Fire Keepers has four Friday to Sunday immersions and a day gathering in most months between. 13 Moons follows thirteen lunar cycles, and its four seasons follow the four phases of a girl's own cycle.
What do parents do?
Parents open the year with their child at a family gathering, hear from the village before every gathering, and return at the end of the year to welcome their child home.
Is Wild Souls Pathways religious?
No. Wild Souls Pathways is not a religious organization. The paths draw on gratitude for the living world, time outdoors, and sitting in a circle where everyone gets a turn to speak.
How does a young person join?
Write to us with the young person's first name, their age and what draws you here. From autumn 2027, new circles of both paths begin each autumn, and someone from the village will write back to begin a conversation.
Can I give, and is it tax deductible?
Yes. Wild Souls Pathways is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 41-5193791, so gifts are tax deductible as the law allows. Give online through Give Lively, or mail a check to 150 Oxford Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.