The Sanctuary for Sacred Union

06/14/2026

Hello friends, The Sanctuary for Sacred Union invites you to join us for a Q&A call to explore our 2027 Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage to France!

This trip is different from other Magdalene pilgrimages in some important ways:

First of all, on this trip, we spend a lot more time in Nature than in churches.

That's because we've found it easier to connect with Magdalene's energy in the natural environment (and because there were no churches when Magdalene walked the earth). She whispers in the wind, sparkles in the rivers, and holds her secrets in the stones.

The experience of soaking in the frequency of that land is deeply instructive for how to listen to Spirit, and how to walk in the Way of Love.

A second difference is that we lead this trip together as a couple, whereas most Magdalene pilgrimage trips are led by individual women.

There is a unique synergy in what we bring to the experience. If you don't know much about us... here's a little peek:

I (Allison) am not a church person; in this life, I've mostly trained with Native American elders and wisdom keepers. For many lifetimes, I have carried the codes of the Sacred Feminine as a priestess of the Divine Mother. My mystical relationship with Yeshua and Mary Magdalene runs deep and goes way back in time.

JT is a church person; as a pastor and biblical scholar, he understands the stories and teachings from scripture in a way that I do not.

Together, we lead in the way of Yeshua and Magdalene and the Cathars: as true partners, in Sacred Union. This brings a rich texture of wholeness to the experience.

A third difference is that we hold the entire trip in a potent and protected shamanic prayer container, which makes for a powerful transformational journey. (As such, this trip is for serious spiritual seekers only.)

And... While it is a deeply meaningful spiritual journey, we include lots of fun – such as a winery tour, a shopping day, amazing food, etc. – because stopping to smell the roses (aka enjoying life) is part of the blessing of this Path! It provides a good balance to the more serious inner work that we will be doing.

If you resonate with Magdalene's story and energy, the Way of Love, and/or the spiritual path of Sacred Union, we invite you to consider joining us in 2027.

The best way to explore this opportunity is to attend our Q&A call on Saturday, July 25 at 10am Mountain Time (12 Noon Eastern in the US) where you can meet us on Zoom, hear us talk about the pilgrimage, and ask questions about the trip.

Registration for the Q&A and link to our Web site are in the comments.

We hope to see you soon on Zoom!

05/14/2026

The world is crazy chaotic right now. There's a lot of noise in the system.

The airwaves are so crammed with attention-grabbing fear-mongering headlines, advertisements, interruptions – and, unfortunately, interference from nefarious forces – that the pulse of the Divine is becoming harder and harder to perceive.

That's why I made this video for you, "Seeking for Signal amidst the noise."

With gratitude to Olya Shekinah for the inspiration to share this message.

NOTE: I've noticed that my emails and Facebook posts are only getting through to a very small percentage of my community. If you are seeing this message at all... please comment below so I know you are still with me!

WOMEN: THERE IS STILL TIME TO JOIN SACRED BODY AWAKENING!

Apparently, I moved too quickly last week to close the temple doors for Sacred Body Awakening. Women are still making their way to the circle, and we do have a few more seats available.
When I tuned in with Divine Mother, she said, "Gather the women. Now is the time."

So I am re-opening the temple doors through the weekend. (Please note that I won't be available for calls and messages, though, as I'm leading a ceremony retreat starting tonight.)

Sacred Body Awakening begins next week with two Zoom calls so if you feel the call, now is the time to hop in.

To avoid interference, I'm not pasting the link here. Please find it on the The Sanctuary for Sacred Union web site.

Love,
Allison

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/03/2026

This article came out yesterday, just in time for our upcoming Christian Leaders Retreat (our 5th).

Several of the pastors quoted in this article are friends and supporters of The Sanctuary for Sacred Union.

And JT Smiedendorf is part of the national committee cited in the article, that is working to encourage the United Church of Christ to openly affirm psychedelic prayer.

In these retreats, we see a variety of experiences such as having arguments with God and receiving miraculous healing from deep wounds that were inflicted by the Church. Some come because their faith is being tested, or because they are thinking about leaving the Church and want to get clear on the decision.

Most (if not all) leave with a sense that their faith has been deepened, fortified, affirmed.
Progress is being made on the religious front.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1J3JacQByT/

Meet the psychedelic Christians ‘It was my first deep, embodied experience of the Holy Spirit.’ Statue of lord Jesus in a light motion background. (partha dalal photography/Getty) Statue of lord Jesus in a light motion background. (partha dalal photography/Getty) GenesisMagic MushroomsPentecosta...

04/28/2026

Hi friends, It's priestess Allison here.

Like many, I've been tuned in to the collective pain of women these past few weeks and months. Mine included.

From "grab 'em by the p***y" to "drill baby drill," the dismantling of environmental protections, the murder of young women in Iran, the Epstein files, and now the online SA academy...

It feels like a full-on assault on the feminine in general, and a betrayal of women specifically. When I tune into the collective field, I perceive women's hearts and bodies crying out: This must stop.

The symptoms are shocking and outrageous. But we must not get stuck in shock and outrage. If we are to make a difference, we must work at the level of root cause.

What lies beneath this particular kind of pain is humanity's separation from the Divine Feminine, the Great Mother of us all.

This is the wound that must be healed, now.

I have been deep in prayer with Divine Mother and Earth Mother.

I've been asking... What is needed? How might we heal this deep wound?

I've been charging the field with blessing, clearing karma for the collective, healing family wounds, releasing hooks from my womb.

I've been receiving instructions for how to meet this moment in a way that is helpful.

I want to share some of this with you but Facebook doesn't feel like the right place to share it.

Sisters, one thing I know is that... we cannot do this alone. We need each other. With everything that's going on and so much "heat" in the field, women must gather.

Thankfully, I can offer a couple of opportunities for us to do that.

🌹 Next Tuesday, I'm giving a free LIVE transmission at the Royal Goddess Summit with Olya Shekinah. See comments for details.

🌹 Next month, I'm offering Sacred Body Awakening. This is a powerful body of work that will help you clear what's holding you back from wielding your full feminine power for the Good and give you embodied practices to use for the purposes of prayer, healing and blessing. Link in comments.

Hang in there, sisters. We can do this.

With love from Allison

03/09/2026

Happy International Women's Day!

It's me, priestess Allison. I am devoting the whole day to being in the temple with myself and with Goddess. I do this in honor of all women, and specifically for those women around the world who cannot do this sort of thing today – or any day soon – because they are living in slavery, oppression, a war zone, a domestic-abuse situation, poverty, illness, etc.

Along with my prayers, I offer my pleasure, my freedom, my aliveness, my heart-smile, my joy, my inner light... And my gratitude.

May there be a time when all women, our shared earth mother, and the Divine Mother Of Us All are HONORED AS SACRED.

Thank you to all my sisters on planet earth.
Without us, there would be no human family.

IMAGE: Divine Feminine Frequency Keepers by Radhaa Nilia

02/01/2026

Another beautiful sermon offered by JT Smiedendorf this morning in Minneapolis. It is an uplifting follow-up to the message he gave last week.

We are feeling so much gratitude to the many of you who have let us know that these messages are inspiring to you. We receive your feedback as fuel and encouragement to keep going.

If you resonate with our work, please join our mailing list (use the "connect" button on our web site) because in the future, we will be sharing less here on FB about our temple ceremonies and mystery school teachings, as we are increasing the guardianship to protect the sacred work.

(Sermon replay link in comments.)

02/01/2026

Good morning, All Our Relations.

We are popping in here to say hello as we emerge from a period deep service, to share a few highlights of what we've been up to at The Sanctuary for Sacred Union / School for Sacred Union.

Last week, we held a medicine ceremony retreat for a group of high-level spiritual change-makers; in this circle, we delighted in being outnumbered by immigrants from countries all over the globe who are committed to creating a world that works for All.

In the past few days, our spiritual elder, Grandmother La'ne Sa'an, has been here in Colorado with Allison, serving some of our closest students/mentees. Together, they have been chasing out darkness, reclaiming Light... and committing to yet even more responsibility as stewards of this earth and servants of the Divine.

In the School for Sacred Union, we are mid-way through our online course on Spiritual Warriorship. It couldn't have come at a more relevant time, and we couldn't be happier with this cohort of seekers, who are showing up with deep care and heart-felt intention.

This coming week, we will accept a new group of mystery-students into the Spiritual Leaders Program, a cohort journey that will take us deep into the Beyond, over the next two years.

In the spring, we will welcome a group of Christian leaders to our temple for medicine ceremony retreat. There are a few spots remaining in that circle; please let us know privately if one of them is yours.

We offer all of our work in devotion to the vision and promise of heaven on earth. It is up to ALL of us to co-create this reality.

I hope you will join us, whether through prayers at your own altar; on the streets as a protector of human rights; in devoted stewardship of the natural environment; in ceremony in our temple... or in some other way that is aligned for you.

Together in community, let us link arm in arm, steady our gaze, deepen our breath and stand strong as guardians of light, in the way of love. Let us love and serve All Our Relations as if our very lives depends on it, because our lives really do depend on it.

PLEASE NOTE:

As the forces of darkness have been tightening their grip, we have been increasing the guardianship around our work, most of which occurs behind the veil. Going forward, we will not publicly post about medicine ceremonies, mystery school teachings, etc.

If you resonate with what we are up to, we invite you to join our mailing list now (use the "connect" button on our Web site). This is the best way to stay informed of upcoming ceremonies and other offerings.

ARTWORK: "Where heaven and earth meet." Artist unknown

PS –– If you enjoyed JT's Minneapolis sermon last week, look for our separate post with today's follow-up sermon.

01/27/2026

"May our faithful response — and our presence amidst our response — remain guided and empowered by divine love, the kind of divine love that is stronger than death, and stronger than the forces of violence." –– Rev. JT Smiedendorf, Minneapolis, MN January 26, 2026

––––––

Thanks to all of you who have sent prayers for Minneapolis and messages of care for JT this week. We are deeply touched. Please keep the positive support coming; it is working!

The collective field in Minneapolis (and in the nation) has been chaotic, volatile and charged with emotion. Alex Pretti was killed just a few blocks from JT's church and apartment in downtown Minneapolis – and for a brief time, the national guard stationed themselves right across the street.

In a situation like this, it's easy to be reactive, angry and suspicious of others. However, acting out on those emotions adds to the field of negativity and can do more harm than good by escalating the trouble.

Instead, we wish to uplift the widespread and inspiring positive actions happening in Minneapolis. Many in the community are rising to embody the very best of human nature: People are driving their neighbors to work and school, delivering food to families who are afraid to leave their homes, and supporting local businesses to stay afloat. Churches are providing shelter. Clergy are lining up in the streets to sing and pray.

If you are wondering how to support from afar, we encourage you to double-down on your spiritual practices and do whatever it takes to remain connected to love.

Peace in the outer world can only be generated by those who carry peace within.

As we prepare to teach Class #2 in our series on Spiritual Warriorship tonight, we send our blessings to all of you. May you be held in the arms of the Divine One.

NOTE: You'll find a link to JT's full sermon from Sunday in the comments. Even if you do not resonate with the Christian tradition, we encourage you to have a listen. It is a powerful message. (sermon begins at 27 min into the video)

With love and gratitude,
JT & Allison

01/18/2026

Dear friends, Priestess Allison here.

This week, my guides reminded me of the many experiences that I've had over the past 15 years, which carried divine messages about A) what's happening in the world now, and B) how to respond to what's happening in the world now.

I was so grateful for the reminder! So I thought I'd share some of my learnings, in case they might be helpful to you, as well.

One of the first things I was shown is the long-arc of evolution, in which the Creator/Sustainer/Destroyer makes and re-makes the creation over and over and over again. From nothing, something. From something, nothing. The primordial impulse to create is the same impulse that destroys ... in order to create anew. These endless cycles of birth, life and death are born of the sacred union between consciousness (Divine Masculine) and love (Divine Feminine).

Next, I was shown that there would be a time of destructivity, which we are now experiencing. I saw a world on fire, with human systems and natural systems all breaking down. I was told, "Many humans and other creatures will suffer. But ultimately, it is for the highest Good of All." I believe that we are in a moment of breakdown-to-breakthrough, after which we will co-create an entirely new reality. There is no guarantee that humanity will make it through this portal. But I remain hopeful. My prayer is that in the new new world, humans will learn to live in peace and harmony – not just with each other, but also with All of Life.

Over the last many years, I have I received memories of my past lives, more than a few of which were in service to the Divine. In this Remembrance, I recommitted to my vows and to honoring the ancient practices and ways that support humans to live in alignment with the greater whole: a deep reverence for the circle of life; humility in relationship to the Creator; gathering in circle to sing, drum and dance our prayers; offering reciprocity, respect and sacred relationship with nature spirits, elementals, plants, minerals and animals; going deep into the Underworld to retrieve gifts and wisdom. These are the ways that will serve us, now.

One night as I sat in a group medicine journey, several of the participants experienced tremendous suffering, the likes of which I'd never seen before that moment. I was guided to feel my care without joining them in their suffering. I was given the assignment to cultivate pleasure and offer it as a prayer. I was shown how to hold joy and pain side by side in my heart, with blessing. This is a soul-lesson that I've been learning here on earth for thousands of years. I hope to really get it this time. Perhaps you will, too.

Some years later, in another journey, I was taken to a past-life in which I was poor, destitute, alone, scared and hurting. I had no access to any of the spiritual wisdom and tools that I have had in past lives or in this life. From this low, low place, I was guided to go and sit with someone who was also suffering. I had no magic to give – no shamanic tools, no priestess rituals, no medicines. All I had to offer was my love, my presence and my hand to hold. And... it was enough. This was a powerful teaching for me about the power of love and presence that I hope we can all learn from.

At Standing Rock 10 years ago, JT and I learned that resisting the power of empire is much more potent when it is conducted as a prayer-meeting – in a ceremonial way, and as a community effort. Not everyone needs to be on the front lines. It is just as important to have people in the background who are cooking for the people, raising the tipis, tending the sacred fire, praying at the river. Let this be a lesson for us now, as well.

Last summer in Glastonbury, I received a deep transmission into my body of the divine frequencies of the Queendom of Heaven, the More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible, the New Earth... or whatever you might choose to call it. I had a full-on experience of bliss right in the midst of tremendous chaos, negativity and destructivity that was going on in the outer world. I realized that this is ours to do: to cultivate the divine frequencies, hold fast to the vision of what is possible, and shine our lights even in the darkest times.

And so it goes.

We may not be at-choice about everything falling apart around us. But we are most certainly at-choice in how we respond.

Starting this Tuesday (Jan 20), JT and I are looking forward to offering, with our amazing spiritual elder, Grandmother La'ne Sa'an Moonwalker, a 6-week online course in Spiritual Warriorship. We hope you'll join us.

There's no link in the comments because I've been told this actually diminishes the chances that you will see this message. So if you're interested, please make your way to the web site for The Sanctuary for Sacred Union and you'll find it there. Also we would be happy to welcome you to our mailing list, as well.

With love from Allison

01/10/2026

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only Love can do that..”
– Martin Luther King

Greetings, friends, Pastor JT here.

Many of you know that I currently work as a pastor in Minneapolis where, in the past 7 months, the community has suffered through a political assassination, a school mass-shooting, and now ICE violence leading to death.

Here in the city, the shock waves from Renee Good's killing have been intense. People are grieving, protesting and gluing themselves to the news. Everyday church life involves scanning the parking lot and neighborhood for large unmarked black or grey SUVs that ICE may be driving.

Two days ago, as I attended, with my clergy colleagues, a press conference at the site of the recent tragedy, I noticed a helicopter watching us from above. It reminded me of the ever-present helicopters that hovered above Standing Rock when Allison and I were there in 2016.

At Standing Rock, I learned a key lesson in spiritual warriorship: The forces of empire want us to play their game of threat, aggression and domination. It works for them if our resistance matches their tactics and their energetic frequency. They know they will always win that game because they are well equipped, well funded, and masters at power-over.


Don't play the game

Rather than joining that game, I pray that we will instead follow the lead of the great spiritual warriors like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. He knew that we must have the focus, discipline, and wisdom to serve and defend what matters most – in a different way. We must hold a different frequency of energy, and use different tactics.

In the face of darkness and danger, we are called to hold a fierce love, an unshakable calm, and a bright light as we defend what is sacred and life-giving.

This is what it means to be a spiritual warrior. It's not about violence or aggression. It's about being in service to what is best for the greater whole, no matter what may come.


How will you show up?

It matters where you put your attention and life-force energy. It matters how you show up every moment, every day.
• Are you centered or reactive?
• Can you bring a steady presence to those who are scared or shaky?
• Will you protect what is sacred and life-giving?
• Are you prepared to stand in the face of vitriol and be a force for love, truth and healing?
• What matters so much that you are willing to give your life for it?


Join us for Spiritual Warriorship
6-week journey starts January 20

The timing could not be better for our upcoming online course, Spiritual Warriorship, which Allison and I will teach with our beloved spiritual mentor, Grandmother La'ne Sa'an Moonwalker. This is a rare opportunity to study with us online (as most of our teachings are in person), and to learn directly from a world-renowned lineage holder.

Please join this community of spiritual warriors standing together, as lights in the darkness.

Let's walk together in the Way of Love.

Blessings,
Pastor JT

PS – If you missed the free Introduction to Spiritual Warriorship in November, you can view the replay on the registration page. Just click the button below.

PHOTO: Memorial for Renee Good in Minneapolis

FROM ALLISON: JT will deliver a sermon on "Meeting Jesus at the Border" tomorrow at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis. You can find it live on YouTube or watch the replay here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/xCN-A4_ep1E?si=YPigtJkzPkRRX3fb