Events & Celebrations, Stories
Bringing Back the Sacred
As part of our Mystery School meetups there is always the sharing of a story steeped in the wisdom of our ancestors. In the video below, I read a story under a tree at the sanctuary to give you a feel for the magic of this part of our gatherings. The Star Dancers story is an Iroquois Native American legend about a world that has fallen into bad times and how the children work to bring the sacred ways of the ancestors back.
Here at the sanctuary, that is also our goal. Since we are not of Native American heritage, we are mainly working to bring back our European American heritage as well as sharing from other traditions which show our many commonalities. Since we speak English, it is the English speaking ancestral wisdom that is encoded into our language and ways of thinking. So this is the best way for us to understand the Mysteries through our own magical and wholly intact language and the great literature and Holy Scriptures which has been passed down to us.
So with that introduction, please sit back, relax, and I am confident you will be enchanted with this magical reading of The Star Dancers, from the book Skywoman: Legends of the Iroquois by Joanne Shenandoah and Douglas M. George.
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
