The Lady Yeshe Rabbit: High Priestess of Alchemy
Ordained May 13, 2007 by Z Budapest
Dedicated to Oshun, Khotun, Baba Yaga, Aphrodite and Ancestress Yeshe Tsogyal

Rabbit was born on the Hare Moon, the Full Moon in May when the horns of the Great Cow Goddess arch against the night sky. As the founding High Priestess of the Wildflower Tradition and the Amazon Priestess Tribe, ordained in the Dianic Tradition by Z Budapest, Rabbit serves the Divine as an Oracle, Ritualist, and Herbalist. She practices and studies tarot, plant medicine and lore, stones and crystals, ritual craft, mythology and storytelling, shamanic practices, singing, drumming, and alchemy. Her store, The Sacred Well, serves the material needs of esoteric practitioners, ecstatic wanderers, and all those drawn to the mystical arts in the sunny San Francisco Bay Area. Above all else, Rabbit is deeply grateful for the Goddess and the many blessings She generously gives.

“Ritual is the art of transformation - a practice of dissolving the individual identity into an emanation of light that transcends the physical self and unites the soul with the cosmos. When we release ego and commune with the Divine during the course of ritual we change our lives irrevocably, and it is important that we pursue this work with reverence and clear, benevolent will. Bringing together the radiant Wildflowers, dazzling Amazons, and the sparkling individuals who make up CAYA Coven was my way of creating the opportunity for many people to experience that shimmering moment of intentional ritual transcendence, for all of us to become golden.”

Lady Kahina: High Priestess of Divining Change
Dedicated to Artemis, Oshun, Shango, Brigantia and Isis/Au Set

“I am an actor, a singer, a dancer, a teacher, a healer, a lover, a mother, a warrior, a priestess, a witch.....A Woman.”

Lady Kahina is a High Priestess of both the Wildflower and Amazon traditions of Come As You Are Coven, a priestess of the Corellian tradition, and an initiate of the Gardnerian tradition. Lady Kahina is the founder of the Grove of Artemis women's full moon circle, and the leader of the “Sprouts” pagan parenting group. She plans to eventually create a pagan centered earth conscious, children's scouting troop.

Lady Kahina is also a legally ordained interfaith minister who offers professional Tarot Card Readings, Spiritual Counseling, pagan and interfaith wedding ceremonies, and Rites of Passage.

Lady Iris RedRaven: High Priestess of Conscious Joy
Dedicated to Yemaya, Ganesh, the Morrighan, and Iris

Born and raised in the Midwestern US, Iris spent her high school years exploring the ritual act of theatre, which transitioned to the magic of philosophy in college. She became a witch at 13, following her mother’s footsteps. Together, they created the Evensong Tradition, in which Iris holds a Third Degree. She founded the May You See Things In Clarity (MYSTIC) Society at her university and was active in the St Louis Pagan community. She came to the Bay Area to further her formal education and now holds an MA in Women's Spirituality. The easy, open vibe of the Bay and the nearness of the ocean hooked Iris, and she is grateful to be part of the the amazing pagan community here, especially rediscovering theatre as a ritual process. She is a founding CAYA Priestess and an Amazon Dianic High Priestess.

Iris feels that her path is one of skeptical devotion, of thinking faith, and of the constant creation of joy. She is a Wiccan, a Witch, a Pagan and a Dianic Amazon; influenced by Taoism, existential philosophy, Celtic, Hindu, Yoruba and Native American myths, and the feminist movement. She is an intuitive healer, a tarot reader, a ritualist and often a good listener. She loves to lead guided meditation. She loves music and dancing. When she has time, she knits, pretends to be learning the guitar, and laughs as much as possible. She gives thanks everyday for her supportive family, both of birth and of choice.

"It is only when we don't show up for life that death is terrifying." Paul Ferrini, The Ecstatic Moment

Szmeralda Shanel: High Priestess of Sacred Arts
Ordained March 2008
Dedicated to Isis, Mami Wata, Kapo-Laka and Kali

Ordained Priestess of Isis with the Fellowship of Isis and Temple of Isis. Founder of the Iseum of Black Isis. High Priestess in the Amazon Dianic Goddess Tradition. Mami Wata child. Hoodoo.Witch. Dancer. Magic Mistress. Music Maker. Vision Weaver. Daughter of the North Star. Artist. Seer. Seeker. Poet. Teacher. Student. Trickster. Healer. Fool. Lover. Story keeper. Storyteller. Sensualist. Songstress. Bawdy Wild Woman Warrior. She who casts the Bones. Tarot. Ecstatic Shamanic DreamWalker. Priestess of Pleasure and overindulgence. Black Gypsy. Rainbow. Kaleidoscope. Changing. Feri...

Mistress Ladybug: High Priestess of Colors
Ordained: March 2009
Dedicated to Papa Legba, Yemaya and Diana

After many years of solitary practice as an eclectic witch, Ladybug found CAYA Coven through a Google search and has been a lover of this community ever since. Ladybug sees religion as a form of collective creative expression which elevates the individual while knitting a group of people together, and not as a hard and fast universal “truth.” She is very proud of CAYA’s unique ability to foster the divinity within each person while forming a fun, lovely and ever-evolving tradition of Earth-based spirituality. Ladybug draws inspiration from Wicca, Yoruba traditions, Zen Buddhism, Tantric traditions, Native American shamanism and was once an Evangelical Christian years and years ago. To her, it is more important that a person be happy and healthy while connected to a supportive community and the natural world rather than be staunchly bound to a set of human-made rules. As a priestess of the Wildflower tradition and a high priestess of the Amazon Dianic tradition, Ladybug works within the collective as the coordinator of the Amazon sabbats, helps teach Wildflower Skills Workshops and feels called to priestess various rites of passage, like weddings, coming of age ceremonies and funerals.

Ladybug enjoys painting, photography, drawing, yoga, belly dancing, bhangra dancing, burlesque culture, reading, writing racy fiction stories, gardening, lucid dreaming and loves animals. She practices Reiki, vermiculture and is slowly learning herbalism. She lives in Emeryville with her newborn son, husband, three cats, fish, worms and a multitude of houseplants and, at certain times of the year, is blessed to live with her two stepsons. Ladybug is currently 100% absorbed in loving motherhood.

Lady Maia Mermaid: High Priestess of the Sacred Hearth
Ordained: March 2010
Dedicated to Aphrodite, Frigga and the spirit of Mermaids

Maia Mermaid is a hearth priestess, teacher and mentor. She believes that our homes are sacred spaces, and should be treated as such.

She is dedicated to Aphrodite and Frigga, and works with several of the orisha, mainly Yemaya. She beads, knits, studies herbalism, and plays with her cats in her spare time.

La Strega Manea Trinacria: High Priestess of Wild Magic
Ordained: March 2009
Dedicated to Diana, Inanna, Dionysus and Aphrodite

"I am one of the hidden children of the Goddess. From generation unto generation has the knowledge been passed and the Old Ways been kept by those who kindle the flame."(a quote from The Veglia in Hereditary Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi). La Strega Manea Trinacria is ordained as both a Wildflower High Priestess and an Amazon Dianic High Priestess for Come As You Are Coven. Manea is one of the co-founding High Priestess of CAYA Coven South Bay, and is deeply involved with their Grove of Artemis and co-ed Sabbats as well as continuing her work with the Amazon Tradition Sabbats.

Manea feels that the Deities that chose her for dedication in these traditions best represent who she really is. For her Amazon work she is dedicated to the Goddess Diana, a strong, independent Italian goddess of ancient roots but with a strong hold on the present. Manea's very open mind and big polyamorous heart founded CAYA's PaganAmory study group and the Goddess Aphrodite leads her in the work. She is also dedicated to the Goddess Inanna and the God Dionysus for her Wildflower Work. They are the combination of Wild Magick and civilized priestesshood. The Queen of Heaven and Earth with the ability to get down and party!

Outside of CAYA, Manea comes from a family lineage of Witchcraft and has been officially preistessing with her family coven La Strega Famiglia for over 10 years. She is very active in both the Pagan and Burning Man communities and is currently the Treasurer for the Silicon Village Burning Man camp. In her mundane life she works in banking and has been with the same company since 1995.

Basically she's a Pagan Poly Kinky Witchy Burner Banker ... a big bundle of Wild Magick cleverly disguised as "professional" in the muggle world.

Lady Rowan Nightshade: High Priestess of Esoterica
Ordained March 2009
Dedicated to Eris, Arianrhod, the Selkie, the Greenman and Corra

The night is bleak, the landscape hushed, still cloaked in fortune secret.
The time is still, spins fast away. If you catch it, you won't keep it.
She sees beyond the clicks and whirs. She hears beyond the light and dim.
She won't abide the temporal quakes. She won't atone her whim

Queen of Cats, she
Queen of Plants, she
Queen of Spinning, Swirling Cosmos, she
Distaff grasping star-crowned Maiden, Elder of a woad-dyed hand
Sister who sets the world in motion, Lady who walks at twilight’s sand,
Mother who guides the multiverse, Mystery clothed in seal skin cape

Earthen Daughter whispers creation
to the darkened terrascape.
Seeing first another's beauty,
Hearing first another's voice,

Gently guiding flashing passion
While at play she needs no toys.
Like the door that slowly creaks
Like the tree that softly speaks
The spectral shadow silent, wreaks havoc

Moon-glowing brow forth-arches fierce
Eye in shadow viewing
She whose breath can bless or curse
whose song is power brewing

Where she walks, discordance trails, as cloud enshrouded peak

Who she loves ne’er stays alone, her courage buoys the meek
On bleakest night, she sees the shades of darkness that she'll rule.
For towering high above the plains, she’s fair and never cruel
Ever present, watching o'er
Tribe and clan and child
In living dreams, the witches tree.
Serene, but never mild

Chieftain Branwen: High Priestess of Warrior Bardic Wisdoms
Ordained: March 2010
Dedicated to Dagda and Morrighan

Through the window of a car, under the light of a wandering star - Branwen spent her childhood watching the sometimes slow, sometimes dramatic change in landscape of the country. Being a child of a Marine, she grew up in a ever changing world of different people, places and ideas. This cross pollination of experiences and her father's living example of honor, loyalty and resilience would be the foundation of her beliefs for years to come.

Influenced at an early age from the modern military society of U.S. bases, it seemed natural to be drawn into the fantasy and history of ancient warrior cultures. Quickly did the Arthurian Legend imprint itself on her soul. From childhood through the teenage years, she kept one eye observing her surroundings and one eye firmly planted in myth, legend and history. After a series of trial and errors in the various Christian religions (ranging from United Pentecostal to Catholicism) she stopped trying to find that elusive feeling of purpose and sanctity in the modern world. She just started living and believing as she always wanted to, the Celtic way.

Books were her first teachers, from the dry academia of archaeological findings, to the somewhat obtuse myth structures and re-tellings, and a healthy dose of intuition , did she forge her spiritual path. Two years ago she was drawn to the group whose name said it all "Come As You Are", it was there she found her community, her place as a priestess, and her voice.

Duat Ka Neit Kismet: High Priestess Who Walks Between the Worlds
Ordained: March 2009
Dedicated to Bast

Council member for CAYA South Bay, High Priestess for The Grove of Hekate, and Dedicant Trainer for the South Bay. She is a Priestess of Bast and spends many evenings gliding between worlds, although dedicated to spending as much time as possible in this one. Animals are her passion and she loves to hear people laugh. She is currently spending her days planning rituals, playing with cats, searching for a puppy, and preparing her son for college.

Raven of the Redwoods: High Priestess of Rhythmic Transformation
Ordained: March 2009
Dedicated to Pele

They don't make witches much more down-to-earth than Raven of the Redwoods. The first sacred crone in the Amazon tribe, Raven brings a ton of magical and transformational technologies to her craft.

After years of solitary practice, developing a strong spiritual connection to earth magic and goddess, Raven found home, sisterhood and community in CAYA. Initiation and ordination as a high priestess of the Amazon Dianic tradition offered Raven the full expression of her work and calling. Raven can often be found holding space for her sisters as they move through their joys and challenges. That is, if she's not busy playing with and loving up the CAYA babies.

Raven, a triple Scorpio with a Leo moon and Gemini rising, provides Astro-Crone reports at our monthly full moon circles (Grove of Artemis) and at our Amazon sabbats.

Raven lives in Emeryville (right upstairs from Mistress Ladybug, thank you goddess!). She grows succulents to look at; and kale, chard, mizuna, tatsoi, snap peas, purple green beans, patty pan squash, and more to eat. Raven is a lindy hopper, blues dancer, martial artist (t'ai chi), kombucha brewer, sauerkraut maker, ghee maker, locavore, and an all-round amazing cook (grilled veggies are another specialty). She enjoys her iPhone, reading, coaching clients to their highest good and most fully expressed lives, graphic design and web development. Raven owns her own business and is committed to being useful, of service and ridiculously prosperous