What happens when we follow
what lights us up.
For the past few years, I’ve been living with a guiding question:
What lights me up?
Not what is practical. Not what is guaranteed to succeed. Not what others expect of me.
What lights me up?
Again and again, I’ve discovered that following what brings genuine aliveness is often the beginning of an unseen path. The spark comes first. The roadmap comes later.
The Woman’s Rite began as one of those sparks.
Today, I am filled with gratitude and joy to share that what began as just a spark of possibility has become a film.
The Woman’s Rite documentary is complete!!!
Even writing those words feels surreal.
It was only three years ago, I said Yes! to a vision I had no idea how to accomplish. So much that is beautiful and heart filling has transpired since then.
At the time, The Woman’s Rite documentary existed only as a spark of inspiration—a calling to tell a different story about women, aging, wisdom, and the transformative power of conscious rites of passage.
I could see glimpses of what wanted to emerge, but I had no roadmap, no filmmaking experience, and certainly no certainty about how such a project would come to life.
And soon we will be hosting a private screening!
What I did have was a compelling and intriguing vision.
And sometimes, that is enough.
Over the past three years, that small spark became a guiding light that led me through countless conversations, interviews, ceremonies, filming days, creative challenges, moments of doubt, unexpected support, and extraordinary acts of generosity from our community.
Time and again, I found myself taking the next step without knowing where the path would ultimately lead.
What I’ve learned is that visions rarely arrive with instructions.
They arrive as invitations.
They ask us to trust what we cannot yet see. They ask us to move forward countless times before we feel ready. They invite us into a divine partnership with life itself—a sacred dance between intention, effort, surrender, and grace.
The vision for what would become The Woman’s Rite propelled me along a journey of immense potential without guidelines or even suggested outcomes.
There was no assurance it would become a film. There was no clear plan for how it would unfold. There was only a sense of energy, meaning, and possibility that continued to call me forward.
Looking back now, I realize that many of the most meaningful experiences of my life have begun this way. A quiet curiosity. A nudge from the heart. A vision that seemed larger than my capacity to accomplish it.
And yet, when we follow what genuinely lights us up, something remarkable often happens. People appear. Resources emerge. Unexpected opportunities arise including unexpected challenges. What once seemed impossible gradually reveals itself one step at a time.
What began as a dream has become something we can now gather together to witness and I hope the message of the film will benefit our world.
This milestone is not simply the completion of a documentary. It is a living reminder of what becomes possible when we trust the quiet voice within that says, “This matters.”
It is also a testament to the power of community. This film would not exist without the women who courageously shared their stories, the creative team who brought their gifts to the project, and the many supporters who believed in this vision long before there was evidence that it could be realized.
As I reflect on this journey, I find myself wondering:
What vision has been quietly calling to you?
What possibility have you been carrying in your heart that seems too big, too uncertain, or too far beyond your current understanding of “how”?
Perhaps the invitation is not to figure it all out.
Perhaps the invitation is simply to take the next step.
Because sometimes the path appears only after we begin walking it.
I am delighted to announce that we will soon be gathering for a private screening of The Woman’s Rite, where supporters, friends, participants, and community members can celebrate the completion of this labor of love together. More details are included below.
For now, I simply want to pause and honor this moment.
To celebrate.
To give thanks.
And to remember that some of life’s most meaningful creations begin with nothing more than a vision, a willingness to trust, and the courage to take the first step.
“The spark comes first. The roadmap comes later.”
Reflection & Journaling
Take a few moments to sit quietly with these questions:
- What is lighting me up right now?
- Is there a dream, project, or possibility that continues to call to me, even though I don’t know how it will happen?
- What might become possible if I trusted the spark before seeing the whole path?
- What is one small step I can take this week toward something that truly matters to me?
May you have the courage to trust the visions that choose you, and the willingness to follow the sparks of aliveness that illuminate your path.
With gratitude,
Georgette Star MA, D.Min