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Sacred Celebrant of Avalon Training 
Coming to Canada
October 2 ~ 9th, 2026

IPHM Accredited | Presented by Sacred Steps
Facilitated by Lilli Vandermeer, Izzy Machado-Williams & Karen Cassidy
📍 Cabot Shores Wilderness Retreat, Cape Breton Island

 

 

A Calling Into Sacred Service

A seven-day residential training is an invitation to step into the ancient & living art of ceremony. Rooted in the lineage of the Sacred Celebrants Academy, this immersive journey weaves ritual craft, elemental wisdom, & practical skill —supporting you to hold meaningful ceremonies with confidence, integrity, & heart.  Held in a small, intimate circle & guided with warmth & reverence, this training is both a professional qualification and a personal initiation.  ​​​​

Arrival & Opening

The journey begins the evening before Day One with a Meet the Team Welcome Dinner, hosted by Sacred Steps. This gathering is an essential part of the training and gently opens the circle through shared food, connection, and intention.

The Seven-Day Journey

Days One & Two

Elemental Foundations, Ceremonial tools, incense blending,

the celebrant’s candle, subtle energies, & immersive work

with Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Day Three

Naming Ceremonies, Baby, & Adult,

Renaming, & Affirmation Ceremonies; Altar creation;

Client consultations; holding ceremony without a script.

Day Four

 Handfasting & Renewal of Vows
Handfasting cords, Hoop & Wand Ceremony,

Jumping the besom, Cake & Mead.

Day Five

Pre-Wedding Ceremonies
Sacred anointing, couples incense blending,

bridal willow hoop, ring blessing.

Day Six

Civil Wedding Ceremonies
Structure, language, script writing,

consultation, & symbolic flow.

Day Seven

Completion & Thresholds
Sacred uncoupling, pop-up handfastings,

Certificate presentation, and Graduation.

 

Investment

Course Fee: $2,500 CAD
Deposit: $300 to secure your place (non-refundable)
Remaining balance payable via e-transfer, in instalments or full

All payments due by September 

*Accommodation is priced separately from the course fee

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Meet Your Facilitators

Together, Lilli, Izzy, and Karen bring a rich and deeply embodied tapestry of experience to this training — weaving ceremony, healing, and lived wisdom across land, lineage, and life’s thresholds. Each walks a unique path, yet they are united by a shared devotion to sacred ceremony as a way of honouring life in all its forms.

 

With backgrounds spanning celebrancy, grief work, holistic therapies, energy healing, and decades of personal practice, they hold a space that is both grounded and transformative. Their approach is not about performance, but presence — supporting each participant to remember their own authentic way of holding ceremony, with integrity, confidence, and heart.

Secure Your Place

Places are limited to honour the depth and integrity of the work.

  1.  Reserve your place by Paying $300                     non-refundable deposit via Registration

   2. You’ll receive a confirmation email with next             steps and accommodation booking details.

   3. Book your accommodation with  

     Cabot Shores Wilderness Retreat directly

     to select either single or shared occupancy. 

 

  4. Complete your course payment
     The remaining $2,200 course balance is paid via         e-transfer, either in instalments or in full.
All payments must be completed by September.

 

Accomodations

The training takes place at Cabot Shores Wilderness Retreat on Cape Breton Island

a land of deep ancestral memory, elemental power, & quiet magic.

 Forest, ocean air, & wide skies form an essential part of the ceremonial journey.

Accommodation Packages Paid Directly to    

 

Shared Occupancy 

Chalet 

  • $1,350 CAD

  • Includes:

    • Shared accommodation

    • Lunches, dinners & snacks

  • Breakfasts not included

Single Occupancy 

Lodge Room 

  • $1,760 CAD 

  • Includes:

    • Private accommodation

    • Lunches, dinners & snacks

  • Breakfasts not included

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Registration

Course Registration

Preferred name for Certificate

Emergency Contacts & Numbers (Please list 2)

Do you have any medical conditions we should be aware of?


Do you have any accessibility needs?

Dietary requirements or allergies:

What has called you to this training?


What ceremonies are you most drawn to offering?

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Celebrant Training Oct 2-9 2026
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Lilli Vandermeer Sacred Celebrant

Sacred Celebrant, Ceremonialist, and Guide at Life’s Thresholds, with over 30 years of ceremonial experience and more than a decade as a funeral director. Lilli’s work is grounded, compassionate, and deeply human — shaped by land, grief, love, & lived experience. 

Her teachings weave together elemental wisdom,

Celtic ritual, Ancestoral guidance, and

trauma-informed grief work—

helping people return to what truly matters.

Speaking & Guest Teaching  
Ceremony • Grief • Transformation
One Sacred Step at a Time

Speaking & Teaching ~ Sacred Steps Celebrant Services
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International Women's Day

2025

International Womens Day ~ Sacred Steps Celebrant Services

Speaker Topics

  • Keynote Talks & Panel Discussions

  • Retreat & Workshop Facilitation

  • Ritual or Ceremony Hosting

  • MC / Emcee for Soulful Event

 

  • Grief & End-of-Life Conferences

  • Wellness, Women's & Ancestral Retreats

  • Sacred Circles, Festivals & Celebrant Gatherings

  • Online Summits, Podcasts & Guest Interviews

I’d be honoured to join your gathering, retreat, or event.
Let’s explore what we can co-create.

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honoured to serve Cape Breton Island,

the wider Nova Scotia region, & across Canada

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Land Acknowledgement – Unama’ki / Cape Breton

With deep respect and gratitude, Sacred Steps acknowledges that the land on which we live, gather,

and hold ceremony is the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

This land, known as Unama’ki, is one of the seven traditional districts of Mi’kma’ki,

the homeland of the Mi’kmaq Nation.

We honour the enduring spirit, culture, and teachings of the Mi’kmaq,

and recognize their sovereignty and sacred relationship to this land, water, and sky.

In all that we do, may we walk gently, listen deeply, and act with reverence—

for the ancestors, for the land, and for the generations to come.

 

© 2025 by Sacred Steps Celebrant Services.

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