The founder of a moon gathering group has said her meetings deliver "female empowerment with spiritual twist".
Karlee Matthews, 35 and from Runcorn, is the founder of Moon Goddess Gatherings. The group meet on beaches at the full moons every month at various locations across the north west.
Karlee has said she is aware that there are many are sceptical about the gathering. However, she insisted the group allows women to unwind, discuss any difficulties they are growing through and let go of anything that is holding them back.
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Karlee told to the ECHO: "It's not a cult. It's just a fun, safe space for women to come and be unapologetically authentic, and that in itself creates the magic of the full moon ritual gatherings."
The ECHO previously reported on a meeting of the group in the summer of 2021, where more than a hundred women "gathered, swam and cried at Formby Beach". This is when the group started.
According to Karlee, what started as a solo pursuit now sees up to a hundred women turning up to a meeting. When asked why they meet at a full moon, she said: "A Full Moon is known as a time of letting things go, banishing any negative thoughts you may be having and trying to respect yourself."
At these meetings, the group will sit in a large circle where everyone will meditate. They then take part in journaling, writing down parts of their life that are no longer serving the intentions they want for their life and discuss these with group.
They then burn the thoughts. Moon Goddess Gatherings will have large fires on beaches that permit them.
After that, they will sing and dance on the beach, before taking a dip in the sea. For Karlee, it is a special and moving environment to be part of.
She said: "It almost feels like a dome is around us, even though we're in a public space." She added that, as part of the discussions, harrowing stories will be heard at times.
"We've had some women talk about domestic abuse, child loss, infertility, affairs and dissociation from their parents and children. But they get full support from the group, there's no judgement.
She added: "You are allowed to be unapologetically authentic. Through that support, you are able to feel more at peace and carry on with a better way of life."
Karlee said she was always been interested in spirituality, but it was a training session during her time in a corporate job that compelled her to devote more time to it.
She said: "I was told a story about a young boy who tried to save a beach full of starfish. The tide had gone out and the young boy was walking along and he was trying to save all the starfish.
"Someone walks up to him and tells him he can't save them all. The boy says, 'I know, but I can save this one'. And then as he walks to the next one and he says 'I can save this one too'.
"That story just had such a profound effect on how I've viewed things that I now call myself a state, a saver of starfish. I may not be able to change the world. But if I can heal just one woman and help her feel better about herself, to the point where she's then able to share that with somebody, it then becomes a ripple effect."
According to Karee, this is what spurred her on to start the group. Her time in the corporate world moved her to the view that she was "exhausting herself".
She said: "As women, when we hear 'we can be anything' we take that we mean 'we have to be everything'. We try to give 100% as a mother, daughter, sister, colleague and have an amazing career.
"I realised that life wasn't just about the paycheck at the end of every month. It's about balance and being more at peace with yourself."
She has talked about this vision in her talks as a motivational manifestation coach and public speaker.
Because of Karlee's strong beliefs, she has found it frustrating with how the gathering and wider spirituality are portrayed. She said: "We don't sit around a caldron, cackling. It's not the way it's portrayed in a lot of media.
"Often in these portrayals, it's very quirky, older women wearing fanatical coloured clothes. It's actually a lot more normal than that."
Karlee said this also applies to the labelling of meeting at a full moon as a ritual. She said: "It makes it sound like a cult gathering, but a ritual is anything that is habitual. Getting a coffee every morning is a ritual, for example."
An interest in spiritualism and mental well-being has risen in the last few years. Meditation apps like Headspace have boomed, while TikToks of people manifesting better lives for themselves have garnered over 29bn views.
Karlee welcomes newcomers, but claims her beliefs go a lot deeper than just a trend. She said: "For every five people who just see it as trend, there will be two who are able to find themselves and go live a better life."
The group holds one meeting a month at a different location and only women are permitted to join. You can apply to join the group on Facebook here.
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