Column: Experience and Growth at the Spring Mysteries Festival

I first heard of the Eleusinian Mysteries in late 2009. Western Washington University (WWU) Pagans, I was told, always went to Spring Mysteries Festival and Hekate’s Sickle Festival, carpooling to the state parks where they would take place. This is also known as “camping with friends” to any parents with lots of questions.

The experienced WWU Pagans assured me that my interest in Greek mythology was a perfect fit for the Spring Mysteries Festival that was held over Easter weekend every year. Work tends not to ask too many questions when you request time-off for Easter weekend and cite a religious event. This makes attendance more feasible for people still deep in the broom closet.

My first year at the Spring Mysteries Festival was in 2010, the twenty-fourth consecutive year that the event had been celebrated by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC). That first year, being at the festival was a profound and magical experience, and only the second one of its type that I had been to. Spring Mysteries participants are bound by an oath to never reveal what they see; therefore, I cannot say exactly what happened. But, I will say that spending a weekend in ritual space and speaking with the gods is a life-changing experience. I went back again in 2011.

The Spring Mysteries Festival (SMF) is broken into two parts: the lesser mysteries and the greater mysteries.The lesser mysteries are attended by both the mystai (“those who have not seen” i.e. first year attendees) and epoptai (“those who have seen” i.e. second year attendees and beyond). The greater mysteries are only attended by the epoptai. Separating the rites into two distinct parts is reminiscent of how they may have been celebrated in Ancient Greece.

In late 2012, I was asked to be a ritual presenter at Hekate’s Sickle, ATC’s fall festival. Not long after that, Belladonna Laveau, the new archpriestess of ATC, asked me to be a priestess of Artemis at the 2013 Spring Mysteries. I was shocked, at first. Artemis? Really? Me? Really? But then I remembered how easily I had connected with Her when I was much younger and so I decided it would be a great experience.

Helping run the festival and carrying a godform was a profoundly different experience, particularly since I was only 21 at the time. My counterpart, the priest of Apollo, was also young. Together we were the youngest priest and priestess pair in Spring Mysteries history. Or so I was told. I played it up quite a bit – Artemis as a youthful rebel – and dyed significant parts of my brown hair a brilliant green.

That year, there were a lot of young faces. There were many more millennials – if there had ever been any before. That was a huge change from when I had been just a participant. When Belladonna Laveau became archpriestess, many doors opened for people who weren’t regularly near the ATC property in Index, Washington. She encouraged people to audition via video, and the roles were no longer limited to known clergy. They were opened to students and other interested parties.

Being the priestess of Artemis also changed my perspective on what was happening. It’s one thing to go to Fort Flagler for a weekend, enjoy the festival and then go back home. It’s another whole thing to start preparing in January and to drive the 160 miles to Seattle and back nearly weekly to go to rehearsals, memorize a script and adapt it to fit our interpretations. The level of work and dedication it takes – especially for those not local – is daunting. 

This year, the Spring Mysteries Festival XXX takes place on the first weekend of April, and the cast has already been rehearsing together since January. Gabriel Matson, age 28, is one of the cast. He has been a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) since 2012 and a practicing Druid for 10 years. Matson was surprised when he was asked to be the priest of the Dark Lord for Spring Mysteries XXX.

“I had to think about it for a few days before giving an answer,” he said. “My only hesitations and reservations had to do with the fact that I’m in this intensive Herbal science program at Bastyr.” This is his third year as a ritual presenter, having been the priest of Hermes and Pan in past years. This will be his sixth year at the mysteries.

Another cast member Brenna Grace, age 24, is in her third year on staff. For the upcoming festival, she is the priestess of Polyhymnia, the Muse of sacred poetry and hymns. In the past, she was the priestess of Urania, the Muse of astronomy, and Erato, the Muse of erotic poetry. Brenna is a dedicant in the WISE Tradition and a student of Belladonna Laveau.

“I was so excited. I really wanted to be a part of the Mysteries, and I felt like this was a great entry point,” she said about being asked to be a Muse that first year.

Both Matson and Grace talked about the shift to a younger cast. They believe that it is a great chance for millennials and even younger generations to be involved.

“It’s a great opportunity for [young people] to learn a lot and to grow. I know that our directors wouldn’t cast anyone they did not think was ready. It might be hard for some people to look past their age when trying to speak to deity though, and I totally understand that,” Grace said.

“It is great that younger folk are allowed on cast for one,” Matson said. “It is also rather amazing that I’m not in the ATC or Wiccan. A few short years ago any and all of that would have been unfathomable,” he added, referencing the changes made by Belladonna Laveau that have made it possible for him, as a young Druid, to hold an important role in the mysteries.

On shifting from simple participant to staff, Grace said, “Well, since I started going when I was new to the craft, I didn’t recognize all the magic behind everything. Being on the cast really helped me understand how big of a thing SMF and the Eleusinian Mysteries were.”

On the same subject, Matson said, “As a participant, you are wowed by the cast, and subject to their interpretation. As [a cast member], you are the interpretation. It’s a lot of pressure coming up to it, but always seems to work out in the end.”

Matson added that he intends to take a year off from carrying a godform so he can focus on his final year of schooling at Bastyr and then will see where life takes him after that. Brenna hopes to be on staff for many years to come, though says she’s “Mused” out for now.

As for me, I definitely plan on continuing to attend the rites for as long as they are celebrated. Though, at some point, I may take a step back from invoked roles in order to give others a chance.

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