Pagan Festival Prepares to Celebrate 25 Years

[icymist]

The Aquarian Tabernacle Church of Wicca, founded in 1979, decided to throw a little festival back in 1985 to celebrate the return of Spring. Now, 25 years later, the festival has grown to include more than 300 attendees from all around the world. The festival takes place at Ft. Flagler on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State over Easter weekend. 2010 will see the festival Thursday April 1st through Sunday April 4th.

Dubbed the Spring Mysteries Festival, it re-imagines the Demeter's mysteries at Eleusis. Although much of the exact ritual from Eleusis, Greece has been lost over the 2000 years, each year, a cast produces a version of the Mysteries which inspires and renews the spiritual well of the participants. The story always involves the 12 Olympian Greek Gods and focuses on Demeter, the Goddess of the harvest, and her daughter Kore. After Kore runs away with the Lord of the Underworld to transform into Persephone, Demeter's grief consumes her and threatens the well-being of all humanity. The participants go on a dangerous physical and spiritual journey to save her, working through many obstacles.

Over the years, the festival has gained many traditions including: a blood-curdling adult right of passage in the bunkers; a row of Shrines to each God and Goddess present at the mysteries which is attended by a Priestess or Priest of that Godform; and a trek down to the sea to give honor and thanks to the Goddess Demeter as they did over 2000 years ago.

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