{"id":943,"date":"2025-04-24T12:54:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T17:54:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/?p=943"},"modified":"2025-04-24T12:54:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T17:54:39","slug":"the-mystery-of-spring-conferences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery of Spring Conferences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Do you know what the Mystery is? Let me tell you about my Spring and all of it\u2019s mysteries.<\/p>\n

In my kindred, each ritual (or bl\u00f3t as we call it) is followed by a sumbel. A sumbel is a ritual that allows all attendees to participate if they wish by making toasts or boasts. The sumbel ritual can also stand on its own and can be especially good for larger groups and festivals. I have found it to be the part of our Norse rituals that helps the community bond.<\/p>\n

Last year, during at least one sumbel (likely it was 2 or 3 of them) I stated out loud that my intention for 2025 was to make it the year of festivals. And that is exactly what I did. I submitted applications to 5 different conferences and was accepted as a presenter at all of them. Careful what you ask for, remember?<\/p>\n

Paganicon<\/h2>\n

The first conference I attended this year was Paganicon<\/a>. I first went to Paganicon in 2015 and fell in love with it. Over the years I have made friends in Minnesota where Paganicon is held and made connections with so many wonderful people.<\/p>\n

This year was the first time since COVID-19 that I was able to attend Paganicon. I wanted to write a blog just about my experience at Paganicon, but I just haven\u2019t been to find the words. My mother once pointed out to me that when something (or someone) is important to me, I don\u2019t talk about it. And I think this is why I can\u2019t get a blog out about the conference.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery of the Horned One ritual at Paganicon by Jason Mankey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paganicon is absolutely amazing. The conference has an amazing line up of presenters every year without fail. There is also a full track of workshops and rituals. This year they ran 8 to 9 workshops\/rituals at a time. Content started as early as 9 AM and ran until late in the evening. If you attend Paganicon and are bored or can\u2019t find a workshop to interest you, I am not sure what to tell you. The biggest problem with Paganicon\u2019s schedule is there is so much amazing content you will have to make some hard decisions on which things to go to since you can\u2019t do it all. I learned this year that the buddy system is helpful. Luckily I had a friend with me who shares similar interests. So we would split up and attend different workshops and take notes, then share the notes. It\u2019s not as good as attending I\u2019m person but it\u2019s a good alternative.<\/p>\n

Meet Your Pagan Idols<\/h2>\n

If you are an avid reader of Pagan books, Paganicon is also one of the best places to meet your favorite authors. It is hard not to run around after authors like Kristoffer Hughes or Courtney Weber<\/a> and fangirl over them. So hard in fact, I just gave in. Although I never did get my fangirl photo with Courtney Weber.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery of Animal Familairs with Madame Pamita (and her new book)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paganicon is also a conference where I go to learn from others. Everyone can be a teacher if you pay attention but in a conference like Paganicon, full of Big Name Pagans (we don\u2019t really have celebrity Pagans do we?), it is the perfect place to learn new ritual techniques and see how others do things.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery of Odin (photo from ritual I led at Paganicon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There Are Not Enough Words<\/h2>\n

Paganicon filled my heart and my cup. It gave me hope and reminded me how big our tribe and our community is. This year\u2019s trip felt very personal, even though conferences are also business trips for me. There are only so many ways to explain how amazing Paganicon is and most of them are inadequate. It is impossible to describe the mystery to those who have not also experienced it.<\/p>\n

Enter Spring Mysteries Festival<\/h2>\n

Spring Mysteries Festival<\/a> is held every year on the weekend after the first full moon of Spring. In other words, on easter weekend. Since 1985, the Aquarian Tabernacle Church has been continuing the Eleusinian Mysteries originally held in Ancient Greece. These mysteries, held every year in honor of Demeter and Persephone, explore universal concepts and truths from the perspective of the seeker of hidden knowledge. The priests and vessels for the festival spend months preparing for the event, learning to channel and hold deities while also performing what I call a Pagan passion play.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Entrance to Spring Mysteries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year was the third year I have attended Spring Mysteries and I was blessed to be asked to be a workshop presenter again this year as well as being asked to play a role in one of the rituals.<\/p>\n

The Mysteries Transform You<\/h2>\n

Spring Mysteries promises to be a transformational experience and I have found that to be true every year. The entire conference is a Mystery. Although the space used to be an airport Hilton hotel, when you are there it has been transformed into a modern day Eleusis, the entire location has become sacred space.<\/p>\n

This year the Mysteries of Spring Mysteries happened differently for me. Usually it is the re-enactment of the myths and visiting with the gods that brings me the most joy and tears. This year, the mysteries seemed to happen at the beginning of the conference and then at the end, even after I was home.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery of Demeter (from the shrine to Demeter)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was invited to be a vessel of Inanna for a self-dedication rite at the beginning of the festival. Getting to know Inanna and being able to hold her during the ritual was a transformational experience for me. The Greater Mysteries rite held at the end of the festival is absolutely worth the trip to Seattle from Memphis. In the grand scheme of things, it is a short rite, about an hour long. But if you need your cup filled, if you need to be uplifted, to be honored, to be loved, to be filled with Divine passion and purpose \u2013 Greater Mysteries is for you. But, because Spring Mysteries Festival is about transformation and is initiatory in some ways, you cannot attend Greater Mysteries until your second year at the conference.<\/p>\n

The Witch\u2019s Mushroom<\/h2>\n

I have been hesitant to write about this, because I know this topic could evoke some strong feelings in people and I am not here to argue with anyone or to ruffle feathers. But if I am going to share the things that transformed me at Spring Mysteries, this was part of it.<\/p>\n

I am not against people using plants recreationally, if you understand my meaning. I also think they are medicine and when used intentionally and responsibly, they can be spiritual aids. At the festival, there was a man there who is a shaman and who works with mushroom medicine and studies mushrooms. He led a workshop about the amanita muscaria mushroom and provided mushroom tea for those of us who wished to partake. This was not a psychedelic experience and at no point did I feel like I was not in control. At the doses we were given, the amanita muscaria was simply medicine.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery of Hestia (shrine of Hestia at Spring Mysteries)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I Drank the Tea. I Put it in the Basket.<\/h2>\n

I drank the tea, then a little while later I noticed that my pain was gone. I\u2019ve been dealing with some seemingly chronic foot issues and I had a little extra, but not unexpected, pain elsewhere in my body. Because amanita muscaria works in the background, it took some time to notice it\u2019s effects. But for me, the pain relief was the best part of the immediate usage. Over the course of the weekend, slowly and in small doses, I ended up consuming about 5 grams of mushroom. It wasn\u2019t until I was at home and settling back into work that I noticed some other benefits of the amanita muscaria.<\/p>\n

I have not consumed any amanita muscaria since the Saturday evening of the festival. That was 5 days ago as I write this. But I have noticed that I have less anxiety in general. I don\u2019t feel the dread of doing things that often brought up feelings of avoidance in the past. I am much more present. I have hardly been on my phone the way I usually am, and I don\u2019t feel like I have to take little breaks throughout the day to dopamine scroll through social media. I am even reading a little less than usual, but when I do read it is because I am invested in the book, not because anything is better than the news. Mind you, I\u2019ve still read 37 books this year \u2013 I will always be an avid reader.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Mystery and Beauty of the Cherry Blossoms at Spring Mysteries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although I noticed the pain relief just hours after ingesting a small dose, the larger and more subtle benefits of the mushroom have shown up as I think about and process my experience. The facilitator told us that these mushrooms often work behind the scenes and people don\u2019t notice the effects because you don\u2019t notice it when you feel \u201cnormal\u201d but you do notice when you feel \u201coff\u201d or \u201cdifferent\u201d or in pain.<\/p>\n

I am Not You<\/h2>\n

I am not encouraging you to go out and take mushrooms or any other substance. I was raised by a mother who was a child of the 70s with a need to escape her reality. My perspective and habits are mine alone. Taking the amanita muscaria was a transformational experience for me. It was a learning experience and it was part of my Mysteries for the weekend. If this sounds like something you would like to explore further, you are welcome to contact Bear Eagle Medicine<\/a> and find someone to help you on your journey. If the idea of mushrooms or plant medicine is not for you, that is perfectly okay. Perhaps you can journey to the Otherworld and commune with the spirit of the amanita muscaria or any other plant to learn from them that way. And if you are one of the ones who partakes of plant medicine, it is a good idea to journey and speak with the spirit of the plant as well as consuming it.<\/p>\n

\"\"
From my workshop on the Dark Goddess at Paganicon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Mysteries Cannot be Explained<\/h2>\n

Throughout this post you have heard me using the term \u201cmysteries.\u201d What does that mean? In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an epiphany that you have when meditating or in ritual. They can be vivid visions during a journey or dream. A mystery can even be a word or a phrase that strikes you in the moment you hear it. The mysteries can also be experiences that unfold to you over time or after the fact. The mysteries have no rules except one: you must have an open heart and open mind to receive them.<\/p>\n

A mystery can be anything but the one thing it cannot be is shared or explained. Oh you can try. You can try to tell someone about this awesome feeling you had while meditating but chances are you won\u2019t be able to explain it well. The other person might be happy that you had such a great experience, but they didn\u2019t have the same experience so they can\u2019t understand the feelings behind it.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Where the Mysteries Happen. Stage from Spring Mysteries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I could try to explain Paganicon or Spring Mysteries Festival to you. I could tell you about the workshops. I could show you a picture of the stage and tell you about the myth of Persephone and Demeter \u2013 but you probably already know the gist of that story. What I cannot do is make you understand how amazing it is to be in sacred space with so many people. I cannot help you feel the same feelings I had watching Demeter search for the Kore or seeing Persephone find her purpose. I cannot explain how much it filled my heart to sit with other Pagans and just talk<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To sum it up, a mystery is one of those experiences that you just had to be there for. And my words will never do the experiences justice, so I won\u2019t even try. I hope that your spiritual path is filled with mysteries and glimmers that remind you of why you are doing the work that you are doing. May your mysteries find you often and may they fill your cup and heart with joy and purpose once again. Blessed be!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you know what the Mystery is? Let me tell you about my Spring and all of it\u2019s mysteries. In my kindred, each ritual (or bl\u00f3t as we call it) is followed by a sumbel. A sumbel is a ritual that allows all attendees to participate if they wish by making toasts or boasts. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5309,"featured_media":961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[202,117,196,75,199],"class_list":["post-943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-just-for-fun","tag-conference","tag-festival","tag-mystery","tag-pagan","tag-spring"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Mystery of Spring Conferences<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Mystery of Spring Conferences\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Light Your Path\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bewitchedemm\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2033\/2025\/04\/Patheos-Template-4.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"780\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"585\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rev. Emily Guenther\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rev. Emily Guenther\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/\",\"name\":\"The Mystery of Spring Conferences\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#\/schema\/person\/2d14ab3c63c3a925f429fdcc83df951d\"},\"description\":\"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Mystery of Spring Conferences\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/\",\"name\":\"Light Your Path\",\"description\":\"Light Your Path is a Pagan blog that explores religious experiences and concepts, alongside practical advice for daily living as a Pagan.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#\/schema\/person\/2d14ab3c63c3a925f429fdcc83df951d\",\"name\":\"Rev. Emily Guenther\",\"description\":\"Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet, a metaphysical store with locations in West TN. Emily is an ordained Pagan minister and the High Priestess of The Fellowship of Avalon - ATC (an eclectic Wiccan church) and gythia of The Fellowship of Yggdrasil (an inclusive Nordic kindred). Memphis, TN. Emily is a devotee of Sekhmet and Odin, and practices an eclectic, polytheistic path. She is a professional tarot reader and has worked with nonprofits and major corporations as a tarot reader. Emily presents workshops and rituals at her stores, as well as on the Pagan festival circuit across the country. Emily is a native to Memphis, TN where she lives with her husband and business partner, and their dog. Visit Emily and find more of her work at www.revemily.com\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bewitchedemm\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/emily_omma_guenther\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/author\/eguenther\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Mystery of Spring Conferences","description":"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Mystery of Spring Conferences","og_description":"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/","og_site_name":"Light Your Path","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bewitchedemm\/","article_published_time":"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":780,"height":585,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2033\/2025\/04\/Patheos-Template-4.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Rev. Emily Guenther","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rev. Emily Guenther","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/","name":"The Mystery of Spring Conferences","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-24T17:54:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#\/schema\/person\/2d14ab3c63c3a925f429fdcc83df951d"},"description":"In a spiritual context, a mystery is an experience that you have that is transformational or eye opening for you. A mystery can be an ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/2025\/04\/the-mystery-of-spring-conferences\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Mystery of Spring Conferences"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/","name":"Light Your Path","description":"Light Your Path is a Pagan blog that explores religious experiences and concepts, alongside practical advice for daily living as a Pagan.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/#\/schema\/person\/2d14ab3c63c3a925f429fdcc83df951d","name":"Rev. Emily Guenther","description":"Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet, a metaphysical store with locations in West TN. Emily is an ordained Pagan minister and the High Priestess of The Fellowship of Avalon - ATC (an eclectic Wiccan church) and gythia of The Fellowship of Yggdrasil (an inclusive Nordic kindred). Memphis, TN. Emily is a devotee of Sekhmet and Odin, and practices an eclectic, polytheistic path. She is a professional tarot reader and has worked with nonprofits and major corporations as a tarot reader. Emily presents workshops and rituals at her stores, as well as on the Pagan festival circuit across the country. Emily is a native to Memphis, TN where she lives with her husband and business partner, and their dog. Visit Emily and find more of her work at www.revemily.com","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bewitchedemm\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/emily_omma_guenther\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/author\/eguenther\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5309"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lightyourpath\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}