Category Archives: Festivals

This year, Spring Mysteries festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and we expect there to be many attendees to celebrate it with us. As usual, Merchants with interesting Pagan items for sale are always a popular part of this event.

With the current slow economy, merchanting your wares to the relatively “captive audience” of people attending the 25th Spring Mysteries Festival can be a way of boosting your sales. In spite of the downturn in the national economy, we Pagans always have a few dollars for something new to us. A shiny silver medallion, a new tarot deck, a piece of ritual wear, a sword or athame’ – you name it.

We are inviting you to merchant your stuff, be it your hand-made craft-work or whatever. This is a unique opportunity to reach a large number of customers assembled in one place.

We are also asking you to help by passing this opportunity on to others you know who want to offer their merchandise to a new market – the attendees at SMF. This year, the merchanting attendance fee is the same as a normal attendee’s fee would be, and includes one table – there’s no premium cost to attend as a merchant.

The time for merchant registrations is coming to a close soon, but has been extended to March 20th., the actual registration closing date for everyone. Give us a call at the ATC right away to reserve your merchanting space now, before all the good spots are taken! You can even register by phone right now, by calling (360)793-1945, or by email to: atcadmin @ AquaTabCh.org Don’t miss out on this chance to boost your sales in a slow economy!

The ATC-SMF Team

For those of you who attended the Staff Selection meeting this last Saturday and perhaps even took part in the Dark Moon ritual that followed:

Remember that thing that your forgetful Priest could not remember to announce? Well, we recalled what is was hours later on the road home and it is this!

If you signed up for a staff position and need to be added to the ATC_SMF Yahoo Group for staff related festival announcements, please contact John Calderon via email @ (johnc at aquatabch dot org) to be invited to join the email list. Please include your Full Name and your email address (even if its the one you are sending from; you have the option to give a different address if you choose for enrollment) along with the position you are signed up for. I’ll get you added ASAP.

If you know someone who signed up for a position, but might not see this announcement, if you could be so kind to forward this on to them that would also be a big help!

Sorry for any inconvenience! Thank you for your commitment to this very special event!

John Calderon
ATC Web & Groups Moderator

We are very happy to announce that the Registration Form is now available for download on the Spring Mysteries Festival XXV information page. You can view it right now at the following web address:

http://www.aquatabch.org/spring-mysteries-festival

More updates are to come, so watch the page for details.

Please remember that the form requires Adobe Reader to view and print. Download links are provided for Adobe Reader as well.

From Brian Hatcher, Ritual Director, Spring Mysteries Festival 2010

**Please read the entire message if you are wishing to audition**

Hello Everyone,

I would like to fill you all in with a few details about this coming Spring Mysteries, the audition, and some thoughts and ideas we are looking at which would bring some amazing changes to the festival, challenge all the participants, and encourage huge growth from the cast and crew.

2010 marks the 25th Anniversary of Spring Mysteries!! This is a monumental event, which deserves all of our fullest commitment, focus and energies to create a spectacular ritual for all participants. It is a significant moment where we have an opportunity to take the festival to new heights, develop new dimensions and aspects, and allow each participant to explore and experience the festival like never before.

The first important decision I would like to address is a casting idea I had ever since the end of SMF 2009. I approached the ATC with the thought of holding over some of the cast from ’09 to be able to take the work and energy we built over the festival and increase the potential for even greater success. My thoughts were to hold over the four major roles and actors (Karin/Demeter, Scott/Hades, Gwynedh/Kore, Anthony/Zagreus). With the focus and work that these people went through during the rehearsal time, and festival, my feeling is if we could start with that foundation of work then we would have the opportunity to build the energies, characters, and internal connections, which could blow the roof sky high. This is not a “normal” tactic with casting for SMF, and does come with its own set of risks. That said; this proposition IS NOT driven by politics, personal agenda, or a thought of “cool-kid’ism”. And, for fairness to everyone interested in auditioning for SMF, it has also been decided that these four actors must re-audition along with everyone so I can make the best choice in casting. My only intent is for the greater good of the festival, the community and the ATC. All roles are open, and nothing is 100% guarantied for anyone. And, I wish to highlight the fact that this choice will not, I repeat will not set a standard for casting in the future.

Another choice which is being looked at for the festival is changing the structured timing of the ritual. It is being played about to possibly begin the ritual on Friday, running through the completion of Lessers II, and then on Saturday we would perform the Greaters ritual. Again, this idea comes with some risk, and is not set in stone as of yet.

Choices in the changing of format with the whole festival are only here to recognize the grandeur of this most important year. These are choices focused on giving the participant of Spring Mysteries the greatest ability to find, learn and relearn the gifts of our goddess Demeter. And, I would like to reiterate to all that these choices are not motivated by anything other than a commitment to the greater community, to the ritual, and to acknowledging the work of the ATC through these many years.

I am honored and humbled to be able to direct such an event. And, I am excited to see you all at auditions bringing your best to the table. If any one of you has a question, comment or concern with any of these issues, please know that I am open and willing to discuss them with you. Please contact me off list at:  bubbalove31 at hotmail.com.

Lastly, for the auditions, I wish to remind everyone to prepare a monologue of no more than 3 minutes in length, and to bring a head/face photo.

Oh yeah, the auditions are on the 6th of December, from 1:00p – 6:00p, in the Center House of the Seattle Center campus, room “C”.

Thank you all for your interest in becoming a working member of this festival helping to take SMF 2010 to such heights I don’t think the gods have ever seen!

With perfect trust, and perfect love!

PanisBuck

Dates and Registration details have been updated and posted for Hekate’s Sickle Festival 2009. You can view the details and download registration information on our website at this location:
 http://www.aquatabch.org/hekates-sickle-…

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Each year at Spring Mysteries we hold an Adult Affirmation of Path rite for those who wish to affirm their choice of spiritual path to themselves, their community, and the Gods.

And each year pre-registration fills up for this event very quickly!  As of this post, the list to attend this rite is Full and the remaining registrants who are requesting attendance have been put into an overflow Waiting List.  This waiting list is ordered as first come, first served based on when your festival registration arrives to the Main Church.  Being on the Waiting List affords you a “Stand By” status for the rite, in case someone else should not be able to attend.  

In order to help you prepare for attending this special rite, separate emails are being sent to those who are on the Main Attendance list as a confirmation that a spot is being held for you.  If you do not receive a confirmation email for the AAoP rite, you are most likely on the Waiting List.  Confirmations will only be sent to those who have managed to secure their place early.  If there is any doubt whether you are confirmed a place, please call the Main Church at (360) 793-1945 during normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m

Due to the nature of this rite, it has a very tight time schedule.  Participants need to have arrived On-Site at Fort Flagler AND Checked In with Registration by 8:30pm Thursday night in order to be able to make this event.  The gathering begins _promptly_ at 9:30pm at the Dining Hall.  At that time, attendance will be taken from the pre-registration list.  Should a pre-registered name not answer to the Roll Call, the Waiting List will then be called in the order the list was populated until all available spots are filled.

Some answers to frequently asked questions:

- When will I see a confirmation email?

The confirmations are going out ASAP. You should see them in your inbox very soon!

- I know I registered early, but I did not receive a separate AAoP confirmation. What happened?

Call the Main Church during normal business hours for clarification.

- Can’t more room be made for others? Why does this ritual always fill up so early?

Without going into ritual detail, the group is intentionally kept to a manageable size for the ritual presenters.

We thank you all for your enthusiasm and we wish we could honor all requests to attend this special event each year.  We ask for your understanding and patience while the group of attendees is determined before the rite begins.

See you at Spring Mysteries 2009!!

The 24th Annual Spring Mysteries Festival sponsored by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church is being held from April 9th – 12th at Fort Flagler ELC

One of the great parts of the festivals is the Merchant Hall, where vendors of all types display and sell their wares—everything from incense to cloaks, cauldrons to drums, jewelry to books. It’s a great way to make money and network with the larger Pagan community.

Have a little cottage industry in your home? Fantastic! Bring your wares to the festival and build up your business. Meet some great people and make some contacts. You’ll be glad you did! We welcome all merchants—both large and small—so don’t hesitate. Call the ATC today at 360-793-1945 or email us at atcadmin @ aquatabch.org.