A mystery school is a living curriculum that can be studied in both an exoteric and esoteric way. On the exoteric level, each month, you will receive access to curriculum materials introducing you to multiple layers of each archetypal face. These include meditations, practices, mindfood readings, journaling prompts–information that can be digested by the mind and received in the way we’ve culturally learned to “learn.”

On an esoteric level, you will be receiving your own unique lessons through each archetypal interface. You will quickly begin to see that even if you don’t open the informational curriculum, you will inevitably bear witness to the ways that synchronicity and resonance draw these energies to you. The challenges you face in your personal life will begin to reflect the exact initiatory gates your soul is beckoning you to walk through-so that you might become more whole. The esoteric path of the Initiate invites you to learn through gnosis: experiential wisdom. Thus, through this work, you organically grow through learning the lessons that only your life can provide. 

In-person immersions provide the opportunity for rites of passage with each archetype. Ritual, working with the tools in a ceremonial setting, embodiment practices and gathering together in coherency all create deeply transformative fields of presence that can catalyze great change-not only in your personal life, but for the collective consciousness.

scribed by Ariel Spilsbury

Love is the central organizing principle of the 13 Moon Path. This lineage implies being able to walk in the world as a vessel of Empty Presence in open-eyed meditation, as heart-centered awareness. 

This lineage recognizes that all of life is Sacred Theater. We are on the stage of life as conscious beings, so why not make it sacred, so that each action that we take sanctifies life in a song, a dance, a prayer, mudra, poem, etc.

In the 13 Moon Lineage we recognize that both personal and collective issues can be lifted and transmuted through the skillful use of a unified alchemical field on the etheric plane, as well as through Earth activism. 

By stepping onto this 13 Moon Path, you remember the holographic clues that are encoded for you to step into the fullness of who you are as Soul Essence, therefore there is nothing to be "taught". One thing that genuinely makes this lineage unique, is that there is someone to guide, hold a container and shepherd you, but there is no one "teaching" you something. This work is about direct experience of the Mystery. 

Another unique aspect of this work is the embodied perception that we are already whole, that there is nothing that needs to be fixed or changed. We simply witness each other's inner transformation.

What it means to walk this path:

Empty Presence--to sustain a state of Emptiness that allows us to be conduits for Divine emanation to move through us as we live our life.

Honoring silence as the medium that everything moves through--starting and ending with silence.

There is a conscious intentional shift out of mind into heart and belly, bringing awareness and focus to the heart and womb/hara and out of ego mind.

There is a focus on the mythic, archetypal, soul-directed aspects of being.

There is a shift to viewing life itself as an initiation.

There is a focus on remembrance--activating invisible light codes in our being that have been encoded before and some which we are newly imprinting.

There is a strong intention to transmute shadow material through joy, humor and ecstatic process, rather than suffering.

There is a deep surrendering to Love.

This is a path of beauty and sensual awakening,

Learn more about the school and the greater nonprofit community the Sanctuary of the Open Heart here.

Yes, we offer payment plans. You can do a 6 moon payment of $1155/month or a 13 moon payment of $555/month.

Our initiation circles are all small group format, generally between 13 and 22 participants. For this particular circle, there will be 3 concentric circles within the greater circle: one for Men, one for Women and one for those deepening in their 13 Moon Mystery School Training. Throughout the experience, there will be spaces created and held for the larger group, as well as more intimate sharing circles for men, women and initiates in devotion. We will also have several Focalizing Apprentices and additional Initiates in Devotion who will be there to provide support and model ways of moving through Initiation for those who are new to this work.

This is not a polarity workshop or a training in sexual dynamics. This is not a place to come with the intention of meeting a potential partner, as the work we will be doing is transpersonal in nature and focused more on the soul aspects than the personality. While you may develop life-long allies from this work, agreements will be put in place about the nature of romantic relationships within this work, as it is a container for soul growth and you may not be getting into what you “think” you’re saying yes to if you do engage in that way during this journey!

No. Although the primary Initiation Ceremony will be held with all the initiates in the circle, there will be opportunities for inquiry and reflection amongst same-sex circles within the greater circle.

Immersions are highly recommended in this work because the level of energy is more highly palpable in the physical realm. You may be surprised at the depth of saturation you receive from our online ceremonies, and the ways synchronicity brings these archetypes “to life” in your everyday world, however, the depth of connection you will make, the relationships you will build and the energetic imprint you will receive from immersion work is another level. 

In order to fully “complete” a round of 13 Moon Mystery School work and step into deeper training, you need to attend at least one immersion during your time in circle.

 In this Mystery School, we embrace and celebrate the beautiful diversity of all humanity—honoring every age, ethnicity, body size, religious belief, sexual orientation, and ideological perspective. 

The solar or masculine face of God is the version of the Divine most prevalent in our culture, and in this paradigm, the feminine aspects of the Goddess are hidden-both within and beyond your awareness. This is a lineage based on seeing the Unity in all faces of the Divine, and opening you to your unique connection with Source, by whatever name, face or way you experience its grace. 

Archetypes infuse consciousness beyond any one religion, so you will find the characteristics of love and expansion can and will show up in any context that is particularly moving for you. We welcome beings from any and all religious or spiritual backgrounds. We invite you to explore within or beyond the facets of the Divine you have yet discovered, even if that means none at all.

We celebrate the Turns of the Wheel of Nature, and see the value in bringing forward the feminine mythologies that have been lost, manipulated and turned inside-out by those seeking power in the past. Not to worship them, but to honor the aspects of human and divine human nature they represent and make available for us to live more honorable lives. 

This work began with Ariel Spilsbury, founder of the Mystery School in 1997, though the technologies themselves were studied extensively in the times of Avalon, when Priest/esses would devote themselves to 13 years of study in order to become ‘ordained’ in the Sacred Arts. The source text which has become the foundation of this work is called The Alchemy of Ecstasy, and was transcribed by Ariel as a template to be used in ceremony in 1997.

The alchemical work began in small circles focalized by Ariel in the late 90’s with workshops and circles held around the globe, primarily in California, Hawaii and Japan. Ariel went on to shepherd several other beings through the rigorous process of training to become Focalizers of this work. Only certified 13 Moon Mystery School Focalizers are privileged and blessed to carry this work forward.

Our Facilitators are called Focalizers. This is because they are not “facilitating a process” trying to get you to any certain outcome. There is no pre-determined script, no set of processes that are outlined in this training. This is because the primary focus of the Focalizer is to become empty enough to allow the Goddess to flow through them, offering in each present moment what is needed and called for for the whole.

Focalizers have gone through rigorous training to prepare themselves for the energetic space in consciousness that they will hold for others as well as the catalytic energy that moves through them as they “focus” the magnitude of the archetypal force that flows through them into ceremony. 

You can read more about our Focalizers and their unique gifts on this page.

The 13 Moon Mystery School is a unique kind of group experience. It’s not a lecture or a teaching, or a group where we meet or focus on the ego personality. You will enter into a frequency field of ceremony, where you will go through a series of processes to meet your deepest Self that calls that part of you forward. You will never be required to share anything, and all of you is welcome to express authentically. You will, however, be lovingly challenged to step into your authentic Self, and to look at the unconscious shadow aspects of your self, even if you don’t come in knowing what that looks or feels like. If you are open to trying a new way, it is incredibly powerful to move through things in a ceremonial group context. You receive as much healing from witnessing others as you do from your own journey and also develop a deep bond with the other initiates.

Personal mentoring with a Focalizer is another option if you desire to do this work solo. However, you may find that by traveling alongside others in this experience, you receive reflection and insights that you might not have been aware of in journeying alone. Neither is right or wrong, it’s an inquiry for you to sit with your hesitation and really ask if it’s a growth edge you are ready to cross, or so far beyond your comfort zone that it creates a trauma response.

Our initiation circles include many hours of active facilitation by trained Focalizers, as well as access to a vast online curriculum.

13% of every offering is given back as an honoring of Ariel Spilsbury, the founder of this lineage and the nonprofit that supports this work.

We do our best to keep costs as low as possible, in order to make our offerings accessible, but acknowledge that they can still be cost-prohibitive for some. If finances are an issue, please see our information below about financial support and scholarship opportunities.

Investing in your own spiritual growth and training is a gift to yourself that will blossom and give back as you discover your unique skills and step into your own service. The exchange for these experiences honors the flow of giving and receiving, as well as the spiritual training each focalizer also invested in to be able to hold space for others in this way.

We offer payment plans for all our offerings so you can spread out the payment. A limited number of scholarships are available. Please visit this page to fill out the application for a scholarship.

Community of the 13 Moon Mystery School:

The Sanctuary of the 13 Moon Mystery School community is available to you immediately and throughout the journey of your lifetime. Ariel Spilsbury, founder of the Mystery School, offers her ministry of Love through an abundant series of by HEART-donation online calls each moon.

These are opportunities to deepen your Priest/ess skills and connect with other like-hearted beings, and are not meant to be initiatory experiences. It is supportive to have a background in this work for those calls, as they will deepen the skills and awareness you have opened to.

Initiatory Experiences such as a 13 Moon Mystery School Initiation Circle:

There are a few Focalizers who have gone through the rigorous training to hold these initiatory experiences. Each one holds circles in their own unique way, with their own unique frequency and on their own unique rhythm in time.

We encourage you to find the Focalizer and community that is most in resonance with you and explore the various offerings from each Focalizer as they carry unique experiences and gifts alongside the 13 Moon circles.

The Temple of the Swan is one of those communities woven together by Greyson Kirby & Sarah uMa, two Focalizers within the greater 13 Moon Sanctuary. When you step into an experience within the Swan Temple, you will travel with a circle dedicated to exploring these 13 Moon Wisdom Teachings, Archetypes and Gateways of Consciousness, and it is your choice to also participate within the greater 13 Moon Mystery School community, which we highly encourage.

The solar or masculine face of God is the version of the Divine most prevalent in our culture, and in this paradigm, the feminine aspects of the Goddess are hidden-both within and beyond your awareness. This is a lineage based on seeing the Unity in all faces of the Divine, and opening you to your unique connection with Source, by whatever name, face or way you experience its grace. 

Archetypes awaken and inform consciousness beyond any one religion, so you will find the characteristics of love and expansion can and will show up in any context that is particularly moving for you. We welcome beings from any and all religious or spiritual backgrounds. We invite you to explore within or beyond the facets of the Divine you have yet discovered, even if that means none at all.

 We celebrate the Turns of the Wheel of Nature, and see the value in bringing forward the feminine mythologies that have been lost, manipulated and turned inside-out by those seeking power in the past. Not to worship them, but to honor the aspects of human and divine human nature THAT they represent and make available for us to live more integrous, aligned and fulfilling lives. 

You absolutely can do this if you choose! This material is meant to meet you where you are on your journey of consciousness and also your willingness to invest in your spiritual evolution. As Ariel said to me when I first ordered The Alchemy of Ecstasy, “this is not a book to be read; this is work to be done in a circle.”  

Having a trained Focalizer who can see the You beyond your own blind spots is one of the gifts you give yourself when investing in a circle. While it’s not always comfortable to the ego, the focalizer’s primary intention is to help catalyze your soul’s rebirth into your body in physical embodiment, therefore the focalizer will not be concerned with how your ego identifications feel about this process. If you are truly motivated to shed the ego mind’s identities and live the life of your Soul, it is usually necessary to have mirrors outside of yourself to be able to reflect both the Truth of who you truly are, as well as help you see the places you might get stuck in illusion and unconscious shadow aspects of the self.

Likewise, the benefit of having a circle of beings to do this work alongside, is to be able to see yourself and others with compassion for the ways in which we are all evolving personally and as a species. 

There is no teacher in this work. There are no tests to pass or fail. This is not about gaining knowledge or memorizing mental constructs. 

This is about evolving into the most essential form of your Soul’s self. Therefore, you will receive both an exoteric and esoteric curriculum. The exoteric curriculum comes in the form of "mindfood", practices, meditations and other tools meant to saturate you in the archetypal frequencies–these can look like the “school” aspect you are accustomed to seeing in online programs. These more exoteric pieces, however, are akin to receiving a key ring with many keys strung upon it. You are the only one who will know which keys open which locks within your own awareness…

The esoteric curriculum is the mystery part of a mystery school. This is completely unique to you–and will be revealed as the archetypes are invited into your energy field. Depending on your soul’s unique contract in this timeline, how quickly you move through your own initiations, and your level of trust in Divine Mother, the esoteric curriculum will both show up and stir up in all the ways it needs to, in your daily life. In this, it is helpful to have a guide or mentor, someone who has walked this path