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 must 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 greater Sanctuary of the 13 Moon Mystery School 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-donation online calls each month.

These are opportunities to deepen your Priest/ess skills and connect with other likehearted beings, but these are not meant to be initiatory experiences. 

It is supportive to have background in this work, which often entails going through an initiatory gate such as a 13 Moon circle or immersion to acquaint yourself to the aspects of consciousness you will explore.

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 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 granted the right 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 for the whole.

Focalizers have gone through rigorous training to prepare themselves for the energetic space 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 in the personality. You will enter into a field of ceremony, where you will go through a series of processes to meet your deepest Self and call 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, 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 insights 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 fear (false evidence appearing real) response, a growth edge, 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 to 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.

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.