Dawn Kinsella, a renowned Priestess of Avalon and founder of the Sacred Celebrants Academy, has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of Pagan ceremonies in the UK. In this exclusive interview, Mystic Mag delves into her inspiring journey, from pioneering legal Pagan marriages to training a new generation of Celebrants.
What inspired you to found the Sacred Celebrant’s Academy, and how has it impacted the Pagan community?
Founding Sacred Celebrants Academy felt like a natural evolution for me. When I began conducting legal Pagan marriages back in 2014, I needed to submit a precise order of ceremony to the General Registry Office for England and Wales. This had to be done in a professional way to meet government requirements, which made me realise that there was an opportunity here for others with a passion for handfasting and other ceremonial work. It’s a career path that could benefit from a more structured, professional approach — covering essential aspects like client consultation, client care, insurance requirements, and maintaining detailed records of each ceremony and the specific requests of each couple.
In my role as a priestess, I recognised a gap in the Pagan community for a more professional, confidence-inspiring service. Sacred Celebrants Academy was founded to address this need by training Celebrants who offer ceremonies that are both respectful of spiritual beliefs and conducted with professionalism. This allows couples to experience a ceremony that truly reflects their spirituality while knowing their Celebrant is skilled, knowledgeable in all faiths or none, and capable of providing a beautiful, inclusive service for everyone.
As the officiant of the first legal Pagan marriages in England and Wales, what challenges or milestones have you encountered in this journey?
I would say that there were not really any challenges as such; people from all around the world were incredibly supportive and congratulatory about this monumental shift for the Pagan community. Even the local registry office and registrars played a significant role in supporting me through my training as an authorised Priestess — the first of a kind. My heartfelt thanks go to Mendip Registry Office and the superintendent registrar for Mendip, Patricia Roche, along with her team. Their support has been invaluable, and I am deeply grateful.
Another milestone that year, in 2014, was the legalization of same-sex marriages, which I’ve had the honour and privilege to conduct. This was a historic moment, not only for LGBTQ+ rights but also for our community, as it represented a broader acknowledgment of love in all its forms.
For us as Pagans, although our spiritual beliefs and ancient traditions reach back to the distant past and are central to our lives, we haven’t always been recognised or valued among the growing list of religious and spiritual groups that enjoy formal recognition. This was, therefore, a truly significant moment in Pagan history — a long-denied acknowledgment of our sacred practices. Our ancient traditions continue to thrive through the celebrations we hold around the seasonal cycles of the year. How wonderful it is to reconnect with a ceremony of commitment and union inspired by a betrothal tradition that stretches back over 2,000 years, honouring an ancient bond that is as meaningful today as it was then.
Could you explain the role of a Priestess of Avalon and how this informs your approach to conducting ceremonies?
The role of a Priestess of Avalon is to live in service to Goddess, embodying the Divine Feminine, and to bring her presence into the world with both devotion and practical action. Being a priestess today means fitting this ancient, sacred role into the context of our 21st-century society. Although Goddess worship is now being reclaimed on a global scale, it remains relatively new. My path is a blend of service to others and a journey of personal growth, guided by the ancient Delphic wisdom carved into the pillar of the temple of Delphi, Nosce Te Ipsum — “Know Thyself.” This understanding is foundational; it drives me to constantly deepen my self-awareness, as knowing oneself is the essence of the soul’s growth.
When a priestess declares her intent to serve, even a whisper of intention resonates deeply within the cosmos — a principle that aligns with quantum physics. Here on the Isle of Avalon, that intention is amplified a thousandfold, infusing the landscape with a unique energy that challenges and liberates the initiate. My commitment to serve required a profound transformation. In 2011, I felt an undeniable call to fully embrace this path. I sold and gave away everything I owned, arrived here with little money, and immersed myself in the Priestess of Avalon training led by Kathy Jones. That training reshaped my life in every way and aligned me with a sense of sacred duty that now flows through my work.
As priestesses, we know that we are co-creators of our reality. Our thoughts and intentions create waves that shape the world around us, piercing through the illusions of the material world and moving us toward what is true and sacred. Serving from this perspective allows me to bring ceremony into the world with deep reverence for nature and humanity. Each ceremony I conduct, whether a handfasting or seasonal celebration, is informed by this truth. It is a reminder to others of our power to connect with the sacred and create a meaningful reality.
The rise of the Divine Feminine is part of a larger cycle, restoring balance against the suffering and discord brought about by patriarchal systems. Yet, it’s not about destroying the patriarchy. Rather, it’s about marrying the Divine Feminine with the sacred masculine to transmute the outdated aspects of the patriarchy into something supportive and life-affirming. Through my Priestess of Rhiannon tantric training for women only with the Goddess Temple , I learned this essential balance, where masculine intellect supports feminine intuition, creating harmony between these energies. This concept — of balancing and transforming dual energies — is woven into every ceremony I offer, inviting others into a balanced relationship with themselves, with others, and with nature.
This way of life cascades through everything I do, making each ceremony a sacred act of reclamation and rebalancing. By honouring both the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine, It is my privilege to offer these ceremonies as a Priestess of Avalon, rooted in a tradition that transforms and inspires with each step we take together.
How do your experiences as a hypnotherapist and IEMT practitioner integrate with your work in spiritual ceremonies?
My background in hypnotherapy and Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) has become a valuable resource, within my work, not only in the Sacred Celebrant training program, but also in the Sacred Grief Ceremonialist work and the Priestess Ceremonialist of Avalon training. . These trainings are all highly intensive and often brings participants on an emotional journey that can be a bit of a rollercoaster. Many trainees are experienced in healing and therapeutic modalities, yet the deep, personal content of the programme can sometimes bring up past traumas that they may not have anticipated.
This is where IEMT comes into play as a supportive mechanism. IEMT is “content-free,” meaning it doesn’t require participants to rehash stories or undergo lengthy counselling sessions. It’s incredibly effective — we have seen a 100% success rate in easing emotional triggers quickly and gently. Having this available means that any trauma that surfaces during training can be addressed in a way that allows the trainees to process it healthily and continue fully participating in the program.
I also incorporate deeply relaxing hypnosis, which helps trainees feel centred and calm. This approach allows them to access the benefits of the training without being held back by emotional barriers. Additionally, I offer IEMT and hypnotherapy sessions post-training on a donation basis, available for anyone who feels they need continued support. This integration of therapeutic tools is part of my commitment to creating a safe, holistic experience for those who are stepping into the role of a Sacred Celebrant, Grief Ceremonialist or Priestess Ceremonialist.
What is the significance of handfastings and baby naming ceremonies in modern Paganism, and how do you personalize these for each client?
In modern Paganism, handfastings and baby naming ceremonies are deeply meaningful rituals that honour life’s important transitions within a spiritual, nature-connected framework. A “handfasting” is, in essence, an ancient symbol of union — the act of joining hands is where we get the phrase “tying the knot.” For Pagans and followers of earth-based traditions, a handfasting is a sacred commitment ceremony that celebrates a couple’s love and journey together. As a Sacred Celebrant, my role is to make each ceremony bespoke, reflecting what is personally significant to each couple.
One unique aspect of a handfasting is that it’s structured around the four elements — air, fire, water, and earth — each carrying symbolic meaning for the couple. Air represents the beginning of their relationship and the moment they first met; fire represents love and passion; water symbolises emotions, the deep connection they share, and is where they exchange vows and rings; and earth signifies stability, grounding their union as they literally and symbolically have their hands tied or bound together. As a sacred celebrant couples often choose an alternative to hand-tying that we offer called the hoop and wand ceremony, where the bride crafts a willow hoop, and the groom creates a marriage wand, which are then bound together with ribbons as a symbol of unity. This ceremony is entirely inclusive, adapted for same-sex couples.
Similarly, baby naming ceremonies in Paganism are a way to formally welcome a child into the family and community, following a journey through the four elements that mark the stages of a child’s growth. Air symbolizes the child’s soul calling to Earth and their first breath; fire represents their adventurous spirit and courage; water honours their emotional self and compassion for life; and earth marks the formal naming by the parents. Families often choose guardians for each of the three elements — with the parents as the earth guardians — to make pledges to support the child in those aspects of life.
In both ceremonies, we focus on creating an experience that is personal and meaningful, connecting each client with nature, tradition, and community in a way that truly resonates with their values. We also offer adult re naming ceremonies, which have become very popular.
What were the most rewarding aspects of overseeing the Glastonbury Goddess Temple, and how did this experience shape your path as a full-time Priestess?
Overseeing the Glastonbury Goddess Temple was truly my initiation into temple life. During my second year of Priestess training, I stepped into the role of Temple Mother, managing the Temple’s daily operations on behalf of founders Kathy and Mike Jones. This role involved coordinating the Temple Melissa diary (the Melissas are Priestesses, Priests, and volunteers who keep the Temple open 365 days a year for everyone to enjoy), organising events, and welcoming private groups from around the globe who came to experience the Goddess energies through ceremonies like the “Welcome to Avalon ceremony” and the Elysium Dream Temples, which I now teach in the Priestess Ceremonialist training. I also began offering Sacred Sound baths to the public and private groups, which deepened both my practice and connection to the community.
By the time I graduated from my four years of training, I had learned how to hold the immense energetic space of the Temple. This role was demanding and transformative, and I held it for six years before stepping down to focus on marriages and my Academy. Running the Temple was like captaining a vast ship, navigating a beautiful but sometimes overwhelming sea of love, Goddess devotion, personal growth, and its inevitable challenges.
This experience shaped my path as a Priestess in ways I couldn’t have anticipated, enhancing my confidence and expanding my skills far beyond what I initially imagined. Now, I am focused on developing my training programs in London and Essex, as well as continuing them in Glastonbury, along with other exciting projects soon to be announced. The time spent overseeing the Temple gave me a strong foundation and a clear sense of purpose, preparing me to create new offerings and contribute meaningfully to the global Goddess movement.
