The Spring Mysteries Festival , a re-creation of the Eleusinian Mysteries put on by the Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) every spring, is a time when many choose to become dedicants. This isn’t a dedication to a coven or to the ATC, nor is it a dedication to the craft or the pagan path.* It’s a dedication to a particular deity. At the festival, participants have the wonderful opportunity to talk in person, one-on-one to the Greek gods. We call these shrine visits. On shrine visits, you can give the gods offerings, ask for their blessing, tell them how much you appreciate them, or ask them a question. And you can use this time to dedicate.

If you’ve never been to our festival before, you probably know very little about this process. Even if you’ve been before, chances are you still have some questions (I’ve been twice and I’m still learning).

So, here’s a list of Dedication FAQs.

Who can dedicate? Anyone can dedicate, even children.

How long is a dedication? Dedications are usually a year and a day, but Spring Mysteries isn’t at the exact same time every year (it’s always on Easter, which is the first weekend after the first full moon after the spring equinox, which sounds pretty pagan to me). So your dedication is from one Spring Mysteries to the next. But if you don’t go to Spring Mysteries the following year, then a year and a day works.

What does dedicating entail? The deity you dedicate to will likely give you a task or practice to accomplish over the year. Apollo might have you learn a new instrument, for instance, or Hermes may have you bless one of your local crossroads in his name. Beyond what the deity asks of you, it’s up to you to decide how to honor your dedication.

Do I have to dedicate if I attend the festival? No! This is totally up to you and where you are on your path.

Who do I dedicate to? Most of the Greek gods at the festival take dedications. The gods you are able to visit are: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hestia, Hades, and Persephone. If you have a patron deity, you can dedicate to them, but you can also choose to dedicate to someone other than your patron. If you want to become a parent, you might dedicate to Demeter. Zeus might be able to help with your prosperity. If you are a soldier or veteran, you may be drawn to Ares. If you are a newlywed, Hera might be your jam.

If you still want to dedicate but can’t figure out to whom, you can pray, listen, wait for inspiration. Last year I didn’t know who I was going to dedicate to until minutes before it happened, not until I was walking toward the shrines, when the perfect answer came to me.

Can I dedicate to the same deity every year? Definitely. At the next festival you can visit your deity again, tell them how you served them during the year, and ask to renew your dedication.

Can a deity refuse my dedication? Yes. But don’t take it personally. Some deities some years won’t take any dedications. Some deities get many dedication requests (looking at you, Aphrodite), and that deity may decide to limit their number of dedicants. Or do take it personally: A god or goddess can decide that dedicating to them isn’t right for you in this moment. I’ve had this happen to me, and upon reflection I understood why the goddess wouldn’t accept my dedication.

Must I bring an offering to the deity? It is not required, but you may want to bring offerings to your favorite gods and goddesses whether or not you’re dedicating. Outside of dedication, there are multiple times throughout the weekend to give offerings to Demeter in exchange for abundance There are no rules about what an offering can be, so long as it is from the heart. All offerings are respectfully archived and kept in the church for the Temples and Priests and Priestesses to use in the future.

Perishable offerings (such as soaps, lotions, teas, etc) will often be eaten or used by the priest or priestess of that Godform that year to honor it. Wearable offerings will likely be used by the god from year to year (the deity may wear jewelry you give them, for instance). Edible offerings will be eaten, but not until after the shrine visits are over.You will be given an offering form. Make sure you fill out the offering form, so we can remember the important details of your offering. Often times a stone is just a stone unless you know the story of where it came from. These help us honor the sacredness of each offering, forever. Shrine attendants will have extra forms available.

So now that you know what dedicating is...who will you serve this year?

*If you would like to dedicate yourself to the craft, there are a few ways to do so. You can participate in the Adult Affirmation of Path (AAOP) which happens every SMF. You can register for AAOP when you register for the festival. Space is limited. You can also dedicate yourself to the path by serving the ATC. Talk to Belladonna Laveau (Arch Priestess of the ATC), Dusty Dionne (High Priest), or Cassie Gendlek (High Maiden), for more information. You can also do a private ritual of your own.