Elizabeth says “I am hoping to register for Mystery School. I have a few questions.” And very good questions they are.

1) What is Mystery School?

2) Do I have to join Mystery School to come to the Grove?

3) Would it ever be appropriate to bring my child to any weekend other than a retreat weekend?

4) Do you offer a couple or family rate?

5) How often do Mysteries attend and what do you recommend?

6) How similar or associated with Reclaiming’s work is Mystery School and Diana’s Grove? Is Mystery School a training in the Reclaiming tradition?

7) I was so glad to actually hear many of the chants published in The Spiral Dance and Dreaming the Dark. Can you recommend a published source for chants, songs and musical notations that you often use?

8) Is it hard to do the work if I don't come to the Grove?

9) How are ethics and accountability handled at Diana's Grove?

Aren’t those great questions? Responses follow. Thanks for asking, Elizabeth.

1) What is Mystery School?

Mystery School is a year-long program that builds an intentional community online and on-site at monthly intensives. The purpose of Mystery School is to support you in learning about the greatest Mysteries of all: first, who you are - really are, when all society's and family's masks and roles are laid aside - and, second, how that Self can be in healthy relationship with the rest of the world. The third mystery is how each Self can be in relationship with some experience of divinity, with the sacred.

Mystery School guides your discovery of these aspects of your life, in the context of a community of others who are seeking their own answers. As a tool to guide that discovery, we use classical mythology from different cultures - stories that are so timeless that we can find ourselves and our times within them.

For more information, we suggest our publications, The Bones of Mystery School and Myth, Magic, and Community.

2) Do I have to join Mystery School to come to the Grove?

At Diana's Grove, 2009 is about the vows we make to ourselves. To our talents, our magic, our place in the world. We offer four Make a Vow to Yourself event packages to support your commitment to: Personal Growth, Professional Development, Women's Spirituality, and The Sacred Land. Learn more>

3) Would it ever be appropriate to bring my child to any weekend other than a retreat weekend?

Children are welcome at non-Mystery School weekends, and some weekends are better for children than others. A child at the Grove requires a great deal of parental attention and care. We have a large number of dogs, some of whom are old and grumpy. Wide open spaces, a creek, gourmet vegetarian meals... all of these things are fine for children when they are being cared for by their parents and the same things can be difficult, even dangerous, for an unsupervised child.

Our food can be unfamiliar. Meal times can be difficult for little ones. Be ready to drop everything and make a peanut butter sandwich at 11:30 rather than wait for pasta salad with artichoke hearts and asparagus at 1:00.

Dangers and discussions lurk around each corner. The camp store is a serve-yourself refrigerator filled with soda and candy. It operates on the honor system... take a candy bar, put 75 cents in the jar. For kids, it can be the refrigerator of their dreams... and for parents it can be a nightmare.

Although you didn’t ask others might wonder... What do we charge for children?

Two and under, no charge. Ages three to ten: half price. Ten and above: full price. Here is why... the price of our weekends just covers the cost of providing food and housing. And due to the special needs and concerns that accompany children, we find that they often require more staff, attention and care than adults.

We don’t recommend bringing children to weekends with an intense personal growth (Rites of Passage) or a skill specific focus. Here’s why: The attention that a child requires often eclipses the parent’s ability to be involved in the workshop sessions. That can be frustrating for both parent and child.

And what about kids and Mystery School weekends? Mystery School intensives are too intensely focused for parents to bring children. Every bed is often full and time to relax is rare. At non-Mystery School weekends, all workshops are Come if you will.If you choose to take a nap instead of attending a session, that’s fine. At Mystery School, the community is developed by the work that we do together. There are greater demands on your time and attention. But, if you join Mystery School, you can design a year with Mystery School intensives just for you and non-Mystery School weekends to attend with your family. If you decide to go for the make a plan and get a discount plan, all weekends — Mystery School and non — can be a part of your discounted payment plan.

4) Do you offer a couple or family rate?

Yes... but we offer it to everyone. The basic Mystery School cost used to be $240 a year. With the family plan, one person registered at full price, the second person, your partner or family member, could join for $150.

When over half of the Mysteries were registering as part of a family or group, we were afraid that our plan created a financial burden for those who chose to register independently. In 2002, we began to post our monthly packets on the web. That change freed us from considerable monthly printing and mailing costs. We passed that savings on to the larger community by giving everyone the Family rate. Mystery School is now sliding scale $175 to $225 for everyone who registers before December 1st.

5) How often do Mysteries attend and what do you recommend?

I am pleased to say that I meet Mysteries who have been in Mystery School for several years without attending an intensive, who consider Mystery School to be a valuable part of their lives. Some folks have told me that their on-line and packet work is satisfying... even life changing. And, in truth, that surprises me. So much of what we stand for and value — community, small group interaction, an interactive approach to ritual — can’t be described in writing. I would love it if everyone in Mystery School could come to the Grove once during the year... and I know this isn’t possible for everyone. I also know that Packets Only is the right choice for some people, no matter how close or far away they might be. Of all the questions, Elizabeth, this one might have the widest array of individual answers, so let me tell you all that I can to enable you to find the right answer for yourself. If I were new to Mystery School and wanting to design a year for myself, I would plan to come four times during the year and one of my visits would be for a week. But my ideal plan might tell you more about me than it tells you about Mystery School. Individual goals and reasons for joining Mystery School are many. When we design the year’s offerings, we try to create a menu that will let each person feed their reason for being a part of Mystery School.

6) How similar or associated with Reclaiming’s work is Mystery School and Diana’s Grove? Is Mystery School a training in the Reclaiming tradition?

Diana’s Grove and Reclaiming are independent, mutually supportive organizations. Our work has always been different from Reclaiming’s in practice and philosophy. We are interrelated because there are many wonderful people who are actively involved with both organizations.

When Patricia and I began Diana’s Grove in 1994, we were the organizers of the Midwest Reclaiming Camp. We continued to organize camp until 1998. The Midwest Reclaiming Camp is still held at the Grove in June. Both Reclaiming and Diana’s Grove have grown and changed in the last ten years. I think that Diana’s Grove and Reclaiming have more in common with each other now than either organization has with the group that it was ten years ago.

Mystery School began in 1995. It was created as a leadership program for those who serve alternative spiritual communities. Today, many mysteries (those who attend Mystery School) are actively involved in earth-based and goddess centered spirituality, and just as many mysteries aren’t. Mystery School focuses on skills and ideas that are relevant to all who serve and lead, regardless of their path or tradition.

Leadership and service require effective communication, the ability to listen to others, and an understanding of group dynamics and group process. All leaders need a safe place to do their own work and explore their own growing edges. Mystery School was created so those who serve could learn the arts of service in a supportive community dedicated to personal and professional growth. That is its goal today.

Both Diana’s Grove and Reclaiming are groups made up of changing, growing people. At times, the two groups are very much alike. At times, they are very different. Our style is ever changing. Each intensive is shaped by the work, the theme, the intention for the gathering and the skills and desires of the community. I believe Reclaiming teachers and priestesses might say the same thing.

7) I was so glad to actually hear many of the chants published in The Spiral Dance and Dreaming the Dark. Can you recommend a published source for chants, songs and musical notations that you often use?

Chants, rituals, a description of an experience, I agree... chants come to life in person. And, if you can’t be here... I recommend Reclaiming’s Chant tapes and cds. I also recommend Thorn Coyle’s tapes and Suzanne Sterling’s tapes. You can find all three on the Reclaiming web site.

We are fortunate to have gifted chant writers on our staff and many gifted singers in our community. I find that the tunes and the words change, even when the person who wrote the chant is teaching it. In 2007 and began making our chants available on our Mystery School web site (which is available to anyone who has joined Mystery School).

8) Is it hard to do the work if I don't come to the Grove?

Many people deepen their relationship to the work by forming local study groups to discuss the ideas and share their individual journeys. Although attending Mystery School intensives isn't required, we do find that it enriches the written material and the discussion groups. If you join the Mystery School ...and if you don't...we hope that you will join us for a weekend or week during the year.

9) How are ethics and accountability handled at Diana's Grove?

Asherah, one of our Mysteries and community members, was asked how the whole topic of ethics and accountability is handled at Diana's Grove. Here is her excellent response.

My answers are based on my personal observations and I invite anyone else who has another impression of Diana's Grove to add information.

1. Agreements and rules are extremely specific: There are about 40 pages of discussion on philosophy, agreements, boundaries, rules, daily living, and expectations in a booklet Myth Magic and Community which is available on our website. A shorter version is in their literature about Diana's Grove and in welcome letters sent to anyone coming to an intensive. It is very readable and written in an extremely engaging style so hopefully most people actually read it.

"Agreements enable us to share space. They increase our emotional safety. In addition to these agreements, we actually have rules. Those rules tell you what we need in order to creare a safe and magical experience for you and with you. Monthly we take a mythic journey. In mythic space, that larger-than-life area where change is afoot and transformation stalks her prey, agreements are the container that enables us to venture into the unknown."

"Freedom requires more not less boundaries. It requires more respect and less assumption. Trust develops when you are more sensitive to how you touch another person and how long a hug is comfortable for the one you are hugging."

Some topics include Individuation, the Art of Being and Individual, Common Unity, Interaction, Agreements and Grounding Rules, Self, Trust, Confidentiality, Setting Personal and Sexual Boundaries, Conflict Resolution etc.

2. Communication skills are taught and modeled - Learning to use "I" statements and not making assumptions about what others think or feel is explicitly shared and valued.

3. Explicit shared values are taught and modeled - They are called the five cornerstones and include thinking well of self, thinking well of others, personal choice, stewardship of self and sacred wound (the wound is an event that creates a possibility for my growth and change, the act of opening to that change is what makes the wound sacred).

4. A strong priestess/leadership training program is ongoing - Many people are in this program which allows options for various levels of commitment. But at all of them priestess skills are intertwined with leadership skills - communication, responsibility, conflict resolution, and respect. At most of the mystery school weekends I have attended, at least half of the participants are in this program. Even after you have completed their "Rites of Passage" year, a continuing education program is part of every weekend. So the culture of the community reflects the values and philosophy. I remember an early part of the training this year, where we were presented with the idea that we are priestessing all day long - whenever we interact at a meal, have a discussion in the shower room, communicate with our cabin mates, or take part in a ritual - and have an awareness of the impact we are making.

5. Communication lines are kept open - Instead of affinity groups, there are circles of support which are facilitated by staff. This affords the possiblity of solving problems immediately rather than letting them simmer. Even if a problem can't be shared in a group, there is a close relationship with a staff member who can help at a later time.

6. Feedback skills are taught and modeled - An awareness of the impact that you make in the community is emphasized. We are taught to ask for feedback about our behavior whether it is "Was my fire invocation loud enough for you to hear at the edge of the circle?" to "I left the table during the discussion, I hope you didn't think it was because I felt uncomfortable with what you were saying but I had an appointment with someone else and didn't want to interrupt the flow. How did you experience my leaving the table?"

7. When rules, agreements, and expectations are broken, the situation is handled with respect and care. I've mainly seen this on the e-mail line and am amazed at the way someone posting something inappropriate is dealt with. During priestess/leadership training we often discuss how to deal with "imaginary" situations.

8. The importance of community is emphasized - When sacred space is created, community is always invoked as an aspect of center. I have noticed that in any personal sharing check-in, several people talk about the impact of the community on their personal work during the weekend.

9. The philosophy of the community is integrated into all the work as much as possible including tarot, personal growth discussions, the myths and stories chosen for themes, etc. For example in the booklet given to mysteries the philosophy/ethics of the community is broken into parts relating to the tarot cards. The Magician - Self, The Priestess - The Goddess of Interaction, The Empress - The Goddess of Natural Laws and Nurturance, The Emperor - The God of Boundaries and the Hierphant - The God of Wounding and Healing, The God of Kin and Clan, of Community. I feel that the rules and agreements are constantly lived - "walking the talk."

10. And, although Diana's Grove is a community, there is a realization that although everyone's input is valued there is a hierarchy of commitment - those people who have invested their life's work in the community have the ultimate responsibility for decisions and processes. So if a situation arose requiring an extreme response such as telling someone to leave after all the talking and the conflict resolution, it would be made by Cynthea and Patricia. (I have no knowledge of anything like that happening but it would be their decision, not a group consensus)

Blessed be,
Asherah

For more information, please see Myth, Magic, and Community.

More questions will be added as we receive them. If you don't see the answers to your questions, please email us at mysteryschool@dianasgrove.com.