“When I grow up, I want to be…” A priestess?!

“I want to be a priestess.”

It was the first time I said those words out loud. I was sitting in my room on Ostara with the candles burning on my shrine, and two words in an email from my mentor Suz had just reignited a spark deep inside me.

Young priestess. 

The first time I contemplated priesthood, I was a little girl sitting at the back of a Catholic church. I imagined myself as a priest but the masculine title felt bare and lacking. Besides- girls didn’t have that option. I wrote in my journal: “When I grow up, I wanna be a virgin preestis of Artemis. I will live in the forest and shoot monsters with my bow and arrow.” Of course, the spelling wasn’t great...

It wasn’t until years later, exploring Paganism, that I discovered the depths of female spiritual power. 

The role of a priestess is murky in modern times. Without temples and state institutions, is priesthood even needed in the modern Pagan movement? To me, a priestess is someone who carries out sacred Work and connects the people to the many Gods. Intercessors aren’t needed in Paganism, but priestesses are there to support sacred relationships and offer guidance. I want to draw a distinction between community-recognized priests and legally-recognized clergy. Hellenion has an official training program but few people undergo it. 

As a young Wiccan (I now identify as a devotional polytheist), I mistakenly believed that “everyone is a priestess in Paganism.” Persephone corrected me very quickly- You will be a priestess, but not yet. It will take time. I knew then that something was missing in my spiritual practice; already, I felt that Wicca was an inadequate framework for worshiping the Theoi. 

And that’s when I met Suz in her Intro to Hellenism class on Zoom. 

My first reaction? Ohmygods there’s a priestess of Demeter in modern times! You heard me right: Suz is a storyteller, teacher, and priestess extraordinaire. Basically, everything I’ve wanted to be since I was a child. 

Up till then, I believed that all Pagans “work with deities,” collect crystals and herbs, and practice a form of eclectic Wicca. Witchcraft is wonderful, but it’s never called me. The Intro to Hellenism class helped me realize that polytheism is a real belief system and that I’ve been called to it since I was a child. I discerned my vocation and I’ve been identifying as a Hellenic Polytheist ever since.

It feels like coming home. 

(Demeter’s sacred flower, the poppy.)

Ancient priesthoods were drastically different than Christian priesthoods today. Whereas Christian priesthoods are a lifelong appointment, Hellenic priesthoods were a temporary role served in a ritual context. I say “priesthoods” (plural) because no two positions were the same. Ancient priestesses were free to marry, enjoy sex, and have children- and they often served multiple Goddesses throughout their lifetimes. For example, a woman in Classical Athens might serve a temple attendant for Artemis as a little girl and work as the priestess of Hera in her adulthood. 

You heard me right. In addition to being inclusive of many genders, Pagan priesthoods ranged from roles for small children to elders. Virginity was only a temporary requirement; typically, the only priestesses who pledged lifelong virginity were elderly widows. 

Priests and priestesses were the same age and gender as their God/Goddess, with a few notable exceptions (there are always exceptions in Paganism). That’s why I consider myself a Korē (maiden) priestess, or Persephone priestess in training. Sharing Persephone’s life stage is an opportunity to grow closer to Her. I wear my hair loose and down to my waist, dress in flowing robes- and don’t forget the flower crowns (priestesses often donned the costume of their God or Goddess).

Although the Two Goddesses haven’t granted me the title of priestess (yet), I’m working toward that role with the help of my Persephone people (hi, Suz and Layla!) and our amazing CUUPS group. That’s why I’m so grateful to those who walk this path with me. Thank you to the folks who sponsor my workshops, offer guidance, and instruct me in ritual- and to the friends, family, and mentors who are always kind and supportive. Thank you for taking the time to listen and understand. And thank you, Suz, for helping my childhood dream come true.

Without further ado, allow me to present my priestess-path altar. 

“Imagine- by your 50s and 60s, you will have been a priestess for almost your entire lifetime.” 

      - Suz