Karen Dempsey

So all of those people, I wanted to create a space where they could bring what they were connected to.

So that that could be expressed through ceremony or through whatever kind of participatory spirituality.

Absolutely.

And I think the reverence for the essence of the faith path is really important.

To me, I have a deep reverence for the essence of all faith paths.

The institutional aspects, I don't have a reverence for that.

I just will straight up say I don't have a reverence for any hierarchy or anything that tells me that I need an intermediary between me and the God of my understanding.

And that's me.

Other people have a deep reverence for that and that's fine for them too.

But the people that are coming today to me or to Enthea seeking a ceremony in general, they're not seeking a priest usually because they can access a priest through the faith path unless they are somebody who has been ostracized actively by that faith path and they can't have a priest for their wedding.

Yeah, it's a funny one, actually, because it's of old.

I didn't really overthink it.

Yeah, perfect.

I mean, to me, I'm hopefully one of the most recognisable celebrants doing the rounds.

So if people are saying, I don't remember her name, they can say, yeah, she's the bald one and you find me.

But the word priestess is a funny one because I don't really like the word priest because it implies hierarchy or separation.

So I probably wouldn't choose it again, but it's there and it's established.

It's become a thing.

Yeah.

And it's also a kind of reclamation as well because it has the S on the end.