About ATS
History
The Avalonian Thealogical Seminary grew out of the Sisterhood of Avalon. Recognizing that among the women journeying on the path of Avalon, there would be many who wished to take up the role of clergy within our community and also within their own communities, the Sisterhood of Avalon created the seminary in 1999. The first students completed the foundation work of Seed One in 2000. We are honored to present the teachings and philosophies of Avalon through a unique, complete and fully contacted Mystery School.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
The aim of Avalonian Thealogical Seminary is threefold:
1 - To Remember ... Through Service to Self - We provide a centralized, uniform foundation in the Avalonian Tradition to reveal a practical road map for undertaking the journey towards personal evolution and self actualization.
2- To Reclaim ... Through Service to Sisters - We cultivate the art of Empowerment Midwifery, present training in pastoral counseling and the facilitation of rites of passage in accordance with local laws and scope of practice.
3- To Renew ... Through Service to Goddess - We encourage the growth of this work by requiring that each student complete a comprehensive neoteric Thesis relating to the Avalonian Tradition. We ensure that sisters become fully grounded in the Avalonian Method of Wisdom Transmission, so that the ever expanding circle grows ever stronger.
Leadership
The Avalonian Thealogical Seminary is overseen by a Director, which is also a member of the Council of Nine within the Sisterhood of Avalon. We are honored that the Morgen of the Sisterhood of Avalon also serves as the Academic Dean. Other positions include Dean of Faculty, Registrar, Bursar, and various teacher and mentor roles within the seminary.
Accreditation
There are at present no accrediting agencies for Pagan Seminaries, as there are very few such institutions in existence, but we hope that this will change over time. Indeed, it is our intention to work with other leaders in this area to serve the needs of our larger community.
Ordination
We recognize the need for a comprehensive and thorough training program for women wishing to serve the Goddess and their communities as ordained clergy. All women who complete the entire Seminary program will be eligible to apply for ordination through the Sisterhood of Avalon. It is necessary to participate in a Seminary retreat as part of the Ordination process. While a Seminary student must be a member in good standing of the Sisterhood of Avalon, she need not pursue Ordination; in such cases, a Certificate of Completion will be issued.
Distance Learning
The bulk of the training will take place through Distance Learning, and each student will be assigned a mentor to guide her through the program. The lessons are interactive and will require readings, essay work, participation in online discussion groups and inner questing. There are Five Levels of Learning in all, including a Pastoral Counseling Component and limited residency retreat (required for Ordination but not for course completion) in addition to the presentation of a Thesis. A certificate of achievement is presented at the end of each Level successfully completed, with a final Ordination credential presented to eligible students.
Our long term goal is to establish a physical Seminary patterned after the ways of old, where women can come to study and to immerse themselves in the work. Until then, we have adapted relevant aspects of the Tradition appropriate for distance learning for transmission over the internet. By its very nature, in-person learning and apprenticeship is the ideal for the Avalonian Tradition, and we are dedicated to manifesting a space for this to happen.