Dawn Kinsella is the Founder and Director of Sacred Celebrants Academy and one of the UK's leading pioneers in contemporary sacred ceremony. She is an experienced teacher, trainer, Priestess of Avalon, and Goddess Ceremonialist with over a decade of experience creating and teaching ceremonial practice.
Dawn made history as the officiant for the first legal Pagan marriages in England and Wales, becoming the first person to conduct legally recognised Pagan weddings in 2014. She has since officiated numerous handfastings, legal marriages, renewal of vows, naming ceremonies and other sacred rites of passage.
A full-time Priestess of the Glastonbury Goddess Temple, Dawn oversaw the day to day running of the Temple from 2013 to 2019, supporting its community, ceremonies, volunteers and devotional life. She continues to teach for the Glastonbury Goddess Temple, delivering the Sacred Grief Ceremonialist Training, guiding students develop the skills to hold compassionate, meaningful ceremonies for those navigating loss and bereavement.
Alongside her work at the Temple, Dawn teaches NOCN Endorsed professional development workshops at Cranfield University in Spiritual Funerals and Handfasting Ceremonies, training independent celebrants and registrars in creating authentic, spiritually meaningful ceremonies.
As Director of Sacred Celebrants Academy, Dawn has developed comprehensive training programmes for celebrants, combining ancient wisdom with modern ceremonial practice. Her teaching is grounded in inclusivity, authenticity and the belief that ceremony has the power to transform lives, mark life's milestones and strengthen community.
In addition to her ceremonial work, Dawn is a Gnostic student, Temple musician, qualified Hypnotherapist, Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) Practitioner, Civil Celebrant and holds an NVQ Diploma in Wedding Ceremonies. She is also an author and educator whose work bridges spirituality, ritual and professional celebrancy.
Dawn's pioneering work has been featured in Pagan Dawn, The Wild Hunt, European publications and numerous radio interviews, where she has spoken about modern Pagan priestess roles and is a guest writer in Peter hood, sacred ceremony and her historic role in legal Pagan marriage.