Entheos

COMMUNITY – CEREMONY – CHANGE

Entheos was founded to serve people who have been ostracised, marginalised or otherwise left behind by traditional faith paths on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, parental / family status or any other reason.

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At Entheos, we believe that rituals and ceremonies are for everyone.

Birth, death, union, coming of age, the many and varied transitions and thresholds of human life. These life events are traditionally celebrated and shared – it’s a core part of what makes a community.

These are moments when we come together, we connect and make memories, but the old ways don’t always fit, because we live in a world that is changing.

Old institutions are crumbling, and we need new options in their place. The presumption that the majority of people regularly practise a formal religion is outdated, but the call to share in some form of community celebration remains.

As we navigate this shift in the spiritual / secular landscape beyond institutional religion, we find that when it comes to the threshold moments of life – we still crave ceremony.

Ceremonies don’t have to be dull!

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They don’t have to follow a script, or use outdated language and traditions.

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They can be unique.

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They can be meaningful.

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They can be inspiring.

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They can resonate with all those who have gathered - AND they can represent your beliefs and those of your partner in a simple, non-intrusive way.

So instead of feeling you have to squeeze your ceremony into a pre-designed script, why not imagine one that feels just right for you?!

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Celebrate with Entheos

Weddings and Commitments

Baby Naming and Welcoming Ceremonies

Funeral and End of Life Services

Ceremonies of Threshold and Transition

About Entheos

Entheos was founded to serve people who have been ostracised, marginalised or otherwise left behind by traditional faith paths on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, nationality, parental / family status or any other reason.

Entheos is the Greek root of the word Enthusiasm, it means “inspired by the Go(o)d within”.

We recognise that Ireland is in a time of huge transition in terms of our relationship with Institutional Religion. It is tempting to polarise our spirituality into either completely Religious, or completely Atheist, but many people occupy the space in between – neither religious nor fully atheist, but with a belief in “something more”. We also have a huge and ever-growing Interfaith Community who bring a richness and diversity to the type of Ceremonies requested.

At Entheos, we seek to support people in their exploration of their relationship with “something more”, a spirituality or personal philosophy outside of traditional faith paths, and we welcome everyone who feels drawn towards our vision, beliefs and values.

We are committed to serving people who desire a ceremony that fits their personal beliefs, but who don’t describe themselves as categorically religious, humanist and/or atheist. Very often, Entheos is a good fit for such people as we support their belief in “something more”, without requiring their personal beliefs to fit a particular definition or polarity. All is welcome.

Entheos Celebrants are all committed to some form of active work as agents for positive change within their communities, and to actively challenging and changing the heteronormativity and stereotypes of the ceremonial world, for weddings in particular.

Find your celebrant

Our Values

COMMUNITY – CEREMONY – CHANGE

At Entheos, our core beliefs are the foundation of our inclusive community:

1. The Spark Within

We believe in the presence of a divine spark of go(o)d within every person. This essence (Entheos), and our belief in the inherent value of every living being form the basis of our spiritual and secular beliefs.

2. Equality for All

We hold absolute equality at the heart of our beliefs. We honor the intrinsic worth of every individual, irrespective of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, financial status, or any other potential hierarchy of worth.

3. Feminist Philosophy

We strive to rebalance the gender bias and power imbalances that have led many to turn away from patriarchal world religions, and to challenge heteronormativity and other normalised exclusions wherever possible.

4. Participatory Spirituality

We aim to ensure that everyone has access to a supportive community of like-minded individuals. We meet regularly for personal and group support, and share meaningful ceremonies to celebrate life’s significant milestones.

5. Inclusive and Non-Denominational

Entheos is not tied to any specific faith path, and we do not require members to accept or reject belief in any particular deity. Our beliefs are rooted in the philosophy of Entheism, embracing the uniqueness of each individual’s journey. All are welcome.

6. Embracing Change

We commit to being the change we want to see in the world, remaining open and receptive to new ways of thinking, working, and coexisting.

7. Valuing Family in All Forms

We celebrate choice and honor and support families in all their diverse manifestations. Through enthusiastic activism, meaningful ceremonies, and practical community work, we offer our services to all individuals and families at every stage of life.

8. Joyful Celebration

We believe in the importance of celebration, play, and fun for all, recognising these moments as essential components of a fulfilling life.

9. Dialogue and Understanding

We actively encourage and support dialogue and understanding among spiritual and secular traditions. We celebrate values such as respect, choice, mutual support and transparency.

10. Deepening Self-Awareness and Service

We welcome all individuals who are drawn to deepen their understanding and awareness of their own Self. We are committed to sharing our exploration of what it means to be human and how to serve life and love in infinite ways.

These core beliefs guide us in fostering a community in Entheos that embraces diversity, celebrates individuality, and nurtures the divine essence within each of us. Together, we create a supportive and transformative environment where all can explore their individual path with love and acceptance.

Community love

We got in touch with Karen via a recommendation from a friend, and it was just about the best recommendation we’ve ever gotten! From the initial phone call and our video chat with Karen, we just immediately felt like we’d known her our whole lives. She instantly understood what we were looking for, and gave us such excellent advice in the buildup to the big day, especially in terms of the structure of the ceremony and the flow of how things would work.

The ceremony itself was absolutely perfect. Neither of us were interested in anything stuffy or overly-formal, and Karen delivered a wonderful ceremony that was just perfect for us in terms of the tone – it felt like it was an old friend guiding us through it all, and she made everyone in the party feel included and completely at ease. We’ve had countless guests, including my 94-year old grandmother, tell us that it was the most beautiful ceremony they’d ever attended, and that’s so much down to Karen.

We can’t possibly thank her enough, and we give her our absolutely highest recommendation.

Christine and Christopher

As the proud parents of Christopher and delighted in-laws to Christine,we knew that their wedding ceremony would be very special..just like them. And so it was..and thanks to Karen’s professionalism, warmth, storytelling and surefootedness, it proved to be a most memorable, moving, relevant and personal ceremony that reflected the love and commitment which shone from this most happiest of couples! Karen drew us in, engaged us, weaved a magic element into proceedings with her knowledge of history and ancient traditions. We laughed, we cried , we celebrated!! Thank you Karen for guiding, directing and caring for this special couple…you are an outstanding and unique solemniser and the couples of the future will be so lucky to have you as part of their special day. With our best wishes for the future..

Ann & Bill

Karen was an incredible solemniser. She made our ceremony extremely enjoyable, interactive, funny, heartfelt and personalised. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. She was so wonderfully supportive and informative to work with for the planning process. We couldn’t be happier with our choice. She’s a very special woman.

Deana & Eamon

Karen was so wonderful, what an amazing person. From the initial zoom call (because of covid) to the ceremony, Karen provided us with throughtful suggestions, felxibility and warmth. She made our day so special we just couldn’t be more thankful that we happened upon her. She is absolutely made to do this, it is clearly a vocation. We we so at ease with her from the minute we started to chat and she listened to the mood of the day we were looking to create and her considered suggestions and careful planning made our day much much more than we could have envisaged ourselves. She remembdered to consider the things we might have forgotten for the ceremony but it was as though we had thought of these things ourselves. She was absolutely integral to the beautiful and special day we had, full of warmth, laughter and celebration… and on Christmas Eve. Karen you are a treasure thank you so much xx

Clare & Emmet

Choosing the right celebrant is so important to set the tone for the day, and we couldn’t have found a better person than Karen! From the first email, she was so warm and lovely and we knew she was the right person to marry us. She was so helpful during the planning process and gave us a lot of suggestions but was always open to what we wanted. She helped us design a ceremony that reflected who we are as a couple and did such a beautiful job. Our guests were so impressed and said it was the most beautiful ceremony they had been to!

Karen delivered such a personal and warm ceremony filled with so much love and we can’t thank her enough for making it a day we will always cherish. Thank you for calming my nerves and making me be present in the moment!

Margaret & Darragh Woods

My husband and I were so lucky to be married by Karen this August and we absolutely could not be more grateful for the incredibly beautiful ceremony she created. Every step of the way through the (relatively short!) planning stages, Karen calmed us and centered us and kept us grounded. We never felt rushed or like anything was too much or too little to ask or consider. The ceremony was all at once fun, comfortable, emotional and personal. She is a complete natural and it’s as though she was born to celebrate people!

Everyone at our wedding asked for her name after as they all can’t wait to have her for their own ceremonies! She put everyone at ease and created the most beautiful and comfortable environment for all of us. We truly could not have imagined better, or more tailored to us.

Stephanie Anne

Our wedding ceremony was so beautiful and perfect! I had the best time of my life, very touching and so personal. You did an amazing job and we cannot thank you enough!

I was impressed with how many people told us the ceremony was the best they’ve seen at a wedding! Many guests said that was the best part of the wedding, they were so excited about it which was a great surprise.

One of my husbands guests said she was really touched and it was a great way to get to know myself better, that the ceremony was really like us. That was so nice to hear because it was exactly what we wanted: the ceremony to represent who we are as individuals and as a couple.

I am glad we have chosen you, it was perfect!

Pati and Conor

We had the privilege of being married by Karen two weeks ago and the whole experience was perfect from beginning to end. We had a relatively short run in time to the ceremony but we never felt rushed with Karen. Her system works very well in that she has lots of suggestions and guidance for every stage of the ceremony that she can send by email in advance. She was very prompt to reply with suggestions and thoughts, so that, by the time we met her, we were able to personalise the ceremony exactly as we wished. We were able to combine Karen’s suggestions with some of our readings and it all went like a dream.

Karen has a lovely warm, caring, inclusive manner, that shines through at every stage. For a number of our guests, this was their first non-church wedding and they were all blown away by how personal and thoughtful Karen’s service was.

We cannot recommend Karen highly enough, she is incredible.

Fiona and Ciarán

Rev. Karen Dempsey celebrated a beautiful tree planting ceremony for my late husband Rod’s first anniversary. It was a moving, atmospheric, peaceful and healing occasion and a deeply moving experience for my family and I and our extended family, friend’s and neighbours who stood with us in this and throughout our journey. Our beautiful daughter Ciara and our two two beautiful special needs son’s watch “Daddy’s Tree” grow and know that he will always be connected to the earth, close to them and forever holding a watchful eye. Thank you Karen, huge love and respect to you, proud to call you our friend. Xx

Jane

Re-imagining Ceremonies is a podcast by Entheos, hosted by Feargh Curtis and Karen Dempsey. Karen is the founder of Entheos and Feargh is an active celebrant with the organisation. Both are passionate about the world of ceremony and creating a space where everyone feels welcome to celebrate the big moments in their lives. They will be joined by other celebrants and members of Entheos to discuss ceremony, community, connection, inclusion and so much more.