About
Minoan Brotherhood
The Minoan Brotherhood is an Initiatory Mystery Tradition rooted in British Traditional Witchcraft (specifically Gardnerian Wicca) and created for men who love men. It celebrates life, nature, magic, and the divine through the lens of the ancient Gods and mysteries of Bronze Age Crete and the Aegean world, reimagined in a contemporary context.
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Founded in the 1970s by Edmund “Eddie” Buczynski (1947-1989), the Brotherhood arose as a response to the heterosexist culture that dominated most forms of traditional witchcraft at the time.
The Minoan Brotherhood offers a sacred space where queer men can celebrate their identity, connect with divine male mysteries, and engage in spiritual healing through ritual, fellowship, and shared magical practice.
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At its heart, the Minoan Brotherhood is a path of celebration, magic, and healing, a living tradition that honors erotic spirituality, brotherhood, and the joyful union with nature, and with the Gods.
Temenos Eromenos
Temenos Eromenos is the first and only Grove of the Minoan Brotherhood in the Netherlands, located in Utrecht, and the very first Grove of the Kommos Line lineage established in Europe. Based in the Netherlands yet international in spirit, the Grove welcomes members from across the continent and offers long-distance training and mentorship for those who live further away.
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Reflecting this rich diversity, training and Grove circles are held in English, while individual training and mentorship may be offered in English, Dutch, Italian, and Portuguese.
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The Grove is led by Minos (High Priest) Alexias who provides training, guidance, and initiations within the tradition. This website is maintained by Minos Nerites under his direction.
Deities
About
The Minoan Brotherhood embraces a duotheistic theology, centered upon the Goddess and the God — two divine powers who together express the eternal balance and unity of all life. They are not opposites, but complementary forces of wholeness, whose mysteries guide us toward harmony with Nature, with each other, and within ourselves.
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The Goddess is the Great Mother, whom we honor in the form of the Minoan Snake Goddess, publicly identified as Rhea. As Her title suggests, She is the Mother of all living things, the soul of Nature, the breath of the elements, and the eternal source from which all life flows and to which all returns.
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The God is not Her consort, but Her Divine Son, the embodiment of life’s renewal and the spark of sacred desire within all beings. He is the God of our Mysteries, associated with the Minotaur and the Young God of Crete, whom we publicly name Asterion, the Starry One.
Through Him we encounter transformation, courage, and the radiant light that dwells at the heart of the labyrinth. Together, Rhea and Asterion represent the living cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, the sacred dance of love and power that restores us to oneness and healing.
Praxis
The Minoan Brotherhood is a spiritual and magical tradition that celebrates the joy of life, the sacredness of nature, and the beauty of being. It is a path of celebration, transformation, and devotion, a way for men who love men to honor the Divine through the cycles of the Earth and the dance of the Moon.
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Although the details of our cosmology belong to our oathbound mysteries, our Festivals broadly follow the familiar rhythm of the Wheel of the Year found in much of contemporary Paganism. Each turning of the seasons marks a time of renewal and connection with the living world around us.
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In addition to the seasonal rites, we hold the Full Moon as a sacred time dedicated to the Work of Magic, when the veil between the inner and outer worlds grows thin, and the powers of the Gods flow freely through us.
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Through the cycles of the seasons and the moon, we experience the Mysteries in both their light and shadow. We express joy, gratitude, and devotion toward our Gods, using the poetry of myth as a bridge between the cosmic forces of the universe and the inner realms of the self. As men-loving-men, and as priests of the Great Mother and Lovers of Her Divine Son, we seek to embody union within our own hearts and lives.
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Ours is a religion of magic and beauty, whose purpose is to bring us closer to the Divine, to heal and transform, and to enrich our lives, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Training
For whom is this tradition?
Generally speaking, Temenos Eromenos is for all men who love men.
The profile of the man who fits us may look like (but is not limited to) the following:
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You must be at least 21 years of age.
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You are open-minded and willing to broaden your personal horizon.
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You want to honor the Divine within, and experience it on a deeper level in all its facets.
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You feel a fascination to the imagery of the ancient civilizations of Minoan Crete and Greece.
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You are fascinated by the connection between men in all its forms.
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You want to give your love and affection for men a devotional context.
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You want to unite the spiritual, emotional and physical into one experience.
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You want to enjoy security, intimacy and sexuality in a spiritual context.
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You want to form a Brotherhood with like-minded men.
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You contribute to a positive, supportive and nourishing atmosphere.
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You have a desire to learn and develop your abilities with the work of Magic.
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You are willing to dedicate yourself to lessons and assignments for at least two years.
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You feel the calling to serve as a Witch-Priest of the Great Mother and Her Divine Son.
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You are comfortable with phallic symbolism.
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If you're not in Utrecht (The Netherlands) or Milan (Italy), you must have the means to travel.
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Be aware that a candidate for Temenos Eromenos must feel comfortable with homo-eroticism and intimacy, in a comradely, fraternal and sexual sense, and want to experience this in a ritual context.
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Nothing is done without consent, boundaries are always discussed and respected before anything. But sexual mysticism is a key component for the Magical Work done within the Grove.
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Therefore, those who are not open to work with sacred sexuality might feel that the Tradition of the Minoan Brotherhood, as practiced by Temenos Eromenos, is not the right place for them.
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If you have any questions or wish to apply for training, we invite you to reach out to us. See form below.
Those who feel called to the Minoan Brotherhood are asked to send a detailed introduction, sharing a bit about themselves, their spiritual background, and what draws them to this tradition and its Mysteries.
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Training within the Brotherhood is a path of study, practice, and personal transformation, guided by an initiated Priest of the tradition. For those who show dedication, understanding, and alignment with our values, this training may ultimately lead to initiation into the Minoan Brotherhood, a sacred commitment to the Gods, the Mysteries, and the Brotherhood itself.
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If you have any questions or wish to apply for training, we invite you to reach out to us. Those who feel called to the Minoan Brotherhood are asked to send a detailed introduction, sharing a bit about themselves, their background, and what draws them to this tradition and its Mysteries.
