Autumn Equinox 2014

Homework : Week 1 questions

From Rev. Michael J. Dangler's The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year:
 Why have you chosen to take the first steps on the Dedicant Path?
 Is this a step on your path, or will this become the Path itself?
 What do you expect to learn?
 What would you like to get out of this journey? 
 Do you know where this path will take you?


Sounds like a lot of questions, but it really only comes down to one: Why I am doing this? I've been a member of ADF since 2005, 9 years this September. In those (almost) 9 years, I've started the DP, stalled, and picked up where I left off many times. In the beginning, it was meant to be the path itself -- a way to sort out my thoughts on spirituality and religion within ADF's framework. Then I started to feel the pull to something beyond that: clergy, serving my community in a larger capacity than just hosting High Days. That realization was overwhelming. Exciting and invigorating but still incredibly overwhelming and frightening, sometimes so much so that I'm stopped dead in my tracks. It's like looking at a mountain and wanting more than anything to climb to the very top, but all you can see at the moment is how BIG the mountain is and how long it will take. It's not easy to step back and look for the way-stations along the route.

Do I think the DP is hard? No...and yes. Do I find the assignments difficult? Not really; reading and writing and philosophizing are some of my favorite activities. Do I have doubts about my ability to finish it? Sometimes. Do I have my doubts about the value of the DP in my life? No. Whether I manage to complete my DP and take the next step toward ADF clergy or not, working the DP, to any extent, makes me focus on what I believe, how I express those beliefs, what is my "truth", and how does it fit with a modern worldview while still honoring the beliefs of my ancestors.

I'm still working on sorting my thoughts on religion and spirituality and adding magic into the mix. I may just be piling more rocks onto to my mountain, making the pinnacle increasingly further away, but I'm trying to focus on the journey -- and really appreciating the cozy fires and hot cocoa at the way-stations -- and not be overwhelmed by the immensity of the goal.

Going back to the beginning.

I'm going back to the beginning. No, not actually starting over and throwing out everything I've already done. Having completed the High Day attendance requirements and their write-ups as well as having finished 2 of the 3 required book reviews, I'm satisfied with those. Not too shabby as these things go (as long as you forget that those things took me a couple of years to accomplish).

But I have procrastinated to the point where I now have severe writer's block and have become intimidated by sheer amount of work left to do on my DP. So, I'm going back, starting with Rev. Dangler's DP Through the Wheel of the Year.

I will post here more often to help keep my thoughts in one place. Please feel free to ask questions or give advice.

May the Kindreds guide me as I walk this path.

Initial Dedicant's Oath

The text of my initial Dedicant's Oath made at Lughnassadh 2010 before my kin, my grove, and the Kindreds.

I stand before you today as a Pagan.  Today, I set my feet firmly on the Dedicant's Path as set forth by the ADF.  I dedicate myself to the practice of the old ways and to the creation of and participation in the rituals  and ceremonies that please and honor my gods.  I vow to seek knowledge and gain wisdom through study; to broaden my vision through observation and introspection; and to honor and serve my kin, my friends, my Grove, and my community.  So be it.  

A Year of Rituals -- High Day Attendance

Beltaine 2012

This was the first Beltaine/May Day I have attended in 3 years, last year's being cancelled due to the devastating tornadoes that cut through our state at the end of April 2011.  I was the presiding druid as well for this ritual.  This was a special rite because we had a guest join us who was a new ADF dedicant and wished to make her first oath.  Everything proceeded as planned.  We utilized ADF's Core Order of Ritual with Mannanan Mac Lir as our gatekeeper and Belenos and Danu as the Beings of the Occasion.  We did read from the script rather than "winging it," and I drew a bit of criticism later for that.  During the personal workings section of the rite, one of the participants surprised us by wanting to make an oath.  When someone wishes to make an oath in our Grove, the lawkeeper brings out his warhammer or his battleax and the oath-maker swears on it, tying their intentions and actions to the orlog of those gathered.  The omen was taken after the main offering, using runes.  They were uruz, berkano, and perthro.

Lughnassadh 2012

I celebrated Lughnassadh 2012 with Hallowed Oaks Grove as I have for the past 6 years and my second year as Senior Druid.  We began as we usually do, by gathering all the participants in a central location and presenting a pre-ritual briefing.  Most of the attendees are not ADF and usually about half have never attended ritual with Hallowed Oaks Grove previously, and this gives us a chance to go through the steps of the Core Order of Ritual  and everyone knows a little of what to expect as well as some of Hallowed Oaks Grove's customs for ritual participation such as when and if personal workings/offerings will be allowed.  After the briefing, we proceeded to the fire pit, singing We Approach the Sacred Grove and each person stopping briefly at the altar to cense and asperge at the small station set up for that purpose before continuing around the fire and forming a circle. 

Once all the participants had been past the altar and our circle was formed, I led a group meditation using the Two Powers imagery.  An offering and invitation were made to the Earth Mother.  Our statement of purpose and introduction of the Deities of the Occasion were presented by the ritual's presiding druid.  An offering was then made to the Outdwellers.  We consecrated the three hallows and called on Mannanan Mac Lir to open the gates.  With the gates open, Brigid was called upon for Bardic Inspiration, and then the three Kindreds were invited to join us.  We then made the key offerings to the Beings of the Occasion – milk to Tailtui, beer to Lugh, and beer to the Ancestors.  An omen was taken using runes, drawing Fehu, Eihwaz, and Othala – read (by me) as a positive omen with a reminder to honor our roots and that our present prosperity is rooted in the inherited wealth of the past.  We then called for the Waters of Life, and horn was passed around the circle for all to partake of the blessings. 

Then we allowed any who wished to make offerings to the deities of their choice and perform any personal workings.  After that, we began the unwinding of the ritual, first saying farewell to the Beings of the Occasion and the three Kindreds, then closing the gates and thanking the gatekeeper and finally thanking and saying farewell to the Earth Mother. 

All in all, a good ritual with good smooth energy flow throughout (it helps to have some seasoned energy workers in your midst).  All assembled shared a potluck feast afterward, and fellowship continued into the evening. 

Samhain 2012

Samhain with Hallowed Oaks Grove varied a bit from our customary High Day schedule with the rite being held late in the evening and feast prior and desserts and fellowship following.  The weather was pleasant and the rite was held outside by our dedicated fire pit.  The ritual followed the ADF Core Order of Ritual with the Beings of the Occasion being the Celtic gods Donn and Morrighan and the Ancestors.  Offerings of whiskey and wine were made to the Beings of the Occasion. In addition, the participants were invited to tie black ribbons to a grapevine wreath in honor of loved ones that had passed over.  I was told later that this part of the rite was very moving.  The veil between the worlds was definitely thin during this rite, and the presence of the Ancestors could be felt clearly.

Yule 2012

Yule was held at a grove member's new home in Madison, Alabama.  The rite had been planned for outside; however, since it was raining, the decision was made to hold it indoors.  Breaking a bit from our Grove's custom, rather than processing in and around the circle, censing and asperging as each passed the altar, the participants formed a semi-circle around the living room with two younger participants censing and asperging each person after everyone had gathered.  The ritual itself followed the ADF Core Order of Ritual  with the Deity of the Occasion being the Celtic god of the Sun, Belenos.  All went smoothly with a favorable omen focusing on strength in working relationships through different cycles.  Afterwards, great feasting and fellowship followed, including a game of Dirty Santa as our customary gift exchange.  Many old friends joined us that had not attended since the prior Yule as well as several new people.  The High Day was especially meaningful to me for that reason. 

Imbolc 2013

The day did not start well.  I had miscalculated and scheduled an appointment for early in the day prior to the arrival of any attendees.  I was late getting back and ritual started almost 2 hours later than originally planned.  Two of my grovemates had to cancel at the last minute, leaving me the only grove member attending.  This also meant I had to lead the rite alone as well as acquire, at the last minute, the offerings that were supposed to have been brought by others.  I also forgot the words to one of our customary (i.e. one that we always use) chants.  It didn't seem to me to go very well.  We did have a guest that was an ADF member who graciously agreed to take part in the rite.  There were several guests that had not attended a rite with us before this.  Their feedback left me both humbled and uplifted.  I was told that some of them had a profound experience in ritual and that I managed to keep the energy flow fairly smooth without losing focus.  Our guest that helped out in ritual told that was the first time she had had an active part in an ADF rite even though she had attended several.  All in all, a successful rite in that our offerings were well received, our omen was fairly positive, and everyone came away with a smile and a lighter heart.  There were also sweet moments, such as when the daughter of a regular attendee wanted to help me set up the working altar.  The five-year-old toted small things from the house to the ritual space for me.  She also picked a large bouquet of daffodils from the yard.  These worked out as a lovely and fitting group offering to Brigid.  So, yes, harried, a little chaotic (to me) but successful.

Ostara/Spring Equinox 2013

On March 16, Hallowed Oaks Grove held its Ostara/Spring Equinox open rite.  This is one of my favorite high days along with the autumn equinox.  There's something about the clear change of seasons that really sets me aglow.  This year was no different.  Spring has been a little reluctant this year, and the weather has been erratic -- one week warm and sunny, the next temps near or below freezing and stormy.  But Saturday was beautiful, just warm enough with some sun.  We had an egg hunt for the children before the actual rite began, which also allowed for any stragglers to arrive.  At the given ritual time (we actually started on schedule!), everyone gathered on or in front of the porch for the pre-ritual briefing and the procession to the fire ring.  I didn't manage a head count at that time, but going back later, I counted 28 people standing in ritual.  I think that's the largest attendance I've seen in the 3 years we've been holding rites on this property.  The rite went pretty smoothly, following the ADF Core Order of Ritual ; any bumps went unnoticed in the flow of energy (you'd think after 6 years, I'd know The Portal Song all the way through).  Our sacrifice to Eostre was well received -- a basket full of sweets, seeds, and flowers eagerly consumed in the sacred fire.  The omen was both positive and cautionary -- wunjo, thurisaz, and nauthiz, which was interpreted as a successful community needs to stand together to protect and support its members; basically, together we are stronger than we are as individuals and none of us need fight alone.  Later, in some cases a few days later, some of the participants told me they had seen entities/Beings watching the rite or had felt strong energy in the circle, nothing threatening though.  That says successful rite to me.  The potluck feast following was a grand fellowship as always with such a marvelous quantity and variety of food.  The people who attend the High Day rites with us at Hallowed Oaks Grove really are what make them such festive and spiritually satisfying events.

Beltaine 2013

Our grove's Beltaine rite was held at my home in Pinson. There were 16 people participating in ritual with several others only watching. The rite followed the ADF COoR with Danu and Belenos as the Beings of the Occasion. Flowers and greenery gathered from my yard were given to the fire as the main offering. A taper candle was lit from the sacred fire and set on the altar, and the participants were encouraged to light a candle that they brought with them as the rite ended.  This was symbolic of carrying the Beltaine fire with them to relight their hearth fires. Our omen was taken by drawing three runes – one for each of the Kindreds; they were Eihwaz, Jera, and Othala.

Midsummer 2013

This High Day rite was again held at my home in a dedicated space. ADF's COoR was followed with a minor variation to the Invitation of the Kindreds. In this rite, we used a sumbel format to invite the Kindreds. The ritual leader raised the drinking horn and made the invitation, then sent the horn around the circle with each participant taking a drink and saying hail. This seemed to be very well received both by the participants and the Kindreds. The Being of the Occasion was Sunna in recognition of the longest period of daylight of the year. Offerings of flowers and sunflower seeds were given to the fire and were consumed quickly; this always seems to be a good sign. The omen was taken with runes; one drawn for each of the Kindreds. They were Dagaz, Uruz, and Wunjo – a very good omen full of blessings and joy for our community.

Lughnassadh 2013

I celebrated Lughnassadh with a public rite at my home. I led the ADF COoR rite as senior druid for Hallowed Oaks Grove. Even though there weren't as many attendees as our rites have drawn, there were still 15 people participating in the rite. The rite went smoothly; in fact it seemed to go very quickly, even though all the steps were included and I was making all the offerings myself. We honored Tailtiu, Lugh, and the Ancestors as our Beings of the Occasion, offering milk, whiskey, and fresh bread respectively. Taking the omen with the runes, I asked the three Kindreds what challenges and/or blessings they give back to us. I drew wunjo, dagaz, and ehwaz. I interpreted this as success in the community with illumination and flexibility. All in all, a very satisfying rite with even more satisfying feasting and fellowship afterwards.

Autumn Equinox 2013

Autumn Equinox was celebrated with a public rite at my home following the Core Order of Ritual. We used a ritual script that had been used the previous year with the addition of a third Being of the Occasion – Thor. We usually perform a Norse themed ritual for this High Day with Freyr and Sif as the Beings of the Occasion. However, the morning of the rite, I decided to add Thor. We've had some unusual weather (very wet and rainy), and I thought it appropriate to add a thank you to the Protector of Man to those thanking the Beings of a bountiful Harvest. It was one of our smallest gatherings yet with only 17 people attending at all, but all 17 stood in ritual, also unusual. I remembered to add grounding and releasing excess energy at the end of the ritual during the time we return any unused offerings to the earth; this seemed to make a big difference, at least for me. I didn't feel like I was floating away or bouncing off the walls the rest of the evening. The omen drawn this time was gebo, isa, and berkana – hospitality, patience, and nurturing. An overall challenging but still positive message. 

Book Review -- Modern Paganism Studies and Overview

Finally! I finished the book a couple of months ago and have had trouble buckling down and writing up the review. So, here it is!

Adler, Margot.  Drawing Down the Moon.  Beacon Press, revised edition, 1986.  Arkana, edition with updated Appendix III (Resources), published 1997.  Print.

Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is a journalistic documentation of the NeoPagan movement of the 20th century. As such, it is a valuable inclusion on the Recommended Reading list for ADF's dedicants. First published in 1979, three revised editions have been released in 1986, 1997, and 2006 to include updated material on emerging groups and online resources. I chose the 1997 edition simply because it was readily available to me.

The book is divided into four sections. The first, titled Background, is an overview of the beliefs and practices of NeoPagans along with definitions of the terms pagan and witch in historical and modern context and the preconceptions and misconceptions engendered by those terms. The second section, titled Witches, describes the modern movements of Wicca and witchcraft and the many variations from British "trads" to Goddess worship as well as eclectic practice. The third section, titled Other NeoPagans, includes descriptions and interviews with other NeoPagan groups with sections on pagan reconstructionists including druids and heathens, the Church of All Worlds, Discordians, and Radical Faeries as well as others. The fourth section, titled The Material Plane, is broken into two parts: the first presenting a look at how the media has depicted paganism and the occult in print and films, and the second looking at how NeoPagans "walk the talk" or how they live the philosophy they espouse and what they wish NeoPaganism to become in the future.

I find this revised edition very readable and interesting, chock full of information on the rise of NeoPaganism in (mostly) America. One criticism of the older version is that it was skewed too far toward Wicca; this version is still weighted toward Wicca, but it is better balanced with the inclusion of more material on other paths than previously. The first part of the book is a little slow to me and, well, a bit boring. The second part is far more interesting; I truly enjoyed learning about the different paths and their spin-offs.

Being a proponent of modern social media, I wonder at the thought that when this book was first published the communications net between like-minded folks was so ephemeral. I readily admit it gives me a thrill to see the names of many people I have met online (especially Facebook), even if not in person. 

Ostara 2013

On March 16, Hallowed Oaks Grove held its Ostara/Spring Equinox open rite.  This is one of my favorite high days along with the autumn equinox.  There's something about the clear change of seasons that really sets me aglow.  This year was no different.  Spring has been a little reluctant this year, and the weather has been erratic -- one week warm and sunny, the next temps near or below freezing and stormy.  But Saturday was beautiful, just warm enough with some sun.  We had an egg hunt for the children before the actual rite began, which also allowed for any stragglers to arrive.  At the given ritual time (we actually started on schedule!), everyone gathered on or in front of the porch for the pre-ritual briefing and the procession to the fire ring.  I didn't manage a head count at that time, but going back later, I counted 28 people standing in ritual.  I think that's the largest attendance I've seen in the 3 years we've been holding rites on this property.  The rite went pretty smoothly, following the ADF COoR; any bumps went unnoticed in the flow of energy (you'd think after 6 years, I'd know The Portal Song all the way through).  Our sacrifice to Eostre was well received -- a basket full of sweets, seeds, and flowers eagerly consumed in the sacred fire.  The omen was both positive and cautionary -- wunjo, thurisaz, and nauthiz, which was interpreted as a successful community needs to stand together to protect and support its members; basically, together we are stronger than we are as individuals and none of us need fight alone.  Later, in some cases a few days later, some of the participants told me they had seen entities/Beings watching the rite or had felt strong energy in the circle, nothing threatening though.  That says successful rite to me.  The potluck feast following was a grand fellowship as always with such a marvelous quantity and variety of food.  The people who attend the High Day rites with us at Hallowed Oaks Grove really are what make them such festive and spiritually satisfying events.