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Should I let go of my stuff? Should I have a metaphysical yard sale, in which I sell my Cunningham books, my surplus of pewter jewelry, and my... ...ahem... ...crystals? Should I rid my closet of the long, green, hooded robe I've worn twice, my Guatemalan patchwork jacket I scored for $7 bucks, or my black ceremonial duds? How about my malas, my God and Goddess candle holders (don't you just love P. Borda?), or my copper OM chalice? When I look at the shelf above my desk, I … [Read more...]
I've spent nearly the entire week working on new ways to make ADF Druidism an accessible tradition to solitary Pagans. The work is still in its early stages, and I'm piecing together ideas which I hope to share once the leaves have fallen. My backyard maple is only hinting at new color, so it will be a few months yet. Crafting religious practice gets me really excited, though. As perplexed as I was last week about the Gods (and I've been on the fence about capitalizing "god," by the way -- … [Read more...]
I've been a stay-at-home Pagan, a bookish Pagan, a CUUPS ritual-attending Pagan, and a blogging Pagan. But as of yet, I have not been a festival-going Pagan. That all changes this week. On Wednesday I shall make my way to the Prosser Ranch group campground, located just outside the town of Truckee, California, and celebrate Druidism, ADF style, at the annual Eight Winds festival. The timing of this religious retreat is rather interesting. Over the last month, swamped as I've been … [Read more...]
This morning I woke, picked up the pen and paper on the hotel nightstand, and wrote down these words: What is it to write from sleeping? To write without ceasing. To hold back the need to edit, the impulse to correct. The penmanship is awful, but that does not matter. The only impulse is to write. The chance to create from a place of great stillness; the greatest stillness next to eternal sleep. Write because there is a fire of great color burning in your heart. The heat is your cousin, … [Read more...]
Last week I asked, "Where does compassion belong among Pagans and Polytheists?" Beneath this first question there is another, more relevant question; one that has been nagging at me for several days: What is the point of your religion? I think this is a valuable inquiry, and no one has asked me this just yet. Yesterday I enrolled at Marylhurst University, the first step in a course of study that I hope will one day lead to a Masters of Divinity. I trust that during that course of work … [Read more...]
The discussion around the post, What do we want from our Pagan leaders? was enlightening for me. Admittedly, I have a close, personal connection to the subject, as I'm seeking to discover what it might mean that I am, as a friend told me, "called to lead" in some way. This comment really stood out to me: I think that's one of the basic yardsticks of spiritual maturity: can what you offer to others be about what's needed rather than all about self-promotion? Or self-effacement, or … [Read more...]
Here's why ADF is awesome: The Core Order of Ritual. There are other reasons, too, but the Core Order of Ritual (or COoR) tops my list at the moment. The COoR is the key liturgical framework for ritual that unites the Druids of Ár nDraíocht Féin, regardless of what Hearth Tradition they've adopted for themselves or for their groves. Each group can make subtle variations to the language of the ritual, paying homage to the Gods with whom they are in relationship (Celtic, Vedic, Norse, etc.), … [Read more...]
I'm not sure why I'm a Pagan. I type those words, and I know I'm taking a risk by making this admission, but it's what's going through my head. My Paganism, as well as my Druidry, is feeling more like subject matter for this blog rather than a way of living my life. Being Pagan doesn't feel very immediate to me. It feels like a construct. It's a bit like drag; like something I'm putting on, or that I'm trying to assume. I wrote about being a convert. Perhaps this feeling is an extension of … [Read more...]
I'm a convert to Paganism. I was born into a Christian tradition, and spent most of the first 25 years of my life identifying as a Christian. I've written of this before, but the subject keeps coming up for me. There's something about how we arrive at our tradition that seems worth reflecting on, especially for a convert. We hear much about conversion to Christianity, and I understand what that looks like. As I explained it to my husband, becoming a Christian involves accepting a certain set … [Read more...]
I'm having a difficult time identifying the right place for belief. I was brought up a Christian. Episcopalian, to be specific. Belief, for me, was connected to creeds. If you've never recited a creed, it goes like this: I believe X, and X is this. X did this, was this, is going to be this. I also believe in Y. Y is this relationship to X, and Y is this. I believe in Z, too... It's a little math-like, when you remove all the personal pronouns. Creeds are useful in the way that … [Read more...]
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