To Degree or Not to Degree, That is the Question (or is it really?)

After a weekly conversation on a the Pagan Household yahoo group this week, it really pushed me to thinking about what I think is a part of the varying dynamics within the Pagan community with regards to the need for trained clergy and leaders. I am always quite confused by the resistance in the community around the “degree” system and the need for a system of information sharing that helps to ensure that passing of knowledge is outlined and organized.

Let me start by saying I am currently taking two courses in college right now; Screening and Assessment and Clinical Psychology. There is valuable information being taught in both of these classes that I find to be crucial in the process of my job and I am lucky enough that I have been a counselor for so long that much of this is refreshing my skills and adding a couple of new ones. I have been a counselor for 15 years, the last (almost) 12 years have been in the same agency working with drug and alcohol treatment and counseling. I have ranged from being a counselor to a program director within this agency and have a wealth of information and experiences that have supported my continued career.

I have been lucky. I decided three years ago to go back to school and finish my degree, no longer comfortable with my professional addictions certification and wanting to work towards another level of accreditation that would enable me to continue to grow professionally. I am good at what I do, I did not need another degree or certification but desired to grow.

What I have found in my studies back in school is that, while much of the courses I am learning are reviewing of information I already know, I am growing professionally in ways that I could not have previously dictated or known would happen. I have become a better clinical counselor as a result and have a better understanding of the skills I already possessed. I have gained additional skills to compliment the skills I already had. This is the same thing I see with the need for some levels of training in the Pagan community. I do not feel that everyone has to go through a degree system or any system of training for their spiritual path, nor do I think that everyone should. I do feel that there is an importance to have people in our community that go through the process and learn skills to support the growth of others in effective, professionally responsible ways. Does this mean that people who don’t do a degree system are somehow less important or less spiritual than those who do go through a formal system of training? No it does not. Spirituality is very personal and that is a blessing that we all receive. What it does mean is that some people will have the skills and training to do things that others do not have the skills and training to do.

While everyone can and should support whoever they can within our community, some will have specific skills that help in certain situations would require specialty skill sets.

While life is a continuous learning lesson and we will all continue to growth throughout our walk on this earth, I think it is important to facilitate healthy skills and the expectation of skills within our leaders. This was one of the many sparks that motivated me to write my first book.

My initiation to the third degree was an incredible process that  I will never forget.  It was a process that I did not always see the significance in going through until it actually happened.  More importantly, I was a part of a training system that helped me to put together my professional training, spiritual training and family values into one.  I do not think I could have done this process without the guidance of someone who was trained to do just that.  I have always been grateful for the guidance of a mentor and one that was skilled in her craft.

I personally don’t care if someone decides to go through a structured system of learning or if a person decides to practice as a solitary, everyone is valuable to me in this developing culture of Paganism. What is more important to me is that we are not playing leaders and instead are serious about what we are willing to do to learn the mysteries we need to know. I think we all need to become quite comfortable in knowing that there is still a lot left to learn.