{"id":5738,"date":"2016-10-25T06:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T12:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?p=5738"},"modified":"2016-10-22T09:33:22","modified_gmt":"2016-10-22T15:33:22","slug":"the-challenges-of-oracular-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2016\/10\/the-challenges-of-oracular-leadership.html","title":{"rendered":"The Challenges of Oracular Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Oracular leadership is leading \u2013 yourself, other individuals, and communities \u2013 based on revelation from Gods and spirits<\/a>. If you haven\u2019t heard the term before, neither have I. The closest term I know is \u201cprophetic leadership\u201d and I\u2019ve used it before<\/a>, but that term comes out of Jewish and Christian tradition (I don\u2019t know if Muslims use it or not) and I\u2019d rather use a term with polytheist roots.<\/p>\n

This revelation can come through yourself. It can come through other oracles, mystics, and priests. It can come through collaboration with diviners. But ultimately, its source it Otherworldly.<\/p>\n

When we receive messages from Gods and spirits, we tend to take them very seriously. Or at least I do\u2026 and I recommend you do as well, even if you choose to do something other than what you\u2019re being asked or told to do. We have sovereignty before the Gods<\/a>, but that sovereignty is best exercised mindfully and fully informed.<\/p>\n

As Pagans and polytheists, we like to point out the irony of people whose God just so happens to hate all the same people they hate. Distinguishing Otherworldly messages from our own thoughts is very difficult, even when we\u2019re trying hard to keep them separate. Some religions think they avoid this problem by grounding themselves in a holy book. But while there is value in the accumulated wisdom of a religious tradition (whether that accumulated wisdom is written down or kept in an oral tradition), that just moves the goal posts back. All sacred texts began as someone\u2019s private revelation.<\/p>\n

Those of us who receive this kind of communication soon learn that other people don\u2019t always take these messages as seriously as we\u2019d like. That\u2019s understandable. Having a deity merge with your being provides a level of authenticity that hearing another person say \u201cDanu\u00a0told me to tell you this\u201d can never duplicate.<\/p>\n

\"Danu<\/a><\/p>\n

But the Gods do not always limit Their wisdom, Their requests, and Their demands to individuals. Sometimes They have something to say to a group or a community, and those of us who are Their oracles have the responsibility to lead based on that revelation. And that presents a whole new set of challenges.<\/p>\n

This is particularly difficult when an oracular leader is also an administrative leader, as frequently happens in small Pagan groups. There is the risk that in the zeal to accomplish a divinely-mandated task, a leader will abuse their authority. They may ignore established processes, hog limited resources, and generally ignore the needs and desires of other members of the group.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s also the risk of self-censorship. The oracular \/ administrative leader may decide that doing what they\u2019ve been asked to do might upset some people, so in an effort to keep the peace they fail to deliver a message or lead the group in a direction it really needs to go.<\/p>\n

I see five qualities an oracular leader must have in order to meet these challenges.<\/p>\n

Discernment<\/strong>. Discernment is the ability and willingness to distinguish one thing from another. In this case, it means the ability and willingness to separate the voices of the Gods from your own voice. That\u2019s the biggest challenge in any oracular work, whether you\u2019re taking omens before leading a cattle raid or if you\u2019re just reading Tarot at the local psychic fair.<\/p>\n

Good discernment begins with knowing yourself. If you know what\u2019s you, it\u2019s a lot easier recognize what\u2019s not you. What thoughts, what feelings, what ideas are yours? Not everything the Gods and spirits tell us is contrary to what we\u2019d like it to be, but the closer our messages are to our own preferences, the more skeptical we need to be.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the \u201cOther\u201d voice gets easier and more reliable with time and practice, but it\u2019s never certain. Practicing good discernment is always necessary.<\/p>\n

Diplomacy<\/strong>. An oracular leader must be a diplomat. Our Gods are not infallible, and while participating in Their work is usually both helpful and rewarding, sometimes Their requests aren\u2019t compatible with our contemporary world (those of you who\u2019ve had close dealings with a certain Irish Battle Goddess know what I\u2019m talking about). In any case, unquestioning\u00a0faith is not a Pagan virtue. Sometimes we need to negotiate with the Gods as to what we can do, what we will do, and what\u2019s just not going to happen.<\/p>\n

We also have to be diplomatic with the groups we lead. Announcing \u201cthe Dagda wants us to do this\u201d isn\u2019t likely to carry much weight with a group of eclectic NeoPagans. It may not carry much weight with a group of Celtic polytheists if they aren\u2019t used to hearing such messages, or if they\u2019ve got other ideas about what should be done. Translating the desires of the Gods into things people can do and will do requires serious thought and a careful choice of words.<\/p>\n

Patience<\/strong>. This is hard for me, because I have no patience. The Gods are immortal \u2013 I\u2019m not (at least not in this lifetime). But some things will either happen in their own time or not at all. It takes time for people to go from hearing something new to accepting something new. It takes time for organizations to change and grow. The grand temples of antiquity weren\u2019t built in a day, or in a year, or in some cases, in a century.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

Sometimes the people needed to accomplish what you\u2019ve been asked to do aren\u2019t there yet. All you can do is lay the groundwork \u2013 and try to provide good hospitality when they show up, so you don\u2019t run them off before they ever get involved. Patience is not procrastination \u2013 don\u2019t worry about what you can\u2019t do yet, but work diligently on what you can do now.<\/p>\n

Flexibility<\/strong>. One of the core principles of effective magic is to work for the desired end result, not the method of getting there. If you need a new job, you might find it on a job search site, you might find it through a friend, you might find it through a recruiter, or you might find a way to become self-employed. Limiting yourself to just one approach reduces the chances you\u2019ll find something suitable.<\/p>\n

Likewise, if you\u2019re leading based on revelation from Gods and spirits, there are likely many ways to get to where you want to go. If some approaches are more doable than others, use them. If some are more appealing to your group, use them. Accomplishing what you\u2019ve been told to accomplish is the main thing \u2013 how you accomplish it is just details.<\/p>\n

Commitment<\/strong>. Good, authentic, oracular leadership requires a commitment to the messages the Gods send us. That means doing all the things listed above. But some things can\u2019t be compromised. Sometimes one or two details really are that important. Sometimes a call to be patient is just someone stalling in hopes that you\u2019ll give up.<\/p>\n

At the same time, \u201cthe Gods told me to\u201d is no excuse for violating the trust of others or for abandoning the obligations you accepted as an administrative leader. If you can\u2019t do what you\u2019ve been told to do without running over the rest of the group, then you have to find another way.<\/p>\n

Sometimes this can be done with a sub-group: \u201cI\u2019m doing this \u2013 who wants to do it with me?\u201d (while maintaining your obligations to the whole group). Sometimes it means finding a second group in addition to your primary group. Sometimes it means striking out on your own.<\/p>\n

\"CUUPS<\/a><\/p>\n

Ideally, administrative leadership and oracular leadership would be separate. The Christian corollary is a church where a lay Board of Trustees manages the operations and the pastor provides the spiritual leadership, as opposed to the megachurch model where the pastor is the CEO. Small Pagan groups may not have the resources for such \u201cseparation of powers\u201d but where they can, the risk of conflict and of conflict of interest is reduced.<\/p>\n

Some messages from the Gods are mysteries to be pondered. Others are orders that require a deep commitment to do what you\u2019ve been asked to do, no matter what it costs. Oracular leadership is difficult, but if it\u2019s what you\u2019ve been called to do, do it as honestly and effectively as you can.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some messages from the Gods are mysteries to be pondered. Others are orders that require a deep commitment to do what you\u2019ve been asked to do, no matter what it costs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1129,"featured_media":5740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[272],"tags":[81,385,1141,4,5,8],"class_list":["post-5738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-2","tag-divination","tag-leadership","tag-oracles","tag-pagan","tag-paganism","tag-polytheism"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Challenges of Oracular Leadership<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Some messages from the Gods are mysteries to be pondered. 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