Working Through the DP: Week 1 Homework

This week, I am jumping back into ADF's Dedicant Path training. The DP is the first round of many study programs offered by ADF to members and introduces us to the basic practices and theologies in ADF. To help work through the DP (since I tend to flounder without some sense of structure) I'm using Rev. Michael Dangler's guide through the program, which is designed to take up one full year of study and practice.

I'll be reading and re-reading the introductory material to this path, starting to plan out benchmarks for myself in the twelve months ahead, and setting down the framework needed to make this part of my life. Each week Rev. Dangler assigns homework (what does it say about me, I wonder, that I jump on voluntary assignments with relish?) and I'll share my responses in my post today.

----------

Why have you chosen to take the first steps on the Dedicant Path?

I feel that I need a good shot of discipline in my life and from what I’ve seen, ADF’s DP is a good way to get it. My fascination with Druidry and related Celtic paths has blossomed over the past few months and I feel like I need to do dedicated study to understand where I’m going and what I need to do. Unfortunately, I still need to build up dedication and perseverance (I can already tell that’s a Virtue I’ll have to work on) and I feel that I don’t have enough confidence in myself to tackle this study all on my own. Hence the reason I’m stepping forward on the DP and using Michael Dangler’s guide The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year.

Is this a step on your path, or will this become the Path itself?

I try not to say too many definite things about the future, primarily because at one point I was absolutely certain I’d be Baptist for the rest of my life. At the moment, while I am extremely attracted to Druidry and ADF in particular, I don’t want to exclusively dedicate myself to it. I’ve also been a member of the Unitarian Universalist church for years and am actually planning on going into UU seminary for graduate school. In addition to that, I’m also starting the year-and-a-day process for a local Wiccan coven, and have my own eclectic leanings all across Paganism. I feel that the DP has a lot of things to offer and that, if I can get my butt in gear, I’ll come out as a better Pagan, a better student, and a better person.

What do you expect to learn?

Besides ADF’s theology and practice, I expect to learn discipline and patience. I also expect to learn different ways to approach the gods, spirits, and ancestors and make them a part of my life instead of something that I have to rearrange my life for. Also, I expect to learn more effective meditation techniques than those I’ve been struggling with, in hopes of finally quieting my mind.

What would you like to get out of this journey?

Similarly to what I’ve written above, I hope to actually get a cohesive practice that allows for the experimentation and freedom I crave coupled with the discipline and structure I need.

Do you know where this path will take you?

Of course not; then again, does anybody?

Why are you starting the DP now?

This is a slightly modified question. I started the DP back in July, when I first joined ADF, but I just didn’t make it a high enough priority in my life. I’m starting to understand why - this semester set a lot of new framework for myself, and even if I had stuck with the DP more diligently, there’s no way I could have committed myself to the spiritual learning and self-discovery needed for this sort of thing. Now that I’ve gone through those fires and become stronger (as cheesy as that sounds) not only do I feel stronger and happier, I also feel more spiritually open. Now I feel like I’m in a good place to start my studies again, and this time I can make it stick.

Does it look hard or easy?

It won’t and shouldn’t be a walk in the park, but I don’t think this is difficult. Challenging might be a better word, particularly in the areas I struggle with (daily devotion and meditation, perseverance, discipline, sensing energy). However, you get out of something exactly what you put in, and I plan on putting in quite a lot.

Which requirements appear to be difficult to you now, and which appear to be easy?

I mentioned the difficult requirements above. The easy (shall I say most enjoyable?) ones are the book reviews. I love to read and haven’t been able to sneak in a lot of pleasure reading since I started college, so actually taking time out of my week to read books for myself will be a welcome change.

Do you have any doubts, questions, or concerns that you need to ask about?

Not off the top of my head, but I’ll definitely bring them up as they arise. After all, what’s the use of a spiritual path that doesn’t give you loads of questions to think about?

Busy Semester

Long time no see! To catch up, briefly:

This semester I have been diagnosed with minor depression (and put on medication that is working, huzzah!), been running the new Pagan club at my college (with ups and downs, but far more ups than downs :) ), started my dedication process for the Circle of the Sacred Earth, a Wiccan coven in the area, and become semi-devoted to Brighid (semi because while I've made no official commitment to her, for the past several weeks my spirituality has focused almost exclusively on her, and my other divine contacts have been unusually quiet).

Things have been absolutely crazy, and I haven't been paying as much attention to things like this blog and my meditation journal as I should have been. I'm in the middle of exam week now (though by this time tomorrow, I'll be sitting in my last exam) and have finally managed to catch a breather. Back to blogging about my spirituality instead of just haunting the halls of the Cauldron. :)

My first project will be to restart the Dedicant's Path training that I first started back in the summer for ADF. The material is supposed to take roughly a year to work through on one's own, but this semester has been super busy - productive, by all means, but busy - and I think I need more than a minor refresher on that. So that's what I'll be blogging about to come. :)

Cheers,
Ellen

Changes, pt. 2

I promised a sequel to my last post about changes, and here it is!

For a long time, I've been struggling with various emotional and spiritual issues that, in retrospect, are probably very much tied together. When I started this blog I was still a student at Bryn Mawr College, and for a million tiny reasons and one massive one, I decided to hightail it out of Dodge to a college a little closer to home (and a lot cheaper, to boot). Part of me misses Bryn Mawr very much, and I do and will cherish parts of my two years spent there, but my stress levels have absolutely leveled out since starting this semester at Roanoke College. The academics are much easier here than at Bryn Mawr, it's true, but it never really was the schoolwork that had me as exhausted and miserable as I was last year (particularly last semester).

The social atmosphere is less demanding. I don't have to hide huge parts of myself at Roanoke, and I don't have to live in fear of what my peers would think if/when I eventually snapped and what I was really thinking came out of my mouth. I'm not really a fan of situations that exist without transparency, and when it comes right down to it, Bryn Mawr did a massive total on all aspects of my being, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life, I'm dealing with severe self-esteem and anxiety issues (more on that later), I have problems putting aside academics to make time for myself (actual time that I enjoy, not just procrastinating on the internet), and I've been spiritually lost and unsatisfied for a long, long time. Sad to say, most of the lessons I learned at Bryn Mawr were about the type of environment I don't thrive in. Important to learn, yes. Incredibly difficult and painful to learn, double yes.

But now that I'm not living with constant pressure, guilt, and stress, I'm beginning to peel back the layers that I've caked on myself and looking at where I really need to be. I'm not happy with myself, and I've started to take responsibility for all parts of my well-being. I don't think there's a time when I haven't been overweight and out of shape, and for so many years I let myself and others tell me that this should be a source of shame, like I've failed at life with every pound I've put on. I've let the circumstances of my environment dictate my emotional state, and I feel like I've been in a constant state of reaction, rarely acting on my own will. Spiritually, I'm just really damn tired of existing in a constant state of unhealthy doubt. (A little doubt is good for you. Question the unquestioning!) Mentally, I've just been too unhappy for too long for this to be normal.

I need to take my own advice. I'm always telling people to be their own advocate, because no one else will do it for them. If I don't take responsibility for my life, I forfeit my ability to make any real changes. My health struggles, my emotional well-being, my spiritual duties (to myself, not just to the universe at large) are things that I can change - and I need to start believing that, truly, with my brain and with my heart.

I'm reminded of a particular post on a Pagan forum I frequent. The original poster wrote about feeling unable to approach the gods without a sense of shame and inferiority, feelings left over from her birth religion. One member responded with something her Celtic inspired significant other had once said: "If you approach the Celtic gods with 'I'm not worthy', They're going to reply to you with 'Then come back when you are worthy.'"

Losing weight, losing anxiety, losing doubt aren't going to make me worthy. Getting high marks, getting into grad school, running a successful Pagan group aren't going to make me worthy. Not even the gods can make me worthy. That's something I have to claim for myself.

I won't make a promise to myself, because I've broken far too many of them for my word to have any weight at the moment. But I want to work towards finding strength and compassion inside myself, for myself. I've started yoga again and am trying to make healthier choices in the dining hall; I'm opening myself up to a different kind of spirituality, trying not to judge the experience I do have; I've also started therapy with school counselors, to work on my anxiety and self-esteem problems. (I believe most of them are conditioned responses, but there's a chance I've inherited genetic anxiety issues from my mother's side of the family.)

Essentially, it's been time for a change for a long, long time. I'm tired of feeling this way, and I'm tired of feeling powerless in my life. So this is me, saying I'm not gonna take it anymore! I'm not gonna be my own worst enemy! I'm going to empower myself to be happier, to be healthier, to celebrate the most beautiful spirituality in the world (my own!), not because these things are going to make me worthwhile, but because I am already worth it.

To anyone who resonates with the feelings I've expressed, know that you're not alone and there is hope. At the end of the day, we all have the power to change our lives for the better. And I'm gonna start acting like it.

Namaste, to whoever you are and wherever you are on your path,
Ellen

Mabon with Circle of the Sacred Earth

One of the members of the Pagan Fellowship at Roanoke College is also a member of the Circle of the Sacred Earth, a Wiccan coven here in the Roanoke Valley. (Incidentally, this is the same group behind the first ever Roanoke Pagan Pride Picnic.) Circle of the Sacred Earth was kind enough to allow me to visit for tonight's Mabon ritual, and I have to say I'm glad I was able to go!

College organizations aside, I've never attended a group ritual before. For part of my Paganhood I did consider myself at least quasi-Wiccan, by way of Cunningham and not by initiation, and Athena's Circle at Bryn Mawr conducted rituals in a Wiccan manner (casting circles, calling elemental quarters). The energy of a working coven, full of members who know (and, presumably, trust and at least somewhat like) each other, and who are all basically on the same page as far as theology goes, is completely different than anything I've experienced before. Having an outside bonfire doesn't hurt in setting the mood, either.

The best part about Circle of the Sacred Earth is that everyone is so... well. Down to earth. Friendly, warm, very Southern. The High Priestess is a very no-nonsense sort of woman with a wickedly wonderful sense of humor, and her husband is nothing but kind and welcoming. I felt my shyness start to creep back in (what if they didn't like me? What if I set the altar on fire?), but it didn't take long before the group and I were swapping stories and jokes. Ultimately I felt accepted by the group, like a visiting friend welcomed by a close-knit family.

I've been thinking of giving another look-see at Wicca, especially since I'd like to share at least one full-blown Wiccan ritual with my college's Pagan group this semester. Though it wasn't the first Pagan path I discovered, Wicca was the one I researched most heavily, and there's a fond remembrance for it now. (In the past I've had problems with Wicca, especially regarding how some trads approach the gender/sexual duality of the deities. Being told time and time again that I should connect more with the Goddess because I'm a woman, and that it was strange that I only really wanted to hang out with the God, made me resentful for quite some time.) Now that I'm out of a primarily single-sex environment and getting a better sense of the diversity present in Wicca, I'm glad to report those feelings aren't really so much an issue anymore.

Also, I got to wear ritual robes for the first time ever. Red, crushed velvet, perfect for keeping mosquitoes away. I thought I'd feel silly in them, but honestly? Robes are pretty fantastic. Definitely need to get myself one.

Changes, pt. 1

[Note: this post may be far more entertaining if you put on some David Bowie music!]

Life has been a little crazy for awhile now.

Since my last post, I have: 1) Joined Ár nDraíocht Féin and started their Dedicant's Path, 2) made the transition to Roanoke College as a junior transfer, 3) started a Pagan student group on campus, 4) officially declared myself a religion major, and 5) have been going through some less than pleasant spiritual and emotional upheavals.

A lot of chaos has been introduced into my life over the past few months, and everything seems to indicate some major changes that have been a long time coming. One of the things I'd like to do is seriously pick this blog back up (I know, promises, promises...) to give me something to focus on that isn't just of myself. If I blog about it, it's right out there in the open, and I have to own it. My doubts and insecurities, my triumphs and joys, they're not just something for me to hoard away anymore. And you know, I think I'm just fine with that.

I'm actually headed for a Mabon celebration with a local coven in the area in about half an hour, so I expect my next blog post will be about that experience. However, I fully intend to do a "Changes, pt. 2" post and continue working through all the highs and lows in my life. And then, onto regular blogging! Twice a week? Three times a week? Now that's just crazy talk. :)

Blessings on everyone, no matter what path you're walking.
Ellen

Druids, Witches, and Goddesses, oh My!

This will be a quick post as I've got work in about fifteen minutes, but things are continuing to develop in all sorts of interesting ways.

I've sent in my membership dues to ADF, a Druid group, and once my membership gets processed I can start down the Dedicant Path. Very excited!

I've been reading about different forms of witchcraft too, specifically garden and hearth-based practices, and that's pretty cool!

Also I've been working with more goddesses (Aphrodite, Rhiannon, Branwen) than I have for a long time. It's pretty cool too.

Spring is here!

Well, close enough. The official equinox is this Saturday (3/20), but here in PA the snow has melted, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the winter weather has finally dissipating. For all intents and purposes, to me, it's springtime.

For me, a lot of changes are going on in my life - a lot of seeds are starting to sprout that were planted God only knows how long ago. I'm transferring from my school to another, for one thing. Fingers crossed my transfer application gets accepted. For another, I've started researching Druidry as presented by ADF (Ár nDraíocht Féin, the Druid group associated with Isaac Bonewits who's my favorite Pagan author ever), which takes a pan-European approach to their theology. My friend and I ran an ADF-inspired ritual a few nights ago, and I have to say I really prefer it to Wiccan rites.

I've never been good with making commitments and keeping them, and New Years Resolutions are often laughs, but I have felt like it's time to get back to my writing and art that I've mostly let fall to the side while being a college student. One of the things I want to get back to is my blog, hence this entry.