tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27920831869765877032024-03-13T10:58:23.983-07:00The Practical BardPrayers, Poems, and Short Essays from the Prairie HomeRev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.comBlogger378125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-52617530071879894112024-02-11T08:26:00.000-08:002024-02-11T08:26:00.855-08:00A Rite of Passage and A Study Friend<p>On February 3, 2024, I had the privilege to lead the service and hear the oath of a new priest. While this is not the first rite of passage or even clergy oath I have facilitated, this one is definitely different, and these moments, these memories, reframe the perspectives and method of engagement for my future endeavors as a mentor and spiritual companion. </p><p>I have been serving as Z's mentor for a few years now, and we've connected through our parallel study. As he was working on his courses for the first circle and Ordination, I was managing the third circle and requirements for Elevation to Senior Priest. As the events of the weekend retreat where we hosted the ordination rite begin to fade, I am left with key takeaways regarding the depth of this experience. </p><p>For me, serving as Z's mentor has been different than previous and other existing relationships I have. While Z is perfectly capable of managing the study program work on his own, the types of questions and topics for discussion we've had have been more deeply spiritual and wholistic in that the way this work changes us as a person held position in the forefront. What he sought in our mentor relationship was (and is) different than other relationships I have. If I am honest, I wager I have received more lessons, insight, and learnings from our work together than he likely gleaned for himself. </p><p>The biggest item, and one that makes this whole experience feel different, is our communal dedication to growth through study and experience. Rev. William Ashton talks about a type of relationship in the Jewish tradition known as <i>Chavrusa</i>, or <i>Havruta</i>. According to <a href="https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/havruta-learning-in-pairs/" target="_blank">My Jewish Learning</a>, Jews seldom study the Torah or Talmud alone, preferring to study in pairs or small groups. <i>Havruta </i>translates to “fellowship,” and it is in this fellowship relationship where the pair wrestle with the meaning of the passages of the texts, filling the hall with the sounds of discussion and debate to create an atmosphere known as <i>beit midrash</i>, a holy study hall. As it states in the Talmud: “Two scholars, through discussion and debate, help to sharpen each other’s insight into the text” (BT Ta’anit7a). While this is a recent phenomenon, the concept sings in my spirit, and I haven’t had this level of intensity in my own religious study with another so close to what I was doing. While the actual events are technically different, working toward a rite of passage with another changes the perception of the work and creates a connection not as accessible in those who are further removed from that experience. I have seen the magic of this type of <i>Havruta </i>study partner relationship before in watching Rev William engage with one of his closest companions on the path. Now that I am seeing this in Z, I am beginning to understand. </p><p>I bestow many blessings on his new journey, his continued success, and most of all, if I may be selfish, on our continued study and growth together as peers. Congratulations, Z!</p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-87573195449344229432024-01-13T08:22:00.000-08:002024-01-13T08:22:29.806-08:00Be Kind to my Body<p>My internal work for this first season lies in being kind to my body. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeojgZqqQmgLj4uYverlzERfzhGl2yTe3S3SIh41-0WdLwCviB4prD79Qa4P4M5lpZEA5OJ5OfeReQW1RIUZIEPvl_7WHr-MG_QiIZ4L8CMpu7hOnr0wEPCQUtEr4exspOWrMfnErQmU1yUZO8VYSbrCBud74v1BA0KZtJy8xjof6oyeKVOG3DrShpyW6/s640/Kind%20to%20Body24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeojgZqqQmgLj4uYverlzERfzhGl2yTe3S3SIh41-0WdLwCviB4prD79Qa4P4M5lpZEA5OJ5OfeReQW1RIUZIEPvl_7WHr-MG_QiIZ4L8CMpu7hOnr0wEPCQUtEr4exspOWrMfnErQmU1yUZO8VYSbrCBud74v1BA0KZtJy8xjof6oyeKVOG3DrShpyW6/s320/Kind%20to%20Body24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I am a Gen X woman who grew up on the Seventeen Magazine/Barbie ideal. We were always compared to unattainable images spoon-fed to us in all avenues of television and movies. Before Social Media and cell phones were a thing, we had to go to the mall and make phone calls on pay phones to invite our friends to join us. While there, we were bombarded with capitalism-based advertisements designed to make us purchase new clothes, or makeup, or diet pills, preferably all three. It was madness, and we had no idea.</p><p>I have done loads of work in this area since I became an adult, but the negative self-talk is always there. Body image is the one thing I can't completely get over, the last great symbol of the damage of my youth. I have gone through many diet and exercise phases, given up and overindulged, and constantly battled with weight and self-acceptance. I don't come from a line of thin women, not on my father's side anyway, and unlike my sister, I have battled being overweight since I was in elementary school. And people are mean. </p><p>People are mean, ads are designed to make you feel bad about yourself so you'll spend money, and I have adopted some coping mechanisms that aren't healthy. The biggest lesson I have learned in my head that needs to sink into my heart is the idea of internalized oppression. Internalized oppression is a term used most often in the psychology of marginalized peoples. It is "a recognized understanding in which an oppressed group accepts the methods and incorporates the oppressive message of the oppressing group against their own best interest" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internalized_oppression" target="_blank">Wikipedia, of all places</a>. Their entry is actually very good.). When people are targeted, discriminated against, or oppressed over a period of time, they often internalize (believe and make part of their self-image – their internal view of themselves) the myths and misinformation that society communicates to them about their group. <a href="https://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/library/Mason-Michelene-mason.pdf" target="_blank">People with disabilities</a> might internalize the ideas that they are incapable of doing anything meaningful, that they are a burden to their families and to society, and that they’re worth less than people without a disability. <a href="https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/yeah-but-theyre-white" target="_blank">People of color</a> might internalize the myth that they are not good workers, that they are lazy/unintelligent, that they are worth less than anyone whose skin is lighter than their own, even within their own race. <a href="https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1485&context=diss" target="_blank">Women</a> might internalize the stereotype that they are not good at math and science, that they must always defer to men and to women who are "better" than they are because of their appearance, or that they are worth less than women who meet more of the societal standards for beauty. It is individual and completely lives within the mind as a silent voice of negativity upholding the stereotypes of our society.</p><p>My work this season, then, is to make good choices for the health and well-being of my body, to take care of myself in addition to others instead of ignoring my own needs, and to notice and break the cycle of negative self-talk that tells me I am less-than for whatever reason. While I am not perfect and I have many lessons left to learn, I am good enough as I am and worthy of love and kindness. I may not meet the societal standards for beauty in any real way, but I have people who love and accept me, just as I am. I will be kind to my body. My body is not an apology, and I am worthy of love--even from myself.</p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-13512041638299768682024-01-06T08:43:00.000-08:002024-01-06T08:43:12.453-08:00Forecasting for 2024<p>This week, I began with the omen for the new year. I did a five-rune pull to see what this year's journey will entail. The layout (pictured below) is, in my opinion, one of the only good thing I found in the Blum book on the runes (don't laugh; we've all probably read it at some point in our evolution).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tUhYFXuUXCXq_N28U9q5js8DqeBDTJqxxwgzmoSk7WFQ47MRxVAZ47i3apENh_QfBttbbg7ybg97aHN5oHDjeTKJ6QXG4Ezcr7x8YxoqOLBFa3UmzwPnGGNMXBPSzghClEd5nLMz6KVzwCN6DPucYoQsXFMB7hHF5nJhOLjv-xEDqyIdEbzSV7tb8_n5/s409/5rune%20Div%20Layout%20Graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0tUhYFXuUXCXq_N28U9q5js8DqeBDTJqxxwgzmoSk7WFQ47MRxVAZ47i3apENh_QfBttbbg7ybg97aHN5oHDjeTKJ6QXG4Ezcr7x8YxoqOLBFa3UmzwPnGGNMXBPSzghClEd5nLMz6KVzwCN6DPucYoQsXFMB7hHF5nJhOLjv-xEDqyIdEbzSV7tb8_n5/s16000/5rune%20Div%20Layout%20Graphic.png" /></a></div><br /><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Overview: Where you are beginning. <i>Fehu - Wealth, abundance, responsibility for hospitality</i></li><li>Challenge: Information regarding what you are up against. <i>Ansuz - Communication.</i> </li><li>Action: What you may consider doing to move forward from this challenge. <i>Ingwaz - Break open the seeds of possibility that new things may grow. </i></li><li>Sacrifice: Describes what you may need to give up or let go. <i>Eihwaz - Connections in wider realms.</i></li><li>New Beginning: Describes the place you will end up if you move forward on the defined path. <i>Perthro - Luck, the fellowship of the hall.</i></li></ol><div>The practice of pulling an omen for the new year is not new for me, and if memory serves, this has been a twenty-year practice of mine. Some years, it's been a tarot Celtic Cross, others, it was a rune pull of various numbers ranging from my standard three to a full casting, and I've done several that included multiple decks and runes in a blended system of intuitive selection. I've done then at sundown on NYE, at midnight, and like this year, during the light of day of the new year. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year's reading reminds me that I am starting for a place that is rich in resources. This rune is about the wealth that one already possesses and the responsibilities that places on us: "to whom much is given, much is required." I am in a place of wealth that is realized when shared. As this is also Freyja's rune, I find comfort and strength in my current place. </div><div><br /></div><div>My big challenge will be in communication, which honestly, has been a lifelong struggle of mine. I am a much better writer than talker, and when emotions are high, it gets worse. This is not a surprise, and it seems I am ready for the next layer of lessons as I delve deeper into this ability. </div><div><br /></div><div>The action presented to me is a principle many runesters find a bit of a mystery. Ingwaz, or Inguz, is not well defined compared to some of the others and typically is said to represent the energy required to break open a seed. When a seed is planted, it must sense the proper conditions to support the life inside are present, warmth, water, nutrients, etc. When these conditions are met, the shell softens and basically explodes to allow the new life within to take root and reach for the surface where it may grow and eventually bloom, if fostered--but that part is a different rune. For now, I will see what seeds I have planted in the soil around me and where I can help foster the conditions to allow it to do its thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>The thing I may be called to sacrifice is the World Tree, which for me, often denotes connections in various "realms" of my life such as work, home, local congregation, national organization, friends, and family. Perhaps I am spending too much of my focus on an area that is not where my gaze is best rested? I will be on the lookout for the application of this principle. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, after all this work is done, the resulting new beginning will be one of luck and fellowship. Like Ingwaz, Perthro is poorly defined and interpretations are varied. It typically is referred to as the "dice cup" pictured on its side, leaving us with the notion of the dice already thrown and a feeling of luck being with us. It is also perceived as a symbol of gaming with others. One does not tend to throw dice alone, and as such, represents the fellowship of the hall. </div><div><br /></div><div>Taken together, I have work to do this year to hone my relationships, allow seeds previously planted to either sprout or stop taking resources where they won't grow and improving my relationships with those around me. May I find the opportunities presented to me this year to bring this work to fruition and step freely into them with acceptance and purpose to move forward with one. </div><p></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-32144668933161426422024-01-01T08:15:00.000-08:002024-01-01T08:15:46.447-08:00A Vision for the New Year (2024)<p> <br />At the end of December, I attended a women's gathering hosted by a local priestess to create vision boards with our intentions for the new year. I have never done a vision board, so I spent some time reading about them, their function, what goes on them, what goes into them, and how to use them for the defined period. </p><p>My defined period is a full year, and the word I chose as my theme is ACCEPTANCE. In reflecting on 2023, I pulled out areas where I had internal work to do based on my reactions to events and experiences that affected me more deeply than others. What I found was a lack of acceptance for some keys items that are either out of my control or not as big of a deal as my lizard brain made them out to be. I did have some pretty big things happen, including surgery, COVID, workplace sabotage, and a new job. While there is much to be said about each of these, my intent here is not to analyze the events themselves but my own thoughts, feelings, and behavioral outcomes from living through them. I noted my lack of acceptance, even if only initially, and how personally I took things that were out of my control. </p><p>NOTE: Acceptance does not mean approval or submission. It is more of an initial step in a larger process, a dropping of the proverbial pin in the map and marking my "you are here" location. Only when I know where I am can I take steps forward on the journey to where I am going. </p><p>Here is the overall Vision board with my seasonal intentions for 2024:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKwlS47W4HlRIhM0tgHhvIAiIUHtzDJz0-0hIyzIliLCQwZ-b1qtFoSGewhVhWVRCvJtmoY0Qa_cSzMHt0GQHkWD97SatSlZPRw6SWhoj4YYiTBTfXxpPM_LLAdTzmazO4n0Ss6XUpYTOgIv-4iEjonwH03BYAQrGVaQcCLGx9rM2CuWKn9_W40GYNQfh/s2048/415692334_10229541087899063_470252508371337720_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2048" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKwlS47W4HlRIhM0tgHhvIAiIUHtzDJz0-0hIyzIliLCQwZ-b1qtFoSGewhVhWVRCvJtmoY0Qa_cSzMHt0GQHkWD97SatSlZPRw6SWhoj4YYiTBTfXxpPM_LLAdTzmazO4n0Ss6XUpYTOgIv-4iEjonwH03BYAQrGVaQcCLGx9rM2CuWKn9_W40GYNQfh/s320/415692334_10229541087899063_470252508371337720_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Each season, there is a new focus, representative of areas where I've identified room for growth. I have never moved into a cycle of personal work this detailed and planned before, so I am feeling confident in my ability to make real strides. I plan on posting here often regarding my journey. </p><p>I also remembered I owe you a post about Loki. I wrote a poem to Chaos instead last month, but there is more to come on that front as well!</p><p>May the newly born year bring you peace, love, and growth in ways you never thought possible, and may we all end 2024 knowing that the work we did this year was true and good. So say we all!</p><p><br /><br /></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-78910628183512838612023-12-20T07:42:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:59:42.663-08:00ADF Mother Grove Retreat 2023 Last time I was on the Mother Grove, we were not doing retreats, so I was delighted to attend this important event, if a little nervous about what to expect. After an eventful trip to Ohio followed by lunch with Eldest Minion (who is going to 25 this year, so I'm not sure how much longer I can get away with calling him that...) and an eventful drive to Toledo, we began the retreat with dinner and a discussion about the budget for 2024. It was robust and engaging, and we made several suggestions for adjustments needed to ensure we are set up for success for 2024. Of note, we will finally be liquidating the ADF store, which has been defunct for years, and investing some of our capital into a certificate of deposit. We also increased the stipends for our paid positions and added a line for paying folks for the work they do for the organization. There has not been an increase to these amounts in a decade, and I firmly believe in pay for work.<div><br /></div><div>Since we had finished the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the term in May, we chose three additional goals for the first half of the new year:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><u>Goal 1: ADF International</u></div></div><div><div>Create a process for managing applications for association status (NPO status) globally. ADF Germany will serve as a pilot.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><u>Goal 2: Enhancing Annual Reporting</u></div></div><div><div>Revise Annual Reporting process and documentation for release to the general public with information about organizational performance in public-facing areas. Annual General Meeting content would cover the officer year (May-May) and supplement the annual reporting.</div><div>Stage 2:Once we align the annual report to the calendar year, we will supplement the annual meeting officer reporting to reflect January to May.</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><u>Goal 3: Raising ADF’s Profile</u></div></div><div><div>Create a committee to work on the various aspects of raising the ADF profile online (includes SEO and PR). We will seek a volunteer from within and if unsuccessful in finding a candidate, we will engage outside expertise.</div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>We are also working on updating the Mission Statement, a process for approving website changes, glossary of ADF vernacular for non-members who are interested in ADF, important discussions about ADF Publishing, and several other tasks of importance to the organization. I am very excited about the upcoming changes to the Newsletter beginning in Q1. 2024 promises to be a productive and fruitful year!</div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-40748695988557462432023-12-16T09:49:00.000-08:002023-12-16T09:49:34.181-08:00Honoring Chaos<p>I am sure anyone who knows anything about Loki and has been keeping up with my newly defined relationship with he and Sigyn will not be surprised when I say there has been some chaos in my life these last few months. Honestly though, it is all stuff that needed to be shaken up in the first place, and I am grateful for the gift of perspective that came in the quiet before the proverbial storm. </p><p>My first walk-in immunization season as the medical administrator was busy! We had our ups and downs, but overall, we ended well, and I learned a lot to help make sure next year goes more smoothly. </p><p>Family chaos can mostly be attributed to having a toddler around and all the fun and "uh-ohs" that comes with it. My grandson is both a joy and a menace, and I wouldn't have it any other way. </p><p>We also had our annual retreat for the members of the Mother Grove, ADF's Board of Directors. I will write more about that later. It was a hard time of year to travel, but it was definitely worth it for what we achieved in that short amount of time. </p><p>Here is a prayer I wrote to chaos in the thick of it last month. May the Spirits of Chaos be purposeful in the application of their craft!</p><p></p><h4 style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Prayer to Chaos</h4><div><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">In my rigidity, in my obstinance,<br />In the stubborn
stick-to-it-ive-ness of my stance,<br />I call to the spirits of chaos and
unpredictability<br />To aid in my quest for healthy
flexibility.<br />I call to you to shake me up, to
deviate my path.<br />I ask you to exchange my
seriousness for a laugh.<br />When all else fails, I beg of you
to open up my mind.<br />Please show me deep perspectives
my rigidness leaves behind.<br />In our personal lives we seek
order,<br />Believing this is to be the mortar<br />Keeping us from straying from the
path we wish to tread.<br />But order without chaos leaves our
inspiration dead.<br />Chaos, won’t you save me from a
boring life of sameness.<br />Chaos, join me, help me melt into
a mass that’s shapeless.<br />Only there may I be molded<br />Only there be better folded<br />Into the dough of life that bakes
up nice<br />Flavorful ecstasy in every slice<br />Chaos, reign within, for just a
little while.<br />At least enough my ordered mind to
beguile.<br />And when the ordered-ness of me is
taken full apart<br />Order, take the reins once more,
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Waiting, I kindle the Fire on my
shrine, and touch incense to flame.<br />Watching the smoke from the
offerings dance in the firelight,<br />I am reminded of all the times we
danced and played,<br />The times we laughed and prayed,<br />The times we cried and mourned,<br />The times we celebrated and
explored,<br />And I wait.<br />I wait for news from afar and send
back the love we have shared these long years.<br />I have all the time in the world
to give to wait and to pray for you.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>[Image of a candle in a lantern with the above prayer on a black background]<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6qGyZiaN6TTy2WB5iF9QNNp_nZJPGDLdO0nqgU0yjpjWUdYZK2xBLs_KEb_OL52gGiLlVrZb3-HYb-QI_bpMu_kPTVWjo1yexARFQahn49MfjGS1w3TIFqtDoaKA_kJqlfRFq_BgZJWSrthLrCF2-eA4E0XmNHJv-QhDzqhfrS_3EkTT1GZmoZyTob1j/s940/Holding%20Vigil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6qGyZiaN6TTy2WB5iF9QNNp_nZJPGDLdO0nqgU0yjpjWUdYZK2xBLs_KEb_OL52gGiLlVrZb3-HYb-QI_bpMu_kPTVWjo1yexARFQahn49MfjGS1w3TIFqtDoaKA_kJqlfRFq_BgZJWSrthLrCF2-eA4E0XmNHJv-QhDzqhfrS_3EkTT1GZmoZyTob1j/w500-h419/Holding%20Vigil.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-51031438707194399412023-10-27T09:36:00.000-07:002023-12-16T09:38:24.257-08:00Prayer to Saga for Inspiration<h4 style="text-align: left;">Prayer to Saga for Inspiration</h4><div>By the stream of memory she dwells </div><div>Saga of the Sinking Beach </div><div>She of the Land of Flowing Waterfalls </div><div>Seeress of Frigga’s Court </div><div>She who drinks from the Golden Chalice </div><div>Holding audience with Alfather </div><div>Lady of Memory and History, we call to you </div><div>Saga, we give you this gift and beseech you </div><div>Allow us a draught from the Cup of Inspiration</div><div>Grant us a sip of your elixir that our words may be inspired</div><div>Guided by truth and wisdom</div><div>Pleasing to all who hear them</div><div><br /></div><div>[Image of above text on black background with a triangle of drinking horns]</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEs6mRT0Gi0HXL56V8paAu_VReGhr19Rxk65BQvoXf8_kOWjFnsWKw2U2aq8KjFe3NEkOYsgxibs4QG1GexNs47074iD6Q72FsNRv1eBX85RpJteo6aFIcul4hyi9hYGJQkjMzHVjfXwLfyXnx7inXadxpmAq5m7hqHi1nYOTkrBHwVjEIr-sVKXYt72Se" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEs6mRT0Gi0HXL56V8paAu_VReGhr19Rxk65BQvoXf8_kOWjFnsWKw2U2aq8KjFe3NEkOYsgxibs4QG1GexNs47074iD6Q72FsNRv1eBX85RpJteo6aFIcul4hyi9hYGJQkjMzHVjfXwLfyXnx7inXadxpmAq5m7hqHi1nYOTkrBHwVjEIr-sVKXYt72Se=w491-h412" width="491" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-83049806349456867942023-10-15T07:34:00.000-07:002023-12-16T09:35:57.674-08:00Prayer to Heimdalr<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Heimdallr, Holy One; Hallinskihdi,
Whitest As,<br />Keen-eared and sharp-eyed, biding
on Bïfrost,<br />Gjallerhorn's holder, to you give
praise<br />Son of Nine Mothers, by Fire and
by Water,<br /> Sire of Jarl's sons, Shining
guardian,<br /> Rune-shower Rigr, Hight Jötun bane<br />Great golden-toothed Turner of
Hearths,<br />Unsleeping reed-giver who hears
the wool grow<br />Well-known wise watcher, Warder of
Asgard,<br /> Heimdalr, we hail you!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">[Image of a rainbow in the sky with the above prayer overlaid]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLGg7NF8p6bdLQ5yp5EpNxeAxFvI8EInWRv6DyHC0L7DZTTCc7Ruy9z6zfRSX2iLUvvqMtRIlyunH1AgZrdbfnIJVUAivQpZOt9zpBlvDL_FTc37i1uUAZpbFChkHsEtKz20agtxLrFRAosSrh0y2czwSBdPeFmp_kyYP57leJfMfcdoaQpvW1WeYOJWgZ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLGg7NF8p6bdLQ5yp5EpNxeAxFvI8EInWRv6DyHC0L7DZTTCc7Ruy9z6zfRSX2iLUvvqMtRIlyunH1AgZrdbfnIJVUAivQpZOt9zpBlvDL_FTc37i1uUAZpbFChkHsEtKz20agtxLrFRAosSrh0y2czwSBdPeFmp_kyYP57leJfMfcdoaQpvW1WeYOJWgZ=w405-h340" width="405" /></a></div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
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Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-48743131398596379342023-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:002023-12-16T09:34:07.576-08:00Prayer for Compassion Fatigue<div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Prayer for Compassion Fatigue</h4> <br />Sadness, horror, rage, grief<br />Conflicting and complex, they blend together into building waves of increasing intensity<br />Washes over my senses, flooding my mind, drowning my thoughts<br />So far away, helplessness envelops me<br />So near to my heart, prayer seems like the least effective offering<br />And yet I pray<br />I have no words of comfort that will make a difference<br />I have no resources that will be more than a drop in the ocean of need<br />I have no actions that matter from where I sit in my comfortable home<br />And yet I pray<br />I pray for peace and an end to violence<br />I pray for understanding, cool heads, and warm hearts<br />I pray for healing and compassion<br />I pray and I pray and I pray<br />And numbness descends…<br />It feels like a curse preventing me from action<br />Does it not mean I do not care if I do not feel?<br />In the stillness that follows, I recognize the gift:<br />A respite from the sadness and horror and rage and grief<br />That I may rise again once more to find words, to share resources,<br />And to do what I can to bring about the changes we need in our world</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">[Image of water at night with text of above prayer]<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFiE9-CtdZi0X3IhKVtJJoWXo-5CXlyBafzlRaQJFy786pvLCFng9G6ItiVdbRY0b-oUzAtFDNQuh1_5x5FAqqf5ETjLFoyccz933tIMXxaU9lUq7e9mGc3AHfkHnQUtk3FqYO6M80Alt1e_NPxBhMTY6FRzQDXl5Gp8PaMCMBqE2RqWzYYqNpxTBK3fxc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFiE9-CtdZi0X3IhKVtJJoWXo-5CXlyBafzlRaQJFy786pvLCFng9G6ItiVdbRY0b-oUzAtFDNQuh1_5x5FAqqf5ETjLFoyccz933tIMXxaU9lUq7e9mGc3AHfkHnQUtk3FqYO6M80Alt1e_NPxBhMTY6FRzQDXl5Gp8PaMCMBqE2RqWzYYqNpxTBK3fxc=w548-h459" width="548" /></a></div></div><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-83468479616741035742023-08-24T18:18:00.001-07:002023-08-29T19:35:08.091-07:00Summerland Recap 2023: At the Sacred Center<p>I had the privilege to attend the <a href="https://threecranes.org/summerland/" target="_blank">Summerland Festival</a> in Yellow Springs, Ohio again this year, and it did not disappoint! After the "gastrointestinal devastation" of last year, we were ready for another chance to invest in community and reconnect with long-distance friends. </p><p>Thursday night's festivities were momentarily interrupted by rain, but the fire in the pavilion and the good friends were enough to keep us warm. Opening ritual went well, and it felt wonderful to be in in-person ritual space with so many like-minded folks. We shared a meal and attended an adult-only workshop retelling the Egyptian creation myth, Set & Heru, which we thoroughly enjoyed. </p><p>Friday began with Rev. William's presentation on the Virtue Buffet. Once again, his teachings hold value and practical tools for living a good life. I've seen this one three times now, and I learn something new every time. I also attended a workshop/sacred space time for embroidery as a form of meditation. As a non-sewer, I delighted in Rev. Jan Avende offering me some markers and coloring pages. Next, Rev. Michael J Dangler led a respectful discussion on performing magic and other workings with what is available and how to obtain reputable tools and ingredients of the trade.</p><p>Friday evening was Bardic Night! So much fun! Getting to sing with my people and listen to all the wonderful new works they've created since last we were together brings such joy to my heart. We have to many talented folks in our community! We finished the evening with drumming around the fire and late-night conversation.</p><p>After a very cold night's sleep, I presented my workshop on the Axial Awakening. This was the first attempt to present the information in one hour, and I definitely ran long. Overall, the content was well-received, and I am going to work on putting together a formal class. This one seems to have credit hours, lol. Next came a presentation on Appalachian Folk Traditions and how those magical practices travel through the generations, which ones are common, and how blended traditions add and enhance them over time. Definitely an intro to a much bigger subject--just like mine! After lunch, a group of us got together in one of the unoccupied cabins to record some ritual music. Oh, my heart, what a treat! I am really looking forward to listening. Some of the pieces haven't been formally recorded before now.</p><p>The Main Ritual was lovely. Rev. Jan Avende led us in a service full of elements from the practices of each of the various traditions and variations represented by the folk present. We honored all that the Summerland festival, that that place, offers us, and lifted our voices to manifest those beautiful gifts with offerings and love. </p><p>Saturday evening, we had the pleasure to dance to the musical trappings of <a href="https://discardedmischief.com/" target="_blank">Discarded Mischief</a>. They were down their bass player and still put on a terrific show. They even covered one of my songs, and I got to sing with them (because I am that level of extra). It was honestly a beautiful gift, and I am grateful for their efforts in learning one of my songs. It wasn't done how I would have performed it, which made it even more special to hear. Songs are living, breathing things, and once we let them go, we have to let them evolve and grow into something more. I feel like this was one of those moments for the song, Awen Rains Down. We ended the night with smores around the fire and more conversation. </p><p>It was sad to leave on Sunday, but the memories are rich with fellowship and community, and they will sustain us all until we meet again. </p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-60115231853031930632023-07-16T18:03:00.002-07:002023-08-29T18:17:44.384-07:00Of Course It Is: Loki's New Statue<p>I have been performing the workings in the Pagan Portals book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pagan-portals-loki-dagulf-loptson/1132951329" target="_blank">Loki: Trickster and Transformer</a>. After deepening my connection with Sigyn, I wanted to intentionally build relationship with Loki, and it seemed the best way forward was through the guidance of those who have already done this work. Dagulf Loptson's work is proving to be meaningful, and I was even inspired to purchase a Loki statue. I did some internet searching and found a piece in the style of my Odin statue, which seems apropos. After getting delayed and arriving a little beat up, I opened the package to reveal a piece a little different than what I was expecting. Is it resin instead of wood? Yes, must've missed that in the description. Is is painted just-tacky-enough gold? Of course it is. How very Loki.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdLQGqYulGnGbUBg8nn3JOblbUdbmf0fAzfl_ZInl43c3xVy58zHMYZdpnFzSR3JSSPnvDiKOrtY3mmwKdmY5SJ0CXSD1pPmqH7mbkNka8U3WN-dsYYwjjhdMYvpCLLk0j35oGFCEH--jp6DMg8bOY6KIEIoGl3IAxF36qVH4v4KRa3Syx_rGD8tlXLGG/s640/Loki%20Statue_%2016Jul23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdLQGqYulGnGbUBg8nn3JOblbUdbmf0fAzfl_ZInl43c3xVy58zHMYZdpnFzSR3JSSPnvDiKOrtY3mmwKdmY5SJ0CXSD1pPmqH7mbkNka8U3WN-dsYYwjjhdMYvpCLLk0j35oGFCEH--jp6DMg8bOY6KIEIoGl3IAxF36qVH4v4KRa3Syx_rGD8tlXLGG/s320/Loki%20Statue_%2016Jul23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>With the statue placed next to Odin, the bowl and the candle, the stone to carry their energy with me, and the devotional beads I strung together for prayer mantras, I seem to have created a full-blown devotee space for them. I do not feel compelled to actually devote myself to him, but I am finding peace and strength in adding this type of quick-witted energy to my life as well as the humble admission of fault and subsequent reparations. </p><p>As my husband, Rev. William Ashton, says, ruptures happen. We all make mistakes. It is what you do to repair that is the mark of your character. May I also be the type of person who admits when I am wrong and does the work to make right what I can as I learn to do better in the future. </p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-41100415333489918882023-06-17T14:10:00.006-07:002023-06-18T19:40:24.527-07:00Holding the Bowl<p>Many years ago, I had a close friend who worked with Sigyn, wife of Loki and goddess of loyalty, compassion, and steadfastness. This level of exposure softened me to her story, since she is mentioned sparingly in the Eddas and Sagas, usually only known to those who are familiar with the tale of Loki's comeuppance after flyting the gods. </p><p>In the <i>Lokasenna,</i> Loki proceeds to sling barbed commentary at the Asgardians in turn for various character flaws they each posses, which wreaks of Christian influence and a way to impart Christian ethics on a pagan culture. Nevertheless, at the end of the tale, the gods have turned one of his sons with Sigyn, Vali, into a wolf who kills his brother, Narvi. The gods use Narvi's entrails to bind Loki to a rock in Helheim beneath a serpent dripping venom on him. It is here he will remain until Ragnarok, suffering the punishment for his scathing commentary. Sigyn, his beloved, holds a bowl over his face to prevent the venom from touching him. The only drops that fall upon his flesh are those that fall in the moments it takes for her to empty the bowl and begin her labor of love anew in an endless cycle. </p><p>Sigyn has been showing up for me for months, first in my studies, then in my internet searches for devotional works published by devotees of the gods. I have purchased a couple of books, but it wasn't until I "randomly" downloaded an audio copy of Lea Svendsen's work, <i><a href="https://www.llewellyn.com/author.php?author_id=6735" target="_blank">Loki and Sigyn</a>,</i> that I fell headlong into a new relationship with Sigyn and Loki (a relationship with Sigyn comes with a side order of Loki whether you want one or not!). About halfway through the book, I tried to describe what I was learning to my husband, and I found myself in tears, in awe and inspired by the character and presence of Sigyn. After that, I knew I needed to connect more deeply with her. In their work, Svendsen describes a ritual for connecting with Sigyn in which the celebrant enters ritual space and holds Sigyn's bowl for a spell to allow her a reprieve from her labor of love. Today, I performed this ritual, and it is nothing short of powerful. </p><p>I began with a short working described by Dagulf Loptson in his work,<a href="http://polytheist.com/author/dagulfloptson/" target="_blank"> </a><i><a href="http://polytheist.com/author/dagulfloptson/" target="_blank">Loki: Trickster and Transformer,</a> </i>where the celebrant carves a bindrune into a candle. After making offerings, I lit the candle and sat in meditation while chanting, "I light the flame of Loki, both without me and within me." From there, I segued into Svendsen's ritual in which the celebrant calls to Sigyn and asks her to relinquish her bowl that we may hold it while she rests. I lit a charcoal and made offerings of mistletoe, wormwood, mugwort, and amber resin. While these burned before me, I poured a draught of wine into the bowl and held it aloft. I imagined the drops of poison collecting there, weighing the bowl down with time as it became heavier and heavier. After a while, Sigyn returned to smooth Loki's hair and offer comfort to her beloved. Before long, she took up her place holding the bowl to capture the drops that threaten her heart and held her vigil beside him in strength and love.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl24PuzrEzLX-JyIdKLh2mxuL8gptaLOvkh3LoCDUVSL7I_D4xObIdbRT70yA6W87l02C8LcCpfIOQdwIBQe2B_w47LKObSwhL4zqv5Iq3T0pfNFDSeMeuMrkqg9dfPStbcNTsL4SrENDPdgywr-J1564IwGH9KWWrBjUgJXy4Q5DSLZJSiTDh27NofA/s640/Loki%20Sigyn%20Rite%2017Jun23.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl24PuzrEzLX-JyIdKLh2mxuL8gptaLOvkh3LoCDUVSL7I_D4xObIdbRT70yA6W87l02C8LcCpfIOQdwIBQe2B_w47LKObSwhL4zqv5Iq3T0pfNFDSeMeuMrkqg9dfPStbcNTsL4SrENDPdgywr-J1564IwGH9KWWrBjUgJXy4Q5DSLZJSiTDh27NofA/w350-h263/Loki%20Sigyn%20Rite%2017Jun23.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><p>Holding a bowl of liquid, no matter how small, is difficult over time. The muscles in my shoulders and arms began to ache with the effort, and I became aware of how strong Sigyn must be to hold the bowl with such care and attentiveness, day in and day out, to protect her partner from the pain and agony of the venom. She is unwavering, never complaining, full of compassion, and full of love for her beloved. I am humbled by her efforts. </p><p>I pulled a rune after this work and received Jera, harvest and cycles, which said to me "keep doing the work." So I have dedicated myself to holding the bowl. We shall see what becomes of this practice in love, compassion, and loyalty with a bonus lesson in not giving one ounce of care to what others think about it--a fine omen to begin building a deeper relationship with deities that are often viewed as controversial. </p><p>I fear I have planned these next few writings out of order, but I am grateful to you for joining me in this journey. There is so much spinning in my mind I haven't coalesced into words! I offer these tidbits to help provide a bit of context for why in all the realms I have seemingly dove head-first into a pool of chaos: She is a goddess of all I described above and more, and her role as the Sacrificer begs to be explored in more depth and breadth (bet that got your attention!). According to Loptson and Svendsen, there is evidence that Loki may have once been a fire deity, a shadow of what we may envision when we consider Agni in the Vedic pantheon, and Sigyn is reverently holding the offerings aloft in her bowl to be poured into the fire. It is the Christianization of the northern myths and the idea that there MUST be an evil figure in their dualistic worldview that has led to Loki being the cognate of their Satan and all that comes with it. I am definitely intrigued by this idea and will be researching. </p><p>For now, I leave you with a short prayer:</p><p></p><blockquote>Lady Sigyn, she of the staying power, lady of loyalty and compassion, <br />We call to you this day.<br />Teach us the way of love, so deep it moves us to action.<br />Teach us the way of loyalty, so strong it bolsters our resolve.<br />Teach us the way of compassion, <br />So powerful that our labors do not become tainted with bitterness. <br />Lady Sigyn, Incantation-fetter, North Star and Loki's Joy, we honor you.</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-47625744626104294242023-06-04T12:42:00.002-07:002023-06-04T12:42:47.406-07:00The Untamed Earth MotherLong ago, our histories, our stories were passed on through oral tradition. The people would gather around and listen intently to the great tales of myth and lore, especially when the weather was uninviting or threatening. Our peoples connected with what was and learned how to move into what will be with vision and wisdom through the examples of the Ancestors and the Deities of the tribes—through stories.
Storytelling was the modality for learning. The primary listeners were children and the storytellers were most often the grandmothers. The children’s jobs were to learn and grow, taking in as much knowledge and gaining as much experience as possible. When they became parents, they made sure the children had safe places to learn and to grow and taught them to sit at the feet of the grandmothers and listen. As their children grew and became parents, they became the grandparents, and their job was to tell the grandchildren about all they had learned and experienced in a never-ending breath of life across the generations. <div><br /></div><div> We grew up hearing the creation myth of our time: the story of Adam and Eve. Eve, who ate of the fruit of the land after listening to the council of a land serpent—a being who existed long before her new species evolved—and she was thrown out to make her living through toil and taking. This is a very different story than the narrative that lived in these mountains and plains before our ancestors came here and colonized them. The native peoples have their own creation myths, several of which have been lost or “Christianized” into variations of the Adam and Eve story. Today, I want to tell you about the Oneida tale of Sky Woman as I heard it from Robin Wall Kimmerer in her book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=braiding+sweet+grass&hvadid=616862916930&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9028882&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16947724329495158970&hvtargid=kwd-124473112404&hydadcr=24634_13611738&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_5efij3ozb_e" target="_blank">Braiding Sweetgrass</a>. </div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><i>In the beginning, the Skyworld existed above the dark waters. One day, a hole appeared above the waters. It is through this hole at Skywoman fell, bringing the light with her, shining in her wake. Hurtling downward, she saw only dark water below, endless and roiling. But in that emptiness, there were many eyes gazing up at the sudden shaft of light created by her passing. From far beneath, these eyes saw a small object, a mere dust mote falling in the beam. As it grew closer, they could see that it was a woman, arms outstretched, long black hair billowing behind as she spiraled toward them.
The geese nodded at one another and rose together from the water in a wave of goose music. She felt the beat of their wings as they flew beneath to break her fall. Far from the only home she’d ever known, she caught her breath at the warm embrace of soft feathers as they gently carried her downward. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The geese could not hold the woman above the water for much longer, so they called a council to decide what to do. Resting on their wings, she saw them all gather: loons, otters, swans, beavers, fish of all kinds. A great turtle floated in their midst and offered his back for her to rest upon. Gratefully, she stepped from the goose wings onto the dome of his shell. The others understood that she needed land for her home and discussed how they might serve her need. The deep divers among them had heard of mud at the bottom of the water and agreed to go find some.
Loon dove first, but the distance was too far and after a long while he surfaced with nothing to show for his efforts. One by one, the other animals offered to help—Otter, Beaver, Sturgeon—but the depth, the darkness, and the pressures were too great for even the strongest of swimmers. They returned gasping for air with their heads ringing. Some did not return at all. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Soon only little Muskrat was left, the weakest diver of all. He volunteered to go while the others looked on doubtfully. His small legs flailed as he worked his way downward and he was gone a very long time.
They waited and waited for him to return, fearing the worst for their relative, and, before long, a stream of bubbles rose with the small, limp body of the muskrat. He had given his life to aid this helpless human. But then the others noticed that his paw was tightly clenched and, when they opened it, there was a small handful of mud. Turtle said, “Here, put it on my back and I will hold it.”
Skywoman bent and spread the mud with her hands across the shell of the turtle. Moved by the extraordinary gifts of the animals, she sang in thanksgiving and then began to dance, her feet caressing the earth. The land grew and grew as she danced her thanks, from the dab of mud on Turtle’s back until the whole earth was made. Not by Skywoman alone, but from the alchemy of all the animals’ gifts coupled with her deep gratitude. Together they formed what we know today as Turtle Island, our home. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Like any good guest, Skywoman had not come empty-handed. A bundle was clutched in her hand. When she toppled from the hole in the Skyworld, she had reached out to grab onto the Tree of Life that grew there. In her grasp were branches—fruits and seeds of all kinds of plants. These she scattered onto the new ground and carefully tended each one until the world turned from brown to green. Sunlight streamed through the hole above the Skyworld, allowing the seeds to flourish. Wild grasses, flowers, trees, and medicines spread everywhere. And now the animals, too, had plenty to eat, and the bounty drew others to her, living together on Turtle Island. </i></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Sky Woman built a land for us with love and in harmony with those around her, a place for us to learn and live and grow and experience together. It was untamed and wild. Our modern tales tell us this wild “wilderness” is dangerous because it is untamed, but they do not know the grasses and streams. They do not know the trees and birds and rabbits and elk. They think all things untamed are unsafe. They think all things uncontrolled by human hands and human order are feral. When they hear untamed, they mean ungovernable, because taming is about power-over others. Sky Woman brought with her a handful of life-seeds from the Great World Tree itself to ensure those who came after her would live in abundance and receive the blessings of her work and love. </div><div><br /></div><div>I asked a group of people, "How many of you are native Coloradans?" “Native” status is something those born here take very seriously, so much so that those born here have bumper stickers and t0shirts declaring their status as Colorado born-and-raised. How long have the rest of us been here? A year, a decade, a lifetime? As pagans, we do our best to be environmentally conscious. We strive to recycle and buy the greenest products and live outside capitalist ideals as much as we can in this day and age. But, we still consider ourselves guests in this land, as set apart, as outside of the land we inhabit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Decolonizing ourselves has become a buzzword as a priority we hold dear, and I think we have lost our way. We treat ourselves as guests in this land, because it was stolen from the Indigenous Peoples who lived here before us (because it was). We tread lightly and speak words of apology and do the work of giving back to the precious few remaining indigenous tribal nations (which is important). AND, I am here to tell you that until we recognize that we, too, are part of this landscape; that we, too, are part of this habitat; that we, too, are members of this community of beings that make up the front range, we will continue to be throwing solutions into the wind to land like seeds upon asphalt and nothing will grow between us. </div><div><br /></div><div>We want to preserve the untamed and wild places by deeming them unsafe and feral while we stay within our walls of structure and order. The wild is “out there,” and we are civilized “in here.”
I leave you with this: If we want to do the work to repair what was long ago broken, we must un-tame ourselves, not just decolonize our minds. We must un-tame our bodies and dance in the rain. We must un-tame our hearts and free our spirits to connect with the rest of native Colorado—because we are here, too. The only way out is through, and the only way forward is together.
</div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-30148590950265525342023-05-05T19:30:00.001-07:002023-06-04T13:00:49.237-07:00Full Moon Blessings<p> For years now, we have been hosting monthly full moon services, more than half of which have been done virtually. The keeping of sacred time is not one to be taken lightly, and even when we don't mark the passage of time, time passes nonetheless. </p><p>The gift of the cadence of monthly services has helped me to find markers between high days to keep my heart open and ready. It has given me needed guidance from that which is hidden that I may serve the folk more fully in the celebration of that which is clear. </p><p>In honor of the sacred timekeeper, I offer this prayer:</p><p></p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On this Full Moon night,
we call out to you,<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sacred and Shining Moon,<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bright face of the
starry night sky<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Illuminating our paths
through the unknown, and<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guiding us on our
journeys.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bring to fullness within us the cadence of cycles,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even those small and unwavering.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remind us of the passing, of the coming and going, </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ebbing and flowing,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">As reflected in the ebb and flow of Ocean upon the Land.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heavenly Timekeeper, Sacred Moon,<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Show us the way forward
through the darkness<br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Toward what we need for
the month ahead.<br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sacred Moon, we honor
you!</span></div><p></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-8589105528467418492023-04-04T12:47:00.001-07:002023-06-04T12:48:30.819-07:00A Prayer to the Beings of Creativity<div style="text-align: left;">We call to those who bring us inspiration. <br />As we seek to create, to bring into life new works of art, of song, of speech, of kitchen craft, <br />We make offerings to you.<br />Inspire our minds with plans for our works.<br />Plant the seeds of songs and poems in our hearts.<br />Grant us ideas for writing, for speaking, for building.<br />Guide our senses to new tastes and scents,<br />And open our hearts to share what we have created<br />That we may share this joy with those around us. <br />Hail to thee, bringers of Inspiration!<br />Hail to thee, guiders of intellect!<br />Hail to thee, whose strength and dexterity blesses our hands.<br />Beings of Creativity, we honor you.</div><div><br /></div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-29356186681718278342023-03-25T13:17:00.004-07:002023-03-25T13:21:34.381-07:00Town Hall Questions: Rev. Melissa Ashton, NOD Candidate 2023<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello, readers! I am running for Non-Officer Director for the ADF Mother Grove, and I thought you would be interested in my candidate questions. Feel free to reach out, if you'd like to discuss any of these! Blessings of the season be with you and yours.</span></p><p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>What vision do you see for
the future of ADF, and what efforts do you plan to do to make that happen?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">My vision for ADF is tied heavily to the work I am already
doing. We need to update many of our documents and source materials to
modernize. Improving our “boring parts” makes the interactive parts more
engaging. I plan to continue my work with the organizational review committee,
and being elected as NOD will allow me to further promote the improvements and
innovations we are proposing in a wider scope. We are currently working on the
training programs as they are migrated to the learning management system, and
this new technology provides a myriad of opportunities for updating to
educational best practices for adult learners including multimedia formats and
resource materials beyond books and reading lists. Infusing Our Druidry with
innovation, technology, and flexibility for ease of growth and building
relevance in our modern society must be a priority.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beyond this work, I have a passion for building relationships
not only among ADF members and with the Kindreds, but also in our communities:
local, national, and international. Not only with other pagans, but with other
religions, and like-minded folks, and I would love to see more of this work
done at an organizational level.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>If you are elected to your
position, what is the first change you want to work toward on behalf of our
members?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t have a specific change in mind to be “first.” As mentioned
above, the organizational review committee has identified a series of areas
that need attention, and I would be happy to work toward implementing any of
them. If I were to make a guess as to what would be the most impactful to the
membership at large, I would advocate for the document control system. This
would afford us a central repository for all policies, official documents,
flyers, templates, letterhead, trifold informational pamphlets, etc. These
could be accessed readily by all ADF members with version control, tracked
changes, and approval records. This might seem like another “boring part” to
most people, but it is the boring parts that keep an organization of our size
operating smoothly. When the boring parts are out of order, the more engaging
parts will often suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></i><!--[endif]--><span>Serving on the Mother
Grove is a huge commitment of time and energy. How will you fit your potential
Mother Grove role into your life?<i> (Note: if your position is not
associated with the Mother Grove, you can skip this question.)<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have plenty of time for this. I work dayshift, Mon-Fri, and
have quite a bit of career privilege that enables me to take time off and flex
my work hours, if necessary. My work-life balance is well-protected, and I have
the bandwidth for the commitment. My youngest son is also graduating high
school, and the first thing that comes to mind regarding what to do with my
time is to give it to ADF. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>If elected, do you have a
willingness to serve your entire term, or if you are not elected, do you intend
to remain as a member?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Haha, this wouldn’t be the first election I’ve lost! I am an ADF
member and have no intention of changing that. If elected, I plan to serve my
entire term, and if not elected, I plan to continue with the work I do for the
org.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>Given the position you are
running for, what efforts are you planning to do to promote transparency in
your work?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I do hope we continue frequent town halls or other avenues for
member facetime with the Mother Grove. Maybe periodic update articles submitted
to <i>Oak Leaves</i> or the MG Blog when the new website goes live. I think the
membership would appreciate more narrative updates regarding what we are doing
and how that’s going.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>How quickly do you believe
it reasonable to answer emails or some other form of messaging (not accounting
for family emergencies, ritual prep, scheduled time away, or something else
unexpected) on behalf of our membership?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Important or pressing matters should be answered within 12-24
hours. Non-pressing issues should expect a response within 24-72 hours. If we
were to consider implementing even more professional habits, I would advocate
for all incoming messages to be confirmed as received with an expected
turnaround time for a full response to the content.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>Given the amount of
qualified possible volunteers within our community, what thoughts do you have
to more actively engage them?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Community engagement is an important part of growth and
stability. I would love to see us revamp the appointment process and allow
folks the opportunity to explore options of giving back to the org through
their talents and time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>What are your thoughts on
promoting outreach within the Pagan community?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am 100% an advocate for community outreach to the greater
community. We should have members on the boards for as many Pagan Pride Days as
possible. We should be involved in planning and hosting non-ADF festivals and
events, attending other group’s high days and special events like Witches Ball,
and even send a delegate to the Parliament of World Religions. Why not excellence?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>There have been concerns
raised related to sexist/misogynistic language, inappropriate behaviors, and
challenges to inclusivity within ADF. What actions have you done within ADF or
within other organizations to address these issues?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a hard question to answer, because this will look
different based on the individual asked. As a cis-gender woman, my intersection
with these important areas of concern relies on the social power allotted to me
in this role. I am an active member, as best I can be, of the Chenille Canopy—a
group for female-identifying ADF members. I do my best to speak up and speak
out when I observe behaviors to model that in others. Inclusivity issues are
also dependent upon the specific social identifier causing an individual to
experience discrimination. As an able-bodied person, for example, I have
attended Rev. Chelly Couvrette’s workshops designed to educate and promote
accessibility for differently-abled members and guests at our fires. As someone
who does not possess an ability concern, it is my role to listen and not to
teach. AND, when those who are differently abled provide feedback on their
needs, my responsibility is to implement changes to improve their experience
and be welcome and included in Our Druidry. There is a LOT to unpack here, and
this is a question that needs a panel discussion more than anything.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>How do you envision
ensuring that that ADF members--whether those in a grove or solitary, within
the United States or globally--are truly represented and their concerns
addressed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Short answer? I’d love to have a representative of the
Solitaries of ADF on the Mother Grove. We have a Council of Senior Druids, and
the Chief of the Council has a seat at the table. Why not create a seat for a
“Chief” of the Solitaries?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>What thoughts do you have
to promote Mother Grove transparency for ADF members?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Comment periods. No, seriously. I honestly don’t think
transparency is the biggest issue. Transparency and communication are essential
to organizational effectiveness, and most folks who are unhappy are not unhappy
about a lack of transparency. They are unhappy because they feel a decision was
made that affected them and they didn’t have a voice in it. If we start sharing
more information about items before the Mother Grove and allow for comments
prior to take votes and implementing decisions, we would see an increase in
member satisfaction with Mother Grove performance. People want to be asked
about things that are important to them, and they want their opinions to be
heard and considered. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">That being said, the easiest way to alleviate concerns of the MG
hiding or withholding information is to have open meetings. These would be
similar to other governmental or board meetings for churches and large
organizations like ours where they allow the folk to attend the meeting and
comment/ask questions during the meeting proper. The biggest change to the
process other than an open venue would be an assigned time keeper and a
“parking lot” for items brought forward that are not already on the agenda.
Once we begin working through the parking lot, and the folk see the MG is
hearing and addressing their concerns, there will be a perception of “right
relationship” that currently does not exist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span>How have you already
served ADF, and how do you envision those experiences will be helpful for the
entire organization?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been a member since 2008, serving on a variety of
subgroups, committees, and on the Mother Grove itself as Members Advocate for
three terms. I am a Senior Priest and an Initiate. I am a study program
reviewer and mentor. I am a Master Bard and the Clergy Advisor for the Order of
Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries. I am the Secretary of the Clergy Council
and a member of the Organizational Review Committee. I serve Mountain Ancestors
Grove in Colorado and sit on the board of Fort Collins Pagan Pride. I have
previously served on the board for PFLAG Boulder County, as well. I earned my
Masters in Non-Profit Management with service to ADF as my focus, and I am
looking forward to using this knowledge to aid in development and
organizational leadership at the board level. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have been involved with a wide variety of diverse groups and
programs, and each one has helped me to grow toward the Druid I am becoming. I
know how to write technical documents and manage spreadsheets. I know how to
lead rituals and workings for experienced and novice participants alike. I know
how to officiate weddings, funerals, and other rites of passage. I understand
the differences between belonging to the Heartland of ADF where there are dense
populations of pagans and belonging to the land where your grove is made of
trees and no humans sharing your beliefs are anywhere to be found. I know the
struggles of single mothers who want to observe the high day with a group but
know their special needs child will be disruptive in a meditative od trance
session so will only attend services that are family friendly and how it feels
to miss out on some of those meaningful experiences. Above all, I know what it
feels like to need to be heard and to have someone truly listen to you. That is
what I want to bring to ADF.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-21958047248486454202023-02-04T08:20:00.009-08:002023-02-12T08:28:17.333-08:00Home and Hearth: The Sounds of Home<p>During this time of cold and snow, we celebrate those things that bring us respite, that bring us comfort when there is so much outside that would make us uncomfortable. As I think all of you know, I had surgery last week, and with ample time on my hands to reflect, I found my thoughts returning over and over to the gratitude I feel deep in my bones for the comfort and peace of home. </p><p>Home and HearthFire is what we at Mountain Ancestors call this feast day, because it is easy to take for granted all that our homes and hearths offer us, unceasingly, on a daily basis. </p><p>It’s easy for me to forget how peaceful it is to sit and exchange gasses with my houseplants with a good book in hand and a cup of tea at my side when I haven’t made the time to do so in weeks. It’s easy to lose the wonder of modern miracles such as running water, automated heat, humming electric light, and machines of all sorts that do chores previously taking up hours of our time: the modern comforts of home. Comfort has been a refuge for me, a prized and fleeting gift between the pains and frustrations of recovery. But, it’s easy to get lost filling those at-home hours with media like Facebook, Netflix, Audiobooks, and Podcasts. The hard part for a people such as us in a society such as ours, one that values productivity and consumerism over quiet contemplation, is finding comfort of mind when our bodies force us to stop. </p><p>Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time with Brighid and Eir over the past few weeks, seeking healing and offering gratitude for receiving it. Brighid was the first goddess I “met” as a new pagan, and she and I have grown together over time, our relationship taking a myriad of shapes and sizes. She is there for me every time I light a sacred flame, every time there is a need for healing or protection, and every time there is a desire for change. All of these workings are best done, for me, when I am in a place safe enough to surrender myself to the work, which is what makes her embodiment of the hearth so important to my personal shrine work.</p><p>I am grateful to my spiritual practice, to the time spent practicing and building relationships with the Kindreds that is my foundation and muscle-memory for engaging in behaviors that bring peace to my spirit. Those practices help me find peace of mind and open my eyes to the respite from the world that exists around me in my home. That’s what the Home and Hearth teach us: to find rest and quiet and comfort in the things we already have, the things that are always there waiting for us when we return from traveling through our loud and busy world. We need only look and listen.</p><p>As a one-time bard, sound also holds significance for me. The sounds of home are equally important to my sense of safety and comfort: a brewing pot of coffee, the automatic ice maker filling and emptying and filling again, even the white noise of the central heat whispering through the air ducts. These are the sounds of home. </p><p>My favorite sound is the sound of falling snow, though we don’t attribute sound to snow. When the snow begins to fall, from the vantage of physics, sound waves lose their ability to travel freely through the air. Snowfall dampens sound waves and brings a silence far deeper than can be experienced in its absence. That silence can be difficult for us. Our minds are constantly processing the cacophony of life, even if it’s just the white noise of gadgets and appliances. But standing outside in the back yard while snow is falling, there is nothing to hear but your own blood rushing through your veins, your breath filling and evacuating your lungs, your heart beating rhythmically in your chest. If you listen beyond these sounds--the sounds of the life within you that our world drowns in modernity, you will hear the sound of <i>nothing</i>. What a gift! </p><p>“Nothing” requires nothing of you. It doesn’t care what you’re wearing, what job you have, how much overtime you’ve worked this week, how much you weigh, how much money is (or is not) in your bank account. Nothing doesn’t care one bit. Nothing beseeches you to be still and silent and drink in even more nothingness. It implores you to just be. In the spirit of embracing this nothingness, this place where we may find silence and peace and acceptance and yes, comfort, I call to us all to remember it is always there. When we find this moment and recognize it as the core of our home and hearth and heart, we can fall back on it and conjure it up at any time to bring us peace and strength through any “something” life throws at us. </p><p>May the gifts of comfort and nothingness bless our hearts and hearths, and may we rest in gratitude for that which is already ours. </p><div><br /></div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-66106326822468291092023-01-15T12:43:00.014-08:002023-06-04T12:47:05.928-07:00Wake, Skadhi!Wake, Skadhi!<div>White-bright Maiden,
She of ice and snow! </div><div>Winter’s Herald and Mistress of Cold! </div><div>We honor you with gifts and praise. </div><div>Etin-bride who breathes white blankets o’er the fields, </div><div>Your icy breath rolls as wind from the mountain’s peak. </div><div>Skadhi, Winter Maid,
Wake now that we may honor you. </div><div>We hail and thank you for capturing the Waters </div><div>That they may be returned to us with the Spring thaws.</div><div>Skadhi, we honor you!</div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-63851460288118466052022-12-21T18:26:00.010-08:002023-01-03T18:37:04.075-08:00 A Winter Solstice Blessing<div style="text-align: left;">As the wheel turns round toward the darkest part of the year, <br />As the Mother sleeps and all is cold,<br />We are reminded that it is the darkness framing the light that allows us to notice its brightness.<br />Waning light descending into night<br />Hear the words we offer to you<br />During this time of transformation.<br /><br />Carry our worries and hardships of the past year with you into the darkness,<br />And free us from the past that we may move freely into the new year unburdened.<br />Waxing light ascending into the heavens once more, <br />Having been grounded and freed from those burdens of the past, <br />Be cleansed as you leave the bosom of the Earth,<br />Made whole and holy once more,<br />Renewing each of us as your healing rays rain down upon us<br />In streams of Awen for transformation, inspiration, and creativity.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Returning Light, may you be a beacon of hope, of promise, and of good luck in the year to come.<br />Solstice blessings!</div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-52907316214549397622022-11-29T06:58:00.003-08:002022-12-28T07:10:31.986-08:00Prayer to The Denizens of the Cosmos<p>I watched "<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14179942/" target="_blank">Good Night Oppy</a>" with Rev. William the other day, and I was utterly inspired. After spending hours combing through photos from the <a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">James Webb Telescope</a>, this documentary opened my heart even more to the forces of Order and Chaos that swirl about in space. So many of the images seem to have hands, fingers, faces. I cannot help but feel in my heart that the Divine--a word we use to describe that which is far bigger, more eternal, and yet affecting us here in the middle realm--is tangibly real. During #PrayerADay, I wanted to say a prayer to those beings, far beyond our comprehension and millions of lightyears away, to let them know I see them and know they are there. </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Denizens of the Cosmos,</div><div style="text-align: left;">We seek for you still. </div><div style="text-align: left;">We sought for you when we charted</div><div style="text-align: left;">the movement of the stars. </div><div style="text-align: left;">We sought you when we configured watch glasses to allow us to see further into the night sky. </div><div style="text-align: left;">We sought you with telescopes, satellites, and rockets launched into space,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And we seek you still. </div><div style="text-align: left;">One thing is certain, </div><div style="text-align: left;">We seek and will keep seeking,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Because we know in our heart-of-hearts that </div><div style="text-align: left;">We are not alone. </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g5XXQQGPe2oxeFlE34qqhuRS26OD_DFkEag1VAo1nk0jlTdc8Y7G2gT48XQnZSnQq4BzCwz5lG-xRTHidItcnYjVX69515kmzLM4qvYodWq4yfBhdM_123a-n53wqZ-GlmeoyfjVQVvlpOLSjRtuZo2rPFflKMcMktYYel69-zSa4bm28O-egc6RXQ/s624/Pillars%20of%20Creation_James%20Webb_NASA.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="624" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6g5XXQQGPe2oxeFlE34qqhuRS26OD_DFkEag1VAo1nk0jlTdc8Y7G2gT48XQnZSnQq4BzCwz5lG-xRTHidItcnYjVX69515kmzLM4qvYodWq4yfBhdM_123a-n53wqZ-GlmeoyfjVQVvlpOLSjRtuZo2rPFflKMcMktYYel69-zSa4bm28O-egc6RXQ/w400-h379/Pillars%20of%20Creation_James%20Webb_NASA.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: small;">Photo Credit: NASA James Webb Telescope<br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">Pillars of Creation (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image)</span></p><div><br /></div>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-69945027556773833562022-11-17T19:17:00.002-08:002022-11-17T19:17:35.901-08:002022 Prayer a Day Challenge<p> For 2022, I am participating the November #PrayerADay challenge. For the entire month of November, I have committed to write a prayer a day that aligns with my vocation as a priest and my path as a pagan. </p><p>One of my prayers this month was to the Spirit of Inspiration (see text below). This prayer is meaningful to me as an example of my internal call to those powers that grant us inspired words for prayers, writing, speaking, and creating more formal works such as poetry and song in praise of the Kindreds. </p><p>May these words bring inspiration to your works and your hearts!</p><p>Image of the rosy dawn on the front range rocky mountains:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We call to those who bring us inspiration. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we seek to create, to bring into life new works of art, of song, of speech, of kitchen craft, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We make offerings to you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Inspire our minds with plans for our works.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Plant the seeds of songs and poems in our hearts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grant us ideas for writing, for speaking, for building.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Guide our senses to new tastes and scents,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And open our hearts to share what we have created</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That we may share this joy with those around us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hail to thee, bringers of Inspiration!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hail to thee, guiders of intellect!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hail to thee, whose strength and dexterity blesses our hands.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beings of Creativity, we honor you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJt_NhiA07u_nwVILbtZs1-dm0VYmuv5P2--_ulOJjGFN489XYmZ_4uIZH4lSc1diE8M7ttDFBcZ91M7ngD68K1lm6H_X5sWZ_sVnpGO-NSTEhMxnWvlozGbmxU3-1n9UBvKxVGnKYg0ScyOyQ94Y_EcxvvpxPOv04Zz8gazBZPhAasdHAHx58z5N0rQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJt_NhiA07u_nwVILbtZs1-dm0VYmuv5P2--_ulOJjGFN489XYmZ_4uIZH4lSc1diE8M7ttDFBcZ91M7ngD68K1lm6H_X5sWZ_sVnpGO-NSTEhMxnWvlozGbmxU3-1n9UBvKxVGnKYg0ScyOyQ94Y_EcxvvpxPOv04Zz8gazBZPhAasdHAHx58z5N0rQ=w418-h418" width="418" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-3914613166177938042022-10-16T11:20:00.001-07:002022-10-16T11:24:54.944-07:00Praying to Hel<p>I recently had the privilege of attending a local Heathen Kindred's <i>Helsblot</i>. We gathered for feasting and fellowship beforehand, sharing recipes from those we have loved. The Gothi (Heathen Priest) reminded us of the importance of relationship with the Goddess of the Underworld, since despite her relevance to each of us who will not die in battle, she still remains a figure of contention among Heathen folk. I can understand the desire to want distance from her father, Loki, another hotly contentious member of the pantheon; however, as much as we strive not to be held accountable for the "sins" of our own fathers, I find it interesting that folks shun her for events in which she took no part. The Gothi reminded us that when Baldr was slain, Hela was already in Helheim. She played no part in his death. She was even willing to allow him to return if all living things would weep for him. Despite her best efforts, her father ruined it and refused to weep for Baldr in the guise of an old woman.</p><p>I have long had a relationship with Hela, and I find no ill feelings in that space save what I bring with me. Death and grief are difficult for human brains and heart attached to our loved ones with such ferocity and depth, and yet she remains still and unwavering in the face of our most unbridled outbursts of anguish. </p><p>Today, I offer you this prayer to Hel that you may see her through eyes that have looked into her face and found nothing but acceptance and truth, even if cold. May she bring stillness to hearts in mourning during this time when the Ancestors are most near.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">The Children of Askr and Embla call out to The Mother of Bones, <br />To the Lady of Tears, the Goddess of Rot and Decay. <br />Lady Hela, Goddess of the Underworld, we honor you. </blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">As our loved ones pass from this realm, we lay our burdens at your feet, <br />Our grief, our sorrow, our pain, and our anger— <br />All fitting offerings—for you know well the love from which they are borne. </blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">We offer you our honor and respect <br />As the caregiver and provider of our beloved ancestors. <br />The Legions of the Dead will always be free from hunger and thirst at your table. </blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">We bring our fears of the unknown and look into your eyes, <br />Eyes of both life and of death, <br />To find our courage and the strength to face what is yet to come. </blockquote><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Goddess of Death and Keeper of Souls, <br />We ask that our suffering be limited when our threads reach their end. <br />If there must be pain, may your death-blow be swift. <br />If a swift death is not possible, may we be surrounded by those we love to ease our passing. <div style="text-align: left;">And if we must leave this realm alone, may our death be one worthy of memory. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">When we take our steps across the Gjallar Bridge to meet you, <br />We shall bow our heads in reverence at your hospitable welcome after a life well-lived. <div style="text-align: left;">Hail to thee, Lady Hel!
</div></blockquote><p></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-63672000886449571042022-09-04T13:19:00.001-07:002022-09-04T13:19:48.528-07:00Hanging Portraits of the Dead<p>When I first began the work of building an Ancestor practice back in 2008, the idea of connecting to some of my dead was...unappealing. There are folks in my life who caused me great pain when they were alive, and the veil between us brought me a sense of comfort, of safety. Part of the work of the <a href="https://ng.adf.org/" target="_blank">ADF Dedicant Path</a> is to connect to all three Kindreds, and without this important breakthrough, I knew I would be unable to complete it. </p><p>Fast forward to today, I now have a strong Ancestor practice; in fact, it is probably the most consistent and deeply intimate part of my personal shrine work--and it is much easier to engage with because of our Ancestor Box practice. </p><p>Developed by <a href="https://threecranes.org/" target="_blank">Three Cranes Grove, ADF,</a> the Ancestors Box is a place where mementos, photos, obituaries, small items that they once owned, etc., are stored for eleven months of the year. The moon service prior to Ancestors Night, or Samhain, holds significance as the evening the box is opened. For the duration of a moon cycle, we take out our mementos, photos, obituaries and trinkets to commune with those who have gone before us, to tell their stories, and to remember their names that they may live on. Then, on the moon rite after Ancestors Night, the box is closed. </p><p>Leapfrogging through time with the Ancestors this way provides opportunities to engage with their stories in a healthy way. There are boundaries to engaging in this work, a clear end point, and the knowledge that we are the ones in "control" of the interactions. While not all Ancestors will require this level of planning and coordination, when it is necessary, the work becomes manageable and even fruitful. There may be certain Ancestors we never work with because of what they broke when they were yet alive, and those are personal decisions we each have to make. We now follow this tradition here at <a href="http://www.mountainancestors.org/" target="_blank">Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF.</a></p><p>Since I began my Ancestor work in 2008, I have muddled through my grief, my frustration, my anger, my resentment, my disappointment, and the death of the hope I carried that things between me and some of my relatives be made right: I had to accept that none of them were ever going to say, "I'm sorry." Just, oof.</p><p>I've had many more of my relatives pass away since then, as well, and I've continued to add them to the box and do the annual work of engaging in their memories, our relationships, and my healing through it all. At our home, we have the main Ancestor Shrine for our family's dead as well as an Ancestors Wall on the main shrine where we place the photos of members of the community who have passed. Up until today, the wall behind our family shrine has held only one photo of my dead: that of my father. Managing my grief process and reconciliation after his death was HARD. Much existed between us that was left unsaid, since he took his life through intentional overdose. Having his picture up was a mark of the work we did together after his passing, and I am grateful to him for many life lessons that have made me a better person. </p><p>I have been resistant to hanging other photos, even though I have so many more relatives to place on our family tree of the dead. My husband already has everyone up, including folks with whom living relationships were difficult, and despite the slight pang of guilt I felt with additional photo (internal guilt, he's been great about it), I have never been motivated to add more photos to my side of the wall. </p><p>A few weeks ago, my mother's biological mother, Ursula von Stephen, passed away at the age of 89. I found out through Facebook, and my mother and her family were left off the obituary. They've never been a part of my life, so I harbor no ill will toward them for the oversight. It is one more reflection of the vast chasm between us despite our shared blood. Interestingly, Ursula's passing sparked within me a desire to preserve our part her story. Reading the obituary shows that her connection to us will not live on without intentionality. My aunt posted some lovely photos, and I printed one for the wall. Her name, and her connection to those who come after me, will live on though us.</p><p>However, this presented me with a conundrum: I have other relatives that should already be on the wall! Their names began floating before me: Shirley Lou Caniff, my grandmother. Edward H Caniff, Sr, my grandfather. Deborah Ellen Burchfield, my mother-in-law. Paul Milton Burchfield, my father-in-law. These are my BELOVED dead, folks whose influence and love marked me in too many positive ways to count. Was I really entertaining putting up my estranged grandmother before I added them to the wall?</p><p>Well, yes, of course I was. We were estranged, which meant it was safe to put her up. My dad was up there, because I did the work to bring myself healing. My estranged grandmother doesn't require work, because I have long been at peace with our arrangement. My paternal grandparents and my in-laws--now that stings. Their loss still wells up within me, and keeping my grief locked away in the Ancestors Box for eleven months a year was enabling me to nurse my grief rather than allowing true healing to descend (read that again if that resonated with you). I have spent so much of my time focusing on how to work through the death of folks with whom I was not in right relationship that I took for granted how much work is still required when there are peace and love between us. </p><p>For me, and I suspect for all of us, we have a tendency to assume we only need to engage with intentionality when we have a wound that must be healed. When someone who has wronged us passes away, we are the sole party left in the relationship who is capable of bringing the peace that comes with true closure. After crossing the River of Forgetfulness, the Ancestors do not hurl insults or angry threats at us. All of that negative talk lies within us and lives on in the memories we carry of our time together when they were alive. <i>When the memories of those who have hurt us are invited to the table, we are the ones who bring fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and the shadows of all we have been through with us. </i>So, we do the work to guard our hearts and heal our spirits. And, those whom we loved dearly who depart with our blessings for safe passage to the Otherworld deserve our intentionality, too. </p><p>Today, my husband helped me hang their portraits, and I wept. It was a brief spurt of tears as their faces staring back at me reminded me of what I have lost in them. Now, I begin to complete the work of filling in the cracks in my heart left behind by their passing with gold. May their memories always be a blessing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0gefji75adJ4n9V_AioiY0p4ODb_uZxpVxcQvgE93SDSpuVQBKzQwkCOMqBwsvLPUA9jNWGS8A0JqT97pxXQjSRjte3ijU-_FOgd_9FSeZ-rJLUrtXH7967OG2A2jfwMWTJNWSr7oEQZA6yvkY-ptdcJGy3S8W_jME3t3ePNO2C4ymB47R1CWDat_Q/s3906/Ancestor%20Shrine_2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="3906" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0gefji75adJ4n9V_AioiY0p4ODb_uZxpVxcQvgE93SDSpuVQBKzQwkCOMqBwsvLPUA9jNWGS8A0JqT97pxXQjSRjte3ijU-_FOgd_9FSeZ-rJLUrtXH7967OG2A2jfwMWTJNWSr7oEQZA6yvkY-ptdcJGy3S8W_jME3t3ePNO2C4ymB47R1CWDat_Q/w390-h279/Ancestor%20Shrine_2022.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2792083186976587703.post-82273144837296361022022-08-24T09:58:00.001-07:002022-08-24T09:58:21.529-07:00Summerland Gathering 2022 Festival Review<p>I am home after attending the Summerland Gathering 2022 held August 18-August 21 in Clifton Gorge near Yellow Springs, Ohio. Each day was filled with food, workshops, rituals, and thematic evening events bringing us together to share meals, to share knowledge, to pray together, and to play together. May this review provide a glimpse into the event in such a way that all who read these words who were unable to attend feel connected to the folk on site. </p><p>Summerland 2022 was more of a homecoming for me than anything else. As a former Crane, attending a festival hosted by Three Cranes Grove provided space to reconnect with previous grovemates and longtime friends (who now live 1250 miles from my new home in Colorado among the Magpies) in service to the folk—just like old times. This was also the first in-person event many of us have attended since the COVID lockdown in February of 2020. Needless to say, our emotions flowed like waves throughout the weekend, anxiety giving way to joy only to bubble up on occasion when proximity to others reminded us our faces were bare. Despite the spectacular amount of planning and preparation done by our hosts and chief organizer, we had some hiccups, and while it may not have unfolded as planned on paper, it turned out to be the festival that we all needed. </p><p>The festival began on Thursday with a shared meal, and what a significant and meaningful beginning it was! After years of isolation and nothing but virtual contact, the breaking of bread among community broke open the seeds of healing in our hearts and minds. We shared an afternoon of workshops, greeting guests as they trickled in, and gathered for the opening ritual that evening. The power of shared voices, in person voices, echoed across the gorge as we sang out our praise and made offerings together. The unscripted nature of the service allowed us to hear the words of our fellow devoted without the polish of more a formal ritual setting, reminding us of the roots we share in Our Druidry. I will not soon forget the impact of this beautiful rite. Music and revelry went deep into the night as our reluctance to part from one another held us by the fire. </p><p>Friday opened with a planning session for the evening’s Community Ritual. We ended with a loose outline for an extensive working whose goal was to facilitate the release of all we’ve held onto during these months of isolation and opening ourselves in healthy and wise ways to the unfolding of our new normal. We used all-natural yarn in the shape of a pentacle to hold that which we would release and placed the yarn on the fire to burn away our ties to that which would hold us back. We then connected everyone present to a circle, unbroken and woven through us, to fill the void with intentions of community, compassion, and connection. </p><p>A note on the “new normal:” There are many among us who lived their lives in isolation due to personal circumstances be they illness, immune system function, or any of a host of disabilities hat require time and energy to manage and leave little “spoons” for anything else. These last two years gave us all the insight and real-life experience of what it feels like to walk in these folks’ shoes, the competing desire and inability to connect with people, the burn-out from virtual meetings, the weariness of text messages as our only outlet making it impossible to bring ourselves to reply. All of these have been “normal” for these members of our community. As we move toward connecting in person, it becomes paramount that we not forget to integrate those whose needs are equally as great but whose barriers often feel insurmountable. Remember in our bones how this pandemic time has affected us, Children of Earth, and allow those experiences to keep our work grounded in accessibility and understanding moving forward.</p><p>Friday night’s Gender-Affirming Prom brought laughter and joy as we danced and took pictures with the soundtrack of our collective youths playing in the background [as a personal note, I sometimes forget the differences in age among us, and the number of songs the, uh, ‘more mature’ crowd didn’t know made a point of reminding us]. Afterwards, we again stayed long into the night to enjoy one another’s company. </p><p>Saturday morning held space for the remaining workshops. Over the course of the festival, I was only able to attend about half of what was offered. The ones I attended gave us hours of additional conversation, carrying on into meal times and arising for us in later hours after we’d had time to internalize the lessons. We had a full schedule, and there was too much great programming to do everything. I encourage those who presented to continue to share their work at additional events!</p><p>The Main Rite was particularly meaningful for me, because I was elevated to Senior Priest. Rev. Jean Drum Pagano was able to make time to come down and perform the ceremony himself, and I am grateful for his assistance in this work. We ended up holding the rite in the pavilion due to the EPIC RAIN that blessed us during the service (well, I did hope for a good “Ohio Thunderstorm,” and I cannot complain when my wishes are granted—and it was pretty amazing!). Rev. Jan Avende led a beautiful service, and I feel blessed for having my elevation as a part of it. </p><p>After potluck, we had a “karaoke style” bardic night where we listened to many spoken word pieces this year. I had the honor of helping with the raffle last minute, and I enjoyed riffing off this with Emerald, who needed constant reminding not to pick a rock out of the ticket bags (I mean, I thought it was funny…). We ended the evening once more refusing to go to our respective beds to prolong the fellowship and camaraderie. </p><p>At the risk of oversharing and immortalizing this part of the festival, I find it important to share that we had folks dropping out of social spaces one by one due to a later-confirmed-as norovirus that swept through camp. This serves as a stark reminder that all the other viruses and bacteria in the world have waited patiently for us to return to social spaces where they flourish. As different folks with different jobs were taken out of commission, those of us who remained unaffected stepped in to help. By Sunday morning for festival closure, we were all-hands-on-deck, and in that moment, I couldn’t be more proud of our folk for showing up to get the work done and care for one another. While something like this has the potential to overshadow all the GOOD that this festival offered to us, seeing that even a “throw-up flu” couldn’t diminish our determination and commitment to service confirmed more than ever that I belong to ADF as an ADF Druid, for here I stand among those who purposes align with mine: to love the land, to serve the folk, and to honor the deities.</p><p>Overall, this was a terrific event, and I wish many blessings of health, well-being, fellowship, and connection to all who were in attendance and all who wish to attend in the future. May our eyes meet many times in the future across the fire.</p>Rev. Beehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17038322664450457347noreply@blogger.com0