Hospitality
Dedicant Path manual definition:
Acting as both gracious host and appreciative guest, involving benevolence, friendliness, humor, and the honoring of a gift for a gift
Dictionary.com definition:
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the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.
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the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.
Hospitality is a virtue of right relationships. It is about being a good host who is generous, kind, and compassionate to guests and strangers. But good hospitality doesn’t stop there, for within any meaningful relationship there must be reciprocity. This means that the guest should return the generosity of the host by being grateful and kind in return. The relationship is made strong when both parties do their part and it is within this strength that bonds are formed. Hospitality also extends to the world of spirit, and when it comes to worshipping the Kindreds offerings are given in ritual with the hope of receiving their blessings. This reciprocal relationship in Proto-Indo-European is called *ghos-ti- and if relationships are a web, it is *ghos-ti- that acts as the strands that bind everything together. It is this foundation of right practice and right relationship that forms the very core of Druidic practice.
The act of giving offerings to the Kindreds is a defining characteristic in ADF ritual, which makes hospitality an essential virtue within ADF. Because of this, I am of the opinion that you can’t separate the two. I also prefer the ADF definition of the virtue because not only does it give a definition, but provides some insight into what it entails. The Dictionary.com definition, while valid, comes of as a bit too cold for my taste. On a personal level, I find hospitality to be a great way of showing respect. As a Neo-Pagan Druid, I honor the divine spark in all people and hospitality is an act that allows me to show that respect. This virtue has also been instrumental in building my relationship with the Kindreds, for it was when I began to give my offerings to them that I began to hear their call.
Nature awareness (continued):
The trip to Silver Lake this week will be the last trip for awhile as I approach the nature awareness requirement in my studies. I will eventually return at some point in the future, but I made this last trip to give my offerings to the land wights and thank them for all they have taught over the past several months.
It was dark and cold when I arrived and while I wanted to go to the thicket, I had some safety concerns. I ended up going to a wooded patch near the parking lot and this worked just as well, I think. I gave a prayer and offering to Nerthus before thanking the land wights and offering to them as well. It was a bittersweet moment, for I had developed a bond with the land around Silver Lake. I’m sure this bond will remain in some way, so I take some solace in that. I made a statement to the land wights that whenever I come back to Silver Lake, I will bring offerings with me to honor the land spirits that taught me so much. Shortly after giving my offering to the land wights, a light wind blew through the trees above me. I left shortly after.
I’ll miss my visits, but I left feeling good about it all. I had come to learn, and that I did. Now I will use the knowledge I have gained from Silver Lake to work with the land closer to where I live. Perhaps I should have done that from the beginning, but I really wanted to get a feel for a more naturally diverse portion of the region. At any rate, I’m happy with my decision because of the connection I made to that land, and it’s a connection I will continue to honor. Perhaps there’s a tradition here in the making.
The Sacred Center 