Dedicant Path: Week 47 – “Personal Religion Final Essay”

When I joined ADF in the winter of 2012, I had really hit a dead end as far as my personal religion was concerned. Earlier that year, I had attempted to keep a solitary Wiccan practice, with my only guides being the available books I could find on-line or at the bookstore. While I felt it was close to what truly called to me, it wasn’t quite enough. So, upon joining ADF, I was a clean slate for a new religious practice. In fact, that was one of the reasons why I started the Dedicant Path so early, because I wanted to build my religious practice from the ground up. Since there was no grove close to where I lived initially, I started off as a solitary practitioner.

I began on Imbolc of 2013 with my first solitary High Day using the full ADF Core Order of Ritual taken from the Dedicant Path manual. While the ritual was very rough, I enjoyed it immensely. I liked the feeling of the Three Hallows at my shrine, while invoking the Three Realms and Three Kindreds felt natural following that. It’s very hard to articulate, but these elements felt, for like of a better word, “right” to me. When I started reading A History of Pagan Europe by Nigel Pennick and Prudence Jones, I figured out why. Across many of the Indo-European cultures of ancient times, these elements were used in their religious experiences. The use of these symbols and objects in ADF ritual made sense on both an intuitive and historical level. I truly felt at home with a practice that took the best of ancient practice and married them with with modern sensibilities.

Since I was a child, I had always been interested in Norse mythology, and it often flavored my burgeoning spirituality as I grew older. When I joined ADF and began my religious practice, I naturally gravitated toward the Norse hearth culture. In the beginning, I still referred to some of the elements in ADF Druidry in general terms. For instance, I called the Gods the “Shining Ones” and the nature spirits the “land spirits” in my rituals. As time went on, I gradually began replacing the names with terms that were more Norse. The “Shining Ones” became the Gods and Goddesses of the Aesir and Vanir (or “of Asgard,” if I wanted to keep it short), while the “land spirits” became the land wights. While there may be little difference in calling the nature spirits either land wights or land spirits, I felt that was an important piece in developing a more personalized religious experience tailored to my chosen hearth. Now, my High Day rituals include Hallows that fit within Norse cosmology: the Fire of creation, the Sacred Wells at the base of Yggdrasil, and Yggdrasil itself. My Three Realms are invoked by telling the tale of Odin and his brothers slaying the giant Ymir and creating the world, and so on. A personal goal of mine would be to include Old Norse language in my rituals to deepen the connection to the hearth culture.

I’ve touched on my home shrine in the accompanying essay, but I feel it’s important to point out that my home shrine, in many ways, is the physical representation of my evolving religious practice. In the beginning, it was a very basic shrine with the Three Hallows, a bell, a chalice for the blessing cup, and an offering bowl. Now, it holds a host of extra items that have reflected my religious growth. For example, I added an ancestor box on my shrine which holds pictures for those I wish to remember. This particular item was officially placed on my home shrine during my Winternights ritual as my working. I also replaced the chalice with an authentic drinking horn and added representations of the Three Kindreds on my shrine. A picture of Odin I placed on my shrine to represent the Gods began to have more meaning to me as I developed a connection with the All-Father on a more personal basis.

In addition to High Days, the Dedicant Path also helped me develop a firm daily practice through the mental training requirement. What began as 10 minutes of the Complete Breath 5 days a week has turned into a practice that includes an oracle reading for advice from the Kindreds at the beginning of my week, a weekly devotional to the Kindreds, with basic trance, Two Powers meditations, and prayers sprinkled throughout the week. I’m very happy with the weekly work I do, but I feel compelled to do more. There’s a possibility for daily devotionals in the future, as long as I can make it practical for my life schedule. During my mental training studies, I also spent more time out in nature, learning the land while giving offerings and becoming acquainted with the local land wights. I learned many lessons while connecting with the wights, and I seek to use this knowledge to care for the land and continue in right relationship with them.

Over the course of the year, I’ve also worked on incorporating the Nine Virtues into my life. As I started to write the virtue essays for the Dedicant Path, I would reflect on those virtue and think of ways to apply them to everyday life. Since I spend much of my time during the week at work, I would post the Nine Virtues on my desk as a reminder and guide in all decisions that I make. I would even make it a point to recite them from memory, which would increase my awareness of them and help me make better decisions. Now, I think back on situations where I could have applied a virtue for a better outcome and adjust my thinking for future reference. Other times, I look back on situations where I believe I applied the virtue effectively and take satisfaction that I did the right thing.

As noted previously, I began as a solitary, but shortly after beginning my practice I was lucky enough to find another ADF member in my area. Since getting in touch, we’ve been able to meet up on most High Days and hold ritual. While we are not formally recognized as a protogrove, this small group has helped satisfy my need for community, even if there are only three of us at the moment. Even our group practice has evolved over the year we have been meeting. Initially, my friend Beth wrote and led the High Day rituals with a Celtic influence, which was okay because I wished to learn more about the Celtic hearth culture. Now, we split up the High Days in which I lead the equinox and solstice rituals from a Norse perspective, and Beth leads the cross-quarter High Days with Celtic rituals, because being solely responsible for writing eight High Day while being in school and teaching is a lot of work. Not only has it become a learning experience for us all, but it also takes the pressure off Beth. Even with this small group, I still maintain my own solitary practice at home because I feel it’s important to have a close personal connection with my Gods and hearth culture.

The growth in my religious practice has been a wonderful journey, but the most important component is my growth in relationship with the Kindreds and the cosmos. As the Three Hallows sit in the center of my shrine, I have found that the more I invoke their power, the more connected I feel with existence. In the past, when looking up at the stars and experiencing nature, I would often feel awestruck and overwhelmed. Now, as I have connected with these essential elements of the cosmos, I no longer feel so small and insignificant, for I draw them to me in the Sacred Center. Through ritual and devotion, I am closer to the powerful beings that are the Three Kindreds and I have found myself blessed and fulfilled over the course of the year. As I read the tales of the Gods, I grow even closer to them as I know their deeds and become enchanted by their adventures. I have even unexpectedly formed a relationship with Odin and he provides me wisdom and guidance in the runes. It’s a very real possibility that this relationship could turn into one of patronage.

As I have traveled the path of Druidry, having kept the Elder Ways for a full year, I have been fulfilled beyond measure. Druidry has become a large part of my life and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I have forged a lasting relationship with my environment and the powers at work behind it. It is my intent to continue to walk this path, for it is the path I have been looking for my entire life. The path of the Dedicant has helped me lay the foundation for a solid religious practice, but it is only the beginning, and I look forward to what lies ahead as my religion and spirituality continues to evolve.

Dedicant Path: Week 46 – “The Three Kindred: Final Essays”

Like the tree, whose roots connect into the earth and whose branches extend into the sky, the Three Kindreds are interconnected with the tapestry of existence. The Gods are powerful, shining beings who guide mankind in wisdom. Their deeds are great and have echoed across the ages, sustaining the worlds and realms as beacons of hope and inspiration. The land spirits are sometimes seen as entities who maintain the worlds, protecting and promoting the prosperity of the land. But the land spirits have orders of their own and, like nature itself, give blessings and chaos in equal measure. Finally, the ancestors bring everything full circle, as existing on the land with the spirits, and perhaps having honored the Gods in one way or another. The ancestors are us, and those that have passed beyond this life, lending their wisdom and guidance from the underworld. These three groups of beings, the Three Kindreds, are central to the practice of Druidry, for they make up an essential part of the cosmos. It is in our offerings we show our devotion to them and their blessings that motivate us to a life of virtue and happiness.

The Gods are luminous and mighty beings who take up the heavens and whose light of wisdom shine on all of existence, sustaining the cosmos. They are known by many names across the Indo-European hearth cultures, from Odin to Athena, to Dagda and Jupiter. The Gods take on many roles and are known as kings, magicians, forces of nature, healers, smiths, warriors and everything in-between. They are associated with the Sacred Fire that burns within our groves for the light they provide from the heavens, and the Sky in the Midworld, because they overlook all the realms (Our Own Druidry 25). Order is also the domain of the Gods as the cosmos turn around them, the engine of the natural laws holding together existence as they provide clarity and wisdom to those who honor them (Our Own Druidry 25). In all things, there are some exceptions as not all of the Gods can be found in the heavens. Some exist in Midworld, dwelling in the lands of their followers, much like gods and goddesses of land and rivers (Our Own Druidry 42). Others dwell in underworld kingdoms, keeping the ancestors as company, much like Hel or Hades. This comes as no surprise for the Gods in their power sustain existence and thus can be found in all parts of the cosmos. The Gods can be invoked from anywhere, but favor high places where the earth is closer to the heavens, or near the headwaters of rivers and streams in the case of land gods and goddesses (Our Own Druidry 42).

Since beginning my practice of Druidry, I have come to grow close with the gods and goddesses of the Norse pantheon. It started simply with offerings to them in my High Day rituals, which eventually spread to weekly offerings. In the beginning, I honored the Aesir and Vanir without much response from them, but I have found that as time has gone by, and my continued offerings, the gods and goddesses of Asgard have become more present in my everyday life. I say that I honor the Norse deities, but I can also feel comfortable saying that I worship them as well. This isn’t prostration or groveling at their feet for their favor, but showing the gods and goddesses great respect in my offerings, with the hope of reciprocity.

While the Aesir and Vanir may primarily reside in Asgard, this does not make them distant in my eyes. Within my rituals, devotionals, and prayers to the deities, it feels as if I am walking with them as they impart their wisdom to me. The Gods also give me comfort and strength when I call to them in times of trouble. When I perform my High Day rituals, it is a formal gathering and a great feast that I have with the Kindreds with offerings and blessings in abundance, whereas my devotions and prayers are the more intimate moments of connection. While this applies for all Three Kindreds, I feel like this is most meaningful when I deal with the gods and goddesses. In the beginning of my practice, the sole way in which I connected with them was through ritual. I’ve also come to connect with the deities through reading the lore about them. For example, when reading the Edda by Snorri Sturluson, I have found my imagination and connection to the deities grows considerably by knowing their deeds. In fact, I am of the opinion that the lore is really the key to connection with the gods and goddesses. It’s hard to fathom how I could have a relationship with the Gods if I knew nothing about them.

The gods and goddesses are indeed powerful beings, but sometimes it feels like they are approachable like any other person. Most times all that is required is an invitation and sacrifice. As such, I view the deities as individuals, with their own goals and motivations. By approaching them in this way, it has made my connection to these beings more concrete, because each are distinct with their own personalities and attributes. However, I also feel them all around me within nature. When the storm clouds roll in or I am in need of courage, I feel the strength of Thor. When I gaze out among the fertile fields, I feel the presence of Freyr and Freyja. When strolling through the apple orchards in the late summer, I feel Idunna moving among the rows of ripe apples. As powerful as the gods and goddesses are, they are certainly not, in my opinion, omnipotent, omnipresent, nor omniscient. One needs to look no further than the lore to back up this statement. This doesn’t diminish them in my eyes, however. In fact, it does quite the opposite, for it is these qualities of the Gods that make them more relatable to us as human beings. As I continue along the path of Druidry and evolve in my practice, the gods continue to have a growing presence in my life. It’s hard to articulate the satisfaction and fulfillment I get from offering to the deities of the Norse and receiving their counsel and many blessings.

While the Gods primarily reside in the heavens, here on the earth we coexist with beings that are referred to as the nature spirits. Like the plants and animals found in nature, they are many, varied, and just as wild. The nature spirits can be found in the rocks, trees, and streams, as well as the many beasts that make the land their home. In various Indo-European cultures there are also varieties of nature spirits and magical beings who reside in the Otherworld, like the daoine sidhe, fauns, dryads, and fairies (Our Own Druidry 26). The nature spirits are commonly associated with the Sacred Tree, for they exist in Midworld where the entirety of the cosmos is connected and their influence extends to all things. Within Midword itself, the nature spirits are most associated with the Land, but like the Tree’s branches that extend to the Sky and is surrounded by the Sea, here too will you find the dwellings of the nature spirits of feather and gill (Our Own Druidry 24). A common view of the nature spirits is as lesser relations to the Gods, who maintain the order of the natural world (Our Own Druidry 42). However, like all things in the wild, there’s an element of unpredictability that comes with the nature spirits. Like predators who view humans as prey, there are some nature spirits who don’t treat human beings favorably, and some care must be taken in interacting with them (Our Own Druidry 42). The nature spirits can be reached almost anywhere, for the natural world is pervasive in even the most urban setting. From the far, untouched wilderness, to the collection of trees in a suburban backyard, and even parts of the city where untamed bushes grow, the nature spirits can be found.

I didn’t have a very strong relationship with the nature spirits until I began my nature awareness work for the Dedicant Path. At first, it started as a strictly physical observation of the land around me and my relationship towards it. However, very quickly it became an exercise in not only knowing the physical side of things, but the spiritual as well. Early on in my trips to the lake, I felt it was the right thing to do to start leaving offerings for the land wights. The rationale for this is simple in that I am a guest in their home. Not only are my offerings a token of my respect for the land wights (and the Earth Mother), but they are also an attempt to build a closer relationship with them. What started as a purely physical interaction with the natural world evolved into a spiritual awareness of the spirits of the land, but it didn’t stop there. It ended up becoming a fully integrated relationship in which these two aspects of interaction are now one and awareness translated into action. Whenever I took my trips to the lake, I brought along a bag to pick up trash along the trails in order to take care of the land. I also made an effort to increase my knowledge of nature by bringing along pocket guides to help in my identification of plants. If I am going to befriend the land and its denizens on a physical and spiritual level, I felt that these efforts were crucial in building that relationship. My actions didn’t go unnoticed and I had some rather interesting responses to my prayers and offerings, from birds crying out to me from above while making my prayers to gusts of wind that have passed over my area of the forest shortly after making my offerings.

In my attempts to connect with the land through offerings, meditation, and prayer, I have come into contact with some of these spirits. They seemed formless to me, like a presence that moves under the canopy of the trees with the wind and who make their homes in the deep, tangled underbrush. One such spirit made itself known to me in the form of the sweet gum tree. It was a relationship that formed unexpectedly. On one of my trips to the lake, I was attempting to find a symbol of the land wights to include on my home shrine. While pondering this, I approached the spot I used for observation to find a gumball, in nearly perfect shape, sitting on the bench where I normally sit. Throughout my life, and all of the places that I have lived, I can always remember that particular tree for its unique fruit. It has been in nearly every location I have lived in and it struck me that this tree has been like a guardian to me, watching me as I have grown up. I have since maintained a relationship with the sweet gum from that point forward.

My interactions with the land wights haven’t always been good. I remember one time I found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. It had no feathers and was craning its neck awaiting food it desperately needed. Thankfully I had my phone on me and I was able to look up a correct course of action. This turned out to be, in fact, nothing. There was nothing I could do to help and my intervention could actually threaten the life of the bird. Hopefully the mother bird was around and would come to take care of the baby, but it was heartbreaking. I remember feeling indifference from the land wights that day, despite my offerings. The lesson I learned from them was that sometimes nature must take its course, one way or another, even if it seemed cruel. Nature can be a soothing and healing force, but it can also be unpleasant and unpredictable. It was from this experience that I learned to be cautious when dealing with the nature spirits.

As the nature spirits dwell and maintain the land, so too have the Ancestors enjoyed the bounty of the land before us. They are those in our families who have passed on to the underworld, or other incarnations, and help us from beyond the veil of this life, lending us aid, protection, and wisdom. (Our Own Druidry 26) We honor the Ancestors with offerings and respect because without the them we would not exist. The Ancestors are associated with underworld and the Well, for it is from the darkness of the womb we are brought forth, and to the darkness under the Earth we shall return (Our Own Druidry 21). Within Midworld, they are also linked with the Sea, which represents the primordial darkness that is linked to the underworld and the “chaos of potential.” (Our Own Druidry 24) It’s important to note that the Ancestors encompasses more than those who have passed on into the underworld. They can also be living relatives of blood, close friends and partners of the heart, those who follow the same hearth religion, or those who are influential mentors (Dangler 43). The Ancestors can be honored at the home shrine with an abundance of pictures and memories, and they can be honored in cemeteries or at monuments dedicated to those who have passed on in wars and disasters.

Thinking back on my family and my ancestors, we have quite the interesting history. However, it was a history that was rarely shared and one that, up until this point in my life, I was never really interested in hearing. Within my family, close and extended, we really didn’t tell stories or talk about our ancestors that much. This is something I would like to change. Over the past year, I’ve made the realization of how important it is to remember our ancestors and to keep their memories. In fact, shortly after joining ADF, I asked my dad for our family trees and he sent them to me. Although most of my ancestors have passed on and I have no one to tell me stories of the past, I think delving into the genealogy and examining their lives is a way of honoring them. In fact, I think it is something they’d like. I believe this to be a good step in connecting with them. I would like to think that my ancestors watch over me, but I hope that by searching for them through genealogy and keeping their memory that I will help draw them closer to my hearth to take a more active role in my life.

I most fondly remember my maternal grandparents the most because they were the ones I spent the most time with as a child. I keep their memory alive by thinking of them often and remembering small stories when I spent time with them. For instance, my granddad was an oil painter and I would spend time in the back of the house where his shop was and watch him paint. At one point, he even helped me paint a picture. I remember being so thrilled that he was helping me because he was a very good artist. I also remember my granny and how she would curse under her breath when she sewed. That always made us laugh because we think she didn’t realize she was saying it out loud. Not only does remembering stories like these honor them, but I would also like to pass these stories on to my own children. I wish to instill in them how important it is to remember those that came before us. For without them, we would not be here.

Within ritual, the Ancestors are less distinct to me, but no less important. Their presence is very general in nature, since I don’t have much knowledge of my Ancestors, but I have felt their power and support through the gate. I remember one time in particular I had been having a very tough week with parenting and my kids. That evening I did a devotional and shortly after giving my offering, I could feel the Ancestors approach me, reach their arms out to me, and touch my shoulders. It was if they were saying, “We’ve been through this and we understand. We lived through it, and you shall too.” It was an incredibly powerful moment and it left me in tears, however with their help my strength was renewed and I was able to navigate some difficult situations afterwards.

My heart-kin are also very special to me. I have several friends who I have known for over a decade and a few that I know will stay in my life for that long and more. I honor these friends by staying in touch with them if they live far away and spending time with them if I am close. I honor them by letting them know how important they are to me not only in speech but in deed, and I make it a point to read their names during my Winternights ritual when I recognize the Ancestors who are most important to me. We may not be related by blood, but it is as if we are, and sometimes those bonds can be stronger than familial bonds.

In all honesty, of the Three Kindreds, I feel like my connection to the Ancestors is the weakest because of the lack of emphasis placed on remembering them in my family. However, I now have the motivation and tools to change that. The time has come to reconnect with them and to revive their memory.

Works cited:

Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship.  Our Own Druidry: an introduction to Ár nDraíocht Féin and the Druid Path.  Tucson: ADF Publishing, 2009.  Print

Dangler, Rev. Michael J.  The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year.  4th ed.  2011.  PDF file.

Dedicant Path: Week 39 – “Nature Awareness (Final Essay)”

When I first joined ADF and started the Dedicant Path program I will admit that my nature awareness was lacking. Even though I have been calling myself Pagan for many years, I never took the time to build that connection to nature. I took the opportunity that this requirement provided and set out to remedy that.

Over the course of the past eight months I visited a local park called Silver Lake once a week to observe nature in its physicality and connect with it on a spiritual level. My trips began simply in that I would show up, walk around the wooded areas, and eventually sit in my designated spot and just experience the sights and sounds of nature. It wasn’t long before I started to form a connection to the land, and it was literally as simple as showing up and walking the pathways. The connection really started to grow when I began to leave offerings for the land wights and Nerthus, the Earth Mother, which I started doing after about a months worth of trips. My rationale was simple: I am a guest in these forests, so it felt right to honor the spirits that dwelt there by leaving offerings for them. This did wonders for my connection to the land because it helped me develop an awareness for the wights. I even started to meditate in the forest as a way to further feel their presence, with quite a bit of success. In fact, I credit these meditations with helping me gain an ally in the sweet gum tree.

To balance out this connection to the spirits of the land, I felt compelled to gain more practical knowledge about the area I was visiting. There were several trips where I devoted most of my time to identifying the various flora and fauna in the area. When we develop relationships with human beings, getting to know them as a person is crucial. In connecting with nature, the method is similar. By knowing the practical aspects of the land, like what kinds of animals made the area their home, or what trees were more likely to thrive there, along with connecting with the spirits in my meditations, created a whole and fulfilling experience that has been life-changing. Knowing the Earth, offering to Her, and the land spirits is my way of honoring Her, but it didn’t stop there. Silver Lake is a municipal park and there are a fair amount of people who come to enjoy the lake and the forest. The downside to this is the amount of trash people leave behind. While I felt like my efforts to connect with the land was going exceedingly well, I felt like there was even more I could do. In response to the amount of trash I was finding on the trails, I decided to bring a bag so that I could dispose of the trash I was finding. Tending the pathways of this forest was incredibly satisfying because I was being active in my relationship with the Earth Mother and the land wights. I wasn’t surprised to find that this further enhanced my connection with the land around me. The months came and went and I witnessed the passing of three seasons, all while maintaining a connection and relationship to the land that merged with the more mundane parts of my life. I have always desired to have a more holistic relationship to nature and I was happy to see this come to fruition. It’s hard to articulate the satisfaction that comes with observing the cycles of the Earth and knowing my place within that cycle.

In working with the land, I have come to be more aware of how my lifestyle affects the ecosystem around me. For instance, the power I receive is from a power plant that is fueled by coal, which is a large industry in this part of the state. Our household creates a full bin of trash and a full bin of recyclable materials every two weeks. The trash is then taken to a landfill about 20 miles northwest of Troy, while the recyclables are taken to a recycling facility that resides next to the landfill. Our wastewater eventually ends up at the sewage treatment plant on the east side of town, where the waste is cleaned and filtered before it is emptied into a nearby stream. Whether the water is clean enough when it goes back to the land is unknown and it’s something I’d like to understand better. My work commute takes me 25 miles to the city, which I drive five days a week for a total of 50 miles traveled per day, not counting side trips.

My impact on the local environment is rather large, but there are ways I am attempting to mitigate that footprint. I have been blessed to have a wife who has a Master’s degree in environmental sustainability, so she is always looking for a way to reduce our household’s impact on the environment. For instance, we try to recycle as many materials as possible while reusing as much plastic as we can around the house. To further reduce our trash, we’re interested in starting to compost once we get our own house. We also try to conserve as much water and energy as possible. This includes turning off lights in rooms we aren’t currently in, or shutting off the water while we brush our teeth. We even try to minimize flushing the toilet to only when it is absolutely necessary because flushing wastes quite a bit of water. I’d even like to get a hybrid car sometime in the future. I’ve always wanted one for obvious reasons, but it would also help reduce the impact from my long work commute. I’m not aware of any local environmental groups, but I do plan on looking for one so that I can become involved in some way. We’re not perfect, by any means, but we try and I think that’s the important part. I feel that awareness and action, no matter how slight, can go a long way in attempting to live more harmoniously with the Earth.

While I’m not able to get out to Silver Lake as much anymore due to scheduling and practicality, I’m taking what I learned there and applying it closer to where I live. For instance, there is a patch of woods behind my house that is in desperate need for some clean-up. I’ve recently started making offerings to the land wights there in order to build my relationship with them, and I will also continue to make my offerings to Nerthus there as well. I can’t stress enough how transforming this experience has been and I feel like I’ve recaptured the awe of nature that drew me to Neo-Paganism in the first place. What’s more, I’ve grounded myself in the reality of nature around me and on a spiritual level, giving me a sense of fulfillment that I have never experienced before. And yet, this is only the beginning. My work with nature will continue as I seek to honor and care for the Earth as She has provided for me and all life on this planet.

Dedicant Path: Week 38 – “The Nine Virtues: Hospitality”

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:

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.
2. 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.

Dedicant Path: Week 37 – “Home Shrine Revisited, Final Essay”

This is my home shrine where I will conduct my devotionals, meditation, and my rituals.

In describing my home shrine I will reference the photo that I have provided. I will start with the items closest to the wall and work my way forward. The first item of note is the picture of Odin on the wall. The Allfather is my representation of the deities on my shrine, a symbol of my chosen hearth culture (Norse), and my tribute as I form a relationship with Him that may lead to patronage. The land wights are represented by the sweet gum leaf, gumball, and acorn to the left of the Sacred Tree. These were acquired on my nature awareness trips and are also symbols of my relationship with these particular land spirits. To the right of the Sacred Tree is a black resin skull, which is the symbol for the ancestors. Clustered in the back center of my shrine, among the representation of the Three Kindreds, are the Hallows. The Sacred Tree is a stick planted in a mason jar full of dirt, the Well is an iron cauldron, and the Fire is a group of three votive candles. The two candles in the back corners of the shrine are used for illumination. Below and to the left of the Fire is a censer, followed by the offering bowl which sits beneath the Hallows, and the wooden box on the left side is my ancestor box. This box will contain photos of the ancestors that I honor. To the right of the offering bowl is a bell that signals the beginning of my rituals. Next to that is my drinking horn from which I drink the Waters of Life and the blessing of the Kindreds in my High Day rituals. On the far right is a television tray where the candle snuffer sits, and it also acts as an area where I can place my offerings prior to ritual.

While I enjoy my modest home shrine, there are several improvements that I’d like to make. First, I would like to have a larger table for my shrine because it’s beginning to get crowded. In fact, I can’t really add much more because I wouldn’t have the space for it. A larger shrine would allow me to add more representations of the Kindreds (like statuary) and give me room for seasonal decorations. The goal here is to change the decorations on my shrine as the seasons change. I would also like an altar cloth over the surface of the shrine with a depiction of the Earth Goddess, for it is Her that holds up all things. At some point, I would like to replace the stick that serves as my Sacred Tree with a more fitting representation. While the stick has served me well, I would like something that looked more like a tree. Currently, I don’t have any ideas on what I’d like to use, but I’m sure something will present itself in the future.

Nature awareness (continued):

I did not take a trip to Silver Lake this week. However, I did get a chance to drive through a large park in the city this last week. The leaves cascaded down from the trees in brilliant yellows and oranges. In fact, many of the streets were covered by so many leaves that you could hardly see the road beneath. It was quite a sight to behold. But, as is typical with Midwestern weather, a storm blew through a day later and stripped the trees bare. I’m glad I got a chance to see the wide array of autumn colors while they were still around.

Dedicant Path: Week 36 – “Sixth High Day Recap”

High Day: November cross-quarter

Date of ritual: November 4th, 2013

I performed the November cross-quarter ritual (Winternights) by myself using the ADF COoR. I honored Nerthus as the Earth Mother and Heimdall as the gatekeeper, with the cosmos being establish with Fire, Well, and Tree, as well as Land, Sea, and Sky. Odin, Freyja, and Hel were the deities of the occasion for their role as psychopomps, with all three given ale as offerings. This was my first ritual in which I made praise offerings to specific deities and I honored both Odin and Nehalennia respectively. These two deities have grown increasingly close to me recently, so I thought it was only appropriate to honor these growing relationships in this way. Because the focus of this particular High Day is on the ancestors, I also performed a working after affirming the blessing. This working consisted of me reading the names of my ancestors of blood, heart, and mentor. I also used the workings portion of my ritual to officially place an ancestor box on my altar. Within it will contains pictures of the ancestors I honor and although I didn’t have all the pictures I needed, I did place a few within the box to get it started. My hope in adding praise offerings and a working to my ritual in order to fill it out was a success. Although I had some pacing issues in the beginning of the ritual, things evened out towards the Three Kindreds invitations and the rest flowed smoothly from there. This ritual felt incredibly fulfilling and helped me cement the relationship to my ancestors.

The runes I drew for the omen were Ansuz for the Ancestors, Jera for the Land Wights, and Perthro for the Deities. This was a very good omen and the positive nature of the runes let me know that my offerings were accepted. My interpretation of the omen was that I am blessed with wisdom (Ansuz) and good returns for my hard work (Jera) with some good fortune to help me on my way (Perthro). I also got another impression from the Perthro rune that told me to not be afraid to take some risks. On an interesting note, Ansuz is often considered the rune of Odin. As my relationship to the Allfather grows, he is making himself more known to me in many ways and his presence in this omen is no exception.

Nature awareness (continued):

I did not make a trip to Silver Lake this week. In fact, due to daylight savings time, it is fully dark by the time I could get out to Silver Lake after work during the week. As such, I’m considering ending my nature awareness trips. Since the final essay is coming up soon, this works out well. Still, I would like to make one last trip to give my offerings to the land wights of Silver Lake and to give them thanks for befriending me during my visits over the course of the year. Although I will return to Silver Lake again at some point in the future, I won’t be able to do so on a regular basis. I will use what I’ve learned out there in a physical and spiritual capacity to better know the land more local to me, and to forge a relationship with the land wights that are closer to where I live.

Dedicant Path: Week 35 – “The Sixth High Holy Day: An Explanation”

High Day: November cross-quarter (November 1st)

The November cross-quarter High Day marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, where the fields lay empty, with the harvest bounty stored in the barns, and the cattle are prepared for slaughter in order to feed the community over the long winter. In addition to the physical preparation for the cold winter months, this day also ushers in a time of reflection and coming to terms with the one thing all living beings must face: death (Cunningham 71). As the sunlight wanes and the darkness of winter falls over the land, it is a time to honor those spirits that dwell within the shadow of this life, like the underworld deities and the ancestors. Some Neo-Pagans believe that on this day the veil between the worlds is thin, which could make interaction with the dead possible (Cunningham 71). Among the Indo-European hearth cultures and the Neo-Pagan traditions there is a wealth of lore concerning the dead on this High Day, with rituals centered around the ancestors and the deities who call death their domain. Within the Norse hearth culture, this High Day is called Winternights and is focused not only on the ancestors, but on giving thanks for the abundance of the harvest (Our Own Druidry 67). In addition to honoring the ancestors in ritual, Odin and Freyja are appropriate deities for this High Day in their role as psychopomps when they claim their share of the dead. Hel is another deity that could be honored because she presides over the underworld realm of Helheim, and Freyr could be given thanks for providing an abundant harvest.

This is a special time of year for me because it was this particular High Day that brought me to Paganism. It happened on a Halloween night when I was in high school and I was driving home from a friend’s house. I remember gazing up at the dark clouds over me and feeling something in the air that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Perhaps I was sensing the thinness of the veil or the strong energies that this High Day tends to bring. It wasn’t until college where I read an article in the student paper about Samhain that caused everything to fall into place. I’ve learned a lot since that time, but I will never forget that initial spark that started my journey on this path.

Works cited:

Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship.  Our Own Druidry: an introduction to Ár nDraíocht Féin and the Druid Path.  Tucson: ADF Publishing, 2009.  Print

Cunningham, Scott.  Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner.  Woodbury: Llewellyn, 1988.  Print.

Nature awareness (continued):

The trip out to Silver Lake this week was a beautiful display of fall colors. As I was driving in, I could see trees that were orange, yellow, red, and even purple! The colors were even more beautiful as I walked under the trees towards my spot. I noticed that some trees were bare already, probably as a result of the rainy weather we’ve been having lately.

The air had a tinge of chimney smoke and a cool breeze moved through the trees as I made my way to the thicket. The air also felt lively, a herald of the coming High Day.I gave my offerings to Nerthus and the land wights accompanied by a prayer to both of them. I was very happy with my spontaneous prayer this time, as it seemed to flow from me naturally. Some birds responded in kind and I could feel the spirits around me in the thicket. When I emerged, my arms and legs buzzed with the energy.

Light was fading fast, so I walked the trails. I found a leaf from the sweet gum tree in perfect condition along the path, so I took it as a gift for my home shrine. I then communed with the sweet gum trees, thanking them for the gift. My hands touched their bark, feeling their strength and patience. The wind blew, the whispers of the trees were heard, and a chill moved through my body. It was a fairly emotional moment as the presence of the land and spirits felt strong around me.

Walking back to my car, darkness enveloped me. I attempted to embrace it as a symbol of the coming portion of the year. I thanked the land wights and Nerthus for the experience, threw away some trash I had found, and departed.

Dedicant Path: Week 34 – “Personal Religion”

I consider this post an extension of my musings in week 18. Instead of regurgitating some of that info, because some of the same questions are being asked, I’m going to talk about what has changed in the interim as my personal religion has continued to develop.

My interest in the Norse hearth culture has held fast, and I am beginning to develop deep ties and connections with it. While I still favor deities of the Vanir over the Aesir, I think it’s interesting to note that I’m beginning to develop a relationship with Odin. In fact, I believe this is a relationship that may become patronage. During my devotionals I visualize the deities of the Aesir and Vanir with me at my home shrine. Odin seems to stand out from the rest. Even my advanced form of the Two Powers meditation, which uses Norse imagery and Odin in particular, has done its part in strengthening this connection. I find him intriguing where others may find him frightening and I have come to realize over the past couple of months that Odin and I share some things in common. For instance, I’ve always been a seeker of knowledge of all kinds and I must admit that there are moments when I have made sacrifices to obtain that knowledge.

I was also interested in Freyja for quite some time, however that relationship hasn’t panned out in the slightest. While I have honored her and felt her presence in some of my High Day rites, I don’t feel a personal connection. In the meantime, I have become interested in another goddess named Nehalennia. Little is known about her except that she could have been a Celtic or Germanic deity, with some connection to the Vanir. Her shrines were found on the coast of the Netherlands and it is thought that she was honored for safe travel. She strikes a chord with me for a couple of reasons. The first one is that her shrines have been found close to the region where my ancestors lived, so there’s a an ancestral connection. The second reason is that for most of my life growing up, I traveled constantly because my father was in the military. I can’t help but think that she has watched over me in this time. Although I have yet to honor her in my rituals, something that is going to change very quickly, I feel this immense connection to her. Further knowledge of this goddess is hard to come by, but perhaps revealing more about her is a project to take up in the future.

I think it’s worth noting that I have yet to read the Edda, which is next on my book list. I believe that once I get to know the lore, there will be further connections made to the Norse hearth culture, possibly deeper than I could ever anticipate. It is this feeling that gives me confidence in my choice. It just feels right to me. Some folks have connections outside of their chosen hearth culture, but that hasn’t happened for me yet. No other culture really resonates with me the way the Norse hearth culture does and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. That being said, I like to keep an open mind and I will not rule out the possibility of connecting with a deity outside of my chosen hearth culture.

Nature awareness (continued):

It was cold and overcast on my way to Silver Lake for my nature awareness trip. As I was driving in, I noticed that nearly all of the corn fields have been harvested.

My walk to the thicket is now being accompanied by the crunch of leaves under my feet and many of the trees are beginning to change color and shed their leaves.

I gave my offering in the thicket while saying a prayer of praise and calling to Nerthus and the land wights. The birds in the trees above me fluttered in response. Shortly after, I walked the trails, the air cold and the light fading fast. The underbrush is slowly beginning to thin out and I could see further into the wooded areas than on previous trips. Some of the trees appear to have shed most of their leaves, but some others remained green.

I then communed with the sweet gum trees. One of them is already changing to a beautiful shade of orange and it makes me feel kind of sad knowing that this friend and guardian is preparing for its winter slumber.

Shortly after, I sat on the bench in my spot and listened to the quiet forest around me, feeling the wavering energy as fall has fully settled in.

I departed soon after. My trips are becoming shorter as the nights grow longer and it won’t be long until I’ll be giving my offerings in full darkness! I may have to start finding time on the weekends to enjoy autumn in the forest while the sun still shines. As a side note, I’ve never been fond of forests at night, however it’s starting to bother me less and less. I feel safe in the woods where I roam and I have the land wights and the Earth Mother to thank for that.

I thanked Nerthus and the land wights for the experience and then left the park.

Dedicant Path: Week 32 – “Meditation Reflection and Final Essay”

Building mental discipline has always been tough for me. However, rather than look at this requirement as a daunting exercise, I looked at it as a challenge to transform myself. I believe I have done just that, but before I get ahead of myself, I think it’s important to examine the road I took to get to this point. Having little prior meditation experience, I looked to Our Own Druidry and The Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year to help give me ideas to get started. What eventually emerged became a system that looks very much like the Sacred Tree we honor within Neo-Pagan Druidry. I started small, like a seed, developing the roots of my practice that grew into the trunk of a consistent and solid meditation regimen. From there, I branched out, seeking other forms of meditation and mental discipline that interested me, building on my previous experiences. I found that not only did this experience help me grow as a human being, it helped me grow closer to the Kindreds and the cosmos.

The best place I could think to start was with the Complete Breath found in Our Own Druidry (93). To me, proper and rhythmic breathing makes sense in forming the foundation for mental discipline, as most forms of meditation I’ve read about begin with controlled breathing. The Complete Breath would act as the root of my mental training. I began on April 18, 2013, sitting before my home shrine and practicing my breathing. I elected to start small, with 10 minute sessions, five days a week (if possible) in a 4-2-4-2 rhythm, which I felt was the most comfortable rhythm for me. Over the course of my first sessions, I found the Complete Breath to be fairly challenging. The first couple weeks of practice was a struggle to focus on the breath count and I also dealt with tension in my shoulders as I attempted to control my breathing. I found it interesting how easily I could pinpoint this tension when trying to relax, something that can be useful in dealing with the everyday stressors of life. Struggles aside, I could tell by the second week that I was starting to develop a good rhythm for my breathing. While I still had sessions where I felt like my focus was off, I was seeing the pendulum swing towards sessions that felt more focused and relaxed. By week three, it seemed like I was starting to find my groove. Once this was achieved, I could feel the benefits of such a simple exercise in the calm and focus it brings, with practical uses in everyday life to help mitigate stress.

On May 6, 2013 I started basic trance, which is found in Our Own Druidry (94). I kept my breathing rhythm at 4-2-4-2 and extended the session to 15 minutes in length for four days a week. The basic trance meditation acted as the core, or trunk, of my meditation journey. The other day was reserved for a Two Powers meditation, in which I used Ian Corrigan’s audio file from the ADF website to guide me. The bulk of my experiences from the Two Powers meditation can be found in that essay, so I won’t rehash that information too much. However, I do want to stress how important and fulfilling the Two Powers meditation is in my practice. Not only did it help hone my skills in visualization and energy work, it is an outstanding method to ground and center that can be used in most circumstances. Not only is it useful in relaxation and focus, it has an empowering quality that helped enhance my connection to the cosmos.

The Complete Breath flows into basic trance almost seamlessly, but the important distinction to note is that where the Complete Breath helped me to establish a breathing rhythm, basic trance is where I actively attempted to quiet my mind. Needless to say, this was a challenging task. The first several weeks were fraught with some growing pains. My mind is typically hard to wrangle on most days and getting it to be still is a challenge. This was the bulk of my obstacles, but I did encounter others like outside distractions, tension, and uncomfortable sitting positions. While the first few weeks were frustrating, I continued to press on hoping that my persistence would pay off, letting my mind return to the breath count and letting all else fall away.

At the beginning of June, I felt like I had made some substantial breakthroughs. For one, I felt like I could define what a trance felt like to me. My head would feel light and pleasant, and my whole body was like air. It was also at this point that I was beginning to reach my inner quiet. In a journal entry on 6/1, I remarked that my thoughts during that session “had become ‘paper thin’ and less substantial, allowing me to let them drift away easier.” I recall feeling that silence rush in behind a fading thought, filling me with quiet existence in the moment. There were also times when I reached my light trance state that it was almost as if I was traveling inward. In an entry on 6/10 I wrote, “When I opened my eyes when I ended meditation, it felt as though I had come back from an inward journey (but I was still aware of my surroundings).”

It’s important to note that I believe I experienced both a meditative state and trance in some sessions. For example, I would start with a still mind, with an awareness of the external, before sometimes descending into a light trance state through the “mantra” that was my breath count. I remarked in a later entry that it almost seemed paradoxical. However, the meaning of trance in Latin (transire) is defined as “to cross, pass by.” It is my belief that I did indeed cross over into trance at times and this would explain my feelings of an inner journey. This was punctuated by the times that I was snapped back into full awareness by my timer going off.

Because I was gaining confidence in my ability to quiet my mind, it was at the beginning of June when I began using a basic trance meditation for my nature awareness trips. I sought the land wights in my visits to the park, and through this meditation I found them. I was able to still my mind, listen to them, and feel their presence around me. Not only did this meditation help open my awareness to the land spirits, but it helped me to forge a connection that would become the foundation for my relationship with them. Soon after, I began to vary my meditation locations and didn’t limit my practice to just my shrine. For example, some of my meditations took place on my back porch and I also mixed up my Two Powers work to be done at my shrine or under a large tree in my backyard. This really enhanced my meditation practice, for Druidry is a religion of nature, and practicing in nature helped to increase my connection to the land around me in addition to my work with the land wights. I adopted a code in my journal to reflect where each meditation took place from early June until the end of the requirement.

By the end of June, I was very happy with my experience in basic trance and I wanted to branch out and move on to other techniques. The Two Powers meditation had really captivated me and I wanted to expand my experience with it. On June 24, 2013, I decided to perform a Two Powers meditation three days a week, continue my basic trance work for nature awareness once a week, and add a weekly devotional in order to continue to build my relationship with the Three Kindreds.

My devotional script came from Our Own Druidry (96) and takes about 30 minutes to perform. The first several weeks of my devotionals were really devoted to getting the pacing of the script down. It was important to me for the entire devotional to flow from one thing to the next, so that each element was effective. While it started off a bit rough as I was getting familiar with the text, eventually things smoothed out. The devotional was very effective in focusing myself on the cosmos (Fire, Well, Tree and Land, Sea, and Sky) as well as the Three Kindreds. Each section was devoted to each of these elements and, as time went on, I felt myself growing closer to all of them. There were times when I could feel my Hallows resonating with power and over time the presence of the Three Kindreds continued to grow. There were times where, shortly after making my offerings, I could hear a distance call or a strange sound in the room I was in which told me I was on the right track. In fact, I had one such session that was so intense that it “brought me to tears after the devotional.” I also credit the devotional in beginning my path towards a patron, as Odin has made himself more distinct to me during these sessions. Not only does the devotional help me grow in my relationship with the Kindreds, it helps fulfill me spiritually as well. On August 10, 2013 I wrote, “Shortly after giving my offering to the Three Kindreds, a silence and stillness fell over me. I felt their presence and gratitude. I also felt ‘full’ within my own spirit, complete and satisfied.”

The practice of the weekly devotional has showed me a relationship with the Kindreds and the cosmos that is less formal in nature than High Day rituals. Where a High Day ritual may be akin to a formal event, the devotional is like a phone call or a dinner with a friend. While the big moments of the High Day ritual can’t be understated, it is often these smaller, more intimate moments that really cement that relationship. I learned that the devotional is another tool that helps me to focus on the core cosmos within Druidry, and the Kindreds that populate them. In fact, many of the techniques I’ve learned up to this point have helped in making the devotional experience more fulfilling. I would often start with the Complete Breath to clear my mind, and then perform a Two Powers meditation at the beginning of the devotional to ground and center me before turning my attention to the Kindreds and the cosmos.
During this time, my work with the Two Powers meditation continued to flourish and on 7/16 I stopped using the audio file to guide me. I could work the visualizations from memory. Without the audio guide, which clocked in at about 10 minutes, I could lengthen my Two Powers meditation to about 20 minutes. This allowed me to expand my experience and gain a deeper understanding of its various parts.

On the week of August 13, 2013 I decided to change things up and branched out to a walking meditation that I performed a couple of times during the week. I kept a Two Powers meditation and my weekly devotional as I felt those were important to continue in my practice. The walking meditation was particularly challenging. Not only did it require a larger chunk of time and a route that allowed me to experience it at its fullest potential, but I had no real technique to work from. Even the description in Our Own Druidry (37) was vague. That said, I focused on my movements as I walked, letting any distracting thought pass through me like the wind. This technique worked out fairly well. There were times where I felt like I was gliding over the landscape, the sounds of nature surrounding and moving through me. Not surprisingly, this method of meditation felt more fulfilling when I was walking in the forest during my nature awareness trips. In fact, there was one session in particular where it was a rather hot summer day and I had been walking, sweating, and letting my body move through the forest in a meditative state. It was towards the end of the walk in my exhausted state that I felt like I could hear the Earth Mother’s laughter in the forest. It was quite a profound experience. However, the more I did this meditation the more I felt like my mind drifted from my movements and I became enveloped in thoughts of the day. To help with this I tried a mantra where I chanted “left foot, right foot” in my head as the corresponding foot touched the ground, however this only worked occasionally. On September 12, 2013 I tried another technique where I focused on the sensation of my feet hitting the ground. This seemed to help as well, but I still felt like my mind was drifting from these focus points. At one point I wondered if I was “trying too hard” and this is definitely a possibility. After over a month of trying this meditation, I decided to discontinue it. I came to the conclusion that this particular meditation doesn’t work for me.

With only a few weeks left for the requirement, I decided I wanted to deepen my work a little more. On September 17, 2013, I opted to do an advanced form of the Two Powers meditation. While the core technique and visualization remained essentially the same, this time I added elements from the Norse hearth culture to the visualization. In this vision, I sat with my back to Yggdrasil, watched over by Odin’s guardians, with the Allfather chanting the runes from a snowy, northern forest. From there, I took up waters of the Earth Power and let the light of Sky Power fall from a distant star. Of the first meditation, I wrote, “The goal here is to not only personalize my TP experience according to my hearth culture, but to increase my connection to it as well. I think I’m off to a good start, as the vision felt natural to me.” This advanced Two Powers meditation has not only drawn me closer to my hearth culture, it has also drawn me closer to Odin. There’s a possibility that he may become my patron, and this meditation has helped build my relationship with him in that regard. Another mental training method I used for these last few weeks was prayer. I prayed primarily during my nature awareness trips before giving my offerings to Nerthus and the land wights. I used no script for any of my prayers, rather speaking from my heart, calling to the spirits and the Earth Mother to accept my offerings. I must admit, seeing prayer as a method of mental training in the Wheel of the Year guide almost gave me a chuckle, but there’s worth here for such a method. It was as if my words brought the land wights and Earth Mother to the top of my awareness. I recall walking the trails shortly after making my prayer and offering with a heightened awareness of the spirits all around me and the thrum of the Earth Mother beneath my feet. Sometimes when saying my prayers in the thicket where I leave my offerings, I received calls from the birds above me. I learned that prayer is powerful and can be used to call forth the Kindreds and keep them at the top of my awareness. I would like to write down my prayers, though. Sometimes I found myself grasping at words a bit too much for my liking and I think having a script would help the prayer be more focused. Finally, the last technique I tried for the last few weeks of the requirement is an oracle meditation at the beginning of the week. This would start with the Complete Breath, followed by a few short words to the effect of asking the Kindreds advice for the upcoming week. I would then pull the rune, study it, interpret the rune for my query, and then meditate on the rune. In this meditation, I would visualize the rune’s meaning and have it apply to me in some way. For example, on September 22, 2013, I pulled the Laguz rune. The advice I took from the rune was to be flexible, move with the currents, and embrace changes that are occurring in my life right now. I then visualized myself by a large stream, the rune etched into a stone near the bank. I then descended into the waters, letting them flow around me and carry me downstream. The visualization has turned out to be an incredibly effective way to apply a rune to my life. Not only do I gain meaning by interpreting the rune from my ongoing studies, but I apply that meaning by mentally seeing the literal attributes of that rune as it relates to me through visualization.

I started my mental training on April 18, 2013 and ended on October 3, 2013, over five months* and eight different methods tried over the course of that period, practicing an average of five days per week. This exercise was incredibly important to me, as these techniques helped me to not only grow as new Druid, but also as a human being through the various benefits of each method. I feel like I got the most out of the basic trance meditation because I was able to hone it consecutively over the course of several days in a row per week. While I got a taste of many different mental training techniques towards the end, it was a fractured experience, leaving me feeling scattered at times. That being said, I’m happy to have tried so many different meditations over this five month period. It has demonstrated what works for me, what doesn’t, and what I’d like to explore further. As of this writing, I have continued meditating during the week, maintaining my weekly devotionals, performing the Two Powers meditation, with an oracle meditation at the beginning of each week.

*weekly journal entries can be provided to verify correct length of time for the requirement

Nature awareness (continued):

It would seem that the heat of the summer is fading fast as the temperatures were cool on this beautiful fall day.

On my way to Silver Lake for my weekly nature awareness trip, I could see the trees across the lake beginning to change their colors. While the majority of the trees are green, I could spot some that were beginning to turn yellow and red. On my way to my spot, I even saw a tree whose leaves close to the trunk were a brilliant red while the leaves on the branches remained green. It was quite a breathtaking sight!

I gave my offerings to Nerthus and the land wights in the thicket, saying a prayer to each in turn, with the birds above me responding in kind. I stood in the thicket, feeling their presence all around me.

Soon after, I walked the trails. Not a lot has changed since my last visit. The trees are changing their colors, but that process seems to be going fairly slowly. More red berries continue to ripen and I am surprised that the local wildlife hasn’t taken any to store for the winter.

Then, I communed with the sweet gum trees, feeling their strength and patience. I sat in my spot and listened. The forest was relatively quiet like last time, the energies in decline in preparation for the slumber of winter. Darkness was falling fast as the sun fades in strength. In the distance, I could hear an eerie cry of a bird I haven’t heard before. The moon was a silent sliver in the sky.

On my way back to the car, I witnessed a spider that appeared to be making a web between two branches.

I disposed of some trash I had found on the trails, thanked Nerthus and the land wights for the experience, then left the park.

Meditation journal (9/30 – 10/3)

9/30 – Oracle meditation (S)

This morning, in addition to asking the Three Kindreds advice from the runes, I also asked Odin, since he is the master of the runes. My question was: “What advice do you have for me for this week?” I pulled Jera, which means harvest, hard work. It’s a positive rune. What I interpreted from the drawing is that I need to put in some hard work for this good harvest to come to fruition. I visualized myself in a field of golden wheat, with a scythe in my hand. I began to reap the crops, sweat pouring down my face, but it was satisfying for my bounty was good. The rune itself was carved into a stone nearby, a symbol to compel me to keep working and the fruits of my labor will be mine.

10/2 – Prayer (N)

When giving my offering to Nerthus and the land wights in the thicket I said a prayer to both of them. The results are in my week 31 DP journal post:

“I made my offering to Nerthus and the land wights in the thicket and said a spontaneous prayer to both, praising them and calling them to accept my offerings. As I was making my prayer to Nerthus, a bird cried loudly in the trees above me. When making my prayer to the land wights, it sounded like a whole flock took to the air above me. I was somewhat distracted by some people traveling in the woods nearby, so I stumbled a bit in my prayers, but I’m happy with the response. It may have been because the people were walking nearby, but deep down I felt that this wasn’t entirely the case. While I like spontaneous prayer ,I would like to try a written prayer so that I can say my words without having to search for them so much.”

10/3 – Devotional (S)

Another powerful devotional. This time I believe I received a message from the sweet gum tree. Today has been a difficult day and as the presence of the Kindreds surrounded me, I felt their support and power. Then the sweet gum tree dropped a green gumball into my hand. In an instant, the gumball dried up, turning brown and released its seed. The message I got was one of letting go, to release so that something new may grow in its place. I believe it was referring to getting rid of old patterns of thought and habits, so that I may grow in new ways. This was a message I needed and one I will take to heart!

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Took a short week due to vacation over the weekend. While I’m a pretty big proponent of meditation whenever you can, even if you’re away from home, I think I deserve a much needed break! I have also approached the end of my 5 months of mental training that is required for the DP documentation. This coming week my essay is due and overall I’m pretty happy with this experience. I think I’ve built a firm foundation for a lasting mental training regimen that will continue beyond my DP requirement.

I will be writing an essay using my journal as a reference discussing my thoughts and experiences during these 5 months. As this is my final official journal entry I would include some closing thoughts, however much of that will be summed up better in my essay. While I will continue meditation after fulfilling the requirement, I will not be using my journal on a regular basis. I will only use it if something important occurs during one of my sessions that warrants documentation. While I enjoyed the process of writing in my journal to track my progress, I ultimately found the process a bit tedious at times. That being said, I recognize the need for such a journal so that I could get the most out of this training, which I feel like I did.