Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in ADF Dedicants' LiveJournal:

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Thursday, July 9th, 2009
8:06 am [dubhlainn]	Reminder This is just a friendly, neighborhood, DP mentor writing to remind everyone to back up their work. Accidents happen, computers die, and... well who knows, so please do not put all the time, energy, and work you have put into your Dedicant Path materials at risk. Please, back up your work! ~ Jamie (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 19th, 2009
11:53 pm [gaidhealsaor]	Hallo! (Edited) I'm focused on Scottish Gaelic, which I am getting close to fluent in. I've been mostly just intellectualizing about Celtic Pagan practices forever but not doing a whole lot, and I want that to change. I want to be among other people that are practising and get inspired to practise myself, to ground that into my life. I've started praying the Sloinntireachd Brighde, Brighde's Genealogy, every day, and always in Gaelic: no exceptions ever. Sometimes, often, that's all I do, but I do it every day. It's barely anything, but it's something. A little thing that leads to a little more. My ADD is still tough to work with: I wasn't diagnosed till age 37, and I've got it pretty bad. I've learned that the surest thing I can do to make myself stop something and never go back is to start off trying to do too much. That's what happened when I joined ADF briefly years ago, I tried to do everything from Day One, all at once. I couldn't, so I assumed I couldn't do any of it and gave up. This time, I'm letting each step lead me to the next. I have an altar of sorts set up, and I say my prayer every day, and sometimes, then or at night, I say a house blessing I learned from a recording of a native speaker of Gaelic from South Uist, and that too will become a habit, like tending the ancestor altar I already have. They say great oaks come from little acorns, so I'm tending my acorn and hoping for the best as it grows. Current Mood: curious (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
7:09 pm [astraladder]	Home shrine  Here is a short video I made of my home shrine. It faces north. I don't have any plans to expand it now but do have plans for an outdoor ritual space. I'll post a about that one once I begin. This is what I spend my time doing on a rainy day. Laundry and making movies.... this was fun. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
12:57 pm [dreams2fly]	Book report: Indo-European Studies My spell checker says this is fine and it meets the word requirement. For the rest.... ::shrugs:: ( Behind cut for those who don't wish to read other folks' essays until they do their own... ) Current Mood: calm (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
1:55 pm [ravenna_blue]	My First Oath - Finally!!! Cross posted to my Dedicant Notebook Online - http://www.anivair.com/ravenna/ So after months of fretting and planning and changing because it didn’t feel right. I have completed my first oath! It seems that I, the woman who wishes she was a free spirit, actually *IS* moved sometimes my fate! I had written and re-written my oath and the wording never felt right. I had planned to set aside time no fewer than three times to actually schedule my oath, each time cancelling because it didn’t feel right. Apparently, it just took a gentle push from the divine to tell me it was the right time. I called Joe, asked him to grab my tools, get some incense and to be ready to take off when I got home. I jumped out of the car. grabbed the offerrings that I have been preparing for months. I got all of the things that we needed for our own mini-rite and we grabbed the puppy and jumped into the car, heading to “my spot”. “My spot” is a small section of the Hoover Reservoir Park. It is a place that means a lot to me. A few years ago, I went there regularly on my way home. I needed a place to cry, and it was pretty. A great friend of mine turned the space around for me. I stopped going there for tears, and started going there for comfort, for inspiration and for recharging when my internal batteries got low. I felt it was important that I started my dedicant program here. So, up we drove (and on January 24th, it was snowy and freezing cold) and I was excited and nervous. So, I set up my ritual space. Had candles, a well, an actual living tree and was out in nature. I set out my sacrifices. 1) An apple for the nature spirits that I had cut in half and dried months ago into the natural star shape. 2) A moonstone for the well - for the ancestors. 3) Oil I made from the Samhain rite mulled spices - sent to the shining ones I had Joe use my hand carved wand for the opening of the gates. I called all to bear witness. Nature spirits, Ancestors and Shining ones. There were no outsdwellers for this rite. Everyone was welcome to bear witness. I thanked everyone for their presences and then gave my offerrings. Once the offerrings had been made, I made a simple, honest oath. To study the old ways and incorporate them into my path. To always seek to learn about my faith. To live a life with reverence for the spirits and ancestors, shining ones and to care for the world around me. I asked them to bear witness to my promise and to help me when the path got hard. My hands and feet were frozen; I was shaking and my nose was sniffly. It was amazingly, painfully cold. But I felt an inner warmth that was helping me get through. Finally came the point where I tried lighting the oil to send my intentions to the shining ones. And it was so cold the butane in my lighter had turned from a liquid to a gas and wouldn’t light. I had to cheat and light incense with another already lit candle. Sometimes, inviting EVERYONE to witness is both a blessing and a recipe for mischief, but nonetheless, it made me giggle and brought levity to my ritual! Next was time for omens. 1) Was my offering accepted? Temperance - “appreciation of moderation through experience of the extremes; to live through the darkest night and the brightest day to appreciate both the twilight and the dawn.” - I’d say the answer was yes. 2) What can the powers offer me in return? Three of Pentacles - “embodies the principle that hard work and service are rewards unto themselves”- Yup…hard work is what is expected of the dedicant program…and completeing it is a journay and a reward as well. 3) What more do the powers ask of us? (I can’t remember the card, I will look it up when I get home) - “excitement, dedication,” I thanked everyone, made a few comments of gratitude and then Joe closed the gates, and it was over. All in all a twenty minute ritual that seemed to be FOREVER due to the cold. but as I told Joe on the way home, the cold made me aware of every movement. Every shift in weight, every movement of my fingers, my lips as I spoke the words of my oath. It was bitter cold, but I feld the wind and the cold and everypart of my body at once. More keenly aware of my physical self than I think I could have ever been. I guess sometimes, overplanning is bad. Spur of the moment ritual seemed to work well for me this time. (If only I had remembered my camera!!!!) I’m glad that I have it behind me and I can work on the dedicant’s program without this draging me behind. Now, that I’ve made my promise, I have to get to the hard parts!!! Current Mood: accomplished (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009
2:24 pm [ravenna_blue]	...My oath So, I've been a member of ADF I think for two months. I've been attending rites with the Three Cranes Grove on and off for over a year now. I had decided when I joind as a member of ADF, that I would go through the dedicant's program and started on my reading and the like. But I'm stuck at my oath. I'm torn between just wanting to get it done and having it done at ritual with the grove there to bear witness. I've had a few opportunities and have been too anxious to do it. Has anyone else been stuck so early in the process? Advice is appreciated and very welcomed. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 30th, 2008
8:13 am [rolsby]	Weekly Family Ritual Has anyone read the Weekly Family Ritual by Pete Gold on the ADF website? Are there people who use it? Have you been successful? Are any children participating or involved? (Comment on this)
Monday, December 8th, 2008
7:17 pm [alvita_felis]	My Three Kindred Essay When talking Pagan theology I think it is important to remember that theology is, at its best, a human effort to conceive the Sacred by the capacity of our intellect. It shall not be mistaken for the Divine. In ADF, we are taught to address the Divine as three general groups of spiritual beings: the Deities, the Nature Spirits and the Ancestors. I will also discuss the category of Outdwellers, significant for our theology. Read the rest All welcome to aid me with my English and the contents! Current Mood: cheerful (Comment on this)
Monday, November 17th, 2008
3:49 pm [lesyoyo]	My Mabinogi review Behind cut for fact it is a little long. ( Read more... ) (Comment on this)
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
7:58 pm [tinselgracie]	Samhain/Halloween '08   Samhain/Halloween It seems that most cultures celebrate “the dead” or “the ancestors” running from mid-October into early November. This makes sense because the air is cool, the nights are longer, the days are dwindling and most of the time crops have either been harvested or lay on the ground dying. Everything is reminiscent of death, and most cultures, most people hold their ancestors in high esteem. This is the perfect time of year to honor those who have come before us. Because the ancient cultures were centered around agriculture, it is also the day we as a pagan community stand on the cusp of the past year and the year to come. Samhain is one of the top two most popular Neo-Pagan holidays, Yule being the other, growing up in a non practicing Christian/Catholic family, we celebrated Halloween. We dressed up in fairy or Wonderwoman costumes and walked up and down the streets (in the “rich” neighborhood) asking perfect strangers for “treats” and threatening then with some random “tricks” (probably an act of vandalism) if we were denied the sugary goodies. It wasn't until I was 8 or 9 that I heard the reason we wore costumes was the veil between the worlds of the living and dead (I was actually told the gates of hell) were thin, allowing the dead (I was told demons) to walk among us, therefore we dressed in disguises so the dead (demons) would not be able to tell us apart from them. By the time I was 14 I had decided I didn't believe in the religion of my parents-this decision didn't come out of rebellion but because I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach (known to me now as intuition & something I have learned to follow at all times) that Christianity wasn't my cup of tea. I soon stumbled onto Paganism and learned that most of the holidays, including Halloween, were first celebrated in pre-Christian cultures. The holidays were then adopted, realigned and contorted into the Christian religious holidays we now celebrate in order to conform the peoples from their original religious ideas into the dogmatic theology of “The Church”. Samhain the honoring and celebration of the ancestors and the New Year's Eve or the pagan community was turned into Halloween, a time to escape from evil. Being a pagan, I have the ability/delight/responsibility to return to the religious practices of my pre-Christian ancestors, but being a Neo-Pagan I also have the roots in practices of modern day Halloween. I love honoring my ancestors. I have so many wonderful memories of: My Meme (my maternal grandmother) who was the first woman business owner in the town I grew up in. my grandfather was very sick, and so she had no choice but to work. She was smart and strong willed. She was one of the sassiest women I have ever come across. She was funny. There was never a doubt that she was in love with me, and I love her so much! I am a lot like she was. That makes me proud!   Lena (my maternal great-grandmother) was one of the kindest, most gentle people ever to walk the Earth. During the “Great Depression” people would come by the house and ask if there was any work that needed to be done. Usually there wasn't anything that needed to be done, but she would have these people bring their whole family over for dinner once a week. She would open her house up to anyone that needed help. In the south, in those days blacks and whites didn't mix, but that rule didn't stand with Lena. I am not sure that she understood hate, I know she didn't show hatred. I can remember being a little girl and going to her house when more than once there someone would come up to thank her for feeding them and their family during the depression, and Lena would say “That is what you are supposed to do-if you can help someone, you have to help them.” I am proud to be of her blood!   Uncle Ted (my paternal great uncle) was one of the funniest people I remember growing up. He lived on a farm, and once or twice a year all the grandkids would pile into the car and drive out to Uncle Ted's house. He had a dog named Little Britches that he would feed peppermint candies. All of the kids would beg for a piece of candy, and Uncle Ted would say,”Why do you want to eat dog food?” We would all giggle and squeal ,”That's not dog food, Uncle Ted!! It's candy!” He would argue with us, and we kept giggling and begging for candy. Finally he would pass out the “dog food” muttering that he didn't know why a bunch of “rugrat” kids would want to eat dog food- he was going to talk to our parents and tell them to feed us more because we ate dog food. He grew his own vegetables and when we sat down to ear, it was the best food!! There were many others who were alive to help shape the woman that I am today. I also remember the stories of the ones who came before me. I remember my Meme talking about my grandfather who died a few years before I was born. You could tell just by the look on her face how much she loved him. I remember the stories about Lena's husband Joe. He was the Captain of the Fire Department. There were stories about my daddy's father. I remember the stories that shaped my momma and daddy and therefore helping shape who I am. I pass the stories onto my children so they too can have the same pride in where they cam from. I believe that by better knowing our family we better understand ourselves because the life experiences of our ancestors live on in us. Samhain is also a time of reflection of the past year. What problems did we have? Did we take the time to learn a lesson from each of the problems that arose? Are there any problems that will be carried over into the coming year? What are the goals for the coming year? “ All Saints Day”, “All Hallow's Eve”, Halloween are the modern holidays derived from Samhain. I still get that childish fluttering around the time leading up to Halloween. When my children were young, I loved taking them “Trick or Treating”. I loved dressing up in my costumes, and I love passing out candy to the little Spidermen or little girls dressed as Snow White! I enjoy telling my children the origins of Halloween and making Rice Crispie Treats or caramel apples with them. The kids and I make decorations for the house. My husband Ted and the boys carve the Jack-O-Lantern to act somewhat like a gargoyle warding off the “evil” spirits that have crossed over into this world. Samhain is a very important time of year for so many reasons. Religiously, as a Pagan, it is a strong time for ritual because the veil between the worlds is thin; also, it important to the Neo-Pagan community at large because it's our New Year's Eve. As Pagans we follow Gaia's cycles and this is when vegetation dies to start over again after a long winter's sleep. I believe it is also important as an American Neo-Pagan to participate in the local community's Halloween festivities, even though it's origins are based on Christian manipulation, it has evolved into a secular celebration which opens the door to dispel lies and teach the true meaning and mythology surrounding those ancient origins. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
3:21 pm [alvita_felis]	Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler - Review I had the 1986 edition borrowed from a friend a few months ago, but didn´t finish reading it. I remember feeling slightly lost in what seemed to be outdated information. With amusement I read about Isaac Bonewits, who has “just started to organize something”. Also, seven years after publishing of Hutton´s ground-breaking historical work the whole debate about Wicca felt sort of funny. The 2006 revision finally returned this book where it belongs in my opinion: to every Pagan´s bookshelf. Reading it from the perspective of a young Pagan convert and, possibly, a prospective religious studies scholar, I was both amused, annoyed and caught in some fascinating mind trips at times. Read the rest Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
11:31 am [sarjanya]	ADF: Dedicant Oath, Take 4 I've been working on my dedicant oath, even though it is months away from my dedicant oath rite. This is its fourth reworking. I didn't want it so specific (i.e. pledging to a specific God) that I might break it if things change. But I wanted it with specific enough pledges that it's not wishy washy. Whatcha think? Before my Gods, I declare I am Pagan and I will follow the Pagan ways. I will honor the Earth Mother, Who called to me as child when I sought solace in Her bosom, By healing Her wounds created by those who came before me, And by striving not to harm her. I will honor the Ancient Gods By celebrating the birth and rebirth of Nature as seen through the Eight Pagan High Days By exploring the many faces of the Pagan Deities through homage, offerings and contemplation. I will honor the immanence of the Divine By being mindful that Divinity dwells within me, as It does within all creation, and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit. By treating this Divine vessel, my body, with respect and care. By recognizing and respecting the Divine in all others. I will remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity By making my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces cannot even approach my sphere of existence. By striving to eradicate negative thoughts from my own mind. I will strive to be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose ways differ from mine. I will embrace discipline in order to better myself By working diligently, studying, and persevering despite obstacles. By my willingness to sacrifice unnecessary distractions that I may attain enlightenment in this lifetime. I will act out of Love to all other beings ‑‑ to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits and to other entities. I will respect Magic and Ritual By approaching both with care. By realizing the discipline to create Magick and work Ritual. I will share my skills and knowledge By teaching what I have learned By sharing with my fellows I pledge to live with honesty, temperance, integrity, fairness and kindness. This I pledge with my flesh and spirit. "Biodh sé amhlaidh" (so be it) {"bee shay ow-lee"} (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
12:49 pm [tumakhunter]	Book Review - Drawing Down the Moon (rev. ed. 1986) Drawing Down the Moon (revised edition, 1986) by Margot Adler Drawing Down the Moon is an in-depth study of the modern pagan movement, or neo-paganism, in the United States.  Focusing primarily on the Wicca/Witchcraft traditions, it gives a brief history starting in post WWII England with Gerald Gardner, widely considered the father of Wicca today. The book moves on to describe much of the Wiccan movement through the 1960's and 1970's, with a chapter even devoted to the feminist movement of the day and it's connection to witchcraft.  Another chapter describes an interview with a "hereditary" witch.  More than half the book, barring appendices, is dedicated to the Wiccan topic, which makes a certain amount of sense given that a) it's the author's own tradition/path and b) it's the largest sub-section of neo-paganism, especially in North America. After the Witchcraft section is the section that I found the most interesting - other neo-pagans.  This all-inclusive section covers a variety of groups, from the science-fiction inspired Church of All Worlds to the re-creationist groups such as the Egyptian themed Church of the Eternal Source, or, in the revised segment, the Asatruar.  I found it interesting learning about Discordianism, and the Radical Faeries showed more depth than I'd previously heard attributed to them.  One of the most interesting things I noted from this section was the inclusion in local pagan/wiccan group rituals several CAW phrases like "Thou Art God/dess" or "May you never hunger/thirst."  Learning their original meanings puts a great deal in perspective for me. Overall, I found the book to be useful to me, but all the moreso because I've been in the pagan community in my area for some time.  For someone in a similar position, I would reccommend it as an enlightening read, but I found it a little too dated to be something I'd reccommend to a novice or someone who is merely curious what the deal is with paganism/witchcraft, anyway.  The book did not drag in any way, and was a reasonably easy read. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 3rd, 2008
8:21 pm [cadusidhe]	Samhain 2008 Here is my ritual review for this past Samhain. ( Black Bear Protogrove Samhain 2008 ) All in all it was a very spiritual ritual for me. I don't always feel it during every ritual but this time I really did. I was very pleased with my gate tending. As were others as they complimented me on it. My friend even said that my closing was really powerful. I felt it to and so I am a happy druid. Current Mood: sick Current Music: tv in next room (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
9:07 am [ravenna_blue]	So I finished writing my Dedicant Oath... ....finally. It was hard for me to break out from the mold suggested in the Dedicant Handbook. Now, I want to swear it. I don't want the attention/anxiety of it being part of a full rite, but I did want a few of the grove to be witnesses. How did folks here choose to swear their dedicant oaths? Current Mood: curious (11 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
1:07 pm [alvita_felis]	The Farmer Triad of Virtues Completed You can read and comment on this last triad of Virtues at: Moderation Hospitality and Fertility - this one I´ve posted some time ago already (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
2:54 pm [sarjanya]	Virture essay: VISION It's done and ready for review: http://sarjanya.livejournal.com/74329.html Thanks!! (Comment on this)
Saturday, September 27th, 2008
3:06 pm [cedarravenna]	First post I realized I've never actually posted to the community, though I read others entries.  Feel free to browse through my archives for lots of ritual reviews.  Most recently I've finished up the second triad of Virtues, having just completed Integrity.  You can find all three here: http://cedarravenna.livejournal.com/14166.html ; My High Day essay for the Autumn Equinox can be read here: http://cedarravenna.livejournal.com/13895.html ; And my ritual review for our grove's Mysteries of Eleusis can be found here: http://cedarravenna.livejournal.com/13663.html ; Comments/critiques most welcome. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, September 26th, 2008
1:30 pm [sarjanya]	Autumn Equinox: What does it Mean? (My Equinox Essay) Up for critiques: http://sarjanya.livejournal.com/73110.html (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
10:07 pm [cadusidhe]	Autumn Equinox Ritual Review... Though a little on the late side, here is my first High Day review. Autumn Equinox 2008- Eleusian Mysteries PROLOGUE I have been to many ADF rituals in the past, but this was my first ritual as both an ADF member and a member of the grove (Black Bear Protogrove). It was also the ritual I was the most prepared for. I had spent time and energy and prepared my offerings ahead of time. I had offerings for all three kindreds and for a poor squirrel that I hit with my car earlier in the week. We arrived at the site in the early afternoon which gave us a few hours to finialize our preparations. I spent my time finishing my offerings and making torches and creating the song I was going to use to establish the sacred center. Everything seemed to be all going according to plan. ACT I Pre-ritual Briefing and Grounding / Centering Our attendees now gathered with an 86% attendance rate for our grove(which dropped to 72% shortly after) plus one friend of the grove, our two Druids-In-Charge (DIC) began to go over the outline of the ritual. Chants were learned. Open roles were filled. Questions were answered. I had two roles already assigned to me--Outsiders Offering and Establishing the Sacred Center--and picked up the Nature Spirits Offering. Soon after we went off for our individual grounding and centering. I sat down on a nice fallen tree and went through my song a few more times.Then on my knees I went, hands and forehead to the ground. This is what I always do. It is a very humble position showing that I am lower than the Universe and willing to accept any direction it gives. I use this position when working with the kindreds at their shrines as well. It also helps me to ground, as it is a good connection with the earth. I let all of my thoughts, my worries, doubts, fears, as well as my sillyness, humorous notions, and fleeting fancies. I take ritual very seriously in spite of the humourous things that may (and inevitably do) happen while in the midst of it. Soon we were called back to begin the procession. ACT II Procession, Outdwellers and Arriving at the Sacred Grove With torches in hand we six strode the path to the sacred grove. Silent in our approach under the bright light of the flames, we reached the boundary of our rite. FYI, six torches are indeed bright. The effect of torches minus chanting equals a powerful experience. I felt like an ancient Greek approaching a temple intent on learning a Mystery. It was secretive, provocative, and very cool. Bringing up the rear I turned, facing the dark night. I made a pact with a peace offering of a brew that any who might disturb our rite be appeased with the drink and let us be. I proclaimed our peaceful intentions and submitted my expectations. Then I made a warning of the consequences of breaking the pact and bid them farewell. I had completely forgotten about the fact that I was doing this and thus needed an offering. I had to use a beer that someone else brought for revels. Despite that however I was pleased with my offering. I prefer to be diplomatic as opposed to threatening the Outdwellers, but as in all things, consequences must be given. It felt good and seems to be a good step in my warrior training as well.   We entered one by one and circled the fire pit. Torches tapped tinder and our fire was born. We had arrived, with hearts and minds and flesh and bone. We were ready.   The fire caught right away and the effect was a feeling of unity and a confirmation of purpose and place. I did think that the torches sticking out from the steel fire pit looked silly and unsafe, however. ACT III Performing the Rite Once assembled around our fire, one of our priestess gave of pork to Hestia, and we followed her lead with barley that our altars be holy. Commencing our rite was the honouring of Gaia, the great Earth Mother. Hands flew downward eager, to feel the pulse of the earth.  The uninitiated one among us, his sincerety flowing from his words as a Hymn of Orpheus was recited. Gaia held our minds, our hearts. Its always nice to have a non-grove member take on a role. And though the Orphic Hymn that he read was prepared by our GO, his heart was true. Our priestess called us to be mindful of our surroundings, to ease our minds into the bowels of the earth, to take from the Well of Potential a power and to reach into the cosmos for another and in joining them, let its rays connect us all as one. Unlike the two prievious two powers meditations that our GO has led I couldn't feel it. I couldn't focus and kept thinking instead of feeling. I was disapointed. And Pan, ruler of the forest was hailed, his blessings of fine words and inspirations beseeched. And when that was complete I approached the altar, and took up the Omphalos. Amidst the serenity of song I placed the great stone in its proper place as connector of the heavens and the underworld. The well I approached with moonlit rain and gave all I had to the keeper of memory. Bottle in hand I approached the fire. My words echoing throughout the land I sanctified that hearth, transforming it from from consumer of wood and lighter of ways, to a conduit to the Shining Ones that our messages they might receive. My establishment of the sacred center was  so-so. First I got tangled and stuck by a thorn bush while placing the Omphalos, effectively breaking the mood of the ritual. Then pouring water into a not so empty well (my fault for not telling anyone I was going to fill it myself) I forgot the words to my song. Luckily third times a charm. And my little bottle of lamp oil surely did sanctify that fire. And almost burned off all of our eybrows. Still, it was the exact effect I was looking for and it was impressive. Though a ring of fire were the gates opened by Hades as requested. The Kindreds were hailed with recitations all and Persephone and Demeter welcomed. Offerings poured fruitfully and the Letters were consulted. We drank of the Waters and recieved the blessings of the gods. Our work was then to begin.  I was thouroughly impressed with the opening of the gates. The  fire ring was dangerously effective. I was slightly nervous about the ground cover and that just  added to my awareness of the gates. Kudos! I decided to recite my Nature Spirits invocation mainly because our GO went through all the trouble of preparing Greek specific ones and nobody seemed to want to use them. In practice, though it just wasn't my style. The offering period was long, which is good. I started tearing up during my offering to the poor squirrel. I was bummed that Demeter and Persephone didn't like my olive oil offering. Especially since everyone elses went poof quite nicely. Mine just sat there and simmered. The omen wasn't necesarily positive which is unusual for our grove. I hope the seeress could make out the letters that she made for the Greek Alphabet Oracle! The Waters of Life were tastey though.   ACT IV The Eleusian Mysteries and Closing the Rite There were four stations and only one person at a time at each. While we waited our turns there was fluting and improvised drumming. Who knew you could use two sticks and bang on the metal fire pit  to make music! At this point I was becoming increasingly tired and a little meloncholy floated about. This feeling of sadness was made worse and joined by frustration as I went through the stations. I couldn't scry in the bowl, I couldn't grind the barley (though nobody else could either I later found out) and I asked a stupid question to Demeter. Who," inhabiting" the form of our GO was kinda creepy. Just a little scary. Closing out the ritual was, as usual it seems, brief and with lower energy. All in all it was pretty good. I didn't feel it as much as other rituals despite my increased prep. This may have been due to foriegn hearth culture-I am Pan Celto-norsish-or because I planned too much. The creation of my song, while it turned out well, took up alot of time and caused me lots of worry and nervousness. I prefer spontinaeity. Still, I hope the Kindreds enjoyed their gifts. I am almost certain they did as I have already seen the effects of theirs. Thanks guys! I really appreciate that.! One down, seven to go. Hopefully shorter too. Current Mood: tired Current Music: Secret Garden-several albums (Comment on this)