Week 22: High Holy Day Essay

Related to Requirement:

#2 – Meaning and Discussion of High Days 

Required Reading: 

 Our Own Druidry, p. 62 - 74 (Hearth Cultures & High Days) 

 ADF Constitution, Article 4 

 The ADF Core Order of Ritual for High Days

Optional Reading: 

 Our Own Druidry, p. 51 - 75 (The Very Basics of Ritual); 

 A Crane Breviary and Guide Book by Rev. Michael J Dangler: <> 

 Appendix 1: Resources and Rituals for the Wheel of the Year in this book; 

 Step by Step through a Druid Worship Ceremony, <>; 

 The "Liturgy and Rituals" section of the ADF page, <> 

 The Three Cranes Grove, ADF, outline of ritual (with example prayers), <>

The summer solstice is one of the major points in the wheel of the year. It is at this point that the potential of the harvest can be seen, even though much of the growing season still lies ahead. Fertility rites are still in play, however, at this point they begin to focus more on protecting the crops from blight, flooding, or hail than the creation of new life.

There are a number of Deities that could be honored during this season. Traditionally, midsummer was viewed as the date that Baldur was killed, explaining the start of the decent into darkness as the dying of the sun/light god. Alternatively, Freyr and Freyja, the god and goddess of fertility and agriculture, could be honored to protect the crops. Their father, Njord, was honored to encourage the bounty of the sea as the god of fishing and sailing.

The sun and its representative on earth, fire, are the most commonly used symbols of the solstice. In the Germanic and Celtic lands, it was a tradition to light bonfires and drive livestock either between two fires or through the smoke to protect them for the rest of the season. This practice was so prevalent that it continued after christianization until the Reformation.

Week 23: 4th High Holy Day Recap

Related to Requirement: #8 – High Days Attended
Required Reading: None.

• how did the rite go in terms of structure? What things went wrong during the ritual? What things went right? 

For whatever reason, we didn't have a grove ritual for the solstice. So I was writing my own ritual. I stuck with the basic core order of ritual that we normally use, and just adopted parts from other rituals that worked well or that I liked.

Nothing really went wrong, but I was planning on having the ritual outside. Then a thunderstorm came through, soaking the wood pile. And a second storm rolled through right at dusk when I was getting ready to start. So outside was a no go.

My altar is kinda small, which is why I was wanting to do the ritual outside: more space to hold offerings. Moving inside meant that I needed to suddenly clear a space near my altar to hold the sacrifices. Ended up just clearing off the top of my dresser and moving things to the altar in sets as they were needed. Stacking coffee cups work really well for holding sacrifices.

Overall, I'm really happy with how things turned out. I should have practiced more some of the pronunciations (Skidbladnir and Sessrumnir are both pretty hard to pronounce when you're trying to say them aloud for the first time). But the worst things that happened were some stuttered pronunciation and being inside instead of outside. There are so totally worse ways this could have gone.

• Who were the patrons of the rite, and who was the gatekeeper? 

Gatekeeper: Heimdall

Earth Mother: Jörd

Deity of the Occasion: Freyr and Freyja

• Did you have problems with saying the words without stumbling, or did everything come out smoothly? Did you forget to bring a sacrifice? 

I need to start practicing the kennings before ritual. Pronunciation always trips me up. There were parts where I couldn't find my cadence, but that's mostly just a practice thing I think. I remembered sacrifices for everyone (not always what I would have chosen, but the last minute change of location meant some things had to be swapped from  things to toss in a fire to things that can be added to a candle flame). Upon further reflection, I'm not sure a (cherry) tomato was the best offering to Freyr, however, it seemed right when I was doing my planning.

• Were you alone, or with a group? If you were with a group, did you say anything or do anything? How did the rite go in terms of function and feeling?

I was solitary for this rite. And actually, I liked it better. I need to work on my two powers meditation, but it's just a practice thing. Being able to move at my own pace, to slow down when I felt like it needed it, being able to re-affirm my connection with the powers mid-ritual when I slipped... it felt much more relaxing and worshipful than the group rituals do. 

• Did you feel anything during the ritual? Did you experience doubt or confidence? Can you describe what happened? 

I'm not sure that comfortable is the right word, but something with those connotations. I wrote it (or at least, assembled it. I need to go add citations to my record of ritual), I performed it, and there was very little outside of my control that I could control. Even the tripping and stuttering wasn't too bad and didn't shake the feeling that this was right. 

I actually felt connected to the Kindreds. I might even be feeling my way towards a relationship with Freyja. It wasn't anything that ecstatic trance or anything, but I felt like my words were being heard and acknowledged. The land spirits really liked the sacrifice of maple syrup, milk, and dark bread.  I'm pretty sure Syn appreciated the wine. 

Maybe I'm one of those folks who needs to be solitary by choice. Although I do like the volunteer work etc that is happening with the grove.

• What omens were drawn (if any), and what did they tell you? 

I used runes, as is my wont. Over all, the impression I got was if I put in the effort, I will be rewarded with good health.

Ancestors:  Uraz. The wild auroch/ ox. Good health, strength
Spirits:  Ingaz. The ingot. Potential. With work, something valuable.
Gods:  Ansuz. The spoken word.

• What else about the rite struck you, or do you want to share? 

I liked this so much better than group ritual. Even though I was completely exhausted when done, it was everything I wanted out of ritual. I need to do this more often.

Interlude: Solstice Brewing

As part of my solstice activities, I started a batch of mead on Saturday. Well, it's kinda mead. Due to financial restrictions, buying 20 lbs of honey wasn't really going to happen. I'm improvising this, so It may end up utterly undrinkable.

This is mostly for my own record.

2 gallons purified water
1 gallon organic not from concentrate pasturized apple juice
5 lbs local honey
1 lb corn sugar
1 packet dry Red Star Pasteur Champagne

Sanitized everything.

Melted the honey into about half a gallon of the water to de-crystalize it over low heat. It never even got up to a simmer, so most of the more subtle flavor from the honey should be preserved. After most of the honey was melted, scooped out a bit into a cup and tossed the yeast in that to rehydrate and start getting happy.

Poured the remaining water and apple juice into the brew bucket. Once all the crystals had dissolved, poured the honey water into the bucket and then added the yeast.  Gave it a few stirs to mix everything and then added the corn sugar, mixed that in.

Lidded and added an airlock. By Sunday morning, it was bubbling along happily, and was still doing so this morning. My plan was to allow this to brew until the equinox and then transfer to the secondary, but I'm not sure that'll get me something good. Most folks ferment until completion, I'm not sure what i'm going to do. I might let it go 2 weeks and then taste then decide.

I couldn't find the hydrometer Saturday to get an initial reading on sugar content, so we'll never know just how alcoholic this is.

I guess since this has honey and apple juice, this is actually a cyser.

Week 21: Nature Awareness 2

Related to Requirement: #7 – Nature Awareness
Required Reading:
 Our Own Druidry, p. 41 - 46 (Attunement to Nature and the Kindred)
Suggested Reading:
 "Connecting With the Natural World" by Ladytoad
 "On the Solitary Path" by Ladytoad
 "Nature Worship as Lifestyle" by Kate Farrell
 "O Earth Mother, We Praise Thee" from The Druid Chronicles
 Sacred Fire, Holy Well by Ian Corrigan, p. 163-166;
 The Solitary Druid by Rev. Skip Ellison, p. 69-80

I may have made a bad decision when choosing my yard to use as my nature spot. While I'm doing really good at getting outside and spending time in my yard... I'm mostly doing yard work while I'm at it. Which, while very helpful for getting used to the rhythms of a new place, doesn't really involve connecting to the land or nature spirits.

Homework:
1. Where does your trash go? 
To the city landfill for the most part. I recycle a bunch, but not all.

2. Are there options for recycling that you're making use of? Why or why not? 
I recycle most of my plastic, glass, and aluminum containers. I need to get better about recycling my (tin? I think they're mostly steel now) food cans, as they can go into the same bin as the others. And then even better at taking the recycling bags to the drop off.

A good portion of my waste is junk mail and paper food waste. During the spring and summer, a good portion of it ends up being used as charcoal starter, however, during the winter it just get tossed out. The city has a fiber recycling program as well, however, since it needs to be separate from the plastic/metal bin... I don't have the space for a permanent bin for it and I'm too lazy to make space.

3. Are there steps you can take to help reduce the amount of refuse you create? 
Even with not recycling my paper, I normally only have about 1 trashbag a week. Some weeks are heavier, but 1 bag is pretty hard to go down from. Obviously recycling my paper and starting a compost pile would get me down even further.

4. What happens to your waste water? 
Eventually, anything spilled outside gets to the Missouri River. Its where my water comes from (via a treatment station) and where it all returns. I'm only a couple of miles from the river, so I use as few pesticides and fertilizers as possible to keep at least that much out of the river (my neighbors feel no such compulsion, which is why my yard has all the bees and all the ticks.)

5. What rivers are nearby? Do you have a connection to them? What sort of connection? 
The Missouri river is about 2 miles away. It's dirty and dangerous through here, so I don't spend much time on it. But its pretty watching the sunset over the river.

6. Describe the basic climate of your area. Is it often wet and rainy? Dry and sunny? Wet and sunny? How has this affected the kinds of plants and animals in the area? 
It's hot/cold and humid. Anything else is in flux. Right now, it's raining, hot, and humid. We actually get 4 seasons through here most years. Past few years have been really dry (and yet still humid *eyeroll*), but there's enough fluctuation you can't trust the weather forecast for more than 2-3 days tops.

The plants that do well are highly drought tolerant. This is very much still prairie land at heart and anything that wants lots of available water just isn't going to live very well. Same goes for animals. Deer, raccoons, and opossums are all pretty common. Other, larger, animals live elsewhere. But I mostly get the common suburban and urban margin inhabitants.

7. What visible effects have humans had on the natural landscapes around you? 
Sub/urban sprawl sucks. We don't let the river move anymore, and all the trees are getting torn down to build more single family homes.

8. Where do the winds usually come from? Are there different winds at different times of the year? 
The vast majority of our wind comes from the west. Storms normally travel from the south west, however, there are always a few every year that come from the northwest or follow the Mississippi north and then turn west. Those tend to cause tornadoes and mass destruction.

9. What major crops are grown in your region? Why are these particular crops grown here? 
We used to grow lots of hemp for rope (19th century). Apparently hemp really likes the climate here. Now the fields are gone, but we have a lot growing wild still. Other major crops are soy beans and corn. Some wheat, but not as much. Corn and wheat both require more easily available water than is normally available of a given year. Soy Beans are a short crop cycle and thus can be harvested before the summer drought kicks in.

10. Where does your power come from (i.e. nuclear, solar, coal, gas, etc.)? 
Missouri has a law that says a certain percentage of power has to come from renewable resources. I have no idea what that percentage is. Per what I can find, my local electric company uses mostly coal, with additional wind, hydro, and gas to make up the difference. I know my local landfill generates electricity from the methane, but it goes to a different electric company.

Week 20: Nine Virtues: Vision

This needs lots of polishing, but it works for right now.

Vision: The ability to broaden one's perspective to have a greater understanding of our place/role in the cosmos, relating to the past, present and futureOur Own Druidry

vision1. the act or power of sensing with the eyes; sight.2. the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur.3. an experience in which a personage, thing, or event appears vividly or credibly to the mind, although not actually present,often under the influence of a divine or other agency: a heavenly messenger appearing in a vision.  Compare hallucination (  def 1 ).4. something seen or otherwise perceived during such an experience: The vision revealed its message.5. a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation: visions of wealth and glory.Dictionary.com

Vision is being able to see the connections between things, both as a function of cause and effect and as a hypothetical. Vision and a sense of history are required to see the effects the past have on the present and future. In large part, vision is the ability to have that sense of history. History enables us to realize the results of actions: the Treaty of Versailles ending World War 1 in 1918 was one of the direct causes of World War 2. World War 1 itself can be traced as a cause of much of the current unrest and fighting in the Middle East. Vision shows both the causes of climate change and the effects in the short and long terms. Its all about connections. Similarly, we can envision a world without or partially mitigated climate change and find the causes/ actions needed to bring that vision to fruition. We see ourselves in the past, see each other in the present, and project ourselves into the future. Vision is history and empathy and self-awareness all rolled up into one.

Week 19: The Dedicant Oath: First Thoughts

Related to Requirement:
#11 – Dedicant Oath and Rite
Required Reading:

• Our Own Druidry, p. 129 – 130 (The Dedicant's Oath) 

Optional Reading:

• Rev. Michael J Dangler's Dedicant Oath
• Raven Mann's Dedicant Oath

I'm not real sure how I feel about this weeks assignment. Not because its hard, but because it seems to be aimed at folks who have a patron. I don't. My main concern about writing the oath is phrasing (oaths are a HUGE DEAL) and making sure I have room to move on from ADF if I feel the need in the future.

I'm rather crap at writing ritual/ liturgy. So the rite is going to take me a long time to write and I rather imagine that the oath itself will take me longer still. I should probably start it now, but the summer is always so busy. 

Things I know are going to be important:

9 noble virtues

Norse pantheon

ancestors

I have held to the Norse gods since before I fully knew paganism. And they were the first pantheon I turned to after leaving christianity behind. I'm sure part of this is having read Tolkien too young, however, this fits. The Norse were ok with strong women leading, fighting, loving. I may be pretty domestic, but I also love and lead.

There are a number of reasons to not pursue a more re-constructionist path, but mostly its because I have no use for racists or gender fundamentalists and refuse to be categorized with them. There are other neo-pagan groups that I might find my path leading to at some point. But it's not leading there right now and I'm ok with that. I have a good group here with a secure mix of group and solitary work.

I guess this is mostly turning into musings on why I'm doing ADF instead of reconstruction and why Norse. And the reasons for why ADF haven't changed. I'm utterly put off by the public vocal face of the reconstructionist movement and I'm pretty against killing things, even for ritual purposes (which gets into a whole other level of moral obligation that I've been struggling with for years). And, I don't see the need to be more hardcore about my religion than I am about anything else in my life. Also, the local recon group and I don't get on. Because I'm not hardcore enough.

Week 18: Personal Religion

Related to Requirement: 
#10 – Personal Religion;
#9 – Relationships to Kindred
Required Reading:  

• Our Own Druidry, p. 19 (The Hearth Oath)  
• Our Own Druidry, p. 123 – 128 (Personalizing Your Paganism)  
• Our Own Druidry, p. xv – xvi (Appendix 1: Adapting the DP to Specific Ethnic Paths) 

Optional reading:  

• Our Own Druidry, p. 62 – 74 (Hearth Cultures and High Days)  
• Our Own Druidry, p. xvii – xxvii (Using the DP for Grove Building);  
• Reintroducing Solitary Work into Your Life by Rev. Michael J Dangler <http://www.adf.org/articles/solitary/reintroducing-solitary-work.html>  
• "Ratri" by Adhitin Ratrija <http://www.adf.org/articles/gods-and-spirits/vedic/ratri.html>  
• "The Case for Choosing a Pantheon" by Ian Corrigan <http://www.adf.org/articles/gods-and-spirits/general/case-for-choosing-a-pantheon.html>  
• "Dual Trad Daily Devotionals" by Tanrinia, <http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/articles/dual-trad-devotions.html> 

I've fallen frightfully behind over the past month on this. Just have had absolutely no motivation to work on anything more complicated than my sewing. I suppose at least part of it is that May is always really busy and I feel like I should have been out playing at the local ren faire. Instead, I've been lazing, gardening, and reading.

Answers to Week 1 are Here.
Most of my answers are still the same.  The study group has pretty much fallen apart so I'm doing it on my own anyway, which I was trying to avoid, but much of everything else is the same.

Except not really. I still have no more idea now how to meditate than I did 21 weeks ago. The Daily Devotionals are teaching me how to be at peace with myself and the world for about 20 minutes a day, but it's not really what I expect meditation to teach me. Or maybe I'm just comparing too much.

I certainly need to just learn to trust the Kindreds and my own intuition. Even if my conscious mind is freaking out, I was led to this path and I think I need to walk it a while. I have no more idea now if I'll stay with ADF long term or just for a while, but this is my home for a while longer. I

First Oath
I made a point of my first oath being things that I could do. Not necessarily without stretching, but I didn't want to set my obligations so high that I would fail more often than I succeeded. I am seeking the Gods, I am doing my best to be charitable and kind, and I am learning. I'm not teaching yet, but that will come in time.

Hearth Culture
I'm sticking with Norse for my personal hearth. Most of my hobbies right now are leaning that way and this way all my research will feed back into itself. My I-E studies book hasn't changed how I feel about any of the cultures (I'm not sure that my book should even be listed as IE Studies), but that also wasn't its goal. I do want/need to re-work my devotional a bit to make it fit Norse better, but right now is not the time.

Patron/ Matron
Oh, I wish. I hear the same silence that I always have from that corner. I may have felt something like tingles when I was planning the Beltane ritual, but those left as soon as the ritual was over. I'm just doing daily offerings to the Deities as a whole and Freyja and Joerd (friend is seeking help in conceiving). Its a lot like being at Camp Half-Blood: eventually someone will claim you, but in the mean time, hang out and do the best you can.