Yesterday was amazing. I had coordinated to bring three of my Grovemates, Joe, Jeff, and Mike to ORW as volunteers for Beltane. I wanted to make it kind of like a mini-festival day for the inmates. So we had a morning of workshops and then an afternoon ritual.
Continue reading “Beltane Behind Bars”adfdruidry
“Reflections on Prison Chaplaincy”
It’s amazing how serendipitous life changes can really affect your spirituality and the ways that you interact with the world. Since becoming ordained in 2015 I’ve had an interest in pursuing professional chaplaincy, but as a minority religion there are even more barriers in place that there would be otherwise. Even then, I thought I’d like higher education or hospital chaplaincy, and was pretty sure that prison chaplaincy was not for me. But then this opportunity to work at the local women’s state prison fell into my lap, and I have found myself spirituality reinvigorated and deeply humbled in this work.
Continue reading ““Reflections on Prison Chaplaincy””Connections Across Traditions
A lot of my time recently has been consumed with thoughts of theology, relationships, and pan-pagan interfaith work. I’ve been volunteering at a local prison, and attended my first pan-pagan festival in many years recently (Appalachian Summer Solstice at the Wisteria Campground in Ohio). These experiences can be more complex by virtue of the differing traditions, but also very rewarding. By being exposed to the thoughts and teachings of others, and welcoming those differences, I have been able to better examine my own practices and beliefs.
Continue reading “Connections Across Traditions”Use the Fancy Art Supplies
I’ve been thinking lately about the Winning of the Waters myth. In brief, the Winning of the Waters is when one deity hoards all of the blessings and other “good stuff” for themselves. They are often described with imagery relating to dragons, and the hoarding of wealth. Then another deity acts as the hero who fights on behalf of mankind to get the Waters (the blessings, good stuff, the hoard) for us. The hero deity fights the hoarding deity, with the former ultimately winning, and thus allowing the Waters and blessings to flow once more from the realms of the gods to us.
Continue reading “Use the Fancy Art Supplies”Honoring Anahita for Pride Month
Each year I come more and more out, in large part because each year I learn more about myself and get more comfortable in my own skin. On this first day of Pride month, I call out to Anahita.
Continue reading “Honoring Anahita for Pride Month”Artemis, for the right to choose
On this National Day of Prayer,
as we watch our rights threaten to be eroded,
I call out to Artemis, protector.
Artemis, you were born in conflict,
with your mother, Leto, making the choice to give birth.
You, in turn, helped deliver your brother.
Artemis, when you were but a child,
You demanded sovereignty:
to choose your own path,
to follow your own passions,
to remain childless,
and not forced into the role of mother.
Artemis, I ask you now to be present.
To stand beside those who fight
for their own right to choose as you did.
You have always defended your followers,
And in this fight I ask that you continue to do so.
Lend your strength of will,
Lend your protection,
Let your precedence sway the minds of those who rule.
Artemis, as you have always been there for me,
be there for us all now.
Good Fire Award 2020
So, I’m proud to say that the book I wrote with Rev. Lisa Wasilkowsky Malik, Rev. Sara Blackwelder, and Rev. Kirk Thomas won the Good Fire Award in ADF this year. I have no idea if we’re getting physical plaques or anything this year, but it would be nice. I like being able to display them.
Continue reading “Good Fire Award 2020”Anagantios 2020
Our grove celebrates the Druid Moons (6th night after the new moon) with a ritual each month. The ones we celebrate are Gaulish, and each one has a different focus and a different working. My favorite of them as a priest is definitely Anagantios (or Stay at Home month). Continue reading “Anagantios 2020”
Second Annual Prayer-A-Day
It’s time for the Second Annual Prayer-A-Day Challenge!
November tends to be a month when people work on doing something each day of the month, whether it’s moments of gratitude or writing for National Novel Writing Month. Last year, I decided that I would try my own variation on this trend and began a #PrayerADay Challenge. The idea was to write one prayer each day, to whatever spirit or on whatever topic called to you at that particular moment. After deciding that I was was going to take this on for myself, I thought “wouldn’t it be awesome if we were able to have a whole collection prayers compiled from clergy and other ADF members?” So, I issued the challenge to other members of ADF clergy, and the whole experiment kind of exploded from there. Many people across ADF joined in to write one or more prayers, and it has been absolutely fantastic.
So, it’s time to do this again, and this year I challenge all of you. Yes. All of you! I don’t care if you’ve never written a prayer, or if you’ve written lots and lots. The idea here is to write a new prayer each day. It’s okay if you don’t like it, but write _something_ every day in November.
The hash tags we’ll be using for this across social media are #PrayerADay and #adfdruidry. When you post it to social media, make sure you use both of those tags so we can all find it!
November Prayers: Day 9
Mist to Open. Mists to Bind. 