There have been lots of places where people have shared the amazing work and life and person that Dolly was. But the Imagination Library is what will always have my heart. This is the legacy of her’s that lives in my home, and in the homes of millions and millions of families.
Continue reading “The Legacy of Dolly Parton”This past March, the Clergy Council hosted our first virtual stream where we Re-Kindle the Unity Flame each year. I’ve been thinking a lot about what Unity looks like. Here in the US, we’re struggling as a country to find it, and I know those around the world are experiencing their own struggles with unity. It’s been hard to see the light in the darkness, and it is in those moments when we must turn to community to make it through.
Continue reading “Thoughts on Unity”In my clinical pastoral education program for chaplaincy we were asked to examine an ethical framework that resonates with our faith tradition and personal inclinations. I found myself reading through various ethical frameworks, from Consequentialism (ex: Jeremy Bentham) to Deontology (ex: Immanuel Kant) to various Pluralistic Theories (ex: WD Ross, John Kekes). After a thoughtful conversation with our Clinical Ethicist on staff, I found Virtue Ethics, which resonated well, though I don’t align with strict Aristotelian ethics, and have a slightly more pluralistic view.
Continue reading “Examining ADFs Virtues through a Study of Virtue Ethics”
This report is designed to be a reflective process for each priest. This is an opportunity to reflect on the year. Each priest’s work is as unique and individual as they are, and as such we expect the responses to this report to be just as varied.
Covering January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025
Categories of the Report include: A celebration of and reflection on our accomplishments; detailing and reflecting on how we’ve kept our Clergy Oath this past year; detailing and reflecting on continuing educational opportunities we’ve done this past year; a reflection on our cClergy Order Work; and a general reflection on how we met goals from last year and what we plan to do in the coming year.
Continue reading “Annual Clergy Report for 2025”From the Archdruid of ADF, regarding the atrocities of ICE in the USA
Hey y’all. I recorded this as an internal message as Archdruid for my ADF folk, but I know that many in my various communities look to me as their Priest/Spiritual Leader regardless of whether or not they’re part of ADF. It’s taken me awhile to find the words as I’m struggling with my own horror, but I wanted to reach out to folks and offer what I can.
I’ve cleaned up and expanded the transcript for this post, but initially I needed the authenticity that comes with actually speaking, and not trying to write. Also, I think actually hearing someone verbally say these things can carry more weight than the written word alone right now. So have a listen, and then read the expanded bit below:
(The link is unlisted, since I was mostly addressing the ADF community in this, though you are welcome to share it with whoever you think needs to hear it)
Continue reading “On Community, in Times of Horror”Together we can shoulder this heaviness, share the load, and survive.
It is not uncommon for me to field questions and concerns around the theme of “I had this really intense dream/meditation/trance, and I’m worried I might be crazy” or “such and such spirit came to me and told me things, and I’m pretty sure it’s true, but it doesn’t match anything that’s written or anybody else’s experiences” or “Am I just taking myself on wish fulfillment, fantastical adventures in my head and believing it’s true?” As pagans, we work with spirits (including the gods and dead, and those who defy categorization) who are often fairly close to the human world (or share it with us entirely), and in a post-colonial Western society we don’t have a good frame of reference for what is “normal” in spiritwork.
So, how do you find the balance between mental illness, your imagination, and a spiritual experience (or UPG – Unverified Personal Gnosis)? How do you know what is “real” and what is maybe just daydreaming? If you’re already neurodivergent, how do you navigate spiritual experiences while honoring your brain’s very real differences?
Continue reading “Spiritual Experience, Daydream, or Mental Illness”During the Charging of the Stole at Rev. Oleg’s ordination, I reflected to those gathered about the role of ADF priests, and the way that role relates to the Gods, the Folk, and the Land. In light of those outward, ceremonial reflection, I have also spent some time processing my own experience through this lens.
Continue reading “The Gift of Obligation”
There are rites of passage that happen throughout our lives, and sometimes they pass without much fanfare, but other times they are spiritually significant and marked as such through ritual and community engagement.
At Wellspring this year I was installed at the 7th Archdruid of ADF at the main rite. I planned most of the rite and scripted portions of it, but there was also a very real sense of “this is something that I need to let happen to me, and not control the experience.” That’s hard to do for a very liturgical and spiritwork focused Priest. 😉 I’m used to making these experiences meaningful for others, but in this case I trusted others to make it meaningful, not just for me, but for ADF as a whole.
Continue reading “Reflections on My Installation as Archdruid” This report is designed to illustrate how each individual priest has chosen to fulfill their oath to love the land, honor the deities, serve the folk, and continue in their studies as best suits their individual vocations.
Time covered: January 1 2024 – December 31, 2024
Continue reading “Annual Clergy Report for 2024”