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October 23rd, 2009
03:50 pm - It's a day for books!
Two awesome books were released today:
- Ceisiwr Serith's book on Proto-Indo-European Religion, Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans has appeared on Amazon and I have ordered my copy. You may know his name from his other books, The Pagan Family and the book that I consider to be the best book about Neo-Paganism available, A Book of Pagan Prayer.
- The ADF Order of the Crane Book is finished and in production, with an advance announcement out to people currently on the Order list. A further announcement is likely to happen shortly for the remainder of ADF and for everyone else. Watch this blog and ADF-Announce ;)
It's been a hell of a week, from a terrifying 562% that I saw at work last night to a loss of seven years of e-mail on Tuesday. If you sent me something via e-mail and hoped I'd respond, it's a safe bet that if it was important you need to try again. I managed to recover nearly all of it, but a lot of stuff is permanently gone.
On the bright side, I've inadvertently cleared out a major backlog of un-responded-to e-mail, so I feel like I'm starting all fresh-and-clean. We'll see how long *that* lasts.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: "Train to Dixieland", -JB
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October 19th, 2009
11:46 am - Mapping the Otherworld
 I have recently become very interested in the notion of otherworld maps. Part of this is a desire to understand my own initiatory journey, and to use them as a method of "comparing notes" to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) druidkirk and others who have or will go through this initiatory experience. You'd be surprised, though, how complicated it can be to actually locate a map of the otherworld.
I spent some time (about three weeks, actually, at this point) seeking out and examining maps of the otherworld. Many are drawn on the drums used to send people into ecstatic trances, and depict the upper and lower worlds. It is interesting to me that the lower world often seems "deeper" than the upper world is "high". This could be a trick of the egg-shaped drums that one often finds, or it could be that the drum is a reflection of this deeper underworld.
It interests me that there is a notion in almost all of them of a center space, and also a notion of that axis mundi that cuts through the center. Most often, we find an otherworld divided into three parts, which fits nicely with our IE way of looking at things in ADF.
 What interests me particularly, though, is the notion of a lowerworld map from Native Americans (seen at left). I particularly like the story Dr. Goodman provides in her Ecstatic Trance: New Ritual Body Postures: A Workbook about an oil company in British Columbia who were negotiating with a Native American tribe for the location of a pipeline. They brought in a map on elk skin that covered the entire conference room table, and described the locations thusly: "Up here is the home of the souls of the dead. There is the path one has to follow. This is the wrong path, and over here is the worst path. Over there are all the animals. All this has been discovered in a dream." (Goodman, 76) It reminds us that no matter how modern or how developed, our landscapes can still be overlaid with sacred landscapes in bold ways.
Through these thoughts on maps of the worlds beyond, I find myself reflecting upon the Orphic tablets that guided souls to the Greek underworld. These were basically elaborate sets of directions, telling you where to go and what body of water to drink from. One reads:
You will find a spring to the left of the house of Hades,
And standing beside that [spring] is a white cypress.
Do not approach closely to the spring.
You will find another, flowing cold water
From the pool of Memory, and before it there are guards.
Say: "I am a child of Earth and starry Heaven,
But my lineage is heavenly [alone]. You must see this yourselves.
I perish and am withered with thirst. Give [me] quickly
The cold water flowing from the pool of Memory."
And they themselves will give you to drink from the divine spring,
And thereafter you shall reign among the other heroes." (Lincoln, 51)
There is a notion here that perhaps we can understand the ways beyond life, the paths that must be traveled, before we reach them in that final journey. Trancework seems to be the key to reaching those places in advance, to making the paths well-traveled before one encounters old age and death for the first time. It also seems to me that those who can travel those paths are obligated to help others know and understand the signposts along the way.
There is something different about the cosmos now in my mind. It is not the same as it was three weeks ago. I think that this is part of why I am so interested in the way these otherworlds fit together: not only is the cosmos inhabited by a greater number of spirits that I can perceive, but it is also differently accessible than it was before. I find myself thinking on it almost like a game of "Chutes and Ladders," at any given time, you may end up ascending or descending in new and interesting ways.
 So far, I have seen only the world below, not the world above. I was thinking about it this morning, though, and as I watched Usas give way to Surya, I remembered a petroglyph I found a picture of once, and found myself thinking, "Truly, if there is a way to the heavens, it is accessed most reliably through the appearance of dawn upon the horizon."
I am very interested in spending time exploring and cartogrifying these other worlds, though I doubt I will do too much actual production: I'm more the "student" type than the "producer" type, I tend to think. What I really am excited about, though, is the notion that we can draw these maps, compare our notes with others who have been to these places, and find ourselves adding to our own collective experience as a result.
Sources
- Goodman, Felicitas and Nauwald, Nana. Ecstatic Trance: New Ritual Body Postures: A Workbook. Binkey Kok Publications : Holland. 2003.
- Lincoln, Bruce. Death, War, and Sacrifice. University of Chicago Press : Chicago, IL. 1991.
- Nauwald, Nana. Flying With Shamans In Fairy Tails and Myths. Binkey Kok Publications : Holland. 2003.
Current Location: Souteast of Disorder
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: "Son of a Son of a Sailor", -JB
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October 5th, 2009
01:30 pm - Initial digestation of an Initiation
It took me twenty-four hours for my body to get back to where it was before my initiation: until about 8 PM last night, I was so exhausted, emotionally and physically, that it was hard to smile or converse. The drive back down to Columbus seemed to take all day (though the company of kargach and romandruid was exceedingly welcome and helped immensely), and I found myself stretching my back, wiggling my fingers, and cracking my joints as often as possible just to relieve some of the pressure that seemed to be everywhere on my tired, worn out body. I don't think I have ever been quite so exhausted.
I really feel like I should have taken Monday off of work, giving myself two full days to recover from the experience. I also need to take a good look at my robe, as I fear that this initiation may have been its last ritual: I was not kind to it throughout the rite, and it may be stained and torn beyond simple washing and repair.
I am, of course, still processing everything. As a result, expect to see three journal entries shortly as I describe what three particular lessons I've learned, and the work that will go along with them. I've already mentioned them before, but feel a need to go more in depth on what they (broadly) mean to me: focus, center, and joy.
I'm not sure what else I'll post publicly about. It is not up to me to reveal the three tests I underwent, though the Clergy Council witnessed two of them and I suspect that word will get around as we initiate others when uninitiated witnesses speak of the tests they've seen (the third was witnessed only by my initiators and, partially, by my fellow initiate): in hindsight it was pleasant to be surprised by the form these tests took, and what they were in particular (I had been ignoring all posts related to the Initiation purposely). I wouldn't want to "spoil" it for anyone, but suffice to say that anyone who has done the work and been dilligent about completeness and depth will pass the first two. The third is harder to prepare for, though Trance 1 and 2 will likely bring the candidate the required skills.
I do suspect that I will post about the omens I received. I am still digesting them, and taking them to heart: two were generally positive, two were generally worrisome, but all were promising to an optimistic reader. . . and those who took the omens were optomistic, so I don't have to read that optimism into the spreads on my own.
I'm looking forward to hearing my oath (it was mostly extemporaneous, but recorded) so that I can go back and write it down and keep the wording with me. Fortunately, the journey upon which it was based leaves a solid impression, and I need not worry about the general notions behind it being forgotten any time soon.
Two things were taken with me into the initiation that I wish to mention, though. First, when I was consecrated as a Dedicant Priest within ADF, I was given a bottle of mead by tlachtga. I did not drink it then, but held onto it, with an intent to break it open to celebrate my ordination as an ADF Priest in a few years, when I took that next step. As I thought of the sacrifices I must make, though, I knew that this bottle was not for me to keep, but for me to offer: something that I had attached such a special significance to, something that I had held onto for so long, and it became the ideal sacrifice to the Ancient Wise. . . for I offered to them a gift I meant to share with my closest friends, from one of the most special occasions, from someone I respected deeply. This drew them nearer to me, and brought them into that *ghos-ti relationship in a way I have always wanted to do. It was a matter of breaking out the best of the best, the "special" drink you have been saving for just the right moment. . . and that moment was perfectly right.
Second: About a year ago, sleepingwolf sent me a bull pin. I had never worn it before Saturday, but something told me to grab it before I left. As I underwent the most frightening portion of my Ordeal, I felt weight of this pin, and the pin of three silver cranes my Grove presented to me at my consecration, upon my breast. That weight reminded me that no matter how scared I was, no matter how much I wanted to call out, I was supported by friends, family, and the Kindreds in ways I had never known before. These two pins were the only ritual items I took with me, and their presence was a deep assurance as I faced that fear.
To all those who were with me at this rite, in prayer, in silence, or in spirit, thank you. Without my community, I know that I would not have passed even the first test this past weekend.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif) full
Current Music: "Last Mango in Paris", -JB
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October 4th, 2009
12:41 am - Initiation passed
Today, I passed the initiation into ADF's Initiatory Current.
It wasn't easy, it was a bit frightening, and it was very deeply meaningful and powerful. For a few minutes, I honestly wasn't sure I would pass the three tests. But, in the end, both druidkirk and I passed, and we are now ADF Initiates.
It is clear, from the omens, that my work is only beginning, and I can expect a rough road ahead. This does not surprise me, but it is good to be prepared.
I simply need to focus, find my center, and experience the joy. . . For those are my lessons from this initiation.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: indescribable
Current Music: "The Wino and I Know", -JB
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October 1st, 2009
08:51 am - One down. . .
And just a 600-word essay about my trance journal to go. I've got it (very roughly) outlined, but it requires time to finish.
Here's hoping I can manage such a thing.
Then, if Trance 1 and Trance 2 both get approved before Saturday night, I will be eligible for initiation.
Maggie says I need to be the big spoon if druidkirk and I get initiated together.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Jolly Mon", -JB
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September 30th, 2009
11:05 am - More on the Order of the Crane
How on earth is it that in this economy, getting a quote in a timely manner is virtually impossible? If it were only one vendor, I could maybe understand, but nearly all of them?
I know I've spoken much about the ADF Order of the Crane thing that seamus_mcnasty and I have been playing architect on, but I want to touch base a bit more. Bear with me, I'll be thinking out loud.
After receiving the first copies of the Order book, I started digging into the project. So far, I've added about ten pages to the total book, reformatted the text, and rearranged the way things are introduced so that they make a bit more sense. I've been outsourcing work that I'm not so hot with to various Grove members, and think that sometime after this weekend's Clergy Retreat, we may very well be ready to announce the Order of the Crane for folks outside the Grove.
I also started a large chunk of our Grove down the Order's path by doing a "meet the Crane" journey at the last Druid Moon rite. After having read a couple of descriptions of those journeys, I was deeply moved to write a few ritual pieces, which will appear in the book.
One thing that stands out to me is that I want to revise the second level oath. You see, there are three oaths that get taken in the course of the work: the Crane-Following Oath (basic, open-ended, promise to do devotionals and service work), the Crane-Dedicant Oath (dedicating the member to the Crane, still open-ended, and building on the CFO), and the Crane-Initiate Oath (more specific and personal, long-term-y, written with the Clergy Advisor's input). I want the Crane-Dedicant Oath to be fixed, but have not settled on solid, appropriate wording. I have something in place, but keep re-thinking it, and feedback on it has led to greater re-thinking.
In other news, I'm two questions away from completing Trance 2. If I complete by Friday night, I might actually be able to undergo the ADF Initiation with druidkirk on Saturday. The question is, will I have time to do something like that?
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "Off To See the Lizard", -JB
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September 23rd, 2009
01:20 pm - Where has the time gone? Projects and updates and some fun.
I'm always a bit late on updating, but that's alright: I'm so busy that I really only have time to read LJ, rather than to post on it, so I get the important stuff done, I guess :)
Monday night, I was very, very excited to receive the proof copies of the Call of the Crane book, the book designed for the ADF Order of the Crane (totally not approved yet, but I totally don't care). I've been having so much fun doing this particular bit of work, and I have to say, the damn thing looks wonderful.
I am, of course, catching typos and issues left and right, but the nice thing about proof copies is that you can write in them and mark them up all you want. It's about 54 pages and small, and I'm starting to see how it'll fit in with other training materials that I'm likely to develop. It may nearly double in size before we're ready for release, though.
I'll be bringing a copy of the books to both the Druid Moon rite tonight and to the Clergy Retreat next weekend. I admit, I can't wait to show it off.
I also started updating the ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year (WotY) document. I'm kind of sad because I suspect that this will be the last major update to that book for some time, but I've been throwing new things in (like a complete "first oath" ritual and other such things) while I've been doing the more mundane updates.
As I go through it, I see that I'll be developing a second WotY, one that is crane-focused. It'll be more of a "working" book than the current WotY is. And then, once that's done, we will find an IP WotY appearing that's Crane focused, as well. What I'm starting to see is a pair of books (so far) that will lead one along the path of the Crane from joining ADF, through the DP, through the IP, and possibly through clergy training.
seamus_mcnasty, we'll need to create a "Crane Journal", too, I think, after reviewing the proof of this book.
I've been involved with a number of discussions on "what's an Order" through a variety of media, which is somewhat entertaining to me: I've been watching it come together since the notion was first presented, of course, and gone back and forth about their utility and their place. I'm excited and pleased with the way it's developed, mostly because so far everything makes sense, and discussions about the direction have only cemented that feeling more and more strongly in my mind.
The best part, of course, is that we've had the opportunity to do the work now for months to see how things work prior to approval. With months (or a year in one case) under the belt of a couple of groups, we have seen different experiences and different developments (and radically different approaches). I've been very pleased that since the policy discussion was moved to the MG, everything seems to still proceed from the original intent, and that nothing has changed that has brought up any of the current (known) working groups to need to change their approach. It's been nice to see that the MG members seem to be taking all discussions and existing work into account.
I hope to put out a call to "interested parties" for the Order of the Crane to ADF-Announce shortly, probably right after the Clergy Retreat, and get the work even more steam.
On a completely different thought: it occurred to me a couple of weeks ago that if everyone in ADF was as professional and polite as the zombies in Re: Your Brains (video | lyrics), some of us might not feel so personally beat up upon. Plus, the song is so darn uplifting. . . in a "I'm going to eat your brains" sort of way.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: "The Wino and I Know", -JB
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September 15th, 2009
01:53 pm - Accomplishments!
 Yow: the past week's been a bit of a speedy run downhill!
I've brought some projects to completion recently:
- I spent some time revising and revamping the Dedicants page on the ADF members' side so that it's a lot more descriptive, and also got the "new" edition (edited, finally!) up on the site.
- After that, I completed over half of Trance 2 on Saturday night at the Midnight Flame Festival (which already has dates for next year up).
- Then, this morning I completed and published the guidebook (see the cover on the right) for the ADF Order of the Crane. Once I have a copy of it in-hand (hopefully by Thursday), I think we'll be ready to go forward with the Order itself, which is completely "done" in terms of initial development.
It was a hell of a time to come back to real life and get back to work, though. The festival last weekend was amazing, as always, and I had a hell of a lot of fun. Plus, I got to spend around 16 total hours in the car with druidkirk talking about all sorts of nifty things, both within and without ADF.
The Trance 2 near-completion is what boggles my mind most of all, though: I didn't think I'd actually manage that before October, but now it seems I will. . . and in time for the Clergy Retreat, which also means that it'll be in time to get myself initiated into this new ADF Initiatory Current.
Then, I can tie the Order of the Crane into that current, as well, at least partially.
That's motivation, really. It's also a plan.
Wow, just. . . wow.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Big Rig", -JB
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September 2nd, 2009
01:54 pm - Order of the Crane: first steps
Time to let the Crane out of the Crane-bag, since both Skip and seamus_mcnasty have already done so on various fora :)
I have been spending a lot of time recently working on this Order of the Crane, which is partially a way to extend what our Grove does to the rest of ADF, but mostly a way to get people dedicated to doing work within their daily spiritual lives.
The focus will be on the Crane as a symbol of transformation and service: we expect to cover, in particular, healing and rites of passage (birth, marrying and burying), but also have a commitment to service projects (because what good, really, are transformative rituals if you can't be out there doing transformative work for others?). There's devotional work required, as well, but to join and do the work, it's really just a simple process. . . and you don't need to be a member to do the work, either.
It's a full curriculum, really, with very simple rules and reliant on existing SP's for some of the advancement work. The structure is pretty darn simple, and I'm starting to think that the skeleton we have is actually pretty neat.
In the past week or so, Seamus and I have worked out most everything we need: bylaws, devotional rites, a method of joining, a prepared e-mail list (with public archives), and (as of early this morning) an initiation rite. There's even a place to submit healing requests. We're up to about a 50 page guide for the Order, as well, with rituals and requirements set out pretty clearly. I'm just waiting on a few final things from Seamus to put the lid on it and call it "finished" (for now).
I'm not opening the pages up to many people yet, but they're at least as complete as some Guild pages, even if they're just sitting on the 3CG pages so far. We'll probably wait until the book is finished before we open the Order to new members. . . and I cannot wait to do that!
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: "Spending Money", -JB
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August 26th, 2009
03:16 pm - Summerland '09
 Really, I had a great time. There were highs and lows, as there are at every festival, but let me tell ya, the highs greatly outweighed the lows.
I managed to put together my tent on Wednesday night, though it was a hell of a battle in a very humid and hot afternoon. Then, I ran off to the Dayton airport to pick up Kathleen.
Thursday morning, I got in early and took care of distributing a few things around camp. Then I settled into my workshop. It interested me that people were excited about this one: I'd gotten such poor turnout at Wellspring, and here I found that people were actually looking forward to the workshop at Summerland. Oh, such different festivals :) There's an Oak Leaves article in store with this, and I hope to get it polished over the Winter.
I ended up going to bed very early on Thursday night, as work pressure just hasn't been letting up (I got called about an issue, even though my calendar was clearly marked: "vacation," though I didn't mind too much, really).
Friday was pretty good, starting with an awesome dawn ritual and culminating in the bardic circle and auction, where it turns out that we had way too much awesome stuff to auction off. I think the best part of the evening was watching Maggie run around in a backless red dress to show off auction items. Just before the Circle, though, I had some work to do: the ADF clergy have made a standing appointment based on lunar cycles, and I wasn't about to miss it. I'm so pleased I did, too, because it led to a grand experience the next day.
And, dude, if you missed the posting about several 3CG members engaging in a Barbershop (Barbarian) Quartet version of Led Zepplin's Immigrant Song, you just click that link and check it out.
On Saturday, I ended up doing a lot of Ancestor work: writing an invitation to them for the Unity Rite, I found myself going far deeper into the process than I expected to go. The result was a deeply meaningful understanding of the Ancient Wise, who they are, and what they do. This understanding led me to draw on images and lore that, until now, had been locked mostly within my own mind, and allowed me to introduce some of that imagery to the Folk of ADF. . . if they were paying attention, I guess. I hear, though, that the Ancestors invitation went very well for the most part.
On Saturday night, I participated in a panel discussion about various aspects of the future of ADF, which was something I was looking forward to talking about, but I admit to feeling somewhat disappointed: after all the work I put into my portion, I see that very few people found value in it. People have remarked about boredom during the discussion, or that it was a farce of unimportance. To those who engaged with it and enjoyed it, thank you for making it a useful and good discussion: I've seen one or two people describe it as useful, and several people engaged positively with it during the event. I really do this sort of stuff on the notion that a single person learning a single thing is enough for me, so I'm so very pleased I did it. Still, I have a notion that the discussion might have been better served in a workshop slot that was a bit less "okay, everyone attend"-like. It might have made me feel better in the long run, and less like the work I've done and continue to do is generally not worth the time of others.
Saturday night also led to several good conversations, some of which were rather eye-opening and theologically deep. I love this sort of thing at festivals, even if I did end up missing pretty much the entire concert as a result. I also understand that I went to bed at just the right time to avoid drama (really, going to bed before 1 AM is the best way to avoid drama at most festivals, as the drinking heats up around that point and so do the arguments: it's like clockwork).
Sunday involved the taking down of many tents, cleaning, cooking (I love being in the kitchen with the Cranes) and lots of hugs. Then a collapse at home for a couple of hours' worth of napping.
Awesome festival, though, like always! I love meeting new and interesting people from around ADF, and I was so very happy to see that so many people came from so far away to attend and sorely missed the people who couldn't be there. I hope that those who came felt as honoured to be our guests as we felt to be your hosts!
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: "Bob Robert's Society Band", -JB
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August 25th, 2009
07:10 am - Barbarian Quartet & Viking Kittens
See the awesome things you miss at Summerland if you stay at home?
Our inspiration was, clearly, Viking Kittens. I was hoping to get Maggie and tanrinia to be our kittens, but both said "No, no, and hell no." I would totally have bought them helmets and battle axes!
(Thanks to ravenna_blue for having the presence of mind to take video!)
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Good Guys Win", -JB
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August 13th, 2009
11:44 am - Wow: Moving right along, it seems
I look at where I am today in my CTP work and where I was just last week: I'm four questions away from completing CTP2.
I'm still struggling with the king/virgin dynamic (IE Studies 2) and the "why are deities jerks" question (IE Myth 2). I'm pending a book from the library by Maslach and Leiter about burnout (it seems to have been lost in the move from the Ackerman Stacks to the Thompson Stacks) to finish two questions in Leadership Development 1.
It is entirely possible that I could complete all four courses before Summerland, or even (if I get my book) before the "new" deadline I set for the first of them: Saturday.
CTP 2 is really the bear of the circles of study within our Training Program. It's heavy on academics and light on experience in some courses, and heavy on experience and light on academics in others. No matter who you are, you're going to hit a roadblock now and again. Being one of the first people to complete some of these courses made it worse, since druidkirk and I turned out to be guinea pigs for some pretty atrocious wording errors, minimum word counts, and repetitive questions.
Still overcoming those (annoyingly self-imposed, since I wrote most of them) obstacles has been highly educational.
Around 10:30 PM last night, I completed Ethics 1, ten questions I must admit I don't often ask myself. It was less research intensive than I expected, and more discussive of my personal thoughts and feelings. I learned a lot about myself in the process of answering those questions, too. Putting the Ethics 1 answers up is sort of like putting a naked picture of yourself up on the 'net, though: you wonder first if it's a good idea, and second who would even want to look at it?
I still have some outstanding submissions that were submitted but never reviewed, which isn't a big deal to me (though it appears that they're approaching a year of "just sitting"). I know that my work is good, and it's not like a "stamp of approval" has ever had an affect on my spirituality. Still, I suspect that at Summerland, I'll need to shove paper copies in front of the Clergy Council Preceptor and get them reviewed.
I cannot help but think though, about how impossible completion looked just two weeks ago, and how entirely possible it looks now. In fact, it looks like a foregone conclusion that I'll be finished by Summerland. It astounds me how much the simple action of re-setting my goal dates appears to have kicked me in the ass and gotten me moving.
I'm actually very eager to start on CTP3. Look for an update when I'm done with CTP 2 as to what my plan will be for the Third and Final Circle of the ADF Clergy training Program.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: excited
Current Music: "Summerzcool", -JB
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July 31st, 2009
01:15 pm - Many updates on life, work, and Summerland
Well, I was going to write about this awesome opportunity I received today to review articles for an honest-to-gods scientific journal, but then I saw the "Confidential Please" notice at the top of it and guess I oughtn't actually discuss it.
Anyway, I've been enjoying some good fortune recently, which is a nice change. Not that I ever had particularly "bad" fortune, but right now I'm feeling good about things, and I have been for a while. I'm even getting close to catching up on old mail that's been sitting in my in-box for a while (I'm up to July 1 or so, so barely a month behind: this is progress!).
I had an excellent performance review here at work, and my boss used words like "leadership," "initiative," and "reliable" when referring to my work. . . none of those words with a synonym of "lacking" modifying them. One of my projects is also referred to as "resulting in a major paradigm shift." I have found myself wondering if it'll make any difference when raises come out (if they do).
I have struggled to figure out an ADF social networking thing, and found that the damn thing is potentially out of my ability to figure out: I still don't know how to update MySpace, though I'm getting better with FaceBook. . . and Twitter is just. . . well, it's Twitter. I think I'm using it wrong, since I haven't Twittered while in the bathroom yet, or even to tell people I was going to go to the bathroom or reported on the results thereof. I'm pretty sure that's what Twitter was designed for. Trying to maintain the ADFDruidry Twit-stream (is that what they're called?) on top of my own has proven highly amusing at times.
I don't mind being socially inept in the real world, and I care even less that I'm socially inept in cyberspace: Web 2.0 seems to be primarily driven by the notion that I am the center of everyone else's universe. It's a silly notion, and it's led me to the conclusion that Web 2.0 is pretty darn silly, too.
I've been spending whatever free time I have (virtually none, admittedly) trying refine an article about the place of clergy within ADF. This riveting and exciting piece is unlikely to interest anyone outside of my own head, but it's in progress (and appears to be coming along nicely, actually). I'm looking forward to finishing this up, actually, though so far it raises more questions than answers.
Related to this, there's talk about ADF Orders going on. For the most part, I'm still hard-pressed on the utility of them: additional structure and such. Still, I'm working with them with a new interest after a discussion with seamus_mcnasty.
The other day, I got to use a healing prayer I once wrote for a friend undergoing surgery, and was a bit surprised to see it taken up by some others. I'd originally written it for someone else, but that's why we write prayers in advance and hang onto them: so that when the need arises, we have words for when there are no words.
And the Summerland presenter schedule is now up! Yeah! I hope to see many folk out at the festival, August 20-23! Oh, and I'll be presenting at the Dublin Irish Festival on Sunday (noon, Irish Traditions stage), the largest Irish Festival in the country (and entrance fees are waived if you arrive on Sunday before 11 AM)!
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: "Love and Luck", -JB
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July 13th, 2009
11:07 am - Workshop at the Dublin Irish Festival, August 2nd
I've noticed that the Grove is on the schedule for the Dublin Irish Festival this year. This is a huge, huge step for our Grove, one that we've been working on for a while. Special thanks go to April Ford for making this happen for us.
In years past, we had requested to do ritual at the Dublin Irish Festival, but had not heard back. This year, we were approached by our local community and asked to present at the festival on their behalf, and it was the community that went to the DIF and asked if they could be represented by us. That appears to have been the tipping point, and we're in.
DIF has provided this time to us partially to gauge interest in having a Pagan service on Sunday morning of the DIF next year. Having the community come out for the workshop we will be doing, "Ancient and Modern Druidry: Walking in Wisdom," is important, I feel, to making that happen.
Please do come out that morning (admission is free before 11 AM) and come to our noon workshop on August 2, 2009. Doing so may bring us closer to having a Druidic ritual at DIF next year, set up on par with the Gaelic Mass and the Protestant service.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: "Natives Are Restless", -JB
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July 8th, 2009
02:10 pm - Upcoming Projects
I have been, it is probably pretty clear, very un-project-oriented for the past year or so; since the revision of The Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year (affectionately known as WotY), I've put nearly all major projects on the back-burner, getting very little done.
Some projects have been finished: the ADF Clergy Training Program Circles 2 and 3 are now written and complete (though my own coursework is not), and the Liturgist Guild Study Program is also very close to "presentation-polished" for the rest of the Guild to look at. These are the result of minor things I did that were helped along amazingly by others, though, in my mind.
As things have become more. . . "normal" at work recently (for a while there it was balls-to-the-wall-day-and-night-what-the-hell-is-sleep-and-you-don't-get-to-be-parted-from-your-computer sort of stuff), I feel that old project-orientation coming back into play. So, in that spirit, here are a few things that I need to get caught up on, along with some thoughts on them.
- The Fire On Our Hearth (affectionately known as FooH): This is, as many of you know, the Grove's devotional book. We intended to get a "second edition" out around April 1 of this year, and it just. . . didn't happen. Mostly (okay, entirely), this is my fault: see above. But, as I look at a July that's pretty free of festivals and compulsory travel, I think we may be able to finish this out before Summerland, which would be pretty awesome.
- The Chronarchy.Com Store: This was originally going to supplement my income (it already has, to an extent, even though it's not open for business yet), and the stock includes things like portable altars, rune dice, Discordian Furthark dice, actual elder futhark rune sets, sigil dice, Greek divination tiles, and amulets. The issue has been an inability to create the requisite stock to actually open a store (I have a sneaking suspicion that the demand will be highest when it opens, and then it'll drop off). So, materials are prepared, I just haven't managed to make enough dice, rune sets, and altars to actually be comfortable opening the shop. I'd like to manage that soon, but it really requires a weekend without distraction to make three or four sets of any of these things.
- WotY: Edition 3: Since the "new" Dedicant Path handbook came out (sort of) recently, this is creeping up the list of things I need to do. For the most part, I need to update it so that it reflects the page numbers in the "new" DP book, as right now it's still referencing the old DP book. The current WotY outline can remain, of course, but
![[info]](http://www.chronarchy.com/images/userinfo.gif) Ian Corrigan has brought up an interesting point about it: it could be far less academic and far more of a real "working" document, with ritual texts, meditations, and deeper guidance. This concept excites me, and I honestly very much want to make it something less like a homework schedule and more like a course of spiritual study (though the homework schedule would remain). And this leads me to the next item: - An IP and CTP WotY: Recent discussions about Orders within ADF, the IP work that Ian Corrigan is doing, and some of my own comments about things I'd like to see within the CTP itself have led me into considering a more "as I go through this" sort of approach to a new WotY for the IP and CTP. There's room for as many IP/CTP training documents within ADF as we'd like to create, I think, and the more I think about this, the more excited I become about the whole prospect. This is a real thing in my mind, something that'll happen one of these days. As of now, though, it's partially unstarted, though the notes I'm taking are already taking some shape.
- The Trillium Project: sleepingwolf and I got this started at Trillium, and we've been working to expand it. . . This is likely to be the first project I finish, as I hope to send my part off to him sometime this week, if work doesn't hit the fan again.
So, those are the current projects I'm oriented toward and bringing online. They're all contingent on me continuing to work on my CTP work, and on work staying settled for a bit, but I think they're all doable.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "Son of a Son of a Sailor", -JB
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June 30th, 2009
09:20 am - Debt-Free¹
Today, I come to you from a wonderful place: completely debt-free. I dug myself out of the minor hole that I was in in just under six months as a result of a promotion, keeping naked cats in my attic for nearly a year, and being absolutely, downright miserly over the past year.
My dad would be so proud of the way I've handled money and opportunity recently. Actually, I know he is.
No matter what the debt is, it has a way of looking like it's way, way too big to overcome, especially when you're sitting under what looks like a mountain of it. I know the statistics, and I know that I wasn't anywhere close to the "average" debt people carry on their credit cards alone (the mean credit card debt was around $9,000 last I heard, with the median being closer to $2,000; it's probably higher now), but even the small sum I had seemed insurmountable less than a year ago.
Heck, there were times when I thought it was hopeless while I was in the middle of paying the damn thing down. . . even as recently as last month, I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to meet the expectations I had set for myself, that I would be unable to make it to the end of the month, and that I would end up spending even more time in debt than I had originally planned.
I found myself religiously checking my bank balances, my credit card statements, and adding up every penny I spent. I didn't buy anything I didn't need unless I was positive that I could manage to meet the expectations I had of myself, and I went without a lot of things in order to ensure that I was staying within budget.
I'd originally gone into light debt when I bought the house in 2002: there, I was making enough, but didn't have enough cash on hand for repairs, improvements, and painting. It's said that the average home-buyer pours an additional $5,000 into a house in the first year of ownership, and I probably did about that. Then my car finally died, and I had a car payment that was completely unexpected on top of my new mortgage.
There was a time when I figured it up, and I was spending a few dollars more each month than I was actually making at the time.
So things ballooned a bit, no matter how careful I tried to be. Soon, I was finding that even my modest debt was looking entirely uncontrollable. I didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel, and I didn't know that I would ever be able to pay it off. I quickly understood (and understand even better in hindsight) just how frightening debt can be, and how amazingly stupid it can make you feel. I now understand how people carry such balances for so long: there comes a point where you accept debt, and where you feel you will always live with it; and it comes fast and out of nowhere.
It wasn't until the car payments were complete this past December that I was able to start paying the debt down in a significant way. Then I picked up my promotion. Then I scrimped and saved and put everything I had into getting out of debt, buckling down at work and making things happen. And here, with planning and work, I stand now: debt free and finally really proud of myself.
Now I just need to make it to the end of the month without a relapse, and my next paycheck will become a cushion, not a "make ends meet" sort of thing. Given that I'm in better shape this month than I was last month (and have been seeing that trend since January), I think a relapse is very unlikely.
There's a light at the end of the debt tunnel: I'm living proof. While my debt wasn't grossly enormous, it also wasn't actually manageable. I carried it for nearly six years until the cards fell right. I'm not one to say that "anyone can do this if they just work harder. . ." I know, because I did work harder, and sometimes that's not enough. But I am one to say that it can be done, with a little luck, a little faith in yourself, and a lot of work and discipline over a long haul.
To all those who helped me out when I needed it, thank you. I promise to pay it forward.
¹ - except, of course, for the house. But the elimination of other debt makes my mortgage entirely affordable.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: jubilant
Current Music: "Spending Money", -JB
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June 24th, 2009
03:05 pm - Renewing OL
I see that it's coming to be about that time: time to renew my Oak Leaves subscription.
There was a while when I couldn't really afford OL, but man, I missed it terribly. It's a great little Mag, with all sorts of great items in it (and, often, on it), and the various editors we've seen have done a great job adding their own touches to it here and there ever since cortigiana took over the editing years ago. I've also enjoyed writing for it and submitting things: speaking of, I probably ought to look at what more I can scrape together to submit here soon!
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "Tryin' to Reason with Hurricane Season", - JB
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May 25th, 2009
09:49 pm - Wellspring 2009: Moving Forward
I have to say, as festival years go, this one seems to be the one with the best feelings and generally the best weather I've ever been involved with so far.
Coming off Wellspring now, I'm starting to see patterns: 1) This year's festivals are smaller, more intimate affairs. 2) The festivals have a different energy, one that has been better across the board. 3) I've seen things getting resolved instead of complicated. 4) Each festival is bringing us closer to resolution on particular items that are organization-wide.
I was happy to hear of a couple of particular patch-ups between people that occurred, actually, and to see some change in activity (though on Sunday night I realized that bad gossip may never go away. . . which is okay, since I created some good gossip of my own. . . ask about how I created electricity in my pants!).
The Annual Meeting was particularly good: it was nice to hear about all the things being done for ADF, as well as hearing solutions presented for issues that have been raised over and over. I look forward to completing several of the items I got to personally address, as well as many items others addressed.
Of course, it's clear to me that I simply haven't done enough with the SP's of ADF: that point is drilled back into me all the time (I actually felt that I wouldn't have anything to say when Raven asked for my report, but fortunately, he didn't ask for a report: instead, he allowed me to elaborate on changes that are in place and that will occur). As Jimmy relates from a bar stool in Captain Tony's Saloon: "There's still so much to be done." It's clear to me that we have a long way to go, no matter how visibly excited I may be about what we have accomplished.
The main rite on Sunday night was powerful and deep, possibly one of the most powerful I've ever been to. Right now, I'm ranking it around #3 in my ADF experience, with the Belenos Rite at Summerset 2005 as #1, and my Consecration as #2.
The best part, though, was the note I found on my windshield just before I left, addressed to me but really for the Cranes as a whole. It seems that we had made one member's experience with ADF brighter simply by being who we are: open, outgoing and hospitable. I'm so proud of my Grove and all we've done, and reading the note made my heart burst with pride.
I read the note to the Cranes at lunch when I caught up with them in Erie, PA. I think they were as touched as I was.
All that said, this year is a year to go to festivals: if you can manage it, please, please do yourself a favour and get to one. And if it's Summerland, so much the better :)
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: "Tryin' to Reason with Hurricane Season", - JB
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May 9th, 2009
07:56 am - Passing Div2, and a review of my work for a change
 Wow. I got an e-mail about a week and a half ago from Ian Corrigan saying that my Divination 2 papers were "exemplary" . . . I admit, I had no such thoughts myself. I thought they would be somewhat average.
Among the comments he returned to me were these:
- I should write a booklet on runes based on my answers to Req 5
- A short article such as "Are the Runes a Magical Alphabet?" should be submitted to OL
- The creation of a bind-rune I did for one reading was, and I quote, "good cunning-work." This is an awesome phrase to me
- He and I go in completely opposite directions when it comes to public ritual, though: while you'll rarely hear me offer the names of runes, often giving only an interpretation, Ian only gives the name and translation and lets folks figure out the meanings on their own.
I thought his final comment was best, though, as when speaking about a rune reading that we did in public that had a major affect on ADF (that one truly cold Yule when the Grove was first founded; some of you may recall it), he said:
- Almost like there was something wyrd going on, innit?
Just. . . wow ;)
Over the last year or two, I've become a lot more in-depth with my reviewing, returning positive comments along with negative ones (should they be necessary) and trying to help the student flesh things out if they'd like to. It's nice to get a response like this one, because it helps to verify that the system I've been developing is something worth doing.
I don't really feel that I can just say, "Oh, you passed." I find it important to highlight certain parts of the piece that I really liked, and discuss what I liked about them. By the same token, we can't just say, "Oh, you didn't pass. Re-write it." If something doesn't pass, I always explain why, and offer suggestions for passage if I can.
This sort of reviewing takes a lot more time, though, and sometimes it's downright hard: I've occasionally come across something so bad that I didn't know what to do with it and had to struggle to find some positives to return. Rare as that is (it's probably happened twice in the past several years), I've believed it important enough to ensure that I've done all I can to make it happen.
Attempting to do this little thing is part of what I do to make ADF a bit brighter, and receiving a review back that's along those same lines makes me feel great about what I'm doing with reviews.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: creative
Current Music: "The Wino and I Know", -JB
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April 21st, 2009
05:56 pm - Trillium 2009, and a joyful return
It's true that I haven't missed a Trillium in five years, but it's also true that I don't think I've ever said, "Let's get out of the sun" at Trillium, either, until this year.
Trillium is that festival, you know? It's the one that, the first time you went to it, you said, "Wow, I really need to go to more festivals, because this is awesome!" It's the festival that turns you on to the festival circuit in ADF, that kicks off a year of camping and seeing old friends and meeting new ones all over again.
In short, Trillium reminds me why I'm an ADF member, year after year. It is the closest thing ADF has to a true Spring of Renewal, and I cannot imagine a festival season without it.
Though I was late coming to Trillium this year (I arrived at 2:30 AM on Saturday morning, missing two days of the festival), it didn't at all affect the amount of joy I felt at simply being there. Met by sleepingwolf and Chris at the fire that night, we spoke for a while before I finally put up my tent (in the usual campsite) and fell asleep.
The next morning, I finished my presentation and then went out for a stroll. It was a real pleasure to visit with folks for a very extended period of time for a change, to not be hurrying to the next workshop or worrying about ritual parts. Of course, then I was asked to take the omen at the main rite, so I guess I did end up with a part.
My workshop was entitled "An Awfully Big Adventure: Signposts on the Final Journey of Indo-European Souls," and it focused on the journey a soul experiences in the "generic" IE afterlife (with culturally specific information thrown in to make it applicable, of course). I had been listed on the schedule as "Surprise!" because I had utterly failed to get valkyrvolva a title for the workshop since I'd had so little breathing time to reply to her mailings before the actual event.
I like to think that my workshop was a pleasant surprise. I know it was for me, because in writing the workshop, I came to a new understanding of death and how I, myself, see it. But that's for another time.
After my workshop, I ran into town to do some thrifting (because Trillium is nothing without thrifting, so say I!), and then came back for the main rite, where I did some divination once I realized it was my turn to do something.
At the ritual, we were also privileged to meet Margaret, a new addition to the ADF family, and a beautiful baby girl. druidkirk did a beautiful presentation of the child to the folk (don't listen to him if he tells you he screwed up), and we all got to meet her up close.
The omens for the rite were:  ,  , and 
The bardic circle was great, with acousticdryad leading the thing. I remember the first time I heard her singing at Wellspring so many years ago (I honestly thought it was a recording of some great artist at the time), and her voice just gets better every time I hear it. She kept the Bardic Circle running smoothly and gave it an oh-so-subtle push when it started to run out of steam. The Circle itself ran long into the night, with some drumming, but mostly people telling stories about their encounters with divinity, singing a song, or telling a joke. In all, it was one of the best Bardic Circles I think I've ever been at.
Sunday morning saw me up early again, and I grabbed breakfast (an awesome fudgesicle) with druidkirk and then caught up with sleepingwolf for a project that we decided simply needed to be done. I stuck around a bit to discuss next year's Trillium (the theme will be "magic" and I've volunteered to present on "Creating Magical Entities" already), and am already looking forward to doing this all again.
I have to say, it was one amazing weekend. I'm so much more relaxed today than I was when I left on Friday: good friends, good conversation, and a comfortable place to sleep will do that for you, though.
Yeah, I wouldn't trade my Trillium experiences for anything in the world.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: satisfied
Current Music: "Wonder Why We Ever Go Home", -JB
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