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December 15th, 2009
06:29 am - CTP 3 Progress
For those who didn't see, I've got a new plan for completion of CTP 3. I wanted to give a bit of an update on that plan.
At the moment, I'm done with Leadership Development 2, and I've got Ethics 2 in for review. I'm one question away from completing Crisis Response (I'm just missing my First Link directory, which must be around here somewhere!), so I should be ready to submit that when Ethics 2 is approved. Theatre for Ritual 1 is the next big course to complete, and I think it'll be an enjoyable one: I get to make a movie (sorta)! (Kirk kind of set the bar high on that, so I need to rock it out.) I'm most of the way done with Liturgy Writing 2 and Special Occasion Rituals, and am involved in the Liturgy Practicum 2 journal process.
You know, when I write all that up, it doesn't seem like I'm so far from done. I might actually manage it before Summerland, as originally planned. Maybe folks who want to see an ADF Ordination should think about travel plans, though that may be optimistic. :)
I have found it rather appropriate (and helpful) to set goals for myself to work through the courses. Doing that immediately upon finishing a circle has been good for me, and when I miss a deadline (I blew by my CTP 2 deadlines last year, missing them by a mile), re-setting that deadline is helpful.
The process of submit/review/return/resubmit/review/approve is sometimes tedious, but generally it is working out fine. We've been working with a new system for reviewing work in CTP2 and the IP, and I've set a personal goal of a 1-week turn-around with clear communication of those expectations for courses that I work on. I hope that, at some point, all CTP work (regardless of reviewer) will have that expectation.
Fortunately, I only have a couple of students in CTP 2, and those working through the IP aren't submitting much at the moment, so this goal is pretty easy now.
I sometimes wonder what I'll do when I finish CTP 3: we have a few CTP courses that are currently optional, and I will need to do some continuing education, but I'm not a huge fan of the "merit badge collection," despite the number of SP's I've finished in my time in ADF; I don't climb mountains "because they're there" (though I suppose I do occasionally climb them to pee on them). I wonder, sometimes, if I'll just make time for other ADF projects (like checking and answering personal e-mail, something I suck at recently), or if I'll hit the end and find myself wondering what more there is. I think I love to learn a bit too much.
I suspect that I'll spend time doing what I have always done: building bridges for the next person who comes this way.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: "Good Guys Win", -JB
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October 12th, 2009
02:06 pm - A series of oaths, a series of changes
You know, in many ways, the initiation I went through changed the game I was playing, deepening it and setting new rules. I like to talk about Huizinga's notion of Homo Ludens as vastly superior to Eliade's Homo Religiosis, but I find myself encountering Huizinga's theories on a very real and intimate level in my life.
The rules have changed for me a few times since I started in ADF: my Patron Oath, Dedicant Oath, Consecration Oath, and now my Initiation Oath have all changed the rules ever so slightly, but also so significantly.
My Patron Oath brought me into deeper relationship with Esus and Eris, and it has led to many great things while keeping me grounded and flexible all at once. New rules included building commitment while also deepening understanding in exploration and boundary-pushing.
My Dedicant Oath led me to a place where I was committed in a new way to Our Druidry, where my world was re-framed and brought into sharp focus. There, a new cosmovision sprang forth, and my life has since been filled with spirits and allies I never dreamed would be available to me before. This was pivotal in how I viewed the world.
My Consecration Oath turned a corner I did not expect, and brought me to a place of deeper piety and unfathomable commitment to the rites and rituals of Our Druidry. It also provided me with a commitment to "pay forward" that which I had learned, to bring that training to others and help others through it.
My Initiation Oath took me through deep passages in the earth and high corridors of stars in the heavens, and provided me with new tools and new focus, both in terms of the practical work I had done to get to that point, and in terms of the lessons learned from initiation. It is as if I am seeing the cosmos for the first time, and I understand fully my place within it.
My next oath will be an oath at Ordination, I suspect. I don't know what it will bring, but I can only tell you that it will likely redefine this cosmos yet again, and I am likely to see the world through new eyes, and to have new training and lessons with which to focus them, yet again.
I am excited to see where this leads, and to learn what I can do to help lead others through the mists whose paths become known. In all cases, though, any change that may come requires me to accept the new rules. This is not as simple as saying "yes, I agree to these rules." It is a complicated process of discovering the new rules, agreeing to abide by them, and then acting in accordance with them: recognition, agreement, and action. These are the three steps my oaths have taken and will take.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: awake
Current Music: "Travelin' Clean", -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 ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) 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 2nd, 2009
08:50 am - Finished with the ADF Initiate Path work
Trance 2 is now in the bag, pending approval.
I need to submit it, though I still have two courses that have been submitted with outstanding reviews. I should have Trance 2 in sometime today.
I had to pack everything this morning, so I did something I rarely do for festivals: I packed myself down with sacrifices of all types, grabbed nearly all my ritual gear, and made it so that I was prepared for just about any ritual eventuality. I admit, I've intentionally avoided discussions of initiation on some lists because I didn't want to spoil the mystery, but this leaves me in a bit of a quandary when it comes to what to expect.
I don't know whether my courses will be reviewed on time for the initiation on Saturday night (and it sounds to me like the initiation will be wet and very cold, if we're going to be doing this outside).
I do know, though, that if my courses are graded and passed, and then if I can manage to pass the initiation (I do know it's possible to fail), I'll be able to start some of the work I'm really dying to get into. More importantly, since we've generally agreed that it takes three initiates to make another initiate, having two of us initiated will help us spread that current more broadly and easily.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/confused.gif) curious
Current Music: "Trouble on the Horizon", -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 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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August 7th, 2009
02:45 pm - Virgins, Kings, and CTP roadblocks
As I wait (and wait, and wait and wait some more) for the Windows 7 image to download to my hard drive, burn to a disk, and get uploaded to the software site I maintain, I end up reflecting on many things regarding my CTP work.
First, it seems that I'm not real good with the "King-and-Virgin" interaction in various IE cultures. Sure, there are Celtic ones, but I'm displeased by the lack of other cultures. I posted on my LJ the other day that sometimes the ADF Clergy Training Program questions are harder for me because I wrote so many of them, and this is a solid example. I'm avoiding the use of the Mahabharata as long as possible, as it's so well into the classical Hindu age of India that I don't know what to do with it. And I don't really want to talk about Math's feet all that much on the Celtic side.
This, of course, puts me in a hell of a position regarding that question. I don't really want to break down and re-gurge something, but I might have to. I think I'll spend part of my weekend reading Enright's Lady With a Mead Cup and see what's in there, and possibly pick at the Usas/Indra relationship some. If nothing else, at least it'll be more interesting and less like a bad Telemundo soap opera.
I've also noticed the limitation of another question, which asks for two examples of a deity engaging in unethical behavior. This is all well-and-good, but I think I'd intended it to read something more along the lines of "a usually ethical deity engaging in unethical behavior." Obviously, it's just too easy to talk about Loki or Eris there, and answering with either of them would sort of defeat the purpose of the question. The aim was more to examine what causes "good gods to do bad things," and I think I failed in writing that question as well as I'd have liked.
Still, some questions are coming along swimmingly, and if I can manage to stay on track, I may be able to complete two courses this weekend: IE Studies 2 and IE Myth 2. Sometimes I wonder what we were thinking when we expected that these courses could all be done in a single year. Of course, it doesn't help that we've been writing them as we go along (fortunately, they're now complete through Circle 3).
I have books on order for Ethics 1 (I hope they're good sources for the questions I need answered), and I have a notion that Leadership Development 1 is going to be a bear, as well. Trance 2 is proving to be an issue of "I just can't get started on finishing it" more than anything else, but fortunately, I don't actually need to do Trance 2 for anything. . . except the ADF Initiate Path, in which it's the last required course I haven't submitted.
Anyway, here's hoping I can get something done in the next two weekends. I'll put this out here now:
Summerland 2010 is my target for Ordination as a Third Circle ADF Priest. Everything I've been working at has been with that in mind. That's my goal. I expect to make it.
Now I just gotta get past Circle 2.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/sad.gif) bored
Current Music: "Smart Woman (In a Real Short Skirt)", -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 18th, 2009
03:15 pm - CTP work and an ambush by the Creative Commons license
Not long ago (in fact, about two weeks ago), I got re-involved with my IP/CTP work. Something's been tripping me up, though, and I realized that it's a combination of two things:- Time to look up sources when I'm at home, and
- Some weird notion that I've done all the "easy" stuff.
Really, there's nothing in the CTP that's easy, and nothing in the CTP that's hard. It just all is. I just need to take the time to do it, and soon. Clock's a-tickin'.
I also discovered (and was somewhat appalled to discover this) that some of my work has been released under the Creative Commons license. While I'm about as kopyleft as you can get with my work, I am rather opposed to it having anything to do with Creative Commons, particularly without my permission. The restrictions on the CC licenses bug the crap out of me, honestly (of course, with my pleasure at working in a kopyleft framework, I should point out that it only bugs me because the Attribution tag means that people have to say they got it from me, while the ShareAlike tag means that derivative works must also be under the CC license, both of which I feel are unfair restrictions).
Amusingly, all work is automatically copyrighted, so one must go through and de-copyright it to make it kopyleft. I rarely get around to that. I do occasionally use the "©" symbol, more because there is no reversed symbol available in regular HTML, and it really is just simpler to type "all work © MJD" than saying "all work copyleft by MJD". The © you see on my site is left over from before I knew about kopyleft, actually: I just haven't changed it (mostly because I'd have to do it by hand on every page. . . poor planning).
Still, the CC license annoys me because it insinuates things about my work that aren't true. At least with copyright, people will ask if they can use it or ignore the copyright altogether (both of which are cool by me). With CC, they think they're free to use it but have to use it in specific ways, which is not cool by me.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/angry.gif) annoyed
Current Music: "Desperation Samba (Halloween in Tijuana)", -JB
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May 26th, 2009
10:04 am - Projects, and a small haircut. A trim, really.
Wellspring [review] has me back in the swing of spirituality, I think. I've got two study programs to finish my own work on (there's an odd, sudden urgency to finishing Trance 2. . . I wonder why?), as well as numerous projects that are in a stage of complete-or-almost-complete that just need that last little bit of work to create the report. Putting the Clergy Training Program to bed is liberating, but it also brings me back around to the next project, which is the completion of the Liturgist Guild Study Program, which needs to be written.
Oh, and as some have noticed, my hair is now cut a tad shorter.
( Donation Photos )
I've sent my hair off to Wisconsin for redistribution into a wig. It's a bit odd, sending hair off like that (the magician in me cringes at the thought), but it's good hair: thick, long, and never, ever treated with any sort of chemical or dye. I picked Pantene mostly due to the fact that they accept hair as short as 8 inches, which meant that more of my hair was likely to be used. They give hair specifically to women who have cancer, though that didn't factor much into my decision: I don't really care if it's a woman or a child, or if they have cancer or have just gone bald.
I just hope that someone enjoys the hair, and that it helps get them through what they're facing in life.
And for the record, no, I do not miss long hair (I actually hated it with a pretty intense passion), nor will I be doing this again in the foreseeable future. I loved doing it once, but I don't know if I'll ever be up for another round.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: "God's Own Drunk", -JB
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October 18th, 2007
09:07 am - Ritual Stress, and Unstressing
Yesterday, well: it was rough. Mostly, I had a rite that I really wanted to go well last night, but which I was really, really worried about. I'd spent a lot of time working through songs and trying to get them ready to go, and to learn them, only to end up forgetting melodies and underestimating the time needed to learn them.
Work has put me under more stress than usual, as well: I've been working my ass off for five solid weeks with no end in sight. Combine that with my usual pre-ritual anxiety and you have one basket-case of a priest.
It wasn't until I began to ritually pack the altar items we'd need that I finally started to calm down. There's something about going through the rite and all the stuff that's remarkably calming on me.
In the end, it turned out not to be the quality of our singing that was vitally important to Cantlos, our "ritual of songs" for this Druid Moon; it was the amusement and joy I saw on people's faces around the fire. Between forgotten words, failed reading of the lyrics, and our Grove's general "I-don't-sing" sentiment, the rite was full of songs and laughter and new jokes. Honestly, it was rather fun.
Props to the Grove for that processional, btw. Definite props.
I wouldn't have ever dared to do a ritual with that many songs and that little rehearsal as a public rite, but as a Grove rite, it was a lot more relaxed and fun. It may not have been as excellent as we could have made it, but we certainly learned a lot from it (like next Sept., we're going to need a meeting where all we do is rehearse songs for this ritual, and write new ones).
And boy, my Trance Journal got a hell of an entry on last night. I'm still not sure what to think of all that, but I see a lot of room for improvement on induction and focus.
We've a long way to go toward excellence with this particular rite, but I think we can manage it well. We have a year to look at it again, and the omens were not at all bad, though I think that the Powers were perhaps a bit confused by the shear number of songs we used, and possibly by the number of people making up songs on the fly, a la druidkirk. The omens are speaking to me more strongly this morning.
A favourite part of the rite last night, though, was after the rite: sitting and singing/listening to karaoke with the Grove. I was there until 11:30 (when I figured our hosts might like to get some sleep. . .)
The next Druid Moon Rite, Samonios, is already in the formal planning stages now; I'll be chatting with the Grove tonight about what they'd like to do at the next Druid Moon. I suspect that removing the variable of *that many* songs will help a lot in the planning (and my subsequent stress). But I'm particularly looking forward to December's Druid Moon Rite, where we get to go back to doing initiations for a night.
That's something I really look forward to doing again.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "What if the Hokey-Pokey is All It Really Is About?", -JB
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August 2nd, 2007
10:43 am - Perhaps my dullest update ever
After encountering the weirdest error ever on my computer, commonly referred to as a "stop error" (which is not all that uncommon, really. . . but it caused a restart with no warning and no chance to halt, save, or terminate an offending program, whichever one it was, which is surprisingly not something I have seen happen so severely before), I slipped out of the office and went home.
There, I set about doing more cleaning in the house until 11, when I decided to watch an episode of As Time Goes By, a rather amusing and quaint show that I very much enjoy for a variety of reasons, most of which are rather incomprehensible outside of my own mind. If the DVD set wasn't $132.99 (on sale), I'd be buying it.
After that, I spent the evening working on the ADF Clergy Training Program, trying to get these two courses, Divination 2 and Trance 1 out of the way. Once those are finished, I can get back into helping to create further courses. I will be spending my next few lunches working on these courses, I think. If I manage two per night (like I did last night), I think I can finish it in about two weeks. Minus the 5-month journaling requirement for three courses, of course.
The aim, I suppose, is to be through the Inititate Program by early next year. Right now, I feel like I'm on a relaxing, easy pace, like it will get done in plenty of time and well before I wanted to actually be done. It does not hurt that I realized I was already journaling on something I was supposed to be doing, anyway.
I cannot describe how relaxed I feel since Tuesday. It was a much-needed vacation.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: relaxed
Current Music: "Landfall", -JB
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May 30th, 2007
10:21 am - Wellspring 2007 - Just. . . wow.
 Wellspring, this year, was very, very good. Between my very first six hour ritual and having Isaac, ADF's founder, shout, "You troublemaker you!" at me, I can't really find much fault. (See Sunday for both of those oddities, plus some.)
( Thursday )
( Friday )
( Saturday )
( Sunday )
( Monday )
The last person I saw from Wellspring was Brian, who passed me just north of Columbus on I-71 while I was fumbling around to dig out my altar for my sunset ritual. (Yes, I sometimes do my sunset ritual while driving. Sue me.) :) I made it back to Columbus around 9 PM on Monday night, feelin' damn good.
Miss you all, all over again.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: grateful
Current Music: "We Are The People Our Parents Warned Us About", -JB
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March 13th, 2007
10:30 am - More CTPing
 Last night, I turned in at about 1 AM, after writing four of the essays for Magic 2. I simply couldn't hold my eyes open anymore.
I should be finishing the final two non-practice requirements tonight (I've been using my new-found lunch hours to outline my responses to wonderful effect), and then moving on to Divination 2.
I pushed for a much more verbose (and, resultantly, intensive) Divination 2 course originally. Most seers would have been able to take their CTP studies and publish a book on just the essays alone, if my original idea had gone through. I admit to being happy it did not. I should be able to complete Div. 2 in about a week, I imagine, with a couple of key exceptions:- The 5-month journal (which should match up some with my Magic2/Trance1 journal)
- Nine divinations done for others (for those I've done divination for, you'll get an email or note asking permission before I publish)
- Three omens taken by me in public ritual (a clergy-only requirement for Div 2)
Once that's done, I'll start in on the journaling, and I expect the next five months of my life to be pretty darn busy with trancework, magical work, and divination work. I find that the work I'm doing is intensely personal, and if the CTP's journaling experiences are anything like the Lit. Practicum 1 journaling experience was, well, I'll be having a hell of a good run.
I understand why priests in most other religions don't have dayjobs :) The dayjob gets in the way of studying (you can't study while you're maintaining email accounts, I've found), which means that you have to make time for your studying during what used to be "personal time" that was outside your other job: being clergy. Of course, a lot of my time designated as "personal" has recently also been "on-call," but I actually like that (odd as that sounds) and don't find myself minding if it continues to increase.
Anyway, by the end of the day today, I expect to be finished with all but two requirements for Magic 2. By the beginning of next week, I should be finished with all but one requirement for Divination 2. After that, I'll work on Trance 1 (I should have enough time over spring break to finish up the non-practice requirements there). Once I've finished Trace 1, I'll start my journaling and practicum for those courses.
I'm looking forward to it all!
[side note: while searching for a picture to match this entry, this freaked me out.]
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Bama Breeze", -JB
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December 6th, 2006
09:10 am - Articles for Oak Leaves
When I first read the article on miscarriages four weeks ago, I wanted to re-write it for Oak Leaves with ADF in mind (it came from a Christian-leaning clergy journal). Last week, I ran the original article by mazisexton, who agreed that the source material was an excellent starting point for such an article. I think I'll be working that article up in the very near future. It's an important one to me for a variety of reasons, and I really want to write it.
The next issue of Oak Leaves involves "Magic and Ritual" as its primary theme. With the Initiate Program coming out and the new Core Order of Ritual being talked about, I realize that the timing couldn't be better.
Of course, we have to make sure that some articles are written about those topics. . . submission deadline is 1/1/07, barely 3 weeks!
I have suddenly realized that I really need to get busy, and soon on essays relating to these topics.
And so should all ya'll out in LJ-land, because you know you have something to submit. . .
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Up On the Housetop", -JB
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December 5th, 2006
10:58 am - Traveling, dinner, and adding in more training to ADF
"Gods do not, generally, have a lot to say, but what they do say is worth listening to."
-Phil Hine, Pseudonomicon Last night's Feast of Saint Barbara went well: I managed not only to cook enough food for everyone but also to do it in a timely manner. Tina, Maggie, tesinth, and singingwren all joined me for dinner, and I think I managed to get enough things that people liked that everyone ate their fill.
Of course, I cooked things I can't pronounce (or spell), but that's what makes it an adventure.
It appears that the ADF Initiate Program will be up and running in the very near future. . . I'm excited to see how this program is received by the general membership. We'll have a bare-bones study guide up and available as well as all the courses. It's just pending a confirmation of approval from the ADF Council of Lore.
Oh, and Greece. . . I have my itinerary set (April 6-14, 2007), I just have to make sure it happens right in my office. . . There's some conflicting vacation to work out between myself and a co-worker, but I don't think it's major. Then I need to find a cheap flight. . . At the moment, things aren't looking too promising on that front.
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: "Kick It In Second Wind", -JB
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