Ad Astra Grove ADF
  • By-Laws
  • Druid on the Prairie

Hades

5/3/2012

0 Comments

 

I know I get odd looks when I say this, but since I am typing this and can’t see your face... Hades is one of my patrons.  He has come to me in the most gentle spirit, and I have fallen in love.    

He is keeper of our dead and rewarder of those who walked justly in life, and this is something I think gets forgotten about.  Elysium is his, as well as Tartarus.  All those images of Heaven that Christians talk about, yeah those are Elysium, and gold bricked roads make more sense when you are the owner of all the riches in the ground.

I would like to take the time to remind everyone that he is not just a God of death (actually, he isn’t a God of death so much, since that is Thanatos, but is instead the ruler of the dead, which is very different), but is the God of all the riches in the Earth.  This would include that rather dark stuff that is used to propel our cars forward down the road, the sparklies on our gold and silver jewelry, as well as all those lovely stones that we use in various ways in Pagan circles.

Hades has given me a calling. He has been kind and patient as I work out how best to complete this task he has given me.  He has called me to aid those who are passing from this world and into the next.  He asked me to show compassion and to provide support as others take this journey that in the end we all take.  Just as Hades wept to the music of Orpheus, he has called me to sing to the tears of those left behind, and ease their loved ones.

Hades 
Protector of our dead
first born 
the one who makes life possible
without death there is no life
Hades I sing to you my love
I have seen your tears
I know your compassion
Hades
giver of great wealth
be with us as we pass
provide for us a place
when we take our last
Hades 
Protector of our dead
Picture
0 Comments

Holidays

5/2/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
With astronomical Beltane just around the corner, my mind is turning toward the holidays, and what they have come to mean to me. When I first stepped out onto the Pagan path, I started my walk with the 8 Sabbaths being my way to prove my commitment to myself. Holidays have always been religiously tied in my mind, and by experiencing the wheel of the year, I figured I would get a feel for what this new religion was all about.  

The first holiday I celebrated was Lughnasa. For this holiday my family (even the rather bewildered spouse) went into the backyard and held a picnic in the garden.  I remember talking to the kids about what the harvest meant.  I had made a loaf of bread and we chatted about where the wheat had come from to make it. Well, by we, I mean husbandman and myself.  The kids were so young, I doubt much of it went in.  Aria wasn’t even really talking much then. Those first years I left much of the religious stuff out of the family holiday celebrations, but I slowly added more every year.

After starting the Grove, the kids began to experience the High Days with rituals as well as our family discussions. They have come to understand that the holidays are religious times as well as times of growth, cold, harvest, or just really big dinner nights.  Aria has come to adore giving sacrifices to the Nature Spirits, and often asks about which Deities we will be celebrating.  She is still bummed that we don’t do group rituals with Isis or Horus, but she understands that we can still do that as a family; just not with the Grove. 

My children are growing up with holidays that are very much different from what I had.  I hope that they feel the deeper sense of connection to the world and its rhythms that I have come to experience as we celebrate.  The holidays have indeed been a way into a deeper understanding of my faith and the world.  Just as ritual often speaks to that deeper, unconscious self, the holidays speak to my soul in a language so profound that words would be meaningless.  


My extended family (MIL, Parents, ect.) still do not know that we celebrate these times of year, and this makes what we do a tad downplayed.  The kids understand that the grandmas and grandpa don’t have the same special times of year.  I feel very sad about this, but also don’t want to deal with the headache that would ensue should we be more open.  It just feels as if we are somehow ashamed of what we celebrate, and I don’t want the kids to think that what we do is somehow wrong.  So, the question this Beltane is whether to come out or not?  Again, not so sure it is worth the headache, since we don’t have much interaction with my ‘rents, and Hubby’s mom kinda has a sense of what we do, even if she doesn’t completely know what it is about (mainly because I think she just doesn’t want to know.  I think she still is hoping this is just a passing phase and that we’ll come back to Jesus eventually). Everyone else in my life knows. Hell, I’ve given sermons (that is with a ‘s’) on Paganism at our Church. Maybe it is disrespectful not to tell them, or maybe it is just better this way.  It is definitely easier.


1 Comment

Growth

4/30/2012

0 Comments

 
Growth is one of things that I tend to wonder about. I wonder how on Earth it happens at all, and how best to measure it?  How do I make it happen, if I even can make it happen? Spiritual growth is extremely hard to quantify, at least for me.  I am never sure what to measure it against.  

After moving to my new religion, I measured my new growth against the feelings and experiences of the old. This doesn’t really satisfy, because the old religion of my childhood ain't the religion I have come to embrace. The new experiences, in many ways, are not as intense, but they are a great deal deeper and more meaningful (not to mention frequent).  My childhood religion was re-enforced by everyone around me, even by the greater culture at large, but the new is more of a solitary venture in many ways.  The old defined who I was by what I believed, the new doesn’t really seem to care too overly much what I believe.

Who I am as a Druid is not defined by my beliefs, while at the same time those beliefs are exceptionally important to me personally. My actions, my way of doing ritual, my daily practice... these are the things that define me and make me a Druid.  Actions are physical manifestations of beliefs, but sometimes the actions help to foster a new way of thinking. 

My daily practice has been this type of "action creating belief."  I light the candle and pray.  I feel the presence of the spirits and I begin to believe they are with me. When I let my daily practice stop, I begin to feel the distance begin to seep in. 

They say Paganism is an experiential faith, so how do you experience it? How do you define your own spiritual growth?
Picture
0 Comments

Gaia

4/27/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sweet Mother Gaia, everything starts with her.  Life, both mundane and divine, owes its existence to the ground below our feet. Tiny, little adjustments to the tilt of our planet, the amount of water, how far she swings from the sun, makes all that we experience on this world possible.  We are her children, but it is not just us who call her mother.  The Gods and nature spirits owe the Earth Mother a debt for their exsistence. I think it is right that most creation myths start with her.  An ADF ritual’s first offering is often to the Earth Mother, and this is proper.  Just as life starts with the Earth, so should our rituals. She upholds us, and all we do.
0 Comments

Finding my voice

4/26/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
Spring and early summer...The only thing I want to do is to sit on the grass and watch the world spin.  This is also the time of year when my depression seems to always hit hardest.  I sometimes think that it is because the weather is so unpredictable.  One day it will be glorious enough to make me want to praise life. The next day it will be cold and a dark that is made all the worse for having had such a beautiful day preceding it.  Other times I think it is because I can’t do what I want. Let’s face it, the kids can’t quite take care of themselves yet...okay, neither can the house or animals. I find I tend to get very distracted by the roller coaster of wants verses needs. Now that things have calmed down a tad, I can find the balance needed to reconnect with my spiritual work.  

Spiritual work really is hard work. It takes discipline and commitment.  It is worth the time and energy.  I know this in my head and heart, but for what ever reason that doesn’t seem to stop me from putting down the labor of growth from time to time. I find my depression is magnified when I let this side of my life go by the way side.  While I know this, it seems to make it all the harder to pick the work back up again. Maybe it is guilt? I get trapped in a miasma of inertia that spins me further down, till all I want is to sleep.  Maybe this is my body’s way of getting me ready for a huge growth spurt on the spiritual/emotional side, but mostly I think it is just a cycle that needs to be broken.  


I am proud of myself for not letting my trance work slip this time, but my divination progress is officially in the dumps and in desperate need of jumper cables. If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed my writing went a bit by the way side as well.  Writing has been difficult, because I couldn’t seem to force myself to sit long enough to get anything down.  It is time to find my voice again.  It is time for me to get up off my lazy ass and get to work.


2 Comments

Fire Hymn

3/16/2012

0 Comments

 
Hestia, 
fire of my family 
home,
You receive both first and last,
Goddess in physical reality
Sacred fire that makes this place mine
Protectress of my family
warmth of my soul
heat on my skin
greatest of alchemy 
You bring the smoke that takes my prayers
my heart’s moans made something more
Scared fire,
essential force of creation
Blessed Hestia
fire of my being
Picture
0 Comments

Evil

3/13/2012

2 Comments

 
Evil sometimes is in the eye of the beholder. Storms rage, typhoons swamp the land, earthquakes crush, and tornados sweep away the hard labors of our hands, as well as human life. In many faith traditions these are blamed on the judgment of a God, or thought of as acts of evil by some divine, supernatural adversary. These faith traditions assume an all powerful, omniscient God, that allows evil to happen, or allows humans to be tempted into evil, so as to test their devotion to the good.  

My faith tradition does not have an all-powerful supernatural being, but instead many perfectly natural Deities that are subject to the laws of nature and physics. They can effect some change in bending those laws, but they cannot break them. Tornados, earthquakes, plagues, and other disasters are all by-products of the physical forces at work in our shared world. They are not divine retribution, nor are they evil in of themselves. They can often be tragic in the cost of life, and property, but they are not evil or good. They just are.  

As for other types of evil in the world, I hold that human beings are creative enough to not need a supernatural being to tempt them into nasty and disturbing behaviors. Humans are perfectly capable of both acts of good and evil without any sort of divine help. As I have heard it said, "Heaven and Hell are here on Earth; it is we who decide which it will be."

2 Comments

Experience and the Pagan

3/3/2012

3 Comments

 
Picture
One of the things that drew me to the Pagan faiths after realizing that Christianity was no longer going to work, was the stronger emphasis on experiences than on what is written down in a book.  While my Protestant faith had placed a great deal of value on experiences of God, in the end those experiences had to be vetted by the Bible. When God seemed to do or say things that didn’t fit the book, they had to be thrown out as invalid.  I think that limited what could have been huge revelations about the Christian God and his place in my life. In the end it felt limiting to a being that was supposed to be unlimited. It was also my experience of other Gods that helped me to realize that, while I do think the Christian God is a God, he is not the only one, as I had been raised to believe.

I understand that a person who believes that deities are separate and complete individuals from themselves would want to be sure that what they experienced was not self-manufactured. Hence, there is a great need to collaborate with an independent source like a book in the Christian faith. I no longer view the divine as separate from myself.  I will be the first to tell you that I am perfectly willing to say that my experiences of the divine Gods could be nothing more than brain chemistry.  I would then add that Love is the by product of brain chemistry and is made no less powerful and moving because of that fact. Experiential faith allows me to plumb deeper into a relationship with those beings, as well as with myself. Experiences are the ghosts in my machine, that animate my faith and spiritual life.

This is why the doing of religious activity instead of right belief has such a strong push in many Pagan faiths.  ADF makes it very clear that we follow orthopraxy and not orthodoxy. It is right actions and deeds, not doctrines, that influence my views and understandings of the Kindreds. My direct experiences of these beings informs my faith, and others are not required or even asked to believe the same way.  I allow that others can and will experience relationship with the divine in a different manner than I do. I experience relationship with my husband in very different ways than other who know him. This is how it should be.  I act different toward a stranger and probably come across as a much different person than I do with close friends. Why should I expect anything different from the Kindreds, who are also individual personalities?


3 Comments

Dragons in the Grove

2/24/2012

10 Comments

 

Every group of people, no matter how well intentioned and organized, will eventually come across a dragon.  Dragons are people who, while they don’t necessarily mean to do ill, often cause drama and stress.  In a church of 200-300 people, they can cause a great deal of damage, but rarely do they kill the church.  In a grove or circle of 3-30 people, they can wipe out all remains of what was once a spiritual home.  My new sapling grove is very important to me, and I want it to grow healthy enough to last well after I am gone.  This means that as a leader I need to be prepared for the dragons that are a guarantee at some point in the future.  Thankfully, I have not met with too many dragons so far.  My grove has been very fortunate on this score, but again I feel it is only a matter of time before a scaled beastie shows up.

There are no book sources that I have found that are written from a Pagan perspective.  Pagan groves and circles have a very different dynamic than larger Christian churches, but some of the same techniques for dragon taming can apply. For this reason, I have been investing in several books that describe how best to deal with, and maybe even tame a dragon in a manner that will not burn the congregation (even if a few singes may occur).  The first step is in identifying what type of beastie we are dealing with. 

I am going to list some of the types of scaly creatures there are, but I am still in the process of researching how best to deal with them in a healthy manner.  I am afraid that for this reason I am not really able to give much advice on how to handle them.  Not all people who exhibit the traits of a dragon are a real beastie. Nor are all the dragons exclusively in the congregation. They can be leaders as well. The real dragons burn hot and cause fires that are hard to ignore.  It is often by the amount of damage that is occurring that we can truly identify a beastie. 

The first book that I have read on this subject, and where I get the term dragon from, is a book called, “Well-Intentioned Dragons,” by Marshall Shelley. This book provides an excellent description of the various types of dragons that tend to show up in groups, no matter what the size. 

First, we have “the bird dog.”  These are the people who scout out issues that are probably not really issues that need attention.  They like to scout out the gossip and then point the leader to the individuals that they find offensive.  My mom used to call ‘em busy bodies, but bird dog sounds much nicer.  These are people who really do feel that they are doing the right thing and helping out.  They tend to couch what they are doing in spiritual terms.

“These people like to give the impression they have more spiritual perception than anyone else.” (p.38)

The Prussian General von Moltke once divided his officer core into categories: 1) Mentally dull and physically lazy.  2) Mentally bright and physically energetic. 3) Mentally dull and physically energetic, and 4) bright and lazy (Gratzon, p.46).  The first group he viewed as harmless. The third group he dismissed out right, because they tend to be very dangerous people. The second group he sequestered to smaller leadership positions, because these are the types that tend to micro manage.  Bird dogs are most likely to be in this second type. Bird dogs tend to do little real harm to the group, especially if given other tasks to distract them from what others are doing. 

Next, we have “the wet blanket.” These are the people who find so much fault in any idea or project that the group gets bogged down to the point of motionlessness. They sap strength and energy to the point that a small group is often disbanded.  The wet blankets are easier to loose in larger groups and can be kept in check by numbers, but very few Pagan groups are lucky enough to have those types of numbers. This is a dragon I am still trying to figure out how to deal with in an affective manner in a small group setting. Thankfully, I have yet to meet one in our grove.  Any ideas of how you have dealt with them in the past left in comments would be very helpful.

On the opposite side of the wet blanket we have the entrepreneur. This is the person who uses the group as the focus for business adventures.  They will use the phone lists to try to sell their latest product.  These are much less destructive in a small group than the wet blanket.  They can be irritating, but rules put in place that state explicitly what phone lists and ritual get togethers are really for, help to keep this type of person in check.

In General von Moltke’s third category we often find Captain Bluster .  This is the type who knows it all and how it should be done.  They wont hear the other options and often steam roll the opposition.  If you don’t agree whole heartedly with them, then you are an enemy that needs dealing with.  They also seem to enjoy watching the fires that they start. This is one dragon I have felt the heat from first hand, and it was not fun.  The best advice I can give from my experience is do all in your power to be sure that the Captain has no power or authority in the group.  How to deal with one who already has such a position is another issue I am trying to figure out how best to deal with.  Thoughts are always welcome in comments {{{HINTHINT}}}

Also lurking in the dark woods are the sniper and the bookkeeper. The sniper talks smack about everyone else, while the bookkeeper will record every little transgression perceived to use for later ammunition.  These two are often shadowy figures that are often hard to spot in the process of starting a fire.  I am getting the impression from my readings that these two are best dealt with in open check in type meetings.  These type of meeting require everyone to be very open and trusting.  Ground rules for how people are allowed to speak can also help.  For example, the use of “I” language exclusively would have to be a requirement (“I feel hurt that such and such was said about me”, instead of “when you said blah”).


Dragons are unfortunately a part of group life. They can be very hard to tame, but can often be turned into powerful allies and members. How have you dealt with them?

Sources:

Gratzon, F. (2003). The lazy way to success. Fairfield, Iowa: Soma Press
Shelley, M. (1994). Well-intentioned Dragons: Ministering to problem people in the church. Minnesota: Bethany house publishers
Picture
10 Comments

Digging in the Dirt

2/17/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture

Digging in the dirt.  Who could possibly think of a better way to connect with the land and its spirit inhabitants?  When I  planted a garden I found that the wheel of the year began to make more sense. The wheel became relevant to my daily life. The life I was attempting to foster and cultivate in my garden depended on where in the wheel we stood and my ability to make use of that information. At this time of year my heart is dancing in the brighter sunlight, and my head is making grand plans about what to place in my yard.

Normally, it is after Imbolc that I begin to scan my yard to find the wee new shoots of green.  This year I found them well before Imbolc.  The tulips are starting to get their hearts into this whole above the ground thing.  By Ostara I will finish collecting the broccoli and brussle sprouts that are currently growing the strongest.  The raspberry stalks will need pruning, because it wouldn't be Beltaine without fresh raspberries. Can you say apple trees?  I know I feel a need to plant a couple.  What better way to celebrate Mabon than by picking apples?  Sam hain harvest will be made all the more meaningful by the planting of a Three Sisters garden.

The herb/ wild prairie flower labyrinth will need a major over haul this year.  I did not keep the path very well defined last year, so now it is all but un-walkable.  I wouldn’t mind the path going away, except sometimes I want to use the mountain mint and mugwort that grows in the center.  I can see small shoots of the elfwort, and I know this is one plant that will need some huge reworking.  

I can feel the new life stirring in the bird calls around me.  The squirrels have started their high pitched trilled chirps that help mark out who’s territory is whose. The spirits of this land and of this place are beginning to quicken their movements from the slow hush of winter.  This is a time of possibilities, and I love it.  It feeds my soul.
Picture
Oh, and provides great photo-ops for my kidlets.
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Amanda Thomas is the Grove Organizer for the Ad Astra Grove.  She also serves on the Topeka Interfaith Council.

    Hera Lakeshore is a practicing druid and contributor to the Ad Astra Grove blog.

    Follow this blog
    Picture

    Archives

    May 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011

    Categories

    All
    Afterlife
    Alpha
    Alphabet
    Ancestors
    Ancient Greek
    Aphrodite
    Asphodel
    Athena
    Axis Mundi
    Bear
    Beauty
    Bee
    Beltane
    Book Porn
    Changes
    Chartered
    Clover
    Consciousness
    Cow
    Death
    Dionysus
    Divination
    Dp
    Eta
    Evil
    Experience
    Fire
    Gaia
    Gods
    Grove
    Growth
    Hades
    Hearth Culture
    Hera
    Holidays
    Imbolc
    Initiates Path
    Interfaith
    Leadership
    Liturgy
    Meditation
    Nature Awareness
    Nature Spirits
    Nine Virtues
    Oath
    Omens
    Oracle
    Ostara
    Pagan Blog Project
    Pagan Fire Seminar
    Pi
    Play
    Rite
    Ritual
    Ritual Roles
    Sacred Space
    Sacred Story
    Samhain
    Sigma
    Spirituality
    Strengths
    Tau
    Thana Doula
    The Dark
    The Light
    Three Kindreds
    Topeka Interfaith
    Trance
    Two Powers
    World Tree
    Yule

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.