Druidry

After my last post, I looked at my spiritual path and as I often do, used Google as a divination tool.

I ended up reading a blog by an ADF Druid, Teo Bishop.  ADF is Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship.  ADF is an international fellowship devoted to creating a public tradition of Neopagan Druidry.

I'd read Teo's blog before but something in his entry that day made me head to the ADF website and read some articles.  I liked what I read - smart, grounded, researched neo-paganism.  I've dabbled with Celtic Reconstructionism but without a group to attach to, it felt like I was flopping around in the dark. 

ADF's reading list intimidated me with it's "Post graduate level book", "Graduate level reading" annotations on many of the recommended books but..... I do have a Masters degree so.......  I jumped.

I joined ADF and started reading.  It's amazing and scary and good.

Today is Spring Equinox - balance.  I wrote this for SDF's Spring Ritual :

I am 50.  I feel poised between my youth and elder years.  
I’m an Aries, so my birth sign is poised between the dark and light halves of the year.

Spring Equinox is about transformation, the Earth’s and ours.... mine.
I’m starting on a new path, like a tree, full grown and still changing.
I want to grow this year; thrive and grow and produce good fruit.

I’m poised, here at the beginning of the path, seeing the length of days, ready.

Taking small steps, reading through the Dedicant manual, learning and growing.  This is my Spring Equinox. 

Tarot Year Card

Joanna Powell Colbert suggests calculating your year tarot card to help focus goals.

Using her formula - add together you month, day and current year I got 7 for this year's card, The Chariot.

Joanna interprets that as focus, determination, self-discipline, independence, initiation, working towards a goal, proving yourself out in the world, moving, travel, testing yourself, endurance, success.

I'm 50 now so working towards a goal of health and happiness has been on my mind. 
I stated an intention that this year I would be more creative, actively engage in studying tarot and herbology - brewing potions, making incense, creating charged oils and scents for an alcohol burner. 

This blog is part of that intention/goal - I want to document my studies and progress. 
I like the feeling of writing using the keyboard, it helps me focus my thougths so this blog will be my creative spot, my online BOS.


My birth tarot card would be the Wheel of Fortune.
Major change - of residence, job, outlook, completion of one cycle and beginning of another.  Orderly change, impermanence, living in the now, turning point.

Six of Pentacles

Joanne Colbert, creator of the Gaian Tarot leads an e-course on the Wheel of the Year.

She writes, " The awakening of the land from its winter sleep is, of course, a metaphor for the awakening of our own souls.  We will celebrate full-blown resurrection and renewal at Spring Equinox, but this midway point between Solstice and Equinox is a bit more tender. It’s a time when we cleanse and purify ourselves in preparation for renewal. We consider our commitment to our own True Paths, and prepare to make vows and pledges when the holy-day arrives on February 1st.

She offered some questions to help us do some deep work to prepare for Candlemas/Imbolc this year.  The one that struck me was -

• What is it that I am meant to do in this lifetime?

Joanne suggests we pull a tarot card to guide us when we write so I grabbed my Robin Wood Tarot and shuffled.  I pulled the Six of Pentacles.

Joan Bunning says this card is about having/not having knowledge, resources, power.

It can mean teaching, learning, imparting info, supporting, showing, knowing.

The statement she made that I stopped at was "the issues of what having really means".... and "where is the situation leading?"

I'm a social worker, currently working as an employment assistance resource worker for a large city.  I've always wanted to work in adult education but that hasn't worked up 'til now.  I do workshops as part of my job and I definitely enjoy them. 

I'm on the right path but where else could the situation lead?