Im going to try and write this one as an organized list of questions and answers since this week is all about generating thought material  for the final essay. 

What interests you in various hearth cultures? 
I am always interested in their legends, epics and histories. I am always interested in the anthropological and archaeological aspects that we can learn from these cultures today. I am generally interested in how they lived, what their art forms were, what their architecture styles were and how their warriors did battle (and with whom). I do this type of thinking with all hearth cultures, spanning across Indo-European lands and around the entire globe. 

What sort of things are you looking for in a culture? 
In terms of spirituality, its hard to put into words aside, Connection. I have a deep love for anthropology and treat all cultures with respect and fascination but that love is generally academic and not spiritual based. Ive tried to establish spiritual connection with various cultures and realized that there is no spiritual connection at all so they stay respectfully academic. 

Do you have an ancestral tie to a certain culture, or is this even important to you? 
Yes. I have always known I was of Irish heritage from my grandmother and she use to comment on it frequently when I was a child. As I grew up, I loved the stereotypical things about Ireland but as far as mythology was concerned....I actually did not study the spiritual side of it. I studied Irish History, Irish tragedy, Irish wars but all of this was after the conversion of Ireland.  I could tell you Hellenic, Egyptian, Chinese, African, Native American, Mesopotamian myths/epics/mythology for days and days, but outside of hard recent history  I never looked at the pagan roots of Ireland until I was into adulthood. This DOES make my knowledge of Celtic history very new, very green, and it is a mild source of insecurity for me, BUT I will honestly say that it is the only culture I have felt a real connection too from day one of my seriously looking into it. Despite my "greenness" my connection is genuinely strong and I can't help but feel that my ancestral ties to Ireland have a part of this. It is because of the strength of this connection that I had DNA testing done to confirm my actual heritage and I also discovered a significant amount of Scandinavian DNA as well This has prompted me to start looking at other cultures as well but the connection simply isn't as strong as Irish Celtic for me. 

On Patrons:
Are there aspects of your personal life that you need help with?
Over the past year I have realized that the answer to this is yes. The first time I called out to Brighid was in a time when I needed support and she has been there for many other times when I have needed help. She gives me strength when I need maternal support both as a mother and as a mother-less daughter. There is a strong powerful feminine quality to Brighid that helps me often. I generally ask The Morrigan when I need an honest truth without the strong maternal presence. Sometimes I need a dose of reality and others I need support. 

Are there deities who intrigue you, amuse you, or frighten you? 
I am constantly intrigued and amused by the Sidhe they often are quite entertaining (when they aren't being confusing or somewhat annoying). I am intrigued by Flidais and I plan to start trying to build a relationship with her. At one time The Morrigan frightened me but that has vanished and been replaced with a deep respect and reverence. I will say that lately I have been somewhat focused on Namain the frenzy goddess/sister of The Morrigan for very personal mental reasons that I wont go into in this post. This winter solstice I began working with Cailleach but I don't feel she is a patron to me, we are acquaintances and that is good. On an interesting note, there are no male deities that really connect with me, yet. I stress yet as I intend to continue to try and form/build relationships with the Celtic Gods and Goddesses. 

Is there a Goddess who affects a large part of your life? 
Yes. Brighid in more ways than I can list here. The triple aspect of Brighid reflects so many parts of me and my life. From the nurturing mother to the healer wise in the way of herbcraft to the pounding hammer and anvil of weaponry and strength. Her fire is akin to the fire inside myself in all of these main ways. The fire is not just in the forge, it is in all of these things and all of these echo within me. When I feel lost as a parent, I call to Brighid. When I feel weak or unsure, I call to Brighid. When I feel ill or injured or those around me are, I call to Brighid. And often I talk to her as if she were the inspirational mother figure my life has missed. A strong, powerful, yet nurturing and loving mother figure. 

In the short amount of time that I have been working with The Morrigan I would say that She does affect my life in many ways. Almost the exact opposite ways. She has a habit of tearing my heart or mind open to reveal the things I don't wish to look at and demands me to. The Morrigan has given me strength in my dreams that has never existed. I have always had nightmares and reoccurring dreams about horrible events in my life or my worst fears, but lately instead of being helpless in these dreams, She has appeared and I have taken powerful control over these things. It's been surreal. While Brighid tends to support me and encourage me, The Morrigan wont let me rely on that sort of soft approach comfort. She often tells me exactly what I need to hear (despite its bluntness) to light the fire in me, She demands that I not withdraw but that I fight all things that give me challenge.

Its not that she leads me to bad decisions and conflict for no reason, not at all, its more that she is standing there with a "sink or swim" mentality saying "YOU can do this, stop doubting yourself because you are far stronger than that and you know it. I wont coddle you or hold your hand, but I will not cease to push you past where even you think your limits lie because you are unbreakable, you are fearless, and YOU know it. PROVE it." 

(Versions of this conversation have happened more than once in both dreams and meditations now and It has affected me in so many ways I cannot begin to describe it all.) 

On the subject of deities from multiple hearth Cultures. 
All attempts at this time to form relationships with Hellenic or Roman deities have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. The connection just isn't there, it may be on my side or theirs, but either way, There really hasn't been a connection. 
In regards to Norse deities....I keep trying and learning, but at this time, again, there really hasn't been a noticeable connection. 
I am open to deities from other hearth cultures but with many spiritual things, time and devotion will reveal (or build) the path.

I hold to the idea of a "Pantheon of Agreement" while I am in ritual and when working with my grove to obtain that respectful community aspect of religion. 

125 words min, 375 words max. 
Adequate/Meets Criteria Requirements:
Subjective combined with objective approach [e.g., ["This is what it means (dictionary definition); this is what it means to me."]
Note: Dictionary definitions will not be included as part of the word count. 
Dedicants may also include other virtues, if desired, and compare them to the nine. 
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​Perseverance
           
Our Own Druidry Definition: as "Drive, the motivation to pursue goals even when that pursuit becomes difficult."

​Merriam-Webster Definition: "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition:  the action or condition or an instance of persevering."

​I very much so believe Perseverance to be an important virtue and I think it really has roots by being part of the warrior class of virtues. Perseverance to me is, quite simply, the unwillingness to give up when the road gets rough. I have lived this countless times in my life and each time I looked back that that difficult situation feeling proud and strong that I persevered through it and did not give up. One can be courageous and act appropriately in the face of danger but if that danger persists then the ability to persevere through the dangerous path is just as important as the initial courage was. Perseverance takes unwavering faith, genuine motivation, support and drive. To be a driven person, one must have focus and intensity. A real world application that I have experienced the past year is that of going back to college as a grown woman and pursuing an academic path outside my comfort zone. It has been the most challenging thing I have had to face alone but I am driven, determined, and motivated to keep pursuing my goals. At the end of a class, I feel proud, I feel like I fought proudly (like a warrior) and refused to accept defeat. I know I did something challenging but I refused to fail. To me, that is persevering, and it teaches us so much about ourselves and what we are capable of. 

This is a place holder post as I have not quite finished a solid 5 months of dedicated regular basis meditation. I will come back and write at that time. 

I work with the nature spirits far more than the other Kindred. It is actually my connection to the nature spirits that lead me to Druidry to begin with. The magical side of Wicca never quite seemed to fit but the connection to stones, plants, animals, and nature have always been where I have felt true sense of belonging and spiritual connection. As a child, I would spend hours reading novels while sitting perched in trees, I am an avid hiker and pause often to admire the complexity of a fern, or a flower or watch salamanders and snails for long periods of time. Nature has always felt, quiet, and perfect and no matter how stressful my every day modern life is, I can step outside and lose myself in the elements (no matter what they are; rain, snow, wind, heat, etc). I spent my childhood living in the country on a farm, refusing to wear shoes so I can feel the grass and soil between my toes, growing my own food in a garden I tended, and I always felt...a presence there. 

I've thought for years that there is magic in nature, not magic as in spells, but magic as in energies. Each element of nature, each plant, each animal, has a spiritual connection to me. I talk to trees, I talk to animals, and I talk to the wind all the time as if they are standing beside me in human form. I feel their spirits swirling around me and through me. I feel my place among them as a child of the earth, another animal on this planet, connected to this spiritual web of life. 

As a child I have always talked to faeries/Sidhe even though they have never been seen by me. When something is missing, when I get silly urges to do cartwheels or dance or sing in nature I do so for the natural spirits around me and to entertain the Sidhe. When I make offerings through ADF rituals I generally smile as I give them something that I know will entertain them. I have always felt a relationship to the creative, Noble Ones and felt they have both protected me as well as tested me. 

I have never felt a specific animal guide calling me. I feel animal energies all the time and each one has a unique meaning to me. I pause to watch snails and feel they teach me to slow down and notice everything. I pause to watch spiders and feel they teach me both creativity, wisdom and patience. I pause to watch birds and feel they teach me freedom and song. I pause to watch fish swim and feel they teach me fluidity, flexibility and tranquility. I pause to be inspired by colorful animals. I pause to feel strength from big animals. I pause to feel power and determination from predators. I pause to feel each creature and take a different message from each one. 

My relationship with them of reverence, respect and friendship. I leave them offerings, physical and spiritual, and they acknowledge my presence and give me those messages as listed above. 

Often my offerings are vocal praise, water, offerings and building little shrines out of sticks and stones while focusing loving energy around me. I have also offered songs, dance, and food to the nature spirits or to the soil. I try and learn the names of plants so that I can get to know them. I learn their leaf shapes and do my best to help them grow and thrive.

In my natural spot I have seen the seasons change, and even seen snow this year! (as well as floods). The landscape has changed as the seasons have with the trees losing their leaves and growing flowers. and with the soil being frost covered  to it dry and cracking under my feet. I do feel a connection to the land and often times I will pause to take a moment to connect with both the nature around me, taking in all the sounds and smells with my eyes closed, feeling the wind and just BEING present. Often times when I do this I finish with a modified Two Powers meditation that further connects me to the Earth power and the Sky power. 

​5: Two Powers Essay
The Two Powers meditation is a simple but powerful tool that I have come to find pivotal in my spirituality. The Two Powers refer to the Earth Power and the Sky Power. The Earth Power is the cool magnetic water deep within the earth, the cold waters of creation, the waters of change and mystery. The Sky Power is the heat and power of the stars/sun/moon that inspirers, fuels, and enhances the drive to accomplish what needs to be done.  This meditation brings the Earth Power up through the feet to consume the entire body and then draws the Sky Power down through the crown of the head to combine with the waters of the Earth Power. Together the cosmic force of Earth and Sky combine, balancing, energizing and filling the body with the powers of both. The body becomes a balanced pillar between these powers and both elements surge through the body like currents. The body becomes the World Tree, the connector of the earth waters and the sky fires and this combination of energy fills the body becoming a powerful catalyst of revitalization, positive self empowerment, and genuine balance.
           
The binary systems I feel most personally with the Two Powers are that the Earth Power Waters feel “Cool”, “Mysterious”, and full of “Change”. The Sky Power Fires feel “Electric”, “Warm” “Inspiring” and full of “Drive”. When I draw up the Waters I become calm and open to new ideas no matter how they come, I feel my body relax and almost float along considering many things. When I draw the Fire down it’s as if a match is lit on those new ideas and I feel so tremendously driven to action and/or energized. If I started the meditation because I felt depressed, I let the waters soak into each crack of me and when the fires come down its like an electric pulse removing those cracks and filling me with strength and balance. It’s tremendously rejuvenating. I suppose I do see this as duality but more so, I see it as a necessary balance for a truly powerful meditation.

I actually dislike the comparison that either power is gendered. I have never seen the Earth Power as 100% strictly feminine (along the idea of "Mother Earth") because there are masculine energies as well as feminine energies that call to me personally. As for the Sky Power, again, I never feel one completely over the other 100% of the time. Most often I feel balance as key more than I feel clear gender associations being adamantly one vs the other. Overall, my Two Power feels both masculine and feminine and without pull in one direction over the other.

This form of grounding is a strong, simple but effective way to center during a ritual. It is something that every person can tune into and it can be shortened or lengthened as would fit within the ritual at hand. This meditation is also a genuine way to connect to the Three Kindred. The Earth Power connects to the Well of the Ancestors, the Sky Power connects to the Fire of the Gods and the combination of both currents, pulsing together, represents the World Tree, what our bodies represent here on Earth.

When I first did the Two Powers meditation, I did it as a guest at an ADF Protogrove Lughnasadh ritual. I had no idea what the symbology was and I could not connect to the meditation whatsoever. The first few times on my own, I could not focus, I had to cut out all distractions and listen with headphones in. I began to feel I was keeping the Fires more than letting them retreat back because I lacked the confidence and drive. Now, over a year later of dedicated study, and about a year and a half since my first Two Power experience I can honestly say that this meditation is one of the most powerful things I have taken away from my Dedicant Path thus far. It is a meditation I use on a near daily basis when I need to balance or focus or feel inspired.
           
​As I have worked with the Two Powers, I have written several versions. Some shorter, others longer, and often I will use no words at all and simply FEEL the powers when I need to recharge and balance. Virtually everywhere I am I can pull the waters up my roots and the sky fires down through my crown and embody the pillar of both. All of these methods work for me in different ways and I feel strongly enough to lead this meditation in my local grove and still use it regularly on my own. This meditation has honestly opened meditation doors that I once felt were closed to me and I am a more balanced person that I was before starting my Dedicant Path. 

Fall Equinox:
For this ritual with Columbia Grove, on September 25th 2016, I choose to volunteer for the invocation to the Goddess Hestia of the hearth and to the Nine Muses for inspiration. 
If I am being truthful, I felt no connection to these deities and it was actually quite upsetting to me. Before this ritual, I tried really hard to find connection. I listened to ancient style Hellenic music. I made offerings to Hestia and to the Muses and tried to call out to them to help aid me. All of this received no discernable reply.

The ritual itself went fantastic for our guests and there was a lot of energy raised for Dionysus by dancing while masked. I preformed a guided meditation to meet Dionysus and although I really got into the meditation, enjoyed the words, and felt they flowed beautifully out of my lips, it just didn’t speak to me on a spiritual level. 

​During the offering portion I felt an overwhelming warning to remove my mask. For the first time in this ritual, I felt a connection, but not from the Hellenic gods and goddesses, it was from my patron the Morrigan. She did NOT want me to hide behind a mask to make offerings. Once removed, I felt it was completely the right decision to make. 
It was, in many ways, almost a disappointing ritual for me after the experience I had at Lughnasadh. But I still enjoyed it very much and I learned a lot about my own connections. I will not stop trying to respectfully honor the Hellenic deities but at this time I do not feel a deep connection to any of them. 

Lughnassadh

Lughnasadh marks the halfway point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox and was the marked beginning of the grain harvest season. In ancient Ireland, this was a huge deal as agriculture was so pivotal to their everyday lives. In many ways, Lughnasadh is an exceptionally complex High day in its history, and celebration both ancient and modern. 
Lughnasadh is one of the recognized 4 fire festivals in Irish Celtic history and it is a celebration of/for/associated with the God Lugh. Lugh is often depicted as multi-skilled and he is brilliant at games of wit and physical feats as well. Legends of Lugh are abundant and while this celebration of the first harvest is generally accompanied by warrior games, it is also a time of mourning of Lugh's foster-mother Tailtiu. 

One legend of Tialtiu is that she died of exhaustion while clearing (all) the fields of Ireland. Her death marked the start of the harvest season, and Lugh being her beloved foster-son, declared a festival and games in her memory and honor. 

Games similar to our modern day Olympics would take place at Lughnasadh festivals (especially horse racing) but so too did games of wit. Modern day Neo-Pagans could play a game of Chess as well as foot races. Our grove has done Archery competitions and spear throw competitions but above all else, this High day is a celebration of harvest and sacrifice and a time to honor Tailtiu and Lugh. 

​Today, many Neo-pagans celebrate Lughnasadh by making fresh breads, eating fresh local produce and honoring the mighty Lugh and Tailtiu. They also partake in feats of strength, wit and endurance in modern warrior games, give thanks for the waning sun and celebrate with large bonfires on hilltops. 

125 words min, 375 words max. 
Adequate/Meets Criteria Requirements:
Subjective combined with objective approach [e.g., ["This is what it means (dictionary definition); this is what it means to me."]
Note: Dictionary definitions will not be included as part of the word count. 
Dedicants may also include other virtues, if desired, and compare them to the nine. 
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​Integrity
            Our Own Druidry Definition: "Honor, being trustworthy to oneself and to others, involving oath-keeping, honesty, fairness, respect, self-confidence." 
Merriam-Webster Definition: “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values“

Honesty, fairness, respect, trustworthiness and honor are also words that I would use in my definition of Integrity. There is a very important distinction between my husband and I that I am the "lawful" one in the house. Generally, my decisions coincide with fairness, and defending the rules. I'm not often the bender or breaker of rules. I have always thought that, as a libra, I take the ability to 'balance" to heart. I listen to both sides before passing judgment. I respect others concerns/thoughts/wishes even if they fall outside my own.
The way I personify integrity goes much farther than keeping your word. It stems from why you gave your word in the first place. It not only involves fair judgment and respect but also a willingness to listen to views outside your own and not feel yours are somehow lessened by hearing them. 

​The last part of this definition really hit me weird though, "being trustworthy to oneself and to others, involving...self confidence”. After reading it though, I really understood why it was put there. Integrity is found within your own moral code and ethics in your heart and how you act upon them but that also includes your own views of yourself. Those who lack confidence can often lack drive and the ability to defend their moral code and ethics (or even define it at times). Integrity can be quite compromised when one feels truly hateful towards oneself. Depression, self doubt, fear, all of these can shake the level of integrity in a person, certainly in the perception of others, and likely to themselves as well. People often act out in self-desperation when confidence is lacking and do not always consider integrity as important.  This makes the pursuit of Integrity personal and the perception of its lack, societal. 

This book requirement is "to help you understand where Neo-Paganism has been, because you will become part of where it is going through your work in ADF." 

This book choice was a rather easy one for me, scores of people have recommended (after being shocked that I have not yet read) Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler so this will be the title for this book review. I am nearly finished reading it already actually! 

125 words min, 375 words max. 
Adequate/Meets Criteria Requirements:
Subjective combined with objective approach [e.g., ["This is what it means (dictionary definition); this is what it means to me."]
Note: Dictionary definitions will not be included as part of the word count. 
Dedicants may also include other virtues, if desired, and compare them to the nine. 
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​Courage

Our Own Druidry definition: “The ability to act appropriately in the face of danger." 
Merriam-Webster definition: “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, pain, etc, without fear; bravery. To have the courage of one’s convictions and act in accordance with one’s beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.”

I personally feel that Courage is far more than acting appropriately when faced with danger as is the Our Own Druidry definition, I agree with the other definitions that highlight the words "face without fear", "bravery" and especially "to act in accordance with one's beliefs, especially in spite of criticism". Without an element of "bravery" or "fearlessness" the word Courage is simply too...dull. Can a person who is faced with danger feel it is appropriate to run away and save themselves be called courageous over the person who felt fearlessness was appropriate to help others and potentially sacrifice themselves for the greater good of others? Can both be examples of courage from a societal standpoint? I believe they can, but I also believe that the ancient heroic tales of courage follow the second example more often than the first. 

Courage, to me, is certainly standing up against adversity. It is protecting your family and yourself (this could be the "running away is appropriate" example). It is being brave. It is facing challenges head on physically or mentally. It is not letting fear control you over the power of your mind and heart. 

​We all have moments of fear, but its how we respond to it that really show us our courageous selves. Many people have told me I am Courageous, Fearless, and Brave for countless things in my life. For overcoming attempted Suicide and Depression, for fighting my way through homelessness, for standing up for myself and family and often times setting an example for others when others are too afraid too (or cannot do so themselves). I am not afraid to explore. I am not afraid to learn. I am not afraid to be wrong. I see fear as a challenge, to understand, to work around, and yes, to handle appropriately, with courage.