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Today I made a decision to "hide" my Pre-Clergy essay assignment rough drafts from this website.
I made this decision because when I started writing these essays, over a year ago, I had a lot of different opinions about the late founder of ADF, Isaac Bonewits. My opinions have thus changed and I need to re-write many of those assignments to reflect my virtues and feelings on this man. That said, I don't want those essays out there without disclaimers on this person (or omitting him all together) and I would like to change focus in many areas. Long story short, I believe the survivors that name Issac as a pedophile. I believe strongly in listening and believing the voices of those who have came forward and shared their traumatic stories. I believe the survivors completely and have denounced this man as an Ancestor of Tradition in my practice. The Fellowship of ADF has also denounced him; he is no longer welcome at our fire. The ADF Mother Grove made a statement about the entire thing that I would like to link HERE I won't lie, my confidence in ADF was shook to the very core and I wasn't sure if I wanted to be part of an Fellowship that was started by such a person. It took quite a while of listening to progressive clergy voices about why they were staying, while also listening to clergy voices as they left ADF all together for me to decide where I stood. I am thankful for the statement from the Mother Grove and I am glad they addressed the issue without sweeping it under the rug and/or keeping it hush. I have a lot of opinions on why I am staying and they are much more complicated than I want this post to get but I have chosen to continue with ADF. I have chosen to continue working on becoming Clergy and I am committed to doing the work. But doing the work means that I need to think critically about what I am putting out there into the world and my essays, as currently written, glorify a man who I don't want to glorify. It means I am starting over and although it is hard, it is necessary. This has been a very valuable lesson in "not putting people on pedestals" to me. I would also like to link the formal statement from Columbia Grove (the grove I am part of) on the matter as I feel we handled it the best way we could as well. That statement is linked HERE. I will start re-posting the essays as I re-write them. :) (And some don't need to change at all!) Thank you for understanding.
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Well here we are again. I'm looking at this blog and thinking "I should start blogging and working on the Pre-Clergy essays again!" and I get super excited for about a week and then promptly forget that it exists until around a year later. At which time, I feel guilty that it's been neglected for so long and post another "I'm back!" message and I start the process all over again....
Well, I make no promises, but I am going to extend a lot more effort on keeping this blog alive, if for no other reason than to keep a personal record of my journey as a Druid. I even paid for my own domain finally! (That means I have to do the thing, right?...) So here we are and oh, where to begin? A quick rundown, I am still currently the Chief Druid and Scribe of Columbia Grove, ADF and the 2020 term ends in December. I am running again in 2021 so we will see how that election plays out. Covid-19 has really hit our Grove hard and we have had to learn new ways to connect with each other and our local communities. Rituals, social meet-ups, special interest groups and Grove meetings have moved to virtual platforms. It's been a challenge but it has caused many of us (myself included) to reassess what ADF Druidry means to us (and what it doesn't) and how we can learn from this unfortunate experience. (but that is a whole separate post for a different day.) I have been reading a lot and have great plans for book reviews and future blog posts. (I'm actually keeping topics notebook!) So here is to a new start! Again. |
Amber Araneae (Spider)My public journal space while I go through the various study programs within ADF and a place where I can journal freely. Archives
May 2021
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