(no subject)

Attn: misswitch1369:

Berks County.

I forgot about the question after you left last night, but just now "Berks County" leaped to mind unbidden.

(no subject)

Ritual yesaterday? Check

Dedicant's Oath? Check.

Writeup soon to be in progress. After I make coffee.

Then I just need to print it all out, get hard copy to Caryn and a blank CD to burn it on and my DP will be off to Raven.

OMG. I'm almost done.

So this was my dedicant's oath:

I'd like to make one last offering here tonight, with everyone gathered as witnesses. This is an offering a long time in the making. I've been attending Cedarlight Grove since November of 2004. I've been a member since October of 2005- it took me nearly a year and some rather difficult prodding to make up my mind and make that commitment. Once I did, I gave myself a year and through no fault but my own procrastication- and sometimes uncertainty- well over a year has passed. But here I am in front of my grove and friends that I have chosen as family, some good aqcuaintences and what are probably a few decent strangers, and with the offering of this promise, I will finally complete my dedicant's program.

I make this promise to all present. And to the nature spirits with whom we share the earth. And to the ancestors, who I've only recently realized may not be so distant as I would believe. And to all of the gods, but especially to the Lady of the Hearth, who is the fire itself, and to the Mother Quail, dark-veiled Queen, long-journeying mother of the divine twins of Olympus, And foremost to the Divine Healer, Far-Shooter, God of truth and light:

On my word, I'll not forsake my gods, nor seek to depart from the road down which they lead me, and neither will I forget that unfamiliar territory does not necessarily mean that I have strayed. As I am called, I will serve. I will trust the gods and cast aside trepidation. At times I may rush in headfirst, but I will not to go in blind. I will remember that askng for help is not a sign of weakness, and that I am but human. To speak the words that need be spoken, and keep the confidences which require silence. To pursue always truth, knowledge, wisdom, understanding. This, on my honor I will try as best as I am able and as far as I can push myself, should I start to falter.

I also think I did a pretty damned good job of reciting "You Create the Reason" by Carl Stephenson... I managed not to totally stumble over any words.

Which reminds me, at least three people asked me for an audio file...jackgreen60, I know you did...who else? I know Deirdre wanted me to explain it to her...lol...I never got a chance to do that.

Okay, off to make coffee and then write up the last little bit of my DP *dances*

(no subject)

Okay. Just once, I'd like to be on a pagan webforum, or email list, or something, any freakin' thing and NOT see "bright blessings", "merry meet", "merry part" all over the place. I don't know of anyone who I've ever heard say/seen write any of these things whose actually used them in everyday life, so why must they be peppered all over the "pagan context"??

Whatever happened to "Hello", "Good-bye", and "Have a nice day"????

Cause you bet your ass that's precisely what these folks say to the people at the office or in the bank teller line.

I'm mildly irritable right now and I've been to too many web forums and read too many emails this evening.

and I'm half-wondering if my telling Mike that I didn't want to hear what he was saying today might not have been taken by Kelly as me saying the same to her (I don't think it was, she didn't seem to, and I said flat out that I wasn't referring to what she was saying, but I'm currently over-analyzing like 75% of the things that I've done or said in the last 24 hours. Because I'm on One Of Those Moods.)

But...I was pretty severely annoyed. Sorry, but you don't just take my talking about a church that I used to attend and you know nothing about and start in on how it's a vehicle for mass brainwashing just because they have a PA system, (Yeah, it's a huge church. Please tell me how the people way in the back are supposed to hear what's being said.) and then just move on into bashing the religion as a whole. Oh, and nice thinly-veiled racist commentary there too. I'm getting flat out sick of hearing so freakin' many pagans who claim to be all loving and open-minded and accepting and tolerant and...and...and...just constantly bashing "Xianity" as if it were some all-encompassing evil.

I might not agree with a whole lot of Christianity. I know that a whole lot of bad stuff goes on behind some closed doors. But Christianity is no different from any other religion. Bad stuff goes on behind some pagan doors too. (Too many people forget, or just ignore the fact that there's a lot fewer of us, therefore a lot fewer cases to hear about.) And obviously it's got something right, because hot damn, there sure are a lot of Christians out there. That whole thing about being saved from damnation for acceptance of Jesus as Savior? It's a pretty sweet deal. My gods never did anything like that.

I just don't believe in it. And I'm not worried about being damned to hell. But there's no more reason to across-the-board bash Christianity than there is for those who do bash pagans to do so.

As one who falls under the pagan umbrella, I get to be associated with all this. Which I must say, I really would prefer not to be.

"To speak the words that need be spoken" indeed....actually, it was really weird. I never had the conscious thought to say what I said. The words just came out unpremeditated. Not rude or obnoxious. My voice was fairly low and completely neutral, the exact tone was one that I don't remember ever hearing out of my mouth before. Did I take my words last night so seriously to heart?

Uhg, I want to sleep. I shouldn't...but I think I'm going to sleep tonight. I will need to try and force myself to sleep tomorrow too.