Now for the next step

For many years I have been attending the College of the Sacred Mists, an online Wiccan program that is run by High Priestess Lady Raven Moonshadow.  The online college offers a Wiccan training program as well as courses in Herbalism, Tarot, Progressive Magic and Historical Paganism.

I have been working through the 2nd degree course in the Wiccan program and taken a lot of time to review what it is that I want out of my spirituality.  I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be good to explore other paths, without turning my back on wicca.  Because the College offers a great range of courses, I’m happy to be able to continue attending with a simple course change to the Progressive Magic course, taught by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone.

I’m only on the first lesson so far, but I’m really enjoying it.  There’s a lot of meditation work as well as some research into the history of Wicca.  It’s pretty awesome.

In addition, I’ve joined Ár nDraíocht Féin, or ADF.  ADF is the largest American-based druidry group.  They aren’t exactly a re-constructionist group as they based their practices on studies of a number of Indo-European Druid-like groups.  So far they seem to lean more to the mystic/shamanistic angle but with a fair amount of high ceremony mixed in.

All ADF members have the option to take the ADF Dedicant Program.  You’re welcome to participate in the practices and rituals without formally completing this program, but if you’d like to further your studies in the group, of if you just want a more in-depth understanding of druidry as ADF practices it, then it’s generally a good idea (and required for further training) .. so I’m doing it.

As part of both of these programs, the Progressive Magic and the ADF Dedicant’s program, there is fairly extensive journaling and essays required.  I’ll be sharing the journals and essays that I’m comfortable with being public on this blog, so expect a bit of variety and hopefully more frequent updates!