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Post by Sencha on Aug 27, 2014 17:13:32 GMT -5
ABOUT THE FREE DEDICANT PATH COURSEThe Dedicant Path Course of the Black Mountain Druid Order is a free online introduction to Druidry as practiced by the Black Mountain Druid Order. The Monthly LessonsEach lesson is designed to be completed over a month's time. There are thirteen monthly lessons, for a total of a year's worth of lesson plans (using BMDO's Lunar Month Calendar). Some of the lessons contain videos, so you will need a computer capable of viewing streaming video from Youtube. Some also contain audio lessons as well as written materials, so you will need to be able to download and listen to audio files. Each lesson is broken down into four weeks' worth of activities. Each week has a subject of focus and at least one written reflection. For the written reflections, you would post your responses here on this thread. If you would like a Mentor from Black Mountain Druid Order to monitor your entries and offer suggestions, please email dpmentor@bmdo.org If you do not notify a Mentor, your course work will not be checked. In order to enroll in later courses, your Dedicant Path responses must be reviewed by a Mentor! To begin the Dedicant Path course, visit www.druidseminary.com/dedicant_path_course.htm
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 9, 2014 17:59:57 GMT -5
Month one responses Week one: What is your favorite place in nature and why? It would have to be the woods because when I was a little girl my father would take me for walks in wooded areas. He would point out clues of the presence of animals (deer tracks, for example). What places in nature inspire me? Oceans because they are so mysterious and I like mysteries. I'm pretty sure the shark is my totem animal spirit because I was fascinated with them as a little girl. Also any place in nature that is associated with fairies because I am fascinated with its lore. Nature inspires me to keep searching, living, and pursue my dreams, and seek more knowledge.
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 9, 2014 18:18:11 GMT -5
Week two: The High days Samhain is my favorite holiday. It inspires me because of its pagan rituals and is largely associated with fairies and the Supernatural. Okay, I like Winter Solstice because of the gift exchanging (who doesn't?). I also like the folklore behind it. I only like Imbolc because of the reverence to Brigid, who's one of my favorite goddessess. That's pretty much it though, Imbolc is a mostly a mother's holiday and I'm not a parent. I like the traditions that go along with Ostara. My mom decorated easter eggs and hid them throughout the house for my brother and me to find. I like Beltane because it means summer is coming. At the end of May I plant flowers. This year I planted celesia and rosemary.I would like to go to the U.K. sometime and watch them celebrate Beltane. Midsummer is another one of my favorites bcause it's supposed to be one of the best times to commune with fairies. Lughnasagh and Mabon celebrate the beginning of the harvest (Lughnasagh) and getting things done (Mabon).
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 9, 2014 18:25:46 GMT -5
Week three: Meditation I meditate best after dark. My noisy neighbors have dogs. The two inner forces that need work in my life are confidence and negativity. I was picked on a lot as a little girl and I sometimes have a poor self image and lack of confidence. Honestly, my confidence would be a lot higher if i had a job or had finished college. Meditating is a little difficult for me, but I am still trying. After meditating for a week I still felt the same, but again I am trying. To me awen means trying to find my path in this world. What is my career? What is my purpose on this planet? I usually try to find awen by reading. I love to read.
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 9, 2014 18:39:10 GMT -5
Week four: Awen and tree calender To me, "divine inspiration" means getting help and tips from the gods and Goddesses. Every week I try to find signs of their help. Awen adds a sense of purpose to my life. As of now, I would like to be a librarian. (the problem is I still need a job to go back to school). My birth tree is the holly. Unfortunately, I don't have any so I am adopting one of the pine trees in my yard. There are two of them. They are side by side, so it looks like it is a portal to an invisible realm.
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Post by Sencha on Sept 11, 2014 6:18:43 GMT -5
Great beginning, rlt123! On meditation: It takes a bit of practice to start seeing results. They've done studies that indicate it takes about six to eight weeks to start noticing changes. It'll feel weird at first...if it didn't, you'd already be doing it. As the course progresses it gets a little deeper into different types of meditations, so you might find a style that's a little easier for you. Holly is a sign of movement and change...so you'll probably see a lot of changes in your life!
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 15, 2014 23:28:23 GMT -5
Month 2 week 1 reflections: spending time outside Spending time with nature in my backyard, I notice that I have become somewhat more observant. I have noticed a tree that I have never noticed until now. My father says it is a tree he planted three years ago. I was pretty surprised. The tree was a sapling then, and has since grown three times its size. Dad had planted several other saplings too, but haven't grown the same. As I go on my dedicant path, I am keeping a nature journal with drawings and observations of things I see outside.
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Post by aisling on Sept 16, 2014 15:18:47 GMT -5
Greetings! Well this is my first post so I'll introduce myself. I'm Aisling and I live in Flint, MI. I have been studying druidry for several years as a solitary. I'm looking forward to working my way through this course and meeting others here -- community is important! I'm married to a wonderful guy and we have 3 kids -- all teenagers in high school! I'm sure to post lots of interesting and non-interesting things here but basically, I'm here to learn, grow, and to support others who are on this journey here. Thank you for the opportunity to walk with you! Week 1 Earth Path Reflection: Meaning of Awen 1. What places in nature inspire you? Many places in nature inspire me. I find great inspiration when I am close to the water, for it is there that I am able to quiet my mind and just “be.” I love to be in the woods surrounded by the trees and the wildlife that make their homes there. 2. Do you have a favorite outdoor place? Why? I have many “favorite” outdoor places but there are a few that are particularly close to my heart. There is a lake in the northern part of Ontario, Canada (Horseshoe Lake) where I spent a great deal of time when I was growing up. Our family had a cottage on an island. The lake, like most of the lake in this region, was carved out by glaciers and, thus, is deep and filled with cold, very clean water—when I was growing up you could drink right out of the lake, we never had to boil the water! I lived every inch of that island, knew every stone, every tree (I loved the pines and birch especially) and every sound and smell that came to me. I can still smell the pine needles that sprang under my feet on the path. I still hear the whispering of the tree tops when the wind picked up. And I love to remember the sound of the small waves lapping on the shore as I went to sleep at night. That place represents total peace, connection with the earth, connection with family—a constant reminder of what it means to be part of the Great Mystery. 3. How does nature inspire you?? Nature inspires me as a great teacher inspires a student; by allowing me (the student) to observe, ask questions, and interact in a relationship that inspires me to want to grow in my understanding of the dance of life. Nature inspires me by allowing me to participate in this relationship without judgment while always offering me the opportunity to engage. Nature inspires me by catching me off guard by moments of wonder, beauty, or magnificence that simply cannot be recreated. It humbles me to find these moments and know that they have come and gone, and come and gone long before I was born, and will continue to do so long after I am gone. That these moments and cycles flow from one to another without fail inspires me to continue my walk through life with joy, humility, honor, and gratitude.
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Post by Sencha on Sept 16, 2014 19:41:02 GMT -5
Great start! Welcome to our forum! Sounds like you've had some experience with mindfulness and/or Druidry before. Water rules the aspect of mind...so I'd be willing to bet you're probably a scholar.
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Post by aisling on Sept 17, 2014 9:39:01 GMT -5
Thanks for your reply, Sencha! About your bet... I have a Bachelor's and Master's (and all but my dissertation) in Music, so I guess I have a wee bit of scholar in me. Will post Week 2 soon.
Great Blessings, Aisling
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Post by Sencha on Sept 18, 2014 6:52:14 GMT -5
Fantastic! My Masters is in Family Therapy, but I've been a musician since 1974 or so.
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Post by aisling on Sept 22, 2014 10:23:27 GMT -5
Month 1-Week 2
Week 2 Sun Path Reflection: Celebrating Awen
Think about the ways nature inspires you. Are there certain seasons that give you more inspiration than others? Is there a particular High Day that is your favorite? How does this seasonal inspiration help you to celebrate nature?
Spend the rest of this week studying the High Days of the Wheel of the Year. Find something that inspires you about each of the High Days.
I find that I draw inspiration from each season. However, the type of inspiration I feel is different with each season. My favorite season has always been Fall. I have always loved to see the changing of the leaves and to feel the crispness in the air that is such a relief from the intense summer heat. This is a time to both reflect and to move forward for me. When I was growing up I often thought about the beauty of the various colors of the leaves and marveled that, as those leaves were old and getting ready to fall off and die, they gave off their most brilliant colors. That is something I have kept in mind when I think about our own wise ones and I wonder if, as I age, whether I will be able to radiate my own brilliant colors…
So, my favorite High Day is actually Imbolc. My birthday is January 31st so I consider myself somewhat of an Imbolc baby. At any rate, I love this High Day because of its association with the Goddess Brighid. I love the idea that this is the time when the first stirrings of Spring are beginning, no matter how small. The snow (at least here in Michigan) is often still on the ground – and I LOVE snow, but the anticipation of the reawakening of the earth is inspiring to me as I am almost certain to be ready for my own “reawakening” at this time of the year.
All of the High Days are inspiring to me when it comes down to it. They each bring an understanding of the passing of time and the repetition of patterns of life. Samhain is wonderful as it begins the Celtic year and honors our ancestors. We have shared this holiday with folks for a number of years and it always turns into a large event. Pagan or not, people seem to love bringing something to put on my alter that reminds them of someone who has died, and we tell stories about each person. This carries new significance for me now because I recently lost my mother and so I have been particularly focused on how to honor her during this time. And who doesn’t love Yule – celebrating the return of the Sun at the darkest of times. I have discussed Imbolc so I’ll move to Ostara, which I love because of the universal traditions of Spring finally having sprung. It is a celebration of nature for all of the senses. Beltane inspires me when I think about the cycle of recreation/procreation that serves to renew all things. The Summer Solstice reminds me that we have reached a peak, and while we then face the coming of shorter days, were are simply continuing an ancient pattern. Finally Lugnasadh and Mabon I enjoy because they celebrate the harvesting of all things and the celebration of the gifts of that harvest. Nature shows us this not just in the foods harvested from the land and the animals’ preparation for the coming winter, but in our “winding down” from the summer activities, our own preparations for fall, and looking forward to the change of seasons.
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Post by rlt123 on Sept 24, 2014 1:57:40 GMT -5
month 2 week 2: the high days
my favorite high day is midsummer's day. Herbs associated with it are gorse, heather, and oak. It involves self-expression and celebration. I express myself by writing, and even though midsummer's day is in June, it is celebratory for me because it is close to my birth month July.
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Post by Sencha on Sept 24, 2014 17:43:26 GMT -5
//My favorite season has always been Fall.// Mine too...all the colors, plus the fact that Samhain is our anniversary. //hen I was growing up I often thought about the beauty of the various colors of the leaves and marveled that, as those leaves were old and getting ready to fall off and die, they gave off their most brilliant colors. That is something I have kept in mind when I think about our own wise ones and I wonder if, as I age, whether I will be able to radiate my own brilliant colors…// I've noticed that as I've gotten older, my 'give a crap' is about a quart low, so I tend to do things without worrying too much about what other people think. Leads me to show my 'true colors' much more. //So, my favorite High Day is actually Imbolc. My birthday is January 31st so I consider myself somewhat of an Imbolc baby. At any rate, I love this High Day because of its association with the Goddess Brighid. I love the idea that this is the time when the first stirrings of Spring are beginning, no matter how small. // Brighid is the Matron Goddess of all Druids...but the Morrigan is our Order's Matron. Nonetheless, I'd be hard pressed to have to choose between Brighid and the Morrigan. Fortunately I don't have to. Great entry! Sounds like you're already well-familiar with the balance inherent in the Wheel of the Year!
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Post by Sencha on Sept 24, 2014 17:45:45 GMT -5
//my favorite high day is midsummer's day. Herbs associated with it are gorse, heather, and oak.// For fifty points, can you relate the magical and healing properties of gorse, heather, and oak to the spiritual significance of Midsummer? Just something to think about...
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