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Post by Sencha on Nov 14, 2014 13:27:08 GMT -5
Damh the Bard of OBOD says that the Awen is like going fishing. You can prepare your fishing tackle, go to the right spot at the right time of day, etc. but it's still up to the fish whether or not they bite. The Awen will come when it is needed. As long as you're continuing to be open to it when it arrives, it'll be there where and when you need it. To me, the Awen can be as simple as the feeling I get looking at a sunset over the mountains. One 'trick' I find helpful is to leave Doing Mode and enter into Being Mode. 'Trying' is 'Doing.' If I try too hard to seek the Awen, then the trying is the thing that keeps it from coming. Sometimes, for me at least, the simple knowledge that the Awen is always there in the nwyfre, is enough. That's where the challenge comes in...having to identify them by the bark. It could just be that a particular tree calls out to you. Doesn't have to necessarily be your birth tree. Next time you're in the woods, be open to what they have to tell you. They'll call to you when the time is right. My Bell Branch came from an apple tree, even though my birth tree is the elder. I was told it was because of my role as a teacher (apple symbolizes teaching and education). Never know what the spirits might put in your path.
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Post by niecey86 on Nov 15, 2014 12:25:33 GMT -5
Month one: Week 1 Reflections:
What places in nature inspire you? The places in nature that most inspire me are the forests and rivers. It is as if the trees hold within them some wonderful secret. I have always believed that each and every tree and creature in the forest has a spirit to be honored and revered.
Do you have a favorite outdoor space? In Albany, GA there is a beautiful butterfly garden at Radium Springs park. I enjoy going there and meditating on the wonders of Nature. I adore flowers. It is a place that takes my soul to another dimension.
How does nature inspire you? Nature inspires me to create art. I specialize in paintings and drawings. I love to make landscapes. I also enjoy writing poetry based on Nature.
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Post by Sencha on Nov 15, 2014 15:28:11 GMT -5
niecey86 That was one of the pleasant things when I discovered Druidry...that I wasn't the only 'nut' who talked to trees...and got answers. Nature for me has always been a place 'between the worlds,' where it could be easy to slip behind the veil. Sounds like you've had a similar experience. You should consider submitting some of your poetry and/or artwork for the newsletter! We're always looking for contributions...especially from members.
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Post by backofbeyond on Nov 15, 2014 17:31:32 GMT -5
Week 2 Sun Reflections:
I was born in Febuary so I have always been drawn to the colder season of the year. I typically spend more time outdoors in the Autumn and Winter months.I also feel more at peace during this time. The smell of Pine and the cold on my face bring me energy and joy.
I enjoy Mabon because my garden has flourished and I generally eat better at this time of the year. It also signifies to me the beginning of my favorite seasons.
Samhain has been a favorite since childhood I'm not sure if it was because of the costumes or just the feeling in the air. Maybe a combination of both.
I particularly like Yule because the earth is covered in snow and I have always craved being outdoors and engaged in snow activities. This coming year will be the second time my family has celebrated Yule instead x-mas. I built a Yule log last year with the help of my children. We adorned it with candles which we would light each night and I would tell lore of Fairies and the Oak and Holly Kings ect.. which my children seemed to enjoy more than the santa stories.
Imbloc is not really a favorite because it means winter is coming to an end.
While I hate to see the snow leave, Ostara and Beltaine are great because the earth is waking up and new life is beginning to sprout. It is usually at this time that I begin preparing the garden. I spent a great deal of my life as a gardener for a profession, now as a hobby and a way to feed my family. I enjoy digging in the earth, planting seeds and flowers. The smell of fresh soil and compost has a way of rejuvenating my spirit.
Midsummer is my least favorite. While it is nice to sit under the shade of a tree It is too hot in my opinion to do anything else. This time of year I begin to dream of winter.
The main reason for my enjoyment of lughnasadh is that the earth is cooling off and I start to regain energy I lost during summer.
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Post by pegasus on Nov 16, 2014 4:46:02 GMT -5
DP M1 W1
Waterfalls draw me. Not the great, grand, high, rushing falls that seem to awe most people. They are to be respected for the phenomenal energy they represent, but they do not speak to me as the small cascading falls do. These are gentle and intimate. Playful. They invite me to sit beside them and relax, letting all my cares wash away in the rills and eddies of the pools beneath them. They are subtle, soothing, healing.
Caves call to me. The mystery and beauty of the underground world, inviting careful exploration. They represent safety as well: They are solid. They provide shelter. They are the dwellings of animals and early man as well.
My goal is to find a piece of property with both cave(s) and waterfall(s).
I miss the forests. There are some trees right around my house but nary a forest to be seen. The high plains are where I live now but they are not my home. My home is a place I have yet to find but that I will know when I find it. I only hope I will be able to afford it when I do find it!
I do not feel the same connection with the nature around me. A native of this area once said to me that she loved being able to see for miles around her, to see anything and everything that approached. Me, I treasure the solitude and privacy of the forest. I love the sense of mystery of not knowing what lies beyond the next copse or thicket or dense grove of trees. I love the sunlight filtered through a canopy of leaves rather than the bright, harsh unfiltered sun. I adore the shadows and dapples that play upon my face as I gaze up to the treetops. I miss this.
Favorite place? All of my favorite places around here involve trees, water, and perhaps mountains. Lower mountain ranges, not the Rockies, or at least only the foothills of the Rockies. Gentler, treed slopes. Alpine meadows. Or the Smokies, where the mountains throw back their blanket of mist only reluctantly to greet the morning sun.
Here, my favorite place close by is the reservoir, a man-made small lake that serves the local farmers in summer to water their crops against the dry summer climate of the plains. Though crafted by man, it has lain here many years and nature has made it her own. The trees are large and lovely, their canopies spreading wide to provide shade and shelter for those that gather beneath to fish, frolic, or simply enjoy the beauty around them.
I know I am not where I need to be. Not in terms of my environment-- the area where I currently live-- nor in my mind, heart and soul. It is why I undertake this path now. It is why I am here.
Nature as inspiration – to be posted.
-Pegasus
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Post by Sencha on Nov 16, 2014 9:40:34 GMT -5
backofbeyond We made the change to Yule about ten years ago. Our children seemed to enjoy it much more as well. Yule is all about rebirth and renewal, and I believe that children pick up on that and understand it. A note on the Oak King and Holly King: That isn't a strictly Druid tradition, and Celtic Reconstructionists might get their panties in a bunch about it. It comes from Robert Graves in his book, "The White Goddess." Wiccans and other witches have adopted it as their own. In Black Mountain Druid Order, we use it. One of the reasons for this is that some of our founding members were Wiccan, and our Order has always been rather eclectic. We try to make room for all beliefs as long as they don't conflict with the Four Sacred Pillars. I grew up on a farm myself. To me there's nothing more magical than planting a seed and watching new life come forth from it. I'm a firm believer in therapeutic gardening! Must be a Celtic thing...I love winter over summer myself. The harvest festivals, Lughnassadh, Mabon, and Samhain, are a great opportunity to create a feast from locally-grown products, if you have the opportunity. We do grains and breads for Lughnassadh, pork products for Mabon, and apple products and other late harvest foods for Samhain.
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Post by Sencha on Nov 16, 2014 10:03:34 GMT -5
Pegasus One of my favorite campgrounds is a Pagan-friendly campground called 'Ash Grove' near Brevard, NC. The owners are Pagan, and their shrine for the campground is 'Brighid's Falls,' a small waterfall surrounded by a 30-foot circle of moss. One of the most peaceful places I've ever been. Caves can also represent the unconscious mind. In the Dedicant Path's Moon Path section, there is a 'Cave' meditation for exploring the unconscious mind and overcoming fears. A wise person once told me that in order to be truly happy with a place, your mind, body, spirit and emotion all have to resonate with it. When your mind, body, spirit, and emotion are in perfect agreement with no conflict whatsoever, then that is the place you should be at that time. But everything happens for a reason, and there is probably a lesson in where you find yourself right now. Sounds like a beautiful place. That knowledge is the first step on the journey.
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Post by Sencha on Nov 17, 2014 18:21:17 GMT -5
For all of you taking the Dedicant Path course, feel free to start your own thread with your Dedicant Path journal entries. Alternately, you may create your own blog with Dedicant Path entries. Just make sure you let your Mentor know where to find your responses!
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Post by pegasus on Nov 18, 2014 1:00:58 GMT -5
M1 W1 continued.
Nature as inspiration:
My favorite themes/symbols are leaves and feathers. Love, love, love them in jewelry or in home decorating. I adore when fall comes and the stores bring out the fall leaf themed items. I add to my collection nearly every year.
Earth tones predominate my home décor.
Nature inspires me in my writing as well. I am a wanna-be fantasy author. (I have the writing talent, to be sure, but lack the discipline. Something to work on!) I see things as I drive by and go “Ooh! Must have that in my books!”.
I love to watch the shows that teach us how to survive in nature by learning from it. I don't see this as “pitting oneself against nature” but rather as learning to live with and within nature. I want to learn.
I have a goal of living off the grid and having a self-sustaining farmstead some day, where every part works in harmony with each other part so that the whole is self-sustaining.
I know the natural surroundings I need be in to be at peace. I strive to get myself to the point where I will be able to seek this and live therein. In practical terms that means I need to continue to work towards getting my current home and property to the point where I can put it up for sale, then buy property that will put me in my ideal situation. Thus my every decision at the moment is inspired by the natural space where I know I need to be.
-Pegasus
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Post by pegasus on Nov 19, 2014 9:34:04 GMT -5
Sencha, you'll need to edit permissions for this subforum to allow us to create threads here. At the moment, all we can do is reply.
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Post by Sencha on Nov 20, 2014 10:36:54 GMT -5
Pegasus I carry quite a few stones, feathers, etc. in my crane bag. When I spot one that calls to me while hiking, I pick it up to enjoy its energy. I make myself write at least an hour a day...no matter what's going on. A trick I learned from Alex Bledsoe. If you ever need a publisher, BMDO has our own publishing company. Yes, most natural places have an abundance of food and shelter for those who know how to find it. I remember reading about the Donner Party starving to death. Sad, since they were in the middle of a forest full of food. Hoping to do that myself one day. We've had plans for a sustainable community for over ten years now, but those who are interested don't have the money, and those who have the money aren't interested. It's still a dream I have. Even wrote a book about it. I can relate. I used to do natural building. I moved back to South Carolina in 1992 because at the time there was no state-wide building code and you could build whatever you wanted on your own property. Then in 1997 they passed a building code, and now the only way you can do natural building is to find an architect to design it for you. Good luck with that in SC.
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Post by Sencha on Nov 20, 2014 11:02:42 GMT -5
I think I fixed it. This user interface isn't the easiest to configure.
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Post by pegasus on Nov 20, 2014 11:23:44 GMT -5
Sencha: I have a few short stories ready but somehow I don't think they would fit the mood of your publishing company. They tend to be twisted psychological horror type shorts. While fantasy is my favorite genre and most of my ideas for novels are fantasy, with short stories I have a penchant for the aforementioned. I attribute this to early influence of short stories such as The Lottery, The Boarded Window, and Lamb to the Slaughter. Not quite the most uplifting sort! I'd be happy to send you a few if you're interested. I was poking around the website more last night and saw your books and your bio blurb. I had to laugh when I saw the part about sustainability. Looks like I'm definitely in the right place! This is the link to the style of house I eventually want to build: www.simondale.net/hobbit.htmIt looks small from the outside but it is amazing when you see the interior! To be sure, building codes for such a house style will be something I'll check into. I'm currently considering property in Kentucky or Tennessee, but will look at other states. When I sell my place here, I'll have a nice down payment for the property I am seeking. My property goals are to find a place with at least 100 acres, water present (be it in the form of (fresh water) springs, creek(s), river, or pond/lake), ideally also waterfall(s) and accessible cave(s); Mostly or fully wooded, preferably natural not planted pines, with ample hardwoods; Lots of wildlife; Rolling to mountain foothills type topography; Off grid is fine (though cell phone and internet are desirable!); As remote as possible; Full timber and mineral rights to convey with property. Let me know if you find my ideal property around there! ^_^ (ps: need more smileys.. moooooorrrrree smileys! )
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Post by pegasus on Nov 20, 2014 11:25:32 GMT -5
Still only have the reply option available.
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Post by deanna on Nov 21, 2014 12:36:29 GMT -5
Peagasus, there is only the one board so far General Board. This is simply a thread on that board. If you go to the General Board you can create your own thread for your Dedicant Journal Entries. At least, that is how I did mine.
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