11. The text of the Dedicant's Oath Rite and a self-evaluation of the Dedicant's performance of the rite. (500 word min.) My Dedicant Oath ritual was completed with Nine Waves Grove on March 29th, 2019, exactly 358 days after attending my first Grove meeting and immediately joining ADF national, so strong was my internal yes … Continue reading Oath Rite →

10. A brief account of the efforts of the Dedicant to develop and explore a personal (or Grove-centered) spiritual practice, drawn from a specific culture or combination of cultures. (600 words min.) PERSONAL RELIGION ESSAY My personal Druidry is animistic, oracular, ancestral, devotional, and polytheistic. I would say that primary among these things is devotional … Continue reading Personal Religion Essay →

9. ONE essay describing the Dedicants understanding of and relationship to EACH of the Three Kindred (300 words min. for each Kindred and 1000 words total) THREE KINDREDS ESSAY  The three Kindreds fit for me within the tripartite patterns that repeat throughout ADF’s Indo-European practices. There are three worlds- Underworld, Midworld, and Upperworld-, three realms- … Continue reading Three Kindreds Essay →

8. A year of High Day rituals. (100 words min. each) BELTANE WRITE UP Beltane 2018 was celebrated solitary on May 1st on land between the lake and bayou at the University where I go to connect with the nature spirits. Manannan mac Lir, psychopomp, god of the Otherworld and the sea, was gatekeeper and … Continue reading High Day Write-ups →

7. Efforts to work with nature, honor the Earth, and understand the impacts and effects on a local level. (500 word min) NATURE AWARENESS ESSAY/PROJECT I am not quite through one year of Dedicant practice and I have found the Nature Awareness aspect of the path deeply engaging. I have always had a connection to … Continue reading Nature Awareness Essay →

6. Mental discipline, through the use of meditation project.The experiences in the essay or journal should cover at least a five months period. (800 words min.) MEDITATION ESSAY  I began my meditation practice on May 18th, 2018 and continued through November 16th, 2018, a total of 27 weeks of regular meditation practice. It is now … Continue reading Meditation Essay →

5. An essay focusing the "Two Powers" meditation or other form of 'grounding and centering', as used in meditation and ritual. (300 word min) TWO POWERS ESSAY  The Two Powers or Two Currents are the twin forces of sky (light, order, inspiration, completion) and earth (dark, chaos, primeval stuff of creation, potential). These forces encompass … Continue reading Two Powers Essay →

4. The Dedicant's home shrine/plans for future improvements. (150 words min.) I LOVE having a home shrine; it is always set up in the corner of my bedroom on a small side table. I had an eclectic Wccan-ish altar before I started ADF spiritual practice.  The transition was uncomfortable at first, especially the removal of … Continue reading Home Shrine Essay →

3. Short book reviews.  (325 word min. each) THE DRUIDS ESSAY Ellis, Peter Berresford. A Brief History of the Druids. Robinson, 2002. Ellis' A Brief History of the Druids is a discussion of the archaeological and historical record, largely from external contemporary sources and post-Christianized Irish sources, explicating the roles, beliefs, and practices of the ancient Celtic intellectual … Continue reading Book Review: Hearth Culture →

3. Short book reviews.  (325 word min. each) DRAWING DOWN THE MOON ESSAY Adler, M. (2006). Drawing down the moon: Witches, Druids, goddess-worshippers, and other pagans in America. New York: Penguin Books. This book was well-organized overall and very readable. I read it for the first time right after the 1998 edition was published; there … Continue reading Book Review: Modern Paganism →