skylark913

[skylark913]

Reflecting on the 'Total Eclipse of the Heartland'

This past week I had the privilege to travel to Tredara with my family and many other pagan (and pagan-adjacent) folks to experience the totality of the solar eclipse that stretched across the United States on April 8th.  “Tredara is a 22-acre facility owned and operated by druids of Stone Creed Grove. It features multiple nemetons, an Ancestor Mound, a shrine to the Nature Spirits, and many…

View On WordPress

#Oak Leaves #pagan #reflection #solar eclipse

[skylark913]

Upcoming Workshops (Apr-June '24)

Since partnering more regularly with a local pagan shop, The Magical Druid (Rev. Dangler is one of the co-owners, and you can shop online), I’ve been teaching on the 4th Saturday of the month, and occasionally other one-off classes.  It’s been going great. Here’s my classes for April through June 2024, and I’ll release my notes and such for over on Patreon as I create them.  I’m bringing my…

View On WordPress

[skylark913]

The Importance of Team Building

At the beginning of December I spent the weekend in Toledo, OH for the Annual Mother Grove Retreat.  Once a year we come together for some intensive work that is better suited to in-person meetings, like vision brainstorming, issues with complex moving pieces, and (perhaps most important) team-building. One of our NODs, Jeffrey Keefer, reminded us that “Team building is so vital an activity that…

View On WordPress

#leadership #mother grove #teambuilding

[skylark913]

Annual Clergy Report for 2023

I’ve gotten away from posting these on a monthly basis, but we’re still required by ADF to compile our report for the year, and I shockingly find it fulfilling.   I tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, and one of the best ways I’ve found for me to fight that is to list out all the things I’ve done and reflect on them.  So, this report, in the way that I fill it out, helps me combat the feeling…

View On WordPress

#adf #clergy #priestwork #reflection

[skylark913]

A Winter Solstice Reflection: Passing the Light

I wrote this brief reflection/working for the Winter Solstice Rite I’m running at ORW this year. I really like the imagery of passing the light. It gives us time to honor the holy dark, but also look to finding hope. If you’d like to do this working, you’ll need a candle (or electric candle) for each person present, and the overhead lights turned off.  Continue reading Untitled

View On WordPress

#chaplaincy #reflection #sj tucker #winter solstice

[skylark913]

Upcoming Workshops

I've been partnering with The Magical Druid more to teach classes. Here's what's coming up!

I’ve started partnering more regularly with a local pagan shop, The Magical Druid (Rev. Dangleris one of the co-owners, and you can shop online), in order to teach classes.  I teach on the 4th Saturday of the month, and occasionally other one-off classes.  Here’s my schedule for the first quarter, and I’ll release my notes and such for over on Patreon as I create them.  Stuff that goes well I may…

View On WordPress

#candle magic #homesteading #jar spells #magical working

[skylark913]

“Reflections on Prison Chaplaincy”

It’s amazing how serendipitous life changes can really affect your spirituality and the ways that you interact with the world.  Since becoming ordained in 2015 I’ve had an interest in pursuing professional chaplaincy, but as a minority religion there are even more barriers in place that there would be otherwise.  Even then, I thought I’d like higher education or hospital chaplaincy, and was…

View On WordPress

#adf #adfdruidry #chaplaincy #clergy #dpwoty #prison

[skylark913]

Connections Across Traditions

A lot of my time recently has been consumed with thoughts of theology, relationships, and pan-pagan interfaith work.  I’ve been volunteering at a local prison, and attended my first pan-pagan festival in many years recently (Appalachian Summer Solstice at the Wisteria Campground in Ohio).  These experiences can be more complex by virtue of the differing traditions, but also very rewarding. By…

View On WordPress

#*ghosti #adf #adfdruidry #interfaith #orthoskhesis #pagan #pan-pagan #theology

[skylark913]

Appalachian Summer Solstice 2023 Festival Review

View On WordPress

#festival review #pagan camp #pan-pagan #PawPaw #summer solstice #wisteria

[skylark913]

The Value in Recognizing the Work of Others

The beginning of the year is a time in ADF when a lot of the administrative tasks happen.  While we have quarterly reports that are filed on a more frequent basis, by February we’re also ramping up to the compiling of the ADF Annual Report, Priests are filing their annual reports, and organizational elections are in full swing. One of the really cool things I’ve been able to do this year as Vice…

View On WordPress

#adf #clergy #mentor #VAD

[skylark913]

Teaching Chaplains About Paganism

I had the amazing opportunity to teach a class of Chaplaincy students doing CPE with OhioHealth this week.  Their instructor had reached out to me to see if I could help give them some perspective on what types of things pagans belief, and what would help them in times of crisis.  The talk went really well, the students were engaged and had good questions.  Hopefully I get the opportunity to go…

View On WordPress

#chaplaincy #clergy work #interfaith #outreach #pagan #resources #teaching #workshop

[skylark913]

Reigniting Your Devotional Practice

For many people, including me, November and December are so busy with family obligations and other social functions thanks to the over-culture, that our own personal devotional practice tends to fall by the wayside for awhile.  Devotional practices, whether they be daily or weekly prayers, meditation, or magical workings, ebb and flow.  They go in cycles like the seasons, and that’s okay.  A…

View On WordPress

#devotional #hearthkeeper #prayer #reflection

[skylark913]

Divination Spread: Yearly Forecast & Year Overview

I offered discounted divination readings at the beginning of this year, and I thought y’all may appreciate seeing the layouts I designed for this, as well as their explanations.  I’ve found the first one to be more useful for a “big picture” look at the year, and the second to be better for looking at the details of each month. If you use it yourself, I’d love feedback on it, and if you’d like…

View On WordPress

#divination #greek oracle #tarot spread

[skylark913]

2022 In Review - Clergy Council Priestwork Report

This report is designed to illustrate how each individual priest has chosen to fulfill their oath to love the land, honor the deities, serve the folk, and continue in their studies as best suits their individual vocations. 

Clergy Council Member Annual Report Form Priest Name: Rev. Jan Avende Time covered: January 1 2022 – January 1 2023 This report is designed to illustrate how each individual priest has chosen to fulfill their oath to love the land, honor the deities, serve the folk, and continue in their studies as best suits their individual vocations.  (more…) “”

View On WordPress

#adf #clergy #ctp #priestwork #reflection

[skylark913]

New Year Look-Ahead Readings

Hey y’all, I’m going to offer discounted readings for a year-long look ahead. 50% off (on top of whatever discount you may also get). Email me if you’d like to schedule a reading. ([email protected]) Options for divination method: Greek Alphabet Oracle Legend of Zelda tarot Avatar: The Last Airbender Tarot

View On WordPress

#clergy work #divination

[skylark913]

Celebrating Heliogenna

Heliogenna is a modern Hellenic Neopagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, created by Hector Lugo.  (there is a lot of controversy in the hellenic recon community and modern hellenismos community about whether this should be celebrated at all. Do lots of reading, and make a decision that is meaningful for you) This collection of thoughts and liturgy expands on his original presentation of the…

View On WordPress

#heliogenna #hellenic polytheism #winter solstice

[skylark913]

Use the Fancy Art Supplies

Use the Fancy Art Supplies

I’ve been thinking lately about the Winning of the Waters myth.  In brief, the Winning of the Waters is when one deity hoards all of the blessings and other “good stuff” for themselves.  They are often described with imagery relating to dragons, and the hoarding of wealth.  Then another deity acts as the hero who fights on behalf of mankind to get the Waters (the blessings, good stuff, the hoard)…

View On WordPress

#adfdruidry #reflection #return flow #self care #two powers