So this week’s assignment in the Wheel of the Year book has you revisiting a lot of the whys and wherefors of the Dedicant Path, with questions about why you got started and how you think you’re doing.
It’s gotten me thinking, since a lot of my practices have changed to be more in line with ADF since I began, but I don’t know how much I really feel like this is going to be the end path for me. I’m not going to rule it out, but after four months, I still feel strongly drawn to the Wicca tradition that I was previously part of. Thing is, I’m not sure I can go back. Not that I don’t want to, but that I’m not sure there’s a place for me there, and with a close knit coven, you can’t ask them to change their mind about something like this. (And solitary work wasn’t really working out.)
Also, I decided to do this “Druid thing” for a year, and I’m going to stick to that. I think I’ve done pretty well at keeping up with the various requirements, and I’m nearly done with several of them. I didn’t take a “First Oath” because I didn’t feel particularly prepared to make any oaths at that point, though I did promise myself that I’d give ADF a try for a year, which I guess is kind of oath-like. On that level, I’ve done pretty well so far, since I’ve made good progress on all of the essays (and am even ahead on some, like the book reports).
I’ve found what I think will be my hearth culture, after some experimentation, and I’m working on deciphering Who it is from that culture that has been visiting my meditations. (I have a pretty good gut feeling, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions. So I’m going to read more and meditate more, and maybe draw some runes.) I like the idea of having a focused few Gods that I work with regularly, while still having a Pantheon to draw from if I need them.
The requirements so far haven’t been particularly hard or challenging, though some of them have made me think a bit (which is the point). Honestly, I’ve done more thinking and questioning outside of the actual DP requirements than I have for the actual essays. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, since I know that self-discovery comes from that kind of introspection and questioning, but it wasn’t what I expected. I’m feeling a little like the actual requirements are just elaborate hoop jumping, on some levels. I understand why those hoops are there, but many of them are little more than pagan busy-work. But, of course, finishing the Dedicant Path is as much about having completed a course of study, so I’m not too upset about it.
Overall, I’m pleased with the last four months of work and feeling like I’m making some progress towards the end goal. Or at least AN end goal, as I don’t really know what my eventual end goal actually is!
Little Druid on the Prairie 
Hey, if it doesn’t work out, we can always be friends! 😀 Seriously, though, I’m glad you are at least trying ADF for a year. It’s fine if it doesn’t work out. I have found that ADF is my spiritual home, but I understand not everyone feels that way. I am opposite of you; I find ADF-style Druidry is a MUCH better fit for me than Wicca. But that’s okay! We are all different, so I don’t expect everyone to follow the same Path that I do. 🙂
Many blessings,
Victoria
Well, and the Wicca coven that I was studying with is kind of different than the typical eclectic Wicca that most people associate with the name. It’s just a very different type of Paganism.
But as I said, I don’t even know if I CAN go back (or will be allowed back), regardless of whether I want to. It’s a long story, but the upshot is that I’m trying ADF for a year. And definitely don’t think I’m bashing or dislike ADF. It’s just that after four months, I’m still not feeling that this is “right”, even though some good things are happening in my relationship with the Kindreds. It may just be that, in the end, I’m a Witch, not a Druid. (Or maybe I’ll be both! Who knows! My mentor does both paths, and she’s encouraging me to find a way to merge the two, or at least merge eclectic Wicca with some form of ADF.)
Hey, I’m finding that straight-up ADF may not be for me, but I love the organization. I’m looking into other approaches that are more experiential. I definitely like many ADF concepts, though, and I’m using them as a foundation on which to build.