Dedicant’s Path Through the Wheel of the YearWeek 41: The Seventh High Holy Day: An Explanation : Dedicant’s Path Through the Wheel of the YearWeek 41: The Seventh High Holy Day: An Explanation Presented by
Rev. Jessie “Medb” Olson
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Based on Our Own Druidry and The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year
Related to Requirement : Related to Requirement #2 – Meaning and Discussion of High Days
Required Reading : Required Reading Our Own Druidry, p. 62 - 74 (Hearth Cultures & High Days)
ADF Constitution, Article 4
The ADF Core Order of Ritual for High Days,
Optional Reading : Optional Reading Our Own Druidry, p. 51 - 75 (The Very Basics of Ritual);
A Crane Breviary and Guide Book by Rev. Michael J Dangler:
Appendix 1: Resources and Rituals for the Wheel of the Year in this book;
Step by Step through a Druid Worship Ceremony, ;
The "Liturgy and Rituals" section of the ADF page,
The Three Cranes Grove, ADF, outline of ritual (with example prayers),
Introduction : Introduction If your culture does not celebrate a specific feast, remember that most cultures had a festival or feast that would have been similar in intent and form, but it may have been celebrated at a different time of year.
Unfortunately, much of the work of discovering which festival might match up to which High Day must be left to the individual Dedicant.
Your mentor, of course is available for some help, but we urge you to seek out one of the culture-specific email lists to ask questions on.
Quite often, they will be of more help than your mentor can be.
Discussion : Discussion The eight High Days are outlined on pages 62 – 74 of Our Own Druidry.
If you are not of a Celtic hearth culture or you simply wish to expand your horizons and try a different culture because you are unsure what to do, locate a ritual that seems appropriate, where it gives a short description of the feast.
Take that description and work to find a compatible feast in your hearth culture for that particular High Day.
Discussion : Discussion A lot of the High Holy Days are obviously agrarian-based.
If the High Day feels ―irrelevant, seek our relevance.
Can you find the rhythms of nature in the city?
Look hard for them, and I'll bet you can find something fresh and new in your climate that corresponds with this season.
Discussion : Discussion Now, in your Dedicant Notebook, reflect on this High Holy Day.
Consider how it is celebrated in your hearth culture, or across hearth cultures.
Are there any myths that are celebrated in connection with this feast?
If so, what are they, and how do they fit in?
What does this holiday or time of year mean to you?
Do you look forward to it?
Discussion : Discussion Are there secular aspects of the holiday that mean a lot to you, or perhaps holdovers or memories of your childhood that you cherish?
How do you know when this day arrives?
Do you look at the calendar, or do you just know it has come?
If you have children (or wish to have children), what key traditions do you wish to pass down to them?
Discussion : Discussion What, if anything, is spiritual or religious to you about this High Day or time of year, and how do you show that?
Are there any traditions that your Grove has for this High Day?
Finally, is there anything else about this holiday that you would like to add?
Discussion : Discussion If you have a local Grove that you attend, then you should already have a rite you can attend.
If you are solitary (and even if you do have a Grove, I still recommend), though, you will need to write and perform your own ritual for this rite.
See Appendix 1 for more information on what the High Day is about, where we have provided a number of links to help you think about the High Days themselves (and included places to find some example rituals for you to work from!)
Homework : Homework Don’t forget to:
Continue reading your Hearth Culture book
Continue visiting your nature spot.
Continue working on building mental discipline.
Continue using and working in your home shrine, send pics to me and I’ll post them next time.