Dedicant’s Path Through the Wheel of the YearWeek 1: Personal Religion and an Introduction : Dedicant’s Path Through the Wheel of the YearWeek 1: Personal Religion and an Introduction Presented by
Rev. Jessie “Medb” Olson
~
Based on Our Own Druidry and The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year
Related to Requirement : Related to Requirement Not related to a specific requirement.
Required Reading : Required Reading Our Own Druidry, p. 11-20 (Introduction) http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/dedicant-manual.pdf
Our Own Druidry, p. xi - xii (Appendix B) http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/dedicant-manual.pdf
DP FAQ: http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/faq.html
Suggested Reading : Suggested Reading "Journaling the Druid Path" by Ladytoad http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/articles/journalingthe-druid-path.html
"Uncertainty and the Dedicants' Journey" by Arthur Shipkowski, http://www.adf.org/training/uncertainty-dp.html
Welcome! : Welcome! Required reading
mostly to give you a feel for what to expect over the next year.
“School supply" list:
Our Own Druidry
The ADF Dedicant Path Through the Wheel of the Year
Dedicant Notebook
Meditation Journal
An e-mail program, or access
Access to the ADF website
A subscription to Oak Leaves
Some way to write your final essays
A calendar or planner
Your library card
Our Own Druidry : Our Own Druidry “Our Own Druidry”, also known as the “Dedicant Handbook” or the “Dedicant Manual” is the most basic reference text you will need in order to get started.
Most lessons in this course will have some readings from “Our Own Druidry”.
You should have received it in your Membership Packet when you joined ADF, it is also available in electronic format on the ADF site. http://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/dedicant-manual.pdf
Dedicant Notebook : Dedicant Notebook You will use this to record journal entries, impressions, notes from your reading, etc.
Some choose to do this electronically.
Electronic VS. Written
Electronic in easier, you can cut and paste from your text and type your ideas in.
Electronic increases the chances of inadvertent plagiarism.
Written is more difficult and time consuming.
Decreases the chances that you will forget where you got it, you are less likely to confuse someone else’s thoughts or words for your own.
Whatever you do, though, back it up!
Put it on a USB drive, photocopy it, upload it to a document storage site, or risk loosing ALL your work.
Meditation Journal : Meditation Journal Can be the same as your Dedicant Notebook.
Some people prefer to keep them separate so they can keep this journal in their meditation space.
Again make a backup!
Access to Email : Access to Email Some of the best ideas in ADF occur over e-mail, and it's the best way to get quick answers from other Dedicants or your mentor.
You can subscribe to many ADF lists here: http://www.adf.org/members/forums/subscribe.html
The ADF-Dedicants list is highly recommended.
Access to the ADF website : Access to the ADF website Access DP documents and supplementary materials.
Back issues of Oak Leaves and Druid's Progress (older than three years) on the site as well at http://www.adf.org/members/publications/
A subscription to Oak Leaves : A subscription to Oak Leaves It's always good to have the issues in hand, just in case.
Start collecting now, because they're invaluable tools! http://store.adf.org/
You can subscribe using the ADF membership form at http://www.adf.org/joining/join.html
A way to write your final essays : A way to write your final essays Should probably be different from your Dedicant Notebook
Things you write in the Notebook might be very personal
We highly suggest typing the final essays on a computer so that you can submit electronically.
Again: Make regular backups!
A calendar or planner : A calendar or planner It may sound silly, but a calendar or planner to keep track of what is due when can be helpful.
Book report completion targets
Dedicant Oath rite date
High Days
You can plan out a one to three hour block of time each week for DP work.
You may be less likely to forget.
An electronic reminder system or project management program can be very useful.
Your library card : Your library card Purchasing books for the DP and other Study Programs can be expensive.
If you don't have a library card, go get one!
Libraries may have an interlibrary loan program so you can get books that aren’t in your local library.
If you can’t get them through your library, try borrowing them from another ADF member or purchasing them used.
What to Expect : What to Expect During this course I will pose questions that will hopefully help you sort out your feelings on your own.
I will not be providing you with answers, but with some direction to achieve those answers for yourself.
There is homework.
Not every week will have homework, but most will.
You will still have to take what you do for your homework here and distill it into a DP requirement.
A word on mentors : A word on mentors Not everyone wants a mentor, and we don't automatically assign them.
If you want one, you need to contact the ADF Preceptor, or else the deputy in charge of mentoring.
If you have any questions, please contact the person in charge of mentoring at for information about mentoring.
They will forward your information onto an available mentor, who should answer you.
This process of matching mentor to mentee can take some time, so please be patient after requesting.
Instead of a mentor, you might also consider working with another person on your Dedicant Path, either using this document or working in a more free-form way.
On the ADF Wiki, a page has been set up where you can link up with other Dedicants looking for a partner as well. You can either search the Wiki for "Dedicant Buddies" or you can go directly to .
Homework : Homework Some questions to ask yourself:
Why have you chosen to take the first steps on the Dedicant Path?
Is this a step on your path, or will this become the Path itself?
What do you expect to learn?
What would you like to get out of this journey?
Do you know where this path will take you?
If you have just joined ADF, why have you chosen to work on this immediately?
If you have been in ADF for a long time, why are you starting only now?
Does it look hard or easy?
Which requirements appear to be difficult to you now, and which appear to be easy?
Do you have doubts, questions, or concerns that you need to ask about?
Write your answers in your Dedicant Notebook.
Additional resources : Additional resources Our Own Druidry,
Oak Leaves, Druid's Progress
The ADF Website www.adf.org
Ceisiwr Serith's A Book of Pagan Prayer (ISBN: 1578632552)
Three Cranes Grove, ADF's, The Fire on Our Hearth – A Three Cranes
Devotional,
Rev. Skip Ellison's The Solitary Druid, ISBN: 0806526750;
A Recommended Reading List,
Ian Corrigan, Sacred Fire, Holy Well (ISBN: 0976568128)
Ian Corrigan's CD, "Training the Mind: Techniques of Trance and
Meditation," available at
Two Powers Audio file: ;
A Virtuous Life Nine Virtues study guide:
Rev. Michael J Dangler's Dedicant Oath,
Ian Corrigan, "Working Magic with the Two Powers" mp3's,
The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono (ISBN: 1570625387; text available at )
Real Magick by Isaac Bonewits (1989 edition, ISBN: 0877286884)