Monday, August 24, 2009

Progress Report...

Back from Summerland festival, the last of my wacky two-month festival extravaganza. Now I must return to work on the Book of Nine Moons. My goal is still to have the first 3 months of the complete instruction done in the next few weeks, and I think I’m in reach of that.
For my own sake, and for those of you who care, here’s my progress report and still-to-do list for the first three months of Druidic magical training:
• The First Moon is complete
• The Second Moon is complete, though I feel there may be an article needed on the self-awareness work in this month.
• The Third Moon seems to require only the rite for consecrating the Cauldron of Blessing. I should be able to get that done toot sweet!
• The Fourth Moon requires instructions on working with the Inner Grove, and using the Two Powers for health and healing, and the actual trance script and rite for both.
Beyond that I haven’t even done detail outlines yet – that’s next for the fifth and sixth months.
Actually, I guess that’s why I haven’t been too worried about my deadline – I actually had a lot of the first three months done before Starwood!
So, in the first three Moons of the nine-month retreat the student will:
• Begin learning the cosmological meditative practice that is the ‘mystical’ element in this program. The first three phases will take her to the Three Cauldrons phase.
• Practice divination regularly, performing at least a half-dozen readings for himself and others.
• Begin journal work with a self-introduction and other self-awareness exercises.
• Begun the work of trance-vision, learning to step into vision and to begin finding and making the Inner Grove.
• Perform rites for personal blessing, to introduce herself to the spirits, to consecrate a talisman of protection, to create a shrine-idol for the Dead, and to create his own Cauldron of Blessing for magical rites.
Still sounds dense, but then I’ve always meant this approach to be a concentrated ‘retreat’ of the sort used by other training systems. For those who want to work diligently much can be accomplished in a short time. Even those who need to work more slowly will be able to move along one section at a time, with a clear outline.
On we go – let’s try to have the next three months done by Yuletide, shall we? Hmmmmm?

3 comments:

Grey Cat Sidhe said...

I'm really excited about your work. I can't wait to delve into it! Is it your intention for this to become ADF's initiate study program or will this be something separate?

IanC said...

This is meant to be an instruction that will allow students to do the practicum of ADF's IP in a Gaelic-ish style. I don't want it to be *the* IP, because I want others to do the same, creating various styles and methods for completing that course.

IanC said...
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