• About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
  • About
    • Mission & Vision
    • Our Leadership
    • ADF: A Druid Fellowship
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Calendar
  • Resources & Social Justice
  • Membership
  • Blogs
    • Prairie Tidings (Church Blog)
    • Rev. Badger's 2019 Stoic Blog
    • The Practical Bard (Rev. Missy's Blog)
    • Little Druid on the Prairie (Rev. Lauren's Blog)
  • Policies
  • Contact Us
Mountain Ancestors Grove, ADF

Prairie Tidings: Our Church's Blog

Devotional Polytheism and Alone Time with the Kindreds

5/19/2016

 
by Rev. Melissa Burchfield, ADF Master Bard

There have been many articles written about devotional practices among polytheists. Folks who have listened to my music already know I am most definitely counted among those with devotional-type practices.

Before I left Christianity, I was a musician in that realm, too. I played and sang with the worship bands in several churches, and I even led some of the worship music in the college Christian Fellowship group I was in. It was actually the music that kept me from leaving the church, even when I knew it wasn’t the right path for me. I knew I was a polytheist long before I knew anything about Wicca or Druidry or even neopaganism. I didn’t have names for these things. All I knew was singing brought me to a place where I communed with several different beings with distinct energy patterns (I am energy sensitive. Not all people are).

My Wiccan years weren’t full of much music. All the music I produced then was fairly secular and heavy with emotionality. It wasn’t until I joined ADF that I began to blend music with my religious path once more.

I have over a dozen devotional-type songs that I’ve written, but I haven’t written anything in over a year—until this evening. My reflection on this evening’s creation centered on why I have been so lacking in creativity. I mean, I’m a Master Bard, and music has always been such a significant piece of who I am. 

A month ago, we attended the Ad Astra retreat in Kansas where Rev. Badger and I sat on a panel discussing family paganism. One of the statements I made was, “I don’t pray well with others.” This is very, very true, and I know there are others like me. 

As I was reflecting on these two pieces of information, it dawned on me. I don’t pray well with others. I think I actually need to be alone to pray. My personal prayers are private and intimate. In this place alone can I find the stillness and quiet my spirit needs to hear the songs the Kindreds are singing that I so desperately try to catch with my pen and guitar. I need alone time to be a devotional polytheist. Otherwise, I’m just going through the motions.

Fortunately, we are an orthopraxic, right action, religion. Going through the motions is the part that is required. It’s not that I don’t get anything out of these motions, because I do. I love the gift of witnessing others pray. It is a joy that I am blessed with as a Priest. It is renewing to pray with others, and it definitely helps to build good, solid relationships. What I don’t get is anything new.

Devotional polytheism is a way of praying. It’s a way of connecting. And some of us, extroverted or not, need to express our devotional polytheism in private. Much like a seed in the ground, songs and poems and prayers come to me in this solitude, and when I emerge, I have a beautiful blossom to share. 

Here is the devotional work I completed this evening:

At the Center: A Song for the World Tree

Sing to the Waters, the ever-flowing Sea
Sing to the Fire in the Sky
Sing to the Waters that flow through you and me
Sing to the Fire on high that crackles merrily

At the center, a spark falls to the sea
Boiling Seas and Roaring Waves
At the Center, grows forth the Sacred Tree
From the misty depths where the Fire meets Sea
Reaching for the sky
Oh, Sacred Tree, grow within me

Sing to the Waters, surrounding all the Land
Sing the Land on which we stand
Sing to the Waters, sing to the Sky above
Sing to the Land, The Earth, The Mother of All
in fullness, joy, and love

At the Center, where Ocean meets the Land
Where misty shapes dance on the breeze
At the Center, the place where life began
By Holy Well, by Fire on High,
By Earth beneath our feet
Oh, Sacred Tree, hold fast the ways between
Oh, Sacred Tree, grow within me

May you find your place of solitude and crack open your seeds of inspiration!

Blessings,
Rev. Bee


Comments are closed.

    About the Name: Prairie Tidings

    One of the many names for a group of Magpies is "a tiding" of magpies. In 2015 this blog was used as a place for Rev. William, and Rev. Missy to share their experiences as church leaders, as well as goings on at the grove, opinions, and essays. After we got some dedicants trained in our unique work, it was unanimously decided by our board of directors to open the blog to all members of our church. So, we're a group of "MAGpies" (a tiding) sharing news, happenings, and our thoughts (tidings) with you all. 

    Thank you all for your continued support and interest in our work!

    ​MAGpies, please make all blog submissions to Rev. William, as he's managing the website. 

    Archives

    November 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    September 2022
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    June 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All
    Hearth & Home
    Religious Life

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.