This week is all about the First Oath. I am modifying the example given in the DP Manual to make it my own and using the Simple Self Blessing Ritual offered in Wheel of the Year to incorporate it. I’m not going to include the ritual part of it in this entry, but I will include the oath as well as my thoughts on how giving it goes.
"I, Scooby, declare myself to be a Pagan,
a seeker of the Old Ways, a worshipper of the Old Gods, everliving in their splendor.
With this oath, I set foot upon the path of the Druid,
and vow to make plain my dedication.
I vow to seek a virtuous life, to do right by my kith and kin, to be righteous in my community. I vow to make my Paganism real, to keep the rites and works as they call to me.
I vow to deepen my understanding of the Ways through study to fill my mind with the truth of the Ancients.
These things I swear to the Gods,
with those present as my witnesses.
May it be so."
I kept the name Scooby instead of my birth name because that has never resonated with me, whereas Scooby does for personal reasons. It is my preferred moniker and it's runic transliteration has numerological significance to me.
The Self Blessing Ritual went very well, I'm happy to say. I only flubbed on one word from the script and, funnily enough, said a rhyming synonym. Though it wasn't required, I made offerings of a silver coin to the Well, wine to the Ancestors, lavender to the Land Spirits, and scented oil on the 3 Fires to the Deities.
When it was time to take the omen, I drew 3 runes to determine what, if any, blessings I could expect from the Triads. For the Ancestors, I drew ᚲ, or KENAZ, which I interpreted to mean a blessing of enlightenment and knowledge of the world. For the Land Spirits, I drew ᚠ, or FEHU, which I interpreted to mean a blessing of health and wealth and general abundance. For the Deities, I drew ᚱ, or RAIDHO, which I interpreted to mean a blessing of divine guidance along my life's journey.
Needless to say, these were very positive omens. I finished the rite, tossed the wine and lavender I'd offered out the window onto the lawn, and contemplated the whole process. While I don't know that I felt the presence of anything but myself, I do know I felt calmer and grounded by the time I was done. The next week's lesson will start my research into the High Days, starting with Mabon. I may start work on it early, actually.
End of entry.