Dedication

Imbolc and new beginnings

Apart from any prosaic meaning of simply being committed to a single task, the word ‘dedication’ throws up two particular uses for me (but there are further nuances): the first being found in the front matter of a book and the author’s ‘dedication to someone or something’: the second concerns matters of spiritual devotion.

I mentioned in my last post that I was on another ‘Priestess path’ and with Imbolc last weekend, the time of the first spring and new beginnings, this seems like an ideal moment to share a little more about the journey I embarked on fully last Imbolc 2025. The post below explains the Pagan Wheel of the Year that I live by.

When I dedicated myself to Druidry, it began with initiation, a Rite to show my intent to study the path. The 3 fold teachings of Bard, Ovate and Druid took me 7 years (it can vary but is 3-4 years minimum many people taking 19 years…) with the excellent mentorship of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids (OBOD) programme. I have a pattern of ‘studying towards’ that which I wish to understand and take part in: when I wanted to be a midwife, as a young mother, I spent years going back to school for more qualifications part time and worked in a hospital as a volunteer before I applied for midwifery training: when I committed to my writing seriously, I embarked on post graduate courses at the University of Glasgow: after years of dabbling with Bach flower remedies, I completed the 3 courses to become a practitioner with the Bach Centre last year: and in-between I have completed dozens of smaller courses to enhance any interests that I currently held. It’s what I do.

When I realised that my Druidry, beautifully balanced though it is in its spiritual teachings, was not addressing my feelings of oppression of the feminine in the world today, I knew that the path that would bolster me, that would recalibrate my energies was the path of a Priestess in service to the Divine Feminine - Goddess centric - something I had deliberately avoided in the past as I was always a seeker of equilibrium. It’s all very well in the Otherworld to have Gods and Goddesses, light and dark, as the sense of equality is fair and just, but that’s a subjectively constructed paradigm. In this world, we know equality is challenged with every intersection of being. I came to understand that what I was looking for was ‘equity’, not ‘equality’ in my holistic view of spirituality.

The difference between equity and equality is best demonstrated in health care. When a minority group are disadvantaged by what is offered to all, their access and treatment within the service is often offset by giving them ‘more than usual’ or ‘more focused’ attention eg women of colour have poorer outcomes in maternity care (shamefully) so it is best practice to raise their level of care offering whatever extras might improve the situation. Think also how in politics, parties have the policy of positive discrimination to give balance and fairness towards women candidates standing as Members of Parliament, which of course, didn’t go well for the SNP when For Women Scotland challenged the premise that trans identifying men could count as female. (Supreme Court Judgement)

I’m now in a fortunate phase of life where I can share my time (the most precious commodity we have as we age) around my personal priorities, loves and activities without the constraints of employment or responsibility of family - been there, done that. Spirituality and writing, often in combination, are my passions these days and I choose to engage fully, whilst being mindful of the checks and balances in the rest of my life that remind me of what else requires my attention. Life is good.

To that end, last weekend as Imbolc was waking the Earth Mother into activity - literally the actions of spring - with a full moon in Leo, the sun in Aquarius the Temple of Initiation, and my sun sign Virgo in the 6th house (my sign’s house), as well as a roundup of personal planets promising to widen my horizons - I dedicated myself to the path of Star Priestess in Goddess centred astrology with the fabulous and knowledgeable Maria Jones and her Silver Spiral Training. (You can find Maria and Sophia’s excellent podcast on Substack - Star Revelations.) I have completed one year of Silver Spiral training which has been quite the Star Fire baptism - intense and challenging - but I have earned my interim designation as Sistar of the Stars…

This isn’t the only Priestess path that I have embarked upon, but I’ll wait a while before sharing more. One ‘coming out’ per post is enough.

My writing is not forgotten, quite the opposite as I find that my spiritual practices positively enhance all that I do. Know thyself the Oracle at Delphi advised, and this is exactly what engagement in spirituality should be about IMO. I believe that holding to a religion or spirituality can be (enlightening comes to mind but too loaded…) informative - we live, we learn, but first we must connect and listen.

Next time, I’ll give an update on my trilogy, Tales of B-Earth - 2026 is an important year! And incidentally, I will be dedicating the trilogy to Goddess…