Daring to Dream
I've been attending open events at the ASW for almost 4 years now. My first time there was Autumn Magick in 2001 while I was pregant with Vincent. I have been debating since then weither it is the right path for me or not. I realy realy get alot out of their open rituals, they are intense in a way I haven't found anywhere else. They introduced chanting to me which has greatly enhansed my own solitary practice. Natualy having a child became the focus in my life and also finding a carrer that I can live with. Now that I have done that and my son is older, I'm wondering what I'm waiting for. I know that it's not really possible for me to join Guardians of the Wind Sword because of my history with Shelly, but there are other ASW covens, like Coven of the Rowan Star, and there will be new covens as well.
I wish the ASW was a little more child friendly, but that can be said of most Pagan groups. Still, it would be nice to see events specificaly for the kids, or a child proof play area, perhapse a swing set outside, but I suppose it's not a priority for people for which having children is a concious effort and choice. I feel that a Church should be a place for people of all ages and that there should be some kind of instruction for youth who are interested. I also have to be honest in that I'm uncomfortable with practic of swinging, kink and polyamory. I don't think I will ever understand why loving one person isn't enough or why anyone would want to be a "second". I know these practices arn't officaly a practice of the ASW, but the topics do come up. Because of these topics Mr. Morningdove is adimently against our son ever going to ASW and has been less than supportive of me attending or joining. (Which makes all that wishing there was more children's activities kind moot.) That first year with Vincent I joined http://www.witchschool.com because I felt I had no other option for studing Wicca that was compatable with being a parent. When aproaching the topic of joining WitchSchool with Mr. Morningdove he said as long as I would give up attending the ASW, that we could aford WitchSchool. (We were both unemployed at the time so even the reasonable cost of WitchSchool was an issue and so was just the gas money to attend the ASW.) I have resented this compromise ever since. After we bought our home in Delmar and our financial issues resovled, I re-negotiated for attendence to free open events 4 times a year in addition to my WitchSchool studies. I'm going to finish my Correllian First Degree, and posibly be initiated into that, but I feel my future ultimately lies with the ASW, especialy after participating in Persephonerose's initation. I'm also considering having another child, and working on obtaining my Vet Tech degree, but I'm unsure on what order it will all happen in, and if there will be another child or not. (Mr. Morningdove really wants a daughter.) In all of this I just wish I did't feel so strongly that joining a real coven is so incompatable with children, but at least now I am daring to dream that someday I might be apart of the delicious tangable magick that is the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.
I wish the ASW was a little more child friendly, but that can be said of most Pagan groups. Still, it would be nice to see events specificaly for the kids, or a child proof play area, perhapse a swing set outside, but I suppose it's not a priority for people for which having children is a concious effort and choice. I feel that a Church should be a place for people of all ages and that there should be some kind of instruction for youth who are interested. I also have to be honest in that I'm uncomfortable with practic of swinging, kink and polyamory. I don't think I will ever understand why loving one person isn't enough or why anyone would want to be a "second". I know these practices arn't officaly a practice of the ASW, but the topics do come up. Because of these topics Mr. Morningdove is adimently against our son ever going to ASW and has been less than supportive of me attending or joining. (Which makes all that wishing there was more children's activities kind moot.) That first year with Vincent I joined http://www.witchschool.com because I felt I had no other option for studing Wicca that was compatable with being a parent. When aproaching the topic of joining WitchSchool with Mr. Morningdove he said as long as I would give up attending the ASW, that we could aford WitchSchool. (We were both unemployed at the time so even the reasonable cost of WitchSchool was an issue and so was just the gas money to attend the ASW.) I have resented this compromise ever since. After we bought our home in Delmar and our financial issues resovled, I re-negotiated for attendence to free open events 4 times a year in addition to my WitchSchool studies. I'm going to finish my Correllian First Degree, and posibly be initiated into that, but I feel my future ultimately lies with the ASW, especialy after participating in Persephonerose's initation. I'm also considering having another child, and working on obtaining my Vet Tech degree, but I'm unsure on what order it will all happen in, and if there will be another child or not. (Mr. Morningdove really wants a daughter.) In all of this I just wish I did't feel so strongly that joining a real coven is so incompatable with children, but at least now I am daring to dream that someday I might be apart of the delicious tangable magick that is the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.