Introduction

About these notes

These notes are intended for use by Pagan Elders and by those who are in active training to become Elders. They present some of what we have learned up until now, but they are hardly the final word on the subject. They are not intended to become the basis for the next Pagan fad, nor do they replace what you learn from your own Tradition, your Elders, and your Circle.

As usual with this series, this is a work in progress. We hope to receive advice, corrections, inspirations, great ideas, criticisms and manifestos concerning this notebook from its readers. Please email Judy to let us know what you think should be different in the next version. We appreciate your feedback. 

About the authors:

Judy is High Priestess of Proteus Coven, a liberal Gardnerian Wiccan coven in the suburbs of New York City, and proud Grandmother of several covens in that lineage. As a retired civil servant in the best Gardnerian tradition, she is now a full-time writer, teacher and priestess, also maintaining a small private counseling practice. Judy holds an M.S. degree in counseling from City University of New York, and serves as chair of the Pastoral Counseling Program at Cherry Hill Seminary.

Thea is the Academic Dean of Cherry Hill Seminary.  She is a clinical member of  the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy,  an Associate Chaplain (Pagan) at the University of Southern Maine, Chair of Licensure, Ordination and Recogniton for Main Pagan Clergy Association, and a Board Member of Interfaith Maine.  She has published two books, many articles, and has presented original material for professional, Pagan and public groups, and is a Founding Elder of Circle of the Silver Cauldron.  Thus, she is stressed, burned out and generally a prototypical member of the Pagan clergy.

As you might expect from Wiccan High Priestesses, our primary religious vocabulary is Wiccan. But these notes are intended for Pagans of all Paths, and for anybody else who may find them useful. We hope that our Druid, Heathen, and Reconstructionist (and anybody else we may have missed) readers will not feel left out, and will make any translation that is necessary to suit their own Paths.

We have a long-term passion for sharing skills and information we learned in our secular training as  counselors with Elders and Elders-in-training of every Pagan path. Since we consider this a major part of our calling as priestesses, we do not charge fees for these workshops, but do ask for carfare and crash space.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to all who shared ideas and insights in the preparation of this workshop and these notes. Kudos to Misha Dutka and Rhea Paniesin, and to the members of our households and covens.

Copyright