Now, I wait

Well, I mailed off my Letter of Acceptance and my initiatory fee to the AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America) Grand Grove yesterday. Now I anxiously await notification from Grand ArchDruid John Michael Greer that it has been received and accepted, so that I may officially begin my Initiatory Year.

I've not been this anxious and excited about something in quite awhile. Having read (and actually re-read) JMG's "The Druidry Handbook", having read the material at the AODA website, and participated in discussions for awhile now at the AODA Public Yahoo Group, it just "feels" as if this is the correct path to take. Kind of like walking into a long-time friend's house and immediately feeling comfortable, knowing that you're welcome there and there are honest people of like-mind that you can relate to.

Perhaps it is a "homecoming" of sorts. Perchance in a prior incarnation I was involved in a Druidic Revival group. Now, I'm definitely not saying I was Stuckeley or Toland in a past life (I'm sure there's enough claimants to that already), but I do feel that there is a possibility that I might have been involved in such. It's an interesting thought, nothing more, and it really doesn't matter either way. I'm in the "here and now" ,that is the past, and I'm looking towards the future.

Sure, it's not going to be an easy path to venture. But what achievement worth doing is easy?

It's also a long path in front of me. Yet, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. At one point while I was deciding whether to join the AODA or not (not really that long of a decisive moment, really), I did consider challenging the First Order. I'd probably pass the challenge with relative ease with what I've done in the past as a "solitary". But, the more I thought on it, the more one question kept cropping up in my mind..."why?". What sights would I miss along the path by "running" instead of taking my time? What beautiful scenery would I miss? What important tidbits of information would I not have a chance to learn by "jumping ahead"? Nope, I want to see the dragonflies flitting silently from rock to rock. I want to hear the birds singing, see the color of the sky around me change in it's shades of blue, watch the clouds meander by as I stroll along this newfound trail. Like I said, the journey IS the destination...and I'm going to make the best of it!