Image by peter pearson via Flickr
It’s about time for me to renew my membership with the ADF. This first year has included a lot of study as I’ve worked on the Dedicant Path coursework. Even so I don’t think I’ve yet given it the attention it deserves. Partly that’s because I’ve been distracted by my hearth culture studies. This coming year I hope to finish the Dedicant Path work and work at some syncretism between my ADF work and my Roman work. To that end, I’m considering merging this blog and my other, Tita Rufia Prisca’s House, into a single blog.
I don’t know if it’s the best idea, since there hasn’t been a lot of overlap between the two, but then again that’s part of the issue. I don’t want my Roman studies to be one thing and my ADF studies to be another. I’d like to blend them and not be so much living in some kind of pagan Separate Lives remake.
I’m still very much interested in Roman hearth culture and I don’t see that changing. I also don’t think I’m ever going to be rigorously Roman enough to fit into the Roman re-creationist scene. I had that problem with the Celtic recons too, which is how I eventually ended up at ADF. I think at ADF I can be mostly Roman with some Celtic in my practice without anyone’s heads exploding with stress over my syncretism, or my lack of desire to do it just like they did in the Golden Age of Man.
It’s been a good year. I’ve met a lot of people online who have been very generous with their knowledge and opinions. I’ve read a lot, learned a lot and enjoyed posting about it and applying things to my daily life. My first task for my coming year, which starts on Lammas for me because of when I joined ADF, will be to make my own Roman ritual for the “Lammas” spot on the ADF calendar. I’m planning an Opiconsivia ritual. The historical Opiconsivia happened later in August. I think it will make a really good fit in terms of intention and tone, and hopefully Opis and Consus won’t be too annoyed by having their day celebrated a early.
The Walled Garden: Cultivated Hedgewitchery 
Jul 19, 2011 @ 11:10:23
I do like the way ADF tends to be more open to syncretism while still being serious and academic. It’s a big part of why I joined in the first place, and I’m a little concerned I’ll wind up having the same problems with Hellenic recons that led me to ADF in the first place now that I’m leaving it. My only plan for that so far is to avoid the strict, dogmatic reconstructionists.
I’ve learned a lot from your posts, especially at the Roman blog, and I’m sure it will be interesting to keep reading and see what you do with this in the next year, whether you combine the blogs or not. I hope you are able to bring these two parts of your practice together in a way that works for you!