Priestess

The art of moving and directing energy is often considered to be the art of being a Priestess. Priestess - one who officiates sacred rites. Priestess - that word is often associated with the old nature religions of Europe . When women where excluded from spiritual service, the word Priest remained and was commonly used in the Christian culture. Priestess was left in the past. At Diana’s Grove, we have begun to reclaim this word.

A Priestess, according to the resident 1928 Oxford English Dictionary, is: One who officiates Sacred Rites. This definition describes one aspect of a Priestess's work. But, what Rite does a priestess officiate? Life. Living is the Sacred Rite that a Priestess is called to officiate. Life, growth, personal interaction, communication; all of the intricate exchanges that are required in the journey of becoming – these are the Rites that a Priestess is asked to facilitate at Diana’s Grove. Living, working and creating together as interactive and interdependent beings is the focus of our Priestess training – our leadership development program.

Priestess is not a gender-specific word in our community. Men and women can call themselves Priestesses. No one is asked to call themselves by any name or title. Priestess can describe an individual's relationship with the Divine. Although we respect this definition, we use this word to describe the work that we do, rather than as a way to describe who we innately are.

If you are called to Priestess and you accept that challenge, the very nature of your work will ask you to discover your talents and refine the skills required to effectively serve a group. If you wish to be an empowering spiritual leader, your work will challenge you to develop an acute awareness of the impact you make on those you serve.

Talents and skills are wonderful tools in a Priestess's magical basket. Skills, like tools, need to be well-made and well-cared for if they are going to help us master our craft. But Priestessing isn't about those talents, skills or tools; it is about the desire, willingness and ability to serve a group and an intention.

Priestess: One who officiates sacred rites. To this we add: a Priestess acts as a healer. She leads others to discovery by knowing the questions rather than the answers. He learns the art of creating space and providing relentless support. Our leadership development program for spiritual community focuses on the skills needed to facilitate large and small group according to these principles. We believe that creating community is the essential first step to creating effective ritual.

Rituals lay new patterns in the subconscious. They create new pathways in the soul. As we create rituals, we want to be sure that our ritual practices support our philosophies.