At Wellspring 2016 an interesting thing was born: The Cult of Melissa.
I was sitting at the Magical Druid shop, just taking up space and enjoying the sun when I blurt out to MJD, "You know what we need? Pollinator Shrine Kits!" And conversation about what could go into such a thing commenced. What did we come up with?
A clay pot on which is painted/inscribed a prayer for the pollinators
a peat patty
a seed packet containing, perhaps, white clover? hairy vetch? milkweed? some type of easily grown pernenial nectar/pollen source
A plaque/statue of a Pollinator Sigil
And what would be the point of all of this? To encourage spiritual engagement with the pollinators in return for their many gifts to us. By offering a simple step, I hope the steps that follow and lead toward increased connection with the land spirits and the desire to act to protect and nurture these nurturing spirits will be easier.
I often hear Druids say, "how do I begin to connect with the nature Spirits?" This would be a good way! Set up the Pollinator shrine in a corner of your yard, on your balcony, on a window sill. Every 21 days (gestation period of a worker bee from egg to adult) stand/sit before the shrine, focus on the sigil, and say the prayer.
This idea percolated in my brain over the course of the evening.
The next day I was sitting in the Magical Druid's tent again, just taking up space and not doing much of anything when I suddenly blurted out, "We should have an Order devoted to pollinator work. Hey Kathleen, would you be the Clergy Advisor?" She good naturedly agreed and off I went planning and scheming. Then a hilarious thought struck me, I should ask Rev. Melissa Hill to be the Clergy Advisor and call the Order the Cult of Melissa! Because.....lol's!
She loved the idea as much as I did.
The upside is that she currently works with a bee-goddess. While she appreciated the humor of the name, she also is deeply involved in this work.
And so, the Cult of Melissa was born.
In the end we will have to choose a different name when we officially apply with ADF. I ran it by the Arch Druid and he confirmed that something with the word "Cult" in it was unlikely to get much traction in ADF and would almost certainly not be approved. But beginnings are important. So I have recorded the story of the true name here.
I was sitting at the Magical Druid shop, just taking up space and enjoying the sun when I blurt out to MJD, "You know what we need? Pollinator Shrine Kits!" And conversation about what could go into such a thing commenced. What did we come up with?
A clay pot on which is painted/inscribed a prayer for the pollinators
a peat patty
a seed packet containing, perhaps, white clover? hairy vetch? milkweed? some type of easily grown pernenial nectar/pollen source
A plaque/statue of a Pollinator Sigil
And what would be the point of all of this? To encourage spiritual engagement with the pollinators in return for their many gifts to us. By offering a simple step, I hope the steps that follow and lead toward increased connection with the land spirits and the desire to act to protect and nurture these nurturing spirits will be easier.
I often hear Druids say, "how do I begin to connect with the nature Spirits?" This would be a good way! Set up the Pollinator shrine in a corner of your yard, on your balcony, on a window sill. Every 21 days (gestation period of a worker bee from egg to adult) stand/sit before the shrine, focus on the sigil, and say the prayer.
This idea percolated in my brain over the course of the evening.
The next day I was sitting in the Magical Druid's tent again, just taking up space and not doing much of anything when I suddenly blurted out, "We should have an Order devoted to pollinator work. Hey Kathleen, would you be the Clergy Advisor?" She good naturedly agreed and off I went planning and scheming. Then a hilarious thought struck me, I should ask Rev. Melissa Hill to be the Clergy Advisor and call the Order the Cult of Melissa! Because.....lol's!
She loved the idea as much as I did.
The upside is that she currently works with a bee-goddess. While she appreciated the humor of the name, she also is deeply involved in this work.
And so, the Cult of Melissa was born.
In the end we will have to choose a different name when we officially apply with ADF. I ran it by the Arch Druid and he confirmed that something with the word "Cult" in it was unlikely to get much traction in ADF and would almost certainly not be approved. But beginnings are important. So I have recorded the story of the true name here.