I started my pagan path during my high school days in 2002; I suppose you could say I woke up and started thinking for myself. In my earlier life, I grew up as a Methodist much because my parents were under that domination. I started my path like most teenagers with Wicca. After a year of summoning Demons from the realms, I figured it was time to get some guidance. I joined a Coven, and this brought much needed education on the basics of witchcraft and having a group to have rituals with was nice. After the coven broke up, I was still semi active in the magick scene in Florida. I started searching for another path which brought me to ÁR NDRAÍOCHT FÉIN. I started down the Path by starting the Dedicant Path, an trying to intake all the knowledge like a sponge.

During the Beginning of my path of ÁR NDRAÍOCHT FÉIN is where I found my Patron God. I was drawn to Odin, and he accepted me. Later I felt I needed another to make it a Dual Patronage, and Hel accepted me reluctantly. I feel strongly connected to the Norse Culture, not just because my bloodline comes from Sweden, but that has a strong connection to the feeling. I joined a Grove during this period as well and traveled to do some High days with Sara Blackwelder grove; Manatee Proto-grove. That part of my life I was still trying to find my way and ÁR NDRAÍOCHT FÉIN fell to the wayside, and shortly after, the grove moved on as well. Still have a wonderful friendship with the Grove Members, and most are still in adf as clergy or elected positions.

This brings us to the current day. I started back on the Dedicant Program with Samhain 2021, with the goal of completing it this go-around. Ár nDraíocht Féin brings something I need in my life which is Structure, before I started back, I was looking at Asatru, what that lack is any Ritual Structure, where ÁR NDRAÍOCHT FÉIN has the Core order of ritual, and i feel Asatru Rituals are just a tad bit complicated. During my restart of the Dedicant Program, I mediated on changing my Hearth Culture, as it was a chance to start over, but the Norse Hearth Culture is still burning strong in my heart, so I choose to stay with it.

The one aspect of Ár nDraíocht Féin now which they did not have back when I started in the 2000’s is how they have branched out on the technological side of things, we have the email lists as we had back then, but now we have discord which makes us more connected, and Facebook. I remember we had IRC back then, and I used it, but with smartphones now, discord makes accessibility so much easier. Along with discord for accessibility, comes what came out of necessity throughout the 2019 period with Covid-19; and that is the use of zoom. We can now take a shortcut through time and distance and have rituals with each other, as groves and individuals are encapsulating rituals for all to interact and view, either Live or watch and perform the rituals at your convenience.

I set up my altar up in my study on a bookcase along the wall. During regular practice, I slime it down, containing Odin and Hel Statues, the Well, Candle holder for the fire, and Incense Holder for an offering, and my Runes. On the wall above it is a Tapestry for the Tree. I try to do daily affirmations in front of my altar in the morning before I go to work and, in the evenings, even if I just have a minute to hail them and not light a candle or offer them incense as an offering, I feel goodness in my heart and I am doing my best to follow the virtue of Piety.

 During High day events my altar becomes crowded along with everyone else’s probably. The altar has everything my regular everyday altar contains but I add an Offering bowl for the Offerings, Vessel for Oil, my drinking Cup, which now I am favoring a Glass Viking drinking horn type wineglass, and additional candles if needed. I use a music Stand off to my right for my Materials either the printed ritual and/or a tablet for the live or recorded rituals by a Grove if I am using that for the ritual or going off on my own. Most of the rituals I do are centered around the Norse Culture, but not all. I do enjoy other Hearth Cultures and worshipping other deities; I try to research a wide range of Cultures. One of the reasons I choose to be pagan is not to be limited in my beliefs. So, in closing being a pagan has shaped my life for the best, throughout this period of doing the Dedicant Path it has strengthen my connection to the Divine, caused me to really think about things, and have a better understanding of what came before me, and what there is in store for the future.