This particular blog post is coming to you from Fountainbleu State Park campground in Louisiana. I made it here after twelve hours pulling my RV behind my truck from north central Texas. So why I did I drag my RV down here? For OBOD’s Gulf Coast Gathering, of course!

This is the last of my major trips for the front part of the year. I will be attending Many Gods West later this year, as well as CalderaFest (which I will again pull the RV along with me). As an introvert, coming out to Pagan gatherings, festivals and conferences its a tough experience for me – but there was a promise made. Pinky-to-talon swear. But the OBOD GCG is a different thing from those.

First off, this is family. These people are members of my extended family. Many of them have burrowed their way into my heart and life over the past few years. Some of them, I have known much longer – and our friendship has turned into something much deeper. For me, this is a yearly family reunion. Where we can hunt Screen-door-swinging-in-the=Breeze Boars, play London Bridge with the Bardic initiates, sit down to talk/laugh/carry-on – essentially build experiences and moments that will sustain us for another fifty-one weeks of the coming year.

Second, its a moment of transition for me. This year, I will be advancing from the Bardic grade to the Ovate grade. After seven years of working my way through the Bardic Gwers, my constant stopping and starting; I have made it through and am moving forward in my studies. All due to another pinky-to-talon swear. I am excited, anxious, and completely terrified at where things go from here. This is the moment where I step off well-worn Path and move into an area of the forest I am unsure of. Where the Path ceases to be a well-walked foot path, and becomes a slightly discernible deer trod.

Over the past few weeks, three themes have been recurring in nearly everything I do:  death, dreams, and freedom. And as I walk further along these new steps to my Path, I can see where these all intersect at varying points coming up. Or perhaps its a slight illusion where I think that the bridge I see in the distance is part of the Path I walk, but its actually not.

There’s only one way to find out, eh? Taking the step forward. And then putting another step forward. I have mentioned it before, its time for me to be the Priest I am supposed to be. It is long past time to pick myself up off the Path, dust off my hindquarters and get on with being the Druid I am. Its time for me to start digging deeper into stories, myths, and communication. Being stagnant on the Path is nice for a short rest, but I have rested enough. And as I said, I am excited, anxious and terrified about where those steps will take me. Onwards. /|\