Rev Janet Callahan

Priestess and Author

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What is Clergy, Anyway?

January 2, 2019 by Janet Callahan 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what our initiations mean, and what “being clergy” means when you’re not part of an active, structured worship group (like a coven, or kindred, or church, or whatever). Christian folks use minister, clergy, pastor, and a few other terms almost interchangeably, and priest is only used in a few specific situations….but we’re different.

priestess in a circle of stars and swirling colors

We talk about everyone being a priest or priestess – everyone is capable of reaching out to the divine and interceding for themselves, without someone standing in between them and a specific deity.

We also talk about priests and priestesses serving specific gods, the way temple keepers would have in the old days. It’s a form of dedication to that specific deity, in service to them.

We talk about clergy when we mean, “able to serve as clergy in the legal sense” – weddings, mostly, but sometimes funerals, hospital visits, and maybe house blessings. Sometimes we use the word ordained here, or ordained minister, because it’s “official”…but anyone can be ordained by the ULC, so I often wonder what this word really gets us [1]

Ministers…minister. They tend to the spiritual needs of the flock. They do sick calls, they pray with people, they help people who are struggling with faith.

And as pastor, they’re also the leader of the congregation. That’s a lot of jobs to put on one person, and it’s no wonder that so many Christian groups struggle with finding people who can really do all these things.

One of the things that we don’t talk about is teaching. In most other religions, those who are worship leaders are also teachers of that faith. Our teaching is more decentralized, more squishy. Frequently, students are asked to teach as part of their training – learning how to teach by example, and learning more about their subjects as they teach. Even when our working group teaches, we learn at festivals and at events and go to individual workshops and read books and websites – so many incoming sources of information!

And teaching is one of the things I’ve done a lot of over the years. It’s become a focus of mine over the last few, because I so often feel that those formalized learning opportunities are missing as we Pagan folk become less centralized and more and more solitary with occasional group rituals.

It’s one of the reasons I’m opening Lady Arianrhod’s Magical Academy – teaching is a passion of mine, and while there’s lots of good information out there if you google, you have to sort through and figure out what’s credible (just today, someone asked about runes in one of the groups I’m in, complaining that different sources say different things, and how do they figure it out?)

So, head on over, check out the classes currently available, and consider our introductory offer – I’ll likely do a sale for a year’s worth of membership later this year. There are more offerings coming for members too, which will not be released as separate courses.

This is my focus this year – the Academy and the Magical Moms Club – so let’s make 2019 a great year!

[1] Which is not to detract from the ULC, mind you – they serve an important role, and now that the circle that initiated me as a high priestess, capable of running a circle, and capable of legally acting as clergy no longer exists, I have an ordination from them to help manage the state’s requirements.

Check out my new energy work page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodVibrationsEnergyStudio

Filed Under: classes, Essays, Magical Moms Club, MoonDay School

Ways to Use Reiki with Kids

February 23, 2018 by Janet Callahan Leave a Comment

If you know me, you’ve heard my stories about using Reiki with my kids – from Reiki in the NICU to Reiki on the little bumps and bruises that kids get to getting my kids to sleep.

Little Miss B, at 6, comes over asking us to kiss every injury – I kiss my hand (because sheesh, it’s always a toe or some other really inconvenient place she wants a kiss) and put my hands over the spot to do Reiki. Within moments, she says, “All Better” and takes off.

One of my goals with my new energy work practice is to do more work with families and children, particularly those with special needs. So, I decided to start looking at what other people were doing with kids out there, and got rather frustrated with the things I was reading.

So, I think I’m going to work on putting some stuff out there on Reiki and children. I’m also prepping a class for parents on doing Reiki on their children.  Interested? Comment below!Check out my new energy work page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodVibrationsEnergyStudio

Filed Under: classes, Magical Moms Club, parenting, Special Needs

Fall already?

August 23, 2017 by Janet Callahan Leave a Comment

How in the world has it been 8 months since my last post?  My goal this year was weekly…but it’s been that kind of year. We’ve started new therapies with the kids, and had some new health things crop up with them. I’ve had some more intense things come up at work that have required my attention. We’re without a housekeeper at the moment, so laundry and cleaning toilets has to fit in there too.

mom with multiple arms doing all the jobs

I’ve been working on doing a better job of time management, and of planning how to get business things done. And…I’ve decided to take a break from learning about marketing and running a business to actually write…which is a huge part of my business.

I’m writing a (public) monthly Pagan Parenting Tip of the Month (PPTotM) on Patreon and I’ve started posting outlines and work in progress on “Magical Parenting” over there (for patrons only). I’m writing a  Pagan parenting advice column on PBN news.  I’m getting some help to get back on the newsletter horse, so to speak, and hired someone to help pull that together every month. I’m scheduling local in-person classes. I’m doing more business networking locally. I’m on the hunt for a space for local classes and for doing Reiki and other energy work, because I want a space that is mine, and because the local scene for those sorts of spaces are pretty full.

School here starts in about a week and a half, and my goal is to talk more here on my blog about special needs kids, and holidays, and putting it all together. I signed us up as our own little 2-child splinter of a local Pagan youth group, and I’m working on building that into our schedule too.  The kids thrive on routines and schedules, and I need them to keep me from dropping any of the balls I’m juggling 🙂

So, here’s to the new school year, and to more consistency….Check out my new energy work page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodVibrationsEnergyStudio

Filed Under: classes, Essays, parenting, Personal

Magical Winter Break Camp

December 5, 2016 by Janet Callahan Leave a Comment

Brace yourself. Winter break is coming!

Magical Winter Break Camp 2016 with tent and people sitting around a campfire

And with it comes, “Mom, I’m booooored!” from the kid who just got new toys.

Every year, I think, “The kids have this whole week off school between Christmas and New Years. We should do something fun as a family! Maybe we should take a trip, or go to some museums, or build a snow fort!”

And then the holidays hit with all their busy-ness, and winter break rolls around, I realize that I have no plan, and we’re going to be home all week with nothing to do but get on each others’ last nerve.

Actually…that happens with every school break.

Not all summer, because the kids are at camp.

So, maybe we need a camp!

Do you want to do something fun this year for break with the kids?

Do you want to do something magical with the kids?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was some sort of camp they could go to and have fun all week?

This year, I’m hosting a free virtual camp during winter break. FIVE days with an assortment of camp-style activities for you and your children to do together. Activities will be suitable for any weather, and a wide range of ages.

Each morning you’ll get an email with a  list of magical activities in a variety of categories. Discussion and reporting out of the fun you’ve had will happen in the Magical Moms Club facebook group, but you need to be registered for camp to get the day’s activities and to receive your camp swag.

Complete at least one activity from each day by the end of the holidays (11:59 pm, January 1, 2017 eastern time) and your children each will receive a Magical Winter Break Camp 2016 button in the mail.

Registration for camp (FREE!) will be open until 6 pm (eastern time) December 24th, and camp starts with your first email early on the morning of December 26th. Click here to register!Check out my new energy work page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodVibrationsEnergyStudio

Filed Under: classes, events, Magical Moms Club, parenting

Pagan Blog Project: Gods (and Goddesses)

April 6, 2012 by Janet Callahan Leave a Comment

Depending on what sort of Pagan you are, there are different beliefs about the Gods. Some folks think of them as Jungian archetypes. Others believe they’re just facets of a greater single divine power. Still others think they’re individual entities, and even some of them think that there’s still a greater overarching power.

I’m not always sure where I fall on that continuum of belief, but mostly I stick to the idea that the Gods present themselves as individuals, so I work on the assumption that they are.

One of the runes, Gebo (also a G – how fitting for this week), means gift. Gebo is shaped like an X. In my training on runes, one of the primary meanings of Gebo is “gift” – and that’s symbolized by that X shape. It symbolizes the connections between the giver and the receiver, > and < – but it also symbolizes the relationship we have with the Gods, the gifts we receive from them and the offerings and worship we give them, ^ and v.

All in all, that’s how I see my relationship with the Gods and Goddesses I have relationships with. Energy shared and exchanged, respect and a good working relationship, and a long history together, getting to know each other. That’s what the Gods are for me.Check out my new energy work page, http://www.facebook.com/GoodVibrationsEnergyStudio

Filed Under: classes, Pagan Blog Project

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