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Oxford Dictionaries defines "Pilgrimage" as a pilgrim's journey, or a religious journey or religious expedition. I have gone of several pilgrimages myself, self-described, most likely, but pilgrimages nonetheless. I ventured to Brittany in France and visited Carnac, with its row and rows of standing stones. I visited a number of off-the-beaten tracks places like "Merlin's Grave" (I am pretty sure he wasn't buried there), the Val-sans-retour, the Fountain of Barenton, the Forest of Broceliande, the odd Celto-Christian Church at Trehuerentec. All of these places were known to others, all of them had some history, a few of them had some authenticity.

Last year, at the OBOD Summer Gathering, I made the trip up Glastonbury Tor, indeed an effort and a pilgrimage all in one. To do ritual in a holy places makes the religious journey or religious expedition even more powerful, all the more memorable. The journeys are all the more memorable because they require a journey of distance, of effort, and of time.

Isaac Bonewits' Vision for ADF has been the guiding thought for the organization since its inception. It guided ADF through its formative stage and continues to be the vision that we all share. In our continuing examination of that vision, we come to the next item in Isaac's Vision: the priesthood. Isaac saw ADF as a church and he saw priests in his church.

Here is what he had to say:

Living in the Way

AP: Minneapolis, MN

Are witches born or made?

According to the results of a genetic study to be published in next month's Scientific American, the answer is: A.

Dr. Stephanie Fox of the University of Paganistan's Department of Genetics and Epidemiology, announcing the results of a 40-year study, told reporters yesterday, “The Great Witch Families of Europe have long contended that witchery runs in families. We can now say confidently that genetics back up that claim.”

Although the so-called “witch gene” is predominantly present in mitochondrial (maternal) DNA, the study found that it can also be transmitted Y-chromosomally (in the paternal line) as well.

Interestingly, the “witch gene” has been found to be present in every human population so far studied.

Finding the Earth Mother in your Back Yard           

Give me three Fires
Point the corners
To the edges
Of the world