DEVELOPING YOUR PAGAN CLERGY SKILLS & ABILITY TO COUNSEL OTHERS
Performing the duties and responsibilities of a Chaplain and Pagan Clergy Person is quite rewarding and “MAGICAL”. Yet, it is a different kind of magic from what you might expect. We as practitioners eagerly digest all manner of Magical Books and Manuscripts – looking for secret and hidden mysteries, honing our various gifts – that we may bless others however we are able. It has been my experience, however, that the greatest gift of Magic we could ever offer another human being is the gift of not only listening to another’s very real experience/trauma, but it is also by validating that experience and providing wise counsel based upon what is truly heard – that we create “CHANGE”. That is the definition of magic. The act through focus and will, creating change within the internal landscape and through that focus – bringing the external environment into conformity with your will.
But what if you are afraid to look inward? What if you fear examining what makes you – you? What if a person was before you who is also very conflicted, much in the same manner as you are, but in their instance – the internal pain consumed them and with very devastating consequences?
This is my experience in performing Clergy work. Shared common experiences had between us in our personal lives, but different choices being made. Simple choices. Choices as simples as my choosing to turn left and they chose right – but with drastically different results. Namely incarceration as it relates to this subject matter and Prison Clergy Work. Clergy work requires a willingness to listen to the pain of others. It also requires us to identify the very specific issues at hand within the individual we desire to help. It takes practice, listening, psychism and discernment to determine what manner of assistance is required.
Then a deeper question must be asked which may begin the healing process: How does your faith inform you, instruct you, heal you, console you and comfort you in such horrific circumstances? For many, this is the first time this question has ever been asked, but it is a necessary one. It empowers the one seeking help to really begin asking themselves what they can do to help heal their internal landscape in very real ways. A Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is not just for the incarcerated. Rehabilitation is healing.
Within this section of the website, subject materials germane to clergy work will be posted to help hone your skills in identifying the various problems one may encounter when assisting our fellow man. This information is meant to help you with yourself personally and is meant to help you identify methods of helping others yourself, or alternatively to identify when to make a professional referral for counseling.
CLERICAL HOMEWORK
THIS IS A LEARN AT YOUR OWN DESIRED PACE ATMOSPHERE! I CANNOT FORCE ANYONE TO BECOME CLERGY.
EITHER YOU ARE CALLED AS A HEALER TO DO THIS VERY IMPORTANT WORK , OR YOU ARE NOT.
Homework assignments will be provided herein. A scheduled monthly meeting to assess where you are at in your online learning will be facilitated. Additionally, their may be a requirement of oral or written assignments to test your growing knowledge. This will be presented in two forms.
Reading materials will be provided which are helpful in developing your abilities to counsel other in a clerical manner. Occasionally, very specific topics of homework will be assigned and based upon a referral for you to do personal research, or subject material will be provided germane to developing your skills. As we will only be checking in with one another ONCE PER MONTH, you will have ample time to do the reading and adequate time to provide responses. The responses are necessary so that I may gage where you are at in your learning.
You will be invited to write an essay to assess what you have read and your comprehension or interpretation of that material. This essay will then be posted to the homework assignment thread, or
You may respond via video for a personal touch. To accomplish this, you will be asked to create a gmail email account. A YouTube page comes automatically with this. You may record from your cell phone a video responding to the homework and save this to your Youtube channel privately. Once uploaded, you will then copy the link to that video and post the video in the thread of the homework assignment for all to view.
Group discussions in Zoom meetings will be held from time to time to allow you an opportunity to discuss subject matter, respond to homework in a group setting so we can learn from one another.
