What is priesthood?

Let's begin by saying what it is not.  It is not a job.  It is not something you get merely as a reward for completing a course of studies. 

Some of the best priests and priestesses have some of the least significant credentials, and some of the worst have some of the most impressive credentials, and for every one that supports those two statements, there are many others that support the opposite view - or somewhere in between.

So, what is priesthood, then?  What is it that so many find themseves either desiring to attain, or find themselves being dragged "kicking and screaming" into it?

In 2004, Aidan published an essay on The Witches Voice titled "Priesthood Is A State Of Being".  A couple of years and more study and experience later, his ideas have evolved even more.

One priest's viewpoint on what a priest or priestess might expect, and what might be expected of them.  And why, for some, priesthood seems to be even more unavoidable than taxes.

There are tools needed on any journey, in either the physical plane or the spiritual.  Even if you are walking to the convenience store at the corner, you dress to protect you from the elements and take with you something to use for money in order to conduct business at the store. 

On a spiritual journey, there are also tools that you will need.  These tools are not physical implements per se, but at a higher level - but they are things that are there and waiting for you at this time.

Let's explore the four main spiritual tools you'll be using.  Almost everyone does use them, including people who do not consider themselves to be spiritual and who don't think that they have a spiritual journey.

What are those tools, and how to use them?  With that, we can move forward.

On your spiritual journey, there will be doorways, windows and paths which will offer themselves to you. There will also be people who will try to stand in the way of those doorways, windows and paths.

Nowhere does this happen more often than in regards to books that you might read. After all, they are the way that you might be able to take a peek behind a doorway, look through a window, or see what a path entails.

As an example, let's explore a couple of theological bombshells that are disturbing a lot of people, beginning with one bombshell that hit the major mainstream media in the last few weeks.

There's more here than exploring the contents of some writings that cause a fuss. There's also what to look for and why, both in the positive and negative. If it is necessary to "separate the wheat from the chaff," it's best to be able to do it yourself rather than someone else doing it for you. It's part of finding your own answers to your questions.

Now that we've determined that you're going on a spiritual journey, what about the journey itself?  It has a beginning, it will have a final destination, but what of the journey itself?

There are some good examples of spiritual journeys, and some of those stories are well worth knowing.  But no matter how much you might admire and wish to emulate someone (if you do), there is no way that you will be able to step into their shoes for your spitirual journey.

No matter the destination, no matter the nature of your spiritual journey and quest, there are some basic principles to use as a guide, and they can help make your journey more productive and perhaps even pleasant.

A spiritual journey, like any journey, begins with the first step.  As with any other journey, how well you do the first steps might be important throughout the journey - and this is a long one! 

But what is that first step?  Is there something you need to have to really begin?  What is it? 

For the first show, I want to cover the question that has been bothering me longer than any other question having to do with religion or theology.  That question is simply:

Why can't we all get along with each other?

The answer to this is perhaps the biggest secret hiding for us to find!