I've been so busy this year, it's hard to believe...  I had RavenCon, then RenFaire, (by the by, I picked up that commission for the wedding - I am doing the ENTIRE wedding party!!) and now I am a Seminary student!  Sometimes it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day. 

I have been an Ordained Minister for 8 years (online ordination - where were the Seminaries for the "non-mainstream" religions back then?), but Virginia doesn't recognise ordination UNLESS you have been through seminary!!  Makes it kind of difficult to practise your religion if you aren't Judeo-Christian, but you can't convince them that it is rank discrimination!  The number of recognised Ministers (legal term) in this state (OK, OK - Commonwealth) that are not the "Recognised" 6 or so religions are probably under 20.  No, I'm not kidding.  That is statewide.  I'm not talking about recent graduates from the "new" seminaries out west and the one I'm attending.  Those ministers would have been graduated and recognised within the past 2 years.  And at that, there are still probably less than 25!  Let me put it this way - the world famous Rutherford Institute found 1 (ONE) Wiccan in the entire state that was ordained and recognised to 'practise her calling' under the law.  She has since 'ordained' several others of her flock, and the state has to recognise them, since they recognise the church she set up.   But they (the state) aren't happy about the situation, because none of her 'ministers' "ever went through seminary"!!  All of the emphasis is the state's, by the way.

So, I've had to bite the bullet and enter seminary.  The only complaint I really have is that it will take me that much longer to serve my small but growing group of Wiccans in my area.  I can't set up a "church" under the law unless I am a recognised "minister", and they don't recognise that I am one.  But I do realize that I have a LOT to learn.  Thus far, 95% of my knowledge has been from books, so it will be wonderful to interact with others of my chosen faith.  I may not agree with them 1000%, but then, when do we EVER have that?  Faith is always subject to interpretation.  That is why there are so many 'flavors' of it, right?  At least, no-one ever has to worry about me setting out on Ji-Had (did I spell that correctly?  My dictionary doesn't carry Arabic terms...).

Perhaps I should start my own 'group' here on EF, just for the Traditionalist Wiccans?  If anyone is interested, drop me a line, and perhaps we can do that.  I can keep you updated on some of the items I pick up in Seminary that I haven't run across in all of the books (most of which are plain CRAP), and maybe clear up some mis-comprehensions, as well.  Let me know if anyone wants a group formed.