To use the now rather overused word, we are facilitators, motivated by the joy we find in working together, in bringing people together and in our sacred lands. People ask us for initiation for a number of reasons. These Gorseddau are seeded by the BDO, affiliated to it if they wish but otherwise independent. Such initiations are poignant, declaring a commitment to the spirit of place, to the ancestors and to the spiritual community that witnesses the rite. At times in our lives it can be important and deeply effecting to make such a dedication, marking the changes in our perspectives and priorities, allowing the process better to continue its unfolding.
Initiation can happen on many levels.
For some it is the acknowledgement on a spiritual level of having crossed a barrier of fear and unknowing, of having walked through another doorway. Some rites not only acknowledge with thanks, but actually take us through the doorway, marking a beginning but on a deeper level than the simpler dedication. Some are a part of a deeper dedication or vow to a deity. At the BDO, we view such initiations as being the inevitable conclusion of a personal journey or quest, and as such Philip and I are always happy to witness, guide or act as celebrants for an initiation rite with anybody who feels they have arrived at such a point and where our involvement feels appropriate. In this way, initiation is a spiritual rite of passage, and sacred ceremony can be created around such a turning point in life.