Ordination and What it means in the Craft of the Wise

By Ariana Clausen – Vélez

When we look today and what it means when bestowed with rights as a Reverend or Minister, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

In the early 70’s the work of Dr. Leo Louis Martello where he fought for our civil rights within the Heathen community to have equal rights and liberties as the Christians.  When he fought for those rights it ended in Victory, and this victory allows us today to have Legally Ordained Reverend and Ministers, incorporating and 501 c 3 religious organisations recognised by the government as legal and part of the communities in which we live.

When one is ordained it is something in which one should take great pride and honour in, having papers is not a light responsibility, it is not a form of validation, it does not make anyone legal, and it is not a means of protection, like any position of responsibility it comes with a level of responsibility to the Gods, self, community and the organisation and heads of that organisation in which they are under.  Throughout the media over the past years, many years there have been story after stories of persons who were of the cloth, ordained ministers, reverend, priests and fathers who have been charged with crimes against communities, humanity, their organisations in which they were the head of or in charge of under that of another, all were prosecuted and stripped of their privileges.

I learned long ago from a wise woman, my “True Mother”, that initiation is not validated by the hands or man, but by the hands of the Gods it is only they who can truly initiate you.   Many years ago I went through a great trial, I was a solitary and then later joined an online school and as I grew within myself I felt that it was time for initiation, however, there was no one in my community who could perform this ritual, as I was a solitary, so I self-initiated to the Gods at that time I followed a more Celtic path.  Later as I continued with my training I was invited by a local group to audit their coven and see if I wanted to join, at a later time I did so, and within the next four months I had resigned.  In following this I was still with this online school and had met online a woman who claimed to be a High Priestess in the Wiccan community out of Canada, I studied under her and later she did my next initiation via the internet.  I prepared as I would for any initiation, fasted, prepared oils, soaps, and ritual garb and tools for the ceremony, it was a beautiful and powerful journey.  When at a later time I had asked if she had filed my papers with her organisation, she kept putting me off, so I did what any person with a mind would do, I sought out and contacted them myself; boy did I get a rude awakening, not only was she not a part of their organisation but she had stolen their watermark logo for my certificate.  I was destroyed, or at the time I thought I was, full betrayal by someone who claimed to be in service of the gods.

Shortly following this I had bumped into the old HP of the local coven I had been a part of where I live and he had the audacity to tell me I should step down as a Priestess as I was not ready and only when man blessed would I be; now I was already over the betrayal from the other at this time, so I sat and taught long and hard about this situation.  Flowing this I had a vision, it was of Dr. Leo L. Martello and he had led me to my “True Mother”, we had many amazing conversations over the next year and half and then I went to Salem, MA for the first time and we met and from there I have learned so very much and gained so much in knowledge and wisdom.  The one thing she taught me and it stays with me every day.  We were in the hotel lobby where I was staying and she cast circle it was on Samhain night and as she placed her hand on me she said the following, “No man can validate a Priestess of the Gods, only they can if you lift your arms and eyes to the heavens and say I am of the Gods and they give you a sign that is all the validation one ever needs, the rest is just icing.

Now, I do not speak much of my experiences, yet it is these experiences in which have brought me to why I write on this subject today.

When we as Priestesses and Priests of the Gods stand and after many years of studies and training are bestowed the gift of becoming a Reverend/Minister within our communities we have a greater responsibility, we have to stand up not only for our community but for our brothers and sisters, those who are in need that are otherwise ignored by other religious communities for a variety of reasons.  We are not to think such papers are a form of validation (they do not validate us in the eyes of the Gods), we validate ourselves by our works and deeds towards others, we as Priestesses and Priests must prove we are worthy of such title.

They are not for protections for anyone who betrays this Oath they can easily be revoked, it is not legal protection for we are all held accountable under the laws of the Gods and man.  Yet, under the laws of man we need to have such Ordinations in order to be legal, protected, and validated, so that we can do the work of the Gods here on Earth.  If you do not stand before the gods each day and honour them first, give a helping hand to someone who is of greater need than yourself, you go behind your brother or sisters back, have envy, jealousy and hate in your heart because of one’s’ growth, when you commit a crime against another in your community, when you use your papers as a way to manipulate for your own gain these are all crimes against the Gods and grounds proper actions to be taken against those person/s who do such acts.

Ordination is an Honour and when bestowed such an honour one should take great pride in the work they do, not use them as an excuse to get away with harmful acts against another.

There is a price to pay when bestowed such a gift from the Gods, it is not monitory but it is giving your Oath to the Gods that you will Serve and Work with them, Honour your Vows keeping sacred all things, keeping your oaths of silence and respect your family and treating them with respect and honour as they are equal to you, not above and not below you, the Gods are above us all and in the end it is their hand that comes down in full judgement of your works and deeds.

When ordained honour it and hold it dear to your heart for it is between you and the Gods not you and everyone else; never brag, show off, or treat others less than you are, for in that you will be judged by the Justice of the Gods.

What did I learn from this?  When I stand before the Gods and they validate me, then man has no authority over me or my path, it is the Gods that guide me daily.  When one is blessed enough to have a “True Mother” or “Teacher” who is honourable then they are there to guide you, encourage, support and be proud of you.