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| Kylemore Abbey in Ireland |
My recent activities[i] have unexpectedly netted alot of inquiries
from those wishing to study under me. Explaining different levels of
involvement so frequently has helped refine the details better in my own mind,
which is the major reward for the teacher, isn't it? In this case, we are
specifically referring to the training in healing and other technology, often associated
with women, primarily from the European Aboriginal traditions[ii], that is taught at our
pagan Abbeys[iii].
However, traditional
apprenticeships have many common elements, including the relationship
between teacher and student, which we will also explore.
Lessons or sessions and apprenticeships are two different streams. For
the first, they are in-depth teaching opportunities to learn the intricacies of
stillroom work for a more hobby use, perhaps as an introduction, or for
personal healing. I do them usually for groups, with a full lecture and demo[iv], and in my home on an
individual basis. They require alot of prep and materials on my part, so I
often have to charge for them. Depending on materials and tech, as well as what
kind of detailed help the student requires, fees can range from $25-100/hour:
the higher level being full health consultations. 'Course, I also trade for
doing dishes, for example, since my dishwasher broke down... This is also
traditional, since most people don’t have chickens to trade anymore...
Apprenticeship on
the other hand is for those who believe
this might be their Calling. It involves a far more intense and thorough
program, with the expectation that apprentices repay their teaching in sweat
equity rather than cash, and often continuing on to practice professionally. It
is longer, too, and harder, usually involving an eventual restructuring of
one's life to take on this goal.[v]
I take applicants for both methods, and people can switch streams whenever they like, if they are able to. I don't take on apprentices who are healing themselves of a severe condition, for example. There is far too much going on in someone's life when they are healing to add the intensity of a full time apprenticeship, too. They stay Students until they are more fully recovered.
I take applicants for both methods, and people can switch streams whenever they like, if they are able to. I don't take on apprentices who are healing themselves of a severe condition, for example. There is far too much going on in someone's life when they are healing to add the intensity of a full time apprenticeship, too. They stay Students until they are more fully recovered.
With both methods, the dropout rate is still pretty high. Similar to the attrition rate for mental health programs, if applicants give up, it's almost always in the first six weeks. Most
people are not prepared for the revelations that occur when immersed into
traditional healing, and what that means for themselves, their lives, their
families, and how they fit in the world, or the world fits around them. It's a
profound shift, and many people are simply not equipped to deal with it at that
time. It's my job to help them with that, of course, but it's still too big a
leap for many.
It is especially intense for those who seek the apprenticeship
stream.
I take on very few apprentices. Since I also require the
spiritual component, potential
apprentices are accepted in similar ways to novitiates in other paths.[vi] Sometimes,
they simply need to apply, and I am satisfied that they are ready to
dedicate themselves and meet the challenge. Occationally, I allow them to commit to
the apprenticeship stream only after a trial
period, especially if they seem adamant on the surface but some
underlying issues are holding them back or making progress difficult. In
certain cases, an Initiation or personal trial is
required, for those who require a more visceral acknowledgement of
the contract and to prove they won't fail out when the hard work begins.
No matter how they arrive to the path, however, all apprentices are chosen for their dedication not just to healing others, but to their own personal growth, character, and empowerment. No one can heal anyone else, of course. Only patients heal themselves, no matter what you cut out of them or dose them with. Someone who feels they are done with suffering will die no matter how successful the treatment is, and others will rise from their deathbeds with remarkable courage if they have the will.[vii] The healing arts are to facilitate that recovery as much as possible. So I dislike the term Healer, since healing is entirely done by the patient (except laying on of hands, which I have yet to have proven to me), but since I can't really come up with a better term, it will have to suffice.
No matter how they arrive to the path, however, all apprentices are chosen for their dedication not just to healing others, but to their own personal growth, character, and empowerment. No one can heal anyone else, of course. Only patients heal themselves, no matter what you cut out of them or dose them with. Someone who feels they are done with suffering will die no matter how successful the treatment is, and others will rise from their deathbeds with remarkable courage if they have the will.[vii] The healing arts are to facilitate that recovery as much as possible. So I dislike the term Healer, since healing is entirely done by the patient (except laying on of hands, which I have yet to have proven to me), but since I can't really come up with a better term, it will have to suffice.
Because of this, however, one of the best methods to increase
chances in patient outcome, in traditional or conventional healing, is having a
fully actualized Healer. This is self-evident, but not included at all
in conventional training, though very much a part of traditional
healing in many parts of the world.[viii] [ix] Someone who has actively worked to eradicate their flaws, like racial or sexist prejudices, is a better patient
advocate, for example, and can hear the vulnerable in a more meaningful
way.[x] A healer who has cultivated humility will
be more available to assist in vital procedures or discussions that other
professionals might find beneath their dignity. A healer who practices
Detached Compassion[xi] will be strong and kind to those who invoke great pity in others, and the “Wounded Healer”
such as a shaman can devote far more energy and time to palliative care than
those who are struggling with their own mortality.
Let's pick just one example to illustrate. PTSD[xii], often induced in the
Western world by childhood or adult sexual or physical abuse, is a far more
common condition than it should be. In those drawn to paganism, which is my
worldview, there is a much higher incidence of seekers who have been wounded in
this way – closer to 85%. As many grew up in other traditions, this often
represents a failure of their previous systems to satisfactorily contextualize
their experiences. So it is with distressing frequency that I encounter this
deeply rooted issue in my students and apprentices. For those who have not yet
dealt with this in their lives, it can be a terrible blind spot that can
influence how they treat others coming to them for help. Unable to deal with
the darkness in themselves, they often miss the same symptoms in others, or the
reason for them. As their Mistress, it is part of my duty to guide them come to
terms with their pain in whatever manner they best respond to: from medicine
and therapy to intense spiritual journeys.
So, when I take on apprentices, I train them as traditional
professional pagan healing nonnes. (I currently don't train men as apprentices,
for various reasons.[xiii]) This means not only
studying for months or years to learn the traditional tech, but they also
dedicate themselves to spiritual self-improvement. They
examine their own lives for fatal flaws and empower themselves. Because of
this, there is far less to cloud their judgements in their
examinations of others, and they are more able to give of themselves
with sincerity and reverence, and not simply as a drain on their
resources. To that end, we emphasize knowledge, honour,
duty, integrity, courage, discipline, deep personal
self-examination in all the dark places, and ultimately, vows, if the dedicant
choses to make this her life's work.
For method and technique, we have to adapt to
the modern era we live in, but there is
a plethora of material to build upon from the past [xiv] [xv] [xvi], as well as some current
best practices. We use whatever resources are necessary, including other acknowledged
professionals and accredited institutions. For example, our nuns learn how
to 'read' a client, such as body clues, intuiting and
micro-expressions[xvii],
to better understand a client's actual issues, especially those they might
not be willing to divulge, and investigate many other possibilities that most healers never know to look for. They
also learn how to make the remedies themselves, like salves, decoctions,
alcohols, poultices, candies, and healing foods, as well as put forward recommendations and train clients in their use. Some finish university degrees
in our specialities, such as counselling and folklore. We also teach how to
work within the laws and health requirements of each country, partner up
with other members of the healing team, and not step on the toes of
conventional med, the pharmaceutical industry, and food and
drug administrations, which have a tendency to bite.
However, one of the most important reasons for me for
the rigorous selection process and the choice of taking only a
few apprentices is the personal trial they represent. By agreeing to be someone's
Mistress, or mentor, or sifu,
or yogini[xviii], you commit to a lifelong
relationship. You must not
only train them in your particular art, but also move them along in their
spiritual and personal journey. As you help them discover themselves,
you volunteer to be their Dark Mirror, which requires a great deal of
trust and honesty on both sides. As the training continues, it becomes
impossible not to have a close and ultimately vulnerable relationship. I
still sit down with my first Mistress, who is now nearly 70, and we discuss
everything from our sex lives to our fears, our dreams, and our successes.
We give each other insights in as open and often blunt way as we can, because
no one else knows us better, and almost no one is prepared to be as honest
and genuinely helpful. To this day, it still helps both of us in our
lives and continually assists us to become more developed and whole persons.
Fantasy novels are full of students who have betrayed their
masters' trust and try to destroy them. However, the reality is not far from
that myth. In this kind of intimate relationship, as such tend to become, the wrong
selection of student can be a devastating blow. Whether it's your
business secrets or proprietary formulations, or your personal
life lessons that you have imparted as examples for training, an apprentice
that proves him or herself unworthy of carrying such secrets can make a huge
mess of your life or career. Like most close relationships, really... I have
some experience in this kind of heartbreak, and it guides my reluctance, my
selection and my occasional trials or character proofs for
applicants. Sadly…
Student or apprentice, I take my role as a sacred trust, and do
my very best to give that person what I feel they most need: whether it be
simple healing knowledge, physical health, spiritual self-examination, business
and social training, or character building and empowerment. Even if the healing must be done when they aren't aware of it, which is much harder… It can take a great personal toll, but the rewards of watching other people’s lives unfold beautifully are worth it, and
can bring so much joy. I am always honoured to be asked to serve my clients and
students, and with hard work, personal sacrifice and dedication, to train others
go out into the world committed to serve, heal, and fight for justice.
[xvi] "More than anything else, however, Brigid
is renowned for her hospitality. The poor and the infirm come in their
multitudes. She makes provision for the sick, tending to them with her
knowledge of contemporary medicine. Kildare becomes a place of holy pilgrimage
for all, from the prominent and powerful to the lowly and forgotten."
