Priestessing

On Sunday I attended a multi-faith ceremonial tree-blessing, with an Anglican woman-priest, or priestess. She wore a bright red and white outfit, with gold symbols on the front and back. She fetched a bucket of sea water to bless and sprinkle very lightly on the trees. She was followed by a Buddhist monk, a Franciscan friar, and the rest of the participants. Then the priestess painted a symbol on everyone's right hand and we all circled the tree and joined hands, imprinting the symbol on each other's left hand. It was a really lovely little ceremony and it made me really think about the role of priestessing in today's society.

There’s no real standard definition (and each person may define it differently), of a priestess. Her domain may include healing, magic, foresight, connection to the divine, and raising consciousness. A priestess may be a channel of wisdom and spiritual energy to others, harnessing her innate power to influence the course of reality. A priestess may feel called to her duty, that she was born to do this, and that she has served this role many times before. It's up to the individual to listen to her intuition, to become aware of the signs, and connect with her purpose. The word priest comes from Latin "presbyter" which means "elder". An elder is anyone who has gained enough experience in life to be considered knowledgeable and wise. I wonder who do we look to as elders in our local community, who do we hold up in positions of respect?

Officially we might say the town councillors and the mayor are considered respected elders. But this role is devoid of any spirituality or "woo". The kind of spirituality I'm looking for is a deep respect and connection with the environment, with animals and trees, with the human population. A passion for what is good for us all, and the wisdom to understand what benefits us as a community. I think someone who can elevate our consciousness above the individual level, from selfishness to compassion. People say that spirituality is something different to physical reality, but I consider the material conditions of our existence to be intimately tied to our spiritual wellbeing. Spirit may be something intangible and difficult to define, but there is a "community spirit" which makes society work, and I think that's what elders are supposed to help us with. A spiritual way of thinking and behaving is focused on love, unity, and the interconnection of all beings.

You might say, why should one person be held above another as an elder or priestess to guide the rest? I think positions of spiritual leadership are important in the context of ritual and ceremony. Getting organised as a group is difficult, and choosing someone to act the role of guide can help the event flow well. We are all looking to someone to remind us what we are doing and where we're going. It's useful to have someone stand as the way-shower. They are more or less the lollipop-lady making sure we all cross the road safely. It's actually a skill we should encourage everyone to learn, to share the responsibility. We all need to be looking out for each other.

I think taking turns at performing roles is a good way for everyone to develop their skills and make sure no-one is burdened with too much responsibility, but also we will notice that some people are better equipped than others, and some may really struggle. I think that's why we become specialists when we find our niche in society and figure out what our purpose can be. How does an ideal society look, and how can we best take care of each other? It's not easy to figure out but I think we need to take a scientific approach to these things, looking at the evidence of what has worked in the past, and taking into consideration the current circumstances. We can't just go by our feelings alone, but a sense of what feels right does come into play. 

I don't think that a priestess needs to be an absolute fountain of knowledge, because every indivudal may have their area of expertise that they can offer insight on, but the role of the ceremonial leader is like a music conductor, just making sure the event goes as planned. It's their job to remember what comes next, and nudge others to do their part. The other participants can enjoy the day, knowing someone has taken a managerial role, so they can look to them for guidance. It's like being a manager in a workplace setting, almost. The work being done is the ritual, and the ritual officiator may be doing most of the work themselves, but can delegate roles to others to perform. I've got to say I'm really not good at this kind of work, as I don't quite have the skills required. This is when some training is helpful, and I think that's really what priestess training needs to focus on more than anything. It requires people management skills, communication skills, delegation, time management, personal skills. It's not just about swishing around in a fancy robe and looking mystical.