On Delegation

Blessings, Courageous Ones!

Let’s talk about delegation!  From the World English Dictionary, to delegate is to “give or commit (duties, powers, etc.) to another as agent or representative.”  How can I best delegate as a Leader? How willing am I to delegate tasks?  Which tasks can be delegated to others?  Which tasks cannot be delegated, and why?

I like to think that I am fairly skilled at delegation; I am able to see which duties are acceptable to pass on to others and I am able to assess the skill level of those who are willing to help so that they can be paired with the proper task.  I know, though, that there is always room for improvement.  Where am I holding on too tightly, and why?

Quality delegating requires setting clear Expectations, and allowing others complete freedom to say “no” if they do not feel they have the time, interest, or skillset for the task at hand.  Those who are choosing to help should feel that they are doing so freely, without pressure.  Good Service is joyful, loving Service that is fulfilling for the person doing it.

What do I look for in a person to whom I would delegate a task?  Integrity:  does the person consistently keep her word?  Can I count on her to do what she says she is going to do?  Service:  does she serve because she is called to it, or is she looking for fame, accolades, or special treatment?  Generosity:  is she open-minded and able to give to others selflessly when necessary, while also able to hold her own boundaries gracefully?  Does she Serve because she feels like she “has to?”  Does she approach her duties with a good attitude or with grumbling and martyr-like behavior?

When a woman comes to ritual and wants to help, it is important to always have an assignment available.  Can the woman light the altar candles?  The incense?  Can she help newcomers to settle in?  Lead the drumming?  Share a song? A prayer?  A blessing?  Can she help create the altar?  When a woman feels that her gift of help is freely and appreciatively received, she becomes more invested in the ritual and therefore, in the group as a whole.  She takes ownership of her experience and helps to facilitate the experiences of others.

What tasks are not okay to delegate?  This is a difficult question for me to answer right now.  Perhaps a task which, if completed inappropriately, would not align with the vision of the group or reflect poorly on our shared values.  Perhaps a task that, if left undone, would cause hardship for the group.  I continue to muse on this.

I invite you to share your thoughts!  Which tasks do you routinely delegate in your group?  Which tasks do you not think are okay to delegate?

Blessed be,

Jesamyn Angelica

HP, Sisterhood of the Moon

Beginning Explorations on Ethics

Blessings, Courageous Ones!

This is the Sisterhood of the Moon’s third year of celebrating the Full Moon together.  As our circle grows and as time continues on, I have concluded that it necessary to develop a Code of Ethics for our group.  To this end, I have begun taking a class called Ethics & Professional Practice for Neopagan Clergy through the Wild Woman Collective School (http://wildwomancollective.com/).  This text for this class is Ethics & Professional Practice for Neopagan Clergy by Dr. Katherine MacDowell.  I anticipate sharing many of my thought processes and findings with you on this topic as I journey through this class during the next twelve weeks.

My definition of ethics as a Leader of a spiritual group currently encompasses all of these concepts:  cultural ethics, rules of conduct for the group, and my own personal moral principles. 

What are the ethics of the greater culture we are working within?  Do we, as a spiritual group of women, agree with these greater cultural ethics?  As the High Priestess of a Women’s Spirituality circle, there are several greater cultural ethics that I do not agree with and do not believe have a place in our group.  I believe women are equal to men, and should have equal opportunities in education and career choices.  I believe women are Sovereign and have the right to make any and all decisions for themselves regarding their bodies and what happens to and within them.  I believe that each woman has the right and responsibility to define for herself what her spirituality looks like, how it will be practiced, and with whom.

As noted above, I am primarily exploring what a Code of Ethics would look like for our circle, and how to implement this for its health and longevity.  What are the Rules of Conduct for our group? What are the Expectations?  Why is it my responsibility to create the Code of Ethics for our circle? 

As Founder, Leader, and Presiding Priestess, I am 100% responsible for the Realm of the Sisterhood of the Moon. Because women make an intentional choice to circle with our Sisterhood, I am invested with the authority necessary to do what is best for our group.  As our group grows and as time goes on, it is imperative that all participants understand the ethics of our circle and know what the Expectations are for participation.

I have witnessed so many circles fail and when I look back, I have noticed that in all cases it was primarily because of two things:  1) Questionable ethics of the group leader(s), and 2) The lack of a Code of Ethics/Agreements that all in the group understood and made the choice to embody.  By setting up a Code of Ethics now, while our circle is still young, women who find us can decide before they come to the group if my personal ethics and the group’s Code of Conduct align with their personal moral principles.  This sets up a system that has a greater chance of success, as all members are aware of who we are and what we stand for.

When I am strong and grounded in my own personal Code of Ethics, the proper women—those who are aligned with my moral principles and the group’s vision—are called to join the circle I lead, and all of our magick grows stronger.  There are no questions about who we are and why we are gathering together in this container.  We can use our energy for our shared goals and passions instead of leaking energy because we do not share a vision.

How do you approach ethics in your own circles?  What type of Expectations do you have for those who circle with you?  Does your group have a written Code of Ethics?  I invite your feedback.

Blessed be!

Lady Jesamyn Angelica

High Priestess, Sisterhood of the Moon

In Service

Blessings, Courageous Ones!

We are safely home from the Goddess Festival and I find my mind returning to the concept of Service.  What is Service?  What does graceful Service look like?  How can I be gracefully in Service while still meeting my own needs?

When I arrived at Festival on Friday morning—9 a.m.!—with my Sister-Queen Lady Carolina, we were ready to work.  We had only three hours before the Festival attendees would begin to arrive, so we immediately started unpacking the car:  altar cloths, table cloths, statuary, Goddess art, stones, crystals, candles, cauldrons, greenery, bouquets of flowers, and even holiday lights!  It was our one of our work team’s tasks to set up the dining hall for vendors, to create the main indoor altar, and to make the space look and feel inviting and beautiful. 

We were setting up the tables as our other work team Sisters arrived—20 very heavy tables that needed to be unfolded and arranged appropriately throughout the area.  After the tables were organized, it was time to wrap the vases, arrange the flowers, adorn the room, and display all of the vending items.  Seven of us were buzzing around like intoxicated bees—decorating the room, hanging banners, and creating the altar which was the centerpiece of the room.  We stopped only to greet each of the Elders and Sisters who came in to see how things were progressing.  The first time I had opportunity to sit down was at 1:30 p.m.!

Since I had intentionally prepared myself and our team prior to gathering—including a meeting several weeks before, where I shared with all work team Sisters the expectations for our weekend and answered their questions—we were able to complete this work in high spirits and with great energy.  All of these women arrived with the expectation that they would be working, and working hard, for these initial hours.  All of these women properly prepared themselves for what they knew needed to be done, and all of these women knew what their tasks would be in advance for this first morning.

Many times when we are in Service, however, we do not know what tasks will come our way!  By knowing that we will be in Service, preparing ourselves, and embracing all that it entails, we can gracefully flow with whatever comes up in the moment.  As the Leader of this work team, the dining hall became my Realm—that which I was 100% responsible for.  If women did not show up, or did not bring what they had committed to bringing, it would have been my sole responsibility to figure out how to make our vision work.  Because I took the time to lay out my expectations in advance, answer questions, and to co-create with my Sisters, our work together in the moment flowed smoothly and with a minimum amount of effort. “Many hands make light work!” We worked hard and, after that, played just as hard, basking in our sacred time together Between the Worlds.

My Sisters and I had anticipated more help throughout the weekend that we did not receive.  Some women who had committed to helping did not show up.  Some women were “too tired” or “too grouchy” to keep their commitment.  When we choose to be in Service, there is no place for this behavior; in my Realm this is completely unacceptable.  A Witch’s word is sacred.  A Witch knows how to put aside her tiredness or bad mood in order to do what must be done.  Sisters, if you find yourself in a “bad space,” please take time to release those negative feelings, and to embrace and call in those emotions that will assist you throughout the time that you have committed to serving others, before lending a hand!

I have met many women who confuse Service with over-giving or martyr-mentality.  Being in Service is not about, “Hey!  Look at me!  Look at all I do for you!  I am so overwhelmed and I have taken on so very much!”  Being in Service is not about what you might “get in return.” When I am in Service, I know that my work should be completed so humbly, so unobtrusively, so professionally, so seamlessly that it does not even draw attention.  Being in Service encompasses being so grounded in one’s own Self that one can see and do what is best for the group as a whole in any given moment.  Since we are all One, this meets my own needs as well.  Service is a choice, and when I intentionally choose to Serve I do so joyfully and energetically, giving to my fullest capacity.

I find it important to note that being in Service does not mean giving so much that we burn out!  Burning out is a symptom of what Ava Park calls the “Over-Giving Mother.” When we embody the Giving Mother, she must then be balanced by our Empowered Queen—she who holds the vision for her Realm, maintains healthy boundaries, and knows how to receive willingly.  When other Sisters arrived at Festival and asked if they could help, I was able to clearly delegate tasks, freeing space within myself to keep my Sight on the big picture while completing all of those tiny tasks that allowed our vision to manifest correctly.

I sense that I will be exploring this topic more, in all of its manifestations, as time goes on.  This is big on my mind right now!  I invite you on this journey with me.  What does being in Service feel like to you?

Blessed be,

Lady Jesamyn Angelica

On Sovereignty

Blessings, Courageous Ones!

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Sovereignty.  What exactly is Sovereignty as I implement it in my own life?

I’m discovering my definition of Sovereignty as my right and responsibility to make choices for myself, independent of the thoughts and judgments of others.  Sovereignty means standing in my own Truth and Authentic Self, even when others don’t agree.  There are many elements of independence and autonomy evident in Sovereignty; it is about taking responsibility for my own life and not looking outside of myself for “permission” or “guidance” when I know what my Truth is.  An Empowered Queen is Sovereign of her own Realm.  An Empowered Queen is the supreme power and authority in her own life.

True Sovereignty always partners “authority with responsibility”.*

Sovereignty, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty:

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no pure legal explanation can be provided. In theoretical terms, the idea of "sovereignty", historically, from Socrates to Thomas Hobbes, has always necessitated a moral imperative on the entity exercising it.

For centuries past, the idea that a state could be sovereign was always connected to its ability to guarantee the best interests of its own citizens. Thus, if a state could not act in the best interests of its own citizens, it could not be thought of as a “sovereign” state.

The concept of sovereignty has been discussed throughout history, from the time of the Romans through to the present day. It has changed in its definition, concept, and application throughout, especially during the Age of Enlightenment. The current notion of state sovereignty is often traced back to the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which, in relation to states, codified the basic principles:

·         territorial integrity

·         border inviolability

·         supremacy of the state (rather than the Church)

·         a sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction

I identify “territorial integrity” as it applies to my own Realm; as Ava Park says, “that which you are 100% responsible for.” “Border inviolability” is then the boundaries I hold for myself and for my Realm.  “Supremacy of the state” means that I am the final authority in my own Realm, and this makes me the “supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.”  I am 100% responsible for what happens within my Realm—this is what is meant by “responsibility with authority.”* We can have no true authority without responsibility, and no true responsibility without authority.

In the bigger picture right now, there is a lot of energy in the political culture of the United States around taking away women’s reproductive Sovereignty.  As Empowered Queens, and as supporters of Empowered Queens, we must stand for the right of each Woman to determine what is correct for her.  Each of us must be the author of, and authority within, our own lives.  Legally removing a woman’s personal authority is immoral, whether it involves reproduction or any other right.

When women honor and listen to the Empowered Sovereign Queen within, the world changes for the better.  We are no longer “little girls” looking to a partner to complete our lives, to make our decisions for us, to protect and shield us from our personal knowledge and Truth.  We can enter into partnerships while standing in our own actualized power-within, our own Authentic Self, and how beautiful is that?  We then have the freedom to form relationships based upon respect, self-determination, and interdependence instead of that reactionary place of co-dependence, self-doubt, and disenfranchisement.  Within this model, we, our children, and other loved ones would find integrity.  This creates a harmony of giving and receiving, which is empowering and life-supporting for the greatest good of all involved.

What does my Sovereignty look like right now?  I choose how I want to practice my Spirituality, and with whom I wish to practice it on a regular basis.  I am free to build coalitions with others who may or may not be part of my Sisterhood, which is solely devoted to the needs and interests contained in Women’s Blood Mysteries.  I choose the energies present in my home and the energies I allow in the form of others in my life.  I create the systems that work best for me.  I listen to the wise counsel of my Trusted Ones and I listen to the wise counsel of my own heart. I continue my Shadow Work and the learning that leads me to who I authentically am in any given moment.  I open my heart and mind to what is True for me.

I invite you to find out what Sovereignty means to you.

Blessed be!

Lady Jesamyn Angelica

*The wisdom of Rev. Ava Park, Queen of Your Realm, The Queen Teachings for Women

My deep, deep gratitude to this dynamic Woman, Teacher, and Empowered Queen.  If you are unable to learn from Ava in person, she offers an online course beginning on October 23, 2012 as well as personalized, one-on-one Queen’s Counsel.  Email info@goddesstempleoforangecounty.com or call 949-651-0564 for more information or to register.  Her teachings will change your life for the better!  See also:  http://www.goddesstempleoforangecounty.com