Armoring - 13 September 2008

I can see in some of your eyes that haunted look that tells me that you’ve been victims. You’ve been set upon, bruised, harassed, suffered setbacks. That’s a terrible thing. But if you came to this place to claim the title “Victim” and expect to have us feel sorry for you, then you’ve come to the wrong place. You may as well turn around and leave. Yet if you came here to empower yourself, to take charge of your life, to say “Never Again!”, then you are very welcome. We Warriors are here to show you how.

And some of you have that inward look which tells me that you don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror. You consider yourself weak or flawed or disrespected. That’s a difficult thing to deal with, to be sure. But if you came here to rub shoulders with us Warriors, hoping that you’d gain some respect or honor by association only, then I suggest you get lost. We’ve no time for that. But if you’ve come here to reinvent yourself, to rise from your own ashes like the Phoenix, to be glorious, then you are very welcome indeed. We are here to witness your glories and vouch for your honor.

And some of you have fear in your eyes. You’ve found the world to be a chaotic and dangerous place. But if you came here hoping that we Warriors will stand between you and that scary world, then think again. Yet if you came here to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, face your fears and not back down, then you’ll find yourself amongst friends. We Warriors are here to stand with you and watch your back.

At this point in many rituals the priestess or priest pokes you in the chest with an edged weapon and says things about it being “better to rush upon this blade” than enter with fear and demand secret passwords. I’m not wearing an edged weapon today. There are no passwords that will get you through life. What you need to enter here is not a secret. You need seven things: Loyalty, Justice, Sincerity, Courtesy, Compassion, Courage and Honor. If you have these then enter and take your places around the circle.

Armoring Oath

The Morrighan offered Setanta a choice. Setanta went on to be the great Warrior hero, Cú Chullain. This ceremony offers a choice to those who have not taken this oath before: A chance to decide your future; To take charge of it to make it what you want. For those who have taken this oath before, it is a chance to rededicate yourself to this path, to reaffirm your willingness to take on challenges and be glorious.