Yule Greetings

Dear Friends:

It has been a very stressful month for many within the Order of Scáthach and the Pagan community. People dealing with loss of family, with loss of jobs, with illness. It was a very poignant Yule this year, with people supporting one another. I’ve seen some sterling examples of how to deal with these stresses. One of our members cleaned out her mother’s kitchen after her passing and brought the food in to distribute to less fortunate within our ranks, thereby turning tragedy into triumph.

I’m now completed Ailchú’s Prophecy, the second book book of my Purification Trilogy, a sword and sorcery trilogy which I’ve written under my mundane name, C. A. Ennis. You can check it out at my C. A. Ennis Fantasy Blog. This book, as well as the first book, Fionuir’s Mural, are available from Smashwords and Amazon. I’m hard at work on the third book in this trilogy, Cathal’s Seer.

I also completed the Dark Man Trilogy this year: Dark Water, Dark Fire, and Dark Storm are available now as both e books (Smashwords.com) and print on demand books (Amazon Createspace): I’ve written them under the pseudonym Carrie Bryce. You can check it out at my Carrie Bryce blog.

The first print run of my book Pagan Religions: A Manual for Diversity Training, the updated version of my original book The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca, has sold out and the publisher has announced a reprint. It is available for sale at: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pagan-Religions-Manual-Diversity-Training-Kerr-Cuhulain/9780971005068-item.html?cookieCheck=1

If you follow my daily affirmations on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, you may be interested in checking out my book: How To Be Glorious: Day By Day Empowerment. This book is the next step in the the cycle begun with my earlier Llewellyn books on Warrior philosophy, Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick, Magickal Self Defense, and Modern Knighthood. It’s about taking charge of your life instead of letting your life take charge of you. It’s available as an e book from Smashwords and as a print on demand book from Amazon.com. You may also want to check out my book Modern Knighthood: Unleashing Your Inner Power to Master Yourself and the World. This is out on Smashwords.com as an e book, and now it is out as a print on demand book at Createspace.

I’m on Pinterest now if you’d like to check out what I’m following.

If you’re into cooking, check out my recipe blog now too: Cauldron and Chalice.

Check out the Order of Scathach’s YouTube channel for our training videos and monthly affirmations. All of the lessons of the Order of Scathach’s training cycle have been uploaded as mini video lessons now. I’ve also been posting monthly inspirational videos.

Hope you have a wonderful Yule. Wassail!

Kerr Cuhulain
Preceptor General
Order of Scathach
Order of Scáthach web site: http://www.dunscathach.com/

Order of Scathách training blog: http://dunscathach.wordpress.com/

Kerr Cuhulain’s blog: http://kerrcuhulain.blogspot.com/

Kerr’s latest Smashwords book: Modern Knighthood: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34975

Check out Kerr’s daily affirmations:

Twitter: @warriorwitch

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/kerr.cuhulain

Google+: https://plus.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wX&gpcaz=c07915a5#

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4695872-kerr-cuhulain

YouTube channel for the Order of Scathách: http://www.youtube.com/user/goibhniu13?feature=mhum

Pagan Religions: A Manual for Diversity Training: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pagan-Religions-Manual-Diversity-Training-Kerr-Cuhulain/9780971005068-item.html?cookieCheck=1

Imbolc and Other Sabbats

I've just posted an Imbolc recipe on my fantasy writer blog: Its one of the recipes from my new cookbook on Smashwords: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens. I've also updated all of the rituals for our Order of Scathach on the Order's Training Blog. We're celebrating Imbolc this coming weekend, which includes candle making: The accompanying photo shows one of our young people making candles at last year's celebration. If you're curious about what we do for Sabbat celebrations, you're welcome to have a look.

In Her Service, Kerr

We're Incorporated

The Order of Scathach is now a registered society in British Columbia. We're excited!

Order of Scathach Incorporating

Last night the new Grand Preceptory of the Order of Scáthach finished the process of drawing up the bylaws. They can now be submitted to the province of British Columbia so that we can officially be incorporated. Our official name is the Order of Scáthach of British Columbia Society .

Here are some photos of the signing ceremony.

In Her Service
Kerr Cuhulain
Preceptor General

There Are No 'Drop In' Knights

At the beginning of the Order of Scathach Armoring Ritual (see the Rituals page of our training blog) is the Challenge where the Constable addresses the participants. In part, it reads:

“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 insignificant. 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 triumphs and cheer you on.”

Recently I went through our membership list, identifying people that had not been heard from in some time. Some, due to extenuating circumstances in their lives, wished to take a “sabbatical” and be listed as supporting members. The idea was that at a later date, once things in their lives had been sorted out, they would be able to get involved once again in the lessons and move onwards towards mastery of their situation and themselves. I have no problem with that at all. We all have our times of trial and tribulation. Supporting each other is part of what this organization is all about.

Let me be very clear about something: The Order of Scathach will not have “supporting members”, auxiliaries or “fans” of any description who “rub shoulders with us Warriors, hoping that you’d gain some respect or honor by association”. Like we say in our Armoring ritual challenge, we don’t have time for that. That’s why I wrote that into the Challenge. If you want to be part of this Order, you must participate in this Order. As one of our Knights, Dame Devenir, put it: “There hasn't been an Order of Knighthood in history that has ever allowed ‘drop ins’.” I concur wholeheartedly and we're certainly not planning to be the first.

Recently some people have attempted to sit on the sidelines, thinking that just being on the membership list entitles them to show up at all events (while missing all classes). They’ve demonstrated that they’ve got time to waste on meaningless posts but are not willing to devote time to learning like the rest of us. If you simply want an audience for what you have to say, there are plenty of Pagan chat groups. The Order of Scáthach isn’t just a chat group. We don’t mind visitors to our rituals: That’s one of the ways that we let people discover for themselves if this is a path for them to follow. On line students from all over the world are always welcome. We periodically do public rituals for the public to see what we are all about. What we will not tolerate at any Motherhouse is freeloaders who never show up for classes, make no effort to study on line, and yet want to participate in all of our rituals. This isn’t a club for people who are fans of knighthood. It is a Fianna of Warriors. This isn’t a Church. It is an Order of Knighthood. In church you stand up or sit down when told to and sing the hymns that you are directed to. In this Order of Scáthach you stand up for yourself and sing the songs from your heart.

I want the Order of Scathach to be something special, something different. It isn’t going to be special unless we insist on standing up for our Precepts and Code of Chivalry. Let me remind you that one of our precepts is: Who dares, wins. Industriousness is part of our Code of Chivalry, and it is commitment that will earn you your Mastering degree. You can’t “buy” a degree here. This is like a dojo. Hopefully here a colored belt means something.

It is amazing to me how many people wish to be considered experts but never make any effort to learn. They want to be treated with respect and yet they make no effort to earn it. Telling the world that you are a master won't last long if you don't make any effort to be a master. Laziness isn't a path to mastery. People will eventually see through the facade to the real person underneath. Master yourself and you master everything else.

In Her Service
Kerr Cuhulain
Grand Master, Order of Scáthach