Finding My Home

I have spent almost 20 years trying to figure out exactly what is my hearth culture. This gave me a bit of a leg up on Personal Spiritual Practice part of the DP requirement. For quite some time, I had been pulled in three directions - Native American, Celtic and Norse. All three are parts of my heritage, so I thought it made sense once I meditated about them. Over time, I realized this simply would not work. Working with three cultures is simply too many directions pulling me apart.  I couldn't focus well enough to devote myself to anything in particular.

In the end, I have decided to have one as my dedicated hearth culture and simply honor the other two. This is a decision many years in the making. It was far from easy. I finally simply looked back over the years of my studies to see what called the most and where I was the most comfortable. I have discovered it is the Welsh culture.  I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.  This entire journey since joining the ADF, though short so far, has been a process of going back to the beginning.

I began my life fascinated by the Druidic teachings that my grandfather had held on to from his family (not that he realized that's what they were). I have also always been interested in the Welsh part of my family.  I wish there had been more information kept in the family, but most of what had existed was lost.  With nothing to help from that direction, as soon as I had unlimited home internet access, I began to search for as much as I could find from that direction.

Since beginning my DP studies, I have discovered that the vast majority of the deities, views, and ways of accessing life are following the Welsh hearth. So, here I am, declaring Welsh as my hearth Culture. It feels really good to be able to say that!

My next step is to work on my High Holy days and develop a practice from the Welsh culture. My reading about the lore of each already confirms that I have made the right choice. I never realized these stories were all Welsh. I simply recognized them on a subconscious level. Perhaps these were part of the stories read to me as a child.  So many of the myths were my bedtime stories as a child. I consider it as yet another confirmation that I have finally found my home!