August means change for those of us in the Tangled Woods Tradition, as this is the time when we take in our second round of students for the year. Since we are still such a small tradition, the bulk of those students will be taught by those of us here in Tennessee, in Coven of the Tangled Pines. Our new group is already in place, and the teachers in our coven are getting excited about the start of their classes later in the month. "New blood" always means change, and we always hope that change will be for the best. As teachers and mentors, we are always excited to begin working with these new individuals, forming bonds and discovering what gifts they will bring to our group.
As the founders of a new and still very small tradition, I have to say that we are honored and humbled that we have drawn as much attention as we have. Though we have taken in other students in the past as a coven, this is the first group that will be going into classes with the intention of training within the Tangled Woods Tradition. I find it very fulfilling that this new group of students is our largest group to date, because it means that while our little tradition is still a mere blip on the radar of the greater Pagan community, there are others out there who see value in what we do.
I know that for those of us here in TN, summer has been a hectic time, and it isn't over yet. There is always much commotion surrounding the start of a new set of classes. We also still have our local Pagan Pride Day coming up on Sept. 13th, which most of us are on the staff for. We'll also be selling hand-made crafts and doing a public ritual for PPD, so there is still a lot to do before summer officially comes to an end. My sense is that it has been just as busy for the other Tangled Woods witches in other parts of the nation. But if the cycles of the seasons have anything to say about it, it won't be long before summer's rush of activity begins to wane. As autumn sets in, I look forward to having the time to slow down, focusing a little less on all of those outwardly-focused responsibilities, and focusing a little more on deepening the bonds of all of the witches of the Tangled Woods...whether old or new, near or far!
Devia WildOak
HPS Coven of the Tangled Pines