Goddess College: Dianic Wiccan Clergy Priestess Overview It is the goal of the Women’s Spirituality Forum to provide our members with herstorical and philosophical foundations of the Dianic Tradition; including ritual and spiritual practices from which to provide Clergy Priestess services to the public. Dianic Tradition is an ancient Goddess and woman-centered, Earth-based, feminist denomination of Wiccan religion. We are a teaching tradition. In the Dianic Tradition, clergy are required to complete course work that enriches their understanding of the sacred feminine Craft through cognitive and practical hands-on experiences to use in their roles as clergy priestesses to the Goddess and Her women.
What is Dianic Clergy? Clergy is a Greek word meaning “heritage� and from its origins, developed into a name for the persons who kept records and practices of the heritage. In the Dianic Tradition, we refer to the Clergy Priestesses as the active keepers and practitioners of our traditions, records and practices. These are Goddess priestess women who provide
spiritual support to women (and their families) worldwide; and support women’s rights as feminists. Ordained Dianic Clergy is not the same as an Ordained Daughter of Z Budapest. Ordained Daughter is an honorary title for exemplary community service gifted by Z Budapest directly. It has no legal ties to the Women’s Spirituality Forum.
What can I do with this? The Goddess College offers four advanced degrees depending upon a student’s undergraduate education experience: Masters of Divinity (M.Div) for students holding an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution; Seminarian of Divinity (S.Div) for students who do not hold an undergraduate degree; Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min) for students who have a masters degree within their religious field of expertise; and a Diplomate of Ministry (Dipl.Min) for students who do not hold an undergraduate degree or masters degree, but who have extensive experience in direct ministerial leadership or who have obtained their S.Div degree. Ordained Dianic Clergy can perform public rituals, including marriage rites. You can also hold ministerial jobs within your own Dianic Theological Tradition. This greatly enhances your employment opportunities because you are ordained and degreed in your own theology. Employers in the past have refused to hire Dianics with degrees outside their own belief system. As Feminists, we are helping to make it more possible for our Dianic sisters to hold paid careers in spiritual fields. The Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc. is a 501 ( c ) (3) tax-exempt religious, educational, and charitable organization. Income you earn as Dianic Clergy and keep is not tax deductible. Income you donate to the Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc. is tax deductible. The same is true for portions of the income donated to the Women’s Spirituality Forum, Inc., but only the amount of the donated portion would be tax deductible.
What is expected from students enrolled in this program? The Women’s Spirituality Movement, which reclaimed the Dianic Tradition, was based on two principles of action; movement happens through the written word and through the physical doing. We will require both from you. Expect to produce high quality materials that you will use in your Clergy Priestess practice. We expect you complete your training in a reasonable amount of time. You may not complete this training in any less than a year and a day, and not more than three years and three days. We have made concessions for life’s complications during your period of training by allowing you longer than a year and a day to finish, but also realize that this is a very serious and intensive program for only the most dedicated of Goddess Women. Live In-person trainings are required. Online classes in the Goddess College are required. Ordination as a Dianic Clergy Priestess is required before you will receive any acknowledgement of successful completion. This ordination must be inperson at an event of our choosing. You will be required to complete an academic body of work using a variety of mediums (written, video, audio, etc.). You will attend in-person events where you will be required to perform leadership skills and be observed. If you meet all these requirements satisfactorily, you will receive ordination as a Clergy Priestess and receive an official certificate. Who should apply? Women-born-women who live their lives as females, and are seeking to enrich their lives and the lives of others by becoming knowledgeable about and intending to become practicing clergy of the Dianic (Feminist) tradition of Wicca, an Earth-based theology, as founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest.
APPLICATION FOR CLERGY PRIESTESS The application process is completely subjective. It is not to say that any one person is right or wrong, only to screen to help determine who is most closely aligned with the philosophies of the Dianic Tradition as taught by Z Budapest and her core of teachers through the Women’s Spirituality Forum. This Application for Dianic Clergy is online as well. Application Letter for Completion: Because the Dianic Wicca Clergy training is a restricted course of study, we would like to be able to learn more about you. Please complete your answers and email the following information to: zbudapest AT gmail.com with the subject: APPLICATION FOR CLERGY PRIESTESS Name: Phone Number: Email Address: Mailing Address:
1) Are you a woman, born a woman? Yes ____ No _____ 2) How long have you been practicing Goddess worship, and why did you begin working with the Goddess? 3) Are there specific Goddesses you work with? If so, who are they and why do you work with them? If not, don't worry about it, just let us know. 4) Why do you feel called to public feminist service on behalf of the Goddess? 5) What strengths will you bring to your work with this sisterhood? 6) What inspired you to apply for membership to the SBA? 7) In your opinion, what is the most important ingredient necessary for a successful sisterhood and how can you bring awareness of that need to the SBA? 8) What areas of magic do you currently study? 9) Please tell us about yourself. (Include personal goals)
Statement of Dianic Wiccan Faith As a Goddess and woman-centered, Earth-based, feminist clergy, you must support, defend and be prepared to propagate the basic principles of Dianic Wicca as follows: 1. Maintain a living practice the Manifesto of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One. 2. Practice the Dianic Wiccan Rede code of ethics that honors the Earth and Her creatures, "And it harm none, do what thou wilt." 3. Honor a feminine aspect of deity.
Ethics of the Dianic Wiccan Faith
Manifesto of the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One (Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries p.1-2) Dangers of Magic (Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries p.10)
Only the Women’s Spirituality Forum can ordain clergy under the auspices of their non-profit status. While other non-profits might have their own clergy, their credentials are not substitutions for the training and credential of the Women’s Spirituality Forum.
Brief Overview of Topics of Study Public Ritual Bi-annual Festivals - mandatory attendance, participation and work Yearly In-person Intensive Dianic Day Leadership/Large Group Dynamics Legal Issues Dianic Tradition
Dianic Feminist/Dianic Tradition Herstory Amazons Goddesses Counseling/Prophecy/Divination Elementals Coven o Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One Music, Sacred Poetry & Arts Rituals o Holy Days Linage Rites of Passage o Birth o Coming of Age o Marriage o Menopause o Death
In-person Clergy Ordination (required) Thesis Paper Published writings in the Goddess magazine
Note: Requirements are subject to change without notice as needed to meet the growing and religious purposes of the Women’s Spirituality Movement. We reserve the right to refuse admission. The Dianic Wicca University is for women-born-women only, no exceptions. All contents and photos are the express property of Z Budapest and the Women’s Spirituality Forum, no reprint or reproduction in any form is allowed under penalty of law. Copyright 2009.
Required Materials: Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries Summoning the Fates Celestial Wisdom Goddess in the Office Goddess in the Bedroom Grandmother Moon Grandmother Time Women’s Reality Chalice and the Blade Gathering the Goddess DVD Building Temple DVD Goddess Festival DVD Handfasting DVD Foremothers DVD Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Dianic Wicca University Classes: Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries Series Wheel of the Year Lunar Cycles Green Passings Clergy – Advance Rites/Handfastings Goddess Traditions in Contemporary Society Ethics & Professional Practice Dianic Feminist Prophecy/Tarot Required Membership: Susan B. Anthony Coven Number One ($50 yearly) Clergy Credential ($100 yr 1/$50 yearly) (Initiation fee and yearly renewal fees for clergy, not the same as SBA fee.)
Tools & Technology:
A good computer with online access to the Goddess College Email capabilities Video or digital audio recording capabilities