Leaving a Group

Life is a constant process of change, of people and events coming and going. Exploring our emotional attachments to "controlling" people, things and events is a central focus of Buddhism and other spiritual traditions. Eventually, in all relationships, someone will leave and someone will be left even if it is through death and after many years. We must, as conscious beings, develop loving ways to connect and disconnect. We must develop loving ways to leave and to be left.

Relationships in modern western culture are usually impersonal, mechanical and insensitive. People come and go, even in deep long-term levels and neglect to say "good-bye," therefore lacking a sense of completion. Many have experienced sudden abandonment and its accompanying feeling of loss. It is important that this pattern of sudden abandonment and lack of completion cease to continue.

Long-term committed group members, as opposed to trial-members, would ideally give a notice of one month to indicate their intention to leave their respective group. However if this is not possible, then we ask members who have decided to leave their group to inform their respective group, one week in advance if they decide to leave a group and attend a last meeting in which they and the other group members can complete and say their good-byes. Good-byes are esteemed as positive expressions. There is no criticism or interrogation during a departing members last meeting.

Members who leave their weekly circle after their year-and-a-day initiation are encouraged to continue to attend our 8 Collective Rituals. It is felt that a year of study and initiation opens gateways into the inner planes or temples for initiates and that they may utilize this access to the inner planes in their solo spiritual work when they leave the groups physically. [The collective rituals are currently not being held due to demands of the druid-shamans film project].