Oathsworn Keeper of Scactum for Hades
Some of you may have seen my intro post where I talk about how things have changed in my time away from this blog- with the biggest thing being the change in what my actual title is/will be.
So, what the fuck does it mean to be Oathsworn? What does it mean to be a Keeper of Scantum? What happens next?
All great questions! Let's take it one at a time:
What does it mean to be Oathsworn to Hades?
This is probably the easiest of all these things for me to explain, so lets start here! Essentially, I have sworn an Oath to Hades- the exact tenants of my Oath are private, but it's a way to outline the things Hades wants from me and the things I get in return from him.
Out of what I am able to speak freely of, the main points for me are as follows:
- Honoring Hades in my daily life, as much as I am able to
- Working diligently with the forgotten dead, the restless dead, the lost, etc
- Honoring my own needs, including resting and breaks, which i am categorically awful at
- Speaking on Hades when the opportunity presents, for no reason past giving others some knowledge of who he is under the somewhat scary Lord of the Dead moniker
- Working with Hades when he calls for me, above other deities who may also be calling
Those of you who know me will know these are things I was doing anyway, they just have more defined expectations and I have a better understanding of them now. This was not strictly NEEDED for what my path entails, but it has made me extremely happy
What does it mean to be Keeper of Scactum?
Now for the part that gets a little less solid for most people- the title i will hold come December.
In essence, it is the same thing as Priesthood with a little bit of a different name. I am focused on building and strengthening community (both living and dead), providing safe spaces for those who wish to have them, speaking on Hades as I am called to WITHOUT any expectation, deepening my knowledge and learning as much as I can, helping those who need it, and loving/protecting the natural cycles of life. I am also making and preforming specific rituals on a schedule, keeping records for the communities i have made, and anything else Hades pushes me towards.
I could have easily kept with titling this Priesthood and moving forward with a title many would know, but it doesnt quite fit what is truly happening for me. I am focused more on creating scancturary and safety for the community around me, and this title reflects that. The dead come to me, i seek them out, they stumble across my space- and they have a home. They have a place to call theirs for a while- a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime. The living come to me, i seek them out, they stumble across my space- and they have a home, too. They have a spot to call theirs for a while, however long they need.
This work is a primary focus of my path with Hades, and after long, difficult discussions with both Hades and close friends who are talented in divination, Keeper of Scanctum came to be.
Now, I study. I work, I learn, I face my final trial and hope to come out the other side whole.
I set a perimeter on my path when I started nearly 12 years ago now- and those terms have come to pass. I move forward knowing my steps are guided by my patron- a path that i accepted without hesitance or pressure.
This is what is right for me, of that much I have never been more sure. Who knows what may come next
