Inner Grove Clergy Program
	The (IG) Inner Grove of our church is the place where our tree receives nourishment and thus becomes renewed with trained Spiral Tree Grove Clergy and Ritual Leaders to continue on our tradition. Within the Inner Grove you find the Winter Spirits (Clergy), Fferyllt (Ritual Leaders), along with the dedicated students (Spring, Summer and Autumn Spirits) who are studying in our clergy-in-training program. As a teaching Grove we are honored to instruct those who have found themselves called to the STG path. The classes and requirements are difficult and for most, will be a challenge. This is how they are meant to be. The old adage ‘Nothing worth doing is easy’ applies here. If you join the Inner Grove Clergy-in-training program you will be expected to push yourself harder than you ever have (psychically), develop yourself (mundane and magic self) and expand all your abilities.  We have a 2 & 3-tier system that is similar to the degree system found in others traditions, except that the Path is not a stepladder, instead it is modeled after a Spiral. The Spiral represents the cycle within everyone; once the middle (or "end") has been reached, you go to the beginning again, and the cycle continues. No student is ever " above" another; we are all walking the same path together. Even the Winter Spirit Balance & Fferyllt is still walking down paths, albeit older paths than someone new to the Craft, but still learning, and relearning, and most importantly... always growing. There are two distinct paths in our Training Program. Fferyllt- (Fire-Lite) A Fferyllt has completed ALL of the obligations and class work of Spring & Summer Spirit path. At the end of Summer Spirit, at the crossroad of choice, he/she takes the path of a honored Ritual Leader within our Grove under the guidance of the Winter Spirit. Takes 2 years and 2 days to complete this program. Winter Spirit- A Winter Spirit has completed all obligations and class work from the Spring to Autumn Spirit path. Now he/she can now becomes Ordained as Clergy of the Spiral Tree Grove tradition. Takes 3 years and 3 days to complete this program. For many students both programs will take longer.  We MUST see... A sincere dedication to the Gods and the Craft. A mature attitude. A willingness to learn and a desire to better themselves. Can demonstrate that he/she has the physical & emotional time to commitment to this program. Demonstrated that he/she follows the General Etiquette Sheet and by-laws of the Outer Grove. A willingness to support the Craft in a non-invasive, non-proselytizing manner. That he/she has met the requirements of Outer Grove (Branch) Member, Basic Root Membership, then Advanced Root Membership and has showed advanced dedication to those positions. The Process.... Since being clergy is a lifetime goal, we don't feel the need to 'rush' through the process. It can take up to 2 years to get  from Outer Grove (Branch) Membership to Advanced Root Membership. As the old adage goes. "It is not the destination, it is the journey". The Inner Grove takes a small number of students from our Advanced Root Members (Dedicant) to train realizing that there is a high dedication needed to be a ritual leader or clergy member on an ongoing basis. You must have a sponsor from the Inner Grove to become a clergy-in-training student. This sponsor will guide you through your first year and be a valued support system as you complete your training.    We do not charge for clergy training teaching.  See Spirit Paths for an in-depth introduction to Inner Grove Spiral. © Copyright- Spiral Tree Grove 2001 (updated 1/2008)