About a third of the members of the Guild belong to no Chapterhouse. They live too far from one, or keep hours that forbid it, or simply work better alone. For them Margit Anselm founded in 1983 what is now the Hearth Course: the full instruction of the Guild, carried to the member's own hearth.
How it works
- The same Papers. A Hearth member receives the same Papers as a member of a Chapterhouse, at the same pace, and is examined on the same pieces.
- A mentor. The Warden of the Hall assigns each Hearth member a mentor of the grade of Keeper or Master. Once a month the member sends a one-page summary of the Record and the answers to the Paper's questions, and the mentor replies within two weeks, by post or electronic mail as the two prefer.
- Conversation. Four times a year the member and the mentor speak for an hour, by telephone or by video.
- The Workroom. Hearth members may join one of the online Workrooms, which usually meet twice a month, or may found one with two other members.
- The Convocations. The four Convocations are kept at home, at the hour kept by the nearest Chapterhouse, from a text sent in advance. A Hearth member is welcome in person at any Chapterhouse of the Guild.
What is different
The solitary member lacks witnesses, and the course makes this good in three ways. The Record is kept more fully, with a weekly review added to the daily entry. The pieces of each grade are documented with particular care and are shown in person when occasion allows. And attendance in person is required at least once before admission as Journeyman, whether at a Convocation, at an Apprentice Intensive, or at the Summer School at Lantern House.
Hearth members advance at the same rate as members of Chapterhouses, and at present four of the seven Wardens began in the Hearth Course.
What you will need
- A room, or the corner of one, where you can be undisturbed for half an hour.
- A lamp or a candle in a safe holder.
- A bound notebook and a pen.
- A watch or clock.
- Later, in the grade of Artisan, a few simple hand tools.
No library is needed, and no special clothing until the third grade.
The first year at the hearth
| Season | Papers | Work |
|---|---|---|
| First | 1 to 3 | The Lamp. The Rite of the Four Gates in its short form. The keeping of the Record. |
| Second | 4 to 6 | Earth and Water, a month with each. The seven lots are made and the daily drawing begins. |
| Third | 7 to 9 | Air and Fire. The Rite of the Four Gates in its full form. First review of the lots. |
| Fourth | 10 to 13 | Spirit and the center. The year's Record is read through and summarized. The Apprentice's piece is prepared. |
Between hearth and Hall
A Hearth member who comes to live near a Chapterhouse may join it, and a member of a Chapterhouse who moves away continues at the hearth. The grade is carried in either direction, and so, wherever possible, is the mentor.
Applying
The petition is the same for every candidate. Say in your letter that you wish to work at the hearth, and say something about the circumstances in which you will be working. The probation is kept in the same way, with one of the two sponsors acting as mentor from the beginning.