Druidry and the Druids
The Awen symbol, representing the three aspects of Deity in a circle, Truth Beauty and Love.
Today our biggest problem is that we have separated ourselves from Nature.
We need philosophies, spiritualities, ideas, that can help us get back in touch with Nature again
Druidry is one such Spirituality.
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The seven gifts of Druidry:
The first is a philosophy...which emphasises the sacredness of all life, and our part in the web of creation.
The second gift puts us back in touch with Nature. Eight seasonal celebrations help us attune to the natural cycle, and help us structure our lives through the year, and to develop a sense of community with all living beings.
The third gift brings healing...with spiritual practices that promote healing and rejuvenation using spiritual and physical methods in a holistic way to promote health and longivety.
The fourth gift affirms our life as a journey...with rites of passage for the blessing and naming of children, for marriage, for death, and for other times of initiation.
The fifth gift opens us up to other realities...with techniques for exploring states of consciousness, other realities, the Other-world; all grounded in specifically Celtic and Druidic imagery and tradition.
The sixth gift develops our potential...it is a path of self development that encourages our creative potential, out psychic and intuitive abilities, and fosters out intellectual and spiritual growth.
The seventh gift of Druidry is that of Magic...it teaches the art of bringing ideas into manifestation, the art of of discovering and then nurturing, and learning how to use the power of spiritual inspiration known as Awen in Druidry.
Druidry and Druids: The
Druids are known throughout history as the Philosophers of both natural and
moral philosophy, and men and women who knew the secrets of nature and of the
cosmos. This philosophy was a spiritual practice, that
was rooted in a love for the land, through ceremony and ritual, and creativity,
which took in many different forms. Today, we see that the revival of Druidry
in the West, is largely a response to the on-going ecological crisis, which
Mother Nature and the Earth is currently undergoing, due to the speed at which
the world is developing, and as a result of this, human-kinds disconnection
from the natural world.
The foundation for the love and stewardship of the land by the Druids, is
seen in an ocean of Spirit, which spans throughout the cosmos and includes a
celebration of the eight seasonal festivals, as seen in the Ancient Celtic
Calender, which are the Winter and Summer Solstice's, the Spring and Autumn
Equinox's and four fire festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltain and Lughnasadh.
In 1995, a short article titled 'The call of the Future', which was published in the book 'The Druid Renaissance' by Philip Carr-Gomm, the Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Philip stated the following:: Most people think that Druidry is something that existed in the distant past, and that, in more recent times, some people have tried to re-create it from the scattered remnants that we have inherited. But if we believe in the spiritual world, then we will also believe that the source of any spiritual tradition lies in that world, rather than in the physical world of effects. And if Druidry's source is in Spirit, and not in a lost Past, then we can free ourselves from a concern about the origins of our tradition moving ever further away from us as each day passes.
Freed also from the preoccupation of previous generations to establish 'authenticity' (which generated such bad history) we can come to appreciate the subtler, more complex facts of our inheritance, whilst at the same time responding to a Call from Spirit and from the Future which urges us to develop a Druidry that can help us to live more profoundly and more joyfully in the world today. As we develop more honesty and rigour in attempting to understand our own lives, we undertake a journey that hopefully leads us closer to a more authentic sense of self and, at the same time, closer to our Intuition; to our Soul.
A brief outline below, describes the training of a Druid, there are three grades, which the neophyte undertakes.
The Bards. The Bards are the shaman
poets, story tellers, musicians, singers and rune-singers, who opened up the
doors to the realm of spirit through the 'Arts', and power of the spoken word
in order to gain inspiration and wisdom. They used what is called the'Awen'
(when spoken towards the sun or in a sacred place it is heard as:
aaaaaaawwwwwweeeeeennnnnn), which means simply, an invocation to the spirit of
'Inspiration'.
The Ovates: The Ovates are the Shamans, Healers and Magicians, who, after their Bardic training, are skilled in opening up the different doorways in the cosmos. They are quite often sent on what can be termed as 'The Hero's Journey', in order to learn about the mysteries that lie beyond the physical world, and to gain information, particularly about death and dying. The Ovates also become knowledgeable in herb law, healing, divination, magic, and working with the spirits of nature (particularly trees), and the animal kingdom.
The Druids. The Druids in ancient
times were the Philosophers, the Politicians, and Law givers. In contrast,
modern day Druids, quite often, undertake community projects, which are to
protect the environment, speaking as a voice for Mother Earth. Such projects as
planting trees, opposing government plans to build roadways through ancient
countryside, or sacred places of worship, and working within the teaching
profession; they become actors and actresses, and are quite often skilled in
alternative and complementary medicine/therapies.
Anyone who is interested in finding out more about Druidry, can view the
Home Page of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids at: www.druidry.org The order runs correspondence courses through the three grades, for
people who would like to undertake the training, which is incredibly rewarding.
House Blessing and Consecration. Details to follow.