The Path of Druidry Ch. 2

Chapter 2 delves more into getting started with communing with nature, getting out into the natural world where ever you may be. If you are in the city, you can still find nature in a park, or even just by having plants, a balcony garden, something of the sort where you can go to be quiet and peaceful.

Walking, as many of you may already know, can be like a meditation. Walk with clarity and open mindedness. See what you cannot see. Listen to the sounds, feel the air, the area, the spirits, the animals and plants as you walk. Refrain from using your eyes so much as we have already learned to depend on them to the point of missing the things that lie deeper. Walk with your "soft eyes" on so that you feel and hear what is around you. Do not depend solely on your vision.

To get started, concentrate on breathing, bringing yourself into a meditative state. Do not go completely under, remember, you are going to be walking in nature. You need to be safe first and foremost and not watching where you are going is not safe. This is a time to "get out of your head" and focus on what is around you. Hear, touch, and feel what is happening around you as you walk.

Sacred space is a key word in this chapter and it is defined as any space around you which you help high. Any space can be sacred and as a druid, generally we consider all space sacred.

The book goes on to talk about the guardians of the place, the older more mature trees that have been around to watch over all around would be considered guardians of the territory. Are there any in your area? Do the feel different then other trees  Does the space around them feel different? Can you feel what energies stronger from some trees then others?

The chapters discusses it's idea of the different realms, heaven, etc using Annwn, Arbred, and Gwynvyd. It talks about the circle with Annwn in the middle, the cauldron of nourishment and life. Arbred being where we are, the circle around Annwn, and then Gwynvyd being the realm of wisdom and light, around the outside.

So, in completion of this chapter, the Nature Ray is fulfilled by walking every day, even if only for  a few moments, to recharge and get your "green self" moving... The knowledge Ray for this chapters is your walks taking you deeper into your knowledge of your area and your oneness with nature. and the Devotional Ray is your relationship with your landscape, your natural area. 

The Path of Druidry Ch. 1

So, this is another workbook. She starts out explaining what Druidry is and how it can fit into modern day life. Great place to start. We are not all long white beards and grey robes carrying staffs and chanting spells.. Well, maybe we chant spells and some of us have beautiful staff, but i promise I do not have a long white beard. My grey cloak is very cool though. My sister made it for me. :-)

The first exercise is a basic meeting with your/my druid teacher, or my druid in my grove. This is something that I have been doing for a while now so I felt a bit like a cheater but followed the lesson anyway and met with you druid. Yes, he is the white beard and grey robe. Calm, quiet, and wise with an air of peace to him. We sit on either side of the fire burning in the pit surrounded by water with a ring of stones holding it, as is always at the center of my circle. The book wants us to think and meditate on the word Druid. What does it mean to you/me. What experience does this invoke... Then it has you/me wake up and take notes about the experience.

So what came to me. This druid is my teacher, my guide. I did not leave this meditation just to this as I have done this previously. What I hope to get out of Druidry is peace of mind, peace in general and an understanding and way to make it through this world as whole and complete as I can. In this meditation i did, however, ask for guidance as it is what I have been seeking for a long time. I envisioned myself helping someone. Flashes if my shop, which does not physically exist at this point. I still have a feeling of young people or children around me which makes me so happy. and I see myself doing what I want, not what is expected of me. This is exciting for me as I have always ended up doing what is expected, not what I wanted. Even when I try to hard to do what I want.

Notes I took at the end:
What are my goals in the study and practice of Druidry?

• peace within myself and in this world
• security of mind and spirit
• life friends
• confidence and courage
• to be ok and at peace with me. 

Here's the start of something that it seems, did not get finished. 

Hear the rumble deep within

low deep, a tremble, deep sound

resonates, the flicker of a leaf

stone, sing together, a hum of the earth

Chapter 1

The basics of Druidry. sacred space. meditation, Nwyfre - energy connecting us to all things - dragon energy.

This chapter talks about what to keep around you to be druid. What it means, how to start this path, this journey. It talks about talking time each day, green time I think that book called it, to be in nature. Even if you are in the middle of the city, look out the window at a tree. Take time, the book says, three times a day, for yourself to commune with nature, to be one with it. What a beautiful thought but at this point in my life, not really possible. I am, however, working on twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. I have not managed it yet though. For me, committing to something like this is difficult. Why, not really sure, but it just is. I will though. Something I want so badly to do. Hoping that if I don't get it right away, I will once the weather is nicer and it isn't so cold.

A journal of what we see each day during each medition or green time. did you walk in a park, sit under a tree. How did you spend your time. what was the weather like, what did you feel. Keeping a journal will help to bring this all together. you will also start to notice the patterns in the world around you. Over the next year, you will learn the path of the green. When the leaves sprout, fall, when things turn green, yellow, are birthed, die. Everything runs in a circle again and again each year. You will learn this circle for your area.

This course is presented in Rays... as in the rays in the druidic symbol below...

The nature ray - the study of nature and our surroundings, often practiced in the open air.
The knowledge ray - the study of myth and the inner realms
The devotional ray  - developing an appropriate relationship with the worlds.

The exercises will be given pertaining to these three rays...

Watch for the next post for Chapter 2!!!  

The Pulse

The pulse surrounds
I hear the music
Through my feet
The sound of time
The history of being
Moves me along
My path of ages
The rhythm beating
The voices calling
As the leaves spin
And twirl their dance
of longing
Under the touch of the sun
The view from above
The prism of a drop
Of water as it
Travels through the breeze
Crawls down the green blade
To reach the deep dense
Earth as
The pulse surrounds

written by Mystical Journey

The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington

Ok, so I realize I haven't finished writing about the last book, Druid Magic, but here I am all tucked in my nice cozy bed with my computer on my lap typing and I have my books here... I have my OBOD materials here for my next Gwersi, I have my mouse and my orange juice and my bed time tea here for when I'm done... But the notebook with the rest of my notes for Druid Magic is else where, not sure where. Probably still in my bag from work as at work I read on the kindle on my phone. Hmm. Well, not going to go get it now so I'll tell you about the new book I am reading. I so love new books. They smell good and the pages are crisp and unbent. The cover is so bright and shiny... Not for long. Lol... Time to read. I'm reading The Path of Druidy now, written by Penny Billington, who is actually one fo the people who keeps OBOD running. Can't remember all of what she does but she is a big part of touchstone, and other things too... There is a great interview with her in Druidcast ~ episode 55 from October 2011. 


Should be good. It's another like a workbook with activities at the ends of the chapters, discussions, and she has a funny personality stopping to tell you when it's time to get up and take a break
Put the book down for a moment. Shake your limbs to relax yourself. Check that your spine is straight and take three relaxed breaths with your surroundings. 


I am on page 9 right now in chapter one which talks about the Basics of Druidry. It's interesting reading all of the different books because they all give similar information with a personal twist that belongs solely to the author. This is not even all ringing true completely with the OBOD teachings so far which is funny as she is such a big 

part of OBOD. Anyway, love the fact that it's all so personalized and think it's amazing that we can all find our own way and that is ok. 
Time to go... Really should go to sleep but anxious to get into my new weeks gwersi... Check out my notes on the forums where the Gwersi come into play.. Love you all and night night... 

My Studies in Druidry

Chapter 15 talks about Upholding the truth of Sovereignty. To me, sovereignty is our freedom to be who we are. This chapter talks about how upholding the truth of sovereignty helps us to be who we truly are. Lying can create a conflict in us that affects us so completely that it changes our personality, it discolors our aura, it makes us feel that we are not who we truly are. To be true to ourselves, to live in peace and harmony with others and ourselves, we need to hold true to the truth of our sovereignty, we need to tell the truth in all we do and respect the truth of others. Know that like us, if someone else doesn't follow this, they too will live in turmoil. To be true to ourselves and to honor ourselves and all that we are, we need to be truthful in all that we do.

Now, this brings up a question to me, one that I hear from students all of the time. What about a truth that will hurt someone. It’s usually petty things when this comes up like telling someone that you like their shirt or that you are not going to the party because you have home (and you just don’t want to go) but how does this idea fit here? I would love to hear the thoughts of others. For me, I weight the harm either way, if I lie, what could happen. If I tell the truth, what could happen. Hmmm. I look forward to seeing if anyone will respond. There are a few I know will.

Oh, the poem previously posted called teach refers to this chapter.

My Studies in Druidry

Book Review Druid Magic continued.

Chapter eleven talks mostly about how Druids, many Druids view the world. I found this chapter interesting because I always love it what text supports what I have always believed but never really had put a name or word too. I love knowing that other people see things that same way that I do, gives my own belief system a bit of solidity and reality rather than fantasy. 

The book discusses the “Celtic Cosmos” in terms of the land of the living, the fairy realm, and the human world. 

• They describe the land of the living as the “land of youth”, the home for women, and the home of the “blessed ones,” and “our eternal selves” when we are out of our bodies.   To me, this seems much like what Christians view as heaven, what I view as the Summerlands. A place we all want to be, at least I do at this point in my life, lol… It’s a place where we all exist when we are in between lives here on earth, our celestial home, our true home.
• The fairy realm is the place where the Sidhe live, the fairies, the Gods and Goddess.  To me this seems strange. I would imagine the Gods and Goddess’ would live more in the Land of the Living, our home when away from our bodies. Hmmm. Makes you think, right? Wonder how others feel about that? 

• The human world, well, that is self-explanatory. That is here, our day to day lives, magical and mundane. All who are here on earth. 

The four pillars of Druidry are the basic belief system of Druids in general and really. Most I have talked to hold these same beliefs though not all. This is the nice thing about Druidry, it’s personal based on our own experiences and what we know to be true. Our beliefs tend to change and grow and we study and learn  because part of being Druid is being a lifelong learner. Everything is a teaching and learning experience and in life, this is something that we all need to remember. If we stop learning , life becomes stagnant  and we tend to lose our way. 

The Pillars of Druidry are as follows. 

• Multiple lifetimes: The self or anam (Gaelic word for soul) comes and goes in an eternal cycles of lives. When out of body, they dwell in the land of the living. They can incarnate in any form. Detail from each life is lost as we pass from one life to the next but lessons learned from experiences carry on.  This knowledge can manifest as Awen as well as in the decision making process in a future life. 
• Spirit in all things: The idea that all things carry spirit is not claimed by only Druidry. Everything is alive with a presence, a spirit, a goddess, different people see them as different things. I feel that each and every thing has a soul in it. Some things carry a soul that has reincarnated into it, others have souls that have been inside for years, centuries, maybe all time. I believe that the sacred places, the places of power around our great earth are these places with spirits that have existed in that place for centuries or forever. 
• Reverences for our ancestors: As per the book, there is an awareness that each soul brings wisdom with it in each existence, both individual and collective. We carry the wisdom of our ancestors with us from life to life. The books states that in our DNA, we have cells from our ancestors inherited from birth and passed on through generation to generation. This is a new concept for me. I need to think about this more to make an educated decision, and one from my heart and soul.  For me, I think this in that we have the ability to communicate with or ancestors. We can speak with them, ask for guidance and understanding. This knowledge and wisdom we carry with us. 
• Multiple worlds: This refers to the Celtic Cosmos… As seen above… Don’t see any reason to go into this again. 

Chapter 12 discusses what is Druidry… It was an interesting chapter but really did not prompt to much to write here. I did answer the questions at the end, one being “what does Druidry bring to your life?” This is my brainstorming list in the order that it came to me. 
• Truth
• Peace
• Guidance
• Belief
• Magic
• Creativity
• Path
• Leadership

I didn’t write anything about chapters 13 and 14 so I am guessing they were history stuff… Much of what we already know from OBOD. 

Staring at me this morning in precalculus class

Bright shiny faces
Sudden confusion
Deer in the head lights
Numbers letters symbols
Progression of processes
End result
Don't understand
Correct answer
YES!

written by Mystical Journey 01/15/2013

Teach

The word of peace
Love and knowledge
Spread around
The world to whom
Ever will listen
As confidence builds
And people learn
They can control the destiny
Of the world when
We care for her
She in turn cares for us

by Mystical Journey 01/15/2013

Let Me Go

Bubbling inside me

I feel it there

Wanting trying to get out

Afraid to be seen

To be heard could change

All could change around me

As I move run sleep

It is there always telling me

Let me go! I will carry you

All will be fine better

Then before you ever knew

When I fly free

You will understand the missed

And all will understand you

Awen

By Mystical Journey
1/8/2013

My Studies in Druidry

Celts and Druids... Druids and Celts..Not one and the same? I have had people look at me stunned when I tell them no. It's like when people automatically think all pagans are witches... Ummm, no... Witches are pagan but pagans are not generally witches... and there are definitely Celt's that are Druid, but not all Celt's are not Druid... and today all Druids are not Celts either, depending on your definition of Celt! 

Now that I am not sure what even I'm talking about. Do not advise blogging at 5:10am because you woke up early and you are hoping for a job today. :-) 

Anyway, Chapter 9 talks about what these authors and what their research tells them a Celt is. It talks about the history of the people in middle and western Europe. I liked the fact that it mentions that these people did not call themselves Celts, that was the name given to them by the Graeco-Roman people who wrote about them. They probably called themselves by whatever their tribal or clan names were at the time. Sorry, of the subject a little. It makes me think, in how a people comes and in decides what to call "indigenous" people of an area regardless of who they are. Here in the US there is a tribe of Native American people who were generally from the area around middle Idaho, eastern Washington etc that are now called the Nez Perce. The original name for this group was the Nimi'puu (pronounced Nimipu) and they were renamed by the French settlers who came to the area. Where am I going with this? Well, Nez Perce refers to Pierced Noses... That was actually a tribe further east of the Nimi'puu tribe... This tribe did not have pierced noses or anything else for that matter. Kinda funny, right? Anyway, moving on. 

The activities at the end was kinda neat... I did not really do it though as I am a solitary and practice here on my own so I thought I would add them here to see what responses come up as I have no one here to do this with myself. :-)  

For Chapter 9, What is a Celt, it says:

Sit with a friend. Alternately finish these sentences. Repeat abot ten times.

• A Celt is ...
• A Celt is not ...

Try to avoid reversing what you said one time when you give an answer for the alternative. Instead originate something new each time and you will go much deeper into your current undemanding. Take you time. 

 Yes, I know you have not read the chapter but i would love to see what comes up with what we here already know. :-) 



Chapter 10 is much the same format except it talks about What Is A Druid. Does that mean I will get pointy ears and carry a magic staff? Will I have a long white beard and wear robes and tell people what will happen in their lives?

It discussed what their research turned up about the ancient Druids and and their roles in society and how it changed. It talked about Druids as healers, counselors, Power-brokers, and magicians. It also talked about how the roles changed when they started to move into society to work with the leaders and governments. It points out how woman probably stayed back working with the common people as mystics and healers while the men worked with the government as advisers and such. 

This chapter also talks about what being a Druid might look like today. Culture is so different in so many ways. Druidry has gone back to being equally women and men oriented as it probably was originally. There is a great reverence in caring for the earth and generally speaking a pantheistic belief system (I am sure how true that is, taken from the book). However, with so many people from so many different cultures around our world practicing, it is really difficult to note any further similarities in Druidry across the globe. 
Now there were several activities at the end of this chapter but one was similar to the last. Would love to see if anyone has input. It looks like this. 

Personal Myth: Joseph Campbell suggests that we each find the song of life, which tells us how to find our own way. Nobody can give you this personal mythology, but in it, you'll find the key to putting your talents into the world. You'll find guidelines for living the best way you can. You'll find your code of ethics, which all Druids live by. Mediate for a while and then complete these mythic lines:

• I come from a people who ...
• My gifts are ... and I pass them on by ...
• I carry the bloodlines of he Aes Dana because ...

I suppose I should probably mention what the books says about Aes Dana:

The Challenge facing Druids today is to emulate the Aes Dana, the gifted people. At the time of the Celts, the Aes Dana were a learned class that included Druids - poets, healers, judges and law keepers- as well as blacksmiths, and other craft workers. Their gifts and  unusual skills were given in the service of the Celtic Society. Druids who associate themselves with the Aes Dana are blessed by Danu, the most ancient Celtic Goddess from whom the magical Tuatha De Danann descended.

Anyway, that is that. Chapters 9 and 10. Haven't read 11 yet but it's titled What is Druidry... Will tell you about that one as soon as i finish it up and ponder it a bit... Blessings to you... :-) 

the drawing above, while i could not find an illustrator or artist, was borrowed from http://carmichaelwatson.blogspot.com/2011/07/druidic-lore-in-hebrid...