CAELWYN No Overbuy angel owned's blog: "wicca druidism etc"

There is so much nonsence and disagreement regarding Wicca that I post this, an excerpt from a free online reference. It does not mean that I agree with everything shown, but it is a good introduction to Wicca. As you will see in reading there is much controversy regarding it. It certainly it has come a long way from the few naked people dancing in a secluded area in the West country of England to help in fertility, crops etc. A form of worship of the Mother earth, the Goddess Wicca. ..well I hope you the reader find the following helpful...bright blessings Wicca From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Wicca (disambiguation). The pentagram within a circle, a symbol of faith used by many Wiccans, sometimes called a pentacle. Wicca Portal Wicca is a Neopagan religion and a religious movement found in various countries throughout the world. It was first popularised in 1954 by a British civil servant named Gerald Gardner[1] after the British Witchcraft Act was repealed. He claimed that the religion, of which he was an initiate, was a modern survival of an old witchcraft religion, which had existed in secret for hundreds of years, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe. Wicca is thus sometimes referred to as the Old Religion. The veracity of Gardner's claims cannot be independently proven, and it is thought that written Wiccan theology began to be compiled no earlier than the 1920s.[2] Various related Wiccan traditions have since evolved or been adapted from the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have distinctive beliefs, rituals, and practices. Many traditions of Wicca remain secretive and require that members be initiated. There is also a movement of Eclectic or Solitary Wiccans who do not believe that any doctrine or traditional initiation is necessary in order to practice Wicca. The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey estimated that at least 134,000 adults identified themselves as Wiccans in the US.[3] Contents [hide] 1 Core concepts 1.1 Wicca as a magical religion 1.2 Wiccan views on divinity 1.2.1 The elements 1.3 Morality 1.4 Secrecy and initiation 1.5 Organisation within Wicca 1.6 Ritual 1.6.1 Tools 1.6.2 Ritual attire 1.6.3 Ritual occasions 2 History of Wicca 2.1 Origins 2.2 Later developments 3 Etymology 4 Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans 4.1 United States 5 Wiccan traditions 6 Wicca in popular fiction 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Bibliographical and encyclopedic sources 10 Academic studies 11 External links [edit] Core concepts Because there is no centralised organisation in Wicca, and no single "orthodoxy", the beliefs and practices of Wiccans can vary substantially, both between individuals and between traditions. Typically, the main religious principles, ethics and ritual structures are shared, since they are key elements of traditional teachings and published works on the subject. [edit] Wicca as a magical religion As practiced by initiates, Wicca is a variety of witchcraft founded on religious and magical concepts, and most of its adherents identify as witches. As such it is distinguished not only by its religious beliefs, but by its initiatory system, organisational structure, secrecy and practice of magic. Initiatory Wiccans generally will not proselytise, and may even deny membership to some individuals, since once initiated a person is considered to be a priest or priestess and is expected to develop the skills and responsibility that that entails. Wicca is only one variety of witchcraft, with specific beliefs and practices. Initiates worship a goddess and a god; they observe the festivals of the eight Sabbats of the year and the full-moon Esbats, using distinctive ritual forms; and they attempt to live by a code of ethics. This distinguishes the religion from other forms of witchcraft which may or may not have specific religious, ethical or ritual elements, and which are practiced by people of many religions, as well as by some atheists. [verification needed] There is also a strong "Eclectic", or non-initatory Wiccan movement, in which there is much more variation in religious beliefs, and secrecy and organisational structure play a less important role. Generally Eclectic Wiccans will adopt similar ritual structures and ethical principles to initiates. A few Eclectic Wiccans neither consider themselves witches nor practice magic. Many Wiccans, though not all, call themselves Pagans, though the umbrella term Paganism encompasses many faiths that have nothing to do with Wicca or witchcraft. [edit] Wiccan views on divinity Wicca as a religion is primarily concerned with the priestess or priest's relationship to the Goddess and God. The Lady and Lord (as they are often called) are seen as primal cosmic beings, the source of limitless power, yet they are also familiar figures who comfort and nurture their children, and often challenge or even reprimand them. According to Gerald Gardner the gods of Wicca are ancient gods of the British Isles: a Horned God of hunting, death and magic who rules over an after-world paradise (Often referred to as The Summerland), and a goddess, the Great Mother (who is simultaneously the Eternal Virgin and the Primordial Enchantress), who gives regeneration and rebirth to souls of the dead and love to the living.[4] Gardner explains that these are the tribal gods of the witches, just as the Egyptians had their tribal gods Isis and Osiris and the Jews had Elohim; he also states that a being higher than any of these tribal gods is recognised by the witches as Prime Mover, but remains unknowable, and is of little concern to them.[5] Gardner's explanation aside, individual interpretations of the exact natures of the gods differ significantly, since priests and priestesses develop their own relationships with the gods through intense personal work and revelation. Many have a duotheistic conception of deity as a Goddess (of Moon, Earth and sea) and a God (of forest, hunting and the animal realm). This concept is often extended into a kind of polytheism by the belief that the gods and goddesses of all cultures are aspects of this pair (or of the Goddess alone). Others hold the various gods and goddesses to be separate and distinct. Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have observed that Wicca is becoming more polytheistic as it matures, and embracing a more traditional pagan worldview.[6] Many groups and individuals are drawn to particular deities from a variety of pantheons (often Celtic, Greek, or from elsewhere in Europe), whom they honour specifically. Some examples are Cernunnos and Brigit from Celtic mythology, Hecate, Lugh, and Diana. Some Wiccans, particularly in feminist traditions, have a monotheistic belief in the Goddess as One. Still others do not believe in the gods as real personalities, yet attempt to have a relationship with them as personifications of universal principles or as Jungian archetypes.[7] A unified supreme godhead (the "Prime Mover") is also acknowledged by some groups, referred to by Scott Cunningham as "The One";[8] Patricia Crowther has called it Dryghten.[9] According to current Gardnerians, the exact names of the Goddess and God of traditional Wicca remain an initiatory secret, and they are not given in Gardner's books about witchcraft.[2] However, the collection of Toronto Papers of Gardner's writings has been investigated by American scholars such as Aidan Kelly, leading to the suggestion that their names are Cernunnos and Aradia. These are the names used in the prototype Book of Shadows known as Ye Bok sic of Ye Arte Magical.[10] For most Wiccans, the Lord and Lady are seen as complementary polarities: male and female, force and form, comprehending all in their union; the tension and interplay between them is the basis of all creation. The God and Goddess are sometimes symbolised as the Sun and Moon, and from her lunar associations the Goddess becomes a Triple Goddess with aspects of "Maiden", "Mother" and "Crone" corresponding to the Moon's waxing, full and waning phases. Some Wiccans hold the Goddess to be pre-eminent, since she contains and conceives all (Gaea or Mother Earth is one of her more commonly revered aspects); the God, commonly described as the Horned God or the Divine Child, is the spark of life and inspiration within her, simultaneously her lover and her child. This is reflected in the traditional structure of the coven, which is led by a High Priestess and High Priest in partnership, with the High Priestess having the final word. In some traditions, notably Feminist branches of Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is seen as complete unto herself, and the God is not worshipped at all. Since the Goddess is said to conceive and contain all life within her, all beings are held to be divine. This is a key understanding conveyed in the Charge of the Goddess, one of the most important texts of Wicca, and is very similar to the Hermetic understanding that "God" contains all things, and in truth is all things.[11] For some Wiccans, this idea also involves elements of animism, and plants, rivers, rocks (and, importantly, ritual tools) are seen as spiritual beings, facets of a single life. A key belief in Wicca is that the gods are able to manifest in personal form, either through dreams, as physical manifestations, or through the bodies of Priestesses and Priests. The latter kind of manifestation is the purpose of the ritual of Drawing down the Moon (or Drawing down the Sun), whereby the Goddess is called to descend into the body of the Priestess (or the God into the Priest) to effect divine possession. [edit] The elements The classical elements are a key feature of the Wiccan world-view. Every manifest force or form is seen to express one of the four archetypal elements — Earth, Air, Fire and Water — or several in combination. This scheme is fundamentally identical with that employed in other Western Esoteric and Hermetic traditions, such as Theosophy and the Golden Dawn, which in turn were influenced by the Hindu system of tattvas. There is no consensus as to the exact nature of these elements. Some hold to the ancient Greek conception of the elements corresponding to matter (earth) and energy (fire), with the mediating elements (water, air) relating to the phases of matter (fire/earth mixtures). Other exponents of the system add a fifth or quintessential element, spirit (aether, akasha). The five points of the frequently worn pentagram symbolise, among other things, the four elements with spirit presiding at the top.[12] The pentagram is the symbol most commonly associated with Wicca in modern times. It is often circumscribed — depicted within a circle — and is usually (though not exclusively) shown with a single point upward. The inverse pentagram, with two points up, is a symbol of the second degree initiation rite of traditional Wicca, some Wiccans have also been known to associate the inverted pentagram with evil.[13] In geometry, the pentagram is an elegant expression of the golden ratio phi which is popularly connected with ideal beauty and was considered by the Pythagoreans to express truths about the hidden nature of existence. Each of the four cardinal elements (air, fire, water and earth) is typically assigned a direction, a color, and an elemental race. The following list shows a common categorisation, but different traditions of Wicca may use different "correspondences": Air: East, Yellow, Sylphs Fire: South, Red, Salamanders Water: West, Blue, Undines Earth: North, Green, Gnomes Some variations in correspondences can be explained by geography or climate. It is common in the southern hemisphere, for example, to associate the element fire with north (the direction of the equator) and earth with south (the direction of the nearest polar area). Some Wiccan groups also modify the religious calendar to reflect local seasonal changes; for instance, most Southern Hemisphere covens celebrate Samhain on April 30th and Beltane on October 31st, reflecting the southern hemisphere's autumn and spring seasons.[14] [edit] Morality Wiccan morality is summarised in a brief statement found within a text called the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do what you will." ("An" is an archaic word meaning "if".) The Rede differs from some other well-known moral codes in that, while it does contain a prohibition, it is largely an encouragement to act freely. It is normally considered that the prohibition against harm also covers self-harm.[15][16] The origin of the Rede is unknown, its earliest mention being at a meeting held by the witchcraft magazine "Pentagram" spoken by Doreen Valiente.[17] Gerald Gardner suggested[18] that it was taken by witches from the legendary ethic of the fabled King Pausol[19] which was "Do what you like so long as you harm no one". Nevertheless, the similarity of the phrasing of the Rede (and explicit and verbatim phrasing of other texts) suggests that this statement is partly based on the Law of Thelema as stated by occultist Aleister Crowley.[20] Many Wiccans also promote the Law of Threefold Return, a belief that anything that one does will be returned to them threefold. In other words, good deeds are magnified in like form back to the doer, and so are ill deeds. American author Gerina Dunwich disagrees with the concept of threefold return on the grounds that it is inconsistent with more than one law of physics. Pointing out that the origin of the Law of Threefold Return is traceable to Raymond Buckland in the 20th century, Dunwich is of the opinion that, "There is little backing to support it as anything other than a psychological law."[citation needed] Dunwich offers an alternative interpretation, that whatever we do on a physical, mental, or spiritual level will sooner or later affect us, in either a positive or a negative way, on all three levels of being.[citation needed] A possible prototype of the Rule of Three is found in the custom of returning the scourging one receives at one's second degree initiation. In Gardner's 1949 novel High Magic's Aid, which he maintained contained elements of Wiccan belief presented in the form of fiction, he wrote of this scourging: "For this is the joke of Witchcraft, the Witch knows though the initiate does not, that she will get three times what she gave, so she does not strike hard."[21] Many traditional Wiccans also follow, or at least consider, a set of 161 laws, commonly called the Ardanes. A common criticism of these rules is that they represent outdated concepts and/or produce counterproductive results in Wiccan contexts. Modern authors have also noted that these rules were probably the byproduct of inner conflict within Gerald Gardner's original coven over the issue of press relations.[22] Many Wiccans also seek to cultivate a set of eight virtues mentioned Doreen Valiente's Charge of the Goddess,[23] being mirth, reverence, honour, humility, strength, beauty, power and compassion. In Valiente's poem they are ordered in pairs of complementary opposites, reflecting a dualism that is common throughout Wiccan philosophy. Although Gardner's covens initially demonstrated an aversion to Homosexuality, claiming that it brought down "the curse of the goddess",[24] it is now accepted in many traditions of Wicca. (See Homosexuality and Wicca) A common belief amongst Wiccans is that no magic, even of a beneficent nature, should be performed on any other person without that person's direct informed consent. This stems from the understanding that it would interfere with that person's free will and thus constitute "harm" in violation of the Rede. This especially applies to love spells. [edit] Secrecy and initiation This section does not cite its references or sources. Please help improve this article by introducing appropriate citations. (help, get involved!) This article has been tagged since February 2007. Some practitioners of traditional initiatory Wicca consider that the term 'Wicca' correctly applies only to an initiate of a traditional branch of the religion (Gardnerian or Alexandrian Wicca, or their offshoots such as Black Forest Wicca) because solitary Wicca or eclectic Wicca are different in practice from the religion established by Gardner. However, the term has increasingly come to be adopted by people who are not initiates of a traditional lineaged coven. These non-initiatory Wiccans may undertake rituals of self-dedication, and generally work alone as solitary practitioners or in casual groups, rather than in organised covens. Thus non-initiatory Wicca shares some of the basic religious principles, ethics and the ritual system of 'traditional' or 'initiatory' Wicca, but not the organisational structure, or the belief that Wiccan initiation requires a transferral of power from an initiator. Therefore, some practitioners of traditional initiatory Wicca have adopted the term 'British Traditional Wicca' to differentiate themselves from this movement. Within traditional forms of Wicca there are three degrees of initiation. First degree is required to become a witch and gain membership of a coven; those who aspire to teach may eventually undergo second and third degree initiations, conferring the title of "High Priest" or "High Priestess" and allowing them to establish new covens. [edit] Organisation within Wicca Initiatory Wicca is organised into covens of initiated priests and priestesses. Covens are autonomous, and are generally headed by a High Priest and a High Priestess working in partnership, being a couple who have each been through their first, second and third degrees of initiation. Occasionally the leaders of a coven are only second-degree initiates, in which case they come under the rule of the parent coven. Initiation and training of new priesthood is most often performed within in a coven environment, but this is not a necessity, and a few initiated Wiccans are unaffiliated with any coven. In contrast, "eclectic" Wiccans are more often than not solitary practitioners. Some of these "solitaries" do, however, attend gatherings and other community events, but reserve their spiritual practices (Sabbats, Esbats, spell-casting, worship, magical work, etc.) for when they are alone. A commonly quoted Wiccan tradition holds that the ideal number of members for a coven is thirteen, though this is not held as a hard-and-fast rule. Indeed, many U.S. covens are far smaller, though the membership may be augmented by unaffiliated Wiccans at "open" rituals.[citation needed] When covens grow beyond their ideal number of members, they often split (or "hive") into multiple covens, yet remain connected as a group. A grouping of multiple covens is known as a grove in many traditions. Initiation into a coven is traditionally preceded by a waiting period of at least a year and a day. A course of study may be set during this period. In some covens a "dedication" ceremony may be performed during this period, some time before the initiation proper, allowing the person to attend certain rituals on a probationary basis. Some solitary Wiccans also choose to study for a year and a day before their self-dedication to the religion. [edit] Ritual A handfasting ceremony at Avebury in England, on Beltane, 2005.In typical rites, the coven assemble inside a ritually cast and purified magic circle. Prayers to the God and Goddess are said, the "Guardians" of the North, South, East and West are welcomed, and spells are sometimes worked. An altar is usually present in the circle, on which ritual tools are placed. Before entering the circle, some traditions[attribution needed] fast for the day, and/or ritually bathe. After a ritual has finished, the God, Goddess and Guardians are thanked and the circle is reopened.[citations needed] [edit] Tools Many Wiccans use a special set of altar tools in their rituals; these can include a broom (besom), cauldron, chalice, wand, Book of Shadows, altar cloth, athame (a knife used in rituals to channel energy), boline (or a knife for cutting things in the physical world), candles, crystals, pentacle and/or incense. Representations of the God/Goddess are often displayed. The tools themselves are just that — tools — and have no innate powers of their own, though they are usually dedicated or charged with a particular purpose, and used only in that context. For this reason, it is rude to touch another's tools without permission. [edit] Ritual attire A sensationalised aspect of Wicca, particularly in Gardnerian Wicca, is the traditional practice of working in the nude, also known as skyclad. Though many Wiccans do perform rituals skyclad, at least on occasion, others do not. In other situations Wiccans may work robed, often in white or black. Cords are worn, indicating rank, among other things.[citation needed] Some wear normal clothes. Even renaissance-faire-type clothing is not uncommon. Still others wear robes with stoles which represent their tradition and/or standing within the tradition. [edit] Ritual occasions Wiccans typically mark each full moon (and in some cases new moons) with a ritual called an Esbat. They also celebrate eight main holidays called Sabbats. Four of these, the cross-quarter days, are greater festivals, coinciding with old Celtic fire festivals. These are Samhain, May Eve or Beltane, Imbolc and Lammas (or Lughnasadh). The four lesser festivals are the Summer Solstice (or Litha) and Winter Solstice (or Yule), and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, sometimes called Ostara and Mabon. See also the Wheel of the Year. The names of these holidays are often taken from Germanic pagan and Celtic polytheistic holidays. However, the festivals are largely only similar in name, as they are not reconstructive in nature nor do they often resemble their historical counterparts, instead exhibiting a form of universalism. Ritual observations may display cultural influence from the holidays from which they take their name as well as influence from other unrelated cultures. Wiccan weddings can be "bondings", "joinings", or "eclipses"[citation needed] but are most commonly called "handfastings". Some Wiccans observe the practice of a trial marriage for a year and a day, which some traditions hold should be contracted on Lammas (Lughnasadh), as this was the traditional time for trial, "Telltown marriages" among the Irish. This practice is documented in the fourth and fifth volumes of the Brehon law texts, which are compilations of the opinions and judgements of the Brehon class of Druids (in this case, Irish). The texts as a whole deal with a copious amount of detail for the Insular Celts.[25] Some perform a ritual called a Wiccaning, analogous to a Christening for an infant, the purpose of which is to present the infant to the God and Goddess for protection. In accordance with the importance put on free will, the child is not necessarily expected to choose a Pagan path until growing older.[citation needed] [edit] History of Wicca [edit] Origins The history of Wicca is much debated. Gardner claimed that the religion was a survival of matriarchal Pagan religions of pre-historic Europe, taught to him by a woman known either as "Dafo" or "Old Dorothy". Doreen Valiente identified these as a single person, Dorothy Clutterbuck,[26] however modern researchers such as Philip Heselton have theorised that Dafo and Clutterbuck were two separate individuals.[27] It has been posited by authors such as Aidan Kelly and Francis X. King that Gardner himself invented it, rewriting the rituals of an older witchcraft tradition according to his own whim,[28] and incorporating elements from the thesis of Dr. Margaret Murray, sources such as Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland[29] and practices of ceremonial magic.[30] While Clutterbuck certainly existed, Ronald Hutton concluded that there was no evidence for her involvement in Gardner's Craft activities.[31] Heselton, citing more recent evidence, concludes that she probably was involved, and that while Gardner may have been mistaken about the ancient origins of the religion, his statements about it were largely made in good faith. Gardner's account is as follows: After retiring from adventuring around the globe, Gardner encountered Clutterbuck and her New Forest coven in the region, and was initiated into the coven in 1939, where he stayed for years until England's witchcraft laws were repealed. At this point, and later claiming to fear that the Craft would die out,[32] he worked on his book Witchcraft Today, releasing it in 1954, followed by The Meaning of Witchcraft in 1960. It is from these books that much of modern Wicca is derived. While the ritual format of Wicca is undeniably styled after late Victorian era occultism (even co-founder Doreen Valiente admits seeing influence from Aleister Crowley), the spiritual content is inspired by older Pagan faiths, with Buddhist and Hindu influences. Due to historical suspicions, it is seems very likely that Gardner's rites and precepts were taken from other occultists and was not in fact anything new to the world. There is very little in the Wiccan rites that cannot be shown to have come from earlier extant sources. The original material is not cohesive and mostly takes the form of substitutions or expansions within unoriginal material. Roger Dearnaley, in An Annotated Chronology and Bibliography of the Early Gardnerian Craft,[33] describes it as a patchwork. Heselton, writing in Wiccan Roots and later in Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration[27], argues that Gardner was not the author of the Wiccan rituals but received them in good faith from an unknown source. (Doreen Valiente makes this claim regarding the "basic skeleton of the rituals," as Margot Adler puts it in Drawing Down the Moon.) He notes that all the Crowley material that is found in the Wiccan rituals can be found in a single book, The Equinox vol 3 no. 1 or Blue Equinox. Gardner is not known to have owned or had access to a copy of this book, although it is certain that he met Crowley towards the end of the latter’s life. Gardner admited "the rituals he received from Old Dorothy's coven were very fragmentary, and in order to make them workable, he had to supplement them with other material."[34] Some, such as Isaac Bonewits, have argued that Valiente and Heselton's evidence points to an early 20th century revival predating Gardner, rather than an intact old Pagan religion. The argument points to historical claims of Gardner's that agree with scholarship of a certain time period and contradict later scholarship. Bonewits writes, "Somewhere between 1920 and 1925 in England some folklorists appear to have gotten together with some Golden Dawn Rosicrucians and a few supposed Fam-Trads to produce the first modern covens in England; grabbing eclectically from any source they could find in order to try and reconstruct the shards of their Pagan past." Crowley published the aforementioned Blue Equinox in 1919. The idea of primitive matriarchal religions, deriving ultimately from studies by Johann Jakob Bachofen, was popular in Gardner's day, both among academics (e.g., Erich Neumann, Margaret Murray) and amateurs such as Robert Graves. Later academics (e.g. Carl Jung and Marija Gimbutas) continued research in this area, and later still Joseph Campbell, Ashley Montagu and others became fans of Gimbutas' theories of matriarchies in Old Europe. Matriarchal interpretations of the archaeological record and the criticism of such work continue to be matters of academic debate. Some academics carry on research in this area (such as the 2003 World Congress on Matriarchal Studies). Critics argue that such matriarchal societies never actually existed and are an invention of researchers such as Margaret Murray. This is disputed by documentaries such as "Blossoms of Fire" (about contemporary Zapotec society). The idea of a supreme Mother Goddess was common in Victorian and Edwardian literature: the concept of a Horned God — especially related to the gods Pan or Faunus — was less common, but still significant.[35] Both of these ideas were widely accepted in academic literature and the popular press at the time.[36] [edit] Later developments Wicca has developed in several directions since it was first publicised by Gerald Gardner. Gardnerian Wicca was an initiatory mystery religion, admission to which was limited to those who were initiated into a pre-existing coven. The Book of Shadows, a workbook that contained the Gardnerian rituals, was kept secret and was only obtainable from a coven of proper lineage. Despite the fact that several versions of the Book of Shadows have now been publicly published, many traditions of Wicca still maintain strict secrecy regarding the book and certain other aspects of the religion. Raymond Buckland introduced modern Wicca to America after moving to Long Island. Although Buckland always scrupulously followed the Book of Shadows as he received it from Gardner, when the coven was eventually turned-over to Theos and Phoenix they enlarged the Book of Shadows, adding further degrees of initiation which were required before members could found their own covens. Interest outstripped the ability of the mostly British-based covens to train and propagate members; the beliefs of the religion spread faster by the printed word or word of mouth than the initiatory system was prepared to handle.[37] Other non-Wiccan witchcraft traditions appeared that gradually brought more attention and adherents to the extant Neopaganism movement.[citation needed] Some claimed roots as ancient as Gardner's version, and were organised along similar lines.[citation needed] Others were syncretic, incorporating aspects of Kabbalah, romanticised Celtic Pagan concepts, and ceremonial magic. In 1970 Paul Huson published Mastering Witchcraft [38] the first do-it-yourself manual for the would-be witch, which became one of the basic instruction books for a large number of covens. In 1971 "Lady Sheba" (self-styled "Queen of the American Witches") published what she claimed was a version of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, although the authenticity of this book has never been validated. Increasing awareness of Gardner's literary sources and the actual early history of the movement made creativity seem as valuable as Gardnerian tradition. [citation needed] Another significant development was the creation by feminists of Dianic Wicca, or feminist Dianic Witchcraft. This is a specifically feminist, Goddess-oriented faith that had no interest in the Horned God, and discarded Gardnerian-style hierarchy as irrelevant. Many Dianic Wiccans felt that witchcraft was every woman's right and heritage to claim. This heritage might be best characterised by Monique Wittig's words on the subject: "But remember. Make an effort to remember. Or, failing that, invent." This tradition was comparatively (and unusually for that time) open to solitary witches. Rituals were created for self-initiation to allow people to identify with and join the religion without first contacting an existing coven.[citation needed] This contrasts with the Gardnerian belief that only a witch of opposite gender could initiate another witch.[citation needed] The publications of Raymond Buckland illustrate these changes. During the early 1970s, in books such as Witchcraft - Ancient and Modern and Witchcraft From the Inside, Buckland maintained the Gardnerian position that only initiates into a Gardnerian or other traditional coven were truly Wiccans. However, in 1974, Buckland broke with the Gardnerians and founded Seax-Wica, revealing its teachings and rituals in the book The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft. This tradition made no claims to direct descent from ancient Saxons; all of its then-extant rituals were contained in that book, which allowed for self-initiation. In 1986 Buckland published Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft (colloquially known as "Uncle Bucky's Big Blue Book" or simply "The Big Blue Book"), a workbook that sought to train readers in magical and ritual techniques as well as instructing them in Wiccan teachings and rituals. Unfortunately, even after Buckland wrote his revised edition of this book there were still points from his original work that were in contention with some. The first Wiccan Wedding to be legally recognised in the UK (by the Registrars of Scotland) was performed in 2004.[39] [edit] Etymology See also: Witchcraft#Etymology The modern term "Wica" (pronounced /ˈwɪ.kə/, with spelling later standardised to "Wicca") first appears in the writings of Gerald Gardner (Witchcraft Today, 1954, and The Meaning of 'Witchcraft, 1959). He used the word as a mass noun referring to the adherents of his tradition of witchcraft, rather than the religion itself. The religion he referred to as 'witchcraft', never 'Wicca'. The word seems to be based on the Old English word wicca (pronounced /wɪtʃʌ/), which meant '(male) witch' or 'wizard', and is is a predecessor of the modern English "witch". Gardner himself claimed he learned the term from existing members of the group who initiated him into witchcraft in 1939: "I realised I had stumbled on something interesting; but I was half-initiated before the word "Wica" which they used hit me like a thunderbolt, and I knew where I was, and that the Old Religion still existed."[40][41] The word does not appear in the rituals commonly used nowadays in Gardnerian covens, which were composed by 1959.[42][citation needed] Following Gardner a few other early books about Gardner's witchcraft tradition also used the term, with the same spelling and meaning as Gardner. For example, Patricia and Arnold Crother in The Witches Speak (1959)[43]: [T]he Red Queen told Alice that she made words mean what wanted them to mean. She might very well have been talking about witchcraft, for today it is used to describe anything that one wishes to use it for. From the simple meaning "the craft of the Wica," it is used in connection with Black Magic, Satanism, Black Masses... Also Raymond Buckland in Witchcraft - the Religion (1966)[44]: Today more and more people are turning to the Wica, finding the answer to their religious needs. The spelling "Wicca" is now used almost exclusively, Seax-Wica being the only major use of the four-letter spelling. The first appearance of the modern spelling Wicca is in June John's 1969 book King of the Witches: The World of Alex Sanders.[45] The word's first appearance within the title of a book was in Wicca: The Ancient Way published in 1981.[46] The origins of the Old English wicca, wicce (fem.), wiccan (pl.) and wiccecræft (witchcraft) are uncertain, and have attracted a number of theories.[47] They most likely derive from the Indo-European root *weg- 'to be lively', 'to be wakeful or alert'.[48][49] A suffixed form of this root, *weg-yo-, would produce a Germanic *wikkjaz, meaning 'necromancer', literally, 'one who wakes the dead'. Other modern English descendants of the root *weg- are watch and wake. Gardner and other writers on Wicca have proposed a relationship with the Old English words wita 'wise man' and witan 'to know', asserting that witches had once been regarded as the "wise" people;[50][51] Wicca is often called the "Craft of the Wise" in allusion to this derivation. This proposal is unlikely, though, as there is no explanation for the change of the "t" of wita to the "cc" of wicca, and no parallel cases where Old English words with a medial "t" produce a modern English form with a medial "cc". Still others claim a derivation from, or connection with, the Indo-European root *wei- which connotes bending or pliance (from which we get the words 'wicker', 'willow' and 'witch-elm'), suggesting the concept of magic as a "bending" of forces of nature. This is less convincing than the derivation from *weg-, especially as the notion of "bending" the forces of nature is hardly paramount in Wiccan literature. Robert Graves in his influential 1948 book The White Goddess, in discussing the willow which was sacred to the Greek goddess Hecate, says: Its connection with witches is so strong in Northern Europe, that the words 'witch' and 'wicked' are derived from the same ancient word for willow, which also yields 'wicker'. Graves' etymology is widely considered to be inaccurate. The earliest evidence of the common adjectival form "Wiccan", also used as a noun, dates from the 1970s.[citation needed] [edit] Discrimination and persecution of Wiccans Religious persecution By persecuting group: Christians Jews Muslims Soviet Union By victimized group: African religions Ancient Greek religion Atheists Bahá'ís Buddhists Cathars Christians Germanic Pagans Hindus Jews Mormons Muslims Pagans Rastafari Roman religion Sikhs Wiccans Zoroastrians This box: view • talk • edit According to the traditional history of Wicca as given by Gerald Gardner, Wicca is a survival of the European witch-cult that was persecuted during the witch trials (sometimes called the Burning Times), and the strong element of secrecy that traditionally surrounds the religion was adopted as a reaction to that persecution. Since then Margaret Murray's theory of an organised pan-European witch-cult has been discredited, and doubts raised about the age of Wicca, and many Wiccans no longer claim this historical lineage. However it is still common for Wiccans to feel solidarity with the victims of the witch trials, and being witches, to consider the witch-craze to have been a persecution against their faith. [52] In modern times, Wiccans have been incorrectly associated with black magic and Satanism, especially in connection with Satanic Ritual Abuse hysteria.[53] The Bible (Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them[54] and Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live[55]) may incite Christians to be less than sympathetic toward neo-Pagans in general. Wiccans also experience difficulties in administering and receiving prison ministry, although not in the UK of recent times. [56] Because of the popular negative connotations associated with witchcraft, many Wiccans continue the traditional practice of secrecy, concealing their faith for fear of persecution. Revealing oneself as Wiccan to family, friends or colleagues is often termed "coming out of the broom-closet". [edit] United States In 1985, as a result of Dettmer v. Landon, 617 F. Supp. 592, the District Court of Virginia ruled that Wicca is a legally recognised religion and is afforded all the benefits accorded to it by law. This was affirmed a year later by Judge J. Butzner of the Federal Appeals Court fourth circuit (799 F 2d 929, 1986). Nevertheless, Wiccans can still become the object of stigma in America, and many remain secretive about their beliefs. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has not approved use of the pentacle in military cemeteries, although symbols of many other religions are permitted. This policy came under renewed attack when Sgt. Patrick Stewart, a Wiccan soldier, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005. His widow has pressed for the inclusion of a pentacle to memorialise him at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery.[57] Americans United for Separation of Church and State gave the Department of Veteran's Affairs 30 days from June 7, 2006 in which to respond to the request or face litigation,[58] and in September 2006 state officials ruled that the symbol could be used, concluding that state veterans' cemetaries were not under federal authority.[59] James Clement Taylor, a member of an Eastern Orthodox Church, has commented on the subject of persecution of Wiccans that "these people of Wicca have been terribly slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which they do not. We have persecuted them..."[60] In 1999 a group of conservative Christian groups was formed on the initiative of representative Bob Barr (R-GA), in response to Wiccan gatherings on military bases. The group asked US citizens not to enlist or re-enlist in the U.S. Army until the Army terminates the on-base freedoms of religion, speech and assembly for all Wiccan soldiers.[61] The boycott has since become inactive. George W. Bush stated "I don't think witchcraft is a religion. I would hope the military officials would take a second look at the decision they made" [62]. In September 1985 some conservative Christian legislators introduced three pieces of legislation designed to take away the rights of Wiccans. The first one was House Resolution (H.R.) 3389 introduced September 19 by congressman Robert S. Walker (R-Penn.) Senator Jesse Helms (R, NC) made an amendment, Amendment 705, in the House Resolution 3036, The Treasury, Postal, and General Government Appropriations Bill for 1986, specifying that organisations that promote "witchcraft" should not be given tax-exempt status. After being ignored for a while it got attached to HR 3036 by an unanimous voice vote of the senators. Congressman Richard T. Schulze (R-Penn) introduced substantially the same amendment into the Tax Reform Bill of 1985. When the conference committee met on October 30, the Helms Amendment was thrown out since it was not considered germaine to the bill. Following this Schulze withdrew his amendment from the Tax Reform Bill. Leaving only HR 3389, the Walker Bill. It managed to attract Joe Barton (R-Tex) who became a co-sponsor November 14. The Ways and Means Committee set aside the bill and quietly ignored it and it died with the close of the 99th session of Congress in December 1986.[63][64] [edit] Wiccan traditions A "tradition" in Wicca refers to a branch of the religion with specific teachings and practices, often involving the concept of a lineage that is transferred by initiation. There are many such traditions, sub-traditions and lineages; there are also many solitary or eclectic Wiccans who do not align themselves with any particular lineage. Some of the well-known traditions include: Alexandrian Wicca Blue Star Wicca Correllian Nativist Church (Correllian Wicca) Dianic Wicca (Feminist witchcraft) Faery Wicca Gardnerian Wicca Kemetic Wicca Odyssean Wicca Seax-Wica There are also other forms of witchcraft which don't claim origins in Wicca, such as the Feri Tradition, Reclaiming and Stregheria, as well as distinct varieties of Eclectic Wicca, such as Christian Wicca and Wiccan Atheism. Two generally accepted and informative books describing the various "paths" within the North American pagan community are Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today and Starhawk's The Spiral Dance: a Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. [edit] Wicca in popular fiction Various novels, television shows and movies have depicted Wicca, including The Craft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel,Charmed and even legal shows such as Boston Legal. Popular fiction, such as Cate Tiernan's Sweep and Balefire series, and Isobel Bird's "Circle of Three" also makes references to Wicca. Such fictional depictions usually do not present an accurate picture of Wiccan beliefs and practices, and should, for the most part, not be taken as fact.

WHAT IS A DRUID? 'Often when the combatants are ranged face to face, and swords are drawn and spears bristling, these men come between the armies and stay the battle, just as wild beasts are sometimes held spellbound. Thus even among the most savage barbarians anger yields to wisdom, and Mars is shamed before the Muses.' Diodorus Siculus Histories c.8 BCE In ancient times a Druid was a philosopher, teacher, counsellor and magician, the word probably meaning ‘A Forest Sage’ or ‘Strong Seer’. In modern times, a Druid is someone who follows Druidry as their chosen spiritual path, or who has entered the Druid level of training in a Druid Order. The reason we tend to visualise the Druid as an old man in our imagination is partly due, perhaps, to a realisation that by the time one has undertaken the training of Bard and Ovate one is bound to be ancient! We cannot be sure of the exact time it took, but Caesar mentions that some spent as long as twenty years in their education at Druid colleges. But this is really little different to the time young people now take to complete their education, and Caesar’s account is reminiscent of the situation of monastic schools in Europe and as far afield as Tibet, where young people would go or be sent for a complete education: free from the burden of taxation or military service and “instigated by such advantages, many resort to their school even of their own accord, whilst others are sent by their parents and relations.” Commentators point out that ‘twenty years’ could have been a figure of speech to denote a long duration of time, or that it might have actually been 19 years, since the Druids almost certainly used the Metonic Cycle, a method of reckoning based on the nineteen-year eclipse cycle. If the Bard was the poet and musician, the preserver of lore, the inspirer and entertainer, and the Ovate was the doctor, detective, diviner and seer, what was the Druid? Their functions, simply stated, were to act as advisor to rulers, as judge, as teacher, and as an authority in matters of worship and ceremony. The picture this paints is of mature wisdom, of official position and privilege, and of roles which involved decision-making, direction and the imparting of knowledge and wise counsel. We tend to think of the Druid as a sort of priest - but this is not borne out by the evidence. The classical texts refer to them more as philosophers than priests. At first this appears confusing since we know they presided at ceremonies, but if we understand that Druidry was a natural, earth religion as opposed to a revealed religion, such as Christianity or Islam, we can see that the Druids probably acted not as mediators of Divinity, but as directors of ritual, guiding and containing the rites. In addition to this, we know that they fulfilled a number of other functions, which we shall now examine. Separating these out is for the sake of convenience only, for in reality the roles often merged and combined, as we realise when Caesar tells us "They have many discussions as touching the stars and their movement, the size of the universe and of the earth, the order of nature, the strength and the powers of the immortal gods, and hand down their lore to the young men." Here we see the Druids as scientists - as astronomers and mathematicians, as philosophers discussing the powers of the gods, and as teachers passing on their wisdom. Druids as Judges 'The Druids are considered the most just of men, and on this account they are entrusted with the decision, not only of the private disputes, but of the public disputes as well; so that, in former times, they even arbitrated cases of war and made the opponents stop when they were about to line up for battle, and the murder cases in particular were turned over to them for decision.' Strabo Geographica 'It is they who decide in almost all disputes, public and private; and if any crime has been committed, or murder done, or there is any dispute about succession or boundaries, they also decide it, determining rewards and penalties: if any person or people does not abide by their decision, they ban such from sacrifice, which is their heaviest penalty.' Caesar De Bello Gallico It is natural that those people perceived as the wise elders of the community should be turned to for judgement and arbitration in times of dispute or when a crime has been committed, and some of the most interesting information about the ancient Druids can be found in the old Irish laws, known as the Brehon laws. Irish texts tell us that in 714 BCE the High King Ollamh Fódhla formalised the legal system by founding the Festival of Tara, at which every three years the laws already in existence were discussed and revised: and we know some of the names of the more prominent Druid judges of old, including a female judge named Brigh, a male judge named Finnchaemh, and Cennfaela, the Druid of King Cormac, who in the third century CE was said to be the most learned judge in Ireland. Peter Beresford Ellis, in his book The Druids, says: “the Irish system is the oldest surviving complete codified legal system in Europe with its roots in ancient Indo-European custom and not in Roman law, and is therefore the oldest surviving Celtic system of jurisprudence, and one in which the Druids are still mentioned.” Fortunately for us these laws have been recorded - set down in writing as early as the fifth century, according to some sources. Even as late as the seventeenth century some aspects of the Brehon code survived in Ireland, despite attempts by the English to suppress it. Charles Graves, the grandfather of Robert Graves whose book on Ogham The White Goddesswas seminal in the revival of interest in Goddess worship and Paganism, was an expert on Ogham and on Brehon law. He initiated a Royal Commission to transcribe and translate this treasure-trove of information, which was published in six volumes between 1865 and 1901. Reading the Brehon laws today offers us an opportunity to enter into the minds of the early Druids – and to many peoples’ surprise, rather than discovering the beliefs of a primitive and savage people, we find a highly considered system that is mostly based upon ‘Restorative Justice’ – a concept that is found, for example, on the other side of the world amongst the Maoris of New Zealand . Restorative justice is concerned with compensation rather than revenge - the offender rather than simply being incarcerated is made to make good the damage or loss they have caused the victim. This picture was marred somewhat in Ireland by licence being given for vengeance killings, but these were allowed only in response to the murder of family members, and limits were exerted on retaliation. Undoubtedly we are seeing here an attempt to control situations that could so easily escalate. As we would expect from Druid lawmakers, severe penalties resulted from the unlawful cutting down of trees, with important trees such as oak and yew being designated ‘Chieftain trees’ and carrying greater demands for compensation than ‘Peasant trees’. And when it came to marriage and divorce the Brehon laws were more humane than the later Christian laws. In the times of the ancient Druids, a woman could divorce a man for a number of reasons: if he was so obese he was unable to make love, for example, or if he preferred to sleep with men, if he beat her leaving visible marks, or if he spread malicious stories about her . Under the Christian post-Druidic law in Ireland, divorce was illegal until 1995 – even if a husband or wife was physically abusive. The Brehon laws offer us the most complete view of the kind of society that the ancient Druids helped to guide and lead. We have information from Wales too, but the old Welsh laws known as the ‘Laws of Hywel Da’ were recorded much later than the Brehon laws and offer us less insight into the world of the Ancients. Druids as Teachers 'A great number of young men gather about them for the sake of instruction and hold them in great honour....... Report says that in the schools of the Druids they learn by heart a great number of verses, and … they do not think it proper to commit these utterances to writing, although in almost all other matters, and in their public and private accounts, they make use of Greek letters.' Caesar De Bello Gallico It is clear from both the classical and the Irish sources that one of the main functions of the Druid was as a teacher. This involved teaching at both an esoteric and an exoteric level. Caitlin Matthews offers the image of the Jewish rabbi to help us picture how a Druid might have lived and worked. She or he was: 'a man or woman of wisdom whose advice was sought on all matters of daily life, one who perhaps also fulfilled a craft, one who was married and had a family, one who brought the people together for common celebrations and whose word was law. Like the Hasidic rabbis who practised qabbala and were known as seers and wonder-workers, so too, the druid was a person of unusual skills. .... From the various Celtic accounts, we find that a druid usually had one or more students attached to his retinue or household. Again, to return to our Jewish parallel, a rabbi would often run a Talmudic school for anything from a handful to a number of students. Similarly, druidic students learned from their masters and mistresses.' While some Druids may have simply had one or two students living with him, helping, presumably, with the household routine in return for training, others gathered around them sufficient numbers of disciples to form a veritable college of Druidry. In Ulster, for example, it is recorded that Cathbad, one of King Conchobar's Druids, was surrounded by a hundred students. What would they have learned? Just as the monastic orders later became the centres of learning, the Druid colleges, large and small, were in charge of the whole spectrum of education from the teaching of general education to that of philosophy, from the teaching of law to the teaching of magic, from the teaching of healing skills to the teaching of the correct order of ceremonial. We also know that Druids acted as tutors to the children of kings, queens and nobles, and that students would be sent from one Druid teacher to another to learn different skills. Caesar tells us that Druidry originated in Britain, and that students were sent from Gaul to Britain for training. They were sent to the fountainhead of Druid culture - to imbibe at its source: "It is believed that their rule of life was discovered in Britain and transferred thence to Gaul; and today those who would study the subject more accurately journey, as a rule, to Britain to learn it." It is intriguing to think that the earliest recorded systems of education and law in Britain and Ireland are Druidic. When this is properly recognised, perhaps we will see the statue of a Druid outside the law courts in Dublin and London, and murals in schools or Departments of Education depicting Druids teaching within groves of trees. Druids as Kings and Advisors to Kings & Queens There is evidence that some kings were also Druids. The Druid Ailill Aulomon was King of Munster in the first century CE and it is recorded that three Druid-kings ruled in "the Isle of Thule" . Thule was the name given to Iceland, and here lies the fascinating possibility that Iceland was a kingdom once ruled by Druids - long before its Viking conquest. The official history of Iceland states that the first Norse colonisers, arriving in 874 CE found and drove away a few isolated Irish hermits, who had journeyed there via the Faroe Islands. But recent work on Icelandic blood-group types shows them to have a greater similarity to those of Ireland than of Scandinavia. This leads one to agree with those historians who claim that Iceland had in fact been colonised by the Celts long before the Vikings arrived. This claim gains further support when we learn that the only extant manuscript source of information that we have about the Nordic pagan cosmology, the Edda, was written in Iceland and not in Scandinavia. The manuscript looks remarkably like the early Irish manuscripts of the same period, and it is tempting to see the Vikings of Iceland being persuaded to record their cosmology by Irish Druids, or their descendants. To return to Britain and Ireland, when Druids were not kings, they were advisors to kings, queens and chieftains, and were accorded such status that they were often the first to speak at official functions. At the court of Conchobar, King of Ulster, for example, no one had the right to speak before the Druid had spoken. Druids as Scientists and Inventors We know that the Druids concerned themselves with what we term today the sciences. To what degree their mathematics was numerology, their chemistry alchemy, their astronomy astrology, we will never know. But we do know that the building of the stone circles required sophisticated measuring, calculating and engineering skills, and that this same building depended upon a knowledge of the movement of the heavens to such a degree that the very earliest of proto-Druids were clearly skilled astronomers. The work of John Michell, Sir Norman Lockyer, and Professors Hawkins and Thom amongst others shows us that these men were scientists indeed - creating giant astronomical computers in stone. Some writers have even suggested that the Druids might have invented the telescope, basing this idea on the statement of Diodorus Siculus, who said that in an island west of Celtae the Druids brought the sun and moon near to them, and on the statement of Hecataeus who tells us that the Druids taught of the existence of lunar mountains. Others have suggested that they discovered gunpowder, but like the Chinese, used it for special effects rather than warfare. John Smith in his Gallic Antiquities of 1780 wrote: "Among the arcana of nature which our Druids were acquainted with, there are many presumptive, if not positive, proofs for placing the art of gunpowder, or artificial thunder and lightning; though like all other mysteries, they kept the invention of it a secret." We have no hard historical evidence for this suggestion, but it is delightful to think that the Druid would amaze and entertain his entourage with fireworks, as does the Druidic figure of Gandalf in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Druids as Alchemists and Metal-workers While they may or may not have experimented with fireworks, they certainly worked with fire and with metals. And this work was undoubtedly alchemical. Since fire, like water, was and is considered sacred by all those with a spiritual understanding of the natural world, we can be sure that the Druids were masters and mistresses of fire. Their esoteric work with fire is a matter of inner knowledge - for it deals with their ability to relate to and work with the sacred fire within the body as well as within the grove. The fact that the Goddess Brighid is goddess of healing and poetry and both fire and water, provides us with the key to understanding the connection between the inspiration sought by the Bards, the healing developed by the Ovates and the alchemical work of inner healing and inspiration performed by the Druids. Contemplating this one idea reveals the depth of the Druid Mysteries, the nature of its teaching and its relevance for us today. Metalworking in early societies was also considered a sacred art - for upon it depended the tribe's ability to defend itself and to gain food from the earth or from animals. The Welsh tradition states that a branch of Druids, known as the Pheryllt, worked as metallurgists and alchemists in the magical city of Emrys in Snowdonia. This 'ambrosial city' was also known as Dinas Affaraon, the 'city of the higher powers'. The Druid as metalworker would have forged the swords for the warriors and nobles, which would have been imbued during their casting and annealing with magical spells designed to protect the bearer and ensure them victory. The sword figures largely in the Druid mythos: It emerges out of the two fixed elements of water and earth in the Arthurian legend: being pulled out of stone by Arthur, and being raised mysteriously out of the Lake when needed. It is born in fire with the skill of the Druid-Alchemist, and it is raised in the air during the Order's Beltane ceremony, as the Sword-bearer cries: "Behold this sword Excalibur, which rose from the lake of still meditation and was returned to it again. The sword of spirit, of light and truth, is always sharp and always with us, if our lake be stilled." At a spiritual-psychological level, the sword represents the Will. When the Will is not aligned to our higher values and purpose it runs amok - and the sword becomes the weapon which maims and destroys. When it is aligned with higher purpose it becomes the sword of spirit - a representation of our ability to be spiritual warriors in a world filled with difficulties which require the warrior spirit to overcome them. In the Druid circle the sword is placed in the South, just as the wand is placed in the East, the cup of water in the West, and the stone in the North. We can surmise too that the Druids as metalworkers would have cast the sacred cauldrons. Just as the sword represents the 'male' directive qualities of mind and spirit, so does the cauldron represent the 'female' inclusive qualities of heart and soul. And just as the sword figures largely in Druid ceremonial and mythology, so too does the cauldron - representing, at its roots, the origin of the grail symbol. Druids as Peace Makers Druids and the Druid philosophy have long been associated with the idea of Peace. Classical writers, such as Julius Caesar and Diodorus Siculus, spoke of the way in ancient times Druids were exempt from military service, and did not bear arms, and how they often pacified warring tribes, passing between the massed ranks of opposing forces urging peace: ‘For they generally settle all their disputes, both public and private… The Druids usually abstain from war, nor do they pay taxes together with the others; they have exemption from warfare.’(Caesar) Today, every Druid ceremony begins with a call to Peace towards each of the Four Directions. The Druid performing this function faces North, South, West then East calling out “May there be Peace in The N/S/W/E” As they do this they feel peace emanating from the Druid circle out into each direction of the world. Finally all participants say “May there be Peace throughout the whole world.” Druids in ancient times worked in Sacred Groves, and today they still do - whether these are physical ones, or whether these have been created in the Inner World through meditation. These groves are seen as places of peace and tranquility that radiate these qualities out to the world. Druids often sign their letters or messages ‘Yours in the Peace of the Grove’, and the Order has begun a programme of planting Peace Groves throughout the world, with the first ones planted in Jerusalem and Northern Ireland. In the Order we often say this Peace Prayer in our ceremonies: Deep within the still centre of my being May I find peace. Silently within the quiet of the Grove May I share peace. Gently (or powerfully) within the greater circle of humankind May I radiate peace. We also hold peace meditations on the day of each full moon, and a section of the Order’s website is now devoted to the subject, since war and conflict seem to have escalated so much at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Druids as Philosophers 'Some say that the study of philosophy was of barbarian origin. For the Persians had their Magi, the Babylonians or the Assyrians the Chaldeans, the Indians their Gymnosophists, while the Kelts and the Galatae had seers called Druids….' Diogenes Laertius Lives of the Philosophers c.250 CE In examining the roles of the Druid as teacher and judge, king and advisor to kings and queens, scientist and alchemist, we must remember that behind each of these functions the Druid was at heart a philosopher. His or her concern was with the meaning and purpose of life on earth, and it was for this reason that Strabo wrote "...the Druids, in addition to natural philosophy, study also moral philosophy". We know a little of early Druid philosophy. A study of the old Irish and Welsh laws, developed by the Druids, can provide us with a glimpse into the ethical foundations of early Druid philosophy. In addition we can turn to the triads of Ireland and Wales, which – although often of disputed origin, and clearly influenced by Christianity – provide further material. The Classical writers say that Druid philosophy was influenced by Pythagoreanism, and if this is so, we can start to build a fairly comprehensive picture of the philosophy of these forest sages. But the picture does not stop there, because as we have seen in the earlier chapters, Druidry has grown and evolved constantly over the centuries – on its way absorbing or drawing on many influences. In the early days these came from Greece and Rome, and perhaps Egypt and India too. Later, during the Revival Period, the ideas of the Romantics found their way into modern Druidry. In the early years of the twentieth century it adopted many of the ideas of the Western Mystery Tradition, which originated in Classical Greece, Babylonia and Ancient Egypt. And in addition, until the 1970s, Druidry was influenced by Universalism, which attempted to trace the universal themes in all religions. Theosophy was likewise driven by Universalist aspirations, and many Theosophists became interested in, and undoubtedly influenced, Druidism. Into the historic picture we are building, we must add the most recent influences on the development of modern Druid philosophy. In the 1940’s and 50’s Ross Nichols became interested in the depth psychologies of Freud and Jung, and partly inspired by their insights, he saw in Druidry a way of helping modern humanity reconnect with Nature and the Gods. The problem of modern civilisation, as he saw it, was that humanity had become alienated from the land and the seasonal and agricultural cycles. In addition, an understanding of the value of mythology had been lost. As a result we had become alienated from the deepest and the highest sources of inspiration. This psychological perspective took into account our deepest needs, and in recent years Druidry, certainly as expressed within the teachings of the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids, has been clearly informed by it. In addition, in the last decade or so, Druidry has been influenced by the ideas and philosophies of the holistic and environmental movements, so that alongside its preoccupations with the search for wisdom and union with Deity (who is seen as one with Nature) Druidry today is passionately concerned with protecting the natural world, and developing attitudes and lifestyles which promote living in harmony with Nature. In contemporary Druidry, the tree which represents the Druid Grade is the Oak - the regal tree of wisdom and tradition - the primordial tree that has always been associated with both Druids and the Nemeton - the oak groves where they gathered and taught. The East is the place of the Druid, for it is from the East that the sun rises and from which comes the illumination that all Druids seek. The times associated with the Druid Grade are noon and Summer - times of greatest brightness and growth. The Druid as our Inner Sage The Bard in their training has opened to the artist, the creative Self, that lives within them, the Ovate in their training has opened to the shaman who lives within - the one who can travel in the inner realms to explore the fluid nature of time, and the inner power of trees, herbs and animals. The Druid, in their training, opens to their inner Wise Person, the inner Sage who is Philosopher and Counsellor, who judges and discriminates and who teaches perhaps too. At present, the only Druid group that gives training at all three levels is the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids. It is helpful, when we consider these three stages or groupings, if we do not consider them as a hierarchy, a ladder we must climb in order to reach enlightenment or full empowerment, but rather as levels of deepening. There is a path, or journey, that can be taken from one grade to the next, but having reached the Druid Grade the journey can begin again - making it one that follows a spiral or circular path rather than a linear one. At the Druid level the injunction is given: Generate and Regenerate! To do this we must die, we must change. The Ovate experience is passed through - under the sign of the Yew we follow the injunction 'Die and be reborn!' Finally we reach the stage of the Bard and we are able to be creative, to be fully born in the world, to express our inherent divinity in word, song, art and music. The three realms of Art, Nature and Philosophy are encompassed within the three divisions of the Druid Tradition. We are finally able to unite our artistic concerns with our environmental and spiritual concerns. The Bard, Ovate and Druid are one person standing on the earth - poet and shaman, healer and philosopher - spiritual and earthy. We ourselves may well not yet be this 'Whole Person', able to encompass all these abilities and interests, but the Druid as a model is always there to encourage and guide us, to shine a light for us on a path that is not uniform and not pre-determined, but unique to us and built with our own experience and our own creative genius. According to your belief and experience you will understand the image of the Druid as Inner Sage as a metaphor, as a cultural creation, as an archetype in our collective consciousness, or as an actual being or one of a host of beings who exist on the inner planes, and who are simply waiting for us to turn to them for guidance. Adapted from Druid Mysteries by Philip Carr-Gomm

WHAT IS AN OVATE? 'To you alone it is given to know the truth about the gods and deities of the sky...The innermost groves of far-off forests are your abodes. And it is you who say that the shades of the dead seek not the silent land of Erebus and the pale halls of Pluto; rather, you tell us that the same spirit has a body again elsewhere, and that death, if what you sing is true, is but the mid-point of long life.' Lucan Pharsalia c.60 CE In ancient times an Ovate was a prophet, seer, healer and diviner. In modern times, an Ovate is one who studies or practices herbalism, healing and divination within a Druidic context, or who has entered the Ovate level of training within a Druid Order. Lucan, in the above quotation, is addressing Druids generally, but it is an appropriate quotation to open our study of the Ovates, for it was they who, to the greatest degree, were responsible for understanding the mysteries of death and rebirth, for transcending time - for divining the future, for conversing with the Ancestors - travelling beyond the grave to bring augury and counsel to those still living on earth. If the Bards were shamans in Michael Harner's understanding of the term because they opened doors with the power of the Word, then the Ovates deserve the term shaman even more so - for they open the doors of Time. From a study of the classical authors, a general categorisation of the three different grades accords the arts to the bards, the skills of prophecy and divination to the Ovates and philosophical, teaching, counselling and judicial tasks to the Druid. The Ovates, then, were seers and diviners, travellers in Time, and it seems likely that they were also healers, herbalists and midwives. The English word ‘Ovate’ comes from the various terms used by the classical writers: Vates, Uatis, Euhages, which may derive from the Indo-European root uat, ‘to be inspired or possessed’. The classical author Strabo described the Ovate as ‘an interpreter of nature’. It was the Ovates who were skilled in reading omens and divining auguries – whether from the flight of birds, the shape of clouds, or the behaviour of animals or the weather – and it was the Ovates whose task it probably was to heal, using their knowledge of herbs and spells to cure disease in humans and livestock. The Ovate seems, in many ways, to conform to the type of person most people would describe as a Witch, and it is certainly possible that when Druidry went underground with the coming of Christianity, the Ovate stream may have become a source that fed later generations of healers and followers of the Old Ways, until they came to be known as the Cunning Folk– healers who could still be found in villages in Britain up until the 1930s. And it is quite possible that these Cunning people were in fact the Witches of modern popular perception. The Ovate as master or mistress of prophecy and divination needed, and still needs today, a reorientation in relation to Time. To travel within time - to read the Akashic Records as some would term it, requires a conception of its nature and dynamics that is radically different to post-Enlightenment thinking, and more akin to the understanding now being offered by the New Physics. The belief in the cyclicity of life, as we shall see in the next chapter, was fundamental to the world-view of the ancient Druids. In common with the Hindus, the Druids believed in reincarnation. Caesar, in De Bello Gallico says of the Druids:'The cardinal doctrine which they seek to teach is that souls do not die, but after death pass from one to another; and this belief, as the fear of death is thereby cast aside, they hold to be the greatest invective to valour.' Diodorus quotes Posidonius when he says that the Druids held that 'the souls of men are immortal, and that after a definite number of years they live a second life when the soul passes to another body.' And Philostratus of Tyana in the second century noted that the Celts believed that to be born in this world, we have to die in the Otherworld, and conversely, that when we die here, our birth into the Otherworld should be celebrated. Now we can understand how the Ovates were able to conceive of time-travel. The Realm of the Ancestors was not the realm of people dead-and-gone - it was the repository of tribal wisdom - the realm in which the Ancestors lived whilst awaiting reincarnation and to which the Ovate could turn for guidance and inspiration on behalf of the tribe. The experience of the shaman is one in which they undergo some type of death but return to life - only this time knowing the inner soul-geography. In the past, this experience of returning to life from the realm of death was a rare occurrence. Today, with sophisticated techniques for reviving the body the experience is becoming more frequent. A growing academic interest in the subject means that we now have an enormous amount of data on these near-death experiences. Out of the thousands of such experiences recorded a clear pattern of experience emerges: the dying person experiences cracking, clicking, or rushing noises, or sometimes wonderfully harmonious sounds; this is followed by an experience of leaving the physical body - observing their physical body and surroundings from a distance; they then feel themselves drawn through a dark tunnel out of which they emerge into brilliant light. This light assumes an almost personal quality and frequently encounters occur with spiritual helpers or protective beings and the Ancestors - friends and relatives who have died previously. There then often follows a rapid review of their life in which they realise instantly where they acted rightly or wrongly. This experience of self-judgement is followed by an entry into a state of being in which past, present and future merge into one reality - a world filled with ecstasy, radiant colours, and immensely beautiful landscapes. We know nothing more, with such certainty, of the post-death state for those who reach this realm of beauty are then brought to a Being who tells them that they must return to their body - their visit, this time, has been only temporary. What does this tell us of the Ovate work? Firstly that the realm of the Ancestors does exist, and that it can provide support and guidance. Secondly that a realm exists in which our experience of time is transcended, or fundamentally changed. It is to these realms that the shaman travels, to bring back guidance from Past Souls and insights into the future. In megalithic times the early Druids were probably not distinctively classed into three branches of learning. The Druid shaman would probably have been the doctor and priest and repository of tribal lore all in one. The bones found in the chambered cairns such as West Kennet Long Barrow near Avebury would almost certainly have been used ritually in the way bones have been throughout the world, to summon the protection of the dead, to ward off evil and to offer augury. It is the Ovates particular connection with the Other World, with death, which makes them officiants in the rite of Samhuinn - the feast for the departed on 31st October. But it is only in the naive imagination that this concern with death is viewed as morbid, for in reality the Ovate is concerned with new life, with regeneration. They know that to be born they have to die - whether that means in the literal sense or in the figurative sense, as a death to one way of being to be reborn to a deeper experience of being alive. In working with the processes of death and regeneration, the Ovates particular study is - fittingly - tree-lore, herbalism and healing. The plant world is a great teacher of the laws of death and rebirth, of sacrifice and transmutation, and the tree is the supreme teacher of the mysteries of time, with its roots for the most part invisible in the past and the subconscious, and its fruit and leaves likewise mostly hidden from us in the heights of the superconscious - holding the potential of the future in the seeds that will in due time fall. The art of healing concerns the application of natural law to the human body and psyche. If the heart, mind or body is out of tune with nature we suffer. The application of natural remedies - with plants, with the four elements, with solar, lunar and stellar power are studied by the Ovate. Knowing that it is only through death to one state that we achieve a wider life, the Ovate is in this sense also a psychotherapist. The Ovate learns and teaches that it is often only by letting go, rather than holding on, that we truly find what we have been seeking. How is the Ovate Way of relevance to us today? The fact that many healers - of both body and soul, find Druidry helpful lies in its ability to open the Self to something more than just the personal. The story of psychotherapy illustrates this point, and suggests that we can place Druidry, and the work of the Ovates in particular, at the leading edge of psyche (soul) therapies. Psychotherapy as a form of healing began by discovering the value in opening up communication between the different parts of ourselves – within our intra-personal world. Healing occurred, for example, when our sexual selves were able to relate more openly with our rational cultivated selves; or when our hearts were able to speak freely to our minds. But this was found to be insufficient - for not only do we need to have successful communication between the different parts of ourselves, we also need effective communication with those around us, in our inter-personal relationships. Group therapy was born. More healing occurred as we shared our fears and joys with others - discovering our common humanity and our unique differences. But more was needed - we could resolve a good deal of our intra-personal and inter-personal difficulties, but we were still haunted by 'existential neurosis' - we needed to move beyond the personal to the transpersonal, to find our place in existence by going beyond the Self. The spiritual psychologies were born. They opened up the channels of communication not only between ourselves and others, but also with our Overself, our Transpersonal Self and with the Divine. By now it looked as if psychotherapists had covered every base - we had been put back into relationship with ourselves, with our fellow humans and with our sense of the Divine or Spiritual. But to many therapists’ surprise the existential neurosis and sense of alienation often continued for their clients, because in all this therapy they had inadvertently been guilty of 'speciesism': they had ignored our relations with the rest of nature. We may have successful communication with humanity and God/dess, but what about with our home, the Earth - with the stars and sky, with animals and trees? The Druid argument, and the argument of all earth religions, is that we can only be fully healthy, fully whole physically and psychologically and indeed spiritually, when we are in communion with all of nature. The walls of the consulting room and the church collapse... client and therapist, patient and analyst, confessing and confessor, walk away from the debris, remove their clothes and immerse themselves in the pool that stands before them in the light of the sun. only then are they whole. only then can they claim that the healing is complete. We now have an insight into the healing power that Druidry can bring, and the way in which this can be mediated by the Ovate with their knowledge of herb, tree and animal lore and their ability to commune with the spirits of the departed. But what of their divinatory skills? Understanding the hidden dynamics of Time and knowing the reality of the spirit worlds enables the Ovate to divine without the interference of the rational mind. This mantic work falls into three categories: augury - which is the making of predictions based on signs and omens; divination - which uses particular methods for finding hidden things - whether they be 'intangibles' such as future events or 'tangibles' such as water or metal; and prophecy - which needs no outer methods but which depends on the Ovate's ability to channel higher wisdom in relation to future events. The methods of augury used in the past were many: from simple weather-witching to sophisticated interpretation of bird flight - from the observation of animal behaviour to the interpretation of planetary configurations. Almost certainly each of the four elements was used for augury, as they were used for healing. It is likely that the signs and associated feelings conveyed by earth cast on a sheet or drum-skin were read as a modern fortune teller might read the tea-leaves or in Eastern Europe the coffee-grounds, and the shapes of passing clouds or of the images found in the fire or in gazing into pools of water were undoubtedly further sources of inspiration. We know the term the Irish Druids used for cloud divination – Neldoracht – and we know too of more complex methods of divining used in Ireland, including Tarbhfeis, which involved the diviner being wrapped in a bull’s hide to aid their clairvoyance. The Druid took four wands of yew and upon them he wrote Oghams, and by his keys of poetic wisdom and through his Ogham he divined that Etain was in Bri Leith with Midir. Tochmarc Etaine Divination is a more sophisticated form of augury. It need not be simple fortune-telling - an attempt to see into the future. It can be an effective means of revealing hidden dynamics - whether they are within oneself or within a relationship, or within a group. Divination then becomes a means of gaining self-knowledge and a deeper understanding of the hidden causes behind appearances. Seen in this way it becomes yet another way that we can try to go beyond the surface, to plumb the depths, to look at causes rather than effects. Modern day Ovates are able to turn in this quest to a number of distinctly Druidic methods of divination, including working with the sacred animals of the Celtic and Druid traditionand working with Ogham, which has come to be known as the sacred tree-alphabet of the Druids. It is claimed that the Druids used Ogham for divination. Medieval Irish stories, such as the Tochmarc Etaine suggest that this was so, even though actual inscriptions in Ogham, found on stones, have only been dated to the fourth and fifth centuries. Although from the historian’s point of view we cannot be certain that the ancient Druids used Ogham, it certainly provides us today with an evocative means of understanding hidden dynamics and future events, and has become an integral part of modern Ovate training. However it is not only the divination of the subtle, intangible realms of the psyche and the future that is the field of Ovate study. Divination can be carried out for tangible things - for water and for metal, for items lost or deliberately hidden, and traditionally the Ovate divines with a wand of hazel. Water sources were always accorded special reverence by the Druids - not only were they naturally dependent on a good supply of drinking water, but springs were revered because they demonstrated the source of life springing up out of the body of mother-Earth, and they were seen as access points to the Otherworld. The Ovate, with their divining skill would have been used to find water sources and sources of metallic ore, for this was important to the Celts who used both bronze and iron. The Druid, in their capacity as Pheryllt, or Druid Alchemist, worked the metals that the Ovate found in a raw state in the earth. And here we perceive another function of the Ovate - to seek out and find what is hidden. We can surmise that it was the Ovates’ function in the past, and can still be today, to find the sacred groves in which the Druids work. Likewise it is the Ovate who finds the wisdom of the Spirit, plant and animal world and brings it back for the benefit of all. It could even have been the Ovate in this aspect of their work who was responsible for finding criminals and stolen property or missing bodies. As ‘discoverer of the hidden’, the Ovate might have been the detective as the Druid was the magistrate or judge. Finally we learn that prophecy was a function of the Ovate. Here the Ovate needed no outer form to help them find what was hidden. Their years of training as a Bard, then as an Ovate, their ability to commune with the spirits, their refinement of their being and their attunement to the world of nature meant that at certain times they could prophesy - predicting the future or warning of possible dangers so that they could be avoided. Merlin is seen in his Ovate role when he utters the prophecies compiled by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the twelfth century. The ability to prophesy should be understood in its widest sense within the Ovate work. The Bard learns how to open themselves to transpersonal creative energies to provide inspiration and integration. The Ovate builds on this connection with the inner world and combines it with an ability to negotiate time-tracks, so that they can also channel transpersonal creative energies. These channellings may take the form of prophecies - in the sense that they deal with that aspect of time which we term the 'future' - or they may deal with hidden levels of reality and causation that require elucidation and communication. The Ovate curriculum is vast indeed. Just as the Bard needed years of training, so did the Ovate, although we have no details of this from the classical authors. When Druidry went underground with the triumph of Christianity, the Bards suffered the least - they simply pretended to be 'mere' minstrels and poets all the while carrying the tradition in their hearts and hidden in their words and music. The Ovates undoubtedly continued their work as healers and herbalists - keeping the tradition alive though in a more discreet way, becoming eventually perhaps the Cunning Folk or ‘White Witches’ who acted as local doctors for those too poor – or too wise – to consult the nearest leech, charlatan or quack. Today, those who study the Ovate Gradelearn to work with the powers of Nature – they learn the Ogham and come to know the trees as living Beings with their own medicines and gifts. They work with the sacred animals of tradition, and with different methods of divination, and many begin a study of herbalism or other methods of healing, and in particular they learn how to encourage the flow of Nwyfre through the body. Nwyfre is the Druid term for Life-force, known as Chi’ or Prana in the East. The tree which represents the Ovate Grade is the Yew - the tree of death and rebirth, of eternity. The North is the place of the Ovate, for it is the Grade in which we learn of 'The spiritual intelligence of the night' [The Book of Taliesin] when we understand the mystery that the spirit is reborn in the place of greatest darkness. The times associated with the Ovate Grade are Autumn and Winter, Evening, dusk and midnight - times when we assimilate the experience of the day or the year, and when we are nourished by the great depths of the Unconscious. Adapted from Druid Mysteriesby Philip Carr-Gomm

WHAT IS A BARD? "And there are among them composers of verses whom they call Bards; these singing to instruments similar to a lyre, applaud some, while they vituperate others." Diodorus Siculus Histories 8BCE In ancient times a Bard was a poet and storyteller who had trained in a Bardic college. In modern times, a Bard is one who sees their creativity as an innate spiritual ability, and who chooses to nurture that ability partly or wholly with Druidism. In ancient times the Bards were the keepers of tradition, of the memory of the tribe - they were the custodians of the sacredness of the Word. Although they probably represented the first level of training for an apprentice Druid, we should not make the mistake of thinking that a Bard was somehow in a lowly or inferior position. There were many levels of accomplishment, but the most skilled of Bards were held in high esteem and partook of many of the functions of both the Ovate and the Druid. The training of a Bard was intense and lasted for many years. There were variations in the curricula between Scotland, Ireland and Wales. In Ireland it is recorded that the training lasted twelve years, with students undergoing the following rigorous curriculum: In the first year, the student progressed from Principle Beginner [Ollaire] to Poet's Attendant [Tamhan] to Apprentice Satirisist [Drisac]. During this time they had to learn the basics of the bardic arts: grammar, twenty stories and the Ogham tree-alphabet. Over the next four years, they learnt a further ten stories each year, a hundred ogham combinations, a dozen philosophy lessons, and an unspecified number of poems. They also studied dipthongal combinations, the Law of Privileges and the uses of grammar. By their sixth year the student, if they had stayed the course, was called a Pillar [Cli] and would study a further forty-eight poems and twenty more stories. Over the following three years, they were termed a Noble Stream [Anruth] because 'a stream of pleasing praise issues from him, and a stream of wealth to him'. During this time they learnt a further 95 tales, bringing their repertoire up to 175 stories. They studied prosody, glosses, prophetic invocation, the styles of poetic composition, specific poetic forms, and the place-name stories of Ireland. The final three years of their training entitled them to become an Ollamh, or Doctor of Poetry. In their tenth year the student had studied further poetic forms and composition, in their eleventh year 100 poems, and in their twelfth year 120 orations and the four arts of poetry. He or she was now the Master or Mistress of 350 stories in all. As Ollamh, Doctor of Poetry, they were entitled to receive a gold branch. As Anruth, Noble Stream, they had carried a silver branch, and before that - throughout their training - they had carried a bronze branch. These branches had bells attached to them, so that as the poet strode into the hall to recite a poem or tell a tale, they would be accompanied by the sound of bells - warning the audience to become silent, and summoning the help of the inner realms to ensoul their poem or story. In Wales and Scotland the training of a bard was similarly rigorous, although with different grades and a different curriculum. How were the Bards trained? Bardic schools formed around a Chief Poet and their attendants. A good deal of time was spent in learning by rote, to strengthen the memory and learn the fantastic number of tales and poems required of an accomplished bard. Records from both the Western Highlands and Ireland show that much work was undertaken through the technique we would now term sensory deprivation. Their accommodation was spartan in the extreme, and much time would be spent incubating poems and seeking inspiration in total darkness. It is only recently that we have rediscovered, through the pioneering work of John Lilly, the fertile power of the darkness found in the isolation tank. Their curriculum shows that they were accumulating in memory a vast store of stories and poems. But this was only half their work. They were training to become masters of both Record and Inspiration. It was only one of their tasks to record the lore, laws and genealogy of the Tribe. Just as important as performing this task of keeping alive tradition and heritage, they were entrusted with coming to a knowledge of the sacred power of the Word - manifest as the ability to become inspired and to inspire others. To carry the records of the tribe they needed to know the stories and poems which preserved the lineage and the lore of their people, but to be Masters or Mistresses of Inspiration they needed to compose their own poems and tales. It was for this reason that they practised sensory deprivation, and employed the arts of invocation. Such a training naturally awoke inner powers. A powerful memory, and an ability to plumb the depths and roam the heights of consciousness in search of inspiration and the creative flame, developed within the bard an ability to see into the future and influence the world around them in a way that foreshadowed the work of the Ovate and the Druid, and which allowed them to carry the spirit of Druidry through the centuries when the light of both the Ovate and the Druid could not be seen in the world. It is fitting that this first level or grade of Druid training should so encompass both the Ovate and the Druid work. It seems that the Druid would concur with the opening words of John’s gospel: 'In the beginning was the Word'. The way in which the word could create, command, nourish, heal, cut through, purify, invoke, unite, provoke, deter and bind was a power that the Bard in their long training came to know and utilise in the service of their patron, their King or Queen, their Druid, and their God or Goddess. O Hear the voice of the Bard Who present, past and future sees Whose ears have heard the holy Word That walked among the ancient trees... William Blake first Song of Experience Now that we know something of what the Bards did and how they were trained, we can ask ourselves what relevance Bardic work might have for us today. In the training of the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids, we begin our study in Druidry with the Bardic Grade – and this is deeply meaningful. Bardism is understood in its widest sense as the development of the artistic and creative Self, and its importance as a foundation for our lives and character and spiritual development is no less significant than it was thousands of years ago, and it could be argued that it is even more essential today than it was then. The clue to understanding why this should be so lies in the realisation that the historical Bards worked with Record and with Inspiration. one of the prime reasons for modern humanity’s sense of alienation lies in the fact that we have cut ourselves adrift from both the natural world and from the roots of our past. Practising Druidry is about healing this alienation - reconnecting to our past and to the world of nature. In the Bardic grade we open ourselves to the inspiration of the natural world, and we allow the mandala of the Eightfold Seasonal Cycle, explained in the next chapter, to be grounded in our beings. Working with Record means working with heritage, lineage, and the mythology and stories of the tribe – it helps us reconnect to the past. Working with Inspiration means opening ourselves to our innate creativity. Many of the problems that we suffer from in the developed world result from our suppression and denial of the artistic - in all its forms. Modern brain research shows that for most of us, our primary mode of functioning comes from the dominant cerebral hemisphere, which mediates the function of analytical thinking. The opposite hemisphere has less of a say in our current way of living - it is the hemisphere that mediates the synthesising, non-analytic forms of thought and expression: it is the part of the brain considered responsible for artistic expression. It is generally agreed that to become complete we need to allow both sides of ourselves adequate opportunities for development and expression. This truth was expressed by the Alchemists (and there is a strong tradition of Alchemy within Druidry) and later by Carl Jung (whose work first began to influence modern Druidry through Ross Nichols). Jung developed his theory of the personal animus and anima - male and female aspects of the psyche - which for our development need to relate and periodically conjoin. Alchemists knew of the importance of this conjunction, and they termed it the Mystical Marriage or the Mysterium Coniunctionis. Our education has, for the most part, concentrated on developing our skills of analytical and mathematical thinking, but when we enter the Bardic Way, we begin a process that develops our less dominant hemisphere. We open ourselves to the artistic, the creative self. This is no simple task, and in a way typical of Druidry, the work is undertaken in an apparently round-about way. Through working with the eightfold festival scheme, and with the power of the four elements that are allocated to the cardinal points in the sacred circle of Druid working, the Bard is brought to a stage where they have acknowledged and worked with the four aspects of their being - represented by Earth, their practicality and sensuality; Water, their receptivity and feelings; Air, their reasoning; and Fire their intuition and enthusiasm. As these four elements and parts of the Self are explored and harmonised, the Bard finds him or herself naturally opening to their inner creativity. Gradually the resources of their body and heart, mind and intuition become more fully available to guide and inspire them. By working in this way, we learn to by-pass the rational mind, which so loves to create limits to understanding. To be able to operate, the intellect creates distinctions, categories, mental constructions - through which experience can be comprehended and acted upon. This is essential for our survival and progress in the world. The problems arise when this ability to create frames of reference is not counter-balanced by the ability to transcend these frames and open oneself to the trans-rational - the inexplicable-in-words-but-no-less-true. Poetry and music are supremely competent at helping us to go beyond frames and viewpoints. Sound - spoken, sung or played - stretches our boundaries, opens horizons, invokes energies that the intellect alone cannot grasp or categorise with its workings. Here is the power of the Bard - to dissolve our boundaries, our frames of reference - even if only for a moment. Take this poem, by the modern Bard Jay Ramsay: Fathomless unknown, Behind and in everything - Valley - kestrel - celandine: You nowhere, and in everything - And being nothing, being silenced, Being unable to speak You see everything, And I see You And I see I am The core I am seeing: The sun closening To meet the man Who has crossed the line, Who has walked out of himself Stands ahead there, Naked in the light. One's mind cannot fully grasp the power of such a poem - one is impacted by the force of the words and imagery in a way that defies description or explanation. This is the work of poetry - of the bard. To go beyond. To travel. To bring back. Professor Michael Harner, a world authority on shamanism, speaks of the shamanic way as one which is best defined as a method to open a door and enter a different reality . This is precisely what happens with powerful and effective poetry. The difference between 'secular' poetry writing, reading and reciting and the same activities undertaken in the spirit of bardism is that in the latter this shamanic process is consciously acknowledged and worked with. Creativity and inspiration are seen as gifts of the Gods, as powers entering the vessel of the Self through the Superconscious. Appropriate preparation, ritual, visualisation, prayer and meditation create the channels through which such generative, creative power can flow. In Druidry this power is known as Awen, which is Welsh for ‘Inspiration’ or ‘Flowing Spirit’. The relevance of this work to the contemporary artistic scene is clear: when art became secularised what it gained in freedom of expression, it lost in depth of inspiration. Now we have turned full circle and are able to spiritualise our art once again - freed at last from the limitations of religious dogma. The potential for enhanced creativity is immense when we recontextualise our creativity in terms of the sacred. Previously this involved being bound by Christian themes and dogma. Now it means recognising the sacredness, not only of the Spirit, but of the Earth, and the four elements, and of our body and sexuality too. The Bardic stream is not simply a body of knowledge we once possessed and which we attempt to regain - it is a spiritualised mode of artistic creative consciousness which is dynamic and living - the future holds as much, if not greater promise than the past. In addition to reciting poetry and story-telling, the Bards undoubtedly made music and danced. There are intriguing stories of Druid dances remembered in Brittany, and it is possible that traces of this early sacred and celebratory dancing is contained within Morris dancing, the Abbot's Bromley Horn dance and other folk dances. Our challenge is to rediscover the music, chants and dances of the Druids - by contacting the archetypal sources of inspiration within. These sources are transpersonal and out-of-time. They fed the Druids in the past and they can feed us now. We know some of the instruments they probably would have used: in the early days of animistic proto-Druidry they would most likely have used flutes made from birds’ bones (eagle bone flutes have been found in Scotland). They would probably have banged stones on hollow ringing rocks, which produce a bell-like sound. The Dord, a form of horn, with a sound like the Australian Aborigine's didgeridoo was clearly a sacred instrument of the Bronze Age, as were almost certainly an animal-skin drum which later evolved into the bodhran, and the claves - two sticks of wood banged together to produce a rhythm alone or counterpoised with that of the drum. Those who choose to explore Druidry by entering the Bardic course of the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids open themselves to what it means to be living on the earth with the ability to be creative. Although this is the first stage of Druid training, its purpose reaches to the very heart of Druidry - which is the development of an intimate knowledge of the powers of generation - at the Bardic level this involves the generation of creative works - of music, song, poetry and art in all its forms. In common with oral indigenous spiritual traditions the world over, the ancient Druids encoded their teachings in story form. The Bards learnt these stories and were therefore able to preserve the memory of the teachings across the centuries, despite the fact that they were never written down. Fortunately for us, the Christian scribes recorded these tales, and even though some details may have been omitted or distorted, we can still discern the teachings of the Druids encoded within them. one such story is the Tale of Taliesin, which recounts the progress of a young boy who eventually becomes the finest Bard in the land. He does this by drinking three drops of Awen – inspiration – from the cauldron of the Goddess Ceridwen. In the home-learning programme of the Order, as we enter the Bardic Grade we are told this story and then are invited to explore it in depth over a year, since encoded within the tale is an entire curriculum that shows each of us how we can become the ‘finest bard’. The story of the young person’s journey towards a full flowering of their creativity interacts with our own personal story, gradually helping to release the Bard, the Creative Self, within. The tree which represents the Bardic Grade is the Birch - appropriately it is the first tree of the Druid’s Ogham tree-alphabet, and the tree which represents new beginnings, pioneering and giving birth. The West is the place of the Bard. It is from the West that we enter the circle in Druid ceremonies, and the West is therefore the place of Entrance, of beginnings - the receptive, feminine West that faces the East of the Dawn Ray. The times associated with the Bardic Grade are the Spring, and Dawn - times when we are fresh and ready to begin a new cycle of learning and experience. Adapted from Druid Mysteries by Philip Carr-Gomm

For those interested...I am part Welsh, Cornish and Breton..100% Celt..smiles..no wonder I have found my way in the Shamanic path of a celt. Traditionally Druids belong to a grove...I prefer the idea of a circle..life is a circle..thus the Circle of Taliesin refound. Contact me if you are interested A BRIEF HISTORY OF DRUIDRY The lineage of the Druid spiritual tradition can be traced across many thousands of years of time. We see the first evidence of spiritual practice in Europe 25,000 years ago - when candidates for initiation would crawl into caves, such as those at Lascaux in France or Altamira in Spain, which are dramatically painted with figures of wild animals. After being initiated in the belly of Mother Earth, they were reborn into the light of day. Twenty thousand years later, in around 3000 BCE, we can see the same practice of seeking rebirth within the Earth: great mounds were built, in which initiates would sit in darkness awaiting the time of their rebirth. The best example of this is found at New Grange in Ireland, where a shaft is oriented to the Winter Solstice sunrise, so that the dawn rays can bathe the initiate in sunlight after his or her vigil through the night. Four and a half thousand years later, in the sixteenth century, the key text of Druid spirituality, transcribed from the oral tradition by Christian clerics, talks of the spiritual and magical training of a Druid, in which he is eaten by a Goddess, enters her belly, and is reborn as the greatest poet in the land. So from over twenty thousand years ago to the sixteenth century, we see a common theme - which we find again in the training of Druids and poets in Scotland up until the seventeenth century. There, to awaken their creative genius, they were told to lie in darkness for days, and after this period of sensory deprivation, they were released into the brightness of the world. This theme of seeking spiritual rebirth and creative expression through undergoing a simulated death-rebirth experience, runs like a golden thread of spiritual practice through the four major periods of history that relate to Celtic and Druid spirituality: The first is the prehistoric period:in which as the Ice Age retreats from Europe, tribes from many directions, including Spain and the steppes of Russia, move westwards towards Britain and Ireland. A megalith building culture develops, which raises great mounds like New Grange, and great circles of stone, like Stonehenge. This culture possesses considerable knowledge of astronomy, has engineeering skills that we find hard to understand even today, and seems to use Pythagorean mathematics to build their monuments, two thousand years before Pythagoras is born. This period of pre- and then early Celticism gives way to the period of documented history, in which we can read about the Celts and Druids from the works of classical writers, such as Julius Caesar. We discover that the Celts had developed a highly sophisticated religious system, with three types of Druids: the Bards, who knew the songs and stories of the tribe, the Ovates, who were the healers and seers, and the Druidswho were the philosophers, judges and teachers. During this time there was much cross-fertilisation between Celtic culture and that of Greece and Rome. With the coming of Christianity, we enter the third period:in which the schools of the Bards became Christian schools, and continued to exist until the seventeenth century; and in which the Ovates probably became the village healers and midwives; while the Druids remained as the intellectual elite, and mostly converted to Christianity. This period lasted for a thousand years: from the triumph of Christianity over all of Europe by the sixth century, to the sixteenth century. During this millennium, Celtic and Druid spirituality was preserved by the Christian clerics who performed the valuable service of recording many of the stories and myths by which the oral teachings of the Druids were conveyed. People who think that Druidry was destroyed with the coming of Christianity fail to understand the resilience of spiritual teachings when they are encoded in myths and stories: and it is thanks to the clerics’ recording of these tales that we can be inspired by them today. St Patrick also recorded all of the old Druid laws in Ireland - providing us with invaluable information on the ethics and social structure of pre-Christian Celtic culture. The fourth period begins with the sixteenth century, when scholars in Europe ‘rediscovered’ the Druids, and then began to reclaim their Celtic heritage. The Church had taught that we were savages until the arrival of Christianity. But with the translation and printing of the classical texts on the Druids, Europeans discovered that their ancestors were far from being savages. At the same time, reports were coming back from America of Native American people who, like their ancestors, had been untouched by Christianity, and yet were worthy of admiration. This provoked a period known as the Druid Revival in which groups and societies were formed to study Druidry and Celticism. The founding father of the science of archaeology, William Stukeley, formed a Druid society in London and referred to the Princess of Wales as its Patroness. Cultural festivals, incorporating Druid ceremonies, and celebrating Celtic languages, grew up in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. And this period of Revival has never finished. Instead, it has developed into a Renaissance, as more and more people find within Druidry a living spirituality that holds all of Nature sacred, and that offers a path of creativity and freedom, rooted deep in ancient tradition.

DRUIDS & STONE CIRCLES Druids love stones and stone circles. For the last two hundred years Druids have been creating them and celebrating in them. one of the most well-known examples stands in a field used each year for the Glastonbury music festival. Ivan McBeth, a member of OBOD and leader of the Druid group the MODs specialises in building large beautiful stone circles, and in Wales stone circles are often built for the Eisteddfod celebrations. Modern Druids work in stone circles, but did the ancient Druids? The classical writers say nothing about stone circles. Instead they say that Druids gathered in sacred groves, caves, or remote valleys. But in the seventeenth century a few scholars began to take interest in the mysterious monuments – the artificial mounds, stone circles, dolmens and standing stones – that filled the countryside around them. They read the classical accounts of the Druids and suggested that these monuments were built by them. This forged an indelible association in the popular imagination between Druids and stone circles such as Stonehenge. But until recently academics dismissed this idea. Historians used to say that the Druids couldn’t have used Stonehenge and all the other stone circles in Britain, because the Druids were the priests of the Celts, and the Celts only arrived in Britain in 500 BCE. Since no stone monuments were built after 1400 BCE, they pointed to the gap of nine hundred years separating the last of the stone circles from the arrival of the Druids. But in the sixties many historians changed their minds. They realized that the origin of the so-called Celtic tribes was far more complex than originally presumed, and suggested instead that early or Proto-Celts were probably in Britain as early as 2000 BCE - when the great stone monuments were still being built - and that they could well have been involved in their use or construction. Forty years later academic opinion is still divided. Some experts emphasize the lack of continuity between religious structures and practices in the second and first millennia BCE. But others point to the new sense of continuity in the genetics and culture of the British, with the rejection of the idea of a Celtic ‘invasion’. This second school of thought makes it possible to again see the Druids as the priests and priestesses of the stone circles, a tendency reinforced by the increasing recognition of the importance of ritual astronomy in the construction of these monuments. Recently, Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at Bristol University, has written: 'In building their case against modern Druidry, [the archaeologists] Kendrick, Piggott, Atkinson and Daniel all made great play with the fact that ancient Druids could no longer be definitely credited either with building the monument or with officiating within it. They were, however, scrupulous enough to recognise two difficulties. The first is that prehistorians have so far been unable to determine how far continuities of religious tradition and practice did or did not exist through the periods between the Neolithic and the Iron Age. The second is that there is some evidence for activity in and around Stonehenge during the Iron Age itself. It may be that, whether or not modern Druids ever make a significant reappearance at the monument, ancient Druids could yet be fated to do so.' (from the journal British Archaeology, Summer 2005). adapted from Druid Mysteries by Philip Carr-Gomm Callanish by Glenn Capers

Note: My thanks to the authors of this piece. I follow the shamanic path of a Celt, based firmly in Drudic belief and practice, (following teh traditions of my forbears). I am a firm believer in Christ and the codes given as a way of life. Yet I see and have had no problem in reconciling the way I come to Christ and God. As it says in one of the pieces posted...the earth is one of His greatest creations..why cannot one come to God in that belief?...Caelwyn ps..Stonehenge way pre dates Druidic practice and beief but was taken over as an appropriate symbol. As a spiritual tradition based on reverence for and connection with the powers of nature, more than anything else Druidry teaches us to honour life… Druid ethics are built upon the release of ignorance and the respectful creation of deep and sacred relationships. Emma Restall Orr, Druidry and Ethical Choice The classical author Strabo wrote that the Druids studied ‘moral philosophy’. The author Brendan Myers concludes that the first moral principle of the ancient Druids was a devotion to truth. In the Testament of Morann, a document traced to the period between the 7th and 9th centuries CE, but which seems to emerge out of the pre-Christian Druidic period, advice is given on how a prince should rule: Let him magnify Truth, it will magnify him. Let him strenghen Truth, it will strengthen him. ….Through the ruler's Truth massive mortalities are averted from men. …Through the ruler's Truth all the land is fruitful and childbirth worthy. Through the ruler's Truth there is abundance of tall corn. St Patrick was said to have asked Oisin, the son of Fionn MacCumhall, what sustained his people before the advent of Christianity, to which he replied: “the truth that was in our hearts, and strength in our arms, and fulfilment in our tongues.” Myers concludes: ‘It is interesting that he should cite truth first, as though truth had an overriding place in the culture. This evidence leads me to believe that the first moral principle of Druidism is this: in a situation where a moral decision must be made, we should always choose truth, in the expansion and enrichment of human knowledge, in ourselves and others, and at all levels of our being.’ In the final analysis, though, Myers suggests that the Druids may not have adhered to specific rules and authorities to determine proper ethical conduct. Instead he sees them striving to become a certain kind of person, out of whom ethical behaviour naturally arises. Athelia Nihtscada also turns to Irish source material to explore Druid ethics. The old Brehon laws, which were recorded by Christian clerics in the 5th century CE, pre-dated Christianity and offer a fascinating insight into early Irish society. By studying these laws and seeing how they might be applicable to modern living, Nihtscada has articulated eleven principles or codes of conduct for the contemporary Druid: 1. Every action has a consequence that must be observed and you must be prepared to compensate for your actions if required. 2. All life is sacred and all are responsible for seeing that this standard is upheld. 3. You do still live in society and are bound by its rules. 4. Work with high standards. 5. Make an honest living. 6. Be a good host as well as a good guest. 7. Take care of yourself. (Health was held in high esteem amongst the Celts, so much that a person could be fined for being grossly overweight due to lack of care.) 8. Serve your community. 9. Maintain a healthy balance of the spiritual and mundane. (Nihtscad writes: ‘Ethical and self respecting Druids did nothing without being properly schooled or aware of the consequences ahead of time. They knew when it was appropriate to visit the Otherworld and immerse themselves in the spiritual as well as when it was appropriate to be fully in this world.’) 10. Uphold the Truth, starting with yourself. 11. Be sure in your convictions, particularly when judging or accusing someone, but also when debating. Ask yourself: are you really sure? Do you really know that this the case? Apart from the work of Myers and Nihtscad, little has been written about ethics in contemporary Druidism since most Druids are keen to avoid the problems caused by dictating a morality to others. So much suffering has resulted throughout history because one group of people have decided that it is good to do one thing and bad to do another. Just as most Druids have avoided dictating which type of theology someone should adopt, so too have they avoided telling each other, or the world, how to behave. Nevertheless, most Druids have a highly developed sense of ethical behaviour, which is usually implicit in their actions, rather than being explicitly stated by them. A person can only act ethically if they hold to certain values, and by talking about these values we can avoid the pitfall of suggesting ethical guidelines which can then so easily turn into a dogma which condemns those who do not follow it. Instead of imposing a code of conduct upon people, we can return to Myers’ suggestion to practice a Druidry that helps us become a certain kind of person, out of whom ethical behaviour naturally arises. Druidry asks us, above all, to open ourselves to the inspiration and beauty of Nature and Art, through its love of creativity. By nourishing ourselves with contact with the natural world and with art of every kind, and by holding to the core beliefs of Druidism, the following qualities emerge naturally as values that can form the basis of ethical decisions and behaviour. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taking Responsibility and Feeling Empowered It is easy to see yourself as a victim in life – as a tiny cog in a vast and impersonal machine driven by others for economic and political ends. But by holding to the belief that everything is connected, that another reality exists beyond the everyday physical world, and that everything we think, feel or do has an effect, the Druid is able to assume an attitude of responsibility, and to feel empowered to be of value in the world. Like everyone else, they will sometimes feel the victim of others or of circumstances. While that feeling may come and go, the predominant belief will be that each of us is a causal being who exists in a web of life that unites every living creature. This means that each of us can choose to act as a force for good in the world. The Druid will tend to see much of the world’s problems emerging from a refusal to take responsibility and to act for the greater good of the whole. By not taking responsibility for environmental degradation, for example, they see politicians and corporations acting not for the greater good, but simply for the short-term gains of power and profit. Many political systems and most corporations do not to encourage the taking of individual responsibility or the value of personal empowerment. Instead they need consumption and compliance. Druidism encourages the taking of individual responsibility – firstly in our own lives, then in concert with others for our community, and for the wider issues that affect the community of all life. Taking responsibility for our thoughts, feelings and actions leads to acting responsibly towards others, and the world needs responsible people now more than ever. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Circle of All Beings Increasing urbanisation, growing populations, the commercialisation of culture, the development of consumerism and globalisation, have all tended to undermine our sense of living in a community – close to our fellow human beings, close to animals and the land. Many people are drawn to Druidry because they find it helps them get back in touch with ‘the circle of all Beings.’ By its reverential attitude to Nature, by its belief in the sacredness of all creatures, and by its belief in the holistic relationship between all things, Druidry fosters the value of community – of relationship with others. There will be times when we need solitude, and like all spiritual paths Druidry recognises the need for retreats, when we let go of our concerns for others and focus instead on our personal quest or upon Deity. But Druidry is not a path that advocates a permanent detachment from others or the world. Instead it urges a pro-active and enthusiastic, Awen-filled engagement with others and the world, seeing life on earth as meaningful and purposeful – as an adventure to be undertaken rather than as a prison from which we should escape, or as a bridge we should simply cross. There will be times when a Druid feels alone, isolated or alienated from others. While that feeling may come and go, holding to the value of community will enable them to return to a bedrock of feeling and belief in which they are part of one family - the web of life, the circle of all beings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Power of Trust Coming to place a value in community and in being in relationship with the circle of all Beings comes from the simple observation of Nature, and the way in which everything is connected. In a similar way, contemplating the flow of a river brings us to the value of trust. It is a common experience amongst people who are aware of the spiritual dimension to find that when they trust in life they find it easier to enter a ‘flow’ which carries their life along with a quality of lightness, joy and effortlessness, that also keeps them aligned with their spiritual purpose. Of course trust will sometimes give way to its opposite - mistrust and fear - but by believing that life is fundamentally good, that there is meaning and purpose to existence, the spiritual seeker finds it increasingly easy to come back to the position of trust. By affirming the value of trust, and by returning constantly to this position, whatever setbacks may occur, our life – the decisions we make, the relationships we form – begins to be built on trust rather than on fear: on the need to conform, to maintain status, or to protect ourselves, for example. The magical understanding of Druidry that our state influences the world around us tells us that as we connect to the value of trust in life, this trust will start to radiate, and will in its turn attract trust from others, generating a beneficent cycle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Integrity Although the term integrity is often used to mean ‘the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles and professional standards’, its deeper meaning is defined in the dictionary as ‘the state of being complete and undivided. The state of being sound or undamaged.’ Before a mission is sent into space, for example, the integrity of the spacecraft is checked again and again. Used in this deeper sense, integrity becomes a value or quality sought by Druids, just as it is sought by all spiritual seekers. The spiritual journey begins for us when we sense that we are lacking something. We feel incomplete, and so we begin to strive towards Deity, enlightenment, wholeness. Further along the track we discover that these realities exist within us and that it is only our mind that believes we are separated from them. Slowly, through meditation and spiritual practice, we open to an awareness of our completeness, our wholeness. We find integrity. And from this place of integrity we can act with authenticity – not trying to be someone other than who we simply are. Again, as with all these qualities, there will be times when we lose our sense of integrity, when we feel desperately incomplete or divided, and when we act not honestly and from our deepest feelings but inauthentically out of fear or misunderstanding. But one of the values of following a spiritual path lies in its acting as a gentle reminder, and offering particular disciplines that help us to constantly return to a contemplation of these core qualities. In this way, over time, our experience of a lack of any quality will start to diminish as our spiritual life connects us to these core values. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Value of the Opposite It is important to understand, though, that the holistic stance of Druidry does not deny the value or purpose of experiencing the lack or opposite of any of these values. Our depth of humanity comes precisely from our experiencing the contrasts of life: without the experience of unhappiness we would not be able to fully appreciate happiness, maturity of character and soul seems to require some amount of suffering, and we need to experience the feeling and effects of irresponsibility, alienation, disempowerment, fear and lack of integrity, in order to be complete human beings. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the end values or principles such as those stated here, with others that are related to them or flow from them – such as honour, courage and respect – can form the basis out of which ethical and moral decisions can be made. Rather than internalising a moral code developed perhaps centuries ago by the ruling religious or political elite, we can develop a strong individual sense of morality and ethics born out of our own inner connection to these values. Blaise Pascal succinctly summarised, in the following triad, the ingredients we need to develop this morality, when he said simply: “Heart, instinct, principles.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Being of Value to Others and the world Druidism does not encourage us to focus exclusively on our own spiritual development. Druids care passionately about the state of the world – about the suffering of humans and animals, and of Mother Earth. The belief that many Druids hold in the importance of Peace influences their actions profoundly, and most Druids are involved in initiatives to protect the environment. Some may simply contribute to Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth, others may be more actively involved in trying to protect species or habitats. Most will support tree-planting and reforestation projects in particular. Over the last fifteen years dozens of sacred groves have been planted by Druids all over the world and examples of these can be seen in the Sacred Grove project section on this site. An example of a Druid initiative to support an animal species can be seen at monarchbear.org The maxim ‘think globally, act locally’ has been taken to heart by many Druids, who are involved in local community initiatives to protect and improve the environment, and the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids promotes a Campaign for Ecological Responsibility. Even when Druids work on themselves they believe they are directly helping those around them. As they develop their humanity – their wisdom and compassion – and as they cultivate qualities of soul and character, they relate differently to the world, becoming – they hope – forces for good in a world that often needs healing. Excerpts from What do Druids Believe? by Philip Carr-Gomm, Granta 2006

Christianity and Druidry: A Meeting Point One of the unusual attributes of Druidry is that it has links with both Paganism and Christianity. One of the most important tasks that face us today is one of reconciliation, whether that be between differing political or religious positions. Rather than polarising the pagan and christian viewpoints, Druidry serves a vital role in bridge-building between the different traditions, as can be seen from the following talk, delivered by Philip Carr-Gomm at the first conference on Druidry & Christianity, held at Prinknash Grange in 1989. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the point of view of the collective unconscious we are placed at a disturbing point in the evolution of our consciousness as one humanity. We are faced, quite simply, with seeing our mother so ill that she might die. For decades we have tried to deny the gravity of the situation, some of us still do - for the pain we experience when we fully accept this fact is too great for many of us to bear. Christianity has for the last two thousand years addressed the suffering of the Son - of humanity, of the human soul. The knowledge of ourselves as wounded is essential if we are to evolve as people - as not only Christianity but also psychoanalysis has shown. But we need now to urgently address another level of suffering - not of ourselves, not of the Son of God, but of our mother, of the Earth and of all that means to us. (In another sense, we could see the Earth as the Daughter of God/des, Nature being her mother. Understood in this way we need now to address the suffering of the Daughter rather than the Son). I think that there are few of us here who would doubt the gravity of the situation. Particularly during the last year, the facts of the environmental crisis have been made abundantly available to us. It has also become clear that we are no longer faced with the possibility of a crisis that we could avert with precautionary measures: the crisis is now with us, and tragic though it is, it seems as if we shall be made to pay dearly for our refusal to heed the warning signs given to us for so long by the troubled earth around us. But I believe there is still hope - and that the renaissance of interest in the natural spiritual paths, such as the native American Indian way, or the Druid way for example, is a sign of that hope and that the Christian community, far from taking fright at a perceived regression to a pagan past, can ally itself with this movement which is complementary, and not antagonistic to Christian ideals and ethics. I believe there is still hope because from every level of society there is a call for us to awaken. And that the very earth herself, as the raiment or body of God, is calling to us through her suffering. .....Thus saying the World Soul will look from his tear-stained eyes and I will see no longer a rapacious man hungry for death but a clear woman, tinged with the pain of separation but yearning for union and burning with love. And she will say: "He has looked for me so long I was frightened he would destroy me in his searching. He paraded armies before me, not to terrify, but impress me. He sent rockets to the stars and built huge buildings just for me. But we never met. I was told to hide." "I have been told to hide no longer, or he will destroy the world in his search. I stand here waiting for him to approach." As the World-Mother appears from her hiding many of us find the need for a spiritual path which respects and honours her and which also shows us the way to heal the separation, the alienation, that has developed between us and the realm of nature. St Columba said "Christ is my Druid" and I believe that if we take Druidry to represent that ancient wisdom which lies deep within us, and that can connect us once again to the Earth and her wonders, we can understand how we can be Christian Druids, Buddhist Druids or Druids of whatever hue or depth is needed for us at our present stage of development. As you will know, Christianity in these islands built upon the foundations laid already by the Druids - their seasonal observances were developed as festival days, their sites were built upon with churches, and the Druids welcomed Christianity for they with their powers of seership and connection to the Source knew of Christ's coming, and allowed their practices to develop into what became known, at least in Scotland, as the Culdee church. The purity of the early Celtic church was startling and profound - because it had not yet lost its connection with Nature and with Nature's mysteries held in such awe by the Druid sages. The religious poetry of those times conveys this sense of purity and clarity powerfully. A book on child psychology summed up the central question posed by the author with two photographs and one caption. The first photograph showed a group of children playing in the sand. The second photograph showed a group of glum commuters gazing at the camera from their railway seats. The caption read "What happened?" Perhaps it is unfair to draw a parallel between the glum commuters and the state of the present-day Church, perhaps our view of the early Celtic Church as comparable to the joyful children who are at one with the earth is naive. Perhaps instead we as a society should compare our present-day state to that of earlier times before the scientific and industrial revolutions began the process which has led us to these desperate times. We know it is naive to imagine that past cultures were blissfully at one with nature - we know of the dangers of the noble savage illusion, and of the Luddite heresy. But we are aware also of the undeniable fact that we need to drastically alter our behaviour in the world. The Reverend Thomas Berry advocates the systematic subversion of industrial society. He believes that those who are truly responsible should remove the dangerous toys and devices from the hands of those who would pollute and destroy our world, before they wreak any further havoc. Perhaps he is right. But it is also undeniable that first we need to work at the level of attitudes. Druidry promotes an attitude of immense respect for life and for the interconnectedness of all things. It sees time and space combining to form the matrix through which the divine is incarnated. In the celebration of its eight seasonal ceremonies, it honours the conjunction of a particular time at a significant place. The places are the ancient sacred sites - the hills and circles, groves and springs which seem particularly to convey a sense of the sacred to those who are open to it. The times are those of the Winter Solstice (Christmas), Imbolc (Candlemas), the Spring Equinox (Easter), Beltane (May Day),the Summer Solstice (St John's Day), Lughnasadh (Lammas), the Autumnal Equinox (Harvest Day), and Samhuin (All Saints & All Souls Days). (See The Eight-fold Year) Perhaps we can see, now, that Christian practice and Druid practice is not that different - we choose sacred sites - the Christian chooses one that is man-made, the Druid prefers the open sky. We choose special times: the Christian talks of Christmas or Candlemas, the Druid of Alban Arthan (the Winter Solstice) or Imbolc. Both mysteries deal essentially with the same mystery: the waxing and waning of the powers of light - its eternal triumph as it is continually resurrected from its apparent death, and its immanence within each one of us as the Christ Child or Mabon, as it is known in the Druid tradition. Concepts such as the trinity, resurrection and redemption are not foreign to Druidry - they are the very stuff of it. But they are constantly related in Druid teaching to the natural world. To illustrate this, I would like to read to you an excerpt from one of the teaching discourses of our Order. In order to reach all of those who are interested in Druidry, we have arranged the basic Druid teachings in a form which is mailed in monthly packages, and I quote here from one of them: When considering the ways in which we can help the planet, it is useful to consider the following trinity: God the Father, Nature the Mother, and Earth the Daughter. [In this context, the allocation of genders to the principles is made to further the following discussion, and is not meant as any absolute definition of divine principles in terms of particular genders]. Two issues of interest immediately arise when we contemplate this scheme: firstly it helps us to see that Nature is an entity distinct from the Earth. Often we tend to confuse the two principles - yet, if the Earth were to be destroyed, Nature would still exist. Secondly the allocation of the role of daughter to the Earth allows us to have a new vision of the Holy Family - we have been so used to concepts such as the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Return of the Prodigal Son, etc., that it becomes fruitful for us to see that concepts such as the Daughter of God and the Daughter of Humanity can be equally relevant and are perhaps essential for changing our view of the world in our attempt to help it. Could we also suggest that there is a parable of the Return of the Rejected Daughter? The Prodigal Son has been wayward - squandering and wasteful - and yet we know he will be welcomed by the Father. The Daughter, however, has been denied and abused, violated and exploited - what welcome awaits her? And is it she who must return or is it others, the family of Man, who must return to her, begging for forgiveness? I would suggest that both Druidry and Christianity would find fertile ground in examining the ways in which we can help the family of Man return to Mother and Daughter, to the Earth and Nature, and that a creative meeting point might exist in a re-examination of the nature of the Culdee and early celtic churches. Here Christianity and Druidry meet as the waves meet the shore and at this shimmering point we can begin perhaps to connect again to that depth of communion with nature not in any regressive sense, by harking back to the past, but in a progressive sense knowing that our evolution is cyclical rather than linear, and that we always return again to the old places, only knowing them as if for the first time, and coming to them at a new turn in the spiral that leads ever forward.

WICCA & DRUIDCRAFT Druidry and Wicca are two entirely separate and distinct spiritual paths. If you follow Druidism there is no need to study or be involved in Wicca, and vice versa. But there are a number of similarities between the two paths, and some people combine Druid and Wiccan ideas or practices, just as others combine other spiritual ways with Druidry. This combination is sometimes called Druidcraft. You can explore this combination in Druidcraft – The Magic of Wicca & Druidry by Philip Carr-Gomm and The DruidCraft Tarot by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm Here is an excerpt from Druidcraft – The Magic of Wicca & Druidry Druidcraft, Druidry and Wicca, are ways of empowerment and of freedom – not dogmatic religious systems, but new spiritualities, magical ones, that draw their inspiration from the ancient past, while offering ways of celebration and working that are constantly changing and evolving. Rather than presenting us with ready-made systems that we must slavishly adopt wholesale, they offer instead inspiration and the ingredients that we can creatively use to fashion our own unique path to suit our own unique lives. The whole reason most of us are drawn to this path, rather than to one of the mainstream ready-made religions offering ‘all the answers’, is that somewhere inside, we know that we are not supposed to be a passive consumer of spirituality, but instead an active participant in a life that is inherently spiritual. We are not in the restaurant, we are in the kitchen! Earth religions like Druidry and Wicca offer us ingredients – ideas for rituals, stories, folklore, techniques – that can be combined in dozens of different ways to provide us, our family and friends with exactly what we need. They are ways of empowerment because they put us in charge of our lives, not ways of disempowerment with a priest or guru telling us what to do. In the end it all boils down to this. There is you and the ocean. You and the sky. You and the land. Now and here. The old lore is not meant to remain preserved in a glass case. It is meant to be used, changed, added to and improved. It only stays alive if each of us takes it, and uses it in our own way, with our own creative additions and insights, to help us live a life of depth and meaning, beauty and celebration, here and now - upon this earth, beneath this sky, beside this sea.

THE CEILE DE – THE LIVING SPIRITUAL TRADITION By Fiona Davidson “For he comes… the human child, To the water and the wild… With a fairy hand in hand. For the world’s more full of weeping Than he can understand.” WB Yeats The Celtic Spiritual Tradition is just one of many noble and beautiful paths in the world. one of the many expressions of the Great Truth – the only Truth there is. It is a Truth that cannot be named, for it is all-inclusive and, when it becomes divided in our minds by concept and identification, we can lose sight of its purity. It can only be alluded to by those who beckon and call to us from further along the path… then yearned for… then kindled and experienced in the heart. Finally, it can be embodied, incarnated into the world, by those of us who have been challenged, won over and forever changed by its undeniable reality. This gradual birthing is the aim of any spiritual path. The end of the journey – if there ever is an end – lies in a unitive experience, beyond dogma or creed, for God has no religion. But all paths leading to the Heart of The one begin at home. And there lies the first paradox of the great adventure… for home is where the Heart is. The Celtic Heart-Journey Perhaps we can say the same for all traditions in the world, but certainly on the Celtic path, the story of the individual’s journey towards The one is reflected in the spiritual history of the people. But, with regard to our individual progression, rather than thinking of our history as being a linear movement from Pagan (magical; nature-oriented; many gods) to Christian (mystical; heaven-orientated; one god) the Ceile De view is that our journey is through a holistic series of worlds within worlds, leading towards unitive consciousness at the centre. It is possible to view these planes of consciousness as levels of awareness that co-exist within our psyches. Although we will inevitably as individuals have a natural disposition towards one, we will experience each of them at different stages on our journey… The ultimate goal is to live simultaneously in them all, but for one’s impelling force to come from the centre. What is Spiritual Transformation? It is the shifting of one’s over-riding impulse, in stages, from the outer circle of consciousness to the inner. And it must begin with an awareness of the different levels of one’s being. This World “Ta Tir na n-og ar chul an ti – tir alainn trina cheile” “The land of eternal youth is just behind the house – a beautiful land, fluent within itself.” …And so the call to journey begins for the Gael, at the threshold of his own home. The home is the land of the familiar. It is the place that forms both us and the way in which we experience life. The Celtic realm is moist, verdant and elemental. There is a strong sense of the cyclical in this part of the Earth, where the seasons are pronounced and effect us deeply. The world’s earliest forms of spirituality are those that revere Nature in all Her aspects – and this sense of Divine immanence is an abiding quality in the Celtic Soul. The Druids and The Otherworld For the pre-Christian, the Gods and Goddesses were the invisible qualities and powers that inhabited both our natures and Nature Herself. As such, they were known as the children (aspects) of the Mother Goddess - the Earth. The Gaels call these luminous beings the Sidhe – the people of the hollow hills, or the people of peace. Because the Celtic eye is so brim-full with the pageant and detail of Nature, the Sidhe in Celtic myth do not descend to us, like the Angels and Gods of many other cultures, from the Heavens above. They come from the Otherworld - a land intermingled with this world. Our psyches have been formed by twilights that are long and slow, casting dim lights and shadows that move in firelight. Nature has formed us into a visionary people, whose culture has been richly coloured by this Otherworld – “Tir na n-Og” - the mundus imaginalis of the Celt… But this world is not imaginary in the sense of fictional. To the Celt the imagination is a boat, in which our seeking hearts may sail from the land of outer cares, concerns and illusion to the shores of Beauty. The first call to journey is the call of Beauty… Ultimately we will discover, with heart-breaking simplicity, that the highest Beauties and the highest Truth are one. In legend, the Sidhe appear to us through the green veil of a forest, or the glimmer of moon on wave. Their emergence in our dreams and sacred imagination disturbs our complacent, habitual selves with a numinosity hitherto unknown. They shapeshift like the landscape we inhabit and so one of the lessons we learn from them is that our experience of life is ephemeral. They hint to us that there is something more enduring than the pleasure of the passing moment we chase. They offer us an experience of otherness… of magic. The Sidhe bring us wonderful gifts from their world. Legend tells us they brought art and science to humankind. The doorway to the Otherworld is in the mind... both our minds and the mind of Nature. When we first enter the world of the spiritual seeker, we cross the borderlands into Tir na n-Og in the sense that our consciousness begins to partake of its character – one that seeks for the beauty in things. There, we leave behind some of the values of the mechanical, “mundane” world. We have entered the world of the Sidhe. We sense marvels, miracles and have visions. Our inspiration and creativity increases. Most artists inhabit this plane of consciousness when they are creating. Their daily life, whether they are aware of it or not, is an ongoing relationship with the Otherworld,. This is the realm of the Muse who teaches us new, deeper ways to perceive life. When art is used with spiritual intent it becomes a powerful tool for transformation. It is, after all, how the Sidhe want us to use their gifts – to grow and change. Tir na n-Og is the secret, enchanted inner life of Nature. It is the intuitive land frequented by artists, inspired scientists, magicians, seers, shamans and spiritual seekers. All who work in these fields have some degree of interaction with this level of consciousness. Within the Celtic tradition, because this world is known and visited, natural gifts often become heightened through working with the Sidhe. Many people stay there forever, partaking of the nature of the Gods, weaving beautiful spells over the world with the dreams they dream. But for some even this is not enough. A longing for something beyond this realm troubles their hearts. For them the gifts of the Sidhe are like the rainbow, hinting at something forever just out of reach, forever luring them toward an impossible beauty. The Sidhe offer us, the legends say, feasting without satiation. What does this say to us about their role in our spiritual journey? It tells us, as the druids hinted, that there is something beyond both the everyday world and theirs. That perhaps the role of the Sidhe is to bring us to a point where we can no longer be fulfilled solely by the aspects of life that they represent… They have initiated in us an unbearable hunger that no thing or idea can satisfy. They have made our hearts ache for some new understanding that can bring us closer toward the core of reality. As they first lured us out of the mundane into the magical, something else calls to us from a new horizon… It is time to leave. Mysticism - The Yearning for the Beyond “…it is Beauty I seek… not beautiful things.” Fiona MacLeod This ever-leaving is embodied in Celtic myth by the image of drifting in an oarless coracle. If we wish to enter the world of Spirit, we must be willing, if necessary, to surrender all that we have gained so far. There is no room for attachment of any kind, we cannot enter this little boat if we still carry baggage. For this part of the journey we must lose all sense of who or what we are… we leave all things behind, except the yearning that brought us to this state. As we sail further and further across the Sea of our Inner Being, we leave behind, one by one, like little islands, every identity we have explored, believed in and rejected or lost. Each island we encounter reveals a new facet of the Spiritual that, for a while, seemed like it was all we ever needed. But eventually the glamour fades and we seek beyond that which we have experienced. The hunger that has been planted in our hearts at birth – and took root in the Otherworld - drives us on. At last, we find ourselves drifting aimlessly in the open sea. There are no more islands. There is only one place left to discover… the place that is, and always has been, the very centre of every spiritual landscape over which we have travelled. Our very yearning has somehow transmuted into the Beloved we longed for. We find that the vastness is not empty. It is filled with Love, emanating from its very core. And because there is no-thing in this place, this love is a Love that requires no object to sustain itself. It is one - and all there is - and of itself… Being… Consciousness… Bliss… From here there is no place new to explore. We have journeyed through the tangled thicket of our hopes, fears, concepts and passions to the inescapable finality of the loss of everything after which we have ever chased … …And we have let go… and we have gained Eternity. Trinity - Union - The Heart of The World Our journey has taken us far. We have known ourselves as children of both the Earth Mother and of the Transcendent Father. We have one final task. We must reconcile this duality and embody it. How can we achieve this? It happens when we bring our invisible treasures back to the threshold we left behind all those journeyings ago. We must accept the challenge to live in all worlds at once, led from the Heart’s Core. Then these imperceptible treasures become manifest – in us. Then:- Our Heart (for now we know there is only one Heart) is the marriage bed of the visible and the invisible faces of The one - of Mother Earth and Father Sky. Our Heart is the immaculate conception of that sacred union. Our Heart is the womb of our spiritual re-birth. We become the incarnation of the Divine Child. Two thousand years ago, these islands were awash with an awareness of the Divine Child. In the Brythonic tongue he was called Mabon ap Modron – “Son, son of Mother”. In Gaelic he was Oenghus - “The Chosen one”. Beings of Unconditional Love, these divinities were the earliest native mythic depictions of what we now call the Christ Consciousness. Myths carrying the story of the possibility of this level of attainment for human beings abound in all parts of the world. It is both stirring and significant that Druidism was moving over the brink of its own Mythic exploration of the Christ at the same period in history as Middle-Eastern scriptures and the mystery traditions of the Mediterranean were finding their fulfilment. Myth has it that those Druids who wished to journey beyond the realm of the many gods – to find the place were all Gods become one – called themselves the Companions, or Spouses of God… The Ceile De. The “Ceile De” - Those Wedded to God “Gun tigeadh Solas nan Solas dha m’ dhridhe doilleir o t’aite. Gun tigeadh ais an Spioraid Air mo chridhe…” - “Come… Light of Lights to my blind heart from thy place. Come… Spirit’s wisdom…to my heart.” To wish for this is to wish for the anointing – the Christing - of one’s own heart, in the profound recognition that this heart is also the Heart of the world. To attain this is to lose oneself in divine union with whatever enters one’s field of experience in every God-given moment of eternity. To the Ceile De, the holy presence that infuses every part of the world is the Living Christ, alive deep in every human, animal, bird, rock and blade of grass. This mystical insight represents the flowering of centuries of earlier druidical experience and is the natural fulfilment of the Pagan faith, rather than its successor. As we embody this in the world(s), following in the footsteps of others who have done the same - the Christ-ened ones of the world - we have one final hunger… the longing to beckon and call to all who struggle through their many hungers. We have become no-thing and they have become the all. © Fionn Tulach (Fiona Davidson)2004 (For Foilan… who washed my feet) The Order of The Ceile De follows the Living Gaelic Spiritual Tradition. It embraces the best of the earlier mystery tradition of Druidism, an intimate, immanent relationship with the Divine and a deep faith in the transformative power of Love, all leading toward Christ-consciousness. It honours the Earth as Divine Manifestation, the Mother of mystical experience, the hollow of God’s hand. Its priests are called An Ceile De (Culdee) - The Companions, or Spouses, of God. The teaching of An Ceile De is for those who truly wish to work towards transformation. It is an inner journey - a quest through the mythic Otherworld of our own psyche - to the very centre of ourselves; the Celtic Heaven - Tir nan Og. This “Land of Eternal Youth” is seen not so much as a place, but as a state of being. once we live from there, we discover that Heaven is here - we reunite Above and Below into a new Sacred Whole. When Mother Earth and Father Spirit unite in us, our heart becomes the womb for the Divine Child... The Incarnation... The Christ... For further information about workshops, and regular teaching groups (please note - there is no correspondence course) see: www.ceilede.co.uk or contact – An Ceile De Duncauld Cauldhame Kippen FK8 3HL Scotland (please enclose an sae)