Druidry 101: What to include?

[morgane_snowy_owl]

Hi guys!

I have the possibility to give a workshop on druidry. The workshop is supposed to be an introduction, a 101 type of course. I was asked to prepare a workshop that wouldn't only be about an organization in particular (so no an ADF course, a White Oak course or an OBOD course) but about druidry in general.

I'm passionate about druidry and I absolutely don't want to miss that wonderful opportunity but let's face it, I'm a beginner. Here are the topics I thought I could cover...

1. History (sources: Ronald Hutton's book The Druids and OBOD material)
2. Wheel of the Year as seen by druids and their view of reincarnation
3. Totem animals as seen by druids
4. Celtic pantheon
5. The druidic Circle
6. Druidic organizations (ADF, White Oak, RDNA, OBOD, Anglesey, and?)
7. Structures in druidic society (bards, ovates, druids, clergy, or other titles and functions as seen by different organizations)
8. Use of art and esthetism in druidic magic (source: Isaac Bonewits's talks and books)

I'd like you to chip in, especially if you are or have been a member of other druidic organizations. Other topics, sources... I'm listening!

Thanks for your help!

Morgane

[katie bridgewater]

!!! !!!
When I saw the title of this thread I thought it was referring to 'Room 101' (as in Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell). Here in the Uk we have a TV show in which invited guests nominate things of horror to be put into Room 101 and the host, Paul Merton, decides whether they are universally abhorrent enough to go in, or be spared! Before I had even read your post, I had already thought of at least 4 things to go in a Druidic room 101 (crystals, synthetic robes, glowsticks at rituals, fairy wings...) when I realised it was a serious post...
So sorry, not very helpful, but it did make me giggle!
Katie
x

[celticmodes]

awww...I just got my fairy wings, too....

[Nightfalls]

Hi guys!

I have the possibility to give a workshop on druidry. The workshop is supposed to be an introduction, a 101 type of course. I was asked to prepare a workshop that wouldn't only be about an organization in particular (so no an ADF course, a White Oak course or an OBOD course) but about druidry in general.

I'm passionate about druidry and I absolutely don't want to miss that wonderful opportunity but let's face it, I'm a beginner. Here are the topics I thought I could cover...

1. History (sources: Ronald Hutton's book The Druids and OBOD material)
2. Wheel of the Year as seen by druids and their view of reincarnation
3. Totem animals as seen by druids
4. Celtic pantheon
5. The druidic Circle
6. Druidic organizations (ADF, White Oak, RDNA, OBOD, Anglesey, and?)
7. Structures in druidic society (bards, ovates, druids, clergy, or other titles and functions as seen by different organizations)
8. Use of art and esthetism in druidic magic (source: Isaac Bonewits's talks and books)

I'd like you to chip in, especially if you are or have been a member of other druidic organizations. Other topics, sources... I'm listening!

Thanks for your help!

Morgane

Id love to see this workshop on paper or the forums with some visual aids. I am pretty in the dark about most stuff druidry as i am still on Gwers 1

[treegod]

1. History (sources: Ronald Hutton's book The Druids and OBOD material)
2. Wheel of the Year as seen by druids and their view of reincarnation
3. Totem animals as seen by druids
4. Celtic pantheon
5. The druidic Circle
6. Druidic organizations (ADF, White Oak, RDNA, OBOD, Anglesey, and?)
7. Structures in druidic society (bards, ovates, druids, clergy, or other titles and functions as seen by different organizations)
8. Use of art and esthetism in druidic magic (source: Isaac Bonewits's talks and books)

Looks like you have a very good list there. In fact I might say you have enough subjects to do several workshops

I did a talk on Paganism for a Unitarian church once. From what I kept it to the Wheel of the Year, nature-based spirituality and the diversity of beliefs, along with simple statements of belief from a few Pagan friends.

[DaRC]

Perhaps you should include a section on respect for the Earth / Nature and mention Deep Ecology / Ecosophy?

[FoxPhantom]

I think you covered a lot of the topics, and DaRC also has a good point too.

[Frog]

Gosh! What an opportunity!

I suppose the one thing that I would consider including is reference to the spiritual / religious aspect of Druidry. Given that we have members of OBOD who have beliefs in Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism - and that paganism is itself and umbrella term to cover a whole host of belief systems - it is not fair to say that "all druids" believe in specific things, but will adapt their learning in an educated manner to incorporate their own personal beliefs and experiences.

But, good luck!

Frog
/|\

[morgane_snowy_owl]

Good morning OBODs!

What an interesting set of replies!

Katie, made me giggle too! Glowsticks, really ? I mean, people do that??? Synthetic robes, I completely understand, I kind of stopped wearing mine because although the color is lovely, it's 1oo% polyester... Why crystals though?

Nightfalls ,
Can't recomment the podcasts enough! and the gwersi too!

treegod,
HI there! If I give that lecture, it would be at the boutique. To give you an idea, there would be about 20 other lectures on paganism and related topics. It can't be general, it has to dwelve into the subject, still be for beginners (as I'm a beginner myself anyway) and cover the key aspects of druidry.

DaRC
Hi! Thanks for your comments, you made me curious! I completely agree that ecology and environmentalism should be an inherent part of any form of druidry or druidism... but can you tell me a bit more about Deep Ecology and Ecosophy?

Frog,
I completely agree with you, but I am in a sticky situation here. The person who is in charge of all the workshops (all workshops have to receive her stamp of approval) is big on making a distinction between neo-druidism and druidism. She is also big on me not giving an OBOD workshop, but a workshop about druidism in general. She says she doesn't want people to be confused, because she attended neo-druidic rituals in which people supposedly did the exact opposite of what she had learned (she describes herself as part of the druidic tradition, and not neo-druidic). What do you know of this distinction? To me, there can be no druidism today... because even if you take very ancient texts and work hard to sort "authentic" material from "forgery" or medieval romance, you still have to adapt your rituals to today's realities. Pretty "neo" to me.

My second question is for "Frog the Druid". I'm just a beginner in druidry, I'm still at the bardic level. I don't want to miss that opportunity, because druidry/druidism is the path I have chosen and it is a wonderful way to actualize that. The person in charge of the workshop asked me if OBOD would allow me to teach that workshop, given that I'm just a beginner. Apparently, other traditions only allow Ovates to teach, or ask that a druid waits 7 years after reaching the Druid grade to teach. From what I understand about OBOD philosophy, I don't think me teaching a druidism 101 workshop would be a problem (we're talking about very basic stuff after all), but I may be wrong. What do you know of OBOD's position about this issue?

Okay, have a lovely day people!

Morgane

[Corwen]

Oops - posted as Corwen by mistake
Katie

[katie bridgewater]

Yes, glowsticks, I kid you not. I have been at evening rituals where they have been used to mark out a circle, and moreover, left behind at the end...

morgane_snowy_owl wrote:

Why crystals though?

In a nutshell because unless I find a crystalline rock myself on a beach or up a mountain then the chances are that any bought crystals carry a environmental (eg Sri Lanka), economic (eg Kalahari), or political and human rights (eg Burma) cost which to me personally is unacceptable. Lots of gemstone dealers will tell you their stones are 'ethically' sourced, but I have yet to meet one who can actually tell me the actual place the stones came from, or the name of the mining company who extracted them... Besides, a rock I find and carry myself, however plain, is much more meaningful than something traded for profit round the world from a place I have never been to! I love beautiful stones, andI know that they mean incredibly profound things to people, but I need to know that my magical tools have caused no unnecessary harm and that where harm has been caused, due apology to the persons (both human and other-than-human) harmed has been made and where possible, reparation.
Last week I picked up some beautiful quartz pebbles from the shores of Lake Bala, where Ceridwen once lived on an island - not pretty enough to make anyone a profit, thank goodness! I have left pebbles I have carried from my homeland in a few places too, as a ritual act on pilgrimage.

Anyway, back to the topic - good luck with your talk. My advice is just to keep it simple and stick to the facts! And bear in mind that Druidry is an open and much vied over term, which lots of people have failed to define over the years, so whatever you say, be prepared for someone to argue the toss with you!

[Art]

The person in charge of the workshop asked me if OBOD would allow me to teach that workshop, given that I'm just a beginner. Apparently, other traditions only allow Ovates to teach, or ask that a druid waits 7 years after reaching the Druid grade to teach. From what I understand about OBOD philosophy, I don't think me teaching a druidism 101 workshop would be a problem (we're talking about very basic stuff after all), but I may be wrong. What do you know of OBOD's position about this issue?
Morgane

I don't think you run the risk of excommunication for facilitating an overview. It doesn't sound like you're "teaching" per se but rather presenting a general introduction to Druidry today. There's nothing wrong with that however I would caution you to use carefully vetted material (nothing from Douglas Monroe obviously) and be ready to answer questions as openly and factually as you can and be ready to defend your statements.

Know the answers to the basics such as where the seasonal celebrations come from, why the eight were chosen, who chose them, and when. Be ready to defend the notion that the indigenous religions of northern Europe were not called "Druidry, Druidism, or anything else" and why. The basics like that will add to your credibility and make your presentation a lot more meaningful.

I do this same kind of thing several times a year in different formats so if I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me off list.

[treegod]

Ok, if I put myself in your shoes here's what I would do...

Start with a bit of history, talk about the Druid Revival and how it has influenced today's interest in Druidry.

Perhaps using Isaac Bonewit's distinction betweent he types of Druidry in history; Paleodruids, Mesodruids and Neodruids.

Paleos are the ancient ones that went extinct. Mesos are the Revival Druids, like "freemasonry" style fraternal Druid lodges or cultural Gorsedd from Iolo Morganwg, and usually with Christian and Occult influence. This includes any groups with roots here (like OBOD and AODA). And Neos that try to divorce themselves from their Revival roots and try to reconstruct the Paleos as much as they're able. Making it clear that this is Bonewit's concept and not all might agree.

I tend to call "paleodruidry" Ancient Druidry. And "mesodruiry" and "neodruidry" I tend to think of as part of the Modern Druidry movement, with many different expressions.

Then I'd move onto modern practices, like training and the Wheel of the Year etc. And certainly talk about the nature-based aspect, as mentioned above with Deep Ecology and Ecosophy. Also Ecopsychology.

One thing I certainly would say is that modern Druidry is such a diverse thing that's it's difficult to talk about in one sitting!

[Frog]

Frog,
I completely agree with you, but I am in a sticky situation here. The person who is in charge of all the workshops (all workshops have to receive her stamp of approval) is big on making a distinction between neo-druidism and druidism. She is also big on me not giving an OBOD workshop, but a workshop about druidism in general. She says she doesn't want people to be confused, because she attended neo-druidic rituals in which people supposedly did the exact opposite of what she had learned (she describes herself as part of the druidic tradition, and not neo-druidic). What do you know of this distinction? To me, there can be no druidism today... because even if you take very ancient texts and work hard to sort "authentic" material from "forgery" or medieval romance, you still have to adapt your rituals to today's realities. Pretty "neo" to me.

My second question is for "Frog the Druid". I'm just a beginner in druidry, I'm still at the bardic level. I don't want to miss that opportunity, because druidry/druidism is the path I have chosen and it is a wonderful way to actualize that. The person in charge of the workshop asked me if OBOD would allow me to teach that workshop, given that I'm just a beginner. Apparently, other traditions only allow Ovates to teach, or ask that a druid waits 7 years after reaching the Druid grade to teach. From what I understand about OBOD philosophy, I don't think me teaching a druidism 101 workshop would be a problem (we're talking about very basic stuff after all), but I may be wrong. What do you know of OBOD's position about this issue?

Okay, have a lovely day people!

Morgane

Hi Morgane!
Without denegrating the person in charge of the workshops; what she has learned can only be neo-druidry as teaching was (as I understand) given by spoken word with nothing written down. I suspect the difference is that OBOD is more progressive than others and is prepared to say that they are neo-druid. I believe you are right in your assertion. Perhaps there is a need for her to be more clear on how she sees the distinction?

As for a response from "Frog the Druid" - I would suggest that by running a workshop you're only introducing the Order and the concepts around it, not actually teaching. I'd also suggest that you are only presenting those bits that you know about and providing you make that clear you should be OK. However, for peace of mind you could try contacting the office and checking that they are happy...

Blessings
Frog
/|\

P.S. in light of your initial concerns, look at the contents on the Religous Tolerance site: http://www.religioustolerance.org/druid.htm

[DaRC]

Deep Ecology
Basically it regards an ecosystem as important and that non-human life forms have an inherent value - thus their concerns are as important as human concerns. It is about a holistic view of our world, for example 'Shallow Ecology' would be concerned about saving the whales (e.g. they have a better press than Sharks and don't taste as nice as Tuna) 'Deep Ecology' / Ecosophy would be about ensuring the Oceans are a functioning environment that contains Whales etc....

Arne Naess’s is a philosopher and mountaineer and coined the original definition of ecosophy:
“By an ecosophy I mean a philosophy of ecological harmony or equilibrium. A philosophy as a kind of sofia (or) wisdom, is openly normative, it contains both norms, rules, postulates, value priority announcements and hypotheses concerning the state of affairs in our universe. Wisdom is policy wisdom, prescription, not only scientific description and prediction. The details of an ecosophy will show many variations due to significant differences concerning not only the ‘facts’ of pollution, resources, population, etc. but also value priorities.” (See A. Drengson and Y. Inoue, 1995, page 8.)

http://www.green-mantle.co.uk/deepecology.html
http://www.ecospherics.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_ecology

P.S. I'll just stick to the Deep Ecology and not get involved in the whole Monty Pythonesque
"I'm a follower of the real druidic front - not them neo druidic front"
"splitters"
argument...

[morgane_snowy_owl]

Good morning guys!

Boy, do I love an active thread!

Katie,
I wasn't aware of that reality about crystals and gemstones. It's amazing how often we look the other way, or are just assume that things are done the "right" way when in fact, when you bother to scratch the surface and look underneath, some ugly facts start emerging... I'll never look at crystals the same way again. And, may I say, I find your attitude very inspiring. When I think about it, the rocks, acorn and pebbles I have collected during trips are far more meaningful to me than the crystals I bought in a shop for their lithotherapeutic properties. And, if I actually bothered to "feel" them and interact with them while transcending their emotional significance, I might find out more about what lithotherapeutic properties they have. Wow... thank you for that wonderful gift, Katie! (btw, still living in greasyland, but it's definitely stabilizing....!) Ahem how about I trade some small red rocks from the Broceliande forest for a couple of Lake Bala pebbles?


Art,
LOL yeah, excommunication would not be worth it! You raised very interesting points and now I'm curious and eager to know more, so I pmed you the rest of this post!

Treegod,
Isaac Bonewits' conference on druidcast was absolutely loaded with useful info. I've been working for days, translating it for the Sabbat committee at the boutique so they can learn from it too. I've also ordered his book about public rituals. I love his distinction between paleo-meso-neo, hence my comment that everything we do today is neo, no choice. I would love you to tell me more about your conception of Ecosophy and Ecopsychology. There is a wonderful, wonderful podcast about this on itunes. It's about working with animal spirits in therapy; I'll give you the link if you want (I don't have iTunes at work...)

Frog,
Great to feel backed up, thank you for that! I'm trying to determine what difference she sees indeed. One way of looking at it is comparing what they do in public rituals at ADF for example. They work with the Well, the Fire and the Tree. It's absolutely central to the rituals... OBOD rituals do adress those things, but way more subtly. If you go in the ritual section of the White Oak website, you can see that the ritual behavior is very, very strict and does feel like it was inspired by old sources (you MUST light your sacred fire with a crystal and the sun, for example). I can easily see how OBOD rituals seem more... hippie, in comparison. I have yet to hear about the Three Cauldrons in the gwersi; I know that concept is central in traditional approaches of druidry. The person in charge of the workshops said that she has been to neodruidic rituals and people were doing literally the opposite of what she had been taught in what she calls "traditional druidism". OBOD teaches us to enter the Circle through the West... I think other traditions who claim to be more "traditional" would tell you to enter through the East. She doesn't want the workshop attendees to be confused (they are almost all beginners who only know Wicca), hence why she insists on making the distinction. And indeed... during our public ritual at Beltane, there was a small confusion about where the North-South axis was in the temple, and several attendees were deeply upset because technically, the Directions had not been called properly. Beginners, especially when they only know the very structured Wicca, are easily perturbed by "contradictions" like this. Even if you explain, over and over, that there are no Directions in the astral and ethereal planes...

I was very surprised by the strict attitude of the person who wrote the page you linked. According to that source, we absolutely can't be Wiccan, or Buddhist, or Catholic, and be a Druid at the same time. Gee, even Bonewits, in his approach of druidism vs druidry, would disagree with that I think! Do you agree with the contents of that page?

Darc,
Oh, thanks for the links!!!! Those are wonderful topics and I'm all excited because, although my husband is an atheist who is not interested in spirituality, we are mindful about our ecological footprint, and those topics will probably interest him. It will be fascinating to deepen my knowledge of these approaches and discuss them with him. And fellow druids of course!

Okay that's all for now! Take care people!

Morgane

[Nightfalls]

Nightfalls ,
Can't recomment the podcasts enough! and the gwersi too!

ive listened to every one thus far Dahm is amazing

[Frog]

Frog,
I was very surprised by the strict attitude of the person who wrote the page you linked. According to that source, we absolutely can't be Wiccan, or Buddhist, or Catholic, and be a Druid at the same time. Gee, even Bonewits, in his approach of druidism vs druidry, would disagree with that I think! Do you agree with the contents of that page?

Hiya!
Actually, as a small observation, the page was quoting from one specific source. If you follow the links - especially the one on groups and information sources (http://www.religioustolerance.org/druid3.htm) they reference Bonewits; as with anything, the consultants have used the information available to them - but I thought this could be useful in understanding where your workshops leader is coming from.

One thing I recognise is that my druidry is how I have incorporated it into my life. It isn't "pure" and in some eyes may not even be "right", but I'm happy with it.

Blessings
Frog