Not very into ritualism.

[Aoife]

I've been following druidry for about the last four months and I'm pretty into it but at the same time, usually because I'm never alone for very long and have limited access to nature...I find doing the traditional rituals during times like Samhain near impossible to do. I prefer my belief systems to be personal and private. I am by no means secretive about it but I would like to have my meditation time and what I call "spirit connection" time without the roar of the television, the scream of video games or my doggy companion constantly nudging me for affection. As you can imagine, it can be pretty distracting.

I also have epilepsy and have some difficulty with memorization (so memorizing all the rituals and repeating all the words can be very difficult for me) so I tend to make up a short hand version and I do my "spiritual communion" while pretending to be asleep so people don't bother me. I was wondering if my "version" was okay to do.

I don't know any other druids or have any seed groups near me and so I'm left to the gwersi and my own devices.

PS
How do you get a druid mentor? We're supposed to get one when we enroll in the program, right?

[treegod]

I also have epilepsy and have some difficulty with memorization (so memorizing all the rituals and repeating all the words can be very difficult for me) so I tend to make up a short hand version and I do my "spiritual communion" while pretending to be asleep so people don't bother me.

I like your use of the words "short hand". That's me too. Not that I want to take shortcuts but that I want to get down to "brass tacks" anbd know the spirit of the message. Something that's complicated and scripted just doesn't do it for me. In the OBOD rituals I have follwed them through to the letter, just to get a working experience of them, but then I try to find the vital essense of what I have done instead of getting hung up on the form of what I have done, and that often leads me to the "short hand" of doing things.

I was wondering if my "version" was okay to do.

Do you feel okay doing it? If you feel okay, then it's okay. If you don't feel okay, then there's something not okay, okay?

I don't know any other druids or have any seed groups near me and so I'm left to the gwersi and my own devices.

Uh-oh...

How do you get a druid mentor? We're supposed to get one when we enroll in the program, right?

You're talking about OBOD, yes? Well you have ask the tutor coordinator Susan Jones to get a tutor.

[Bracken]

I don't know any other druids or have any seed groups near me and so I'm left to the gwersi and my own devices.

Uh-oh...

Aoife, treegod's just tormenting you. There are many solitary practitioners. I hope you can find companionship here.

[treegod]

Aoife, treegod's just tormenting you.

Just having a larf, that's all. I don't mean to torment anyone

[Gwiwer]

[post deleted]

[Selene]

Aoife, please see viewtopic.php?f=247&t=30632 on how to get access to the OBOD members' area so you can join the Bards forum. As this is a public forum, we don't discuss specifics of the course here, but you'll find a lot of answers and support in Bards.

[Frog]

Hi Aoife!
I also find it difficult to remember all the rituals - the words, the actions, waving your arms around, doing the hokey-cokey (OK, I'm kidding. I know the Hokey Cokey). But the point I'm trying to make is that as a solitary practitioner no-one can tell you off for doing it wrong. Actually, if you speak to enough Druids in groups they will be able to tell tales of when they got it wrong in front of people!

As with many people, we remember stuff we need to do and the rest falls out of our head. I find distilling things to business cards help as memory -joggers. I certainly don't recall the exact words to say - but it is the INTENTION of the words that is important. So when you allow your time for ritual, focus on what the ritual is about (So Samhein is the end of the year, start of the next, and the close link between this world and people that would have gone before - I find having a small scroll of names of people I want to remember handy for this one, so I can go through the list and remember them and their impact on my life and to give thanks for that). So your version is as acceptable as anyone elses.

[Aoife]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it!