An
Introduction to Druidry
by
Damh the Bard
What was Druidry?
The Druids were the educated elite of what is now called the "Celtic"
race. Many historians and archaeologists now argue that there never was an actual
Celtic race but for the sake of clarity and to give a sense of familiarity,
I will use the term throughout this booklet. The Celts were a tribal people,
with each tribe having its own chieftain. They were often at war with one another,
raiding nearby tribal villages and stealing their neighbors' cattle. They were
a warrior race who, in one of those strange historical paradoxes, created the
most beautiful art and inspired a religion which had a deep respect for Nature.
The Roman invasion of the Celtic regions was made easier because Celtic society
was so fragmented. The Romans systematically conquered one tribe at a time.
The only common link between the Celtic tribes was Druidry. The Druids were
the prophets, magicians, seers, healers, royal advisors and judges. Druids could
move in complete safety between tribes as their murder was punishable by death.
Very quickly the Druids began to unite the tribes and give them the focus they
needed against the invaders. This move did not go unnoticed and it was in the
year 61CE that two crushing blows were dealt against the British. The first
was the sacking of Ynys Mon, the Isle of Anglesey, off the north coast of Wales,
which was a major centre of Druidic learning. As the Romans conquered Britain,
the Druids retreated to Ynys Mon and became trapped. It was written by Tacitus
that the Druidesses were like screaming furies who spat curses across the bay
at the assembling Roman armies. Although this chilled the blood of the Centurions,
they attacked and won the battle. All of the Druid Groves (sacred clearings
within the forests) were destroyed and all Druids, Druidesses and their children
were slaughtered. The other blow was the defeat of the Iceni Queen Boudicca
whose revolt very nearly put an end to the entire Roman occupation. However,
the massacre of the Druids did not destroy the religion. It continued in smaller
groups and gradually the Druid was seen as little more than a wandering magician.
A far cry from the high status previously held.
The ancient Druids consisted of three "grades", or divisions - Bards,
Ovates and Druids.
Bards:
This was the first of the Druid Grades and introduced the student to the stories
and traditions of the Tribe. The Bard learned all of the tales of the chieftain's
victories and the secret lore of sacred poetry. A Bard was an honoured member
of the Tribe who was welcome wherever he or she travelled. They were trained
in the Art of Magic using the power of poetry in either praise or satire. Their
Lore supplied the foundation to the religious and magical practice of Druidry,
telling the nature of the Gods, the deeds of the Ancestors and the sacred places
of the land. Through the power of the sacred word, expressed through poetry,
storytelling and song, they invoked the blessings of the Spirit of Place, and
of the Gods and ancestors of the people.
Ovates:
These were the prophets and seers. They worked with the three realms of past,
present and future and entered into trance states, foreseeing the future fortunes
of the Tribe. The Ovate was the Druid Shaman.
If the ancient Druids performed sacrifice (there is no hard evidence of this
other than Caesar's account, which could well have been propaganda) then the
Ovates would have been the people who oversaw such events. When considering
the act of ritual sacrifice we must try to understand that the Celtic tribes
lived and died by their crops. If the crops failed, then a hard winter of starvation
and disease was inevitable. A whole village could be wiped out through lack
of food; therefore, when such a catastrophe occurred, the ancients felt they
had to offer a gift to their Gods. The true nature of sacrifice was to give
somebody who came willingly. To offer themselves as such placed them with their
Gods and the Tribe revered them as heroes.
To view ancient civilizations from the standpoint of modern ethics is a mistake.
We have supermarkets and world trade, which keeps us supplied with wonderful
food throughout the year. Now imagine growing all of the food you eat yourself,
without the use of pesticides to protect the crop from blight and insect diseases.
Then imagine your crop fails and you face a winter of unimaginable pain and
suffering. Now imagine it happened for a second year....
Druids:
Having traveled through the realms of poetry, the Word, the trees and the spirits,
the student finally became a Druid - the wise one who had passed through madness
and survived. This brought great wisdom and peace; the Druid's role was therefore
that of advisor, teacher and judge. In Celtic mythology tribal chieftains each
had their Druid to whom they turned for advice during limes of need.
Between 5OOCE and the late middle ages the Druid tradition was kept alive in
the tales and songs of the storyteller and wandering minstrel. During this lime
two of the grades, namely Bard and Ovate, became merged and it is here we see
such characters as Merlin and Taliesin emerging as seer-poets, living on the
edge of sanity and completely accepted by the spirits of Nature. Much of the
modern Druidic teaching stems from the words of the ancient Bardic tales and
the poetry of Taliesin and Merlin.
The Bardic colleges continued to operate in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, for
many centuries, but eventually the last one was closed in the 17th century.
However, the pull of this tradition was too strong and soon poets such as William
Blake rediscovered the voice of the Bard. These Bardic revivalists, who revelled
in the beauty of nature, met in the quieter rooms of public houses at the end
of the 18th century, and thus the thread spins on....
What is Druidry today?
With the growing awareness many people have towards the environment, there is
an understandable interest in the Nature, or Pagan, religions. Druidry means
different things to different people. There are those who take their spirituality
from Druidry and blend it with their own tradition, be that Pagan or Christian.
And there are others who try to follow a rediscovered "Druidism",
ie the Druid faith.
To give an insight into modem Druidry we must start with exploring the symbol
and Druidic "sacred mantra" known as the Awen.
The
Awen
Central to Druid philosophy is the force known as the Awen. Literally Awen means
"flowing spirit" and it is this flowing spirit that guides us through
the Druid work and, because the force of the Awen is described thus, it can
be seen as many different things. The force of divine poetic inspiration, which
is held within the three drops of potion brewed in the Cauldron of the Goddess
Ceridwen, to the Christian Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, both could
be described as the Awen. The symbol of the Awen is the "Three Rays of
Light" shining from three single points surrounded by three circles. The
three points represent the directions of the sunrises of the Soistices and Equinoxes.
On the Summer and Winter Solstices the Sun rises east-north-east and east-south-east
respectively, whilst on the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes it rises due east. The
Awen also symbolises the three drops of inspiration from the Cauldron of Ceridwen.
The three circles represent the three Circles of Creation in Welsh cosmology,
ie Abred, Gwynvid and Ceugant. The central blackness represents the realm of
Annwn. During a Druid ritual, the Awen can be intoned as a single monotone note
using three syllables "Ah-oo-en"(some Druid Orders intone the three
letters I. A. U. in a similar way). The power held within the Awen mantra can
be used in many ways - from initiating poetic inspiration, to drawing down the
blessing of the God and Goddess or evoking a change in the atmosphere of a ritual
circle. It is truly a sacred word.
Holidays:
Like many others the Druids honour the eight seasonal festivals of our modern
Pagan traditions. These being:
The Solar Cycle
Alban Arthan (Winter Solstice): Alban Arthan means the Light of Arthur. Some
Druid Orders believe this means the Light of the hero King Arthur Pendragon
who is symbolically reborn as the Sun Child (The Mabon) at the time of the Solstice.
Others see the Light belonging to the star constellation known as the Great
Bear (or the Plough) - Arthur, or Art, being Gaelic for Bear. This constellation
shines out in the sky and can symbolise the rebirth of the Sun. At this point
the Sun is at its southernmost point almost disappearing beyond the horizon,
and the days are at their shortest. This was a time of dread for the ancient
peoples as they saw the days getting shorter and shorter. A great ritual was
needed to revert the course of the sun. This was probably calculated by the
great circles of stone and burial grounds which are aligned to this festival,
such as Newgrange in Co. Meath, Eire. Sure enough, the next day the Sun began
to move higher into the sky, showing that it had been reborn.
This time of year is very cold and bleak, which is why so many celebrations
are needed to help people get through the Winter months. It is significant that
many civilisations welcomed their Solar Gods at the time of greatest darkness
- including Mithras (the bull-headed Warrior God), the Egyptian God Horus and,
more recently, Jesus Christ.
Alban Eilir (Spring Equinox): Alban Eilir means the Light of
the Earth. As the Sun grows warmer so life begins to show through the soil.
Small signs at first - the daffodils and crocuses - then more green as the bluebells
and wood anemones spread through the woodland. Plants are seen by some as inanimate
greenery with no actual feelings and life force. But Druids see life in all
living things, from rocks and stones, to rivers and springs, plants and trees
- all life is sacred. Have you ever thought about how you recognise the beginning
of Spring? Is it the plant life? The weather? How does a plant know when it
is time to grow? It cannot tell the time or see a calendar. Yet it knows. If
it has senses then it has consciousness, if it has consciousness then it is
more than an inanimate life form. So it is the return of life to the Earth that
is celebrated at Alban Eilir, the time of balance.
One of the inner mysteries of Druidry is the Druid's egg. Life-giving, it is
the egg protected by the hare, which is the symbol of Alban Eilir - still celebrated
by the giving of Easter eggs by the Easter bunny.
Alban Hefin (Summer Solstice): Alban Hefin means the Light
of the Shore. Druidry has a great respect and reverence for places that are
"in between" worlds. The seashore is one such place, where the three
realms of Earth, Sea and Sky meet. There is great power in places such as these.
It is the time of greatest light when the Solar God is crowned, by the Goddess,
as the King of Summer. It also brings some sadness because from now until Alban
Arthan the Sun's strength is declining and we have entered the waning year.
At this time the Dark Twin, or Holly King, is born - he will take his crown
at Alban Arthan. Of all the festivals Druidry is mostly associated with Alban
Hefin. The wonderful white-robed figures filmed at the dawn rituals at Stonehenge
are testament to this. However, to many Druids it is the turning seasons and
the cycle of life, death and rebirth - reflected in the Wheel of the Year in
its completeness - which are significant.
Alban Elfed (Autumn Equinox): Alban Elfed means the Light of
the Water. The Wheel turns and the time of balance returns. Alban Elfed marks
the balance of day and night before the darkness overtakes the light. It is
also the time of the second harvest, usually of the fruit which has stayed on
the trees and plants to ripen under the Summer Sun. It is this final harvest
which can take the central theme of the Alban Elfed ceremony. Thanking the Earth,
in her full abundance as Mother and Giver, for the great harvest. It is the
beginning of Autumn. The Agricultural Cycle
Imbolc: On or around the 1st February – This is often
seen as the first of three Spring festivals. It is hard sometimes to think of
Spring in what feels like the depths of Winter. But if we look at the ground
we can see the first shoots of green beginning to reach towards the Sun. Imbolc
can be celebrated on either the 1st or 2nd February, or more naturally when
the Snowdrops cover the ground.
Imbolc by Damh the Bard
As the dark, cold morning gives way to light,
And the world shows its face dazzling in her nakedness,
So the twigs and leaf-bare branches,
Bow to the passing dance
Of old Jack Frost.
His crystal breath on the earth,
And the corners of houses weep icicles of joy.
But where is the Sun’s warmth?
Where is life?
A small flower, delicate and pure-white,
Looks to the earth,
As if talking to the waiting green,
“Not yet,” it seems to whisper.
“When I fall, then you can return.”
And she nods her head,
as the Lady passes by,
Leaving more flowers in Her wake.
Beltane: On of around the 1st May – Beltane is the beginning
of Summer, or the height of Spring. It is thought that the ancients only recognised
two seasons, these being Summer and Winter. Beltane is the time when the Earth
is literally buzzing with fertility. Life springs forth in all of its richness,
and the land is covered with beautiful flowers, the freshly opened leaves of
the trees are a quality of green that they only show at this time of year. At
Beltane the Lady of the Land takes the hand of the Horned God, and together
they walk into the forest. Their cries of love bring all life from the Earth.
Some celebrate Beltane on the dates given above, whilst others look to the flowers
of the May tree as their signal that Beltane had, at last, arrived.
Lughnasadh: On or around the 1st August – Lughnasadh
is the first of two harvest festivals, the other being Alban Elfed (the Autumn
Equinox). At Lughnasadh we see the fields of corn being cut, and for some this
is the true time of the festival. In the fields John Barleycorn, who laid with
the Lady in the woods at Beltane, has grown old, and now stands bent and bearded
with a crocked cane. He looks to the Sun as he has changed from green to gold,
and he known that his time has come. His life will feed the people, and it is
this sacrifice that we honour at Lughnasadh.
Samhain: On of around the 31st October – This is the
festival of the dead, a festival of remembrance and honouring of our dear departed
friends and relations. It is said that, at Samhain, the veil that separates
the worlds is at its thinnest. So our world, the world of Faerie, and that of
the dead, blend as one. It is no wonder then that this night has become so wrapped
in superstition. It is a night of wonder, and magic. On this night the Cailleach
(the Crone) comes to strip the leaves from the trees, to quicken the decay of
the flesh of the year, so that it may feed the new life to come. We can also
ask Her to take the unwanted aspects of our personal year away, so that this
too might be transformed. Yet even on the darkest night of Samhain, whilst our
minds ponder our mortality, if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound
of a new-born child crying for its Mother’s breast, for shortly it will
be Alban Arthan, the Winter solstice, and the Wheel will turn once more.
Druid Ritual
Druid ritual takes many forms and has many functions. Druids draw on various
sources for ritual - including mediaeval and later Celtic literature, previous
generations of Druid revivalists, archaeology, poetry, and other traditions.
But they draw mainly on their own judgement, and experience, of what is right
for a given moment. Most rituals begin with the call for peace for, as is said
within Druid teaching, "without peace can no work be". The Druid will
approach each quarter and say "May there be peace in the (direction)."
Then the Sacred Circle is cast, followed by calls to the Spirits of the four
directions. Rituals are frequently composed for a particular combination of
time, place and people. They vary from the open celebration of the Bardic Gorsedd
to the intimacy of personal Rites of Passage. They may take place anywhere -
from great Stone Circles to private rooms. Most take place outdoors, since contact
with the Earth, Sea and Sky is very important to the practice of Druidry. Group
rituals commonly celebrate the eight major festivals. Rites of Passage include
the naming or blessing of children, the onset of puberty, Druid weddings (handfastings),
and passing on. Rituals may also be directed towards healing or spiritual growth.
Most of the common elements of Druid ritual are those associated with the Bardic
tradition. These include the Gorsedd Prayer, written by lolo Morganwg:
Grant,
God/dess, thy protection,
And in protection, strength,
And in strength, understanding,
And in understanding, knowledge,
And in knowledge the knowledge of justice,
And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it,
And in that love, the love of all existences,
And in the love of all existences, the love of God/dess and all goodness.
Although this prayer occurs widely in Modern Druidry, there are many who do
not use it.
Another widespread element of Druid ritual is the Oath of Peace:
We
swear by peace and love to stand,
Heart to heart, and hand in hand,
Mark, 0 Spirit, and hear us now,
Confirming this, our Sacred Vow.
Druid ritual brings the participants into contact with the Spiritual. Thus our lives are touched with the deep sources of inspiration, creativity, wisdom and healing.
Oh
that I could see to the Other Realm –
that I could learn the magic of the Ancients.
Oh that the secrets of the Druids
could be whispered in my ears
that I might know their beauty and their power –
that I might love again this land
and hear the voices of the Goddess and the God
in the trees and in the rivers.
For more information about Druidry go to www.druidry.org