The nine dimensions of the Way of the Druid

Whilst reading the Book “Way of the Druid” by Graeme K. Talboys, I find myself making some reflections about this Celtic path.

Talboys speaks about nine dimensions of this philosophy, the one that old Celts follow, and it’s implications in today’s life.

The nine dimensions are as follows:

1) Tribal dimension; it encompasses the languages, history, traditions, myths, wisdom, and geography of the people that follow the Druid way, both past and present.

For this, I have to say that it was my first approach to the Celtic path was trough the music, history, traditions and myths, there is so much to learn about it, that I find myself in a never-ending journey, nevertheless, that doesn’t mean I find myself disappointed, on the contrary, knowing that there are a lot of Celtic history in the whole view, not just the archaeological point of view, encourages me to learn more and more.

2) Dimension of craft; the term is used in its broadest sense. […] physical manifestations of the metaphysical stance.

This is somehow a dimension that I’m beginning to approach, to give magic the proper place in everyday thinking, a balance to understand the world not only via the physical form that science give, but also, at the same time, in an attempt to find balance, the metaphysical stance.

3) Healing, the restoring of balance, understanding of the World and all that is in it, on both material and spiritual levels; of the ways in which the World and all who live there come to be damaged; and of the ways in which each Druid can best use their own skills to aid in their renewal.

This dimension I find it the hardest, understanding of the world, is a life time journey, and may be takes more than I life. However, I may try, in everyday living, to approach it more and more. How can I help heal the world is also a path that need to be live each day, in some small and personal efforts, but also thinking in the web in which we are all linked, a small change can make a great one. If according to the chaos theory a butterfly wing can cause a storm, every action we made, has a consequence, that could not seen obvious, but If focus in the greater good, can make a difference.

4) Metaphysical dimension, which is concerned primarily with the mysteries of and reasons for being, of life and death and rebirth, of the cycles in all our lives.

What is common call as Philosophy always has attracted me much, I find myself thinking in metaphysical topics all the time, trying to understand just a little the mysteries of life, of nature behaviour, including human one. For the cycles of our lives, I find the celtic knot as a perfect way to meditate about it. This phrase, that I love, reflects perfect the kind of meditation that this simple and complex symbol gives to me: Imagination is the key to Wisdom. Wisdom maps the way to Spirit. Spirit reveals itself through Imagination.- That's a Celtic knot

5) Dimension of seering. When the developed forces of the intuition are allowed to range across the wheel of time, nothing is irrelevant to place and the time that is now
Seer is something that has form somehow part of me, for many year, through dreams, sometime even awake ones, some events has present to me. This experience could be even a scary one, and I must say, I’m not fully prepared to understand all it’s messages, how ever, I expect, that with study, meditation and opening, some day I could be.

6) Dimension of ritual, this dimension does more than enfold the major rituals and ceremonies, exercises, prayers, meditations, teachings, and disciplines.

Personal and communitarian rituals are important to the humankind, and in a personal way, I find that they are also, but, has to be rituals with meaning, not mechanical ones. The great problem of rituals is to begin to think and do them as something mechanical, without meditating and try to understanding it’s unique meaning.

7) Dimension of natural philosophy. [..]Of the ways and workings of the world of which we are all part.

This is much related with the metaphysical dimension, but in a more physical way, it’s difficult to fully understand how the world is working, especially when we are alienated in an urban area. The world as a whole, as a interconnecting web, it’s full of mysteries, which we are but far to fully understand, however the fact that we may never apprehend the whole meaning, doesn’t mean that we shall not try, since every learning give us a light trough our lives, and also to understand how little we know, and to fully appreciate our size in the universe itself.

8) Dimension of teaching. A Constant dialogue with the world. They listen, they respond.

Although that, as I previously say, there’s too much to learn, and impossible to learn it all, there’s no point in learning without a purpose, each of us, in our own environment, has the opportunity to teach, knowing that we are not all mighty ones, nor holders of all truth, but in share, in listen and respond, in trying to give a guide if it is asked, we can teach. But must of all, we can teach with our own life example. I love to share the things I have learn, some how this is why I opened this blog, not thinking that I hold the unique and whole truth, but at least what I think is worthy to share, I do.

9) Dimension of service, the very heart of the Druid way. The goal of a Druid is not to better the self, All Druids do that as a matter of course, but as a means to an end rather than as an end in itself. To be Druid is to work to make the world a better place for all. To be Druid is to celebrate and venerate existence. To be Druid is to become an adept so that one can better serve. […] True, there are aspects of service within the social and ethical dimensions of religion, but these are tied in with the doctrinal aspects, which state that right social and ethical behaviour are not only prerequisites of right religious behaviour, but also the way to get your reward in the afterlife. For the Druid, however, services does not accrete to or derive from other aspects of the Druid way. It is not there because of doctrinal demands or to gain reward. Rather, service is the reason for the Way’s existence. Service is the Druid Way. The Druid way is service.

The University where I made my career has a motto “To be, to serve” that I make it for my own. I find service as a pillar. If we know that we are part of a whole, we cannot live with the thought of “live and let live” alienated from the others. But we cannot on the other hand impose our point of view, or force others to think as we do; so the way to interact with the world is trough service, help the others in the ways we can, and the others are not just people, but the nature itself.

There’s a lot of ways to serve, some direct, some indirect, but always thinking that we must put attention in every act, in every thought, since, as the third Newton’s law indicates, to every action there is a reaction of equal magnitude and opposite direction. But is not only in a selfish objective, some people, as Talboys says, make good in expectance of retribution, this is not the case, the retribution may or may not come, that’s something apart, we must act with the objective of a healthy environment, this environment is ourselves, our families, our friends, our work, our society, our natural environment and the whole as one. Knowing that in the pursue of that, a greater (common) good will be achieved.

Happy Solstice

The winter solstice is one of the most important festivities of the pagan world. Not only the Celtic culture celebrate it, also the northern people, celebrate the Yule festival; Romans used to celebrate the solstice to Apollo. The Welsh Druidic tradition call this festival Alban Arthan.

It’s the return of the sun, we are now in the midwinter, and the sun goes forward to spring, the longest night in the year mark the beginning of the end of the winter.

Was so important the celebration of the Sun-God rising, the one who gives light and warm to the humankind, that Christians decided to fix Jesus birthday into the winter solstice, with the Nicea Council in the fourth century A.C. The solstice at that times, was on the 25 of December, but since the earth is moving, the day has also moved in 1600 years.

Is the time of the sun, of its rise upon darkness, we see the light in the new born that illuminates the path of the year.

We can’t just put apart the Christian influence in this time of the year, ‘cause indeed is also a time of joy, of the bringer of light. And a time of friendship, love & family.

Whichever you celebrate the Solstice or the Christmas, or both, like me, my best wishes go with you.

May the light illuminate your path
May the winter pass by, leaving the reflections of the cold nights on your heart
May the darkness give you the preparation for the warm sun
May the joy and merry be with you

Happy Winter Solstice !!

Happy Christmas !!

Avalon

Avalon is a place of magic, a place that we can tell tales for a life time without finishing.

This place may be best known for its relation with the Arthuric legend; however, the place goes beyond Arthur, since it’s a place where a lot of forces came together, not only the pagan and christian alike, but the forces that goes trough the universe itself.

It’s say that is a passage between the Fairy land and the human one. That means that is one of the entrances to the Tir Nan Og, when the mist covers the land, time stops and you can see, or at least feel the other world.

And that indeed I do, I was there at night, with the cold air, with the mist covering Glastonbury, and a feeling that it’s hard to express, it’s just a powerful force that covers yourself. With a little thanksgiving and initiation ritual, I open a new path, from Avalon itself.

I return there at day time , and thank the winds for the experience


I also have the change of be part of the Winter Solstice (Alban Arthan) OBOD Gathering, it was very nice to share with all these wonderful people an experience for the midwinter.

I had the chance to visit the Chalice Well and stay there for a time of meditation


And of course the Abbey, another place of peace



Avalon covers with mist the land of men
With wind and cold, with force and spirit
May the Celts pilgrims kneel before it
May the Christian ones, do the same
Since this is a place of magic
This is a place of joy
A Connection with the world, the whole one
Not the divided that we perceive
A gate to the Tir Nan Og
Sing oh Avalon of your wisdom
Sing oh Avalon of your power
Let us share your light between the mists
Les us enter your realm

I am The deep sea and the oceans

There are poems that came from the heart, there are poems that came from the soul, but there are poems that came to you in your dreams, burning your heart, burning your soul, stamping your mind. This is how the inspiration came for this.

Thanks to wyeuro, from OBOD, I could fully end this task, as a gift from the Sidhe themselves, here is, in the celtic language (and as I write it down)

‘s mé an fharraige dhomhain agus na haegéin
‘s mé aon theachtaire na spiorad agus na réaltachtaí
‘s mé mac chogar na gaoth
‘s mé solas na réaltaí, na gealaí agus na gréine
‘s mé mac na seanbhealaí, na críonnacht ársa
‘s mé an shaileach abhíonns corrthónagh leis an ngaoth ar an uisce

‘s mé duine atá ag brionglóideach, atá ag sín na réaltaí
‘s mé an ghrian te agus an t-uisce fuar
‘s mé mac an thalaimh agus na daonnacht
‘s mé an geimhreadh agus an t-earrach
‘s mé an t-aonar
‘s mé an capall agus an t-ulchabhán

cé atá ag brionglóideach ar an dli nádúrtha?
cé a bhí ag mothú an grá?
cé a bhí ag brionglóideach ormsa agus orta féin?
iarraim ag fáil thú
i gcuas codlatach
leis an bhfocal díreach,
focal na farraige dhomhain agus na haegéin.

---------


I am The deep sea and the oceans
I am one messenger of the spirits and realities
I am the son of the whispers of the wind
I am the starlight, moonlight and sunlight
I am the son of the old ways, the ancient wisdom
I am the willow that moves on the water by the wind

I am the dreamer who reaches the stars
I am the sun warm and the cold water
I am son of the earth and man
I am the winter and spring
I am the solitude
I am the horse and the owl

Who dreams on the laws of nature?
Who have felt the love?
Who dreamt about you and me?
In a sleepy hallow
I hope find to you
With the precise word
The word of the deep sea and the oceans

Reflections about my Celtic Path

I was reading a very good article that Erynn Rowan Laurie made in 1995, about the Celtic Path. And I want to share some reflections about that, about what each of these nine points mean to me, whilst following this path.

“The first is a reverence for the deities of the Celtic Pantheon" The Celtic pantheon, is mostly divided in gods of light (the Tuatha Dé Dannan) and of dark (the Formorians) I have read and learn stories about them, and every day I find a new one.

How ever, my theological point of view is a little different. I believe in One God, that is the creator of all things, and the perfection of all. It’s not male, nor female, but as a synthesis of these concepts it reflects in it’s perfect being, the neutral, that combines the two opposites.

But I do believe that there are individual spirits of the earth and universe, some call them gods and goddesses, some angels and saints; but the thing is that they are present all over the places. Some has some “areas of influence” since I strongly believe that they are individual spirits, not as some pagans believe that all gods are one god and all goddesses one goddess. So they may have influence in the forces of nature and in what it’s call magic itself.

“Second is a reverence of the ancestors and the spirits of the land”. In that I’m fully agree with the Celtic point of view, every land has it’s own spirit, and it’s own ancestors, and we have to be respectful about them, and even ask them it’s favour when walking it’s land, making a ritual, meditating, or just, walking around. But it’s also important to reverence our own ancestors and spirits that walk along with us, watching us, taking care of us.

“Third, poetry as intrinsic to the structure of magick” Poetry and music, and arts in general is something I find as important to learn as many of my scientific knowledge. Arts are the manifestation of our souls, as well as science is the manifestation of our minds. A human can not be full if not embrace this two, and in this two the spiritual growing of it’s being.
The word, the song, it’s one of the most powerful magic that human being has, it can change the world, it can change our world, if we let them.


“Fourth, a connection with the past" I find History as one of my passions, I firmly believe that we can’t understand our present, not making our future, if we don’t know about our past, that as individuals, and as a community. In every story, tale, myth, we can find the old ways, a voice that our ancestors, the ancestors of humankind, are speaking to us, they are teaching us so we can learn about the good and bad things that in their time passed. This lore, is how, we will be talking to our grandchildren in the future, and it’s a connection that has not to be broken.

"Fifth, a sense of early Celtic cosmology" as I say in a previous post, this is a very important topic that differentiates the Celtic Path from all other pagan path, and I dare to say, from all the other religions in the world. There were not dualities (good-evil, goddess-god, ying-yang) nor cosmologies of four, the four elements, were something that Celtic lore had not. And even directions, they add a fifth one, but actually they where three; since they were pairs north & south, east & west and from the union of this two pairs, it rise a new one, the centre. This triality it’s somehow difficult to understand for a modern point of view, and It gave me a lot to think about, and still does. Also the celtic virtues "strength, truth and generosity” These three virtues are really wonderful lore to me. In strength I find the motor that our will needs to walk in our journey of life.

Strength is not only of body, is not about having great muscles, is about our spirit, our mind, and yes also our body. We have strength of spirit when we open it to love, when we make our will strong enough to fight the problems, when we make it strong enough to be tender with others.

Truth, truth is a basic pillar of our lives, we need to speak with the truth, fill our tongues of it, not to make harm, nor to boast nor to flattery. And always in the search of knowledge, we also are seeking for the Truth, even if sometimes it goes apart in our journey, we must try to find it again.

Generosity, that is a value that as society have loose a lot, we need to recover it, it’s to share, to share our knowledge, to share our feelings, to help the one who needs and wants help, if every man think about it in this world, a lot of thing will change.

"Sixth, I think that inclusiveness is important" We must learn that we are in the same boat, we are just part of the same planet. There’s a lot of time wasting in finding our differences, than in finding our common ground. I like to consider myself as a world citizen, and in that, embrace a love for all.

"Seventh, respect for women" Respect for women or people who have different sexual preference of the ones we hold it's very important, we can no longer believe that there is a gender that is better or superior that the other, nor that certain "normal" preferences are just the right ones.

"Ninth, personal responsibility" Honour and responsibility, that are the basics of the sense of self. We must honour our omens, our dreams, our words. And also take full responsibility of our actions, there’s a need to be aware that every action we make affects the others, affects everything as a whole, it can affect another human being, or any part of the nature. If we are aware of that, and think twice, we’ll see that we have responsibility for ourselves.


So this small reflections I share with you, so they’ll be shared around the world, and hopefully give some clues, some little lights to others, finding their own paths.