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.