Druid Thoughts: Beyond Novicehood

April 3, 2013 By 5 Comments
Druidry and the Ancestors

When you start out as a Pagan, or as a follower of any Pagan path, it’s not difficult to find reading material, both online and in the form of books. While some of that can be contradictory and confusing, on the whole getting started is not that difficult these days. Then comes a point when the books start to feel a bit samey, you run continually into the same references. Yet another rough guide to the Wheel of the Year. Yet another quick list of standard deities. You may at this point start … [Read more...]

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Druid Thoughts: Who Polices the Druids?

March 20, 2013 By 18 Comments
agora-hypatia

I’ve worked as a volunteer for several UK Pagan and Druid organisations over the years, which has brought me into contact with ‘witch wars’ and other forms of conflict. When things go wrong, we in the Pagan community look for someone to sort it out – which is natural. We seem to assume, especially with Druidry, that there is some kind of hierarchy that ought to be doing something. This blog is by way of a public information service broadcast, to explain how things work. Or … [Read more...]

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Druid Thoughts: Introvert, Extrovert, Druid

February 11, 2013 By 1 Comment
The Introvert B3, by h.koppdelaney

Over at my regular blog, I’ve been contemplating the place of the Druid as someone who undertakes to have a foot in both camps, wherever there are two things that seem in opposition to each other. My initial theme was of nature and civilization, but the issues of introvert and extrovert working certainly come into play here too. (Read here if you want to see where I’ve already been with this.) There is a service aspect to Druidry – as a ritual celebrant, teacher, or bard, a fair amount … [Read more...]

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Druid Thoughts: The Influence of Story

January 30, 2013 By 4 Comments
The Storyteller, by Eddi Van W.

The vast majority of us will never read a book detailing the laws of the land we inhabit. Most of us will not study sociology or anthropology, either. Citizenship is on the syllabus for teenagers in the UK, but this is a relatively new thing. The norm and regulations that hold our cultures together are not formally taught, for the greater part. Social etiquette, expectation and the nuances of human interaction will never be part of those citizenship classes, either. We learn a great deal by … [Read more...]

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Druid Thoughts: Innate Paganism

January 2, 2013 By 1 Comment
hibernating_dormouse

I’ve long believed in the idea of innate Paganism. It goes like this. The realities of life – the weather, seasons, agricultural cycle, and landscape – they all impact us, if we’re paying any kind of attention. When we respond to those things, we often end up doing the same things that other people do – it’s not like there are an infinite number of potential responses. Get to the cold, dark time of the year and a desire for warm fires and a bit of colour is pretty natural. Get the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Columns, Druid Thoughts, Nature, Religion Tagged With: , , , , , , 1 Comment