Re: Recognizing Druids
1 X 2 Willows

Mon Oct 26 16:39:00 1998
TopazOwl wrote,*br*:*br*:      First, I'm not so sure that the ancients held quite the *br*: same *kind* of reverence for the earth as the people in *br*: today's "earth religions" do...but that is another *br*: topic for another time. Let's just say it had a different *br*: flavor. :-)*p*Check! - Although I tend to overdo that myself sometimes, this expression was intended to underline the polemic of my statement. (I do *that* too, once in a while - with pleasure no less...) *p*: [....] If you don't have the knowledge base, if you aren't *br*: familiar with the symbols and archetypes of the Celtic *br*: cultures (if a Raven comes to you and you have no idea what *br*: she means in a *Celtic* context, for instance, but you do *br*: have a New Age definition, well, you might misinterpret the *br*: sign, eh?)^[....]*p*I might most definitely - Now *this* is a point that I flat out don't get completely at the moment - I have to ask you to elaborate, unless my following words will shine a light on the details in this case.*p*I feel like you are implying that my definition of 'A Ruadh' is not a correct one according to acknowledged interpretation. I *do* have believed my sources to be reliable, especially since I've gotten what I've taken as an approval from within the circle that I call my spiritual home nowadays.*p*: I have a problem with the "self-proclaimed" as well.*br*: I said elsewhere and I'm sure you read it, your *br*: *community* has to honor you with the title before you can *br*: go telling people you're a Druid. And if one is not doing *br*: all those things for one's people that the ancients did, can *br*: one really think that one deserves to have that ancient *br*: title bestowed upon them? It is the epitome of arrogance to *br*: bestow that title upon oneself, IMO. Doesn't a person have *br*: to be accepted by his/her peers to be a Druid? I mean, you *br*: can call youself a Druid, but if no other respected Druid *br*: recognizes you as such, are you a Druid? *p*Nothing but unrestricted approval here - I sure hope you've never taken my tirade at this 'other place' as an attempt of one self-proclaimed to silence another self-proclaimed... *p*: I could learn all my life (and I will!) and still not *br*: know everything there is to know about being a Druid. It *br*: really irks me when some upstart gives himself on a whim an *br*: instant title that others of us have struggled and studied *br*: and worked for for years and years and *know* we still *br*: haven't even touched the tip of the iceburg. What then the *br*: value of the term?*p*This is exactly why I might try not to start a habit in using certain terms, yet I don't regret at all having done so *once*.*br*I'll keep on looking for the best to me available sources to develop and maintain the best possible accuracy in *what* I'll be saying on Celtic subjects in the future, but there just is this drive in me to guard and protect the life, spirit and honor of my own - verbally as physically - and I do wonder at this point, what the closest equivalent to my personality might have been within the social garment of our ancestors and what they have been called.*p*I know just *one* thing for sure...*br*At least in *this* lifetime, I'll never be a Druid.*br*(but I sure could name a few, who are on the way to stamp out the smallest of doubts that they are - in my opinion) ;-)*p*Leigh, Feashar Math!*br*(-hope I didn't do anything silly now to spoil it...) :-)*br*Dan
Re: Recognizing Druids
TopazOwl
234
Mon Oct 26 09:50:58 1998