What is a Druid?
Searles
searles@summerlands.com
Mon Nov 29 23:34:46 1999
I answered a survey that was posted on another net service and thoughtit would be a good topic of discussion here as well:*p*1) What IS a druid?*p*A Druid is a person who has experienced a rebirth of the spirit to the point that they realize that they've lived before in many times and places. This re-establishment of their spiritual connection to themselves allows them to connect more fully to the spirit that exists within everything.  Along with the increased spiritual connection, there is also a realization that the ego must be transcended and the mind disciplined. This discipline of the mind is manifested in several ways: increased memory capabilities, a better perception of truth, a more cosmic perception of reality. The work of a Druid is to uphold the truth of cosmic order, to preserve the traditions of the people and to foster harmony within Nature.*p*2) Do Druids work magik? If so, do the use any tools? (i.e. wands,*br*swords, rag-dirks, etc.)*p*Druidic magic is called Draíocht.  Druids use wands, staffs, herbs, draughts and knives (of all sorts) in their work. They also use symbols and effigies. They also use nothing and everything in their magic as is appropriate to getting the job done. Magic is a form of spiritual energy that is directed by *will* and worked according to the laws of creation.*p*3) What is the ultimate value of druidism?*p*The ultimate value of Druidism is that it fosters truth in reality.*p*4) Is druidism a religion? If so, how does it differ from other*br*religions?*p*Druidism is a religion and a way of life. It differs from other religions in that it is the religion that serves the Celtic people. It also has been long associated with esoteric wisdom that is worked for the general good (as opposed to other forms of magic). Druidism is also the art that the gods of the Celtic people were said to have mastered.  The Dagda (father of the gods) is the God of Druids.*p*5) Were druids sought out to be burned at the stake like witchs?*p*Druids were not burned at the stake as Druids or Witches.  Some may have been burned as heretics, since any science or art that was not acknowledged to be in the Bible was considered a reason to persecute a person during the so-called "Burning Times."  Hundreds of Druids were slaughtered by the Romans in 61 CE by troops commanded by Sueltonius Paulinius at Anglesly or Mon. It is thought that some Druids may have chosen to die the "threefold death" in order to more fully work magic against their enemies in the spirit world.*p*6) What role do druids play in today's society?*p*In today's society, Druids minister to small groups of Pagan and Celtic folk.  They write books and treatises on magic, religion and philosophy.  They conduct rituals and other special rites to allow individual spirit to realize a connection to other spirits in the *Three Worlds* (Land, Sea, Sky).  Druids also help to protect people who have run afoul of spirits that are destructive to their lives.  In short, Druids do much the same things that priesthoods in other religions do for their own people, tribes and congregations.*p*7) Where do the druids live today? Are they limited to Europe?*p*Druids today live all over the world but most often they live within their spiritual connection to everything.  Many are found in Europe and America.  Some are found in Australia and other countries.  Mainly, they are found in areas that have been settled by people of Celtic descent.*p*8) Are druids somehow different from other people?*p*Druids are as different from other people as other people are different from one another.  That is to say, that Druids are people like everyone else, though they may well have been awakened to more of reality than most. Everyone has the potential to be a Druid. Once a person has had the second birth experience of becoming a Druid, the clarity of their existence is expanded beyond ordinary reality.  This means that they may behave strangely at times, since they are experiencing a wider range of sensory inputs and spiritual stimuli.*p*Searles O'Dubhain*br*