The Growth of Drai/ocht and the Community It Serves
Searles O'Dubhain
searles@summerlands.com
Sun Mar 26 11:26:14 2000
How can we promote a growth in Drai/ocht without evangelizing?*p*This question is being discussed on a newsgroup for Druids, but I think *br*it can be more deeply discussed within our own group.*p*Perhaps we could/should be more public with our information? *p*Perhaps we can participate in more communication between us? *p*Perhaps we can encourage and buy more books about Druid ways? *p*Perhaps we can become involved within a more visible presence *br*of Druid groups in each community? *p*I shudder to think of Druids going door too door in *visitations.* OTOH I am*br*concerned about even an Oak should it never see the light of day or a grove*br*in which to grow.*p*This will probably be misinterpreted but I think that Druidic groups should*br*attract new members only on the initiative of individual seekers alone.*br*This is because I consider that we are more of a priesthood and/or a group*br*of specialists in what we do than an actual community or congregation of*br*worshippers.  Druids of old served their communities through being priests,*br*judges, historians, scientists, seers, poets, healers, philosophers and*br*teachers.  They received their special training from other Druids within*br*Druidic schools for those who came to seek knowledge.  In The Summerlands,*br*we are working toward establishing such a school for those who seek*br*knowledge in these ways for themselves and their own people. It is only*br*through education, skill and wisdom that Druids will be found or recognized*br*in their communities. I see the role of Druidic schools as being similar to*br*universities *and* regulating organizations such as IEEE, AMA and ABA (in*br*the U.S.).In their service to the community, Druids should be much like*br*engineers,doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, pastors and priests are in today's*br*world.*p*In the world of the past, Druids existed only within Celtic communities.  In*br*the world of the present, I see Druids as being necessary to serve the*br*Celtic Pagan communities that have been born out of a variety of sources.*br*Some of these sources are communities of people who embrace a Celtic*br*culture. They will need religious and spiritual leaders who embrace and*br*epitomize that culture. Other such communities are Celtic Wiccans who need*br*such leaders of a Druidic bent among them to balance the message that Wiccan*br*provides. It is not lost on me that Celtic Wicca attempts to be a*br*replacement for Drai/ocht in many venues.  This is one reason why there is*br*confusion as to what the difference is between the two. Actual Witchcraft*br*among the Celtic people was quite different from how Wicca presents itself*br*(which is as a feminine oriented order of Druids IMO). Witchcraft was*br*separated from normal community life while Drai/ocht was considered an*br*essential ordered part of the life of the community. IMO Celtic Neo-Pagans*br*and Wiccans are actually a gathering of people who are attracted to what*br*used to be called Drai/ocht (when it was a part of the community). It is*br*essential that the  traditions that these communities attempt to embrace be*br*based upon accurate information about the cultures that spawned them.  It is*br*also necessary that the training that is presented and provided for them*br*clearly serve a high standard of truth.*p*In short, I feel that those people who have a thirst and appetite for the*br*three forms of knowledge, as well as truth, will naturally be attracted to*br*Drai/ocht where they find it in their quests.  Our job as Druids is to build*br*and maintain the Wells of Wisdom and the Cauldrons of Regeneration that will*br*fill these needs among those who are called.  It's not enough to possess*br*spirit and imbas, one must also truthfully maintain tradition, accurately*br*perceive and experience the world around us, and critically and fairly*br*question the value of new ideas and approaches to life.  Synchronizing and*br*integrating these three forms of knowledge together with the knowledge of*br*imbas is the job and the calling of Druids in every community. It is in the*br*nature of Druids to follow the ways of Nature in our growth and our*br*outreach.  So it is that we will grow as a tree grows and that together we*br*will form groves and forests to sustain the life of the world while seeking*br*the truth that exists around it.*p*Searles*p**br*