Re: The Growth of Drai/ocht and the Community It Serves BlueDreams Sun Mar 26 15:11:36 2000 Greetings, this subject came up recently and I felt like commenting. I was asked where I found 'this stuff';after I stopped laughing at the disgusted tone of voice, I said 'It found me'. And in a way it did, starting with a study of the Wiccan Crafts I came across the book, 'The 21 Lessons of Merlin', I liked Monroe's work and read with interest. He ventured to say that the female branch of Druidism had survived in some form through modern day Wicca, I was intrigued. I had felt that there was more to this than the spells and the tools inherent to the craft of Wicca. When once upon this path I knew it was the one for me. More and more I learn that which explains the unknown, that which gives everything it's place, even the darkest of nature, and that which gives me back the responsibility to tend to my affairs with an eye, not on heavenly hope or threat of hell, but rather, on the basic human need to do good for goodness' sake, because it is right. Enough rambling, my purpose for the post is to comment that I personally 'spread the word', if you will, by openly and freely discussing it with others. It does cause some to yearn to cross themselves, but it is not those of which I'm concerned. There are many of my Wiccan friends that seek more than spell casting and gothic clothing and these tend to listen in fascination and ask most intellegent questions. There have been those who have turned to studying the Druid ways of Old as a result and those who prefer the easier path of Wicca. I feel it my duty to speak of the Goddess on every opportunity, even if it is only by singing a tune under my breath or pointing out flowers to my neighbor. In this way I spread the word. Door to door, now that is funny! I can see it with my minds eye, people scattering from before us as we come down the street chanting, lol. Thanks for the post Searles. The Goddess calls her own and these will need teachers. May we all serve her well! Elayne (Blue)*p**br*Searles O'Dubhain wrote,*br*: How can we promote a growth in Drai/ocht without *br*: evangelizing?*br*:*br*: This question is being discussed on a newsgroup for Druids, *br*: but I think *br*: it can be more deeply discussed within our own group.*br*:*br*: Perhaps we could/should be more public with our information? *br*: *br*:*br*: Perhaps we can participate in more communication between us? *br*: *br*:*br*: Perhaps we can encourage and buy more books about Druid *br*: ways? *br*:*br*: Perhaps we can become involved within a more visible *br*: presence *br*: of Druid groups in each community? *br*:*br*: I shudder to think of Druids going door too door in *br*: *visitations.* OTOH I am*br*: concerned about even an Oak should it never see the light of *br*: day or a grove*br*: in which to grow.*br*:*br*: This will probably be misinterpreted but I think that *br*: Druidic groups should*br*: attract new members only on the initiative of individual *br*: seekers alone.*br*: This is because I consider that we are more of a priesthood *br*: and/or a group*br*: of specialists in what we do than an actual community or *br*: congregation of*br*: worshippers. Druids of old served their communities through *br*: being priests,*br*: judges, historians, scientists, seers, poets, healers, *br*: philosophers and*br*: teachers. They received their special training from other *br*: Druids within*br*: Druidic schools for those who came to seek knowledge. In *br*: The Summerlands,*br*: we are working toward establishing such a school for those *br*: who seek*br*: knowledge in these ways for themselves and their own people. *br*: It is only*br*: through education, skill and wisdom that Druids will be *br*: found or recognized*br*: in their communities. I see the role of Druidic schools as *br*: being similar to*br*: universities *and* regulating organizations such as IEEE, *br*: AMA and ABA (in*br*: the U.S.).In their service to the community, Druids should *br*: be much like*br*: engineers,doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, pastors and priests *br*: are in today's*br*: world.*br*:*br*: In the world of the past, Druids existed only within Celtic *br*: communities. In*br*: the world of the present, I see Druids as being necessary to *br*: serve the*br*: Celtic Pagan communities that have been born out of a *br*: variety of sources.*br*: Some of these sources are communities of people who embrace *br*: a Celtic*br*: culture. They will need religious and spiritual leaders who *br*: embrace and*br*: epitomize that culture. Other such communities are Celtic *br*: Wiccans who need*br*: such leaders of a Druidic bent among them to balance the *br*: message that Wiccan*br*: provides. It is not lost on me that Celtic Wicca attempts to *br*: be a*br*: replacement for Drai/ocht in many venues. This is one *br*: reason why there is*br*: confusion as to what the difference is between the two. *br*: Actual Witchcraft*br*: among the Celtic people was quite different from how Wicca *br*: presents itself*br*: (which is as a feminine oriented order of Druids IMO). *br*: Witchcraft was*br*: separated from normal community life while Drai/ocht was *br*: considered an*br*: essential ordered part of the life of the community. IMO *br*: Celtic Neo-Pagans*br*: and Wiccans are actually a gathering of people who are *br*: attracted to what*br*: used to be called Drai/ocht (when it was a part of the *br*: community). It is*br*: essential that the traditions that these communities *br*: attempt to embrace be*br*: based upon accurate information about the cultures that *br*: spawned them. It is*br*: also necessary that the training that is presented and *br*: provided for them*br*: clearly serve a high standard of truth.*br*:*br*: In short, I feel that those people who have a thirst and *br*: appetite for the*br*: three forms of knowledge, as well as truth, will naturally *br*: be attracted to*br*: Drai/ocht where they find it in their quests. Our job as *br*: Druids is to build*br*: and maintain the Wells of Wisdom and the Cauldrons of *br*: Regeneration that will*br*: fill these needs among those who are called. It's not *br*: enough to possess*br*: spirit and imbas, one must also truthfully maintain *br*: tradition, accurately*br*: perceive and experience the world around us, and critically *br*: and fairly*br*: question the value of new ideas and approaches to life. *br*: Synchronizing and*br*: integrating these three forms of knowledge together with the *br*: knowledge of*br*: imbas is the job and the calling of Druids in every *br*: community. It is in the*br*: nature of Druids to follow the ways of Nature in our growth *br*: and our*br*: outreach. So it is that we will grow as a tree grows and *br*: that together we*br*: will form groves and forests to sustain the life of the *br*: world while seeking*br*: the truth that exists around it.*br*:*br*: Searles*br*:*br*: *br* The Growth of Drai/ocht and the Community It Serves Searles O'Dubhain 587 Sun Mar 26 11:26:14 2000