Do you think Driuds should expand?

[flar7]

should druids and druidism stick with the tried and true, or should
they incorporate or expand with the times?

Use your own words and terms to decide what you may mean by
yes or no.

example.... "No, progress is polution.....druids shouldnt expand by
way of using progress and tech."


that was an example and not my opinion. I feel that druids need
to expand, and broaden their horizons and views to encompass
more people. Or else risk fading away from neglect and prejudices.

[Hamelyn]

I vote yea, heartily yea!

See, I have this thing about path names. For example, I only mind Wiccans saying that theirs is an ancient path if they also acknowledge that their path is a new one based upon ancient teachings. I do think that nature is timeless, despite the various changes worked upon it, and that a druidic path can easily expand and adapt with the times without being overly polluted. The world, I should think, can handle Her protectors knowing the territory and ways of its sometimes adversaries and sometimes children. It would also make people appreciate their connection more when they sense it; this is one reason that forces of nature retain their magnificence, I think. People have almost desensetized themselves to things like it and then it's like taking off a glove... they're much more sensative to it, and that can make things awkward. A druid who's adapted to the times could be present to ease this nervousness from fear to appreciation, while retaining the respect.

Lots of reasons to adapt, not the least of which we're adaptable critters, and to not take advantage of this, in my mind, is to spit in the faces of our... um. I'd say creators but I'm hesitant to use that word...

[Starlock]

Yes I think the time has come for the druidic faith to revive many old customs and form new once.


I think it is time we moved on and looked at sharing our teachings with our bothers and sisters of the faith.

We need to put things into writing but in ways that open only those minds who are meant to understand.

For to long we have hiden in the shadows, crying and moruning what was lost, We should have stood our ground and fought on the shores of the Isle of Mann, instead of be sluaghterd becuase we sould not use our skills to cuase harm.

I do not belive in harming others of course not, but I do not agree with lieing down and dying on the spot ether.

We are at a point in our history not only as pagans but has the human species where the tides of the the ancicets are once again hitting the shores of this world, many old brothers and sisters have returned to complete the task that has been going on for longer than anyone can remember. The time to awaken is now the time to forgive and to put aside the grief of the past is NOW.

Look around you the ways of the new are crumbling into ruin, and the hordes no longer look to Isreal as the home of thier God, they look inside them, inside thier blood looking for an answer that has been waiting for them since the begin of time.

We must stop being senile and wake up to the fact that over 1800 years have past and the world is totally differant in as many ways as it is not.

We are one speices we are one race, we are brothers and sisters of the faith, there are many ways Druidism and for that matter pagism that need to change.

One big factor is the changing the perception that we are devil worshippers, yes many have stimulated that idea of time to get them to leave us alone, but we must start to share the truth and our understanding with the rest of humanity. yes many will refuse to listen, but look around you, our brothers and sisters are being reborn everywhere and tides of the past are once again hitting the shores of time, it can not and will not be stoped.

(sorry about that rant and rave i am only new here :) )

[Sid]

I dont think its a question of should we expand, but HOW or WHEN. Change is inevitable, it's in the nature of a human to change, either from boredom, fault, curiosity, or to further ones own existence (im sure there are other reasons but im not putting my whole mind on this). Druidism is definetely different from the way it was 1800 years ago, and alot bigger, so we've obviously been doing something right in enhancing the faith. I think it's kind of like Trial and Error, what doesnt work isnt accepted by the whole; what does work is incorporated and can only better our situation. If you want to take druidism in a slightly different path, or even with a big difference, than go for it, maybe it will become accepted as a commonality among all of us in 50 years. I admit that there are people out there who wouldnt agree with me, druids and christians and jews or whatever, maybe they'd even try pushing us a little harder, criticizing us a little more, maybe as a whole, mainstream religion would become our antithesis, because im sure that the majority of people in the world, as open-minded as the individual can be, will always fear what they dont understand as a whole......im totally off topic here. Anyway maybe im wrong and we wont be anything bigger than what we are because of our liberal views and practices, people need an assurance that there is pure evil and pure good out there, and they dont want to believe that there is neither, or that nobody can tell them that but themselves. We need someone to tell us that what we are doing is good is all im sayin, and without that notion, most will be turned off. kinda like im worried that im not sayin somethin that any of you would accept

[flar7]

ah.......but do you think in changing and expanding that certain
"old" ways should be retired? If they no longer serve a function
other than "rote?"

[Sid]

old ways have been retired in the past. just as an example, and there may have been only one account of it being voluntary, but nobody has made human sacrifice in quite a long time...i hope, and nobody has had to go through training to be one for a quarter of their lives.

[TwilightWolf]

As a whole when speaking to many pagans a very large majority of them i have spoken to either claim Wicca or just Pagan, one of things that I believe should be done to improve the druidic path is to bring more information about it to the acess of the general public, and I am not talking about another "New age" book to be added to the already overloaded sections in the bookstores, unfortunately much of what I have seen and I have seen very little relating to Druidism or even Shamanism has been pretty lies designed to sell a book or very small glimpses of the truth. I hate to admit it but I believe very few American publishers would actually publish the "truth" not the social niceties that sell books.

Twilight Wolf - Midnight Raven
Kisen Farsere

[keelyoherne]

I believe that yes, Druids should expand with the times...

However, I still feel that the histories, customs and philosophies of old should be taught, to give those studying Druidry an insight to why and where the beliefs came from.

Why do I feel this way? Because when I first 'came out of the broom closet' I started by studying Wicca, and learning about its holy days and rituals. It is only when I started studying Druidry and delving in to the whys of what was celebrated that I could give substance to what I was doing. It just seemed like so much fluff beforehand.

Expand with the times? Absolutely. You don't think the Gods stay stagnant, do you? :D

Keely

[Maggie]

Originally posted by keelyoherne
I believe that yes, Druids should expand with the times...

However, I still feel that the histories, customs and philosophies of old should be taught, to give those studying Druidry an insight to why and where the beliefs came from.


Keely

Any religion has to change and expand with the times, or it ceases to have any meaning for contemporary society. I do agree with Keely here--there has to be some way of anchoring current beliefs with the past they came from--or there is no point in calling it druidism. Simply call it something new and go on from there.

Maggie

[Twig]

Yes, YEs, YES!!!!!!!!

Hasn't it been proven throughout history that those that do not change, do not evolve, do not ADAPT, are left BEHIND?

We use customs and rituals that are rooted in PRE-history... the Bronze age specifically. And yet we are in the 21st century with telecommunications and the "NOW" generation.
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There is another place that I dwell on the web. There, we speak of "The Fourth Age of Druidry". That is where we are today in my opinion.
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:evilway: My (online) time is limited so, we will leave that for a time in the near future as I am getting my internet connection back by the end of the year!!!!!!!:nonono: :nonono: :nonono:

I Love you All! Thanks for your patience and watching this little grove while I'm away. Especially you Flar!

Peace,
Twig
:elf:

[RavinAlex]

I think in some ways Druid should adapt but in other ways keep to the old ways. Druids are loyal to their ways and in some cases we should leave it to the old ways but also adapt to the new world around us.