New Topics!!!!!!

[Twig]

We need 'em! Come on all you neophyte and scholorly types alike. My brain is fried from the recent heat wave we've had here in Oregon :crazy: so help me out. This is YOUR forum after all so, what's on your mind:confused:

Let us crank up the level of this meager little group of wonderful souls and show that druidry is a force to be reckoned with! 8O

Peace!
Twig
:elf:

[widukind]

Hi All,

Do you think games like Dungeons and Dragons which have the Druid class affect the way people think about us? And is this for the better?

[widukind]

Hi !

I just thought I'd elaborate... in the Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook there's this description of a druid.

" The fury of a storm, the gentle strength of the morning sun, the cunning of the fox, the power of the bear - all these and more are at the druid's command. The druid, however, claims no mastery over nature. That claim, she says, is the empty boast of a city dweller. The druid gains her power nog by ruling nature but by being one with it. To trespassers in a druid's sacred grove, to those who feel the druid's wrath, the distinction is overly fine.

...

Druids, in keeping with nature's ultimate indifference, must maintain at least some measure of dispassion. As such, they must be neutral in some way, if not true neutral. Just as nature encompasses dichotomies of life and death, beauty and horror, peace and violence, so two druids can manifest different or even opposite alignments ( neutral good and neutral evil, for instance ) and still be part of the druid tradition.

Druids revere nature and gain magical power from the forces of nature itself or from a nature deity. They usually pursue a mystic spirituality of transcedent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity. Still, some of them revere or at least respect either Obad-Hai, god of nature, or Ehlonna, goddess of the woodlands.

Though their organisation is invisible to most outsiders, who consider druids to be loners, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. A prospective druid is inducted into this society through secret rituals including tests that not all survive. Only after achieving some level of competence is the druid allowed to strike out on her own.

All druids are nominally members of the druidic society, though some are so isolated that they have never seen high-ranking members or participated in druidic gatherings. Still, all druids recognise eachother as brothers and sisters. Like true creatures of the wilderness, however, druids sometimes compete with or even prey on each other.

A druid may be expected to perform services for higher-ranking druids, though proper payment is expected for those assignments. Likewise, a lower-ranking druid may appeal for aid from her higher-ranking brethren, for a fair price in coin or service.

Druids may live in small towns but always spend a good portion of their time in wild areas. Even large cities otherwise surrounded by cultivated land as far as the eye can see often have druid groves nearby - small, wild refuges where druids live and which they protect fiercely. Near coastal cities, the refuge is often a nearby island, where druids can find the isolation they need."

Where the dots are I left out information vital to the roleplaying game, but not to this thread...

Reactions are welcome... :p

Brightest Blessings!

Widukind

[Daniel]

Originally posted by widukind
Hi !
" The fury of a storm, the gentle strength of the morning sun, the cunning of the fox, the power of the bear - all these and more are at the druid's command. The druid, however, claims no mastery over nature. That claim, she says, is the empty boast of a city dweller. The druid gains her power not by ruling nature but by being one with it. To trespassers in a druid's sacred grove, to those who feel the druid's wrath, the distinction is overly fine.


Strikes me as relatively accurate thus far. One certainly can't manipulate or use that which one is not part of or connected to.


Druids, in keeping with nature's ultimate indifference, must maintain at least some measure of dispassion. As such, they must be neutral in some way, if not true neutral. Just as nature encompasses dichotomies of life and death, beauty and horror, peace and violence, so two druids can manifest different or even opposite alignments ( neutral good and neutral evil, for instance ) and still be part of the druid tradition.


To be honest, I'm not seeing much that I don't like yet. I believe it is the lot of the Druid to recognize that there are no 'colors' to magic to begin with, and that one can do just as much evil through the use of 'white' (meaning life, I suppose) magic as one can through the use of 'black' (meaning death, I suppose) magic. As such, neither is good or evil.

At the same time, I do think that it is also the Druid's lot to be just, even while taking to a more ... balanced view of the world. I believe it is the lot of every human being to be just. You can certainly persue this condition any number of ways, but the end result must be the same.


Druids revere nature and gain magical power from the forces of nature itself or from a nature deity. They usually pursue a mystic spirituality of transcedent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity. Still, some of them revere or at least respect either Obad-Hai, god of nature, or Ehlonna, goddess of the woodlands.


My understanding is that Druids believe there is one divine force, not necessarily with personality, from which the gods and goddesses are manifested by the faith of their followers. If I am correct, then they wouldn't stick to nature dieties.


Though their organisation is invisible to most outsiders, who consider druids to be loners, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. A prospective druid is inducted into this society through secret rituals including tests that not all survive. Only after achieving some level of competence is the druid allowed to strike out on her own.


I'll buy the secretive bit. One saying I'm fond of recalling states that you'll never find a Druid if you go looking for one. As for the rest, I wouldn't know. I haven't sought official membership anywhere.


All druids are nominally members of the druidic society, though some are so isolated that they have never seen high-ranking members or participated in druidic gatherings. Still, all druids recognise eachother as brothers and sisters. Like true creatures of the wilderness, however, druids sometimes compete with or even prey on each other.


Again, I'll brush past the organizational hoodoo, and say that the last part of this paragraph is entirely true. It's not that I've found a lot of Druids who behave in this manner, but I've met a few. A few, as far as I'm concerned, being a number that is far too high.


Druids may live in small towns but always spend a good portion of their time in wild areas. Even large cities otherwise surrounded by cultivated land as far as the eye can see often have druid groves nearby - small, wild refuges where druids live and which they protect fiercely. Near coastal cities, the refuge is often a nearby island, where druids can find the isolation they need."


This, in my case, is entirely true. I hate the city, and it's the only downside to visiting my lady love when I have the chance. The lights are too bright, the stars never show up, and things are far too compressed, too close-knit. I don't have enough space to breathe. Given the choice between a life of riches in the city and having just enough in the middle of nowhere, I'll take door number two any day of the week.

[widukind]

So I guess you have no problem with the roleplay aspect of Dungeons and Dragons and how it represents Druids. Great!

I myself also hate the city's light pollution. I want to be able to see the stars, hear natural sounds, and, much like the description says, spend a few moments in nature's isolation.

Glad someone finally replied to this thread... :D

Brightest Blessings,

Widukind

[Maggie]

Originally posted by widukind

Druids revere nature and gain magical power from the forces of nature itself or from a nature deity. They usually pursue a mystic spirituality of transcedent union with nature rather than devotion to a divine entity. Still, some of them revere or at least respect either Obad-Hai, god of nature, or Ehlonna, goddess of the woodlands.

If a druid also considers him/herself a celtic pagan, there is a definite pantheon, and not a 'mystic spirituality'.......

Though their organisation is invisible to most outsiders, who consider druids to be loners, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. A prospective druid is inducted into this society through secret rituals including tests that not all survive. Only after achieving some level of competence is the druid allowed to strike out on her own.

Historically, the druids were an integral part of the society they belonged to, and while borders may not have mattered within that society, they most definitely did recognize borders when it came to outsiders.

Druids may live in small towns but always spend a good portion of their time in wild areas. Even large cities otherwise surrounded by cultivated land as far as the eye can see often have druid groves nearby - small, wild refuges where druids live and which they protect fiercely. Near coastal cities, the refuge is often a nearby island, where druids can find the isolation they need."

As I noted earlier, druids were a part of society, and while they may have had certain sacred places (Anglesley, for instance) their function and purpose was a part of the society they lived in and they did not separare themselves from it.

[oldways51]

hi every one
i have been into the old ways all my life but have not followed any path but then yesterday while visting glastonbury i purchased
the book of druidry by ross nichols .iam only forty pages into it but i have found my path after 33yrs of looking iam home .

[Mairwen]

Congratulations! And Welcome Home! (as they say)

Is it true what they say about Glastonbury? Is it the same in person?

[oldways51]

merry meet
yes it is when you first see the tor it takes your breath away for two reason one it takes about half an hour to walkup to it and two it the tor as well as the tor there are some great wicca/pagan /new age stores in the village below the tor if you ever come to england you have to visit it .
bye for now may the gods of old watch over you and your family

[ladyrowan]

MM Oldways, and everyone

I had a very similar experience myself last year, but my book was 'The Principles of Druidry' by Emma Restall Orr.
I was given it by my sister, who has been a druid for many years, and the only druid i knew until last year.
Although i've always been pagan, she kept telling me I was a druid too, but I've always considered her a little 'odd' (nothing to do with her being a druid, i hasten to add, lol!) and didn't think i could possibly be like her. Wrong!

Everything seemed to fit, and i thought i was the only one living my life like that. I am now becoming odder day by day (just kidding!) Joined a Grove on Midsummers Day, beautiful ritual, wonderful day, and like you, i now feel at home.

Not been to Glastonbury for a few years, but visit Stonehenge at least once a year, and am going to Avebury for Lammas this year - see you there?

Blessings
ladyrowan