Priesthoods & Colors

[Mairwen]

In Gwyddonic Tradition, once a Priest is Third Degree, he may then choose to study in one of the Priesthood Schools (or all three) ~ those being Druid, Ovate (Vatis) and Bard. Our Tradition has a "color scale" associated with these. For those of you in a traditional setting, do you have such associations or have heard of/seen such elsewhere?

[Maggie]

Originally posted by Mairwen
In Gwyddonic Tradition, once a Priest is Third Degree, he may then choose to study in one of the Priesthood Schools (or all three) ~ those being Druid, Ovate (Vatis) and Bard. Our Tradition has a "color scale" associated with these. For those of you in a traditional setting, do you have such associations or have heard of/seen such elsewhere?

The ADF is actually dedicated to Indo European religions, there aren't any colors formally within the ADF. Those I have heard of using colors usually go back to those detailed in Irish writings. I don't know if OBOD uses a formal system--any members here?

Maggie

[Mairwen]

Our colors follow the ROY G BIV pattern:

Druid ~ red, orange, yellow (orange is the primary color)
Ovate ~ yellow, green, blue (green is the primary color)
Bard ~ blue, indigo, violet (indigo is the primary color)

A Thrice Master (someone completing all three schools) would have the color "grey".

[Maggie]

Originally posted by Mairwen
Our colors follow the ROY G BIV pattern:

Druid ~ red, orange, yellow (orange is the primary color)
Ovate ~ yellow, green, blue (green is the primary color)
Bard ~ blue, indigo, violet (indigo is the primary color)

A Thrice Master (someone completing all three schools) would have the color "grey".

Is there any meaning to the colors chosen (that you can explain)?

Are all three classes considered equal or is there a progression?

Regards,

Maggie

[Mairwen]

They're all equal ~ and therefore very intertwined; it's hard to study one without studying all of them. :D

As for the color attributions, I'll brb. I'd have to look.

[Maggie]

Originally posted by Mairwen
They're all equal ~ and therefore very intertwined; it's hard to study one without studying all of them. :D

As for the color attributions, I'll brb. I'd have to look.

I'd think they'd have to be interwtwined, none of them function in isolation. I'd be in the ovates, I think. What kind of course of study do they have (again, if you can explain).

I'd appreciate hearing the color contributions, I'm curious! :D

Regards,

Maggie

[Mairwen]

Druid Fire
Ovate Earth
Bard Water
Thrice Master Air

~~

When I read this, I thought, DUH!

[Mairwen]

a) Druid Ritual making, unions, laying of foundations, laying of boundaries, religious and secular law and administration, philosophy, anthropological study, sociology, linguistics and teaching.

b) Ovate Divinations, forecasting of patterns, the finding of special places, the forecasting of the tides of time (best days or periods of time), forecasting of life patterns (thus Astrology as well), healing (herbal and other) and natural science and medicine, mental health and counseling, the “Mysteries”.

c) Bard Composition and performance of songs, stories, poems, dances, plays, and the study of all Arts and Crafts, the history and record-keeping of the Order, libraries, archival studies, language arts.


The three Priesthoods have been described as such:

Father, Mother, and Child
Knowledge, Life (egg), and Creativity

and

Pattern Makers (ritualist, Arm of the Law, progenitor), Pattern Readers (diviner, Oracle of the Goddess), and Pattern Breakers (the new which cares not for what has been—only for its new creation).

[Maggie]

Originally posted by Mairwen
a) Druid Ritual making, unions, laying of foundations, laying of boundaries, religious and secular law and administration, philosophy, anthropological study, sociology, linguistics and teaching.

b) Ovate Divinations, forecasting of patterns, the finding of special places, the forecasting of the tides of time (best days or periods of time), forecasting of life patterns (thus Astrology as well), healing (herbal and other) and natural science and medicine, mental health and counseling, the “Mysteries”.

c) Bard Composition and performance of songs, stories, poems, dances, plays, and the study of all Arts and Crafts, the history and record-keeping of the Order, libraries, archival studies, language arts.


The three Priesthoods have been described as such:

Father, Mother, and Child
Knowledge, Life (egg), and Creativity

and

Pattern Makers (ritualist, Arm of the Law, progenitor), Pattern Readers (diviner, Oracle of the Goddess), and Pattern Breakers (the new which cares not for what has been—only for its new creation).

Yup, absolutely the Ovates! Does your tradtion have a web page.

And the duh!--it was obvious once you listed them out! :D

Regards,

Maggie

[Mairwen]

As it so happens, I just revamped the pages thisweek. :D

http://pagan.drak.net/gwyddon :p

[ladyrowan]

Originally posted by Mairwen
In Gwyddonic Tradition, once a Priest is Third Degree, he may then choose to study in one of the Priesthood Schools (or all three) ~ those being Druid, Ovate (Vatis) and Bard. Our Tradition has a "color scale" associated with these. For those of you in a traditional setting, do you have such associations or have heard of/seen such elsewhere?


Just thought i'd tell you how it works here...

In the British Druid Order, and The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, training is in 3 levels and starts as a Bard, moving on to Ovate then finally Druid. It usually takes about 3 years to progress to Druid.

I've never heard of each grade having it's own colours. we don't in our grove, or other groves that i know, but some others might.
One grove near me expects everyone to wear white robes, but that seems a bit too 'formal' for me.

We usually meet in the woods, so it would be totally impractical for us anyway!

Bright Blessings

[Mairwen]

I've never heard of each grade having it's own colours.

In Gwyddon Tradition, Druid/Bard/Vatis is what you can choose to become after you pass testing for Third Degree. Druid/Bard/Vatis aren't grades ~ they're Priesthood Schools.

[Persephone]

Mairwen - wonderful site! I'm off to explore more, thanks for the link!

[Diane]

I have been studying the OBOD course for 6 years and am an Ovate.Many people take longer than three years to become a full Druid as they study complementary paths at the same time.However each grade is self contained and one grade is not supposed to be regarded as "Higher" than the others.Bards are artists and musicians,Ovates Healers and diviners,Druids teachers and philosophers.Bards wear a blue tabard over their basic white robe,Ovates wear a green tabard over it and Full druids wear all white.I attended a grove for 6 years and we didn't always "robe up" I personally don't like dressing up in the robe and tabard as I feel too like a Catholic Priest!I do my own thing as do many Druids.Occasionally its is dramatic when all wear white for a group ritual.Sometimes people say "Oh but REAL Druids wore Plaid".to which I reply that we are not a historical re-enactment group!Christians do not walk around dressed as citizens of Roman Occupied Jerusalem in 1AD.For many Druids robes express their individual creativity as channelled and expanded through the awen.Blessings rom under the Holly tree .Diane

[Twig]

I think the traditional is as outlined thus

Ovate =Green The color of the new sprout and renewal.

Bard =Blue The color of the sky.

Druid =White The color of purity. [Note- I would think a full druid could choose any color they wanted! The main effect being to impress the tribe or person of their "station" as a druid]

Hope that helps!
Peace,
Twig
:elf:

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by Persephone
Mairwen - wonderful site! I'm off to explore more, thanks for the link!

Thank you. ;)

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by Twig
I think the traditional is as outlined thus

That's really interesting. But why would one want or need to "impress" anyone?

[Twig]

Being a highly superstious people [remember, we're talking the early iron age] the "finery" that accompanied the station would have been varied due to the large area that they were in sway.

By all means, I see them in a regular brown cloak with working clothes on for most occassions.:)

The point I'm attempting to make is that for ceramonial use, I [personally] see them in more than just the "gold trimmed white robe". The visual effect to the common tribesman would be more dramatic and potent.

[Sighs hard] But dangit! We just don't know.:(

Peace!:D
Twig
:elf:

[Mairwen]

I'm sorry. I just don't get this "impression" bit. In my Tradition, we're taught that everything comes from Oneness ~ we're all made up of the One that is All, so therefore, nothing and no one can be any more or any less the One. The "impression" thing sounds totally egotistical.

Anyway, that's not what I started this thread for. I was talking about priesthood colors, and they're nothing to do with impressing anybody. It's about energy resonance.