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By Jaguar
One of the neat features to have emerged from the worlds of the Internet and BBS's is the advent of graphical symbols and abbreviations which help to explain the writer's intentions. I have found these to be both charming and tremendously useful, so I have included a list of my favorites below. Expect to see them scattered throughout my articles ;-)
By Fox
This is the second in a two-part series discussing SLG's cosmology.
With the gates opened and secured we begin to invite our honored guests from near and far. This begins with the Nature Spirits. These spirits are actually two different kinds of beings, the Spirits of Nature and the Sidhe (pronounced 'shee'). By calling out to the first of these we are striving to connect with the spirit shadows of our sacred land and its inhabitants. These shadows are very near and intimately connected to every animal, plant, stone, and stream. Through the simultaneous connection with the realm of the physical land and its spiritual reflection, we throw ourselves directly into the flow and pulse of life within and around us. We reinforce our realization of the complex interrelationships of our ecological community and pay our respects to the creatures that share our lives, provide our sustenance, and bring us wisdom through living example.
The Sidhe, on the other hand, are the purely otherworldly entities that cross the boundary into our realm. They may inhabit a place for some time, appearing as entirely physical. These beings have been seen in the past as Brownies, Sprites, Dwarves, Elves, Fairies, and other strange apparitions. They are often dangerously mischievous and are wisely avoided. The are usually distinguished from Gods by their relatively limited powers in our realm. Some of the Sidhe are the diminished Gods of ancient peoples. By this reasoning I fully expect that, as we establish a more intimate relationship with our new homeland, we will increasingly awaken and encounter the old Native American Gods of the area in these forms.
We honor and remember the spirits of our ancestors. These are the spirits of both the newly dead and the long departed. Although they are most often thought of as blood relations, it is also wise to honor those with whom one feels an affinity, regardless of heritage. The honored dead have given us many great blessings of love, life, and wisdom. They are still capable of assisting us in our quest for ways of old and of providing comfort in hard times. They hold they keys to understanding the truly human dramas of life and death. They walk with us, share in our celebrations and lovingly watch over each new generation as we pass the flame of life along.
The nature of the Deities themselves is a complex subject that deserves its own article. There are many different kinds of Deities, some intimately attached to the working of the world and it physical manifestation, and some closely related to human endeavors. Their reality is far greater than our understanding or than simple representations can convey. They are the eldest and wisest of beings. We approach them not from a position of guilt due to some fall from grace but rather seeking connection, with the respectful desire for wisdom and assistance.
The three archetypes, the Providers, Warriors, and Sages, are not necessarily Deities although there are certainly Gods that typify these very human qualities. We call attention to these functions within our society to emphasize their importance and to encourage the growth of these skills within us. They represent the traditional divisions of Indo-European society whose interdependence and reciprocal obligation wove the fabric of our culture into a whole.
The application of this cosmology is providing the basis for our evolving family. Through the regulation and consistent use of these concepts we are constructing a common language of belief and reinforcing our shared view of the nature of reality. The spiritual experiences that we continue to share provide personal strength and guidance while building greater bonds between us. These links, working in concert with the spirits around us, are leading us to a bright future of natural, social, and spiritual harmony.
By Sean Eliot Martin
One of the resources that may be commonly overlooked by Druids and other practitioners of ancient or esoteric arts is the use of martial arts to enhance psychic or magickal ability. Probably every culture throughout history has had its own martial arts. From the fighting arts of the ancient Chinese to West European wrestling and fencing to the South American art of Bando*, cultures have always sought to better utilize the powers of their own minds and bodies for defense and health. Though the Celtic fighting styles, like most of the culture, have been lost, the martial arts of Asia have remained remarkably well intact over centuries. Though they are not a part of the Druidic heritage that we seek to reclaim, I feel that certain substitutions must be made in order to reach a more complete concept of our own Druidism. In past ages, many types of martial arts were reserved only for special priest or warrior classes, and it was very common for certain martial arts to be connected with superhuman or magickal powers. In modern culture, we can see this in films about the Shao Lin monks or Ninja, as they fly across the screen, disappearing into the night, leaping over walls, or even casting spells. This is not really very far from the depiction of certain martial artists in their own time. The martial arts of Asia have probably always had a certain mystic connection, and an emphasis not only on efficient fighting but also on mental and spiritual health and strength. The addition of the study of martial arts to a mystic study program of any kind has the potential to add a new dimension to the student's health and personal power.
*Webmaster's addendum: Jay (chaotic@ma.ultranet.com) sent in this comment: "Bando is incorrectly referred to as a South American martial art. Bando comes from Burma (Myannamar), with its roots in India, China, and Tibet."
On a very basic level, the martial arts bring a higher level of safety to those who study them. This includes not only an ability to defend one's self or others from human attackers, but also the ability to resist personal accidental injury due to falls, sprains, twists, etc. Due to the flexibility, agility and falling techniques taught in many martial arts, injuries tend to decrease in general (just ask a student of Judo or Aikido who has slipped on a patch of ice or tripped walking down a flight of steps how valuable falling training is). The effect of this, psychologically, can be greater personal confidence and a greater feeling of well-being in a potentially hazardous world. On the group level, ceremonies and members may be much more comfortable for members if they know that they are with a few individuals who are able to safely and efficiently take care of any problems that might arise due to uninvited or unruly guests. There is a peace of mind that can come to both the martial artist and friends with the knowledge that this environment is somewhat more under control and certain types of disruptions or emergencies are prepared for.
One of the most important benefits of martial arts education for members of the Neo-Druidic community is simple movement awareness. The goal of many martial arts is stated as being, at least in part, the unification or harmony of mind and body through physical and mental discipline, regulated dietary practices, meditation, etc. The spiritual implications of this goal are obvious. One a more practical level, the unification of mind and body means a more comfortable relationship between thought and motion; grace, balance, and dexterity or movement. Study of the martial arts allows for the development of a repertoire of motion; a vocabulary of movement language. For the purposes of ceremony, this means that physical motion is relaxed and natural. The speaker of incantations, blessings or dismissals can enhance her words with natural and meaningful motion, without the distraction of self-consciousness or uncertainty of grace and accuracy of movement. With natural motion to accompany the spoken words, the ritual may take on an entirely new energy, which is not artificial or forced.
One of the ways that this movement awareness may be most fully utilized is in theatrical ritual. For the purpose of bringing more intensity and energy into public and private rituals, martial arts can greatly add to theatrical possibilities. A group of members who have trained together and worked to choreograph a magickal presentation will be able to act out myths and legends or cosmological personifications safely and dramatically. The retelling of legends that involve combat, dances that involve leaping or falling, and rituals that involve choreographed movements may be carried through more effectively by a group of individuals who have trained together with one or more martial arts. The distance awareness that comes with training in most martial arts can help in avoiding accidental contact during combat sequences, and the over-all feel for moving with another person with grace of form can be similar to that of dance, but with a slightly different focus of movements. Tastes vary, but some may find a retelling of the battle between Cuchulain and the men of Connacht to be much more inspiring when accompanied by members in masks and costumes fighting dynamically to pounding drums than another long, motionless reading.
Apart from these uses, there are many very direct applications of martial arts for magickal and psychic practice. Many martial arts include teaching of important techniques and concepts not directly related to self-defense or physical safety. These areas of study can be profoundly helpful to practitioners of psychic or magickal arts. Areas of study included in martial arts programs that may be particularly interesting to Neo-Druids include (but are, of course, not limited to): deep breathing, meditation, self-hypnosis. Yoga, energy direction, Chi manipulation, natural and holistic healing, mythology, and various forms of spiritual philosophy. For example, I personally use bowing forms from Aikido, salutes used in the Chinese martial arts, and breathing and meditation techniques found in several martial arts, to prepare myself mentally and physically for any kind of ritual activity. For many individuals, martial arts are their first contact with these disciplines.
In creating our own Druidism, we must be able to fill in certain aspects of our practices where no historical counterparts can be found. The Celts, being the great warriors that they were, surely had some kind of systematized fighting art but it, like so many other parts of their culture, cannot be rediscovered. In the well-preserved martial arts of Asia, we may be able to find a fitting substitute for the lost Celtic arts, in order to fulfill our need for a tradition of harmony between mind and body. If enough interest is shown, we may eventually work together to develop our own Neo-Druidic martial art, based on various existing martial arts and the culture and cosmology of the ancient Celts, which would bring us a step closer to completing the circle of our new Druidic culture.
By Jaguar
In this age of information superhighways, it seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and making use of these new technologies to further their causes. There are ample opportunities for us as Druidic Pagans to do the same, especially considering that our 'official' stance is to be cautiously technophilic. In the spirit of being technophilic, this is an announcement of the *NEW* TechnoDruids' Guild! In the spirit of being cautious, its scope is initially narrow, but will grow as time, resources and imagination flow.
Technology, as defined in 'TechnoDruids', currently refers primarily to computers, and to information - its capture, storage, analysis, and dissemination. Later, it would be valuable (in our humble opinions) to increase the scope of this group to include discussions on technology in the broader sense - that is, who can we as Pagans most appropriately discover, harness and promote Pagan- and Earth-friendly technologies to enhance both our organization and our personal lives. This might include topics as diverse as the support of alternative energy research and inventing innovative ways of connecting geographically distant students attending the American College of Druidism.
Many of the thoughts above are dreams for the future. Once item needs to be clarified right up front though: our intent in forming this Guild is neither to control nor hinder communication, but rather to enhance its flow among ADF members, the Pagan community, and the world at large.
To begin, this Guild has three MAIN objectives:
In other words, if anyone has questions about computers or ADF, they could come to us for answers, or at least for information on who else to ask. In addition, we would act as the library for all files that anyone within ADF would like to distribute, as the ArchDruid has requested. We would also like to have everyone's e-mail address, at least those who have and are willing to share them, collected and made available to anyone who would like to communicate via this medium.
There is another dimension to this issue as well. One of our co-founders, Jaguar, was recently appointed Chief Electronic Information Officer for ADF. It is currently unclear what sort of relationship this office will have to the Guild. Obviously, there should be some sort of communication between them, but what sort of tasks would remain with the Guild and what would become the specific on-going responsibilities of the CEIO has yet to be determined. Jaguar is currently doing some of the stuff listed in the second item above, but would love to see the whole activity better organized.
So, does anything here spark your interest? Would you like to help as ADF expands into a larger role on the electronic frontier? If so, then please contact us. We would love to have your ideas, and most importantly some of your time <grin>. If you would like to volunteer to help with the definition of the Guild, with some of the outlined tasks, or have other ideas for new directions in which to take it, please let us know. If you will be at WellSpring, please look us up - we'd love to chat.
Until then, NET SURF'S UP!!!!
To get involved, please contact:
Jaguar
c/o
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-5585
Internet: Kitjaguar@aol.com
Elric
862 Main Street
Dickson City, PA 18519-1530
Internet: lyork@delphi.com
This is part three of a quest story by Kami Landy. One more will follow.
By Kami Landy
Long and long she walked. She saw many people whose names she knew, and many more whose names she did not know. Wherever she went, she spoke to those she met of the Earth and her loving power. Some, hearing, began to remember the peace they had once shared with their neighbors. Everyone was happy to help the girl. She covered hills and valleys, marsh and desert and woods. She skirted mountains and jumped over canyons. The fish carried her across lakes, the snake showed her tunnels, the frog led her safely through swamps, the bear and the horse carried her, and many creatures offered her food. That was the way of her traveling.
In time she came to a thicket near a desert. It was a small, dense thicket filled with berry bushes. Each berry seemed to stand out clearly, as if outlined in light. The whole patch shimmered with a heat haze, but the girl became more and more determined to taste this thorn-wrapped treat.
As she began to wade forward into the thicket, the heat increased with each step, beating her almost angrily, until it became quite unbearable. All around her she heard crackling and roaring, hissing and moaning. As she looked about, she saw a great, writhing, red and orange column rising just beyond the berry bushes, reaching toward them. Terrified, she clutched at her fainting resolve and cried: "What are you, whose voice is that of madness and whose heat is that of the noonday sun?"
"Fssst, I am Fire! I sear and burn all before me, eating the ground bare. All who know me fear me! Run, you cannot outrun me. Hide, I will find you. I lay bare your soul in my harsh light. Like the bushes, you will be fuel for my fury. I am Fire!"
"Fire, I am not afraid of you! I speak for the Earth, the Water nurtures me, and I will drown you!"
But the fire began to burn ever more fiercely, devouring all the brambles around it and hungrily reaching toward the Earth's daughter, to swallow and destroy the one who dared defy him in that place.
Then the girl dug a trench in the bare ground all around the fire, lining it with stones. The fire cackled and said, "You cannot stop me!"
But the child kept working. She caught water from a nearby stream in a drum-jar and poured it into the trench. Soon the fire was entirely surrounded. He had no more fuel on which to feed and grow, nor could he cross the water. The girl continued to dip and pour water, now within the trench. The fire began to weaken and sputter around his edges. At last he knew he was beaten. He gathered himself in and said: "Alright, help me out of this damp and hungry prison and I will no more hinder you. You speak for the Earth, the water bathes you, and I, too, will aid you with power and purifying truth."
So she took dust and ashes and covered all around the shrunken fire to hem him in and preserve his warmth, saying: "There, now you will be safe until the water goes down. When the water is gone, you can cross over wood chips and other scraps to the other side of the ditch."
The fire was satisfied with this. While they waited, the girl brought dried wood and dead brambles to feed the fire, who kept her warm and cheerful. Feeling quite relieved to be safe from the water, the fire sang and whistled. From time to time he threw out a tongue and at last he found a particular stone. Calling the child over to it, he said: "Take this stone and carry it with you. Whenever you have need of me for warmth or light or protection, strike it against a harder stone or metal. It will make a spark to bring me if there is wood or bark to give me fuel."
Then the girl put the flint in her sack and continued on her journey. So many were the people she met that to tell you about them would take longer than the journey. All who met her listened to her for she was sweet and gentle, yet bore the power of the fire.
(to be continued)
By John Gibson
This ritual is intended to be done when there is lots of fog in your area. This Ritual and prayer is to bring you closer to Manannan Mac Lir, Keeper of the Mist, Ruler of Tir Na nOg, and keeper of the Well of Wisdom. Personally, when I have done it, I have felt strangely drawn into the mists as if the Ancestors were calling me into them to join them. Someday I might go ahead and go, but as of yet I haven't. If at all possible, try to do this ritual in a place with trees and open land. I have done it outside my home but my home is too connected to this world. I have done it in a park, and the effects are much, much cleaner and crisper there.
Items needed:
First thing to do is to feel the mists around you. Alert your senses to it. Remember that the Mists are an Inbetween area, not sky, not water. Get your bearings, realize that you are in an Inbetween state. At this time you should be wearing your robe.
Becoming aware of the Center of the Three Realms
The next thing to do is become aware of the three realms: Land, Sea, and Sky.
Hold the object with the Triskele firmly in your hand and do the following:
Bend down and touch the ground, and say
"I stand firmly upon
the land."
Stand up and hold your arms out to the sides
"The sea
surrounds me."
Bring your arms over your head and finally say
"The sky
spreads itself above me."
Bring your hands down over your heart and say
"I acknowledge
the three realms."
Acknowledging the Mists:
Take the staff and pound it on the ground three times. Take the staff and hold it straight out from your body (like it is an extension of your arms) and turn around three times (counter clockwise) as if you were cutting the mists in half. Bring the staff up and wave it over your head three times. (These movements acknowledge the three realms. Hitting the ground with the staff gives it contact with land, cutting the mists gives it contact with water, and waving it over your head gives contact with the air.)
Next, face North (the direction of the four cities, and the place that the Tuatha de Danna came from). Take the staff and draw a double spiral in the air, and say the following words:
"Manannan Mac Lir, Lord of the Mist, Ruler of Tir na mBean, Keeper of the double gate of the otherworld, I am here seeking knowledge of the mists and the otherworlds. I come bringing sacrifices for the Land Spirits. I come in complete awareness and in harmony with the three realms. Watch over me as I travel the mists, keep me from harm as I travel here in the Inbetween. Grant me, oh Manannan, the gift of knowledge from the well which is yours to protect, from which the five rivers flow, into which the nuts of knowledge drop, in which swim the salmon of knowledge."
"I acknowledge the shroud of the mists,
The mists that
protect the otherworld
The otherworld where the Well of Wisdom lies
The Well of Wisdom that contains all knowledge
Knowledge,
which is the key to our lives
Our lives that are in service to the
Gods
The Gods that live in the otherworld
The otherworld that
is protected by the mists
I acknowledge the shroud of the mists."
Take the sacrifice, break it into several parts and then put them on the ground as a sacrifice to the land spirits.
At this point, the formal part of the ritual is over. What I will do then is begin walking throughout the park or the place I am, seeking the mists, and becoming familiar with how different the land is when the mists come and envelop it. When I am about to leave the place I am, I then end with a prayer to the Gods and Goddesses of the Tuatha De Danann to keep me safe as I travel the mists back to my world.
© January 1994, John K. Gibson. Acknowledgments: I want to thank Taine Bwca and Erryn Darkstar for their help and direction. Much of this ritual comes from what they have taught me.
From Gourmet Magazine 12/91
In a kettle, cook onion in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add carrots, ginger, and cinnamon, and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add broth, bring mixture to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.
In a blender or food processor, puree the mixture in batches, transferring it to the kettle as it is pureed. Add sherry and cream. Bring soup to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper, and garnish with parsley.
Makes about 4 1/2 cups.
The association of eggs with fertility, resurrection, and hence Spring is a fairly obvious one, possibly arising independently in many areas, but the use of colored eggs is more puzzling. The earliest known association of colored eggs with Spring is the Chinese custom of exchanging red eggs, first recorded in 900 BCE. Indo-Europeans also ate colored eggs at Spring festivals, suggesting either strong cross-cultural exchange or a very early origin. In Northumbria in northern England, egg-rolling contests are held around Easter. Children gather at the tops of steep hills to roll colored hard-boiled eggs. The winner is the one whose egg rolls the farthest without breaking.
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48106-5585
Phone: (313) 480-2082
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