Meeting Persephone

While addressing and commenting on the "Beliefs of Druidry" was a rather simple process, the "Gifts of Druidry" is a little more difficult. Evaluating beliefs and figuring out whether those things also apply in my own life is rather straight-forward. The gifts, however are more representative of those things that we believe we have gained as a result of being Druid. Because I've been a bit uncertain of calling myself a Druid (not because I don't love Druidry but have been uncertain whether I have the right to apply that title to myself), I'm also uncertain if I can comment directly on how I've received the "Gifts" as a result. Therefore, I think what I will do is try to comment on how Druidry has inspired me and as a result I have aspired to achieve these gifts. I can't think of another way to do this at present and so this is what it will be for now.

1. The first gift is a Philosophy:which emphasizes the sacredness of all life, and our part in the great web of creation. It cares passionately about the preservation and protection of the environment, and offers a worldview, which is ecological, geocentric, pragmatic, idealistic, spiritual and romantic. It does not separate Spirit and Matter - it offers a sensuous spirituality that celebrates physical life.

To once again find the pleasure of seeing a small nest of springtime babies that are evidence of this amazing world we live in IS the gift. To stop with mouth hanging open when witnessing the beauty of the sunset or the moon rising and seeing through all of the hustle and bustle of day to day living IS the gift. To watch an ant making its course from hill to food and back again and appreciating the labor of its day IS the gift. To watch a raindrop land on the leaf of a tree, flow to the edge of that leaf, and then drip off; watching as every vein in that leaf takes just a bit of that water away from the flow and then wondering as autumn sets in which of those leaves it was that had that little drop of rain on it during that spring time shower IS the gift. To observe the speckles in a stone and consider the individual grains and years that it took to form that rock IS the gift. To watch the mother comforting her child and smiling secretly in recognition of the nurturing that I have too felt and knowing that this IS the gift - IS the gift. These things are all around us and the gift IS stopping to acknowledge them. To SEE them again and feel the life around us pulsating in our own veins because we are interconnected through spirit - breathing the same life in and out of our lungs and part of the miraculous cycle that is Nature IS the gift.

1. The second gift puts us back in touch with Nature: with a set of practices that help us feel at one again with Nature, our ancestors, our own bodies, and our sense of Spirit, by working with plants, trees, animals, stones, and ancestral stories. Eight seasonal celebrations help us attune to the natural cycle, and help us to structure our lives through the year, and to develop a sense of community with all living beings.

We live in a time of desperation and I do not want to be desperate. I have been drawn to my path as a result of the Sacredness of Nature - and I do not want to be motivated out of desperation and fear that it's all coming to an end. I want to do right because it is right, not because we have something to gain from it. I want to be aware and move to honour the Earth because It is and we are because It is, not because I think if we do things correctly we should be able to squeeze out a few more years (and save a little cash) and name ourselves triumphant over our "domain". I don't want to be pushed to act out of fear and motivated by reward like a child but to offer some small miniscule part back for all that I am able to feel and witness by just being here for whatever time I have.

1. The third gift brings Healing: with practices that promote healing and rejuvenation, using spiritual and physical methods in a holistic way to promote health and longevity.

The ability to heal others is a gift that I came with. The ability to heal myself is something that I hope to gain as I've not yet managed it. But to be able to take pain away from one who suffers is rewarding in a way that I cannot express and it truly is a gift. I have a great deal more to learn and this is certainly one of those inspirational gifts that I appreciate so much.

1. The fourth gift affirms our life as a Journey: with rites of passage: for the blessing and naming of children, for marriage, for death, and for other times of initiation, when it is helpful to ritually and symbolically mark our passage from one state to another.

Being able to slow down my mind just enough to acknowledge the journey as a gift has indeed been a gift. To no longer feel the need to see all occurrences as just one moment after another that served no purpose other than to be a means to an end has also provided me with such peace. Unfortunately I did not discover this life until so many of these rites of passage had already come and gone but I do ponder the idea of creating new ways to acknowledge those things that are still to come in life even if they are not generally thought of as milestones.

1. The fifth gift opens us to other Realities: with techniques for exploring other states of consciousness, other realities, the Otherworld. Some of these are also used by other spiritual traditions, and include meditation, visualization, shamanic journeying, and the use of ceremony, music, chanting and sweathouses, but they are all grounded in specifically Celtic and Druidic imagery and tradition.

My dream world has given me contact with loved ones who are now gone from this world. How can that be anything other than a gift? Meditation has been the one self healing medium that I've managed to have some success in though I do not credit myself at all in that. And when I've had need for it, I can only see it as a gift. Visualization - I smile because I remember what a role this has played for me and know that it does not come from me but to explain it away is impossible because there are no words that wouldn't make it pale in comparison to the actual experiences and outcomes it has provided me with. I've still not journeyed as I'd explained before in pt. 2 but if and when the time comes I imagine it to be an overwhelmingly powerful experience. Without the peace and comfort that I now feel in my path, NONE of these things would have been possible. So much of those parts of me were stifled and now are very much free for me to explore as well as other spirit to communicate through. A great gift indeed.

1. The sixth gift develops our Potential: Druidry as it is practiced today offers a path of self-development that encourages our creative potential, our psychic and intuitive abilities, and fosters our intellectual and spiritual growth.

This, like the others, is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only in practice but also because of exposure I've been motivated to improve myself, my gifts, and my intellect in ways I had never been inspired to do before. It all seems to have purpose that I could not find wherever I was before.

1. The seventh gift of Druidry is the gift of Magic: it teaches the art of how we can open to the magic of being alive, the art of how we can bring ideas into manifestation, and the art of journeying in quest of wisdom, healing and inspiration.

And here is the culmination of all that is named before it. Not so much a separate gift itself but the request and requirement to acknowledge those gifts and to continue to build on them in a quest to grow in all areas and to become somehow complete - not unto self but as part of the whole.

And so this has been the evaluation of the "Gifts of Druidry" from my point of view. It wasn't easy to figure out a way to describe their influence on me in the same way the beliefs were, but hopefully when I read back through I will be able to make some sense of it all and be that much closer to knowing the answer to my question that started this mission in the first place.

And coming soon - Druidry pt. 4 - Ethics