(no subject)
I've got a Druidry question or three...
I was curious to find out more about modern neopagan druidry, and since the two easiest groups to join in the UK at the time were OBOD and the BDO, I did the first year of the OBOD course. It was good, and I recommend it to people who are interested in that direction, but it wasn't exactly what I was after. This was partly because they (very sensibly) made it entry-level, so that members of the public with no prior experience could get into meditations on initiation, the elements, etc - I'd covered this from a Wiccan perspective, and didn't find much to challenge me (although I like the differences in approach).
While I realise that for many years in the last few centuries Druidry was Christianised and filled a role similar to Masonry, and that before that the information is quite rare, I'm wondering if anyone can help me on a few things:
1) The mystical concepts and tools the original Druids used. Any books to recommend on solid historical info? Is it just largely unknown?
2) Some modern Druidic organisations put emphasis on mystical concepts to different amounts, eg: some place differing importance on a Horned God, the Sun, the Awen, Goddess or other things. Is there a fixed definition of what deities/practices make up modern neo-pagan druidry? Because at this point it's looking almost as if Wicca is MORE coherent between most of it's paths, and that's scary.
3) I'm all for increasing my skills in poetry, inspiration, communion with nature, etc, but I want to know if any organisations (who accept applications from the UK) have "inner court" material that goes beyond "you can celebrate it however you like". I'm not asking for the details, just if anyone can point out an application-friendly order who definitely have this! I spend enough time discovering myself and know the Cerridwen/Taliesin myth quite well enough, now I'd like some concepts that are a bit more concrete.
Anyone had very good experiences with groups or correspondence courses? None of the above is negative towards OBOD, by the way - I'm just looking around the community and can't tell from the descriptions if I'm going to get what I want from the next group. Any links to forums that discuss neo-pagan Druidic life/philosophy/practice (and that people have found useful) would be appreciated too.
Not that I'm asking for a lot, or anything :)
I was curious to find out more about modern neopagan druidry, and since the two easiest groups to join in the UK at the time were OBOD and the BDO, I did the first year of the OBOD course. It was good, and I recommend it to people who are interested in that direction, but it wasn't exactly what I was after. This was partly because they (very sensibly) made it entry-level, so that members of the public with no prior experience could get into meditations on initiation, the elements, etc - I'd covered this from a Wiccan perspective, and didn't find much to challenge me (although I like the differences in approach).
While I realise that for many years in the last few centuries Druidry was Christianised and filled a role similar to Masonry, and that before that the information is quite rare, I'm wondering if anyone can help me on a few things:
1) The mystical concepts and tools the original Druids used. Any books to recommend on solid historical info? Is it just largely unknown?
2) Some modern Druidic organisations put emphasis on mystical concepts to different amounts, eg: some place differing importance on a Horned God, the Sun, the Awen, Goddess or other things. Is there a fixed definition of what deities/practices make up modern neo-pagan druidry? Because at this point it's looking almost as if Wicca is MORE coherent between most of it's paths, and that's scary.
3) I'm all for increasing my skills in poetry, inspiration, communion with nature, etc, but I want to know if any organisations (who accept applications from the UK) have "inner court" material that goes beyond "you can celebrate it however you like". I'm not asking for the details, just if anyone can point out an application-friendly order who definitely have this! I spend enough time discovering myself and know the Cerridwen/Taliesin myth quite well enough, now I'd like some concepts that are a bit more concrete.
Anyone had very good experiences with groups or correspondence courses? None of the above is negative towards OBOD, by the way - I'm just looking around the community and can't tell from the descriptions if I'm going to get what I want from the next group. Any links to forums that discuss neo-pagan Druidic life/philosophy/practice (and that people have found useful) would be appreciated too.
Not that I'm asking for a lot, or anything :)