What was Druidry?

 The Druids were the educated elite of what is now called the “Celtic” race. The ancient Druids consisted of three “castes”, or divisions – Bards, Ovates and Druids.

The Bard learned all of the tales of the chieftain’s victories and the secret lore of sacred poetry. A Bard was an honoured member of the Tribe who was welcome wherever he or she travelled – in a way they were the newspapers of the day. We know from ancient poetry that the Bardic/Ovate crossover was not so defined, and that the Bards were also Shamans. They were trained in the Art of Magic using the power of poetry in either praise or satire. Their Lore supplied the foundation to the religious and magical practice of Druidry, telling the nature of the Gods, the deeds of the Ancestors and the sacred places of the land. Through the power of the sacred word, expressed through poetry, storytelling and song, they invoked the blessings of the Spirit of Place, and of the Gods and ancestors of the people.

The caste known as Bards had their own Shamanic practices, but it may be that some Bards blended their creative skills with those of the Ovates (or Vates). These were the prophets and seers. They worked with the three realms of past, present and future and entered into trance states, foreseeing the future fortunes of the Tribe. The Ovate was the Druid Shaman.

The third ‘caste’ was the Druid. Much of what we know about the ancient Druids comes from classical writers, and it might be that ‘Druid’ was a collective term that included the Bards and Ovates, we simply don’t know for sure, but either way we do know that they were highly respected members of the tribe – the wise one who had passed through madness and survived. This brought great wisdom and peace; the Druid’s role was therefore that of advisor, teacher and judge. In Celtic mythology tribal chieftains each had their Druid to whom they turned for advice during times of need...read more>>>...

The Concept Of A True Shamanic Experience

The concept of a true Shamanic initiation is probably the hardest spiritual process to be understood fully. The recent influx of New Age ideology that Shamans can be created by courses and workshops is poppy cock!

True Shamans are born, not created by day or week workshops. A Shaman cannot initiate other Shamans, instead a fellow a Shaman will recognise that another has been chosen or has been born a Shaman, and then will assist with the spiritual unfolding.

The primary teaching happens through the spirits of the ancestors with spirit provides a commentary for enhanced understanding. My initiation and choosing began when I was perhaps 6 years old, with an Odin/Merlin/Thoth like spirit beginning my training with night after night of astral travels.

A series part of my shamanic training was coming to terms with a full blown Kundalini firing at the tender age of 12! Believe me my initiation has not been an easy pathway, with the looming figure of death standing behind me at every pitch and turn. For true born initiated Shamans, the figure of death shows up as an ever present spirit teacher-guide whom the initiate has to get to know, and eventually integrate with. It is an ongoing relationship.

The definition of a true Shaman Initiation is a simple one: “if the initiatory spirit who has claimed you does not do its best to take you over to the other side with a severe, life threatening sickness shortly after you meet, then you are not a Shaman! My most recent experience was in October 2013 with my life threatening Necrotising Acute Pancreatitis which was complicated with pneumonia, hyperthermia and septicaemia!!! A connection with Odin had occurred two weeks prior to this experience!

The first contact with the Odin/Merlin/Thoth spirit, took the form of a series of psychic experiences, plus a later interrogation by the spirit. My interrogation took place when I was in hospital at 36 having had a serious bowel operation. The spirit appeared in the form of a farmer with two ferocious dogs. One of the dogs attacked me and I ended up having a heart attack followed by delirium and hallucinations brought on by a high dose of opiate pain killers. A classic case of continued shamanic initiation I feel. Which has taken place all the way through my life. Thus I can claim to be a chosen Shaman, not that I truly want this title! - Matthew James

Favourite's Collection #252

Numbers of the UK's Blackbird are declining noticeably; as are Sparrow, Starling, Thrush, Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Chaffinch. In some places, they are so scarce they are now rarely seen. This is very sad, because perhaps a decade ago, these same places were literally teeming with these UK icons.

Blackbird is sacred to the Celts and the Druids and the symbolic meaning of Blackbird speaks of the Great Mystery. His flight beckons the telling of the story of the mystery of the Universe, unfolding as he sings his song. Blackbird teaches that life is a great mystery and we can never know how it will unfold before us.

I managed to capture Blackbird today about five minutes walk from home. I have a number of decent images already in the collection, but I've included this one as I was so pleased to see Blackbird today. 

The Accomplished Art Of Walking Between The Worlds

Being able to navigate the inner planes is an essential trait of someone blessed with 'walking between the worlds'. More often than not the journey begins with a tiny fragment of information - a name; the impression of a place or object.

The advanced skill is to be able to grasp that bit of information like it is a length of string and use it to enter into the inner planes. The information is the guide as to where you are going to venture.

Whether it be to make contact with a lost loved one who is now an inhabitant of the inner planes & other worlds. Or it is to establish a connection with the life path & blue print of a client; in order to offer advice on the cause of a situation, or the outcome of a dilemma.

Being able to enter into the inner planes; navigate those realms of silence, and comprehend where you are heading, and what information you are receiving; is just one part of the process. To then be able to successfully interpret the information and convert it into viable five sensory dialogue is the next part of the process. And that isn't always easy if both processes are happening simultaneously. Part of your awareness is in this limited vibration and another part is out there within the inner planes.

It takes considerable skill to accomplish a successful dialogue that is not only understood by a client; but also is proven to be accurate. Then when the outcome occurs as had been seen with farsight .... it comes as no surprise. 

Heron - Totem Bird of the Day

The Druid’s Sacred Tools

LONG MEG

Metaphysically INC: The first thing to be noted in that regard is that, strictly speaking, no tools of any kind are required to practice Druidic magick. Much could be done by a single Druid in sensory deprivation; everything could be done by a Druid standing naked and unarmed in a field. A small number of tools are commonly used, however, for a few compelling reasons:

Focus, focus, focus. Magickal ritual has been aptly described by any number of authors as “moving meditation.” Just as, in purely mental meditation, one is greatly assisted by the use of an image or a mantra to anchor attention and keep the mind from wandering, so, too, a moving meditation draws strength of focus from physical objects that can fix attention in the same way.

Sacred space and sacred time. While the above aim can be achieved by a focus on, say, specific points on the ground, or specific parts of the body in motion (as when one casts a circle using only one’s fingertips), ritual tools, like ritual clothing, send a powerful signal to the mind that one has stepped outside the flow of everyday activities and undertaken something special and specialized. This is the greater part of what is meant when magicians speak of tools becoming “charged” or “imbued” with energy over the course of years working with them—the more hours one spends with a tool while consciously focused on spiritual work, the more powerful a trigger that tool becomes for putting the mind back into that same state with which it has become unconsciously associated.

Symbol, story, and narrative. The tools in your garage vary by what they move or adjust. The tools on your altar vary by what part of a story they tell. That story differs depending on the magickal tradition; a Druid’s tools tell a slightly different story about how the cosmos is structured, whence a magician draws his or her power, and how the acolyte becomes an adept.

Though Druids of different traditions have slightly different customs, and though various kinds of specialized work may occasion the use of more unusual devices, the three most common items in a Druid’s grove are a wand, a cauldron, and a crane bag...read more>>...

A Shamanic Awareness Of The One

Bowfell, Cumbria - Copyright Matthew James

One of the huge responsibilities of my own ancestral/genetic druid & shamanic tradition is to respect the world around me, and to impress this great awareness on people I come in contact with in my daily life. Without forcing my way of life onto them.

Without the earth plane, and all its wonders, mankind could not flourish as a species. We've disregarded the natural world for too long, and the natural world is attempting to pull our awareness back to our true inherent senses.

We need to remember we are nature, and nature is us. We are not separated from it. Every leaf, every tree, every bird, every rock, every animal ... are part of us, just as we are part of everything we see around us. We are all the same energy, part of the same collective vibration. From the greater picture we are seen as one entity, we have been made to forget this truth by the crazy and unimportant things we have in our lives.

It is important to be aware,in every single waking day, of the air we breathe, the trees and plants that are around us. The birds we see in the trees and in the sky. Nothing is insignificant. Everything is just as unique and important in this existence. We need to admire the world around us and be thankful for its existence.

My tradition involves acknowledging the birds, the trees, the rocks, the animals, the elements and treating them as equal consciousness as my own. Even the keyboard I write with, or the screen I read are just as equal to me as everything else - everything has a degree of awareness and a degree of consciousness. This might seem odd to some who read this, but it is true - all things on this earth plane are created from the same thought forms that hold together this vibration. By respecting this reality you respect the world around you - Matthew James

What was Druidry?

The Druids were the educated elite of what is now called the “Celtic” race. The ancient Druids consisted of three “castes”, or divisions – Bards, Ovates and Druids.

The Bard learned all of the tales of the chieftain’s victories and the secret lore of sacred poetry. A Bard was an honoured member of the Tribe who was welcome wherever he or she travelled – in a way they were the newspapers of the day. We know from ancient poetry that the Bardic/Ovate crossover was not so defined, and that the Bards were also Shamans. They were trained in the Art of Magic using the power of poetry in either praise or satire. Their Lore supplied the foundation to the religious and magical practice of Druidry, telling the nature of the Gods, the deeds of the Ancestors and the sacred places of the land. Through the power of the sacred word, expressed through poetry, storytelling and song, they invoked the blessings of the Spirit of Place, and of the Gods and ancestors of the people.

The caste known as Bards had their own Shamanic practices, but it may be that some Bards blended their creative skills with those of the Ovates (or Vates). These were the prophets and seers. They worked with the three realms of past, present and future and entered into trance states, foreseeing the future fortunes of the Tribe. The Ovate was the Druid Shaman.

The third ‘caste’ was the Druid. Much of what we know about the ancient Druids comes from classical writers, and it might be that ‘Druid’ was a collective term that included the Bards and Ovates, we simply don’t know for sure, but either way we do know that they were highly respected members of the tribe – the wise one who had passed through madness and survived. This brought great wisdom and peace; the Druid’s role was therefore that of advisor, teacher and judge. In Celtic mythology tribal chieftains each had their Druid to whom they turned for advice during times of need...read more>>>...