Are there any Druids out there?

[Richard_Ovate]

Hi all, I'm new to the site. Are there many Druids on here? Thanks :-)

[Draenevyre]

What do you define "Druid" to be?

[Tobi]

I am an hereditary Druid. So I was informed by an Arch-Druid (now deceased) as my great grandfather was of the order of Welsh Druids.
But I follow my own idiosyncratic spiritual path, and spent some time in the past denying it -but not any more.

[Richard_Ovate]

Tobi, sounds interesting. Where in Wales was your grandfather's grove? It maybe the same grove as my mentor's line is from that region.

[Richard_Ovate]

Draenevyre, a Druid undergoes 20 years of training. A main purpose is to make this world a better place by the time they leave it than before they entered into it.

[Tobi]

It was near Oswestry (which technically is "border country" between England and Wales.) I can't remember the actual place he lived now. But there were over 100 Druids at his funeral. My mother kept the newspaper cutting of his funeral...but sadly it is lost now. The house was sold, there was a lot of upheaval when she passed away, and things got lost.

I would certainly like to leave a tiny part of something fine behind in the world....something I have learned perhaps, which may be of use to others, or some little footstep which marked my passing. Just footfalls in the dewy grass of my orchard would do. And a deer who was not afraid to walk where I had walked.

[Richard_Ovate]

Sounds a good model to live your life by. That is a really nice story about your grandfather. You must feel proud. My mentor's grove was based in Carmarthenshire, so not sure if it was the same grove. There was a split 2-3 years ago though in the grove as some traditionalists wanted to remain purely oral, and others in the grove (including my mentor) who felt that written work to read through and discuss enhances the learning. Since then, we have set up our own grove in Derbyshire, which ties in with some of our ancestral Druids that settled here in Celtic times under the pikenii tribe (pikenii is where peaks comes from, meaning the peak district). The pikenii were originally an off-shoot of the brigante too, one of the largest Celtic tribe's in this land.

[Native spirit]

:smile: Wales is a celtic nation along with ireland and scotland where you find the celts you will find the druids,oswestry is near to where i live,the celtic nations and the druids live along the lines of the Native american indians they are very similar


Namaste

[norseman]

:smile: Wales is a celtic nation along with ireland and scotland where you find the celts you will find the druids,oswestry is near to where i live,the celtic nations and the druids live along the lines of the Native american indians they are very similar


Namaste
The largest Celtic Nation was/is England - check out the Brigantes ! They also had the Parisii to the east and the Carvetii to the west plus the south-east corner of Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigantes (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwik i%2FBrigantes)

[Richard_Ovate]

Tobi, forgot to ask, was your grandfather's grove neo / new age, Gorsedd (Christian), Masonic or traditional (oral)? Either way, I think it's great you are continuing on his legacy.

[Richard_Ovate]

Norseman, yeah the Brigante tribe was huge!

[norseman]

Norseman, yeah the Brigante tribe was huge!

Richard, we still use the Brigantes "holy" site, dedicated to Brigantia for festivals

www.sacredbrigantia.com

[Richard_Ovate]

Sounds good. Re the other post to Tobi, what form of Druidism is yours? It's nice to meet others that are like-minded. My view is every tradition or way is as relevant as the others. It is good to see someone honouring such an ancient site too :-)

[Tobi]

Tobi, forgot to ask, was your grandfather's grove neo / new age, Gorsedd (Christian), Masonic or traditional (oral)? Either way, I think it's great you are continuing on his legacy.

I have absolutely no idea! I have never found out enough about him. My father, a rationalist, rarely talked about him, and all there was -was this "curious" (to my mother at least) newspaper cutting. Spiritual matters were simply not discussed. I was considered the "odd one" they often couldn't understand, and they would laugh at (affectionately) for my continuing strange ways. They all had spiritual gifts yet deeply repressed or unrealized. I couldn't repress....yet couldn't fully embrace either until fairly recently.


So, you see -I have never called myself a Druid! I never called myself particularly anything, and neither did anyone else. I did no formal studies in Hermeticism, received no formal training or education in those things, but followed an intuitional path, and still do, which isn't called anything. It may be that I have "the blood" in some way and am slowly awakening to it. I sense I am on a familial "line" in some way only partially-conscious for me, and honour it the best way I can in accordance with my intuition, and as much connection with my Spirit as I can access right now.

By the way -I am extremely fond of Derbyshire. And didn't know those things about that magical place! Thanks for the info.!

[Richard_Ovate]

Yes I had a similar experience with my family, although my father has allowed me to just be me without pressure, and my nanna has a very open approach to life, which has helped me. I like that you have found that connection, and likewise not placed yourself under any label. In my tradition, titles are few and only represent and indicate the aspect of knowledge that is being learnt. But I am like you with names and titles. Everything is always based on feeling. So how old are you now? How long has it taken you to realise where you feel you fit?

I've also been thinking, and your grandfather may have been a Masonic Druid, especially given the number who attended his funeral.

[Tobi]

Yes I had a similar experience with my family, although my father has allowed me to just be me without pressure, and my nanna has a very open approach to life, which has helped me. I like that you have found that connection, and likewise not placed yourself under any label. In my tradition, titles are few and only represent and indicate the aspect of knowledge that is being learnt. But I am like you with names and titles. Everything is always based on feeling. So how old are you now? How long has it taken you to realise where you feel you fit?

I've also been thinking, and your grandfather may have been a Masonic Druid, especially given the number who attended his funeral.

It is possible -yes. I am 60 next month, so although I don't know his date of birth, and can't remember the date of the newspaper cutting or his death now, (he was my father's grandfather)..this was a little way back in time! I'm sorry the cutting was lost. I kept it for a time during the 80's, then gave it back to my mother, and she put it back in the wooden box where old family photos went. After her death there were some practical upheavals, and many things I never saw again.
Although no-one in my family was an actual Freemason as far as I know, I gather Masonic Druidism is a completely different thing to Freemasonry...? I will have to read up on it!

Where I feel I fit...? haha, not so easy to answer that one. It's a process I think, of uncovering....piece by piece...maybe rather like a spiritual treasure-hunt. I fit right where I am now. A very simple life, with no trappings, and following a tiny light based on spiritual first-principles. I don't think I shall ever have a final "eureka" moment -until maybe after my passing...and even that won't be final.

[Richard_Ovate]

Sounds interesting. Masonic Druidism is based in Freemasonry, so the two are mainly closely associated. I maybe wrong with the Masonic side. Was it either Kington, Norton, Knighton, Knuckless and Pressdean (hope I've spelt the latter two right!?) where his funeral was held? If so these areas are strongly associated with Masonic Druidism.

I know what you mean about your own feelings. Sometimes you have to just go with where your feelings take you. 60 is a good age :-)

[Tobi]

I can honestly not remember which town/village my great grandfather lived in. Only that it was "Oswestry". It could, in fact, have been actually in Oswestry itself....and I wish I could clearly recall what it said on the newspaper cutting, but I can't. My father always used to say his folks came "from Oswestry". No other village names as far as I know....but I don't know why I always assumed it must have been near Oswestry rather than the town itself....

60....yep, like good wine, age does us no harm!! haha!

[Richard_Ovate]

Sounds interesting, and I hope you find out what tradition your grandfather was from Tobi, as it's such a great thing. It's so true wine gets better with age!! :-)