Some might wonder what being a Druid
means and, more importantly, what being a Druid means to me. Well,
there are a myriad of ways I could explain things, but after much
pondering I decided that the straightest path is sometimes the best way
forward and the simplest words convey the greatest meaning.
So, let me endeavor to explain ...
The path of the druid is a path of not just 'becoming one'
with the natural world, but rather understanding
that one is ever connected to the world in which they live; that they
are an integral part of it. It is knowing that you are as much a being
of nature as the tree, the fields, the animals, etc. There is no
division between 'living' and 'non-living' beings. All things are
alive, and a Druid understands this. Druids were referred to as 'natural philosphers' by the ancient
Greeks and I very much relate to this. As a Druid, I seek to discover
and commune with the sacred by pondering and musing about the mysteries
of nature.
There are an infinite number of interconnections in the natural world
and, as a Druid, I feel drawn to understand and skillfully work with
this 'pattern' so as to enrich myself and, in so doing, enrich the world around me.
As a Druid, I feel that each fragment of creation is part of a larger
design, a pattern of being, which extends unbroken from the Otherworld
to this world. To 'see' the pattern, one need only to glimpse the
interplay of light and shadow in the leaves, the glimmer of sunshine in
the flowing stream, the brilliant flash of lightning in the sky and so
on. The pattern is in constant motion, connecting us to the 'source of all being'.
Though it is the singular force of creation, the source has many
different faces. River and field and forest, bird and fox and horse,
each reveals a different mood of creation; a different aspect. Each is
therefore a symbol of the source. Life is both creator and creation;
the sacred circle. To know this yourself, you need only to sit under a
tree, gently gaze upon the field or the open sky and just 'be'. /|\
'The road goes ever on and on
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow, if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
until it joins some larger way
where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.'
- J.R.R. Tolkien
