A Druid's Promise

By Cara m'Anama Seanchi

What lies within an oath?

What lies within my heart?

It shall manifest in this spoken vow.

I pledge to uphold the virtues that will guide

me to live my life as it was meant to be.

To be kind to my loved ones, my friends and to serve my community.

I pledge to give thanks to my Gods & Goddesses and above all the Earth.

I pay homage to the gift of life and the continued blessings in each breath.

I shall seek the path of the Druids as a member of

Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship 

that illuminates the truths I believe and honors the path of life my soul seeks.

I will continue to deepen my understanding of this path through study, practice,

fellowship and life. To love, learn and live at peace.

Week One- My Personal Religion

After reading several resources and finally getting my meaty paws on the DP manual, I was ready to dive in. I found the introduction to be both information I knew and a learning process. My heart felt at peace and excited for the energy that came from starting the academic side of my new lifestyle. After the summary a few questions were posed one sat heavily on me, not in a negative way, but more the true depth of the meaning of the answer to the question.

"Why have I chosen this path and what would I like to get out of the journey?" 

The choice to have this lifestyle had been made many years ago; I just didn't know how to approach the teachings. In all honesty it is a journey I should have been on all along, but modern teachings of Druidism have just solidified over the last 20 years. I wasn't lost, I just didn't know which path to follow.

I need the changes that a druidistic lifestyle will bring. Namely the inner peace and proper tools to cope with the maddening world around me. I feel under attack constantly by the bitter, jealous, mean and unhappy energy that floods my life due to the people I encounter everyday. I've certainly felt such powerful negative energies before, some times being able to remove myself from them, many times not. But now I step into this overwhelming convergence every day. I need help to not be sucked into the anger and emotional persecution.

I see a more grounded and prosperous personal life as how I will combat these energies. Living a spirituality that is both true to my heart and that I am passionate about will build the barriers of belief and conviction to replenish my soul daily. I cannot change those around me, but I can change how I allow their energy to affect my life. I want to be safe again, safe in my spirituality and in the protection of the Deities of my house.

The feeling of the freedom to start this path, to live this journey, to practice my beliefs as I wish is very liberating. This pah is to better my life and gain the tools needed to live that freedom I have needed for so long. I ask the Gods and Goddesses to give me the strength to open my spirit and heart to learn the lessons they desire me to realize and to do with pride all my heart seeks.

The journey I now embark on will help me continue my quest to constantly love, remember to always dance, and never stop the need to play.

So little time.

I have been reading my little heart out the last couple of months. All the study like resources I could get ahold of to prepare me for the DP. I've completed two that I found on the Druid Network. Much smaller is scope, but still had lessons and "homework". They were primarily an introduction to Druidry. Which was exactly what I needed. The DP is about deepening your personal religion and beliefs, so having a solid foundation of Paganism, Druidry and the history allowed me to jump in feet first to develop my own rich, personally fulfilling spirituality.

I received my Membership Guide and DP program today in the mail. I admittedly jumped ahead, guilty of that often, by downloading the first chapter of the manual and study guide as soon as I could. Since I received my Welcome letter and membership card three days prior, I had done the introduction reading and exercises. I am more then ready emotionally and spiritually to commit to a life of Druid values and to the exercises of the Dedicant program. 

I wrote my oath weeks ago, not knowing there would be a first oath in the program. I had decided on ADF and druid practices early in the year. I had hoped that Ostara (Spring Equinox), would have been my first high day practicing the Druid ways. At that point I wasn't yet a member of ADF, and didn't have the proper rites. But I did have my own thoughts, wishes and convictions.

So I stood before my makeshift shrine and gave thanks to all the Gods and Goddesses, my Ancestors and those spirits that roamed my current home and community. I gave thanks for the breath of life and the chance to be in such an exciting time. I promised that I would make a vow more formally when I could do it "right". That raggedy, all personal, quiet moment was mine. It was my first step into my journey. I then went on to write my oath after those moments of meditation and joy.

I hope to give my oath soon, in the sun, in the hands of the spirits that guide me.

Off and running...

I have been itching to start this blog. I waited because I wanted the entries to be structured to follow my study program in the ADF- Dedicant Program. Then I realized that all the hand written entries I was writing in my journal applied just as much to this journey as the "structured" entries to follow. This is my journey, which can be as unstructured and our of the box as I want it to be. It is me after all, too much structure is a bit out of character. 

I joined ADF to put a path to my spiritual growth. I have studied the Druid ways for some time; but honestly most the information I found was incomplete, a bit too ethereal and simply didn't speak to my soul. I didn't know where to look; I didn't know the difference between academic resources of Druids, opinionated resources of Druidry and some crazy kooks ideas that they called "Druidry". The breakthrough came when I stopped looking for information of Druids, and looked for information of Paganism. 

My research on Pagan cultures started when I was 8 or 9. But it was more information of "non-christian" religions, like those of Egyptian, Greek and Persian cultures. This limited belief on what was pagan came from a very strict Catholic upbringing; actually being grounded from the library; and simply having limited access to information. In hind sight, that limitation can be said for many topics, not just religion. In school, we didn't have access to history books about Predominantly Black Colleges  following slavery, or Japanese business men during World War II. The argument that history is written by the "winner" is topic for another blog. 

I digress...as I started finding more information on Pagan practices, my soul was on fire. My brain danced with each book read; with each article researched. I went to Wiccan friends and had troves of questions; I tried to join Meetup groups to witness rituals; I went to "cult" meetings to gain insight. Most importantly I found what was NOT right for me. Through learning about the many groups that wished to practice modern Paganism I found that most were simply as wrong for my beliefs and feelings as Catholicism was. I went for 15 years without feeling at home. I made many poor choices in my life in general and grew farther and farther away from my spiritual beliefs. I in all essences stopped any type of practices. I didn't pray, I didn't meditate, I didn't fellowship. I was just stumbling through life...lost.

Now that I am standing at the start of the path for this journey, I realize that all my stumbling through the dark was preparing me to not just embark on this journey, but to appreciate all that the journey shall bring to me. It took freeing myself from all the confines of living my life for others. I will now only live for myself, be who I am meant to be, and love life for all that is brings. This is what brought me to ADF.

Ar nDraiocht Fein; A Druid Fellowship- Our own Druidry, is an American Druid order, which history and description can be found here: http://www.adf.org/. This journal (blog) is not about being a cheerleader for ADF or Druidsm; this journal is record my journey, for academic and personal purposes. ADF is right for me because I wanted fellowship, I am not a solitary anything. I like to love, laugh, celebrate, learn, shop, and sleep with others. Even though I enjoy the peace of solitary practices, I wanted the fellowship of those who share core values. Being a Capricorn, I also needed structure. I needed studies, homework, research, academic steps. I always loved school for the simple fact I am happiest when I am learning. Do to life in general, I need my learning to sometimes have structure inorder to not get lost down too many paths. ADF offers a program that provides me that much structure amongst a group of my peers who seek the depth of spiritual practice that I seek. I certainly did not want a group of "like" thinkers. I enjoy the difference of people, class, ethnicity, age, profession, ideas, opinions. The freedom to practice the core values how we see fit is what draws me the most. That freedom of belief system is why I will always be a Druid.

I do hope the future entries will be something more then just my rambling. If future students of Our Own Druidry find some solace in these words, I will be proud. if my family and friends find humor in my ramblings, I will be entertained. I those that I love find some insight into my soul, I will be at peace. I dedicate these writings to my partner on this journey...my heart, my partner in crime, my love. This is for me, inspired by my Meghan.