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Post by Fool Coyote on Apr 14, 2008 16:53:20 GMT -5
Not long ago, I let this title of Druid go, after around 18 years of Irish study, as it seemed that there are those who need such a title far more than myself. No harm - no foul, I can’t say I have missed it much as it does come with many responsibilities. There was a time when the term "Druid" ignited such fire, passion, and pride. It was so mysterious, and dignified, that I was happy to take on the study and earn it.
Today - not so much. Today the term summons fourth images of white robed imbeciles praying to the mother goddess and horned god, who have no idea what the word truly means, or what cultures they are raping by mixing and matching the Celts, Native American religion, Wicca, Buddhism, Hinduism, or what ever else is considered "cool" today, packaging it, and slapping a Druidic label on it.
The same constantly happens with Pagan religions of every kind, and we each watch it every day. To raise a voice to it, makes you a "Nazi", "Uneducated", or just an all around dick. There is no winning, because in this instant society in which we have come to live, no one wants to have to work for anything anymore. Arokk, a friend of mine said it well on another group I think when he compared some of these "Druids" of today and the McWiccans who plague that community equally. Not to mention the "White Shamans" who write books on the oral teachings of the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota - who have come to feel it a necessity to actually declare a kind of war on the exploiters of their religion and traditional practices. The list goes on and on, Buddhists are not safe, the Hindus are not safe, even the bloody Jews don’t seem safe anymore from this mass cultural poison which threatens to choke of true tradition.
Perhaps there was a wisdom behind the death and burial of authentic Druidism, and having seen what I have seen, I can’t help but wonder if there would be any wisdom in "reclaiming" it. It seems a sad fate, to think of studies, truths and mysteries like Draíocht and Filidecht to die a forgotten unsung death, though I at times think there is more honor there then some of the options I’ve witnessed.
In the old days Druids were not Druids until they had survived the 12 to 20 years of study it took to learn all the things a Druid must know. Today you are a Druid when you get the feeling you are, or at the very most join a 6 month Bardic college. A Druid spent years studying poetry, lore, law, genealogy, and the nature of man and the green world. Today all one needs is to go sit under a tree. According to the Book of Taliesin as well as the book of Ollamhan a Druid memorized at least 350 poems before he was a Druid.
According to the lore we had Druids such as Fionn and the bold Fenain men, Conn of a hundred battles, An Daghdha, An Mhór Rioghain and the list goes on and on, today if you are not "love and light" you are not a Druid.
Tradition and truth mean nothing in Druidism anymore, given instead to tree hugging, pot smoking, love and light. No thought is given anymore to who the Celts and Druids actually were, only who "I’d like them to have been had they survived". I need it it not - the second tradition, and history left Druidism, so did I.
Maybe others will have more luck fighting these types, preserving tradition is simply a hobby for me now.
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Post by diarmuid on Apr 25, 2008 18:36:07 GMT -5
Kudos to you.
I agree with you 100%.
What do you think, however, on things like CR and how they borrow freely from Germanic traditions where theirs fall short?
I'm just wondering. Spiritually I am very conservative and I don't even like the idea of mixing Germanic and Celtic practices, even if they might have done so thousands of years ago.
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Post by Fool Coyote on Apr 26, 2008 9:23:25 GMT -5
Kudos to you. I agree with you 100%. What do you think, however, on things like CR and how they borrow freely from Germanic traditions where theirs fall short? I'm just wondering. Spiritually I am very conservative and I don't even like the idea of mixing Germanic and Celtic practices, even if they might have done so thousands of years ago. Hmmm, well I'm not sure what you're asking as far as Reconstructionists go. Borrowing from Germanic traditions? Are you referring to the taking of their holidays and such for a "completion" of an 8-fold year? I know some Recons are guilty of such things, but not don't do that. Usually I think this is done in modern bardic colleges to add some spice perhaps. I don't agree with that either, though they're free to do as they wish, as long as they don't come to me and claim it to be a verified practice of the Irish, or the Celts as a whole. |
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Post by diarmuid on Apr 26, 2008 23:35:35 GMT -5
Kudos to you. I agree with you 100%. What do you think, however, on things like CR and how they borrow freely from Germanic traditions where theirs fall short? I'm just wondering. Spiritually I am very conservative and I don't even like the idea of mixing Germanic and Celtic practices, even if they might have done so thousands of years ago. Hmmm, well I'm not sure what you're asking as far as Reconstructionists go. Borrowing from Germanic traditions? Are you referring to the taking of their holidays and such for a "completion" of an 8-fold year? I know some Recons are guilty of such things, but not don't do that. Usually I think this is done in modern bardic colleges to add some spice perhaps. I don't agree with that either, though they're free to do as they wish, as long as they don't come to me and claim it to be a verified practice of the Irish, or the Celts as a whole. Eh, that's kinda what I meant. I am really pointing towards physical practice though. I have heard of groups adopting the whole blot and symbel thing from Asatru....as well as some other practices... |
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Post by raincloud on May 24, 2008 1:06:20 GMT -5
Let me first say, I'm kinda new to pagan study, celtic study, and I must also say I'm not exactly the most committed guy to any path at the moment.
FC, I see your issue is with these people who are Neo-pagan. I have experienced exactly what you have said when I was active on the OBOD board. There are same great people there, but also serious Fruit Loops.
I have no problem when someone choosing the neo-pagan path and using different thing from different places....but what I dislike is the delusion and serious lack of interest in truth that these people have.
These groups where they can pick and choose what they want, are often full of people who experience truth in a bubble.
Me, I kinda thirst for the reality of things. But then again I've always been a freak that way. Never truly drinking the mainstream Koolaid.
I paid membership to join ADF. I then shelved the stuff, because of things happening in the 'real world' that kept me busy.
The trouble I see with pure CR is that it tends to be a bunch of book nerds debating history. All well and good, but I also need a religion or spirituality or world view to work my life into. These neo-pagans seem to be the only ones doing that, whereas my small experience with CR is with Angry amateur historians.
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Post by Fool Coyote on May 24, 2008 6:57:15 GMT -5
Haha! I can see how we can come off as book nerds and armature historians at times, I suppose this is at least in part due to an attempt to be taken seriously among historical communities, as well as Pagan communities. Especially in Druidic and Celtic studies where people didn't write things down.
I can also see how many of us can come across as "angry" people. In most cases the asking for sources and such isn't meant to be a mean act, or make another look unintelligent, though whether it does or doesn't is up to who ever is being asked I suppose.
It is important IMO, to have a strong grasp on the history as well as the spirituality. It is fine I think, for people to use what ever they wish in religion, and name it if they wish, but they should call it something that fits it and not take titles which are not eclectic.
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Post by diarmuid on May 28, 2008 19:49:42 GMT -5
The trouble I see with pure CR is that it tends to be a bunch of book nerds debating history. All well and good, but I also need a religion or spirituality or world view to work my life into. These neo-pagans seem to be the only ones doing that, whereas my small experience with CR is with Angry amateur historians. OMG!!! We ARE book nerds!!! XD I totally see where you are coming from though. That is actually why I have al but abandoned the LiveJournal forums, lately it is all just debates and arguments that, even if someone argues a good point against me, is not going to affect me as a religious Gaelic Polytheist. My spirituality is, after all, MINE. |
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Post by ladyanastasia on May 28, 2008 20:35:52 GMT -5
The trouble I see with pure CR is that it tends to be a bunch of book nerds debating history. All well and good, but I also need a religion or spirituality or world view to work my life into. These neo-pagans seem to be the only ones doing that, whereas my small experience with CR is with Angry amateur historians. OMG!!! We ARE book nerds!!! XD I totally see where you are coming from though. That is actually why I have al but abandoned the LiveJournal forums, lately it is all just debates and arguments that, even if someone argues a good point against me, is not going to affect me as a religious Gaelic Polytheist. My spirituality is, after all, MINE. Well said! btw... bookworms are adorable! Ladies like intelligent men who can back up their arguements with sources |
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Post by Fool Coyote on May 29, 2008 22:30:08 GMT -5
The trouble I see with pure CR is that it tends to be a bunch of book nerds debating history. All well and good, but I also need a religion or spirituality or world view to work my life into. These neo-pagans seem to be the only ones doing that, whereas my small experience with CR is with Angry amateur historians. OMG!!! We ARE book nerds!!! XD I totally see where you are coming from though. That is actually why I have al but abandoned the LiveJournal forums, lately it is all just debates and arguments that, even if someone argues a good point against me, is not going to affect me as a religious Gaelic Polytheist. My spirituality is, after all, MINE. Well said indeed! As long as you don't leave this forum, or mystics lol. You're our entertainment.  I personally don't really care to go around arguing someone's spirituality, but when its just sheer misinformation, I generally speak up - just as I myself would expect to be corrected when I'm wrong.  |
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Post by ladyanastasia on May 30, 2008 9:49:49 GMT -5
OMG!!! We ARE book nerds!!! XD I totally see where you are coming from though. That is actually why I have al but abandoned the LiveJournal forums, lately it is all just debates and arguments that, even if someone argues a good point against me, is not going to affect me as a religious Gaelic Polytheist. My spirituality is, after all, MINE. Well said indeed! As long as you don't leave this forum, or mystics lol. You're our entertainment. I personally don't really care to go around arguing someone's spirituality, but when its just sheer misinformation, I generally speak up - just as I myself would expect to be corrected when I'm wrong. Unless of course lala is the one correcting you... Then there's no way that you could be wrong... because you're a mule....  |
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Post by diarmuid on Jun 2, 2008 10:16:17 GMT -5
Well said indeed! As long as you don't leave this forum, or mystics lol. You're our entertainment. I personally don't really care to go around arguing someone's spirituality, but when its just sheer misinformation, I generally speak up - just as I myself would expect to be corrected when I'm wrong. Well, I have to say, these forums the only ones that really keep my interest, so I won't be abandoning them! YAY for being entertainment!!!!!! |
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Post by ladyanastasia on Jun 2, 2008 21:58:10 GMT -5
Well said indeed! As long as you don't leave this forum, or mystics lol. You're our entertainment. I personally don't really care to go around arguing someone's spirituality, but when its just sheer misinformation, I generally speak up - just as I myself would expect to be corrected when I'm wrong. Well, I have to say, these forums the only ones that really keep my interest, so I won't be abandoning them! YAY for being entertainment!!!!!! hahaha! Do we amuse you? |
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Post by Fool Coyote on Jun 3, 2008 22:32:24 GMT -5
LoL
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Post by evondai on Jun 6, 2008 18:38:26 GMT -5
you know,for the longest time i had been looking for any trace of the original irish druidic council. in over 8 years i have found nothing. if this cultural rape is going on. i may never find any truth. I, like them, seek real truth. not just one sided truth. but both the positive and the negative sides. you know, truth as a whole.
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Post by Fool Coyote on Jun 7, 2008 15:47:47 GMT -5
you know,for the longest time i had been looking for any trace of the original irish druidic council. in over 8 years i have found nothing. if this cultural rape is going on. i may never find any truth. I, like them, seek real truth. not just one sided truth. but both the positive and the negative sides. you know, truth as a whole. What original Irish Druidic council would this be? |
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