Coming of Age in Druidry: A Year and a Day Study Course

In Development | Experimenting and Exploring

My partner, Jeff Lilly, and I are in the process of developing a year-long study course for pre-teens and young adolescents coming of age in Druidic traditions.

As his oldest daughter enters her teen years, we’ve become distinctly aware of the lacuna that seems to occur for children of Pagan parents, between the ages of 12 and 18. Because of a focus on magic and altered states of consciousness (in the form of meditation, trance, journey-work, etc.), many Pagan spiritual traditions see it as irresponsible to initiate members younger than 18 years old; yet, the seasonal and nature-related crafts and games that are appropriate for younger children no longer seem to meet the intellectual, imaginative and ethical needs of a growing adolescent. There is often also resistance against any hint of “indoctrinating” children among Pagan parents who remember their own negative experiences of having Christianity forced on them without their consent when they were children.

In Druidry especially, an absence of teen and young-adult focused spiritual guidance and community can be compounded by archetypes invoking old age and the wisdom of many years of study, downplaying contributions from the young and inexperienced. Lessons in basic Druidic practices and beliefs required for membership in many of the larger Orders are geared towards adults new to this spiritual path, but have little to offer those raised in a Druidic household who already possess a working knowledge of the elements, realms, deities, seasonal celebrations and other rituals but who are looking to deepen their understanding of our shared traditions in ways that are more relevant and more subtle.

Our solution is to develop a set of weekly lessons in the “basics” of Druidic spirituality and philosophy, introducing the young teen to some of the simpler practices of prayer and ritual and the metaphysics behind the tradition, and giving them some glimpses into the on-going scholarship that continues to expand our understanding of the mythology and culture of our Celtic ancestors. The course will last a year, covering each of the three elements of Druidry (calas, gwyar and nwyfre) as expressed through the four classical elements (earth, water, air and fire), focusing on one combination each month for a total of twelve months. Topics covered will include: the sacredness of landscape, the cycle of the seasons, beginner exercises in meditation and “awen” prayer, exploration of dreams and divination techniques, critical thinking and research into history and archeology, creative engagement with the gods and the ancestors through mythology, story and music. The year-long course will conclude with a coming-of-age ceremony hosted by the local community of friends and family, to welcome the new teen into a more mature and responsible role in the community and acknowledging their membership within the greater Druidic tradition.

This course is still in development, as we experiment with lesson plans and teen-focused activities appropriate for the diverse needs of Jeff’s own children and a few of their friends. We hope eventually to offer classes to young people in our a local community, as well as a course outline and workbook for parents and teens alike to use as a guide for their own study and growth. If you are a parent or teen (with parental permission) interested in this course as it develops, please contact me for details and updates as more information becomes available.

Rituals of Silence: Attending to the Song of the World

In Development | Brainstorming and Daydreaming

I am in the process right now of bringing together my experiences and interests in contemplative practice, centering prayer, group meditative work, acoustic ecology, ecosophy, environmental ethics and social justice to explore issues of communication, attention, service and harmonious relationship through shared rituals of silence and quiet. This work centers on the Druidic theological concept of the “Song of the World”:

In Druidry, there is this idea that everything has a Song, and that the world, too, has a song. The Song of the World is something like a Divine or True Will, I suppose, and we join with it our own voices, the music of our bodies humming, pumping blood, inhaling and exhaling, neurons and nerves buzzing and vibrating. The air we move through shifts around us with every stride, and our laughing and crying shape it, too, creating leitmotifs, bridges and bass lines. When we sing and move and live in harmony with the World Song, our own songs are amplified, modulated and carried along — our lives become beautiful, our hearts become soft and permeable, our minds become nimble and familiar with the patterns of how things dance.

This idea — that we each have a song, a soul-song, and that everything, the landscape and the gods and the world itself, has a soul-song as well — underlies a kind of lovely animism that permeates everything, everywhere, and fills it utterly with life and movement. It bestows a special sacredness to space, to limits and the separation of necessary absence through which limited, finite beings move. The Song of the World offers us a way to understand our unity and community without sacrificing our individuality and uniqueness, our creativity and our freedom.

This approach is still only in the daydreaming stage for now, but in the future I hope to explore these topics by offering talks and short workshop intensives, as well as inviting a small group to participate in a long-term, in-person class devoted to experimenting with and developing a community approach to rituals of silence in the context of nature-centered spirituality. If you would be interested in exploring these ideas and practices by attending talks, workshops or classes, please contact me for details and updates as more information becomes available.