It has been just under one week since I have started to delve into Druidry again. I am at the beginning stage of planning things out. My practice has expanded a lot since I first looked into Druidry. I have to find room for all my Craft practices, my grimoire work, the work I am doing getting to know the local spiritual stage (genii loci, spirits, ancestors of place, etc), and a whole host of other things. I’m not worried about finding the right balance either, it will come. I even have a loose plan of where I am going to begin. For example, one of the first big steps will be the setting up of a home-shrine for such work (yay, another altar for the Temple Room). After all, if this is to be a part of my practice, then I must make and set aside a physical space for both the work itself and the Gods and Goddesses with whom I will be involved with.
It isn’t all easy though. You see, last time I got into Druidry it was a long meandering path where I started with one Order and ended up, via several different Orders, in a very different one. The problem I am having this time around is finding a community for my kind of Druidry, which apparently is really hard when there are just some things you don’t like about Druid Orders.
Let us get the carrot out of the way first. There are lots of great things about the various Orders out there. They provide community, organization, training, and a whole host of other functions. These parts, I love these parts. Not to mention the people. There are many great people that I have met who are members of an Order or have been.
Now for the stick… The thing I really don’t like is the emphasis on everything being public, sometimes to an extreme. Like, I am having a loathsome time getting over it. It took me a long time to realize that I need the small and private setting that one gets from Traditional Craft Covens. That is not to say there is anything wrong with big and public. I just don’t want to be spilling my spiritual heart out on the table in such a setting with people I may have never met before. So it seems that oath-bound mystery cults are kinda my flavor. As far as I know, Druidry just doesn’t have any Orders along those lines anymore. And yes, I have researched it, in depth.
Sure there are lots of good reasons for such a public setting, even some great arguments for it. For example, it is often given as the reason that such-and-such Order is public oriented is because ancient Druids were public civil servants of sorts. Eh. Weak sauce. I am not an ancient Druid and my practice, though inspired therefrom, is not lineaged therefrom or in any way derived therefrom. In fact, the ancient Druids would likely recognize next to nothing in which we currently do. But, if this is your approach, enjoy it. It just doesn’t work for me.
Frankly, I haven’t decided how I am going to go forward in that area. I could always join an Order and maintain a private practice, but I do this anyway. I could just remain on my own, as a solitaire. Truth be told, there is nothing wrong with solitaire practice. I know though, I am one of those who require a community. One can’t have a community alone; regardless of what anyone tells you. I could also just start up a group focused in the manner in which I am wanting. I really don’t have that kind of time at this point.
I have, however, reached out to some old friends from my previous Druid days. I’m not trying to recreate those days or wake the resting, just wanting to have a touch of fellowship.
Boidh Se,
-Cuchulain Duir
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