We Are All a Bunch of Fakes!

This morning I was thinking about the small home-shrine I set up and started thinking about the different components that I have included on it. It is a shrine with which I will begin exploring a deeper relationship with Druidry and its various spirit allies. A simple altar at that, but one with which I plan to expand on in time.

Now as I was mulling over the items, fairly nonchalantly I might add, I thought a moment about a dagger included with a white handle with a couple of runes burnt into the handle as well. At this point in the train of thought I immediately turned cynical and critical to the decision to include the dagger, “But Druids didn’t use the Elder Futhark Runes!” my mind screamed. At this instance my tangent ran down the list of every inaccuracy on the small cloth. Everything was wrong, all of it.

In fact, when I expanded this same thinking to the rest of Druidry, it was all wrong too. We aren’t the descendants in any form of ancient Druidry. We are all a bunch of fakes. For all we know even the word Druid isn’t historically accurate in any context in which we are using it. My brain screamed and wailed that we got it all wrong. All of it! Four elements… Wrong! Druids that aren’t Celtic based… Wrong! White robes… Wrong! Groves… Wrong! Orders… Wrong! Stone Henge… Wrong, wrong, wrong!

Almost as quick as my brain went into overdrive decrying the entirety of Druidry, it stopped when a smaller yet more powerful part spoke up. Not much was said, but just enough. Barely rising from under the storm was muttered the words, “So what? Who cares?” One of my teachers once told me something along the lines, “Outside of ritual every Witch is a skeptic, but while in ritual they are the most steadfast believer.” Truthfully, I think there is a lot of wisdom here. It is a tidbit I like to chew on every now and then.

I don’t know how much if any of what we do in any form of Contemporary Pagan Druidry is accurate to ancient history, and I don’t really care either. Sure I read the old myths and lore for inspiration to build a new Druidry; but it is just that, a new Druidry. So at the end of the day, my small home-shrine may not be the most historically accurate, but who cares? It is perfect just the way it is.

Boidh Se,

-Cuchulain Duir