Bardic Grade - Gwers 1

Welcome to the real deal! Here is where the actual bardic course begins. 

The first gwers opens with a poem, and a short letter, again introducing the subject matter for this booklet. Most of the Teaching consists of an initiation ceremony. 

WHOA!!! Put on the brakes! Initiation ceremony???

It's not what you think 😉

For starters, the letter is mostly about encouraging you to wait until if/when you want to do it, the time is right, you're in the right headspace, etc. He encourages you to take time and read it through in its entirety. That if you feel anxious or concerned about doing it, to not do it, or wait until you feel more comfortable. 

The first paragraph of the Teaching explains exactly what the initiation is about:

p. 31

An initiation is an inner experience. A ceremony such as this can only act as an aid or catalyst for this inner process. For this reason the right moment and attitude when performing this ceremony are vital. Only you Inner Self and Guides can tell you whether the right moment has arrived. The ceremony appears to be simple, but in its very simplicity lies its depth and its power. If you perform the ceremony, you perform it solely for yourself - you enter into no obligation to the Order. When the ceremony is performed in a Grove, you are told: "Just as in freedom you chose to enter the fellowship of the Bards, so must you know that our fellowship is one of freedom. Here there are no bindings, and as in freedom you joined this fellowship, so in freedom may you leave, should ever you, your guides or stars ordain so."

The ceremony is basically your commitment to be fully alive and engaged in the process. One of the lines of the closing:

p. 32

May the blessings of the Uncreated One, of the Created Word, and of the Spirit that is the Inspirer be always with me.

Hmmm, that sounds very Christian to me! 

After the initiation ceremony, there are three other sections of the Teaching. The first introduces the symbol of the Bardic grade and explains its symbolism. The second is about creating an optional sacred space in your home that can act as a physical counterpart to your Inner Sacred Grove (p. 33). The third is a home blessing you can use that is based on Celtic blessings from the Scottish Highlands.

Triads

p. 35

Three gains of those who heed the advice of the Old Ones: illumination, wisdom, and clarity.

Listen to the voice of (God) in the wind and the waters. Listen to the still small voice of your intuition in the darkness of the night. This way lies vision and understanding. 

Eisteddfod

p. 36

The Bardic Grade is that of the Arts. Through story, poetry and music, painting, dance and sculpture, we develop our finer aesthetic natures which are part of our eternal spiritual Being. In nearly every Gorsedd (gathering) of the Druids, a part of the meeting is dedicated to the Arts and is called an Eisteddfod.

This one is a short story written in lines like poetry, of a person having a conversation with a lake. The lake says that in it, the person can come to know the very breath of God which moves the hours. Another that follows right in the path of how I'm using druidry in my life - as an avenue to become closer to God. 

I am now caught up with journaling all of the gwersi I have studied so far! Between starting a new job, getting used to working again after over four months, and what I fear is my autoimmune meds not working, I haven't had the spoons to dedicate to this lately. And I miss it! I am keeping up with the online forum, so at least I have a bit of that most days. And of course I'm looking for the moments in everyday life. I may be up for doing a new gwers today. After writing three posts today, I may not. I am pretty sure that even if I go through it today, journaling it will wait. I like doing it that way anyway, so the ideas have time to process in my subconscious before I review the gwers and write the post.

Bardically,

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜

INTRO Gwers 2

The second of two intro gwersi... This one also begins with a letter, briefly introducing the theme of this gwers. 

The Teaching of this one is titled "The Role of the Bard in the Druid Mysteries." It starts with an overview of pre-Christian spirituality, and how many of these traditions are apparent in indigenous people worldwide. It then explores the history of Bards more specifically, along with their function and practices. 

p. 21

Three things that enrich the Bard: Myths, poetic power, a store of ancient verse. Welsh triad

p. 23

Today ... we need to connect to the same intent, the same purpose and essence, as did the Bards of old: whose goal was to be filled with divine inspiration, to fully express their innate creativity, to bring joy and magic to those around them, and to grow in wisdom.

YES!

Triad (p. 23):

The three great melodies of Creation: the wind in the trees, the stream at snowmelt, the cry of a new-born babe

Treasure life and you will find its gifts at every turn.

Practicum (p. 24)

Sacred Groves were places of sanctuary and worship for the Druids. Like a temple or chapel set within the natural world, they were places of spiritual refuge: places to calm the mind, refresh the spirit, and give comfort in times of distress. 

The natural world does this for me as well.

The main part of the practicum guides you through making a sacred grove in your own inner world. It encourages you to use as many of your senses as possible, and as detailed as possible. Why? By firmly establishing this Sacred Grove in your inner world, you will be building a place of peace and harmony to which you may return at any time, even while you are busy, to gain inspiration, refreshment and calm. I really like this concept! It reminds me of "happy place" visualizations in psychology. I haven't done this yet, but I recently "visited" different habitats in Nature Treks VR to get inspiration. I would like to get a start on my sacred grove soon, especially with being back at work in a chaotic environment.

This practicum also introduces the OBOD symbol (p. 25), and explains its significance. Of particular interest to me is the 3 points of light - the triple aspect of deity. It also represents where the sun rises on the equinoxes and solstices.

Within this symbol of the Order is a richness and depth of teaching which includes mythology ... psychology in the triune nature of the Self, and philosophy in the triune nature of Deity.

Eisteddfod (p. 25)

As you read each Eisteddfod section in the Gwersi, imagine you are seated in an ancient hall, being entertained and enlightened by one of the Bards of old. Here is how one contemporary Druid describes the scene that would have greeted you, if you were seated in such a hall one winter evening in the sixth century:

What follows is a description of how the bard would've dressed, the setting of the hall itself, who would've been there (including the hunting dogs), and how the bard would've told the stories. There is also a short poem.

The next gwers will be the first in the Bardic grade!

Ready to dive in, 

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜

INTRO Gwers 1

There is an OBOD option to get an intro packet to help you decide if you want to pursue the course. If you're like me and just want to dive in, the packet is sent as part of your first course shipment. I don't know off the top of my head which things I got in the shipment are part of the intro packet and which are part of my first regular shipment, other than the Gwersi, which are marked. But I am very excited to have them all!

The first intro Gwers starts with a quote, and two letters from OBOD leaders. One is more logistical (if you take the course, here's what to expect with each shipment, format of lessons, etc). The other is more about the goals of the course, and about druidry itself. 

I love the opening quote on p.2!

"It is important to live as if we are always on the eve of a great discovery and prepare to welcome it as completely, intimately, and ardently as we can." Maeterlinck

p. 2

Although it may take only a short time to read each lesson, the ideas it suggests, and the experiences it invites you to go through, touch the Whole Self - not just the intellect. So remember to treat the course, not as an academic exercise, but as a journey of discovery.

"a journey of discovery." 😌 Not blind dogma, not rules. My INFP self does well with this approach!

p. 3

As you work with the course, please remember that you are not obliged to blindly accept any of the ideas or methods presented to you. If you feel that certain aspects of the teachings do not speak to you, leave them aside.

p. 3

...Druidry teaches a way of communion with Nature, and with the divine spiritual source that manifests through the natural world.

THIS. THIS is the heart of it for me. Experiencing God through nature. Using creation as a way to appreciate and grow closer to our creator. 

p. 4 - Seven gifts that druidry brings to our modern world

1. A way of looking at the world which emphasises the sacredness of all life, and our part in the great web of creation

2. A set of practices that help us feel at one again with nature ... our own bodies, and our sense of Spirit

3. A set of practices that promote healing and rejuvenation, using spiritual and physical methods in a wholistic way to promote health and longevity

4. Affirms our life as a journey

5. A range of techniques for exploring other states of consciousness, other realities, the Otherworld (many of these are also found in Christian mysticism)

6. Develops our potential: it is a path of self-development that encourages our creative potential, our psychic and intuitive abilities, and fosters our intellectual and spiritual growth

7. Magic - it teaches the art of bringing ideas into manifestation, the art of discovering and then nurturing, and learning how to use the power of ... spiritual inspiration

...

Its purpose is to help us live more fully in this life - now.

After the letters, the main part of the gwers begins. The Bardic gwers always follow the same order - Teaching, Triads, Practicum, Eisteddfod.

This Teaching is focused on the the history of druidry. If we are to study something, it's important to know a bit of the background. 

After the Teaching is the Triads section. 

p. 12

The Welsh, and to a lesser extent the Irish, have traditionally organised their lore in Triads: pithy three-fold wisdom sayings.

Three followers of wisdom: imagination, purpose, and endeavor

As wisdom grows in your heart, so too do your powers of imagination, your sense of purpose and mission in the world, and your ability to work hard to achieve your goals.

So true!!!

The Practicum section of this gwers encourages you to have a specific place to record your impressions as you go through the course. Which is precisely what this blog is for me. 

Lastly, the Eisteddfod. The word means "a sitting or session" ie where everyone sits to listen to the Bards sing or recite. This gwers shares verses written about a glen, with vivid imagery describing what is seen there.

And so concludes Intro Gwers 1! 

For anyone who is reading this, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear them 🙂

At the beginning of the gwersi journey, 

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜

First Day of the New Job

(I promise this is relevant)

I was thinking a few days ago that I hadn't seen the two squirrels who visit for peanuts in a while. I was hoping they were okay. 

So an interesting series of events happened this morning before I left for my first day... 

Between the time my alarm went off for the first time and I got up, I heard "Baby Blue" 🐦 calling outside, behind our building. (That's what I call the young blue jay who hatched this summer. He has a whiny tone and occasionally still begs, so it's easy to recognize him by his voice.) 

When I went downstairs, I heard multiple crows calling close by. Opened the front door to talk to them (they were on the electric wire above my driveway), and who was in my yard? Both squirrels! 🤩 I threw a handful of peanuts out for all of them to enjoy. I could hear the Mississippi kites calling as they circled above. They've been hanging out nearby lately, so of course I've been talking to them too. 

I was surprised that in that short amount of time, I had contact with all the neighborhood animals that I interact with! 

But then... As I was putting on my jewelry right before I left, not just one, but two mockingbirds landed on the roof of the neighbor's house and hung out there for quite a while! I forgot that I see them occasionally! 

So I had *5* different species come to wish me well this morning! 😲

What a druidic way to start the first day of the year at a new school 😊

How I Spent Lughnasadh

Things don't always go how you plan... Lughnasadh kinda snuck up on me. I was busy doing other things and hadn't worked on the ritual yet when Thursday afternoon happened.

I got a phone call that I was officially hired at the school I interviewed with! The rest of the day was super busy, with multiple emails between myself and HR to try and get me processed asap. And oh, by the way, the 2-day new staff orientation started Thursday, and could I possibly make it for Friday's session?! Uhhh... 😄 So I also had to get things ready for me to be on campus Friday morning.

With all the unexpected craziness, the ceremony took a backburner. So I had nothing prepared.

But you know what? In its own way, it was a perfect celebration. How better to celebrate the bringing in of the harvest than by starting a new job? The work for this had been put in since before summer started, and I was now reaping the rewards for my hard work 😊

I didn't even make the correlation until Thursday evening, when I was reading on the Hearth (OBOD's members-only forum):

The first harvest, celebrated at Lughnasadh, is more than food ripening on the vine ... We gather what has grown, but we also gather what has become—in ourselves, in our dreams, in our quiet tending. What have we been cultivating in the inner field? What are you beginning to harvest—physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

It was when I read the post this is taken from that I realized the significance... 

There is supposedly some similarities between Lughnasadh and the Feast of Transfiguration. I will have to look into this...

Lughnasadh

(/Loo-nus-uh/ is how the booklet says to pronounce it)

This is the first festival/celebration/ritual booklet I've gotten. It's the one I was planning to join the local group for. Instead, I will be making my own version. 

Lughnasadh is one of the cross-quarter days, also known as the Celtic Fire Festivals. The booklet starts with a brief description of the focus, and the Irish mythology that is the origin of the festival. 

p. 2

Lughnasadh marks the time of the beginning of harvesting which is then completed by... the Autumnal Equinox. It is a time of joy, but also a time to begin preparing for the Autumn. It is now that we begin to reap what we have sown, and it is now that we understand the wisdom of careful preparation, and of the sowing of good seeds in our lives and the lives of others.

Joy of the harvest... Reaping what we've sown (remind you of a bible passage?)... 

p. 6

In the Christian era, the festival on August 1st became Lammas.

According to Wikipedia, "Lammas, also known as Loaf Mass Day, is a Christian holiday celebrated in some English-speaking countries in the Northern Hemisphere on 1 August. The name originates from the word "loaf" in reference to bread and "Mass" in reference to the Eucharist." I had no idea this holiday existed, although my Catholic in-laws likely do. An example of Christians changing a "pagan" holiday into a Christian one.

p. 7

Since Lughnasadh is a time of the beginning of the harvest and an awareness that Summer will not last for ever, you may like to spend some time becoming aware of the fact that this represents a turning point in the year - a point of culmination when you begin to reap the fruits of your actions as you move into the six week harvest period between now and (Autumnal equinox). Here we come to know the paradoxical nature of sacrifice: that in letting go, we receive - that the harvest is both a time of death, but also a time of reaping of rewards, of achievement. Sacrifice, understood in this way, is seen as a letting go or giving up of something in order to move to a higher, deeper, more creative level... Lughnasadh becomes a Festival of Transformation.

As an educator, this is definitely a turning point in the year. Staff starts the school year here on or right after August 1st. This year I am reaping the fruits of multiple job applications that have been sent out the last few months. "In letting go, we receive." This has definitely been true in my life! What can I "sacrifice" to move to a "higher, deeper, more creative level" at this point in my life? Of course the phoenix in me loves the wording of Festival of Transformation! 😀

p. 7

Associations to Lughnasadh

Harvest, Completion, Achievement, Reaping, Transformation, Contentment, Letting Go

Gold, Orange, Red-Brown, Purple

Wheat, Bread

The rest of the book is the solo and group rituals. In reading through them yesterday, I found elements of both that resonate with me. Today is Monday. I plan to work this week on combining both rituals into something that is meaningful to me. 

This is my last post of the day. Next time, I will start journaling my thoughts on the first gwersi, and its correlation to what we're studying in small group at church.

Feeling accomplished,

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜

The Book of Ritual

When you read the title, did you picture a bunch of old men in dark, hooded cloaks chanting? Or a Halloween-type witch at a cauldron? Read on to see how OBOD defines it. 

p. 1 

At the heart of  Druid spiritual practice lies the celebration of eight special times of the year: the solstices and equinoxes, and the four "Cross Quarter" day ceremonies - which have often been called the Celtic Fire Festivals... The solstices and equinoxes are astronomical events that occur at specific times during the year... The cross-quarter festivals are different - they derive from the pastoral calendar.

Rituals at these times of year (more about this below)

p. 1-2

The main thing to remember is that it is the spirit of each of these eight special times, their key themes, that are important, not the details or the exact wording of the rituals. 

In this paragraph, it emphasizes there is no wrong way to do them, from using objects and spoken words, to solely contemplation.

p. 2-3

Our understanding of ritual is that it fulfills the following functions, when performed with the right intent:

    1. It helps us to change consciousness, and in particular it creates the conditions in which we can contact sources of insight, wisdom, and strength.

    2. It helps us to become aware of the sacred nature of the time and space we are in, and gives us the opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate and fully enjoy this time.

    3. It creates a time and space which becomes "special" and from which can radiate beneficent forces, including healing energies which affect ourselves and others.

    4. It creates a way for us to express the deeper interconnectedness between us all, and between other realms, beings and forces. This can occur whether we are practicing ritual alone, with others in a group, or at the same time as others in different parts of the world. During a ritual, our sacred circle becomes a microcosm of the Universe.

I like that it's spelled out so well here. You're not just doing the rituals because you're supposed to, they serve a purpose. I want to print these out and keep them with my ritual booklets as reminders.

p. 3

If you feel strongly that you do not wish to perform any rituals, try simply visualising them in your mind's eye as you read them.

An example of All members are encouraged to believe and practice only those things which they feel are true and right for themselves from their website, which I quoted in my first post.

p. 4-5

As well as being spiritual, mystical, or magical celebrations, it is important to remember that these festivals are also artistic and social events... When celebrating the festivals remember they are designed to help you let go for a while the demands of your busy everyday life - to open instead to the magic and mystery of the moment - to the power of a particular time at a particular place. They are designed to help you enjoy and celebrate the Here and Now. 

Who doesn't need more of this in their lives?! I know I do...

The rest of the booklet is in two sections. The first gives the recommended structure for opening and closing the ceremonies. The concept makes me think of the Olympics 😄 The second section gives the script from three past ceremonies, from beginning to end. 

The eight celebrations form what is known as the "wheel of the year." Most think of it as a modern  pagan invention, but it has its roots in ancient Celtic, Germanic, and other pre-Christian European traditions. In its current form, it was developed by the founder of OBOD and a father of modern Wicca, who brought the solstices/equinoxes together with the cross-quarter day ceremonies as a way to mark the cycle of the year and of life. Each ceremony has a particular focus that is relevant to that time of year. 

There is a wheel of the year on the first page of the booklet, and the last has two wheels with the heading Qualities, Ideas and Dynamics Related to the Festivals. I should make copies of those two pages as well.

Hey, the way I'm ending each of these is turning into its own type of ritual 😄

Riding the cycles of life,

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜