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...