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 💜