Research on Druidry Week 6 & 7 (Catching up on my homework!)

As always, thanks to the Black Mountain Druid Order for their excellent course and support!

Week 6

1. What healing herbs and plants are associated with your favorite High Day?
Alban Elved is my favorite High Day, and associated with it are many products of the second harvest,  colored leaves, wreaths made with autumn flowers, corn, maize, pine cones, vines, and acorns.

2. Thinking about your favorite holiday from the Wheel of the Year, how does the aspect of spiritual growth associated with your favorite High Day relate to your life right now?

As stated on the BMDO website "It is a time for being thankful for how far we’ve come, and for considering how far we still have to go." I think at this stage of my life (midlife) this is an important time for me to reflect on what I've achieved in my life, and yet remember how much more I want to do!

3. Why is this your favorite High Day?

In addition to the synchronicity with my life noted above, it also feels like a time to slow down, relax a little and enjoy life after a rich summer harvest. Allegorically, this is what is happening in my own life, having left the corporate world, and moved into a more fulfilling but slower paced role as a writer.

Week 7

1. In what ways does the experience of nature change your mental and emotional states?

I really found the concept of 'fascination' as opposed to 'focused attention' quite intriguing. I didn't have a vocabulary for the effects before, but now I do. When outside I am able to leave behind much of the mental stimuli the pervades my household - dogs milling about, children needing attention, wife asking for chores done. Outside, all that is left behind, and my mind is free to take in the much more natural stimuli, which is at once less intense, and more fulfilling. 

2. When you are in a natural environment, what changes do you notice in your mind? In your body? In your spirit? In your emotions?

In doors the conveniences of the modern world are all begging for attention and distract me - a flushing toilet, a dripping sync, or the hum of the 60Hz electrical appliances. As I leave the confines of my home and head out into the wilderness, I start to notice things that perhaps I saw as a child, which brings back memories and pleasant feelings. I was out for a walk this morning, and the ice is finally off the ditches which are now filled with water - the perfect breeding ground for tadpoles and frogs. I remember many an adventure playing in ditches.

This primal recall of events puts me in a very relaxed mind frame, and nourishes me spiritually, bringing my emotions back into balance. I'm not worried about getting things 'done' while I'm outside, I'm just outside, existing, being, experienceing.

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Research on Druidry - Week 3, Seeking the Awen

Week 3 - Moon Path Reflection: Seeking Awen

From the Week 3 Course Notes

"In the Moon Path, we seek the inspiration of the Awen by striking a balance between opposing forces in our lives. Earlier we talked about the Rational Mind and the Emotional Mind. Finding the balance between these two forces would be the way to achieve Wise Mind.

Think about any opposing forces you find struggling within you. These should be forces within yourself, not within others. For example, you may have a problem with a friend or family member. You cannot control the behaviors of others; you can only choose to react or to respond to what others say and do to you. When you find yourself conflicted on which path to take in such a situation, it is time to seek the balance of the Awen."

Think about two of your inner forces, or energies, that need balance and reconciliation. Describe these energies to yourself, using as much detail as possible. If it helps, make notes.

"2 energies I struggle with constantly, are the opposing forces of positive praise and negative criticism. As an author, I try to connect with people so I can educate them about my passions and research, and at the same time learn from them and grow. This brings great rewards, but I also get a share of negativity from folks who have very different opinions than mine - given that I write about culture & spirituality, people can be quite passionate in their positions, and in many cases probably don't realize how mean and angry they are coming off. Or is it just my perception?"

Intellectually, I try to understand where they are coming from so I can gain understanding, but emotionally, I feel as though these are personal attacks, and I can get quite anxious and angry, and then want to lash out in self-defense. I suppose these boil down to self-confidence.

Once you feel that you are clear on the nature of these two opposing energies, do the meditation below.

Basic Mindfulness Video

Now that you have completed the meditation, think about your opposing energies again. Do you feel more able to find balance after meditating?

I was a bit revved up prior to the meditation after some negative interaction with a person I know, but almost immediately during the meditation I was able to slow right down and "take myself out of the river and sit on the bank". It was very liberating.


What does the Awen mean to you?

From what I've read so far, the Awen is that awe you can feel in many different ways, I've felt it stroking my warm dog on my lap, I've felt the awen sitting under the trees on a warm summer day, and then hearing a breeze rustle through the leaves while a cool wind followed to refresh me. I've felt the awen when I saw my son smile, heard my wife laugh, or read something inspiring. To me the awen is profound, but simple, rare, yet commonplace. It's appreciating the divinity in life's little moments as well as the grand ones.

What are the forces in your life that are seeking balance?

My struggle is one of perception and assumption. I need to learn to balance my perception of events, and not make assumptions; I suppose it's also a balance of emotion versus intelect.

How have you/can you seek the Awen and attain balance?

I'm hoping that by seeking the awen more deliberately, I'll be in a more relaxed and balanced frame of mind, more able to make the correct emotional versus intelectual assessment of the situation at hand.

Follow my Progress as I work through an online course in Druidry

As a part of my personal development, and to assist in my research for an upcoming book, I'm taking an online course in Druidry through the Black Mountain Druid Order (BMDO). They run an online course which stretches for 12 months, and every week there are assignments which I will post here for you to follow. The BMDO website is a terrific resource, and free.

Sencha

Thanks very much to 'Sencha' (Chuck Hall) for his support and guidance!

A little background

When I abandoned the corporate world a few years ago, it was a difficult decision. Like most folks, I had grown accustomed to being able to buy whatever I wanted without even batting an eye. I could go on vacations whenever I wanted to, and I lived the American dream. Or did I?

What was really happening, was that I was caught up in the gears of a big machine with so much momentum, I didn't know how to stop it. Worse than being just along for the ride, I was a slave to those wages and that lifestyle. It was certainly a comfortable slavery, but slavery nonetheless. My spirit was shackled, my soul weighed down. I'm not saying this is the case for everyone, but it was for me.

These days I make a very modest living writing, supplemented by web design. I have never had so little money, nor have I ever felt so rich! For me, wealth is the abundance of time and good experiences I now have, in contrast to the meaningless acquisition of 'stuff'. I don't want to be poor, don't get me wrong (so buy my books!) I'm just happy that my priorities now reflect the spiritual life I want to lead, rather than living a life driven simply by acquisition.

One of the main goals I had when on embarking on this new path, was to research the spiritual ways and traditions of my ancestors, of which the Celts and the Druids were a part. Recently I decided to put together a book which highlights and compares the various neo-pagan traditions that have blossomed over the last 30 years. This is a project which will take me years to put together, and this is just one of the steps along the way. Druidry, or Druidism, is one of the paths I wanted to review in my book, and so I started to ask questions on a Facebook group where I met Sencha, and was guided to his website.

Week 1 Earth Path: Meaning of Awen

‘Awen’ is a Welsh word roughly translated as ‘divine inspiration.’ The word is Indo-European in origin and comes from the root ‘-uel,’ which means ‘to blow.’ In this sense, it could be seen to mean, ‘that which takes one’s breath away.’ In other words, the Awen is that which is awe-inspiring. 

1. What places in nature inspire you?

Almost always forests. I do appreciate a seaside locale as well, but our old mixed forests up here in Ontario are breathtaking. A beatific mix of trees, heady scents, and a sense of life. 

2. Do you have a favorite outdoor place?

The forest at Murphy's point provincial park is my favourite natural place in the world. It's bordered by Big Rideau lake, and has miles of isolated trails running through mixed forest and bordering the rocky shore of the lake. Naturally I buy an annual pass :)

Murphy's Point This Summer - A Hazy Rainy Day

3. What energies are in balance when you spend time outdoors in nature?

All my senses seem to be in harmony. My vision shifts from close to far and back again. My sense of smell and hearing are activated and cue off all the sensory input I'm normally deprived of while inside. It's like having muscle fatigue fromusing one isolated muscle group, then suddenly having your whole body to use...suddenly things become easier, natural.

4. When outdoors, do you notice any changes in your mental/emotional state?

The biggest change is an immediate balance of inputs. Indoors, all my inputs are from the computer and other unnatural sources, and I have to constantly process them, but in a non-instinctual way.

When outdoors, things immediate slow down, start coming into balance. There is likely more sensory input required for me to process, but it's data my body and soul was intended to process; the sounds of the birds, feel of the wind, and scents of the animals.

I left a fat six figure salary 3 years ago to bring my life into balance, and to start following a more natural path. Thankfully, I'm back on track, and with only 43 years under my belt, plenty of time to enjoy me newfound balance!