Path of the Druid
The path leading to recognition (ordination) as a Druid in our tradition has three major steppingstones, bard, oblate and druid. One is not expected to master all there stones, that would take a life time. As members of The Grove progress from one stone to another they are expected to lay a foundation for further study and mastery. Along the way some may decide that they want to specialize in the roll of bard, oblate or druid. That is encouraged, however, we expect all members of The Grove who want to lead their or sister groves to be conversant and experienced with all three stepping stones. The entire path can take as long as you want it to. The path expects that you will spend at least one month in second steppingstone practice and another month in third stone practice the shortest time to completion is a little more than two months. The “little more” time is the time that it takes you to complete the first stepping stone activities. Here is a list of blog posts that may help you with different topics in this program as you walk across the stream and in so doing become a Druid. The First SteppingStone The bards formed a professional hereditary caste of highly trained, learned poets. The bards were historian-story tellers who leaned the history and traditions of clan and country, as well as in the technical requirements of a verse technique that was syllabic and used assonance, half rhyme and alliteration, among other conventions. They served as officials of the court of king or chieftain. As such they performed a number of official roles. They were chroniclers and satirists whose job it was to praise their employers and damn those who crossed them. It was believed that a well-aimed bardic satire, glam dicenn, could raise boils on the face of its target. The bardic system lasted until the mid-17th century in Ireland and the early 18th century in Scotland. To stand firmly on the first steppingstone in the middle of a stream of fast-moving water an initiate should:
The Second SteppingStone Once you have started to master the bardic skills it's time to take a big leap to the second steppingstone. Now you are close to the midpoint of the stream. In our tradition the oblate is a soothsayer or someone who practices divination. The Oblate serves the community by gaining insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic process. To stand firmly on the second steppingstone in the middle of a stream of fast-moving water an initiate should:
The Third SteppingStone Now it’s time to take a big leap over the water in the center of the stream, the part of the stream where the water is deep and fast moving. In our tradition the Druid is the shaman-priest who officiates at ceremonies and who travels to the other worlds. You should start to master two responsibilities as you learn to stand firmly on the third stepping stone in the middle of the stream. First, you should develop the ability to undertake shamanic journey so that you can work with you helping spirits in the lower world, the middle world, and the upper world. Second, you should develop the ability to author (at least in outline form) ritual for both private and public use. To stand firmly on the third steppingstone in the middle of a stream of fast-moving water an initiate should:
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AuthorI'm Dr. Dave, an eclectic shaman. I lived and worked in Bolivia and Peru for over six years, where I and was trained by Andean Shamans, and today practice eclectic shamanism. Archives
June 2020
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