Post by Senbecc on Apr 28, 2007 1:34:20 GMT -5
Here are the words of a "reformed Druid" on myspace. This little post really burned my ass! First let me just say "AHHHHHHHH!!!"
Insta-Druids are so cute sometimes... I'll put this up and let it settle for a bit...THEN I shall rant on it.
I think there are a lot of people out there who love and revere
Nature, and who desire to protect Nature from the greed that threatens
it, who are without knowing it, Druids. They may not call themselves
"Druids" but that is what they are.
I think that if you in fact call yourself a Druid and have an affinity
for Nature, then, no matter what else you might be, or think, or do,
then you are in fact a "Druid."
If you happen to also believe that "Nature is good," then you are a
Reformed Druid, at least in the declared sense.
I don't think your spiritual path or you belief system necessarily
needs to be of a Celtic orientation. I don't think you yourself or
your family need to come from a Celtic country, speak a Celtic
language nor do you even have to like Celtic culture or music or
anything. You can still be a Druid.
That happens to be because of how other religions have evolved over
time. If the ancient Druids had survived, and if they had migrated
over from Europe to America, and if they had continued to thrive here,
what would their religion look like here today? I doubt very much that
a lot of Celtic culture would still remain intact. I doubt very much
that a lot of Welsh or Gaelic would be spoken or prayed or sung in
Druid services. Maybe a little taste here or there, but not a lot. The
Druids would become modern and American. In fact I believe that if the
spirit of the ancient Druids is alive today, then it is alive within
the Reformed Druids of Gaia, and that group is very much like what I
think the ancient Druid religion would be like, if it had survived.
Now, that's not to say that perhaps pockets of "orthodox" Druids might
also survive, clinging to the Celtic culture and perhaps doing
services in Welsh. Like Judaism, Druidry might have ended up with many
parts, but I think the largest part would be very Americanized, just
as Reform Judaism is very Americanized.
A study of how Judaism has changed and grown and evolved since times
ancient would surely parallel the path that ancient Druidism would
have taken.
In fact, modern Druidism, without any connection to the ancients, has
actually branched in much the same way.
In America, the oldest Druid group (founded in 1912) is the Ancient
Order of Druids in America (AODA). They are still barely alive, with
branches mainly in California and the Pacific North West. If you drive
around some towns in Northern California you run into remnants of
AODA's past, in the form of buildings in downtown areas, much like
those the Masons and Odd Fellows built. I don't know a lot about AODA
other than that, but if they say they are Druids, then they are.
The next oldest Druid group (founded in 1963) is the Reformed Druids
of North America, founded originally as a college protest against
mandatory attendance at religious services. Most of the better known
Druid groups (such as: New Reformed Druids of North America,
Missionary Order of the Celtic Cross, Ar nDraiocht Fein, Henge of
Keltria) are actually branches from RDNA's family tree.
In 2006, Arch-Druid Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear noticed the international
nature of Reformed Druidism, and was led by personal vision to declare
a new epoch of Reformed Druidry, the Reformed Druids of Gaia. By the
simple affirmation that "Nature is good" one becomes a member of this
fast growng, "non-prophet, ir-religious, dis-organization", destined
to become the "canopy organization" which all Reformed Druids living
on this planet belong to.
Druid orthodoxy began to appear in the late 1990's, under such labels
as "Celtic reconstruction," "Celtic revivalism," and "Celtic
restoration." Some of these disparage the use of the word "Druid" to
describe themselves, and others (in the manner that Ultra-Orthodox
Jews view Reform Jews) will declare that only themselves, and those
like them have the right to the title "Druid".
I think that's very un-Druid-like. But, some require a feeling of
superiority over others. Some dude reads "21 Lessons of Merlin", or
some such other drivel, and decides he is an expert in all things
Druid-like, and declares "Celtic restoration" (or whatever) to be the
"one and true revival and reconstruction of ancient Druidism", even
though there are Druids who know better and have been around 30 to 80
years longer, and even though archaeologists and historical
anthropologists tell us that even today, we know practically zip about
what the ancient Druids believed, or how they practiced (many well
written, "scholarly" books written by Neo-Pagans having now been
debunked by actual scientists).
Regardless, they're Druids too. They may also be shmucks. That's ok
(every family has them) - they are my brothers and sisters, and I
accept them regardless.
I think though, that in a broad sense, all of us are "revivalist -
reconstructionist -restorationist" Druids, because we are all in our
own ways doing Druidism exactly the way the ancient Druids did: "......the
old fashioned way: making it up as we go!" (Jim Fox-Davis, "Ancient
Keltic Church") It always amazes me that people don't grok the simple
yet obvious fact that all religious systems (all Gods for that matter)
are purely the inventions of human thought. Somewhere, at sometime,
someone invented every cult, sect, religion, spirituality, and
philosophy that exists. Over time we forget who all these someones'
were, but regardless, someone had to make it all up.
And that, in my opinion, is what a Druid is: a person who is in love
with Nature and is making their religion up as they go.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Does this resonate with you? Then perhaps you belong over here:
groups.myspace.com/reformeddruids
"Redwood Druid"
Insta-Druids are so cute sometimes... I'll put this up and let it settle for a bit...THEN I shall rant on it.
I think there are a lot of people out there who love and revere
Nature, and who desire to protect Nature from the greed that threatens
it, who are without knowing it, Druids. They may not call themselves
"Druids" but that is what they are.
I think that if you in fact call yourself a Druid and have an affinity
for Nature, then, no matter what else you might be, or think, or do,
then you are in fact a "Druid."
If you happen to also believe that "Nature is good," then you are a
Reformed Druid, at least in the declared sense.
I don't think your spiritual path or you belief system necessarily
needs to be of a Celtic orientation. I don't think you yourself or
your family need to come from a Celtic country, speak a Celtic
language nor do you even have to like Celtic culture or music or
anything. You can still be a Druid.
That happens to be because of how other religions have evolved over
time. If the ancient Druids had survived, and if they had migrated
over from Europe to America, and if they had continued to thrive here,
what would their religion look like here today? I doubt very much that
a lot of Celtic culture would still remain intact. I doubt very much
that a lot of Welsh or Gaelic would be spoken or prayed or sung in
Druid services. Maybe a little taste here or there, but not a lot. The
Druids would become modern and American. In fact I believe that if the
spirit of the ancient Druids is alive today, then it is alive within
the Reformed Druids of Gaia, and that group is very much like what I
think the ancient Druid religion would be like, if it had survived.
Now, that's not to say that perhaps pockets of "orthodox" Druids might
also survive, clinging to the Celtic culture and perhaps doing
services in Welsh. Like Judaism, Druidry might have ended up with many
parts, but I think the largest part would be very Americanized, just
as Reform Judaism is very Americanized.
A study of how Judaism has changed and grown and evolved since times
ancient would surely parallel the path that ancient Druidism would
have taken.
In fact, modern Druidism, without any connection to the ancients, has
actually branched in much the same way.
In America, the oldest Druid group (founded in 1912) is the Ancient
Order of Druids in America (AODA). They are still barely alive, with
branches mainly in California and the Pacific North West. If you drive
around some towns in Northern California you run into remnants of
AODA's past, in the form of buildings in downtown areas, much like
those the Masons and Odd Fellows built. I don't know a lot about AODA
other than that, but if they say they are Druids, then they are.
The next oldest Druid group (founded in 1963) is the Reformed Druids
of North America, founded originally as a college protest against
mandatory attendance at religious services. Most of the better known
Druid groups (such as: New Reformed Druids of North America,
Missionary Order of the Celtic Cross, Ar nDraiocht Fein, Henge of
Keltria) are actually branches from RDNA's family tree.
In 2006, Arch-Druid Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear noticed the international
nature of Reformed Druidism, and was led by personal vision to declare
a new epoch of Reformed Druidry, the Reformed Druids of Gaia. By the
simple affirmation that "Nature is good" one becomes a member of this
fast growng, "non-prophet, ir-religious, dis-organization", destined
to become the "canopy organization" which all Reformed Druids living
on this planet belong to.
Druid orthodoxy began to appear in the late 1990's, under such labels
as "Celtic reconstruction," "Celtic revivalism," and "Celtic
restoration." Some of these disparage the use of the word "Druid" to
describe themselves, and others (in the manner that Ultra-Orthodox
Jews view Reform Jews) will declare that only themselves, and those
like them have the right to the title "Druid".
I think that's very un-Druid-like. But, some require a feeling of
superiority over others. Some dude reads "21 Lessons of Merlin", or
some such other drivel, and decides he is an expert in all things
Druid-like, and declares "Celtic restoration" (or whatever) to be the
"one and true revival and reconstruction of ancient Druidism", even
though there are Druids who know better and have been around 30 to 80
years longer, and even though archaeologists and historical
anthropologists tell us that even today, we know practically zip about
what the ancient Druids believed, or how they practiced (many well
written, "scholarly" books written by Neo-Pagans having now been
debunked by actual scientists).
Regardless, they're Druids too. They may also be shmucks. That's ok
(every family has them) - they are my brothers and sisters, and I
accept them regardless.
I think though, that in a broad sense, all of us are "revivalist -
reconstructionist -restorationist" Druids, because we are all in our
own ways doing Druidism exactly the way the ancient Druids did: "......the
old fashioned way: making it up as we go!" (Jim Fox-Davis, "Ancient
Keltic Church") It always amazes me that people don't grok the simple
yet obvious fact that all religious systems (all Gods for that matter)
are purely the inventions of human thought. Somewhere, at sometime,
someone invented every cult, sect, religion, spirituality, and
philosophy that exists. Over time we forget who all these someones'
were, but regardless, someone had to make it all up.
And that, in my opinion, is what a Druid is: a person who is in love
with Nature and is making their religion up as they go.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Does this resonate with you? Then perhaps you belong over here:
groups.myspace.com/reformeddruids
"Redwood Druid"
)