“You are a Druid
if you love trees.”
-Philip Carr-Gomm
Martyn Smalltree and
I drove to upstate N.Y. in October to participate in a two day
retreat on "Druids: Magic and Healing." A workshop designed to explore
the way the old stories, and the sacred animals and plants used in
Druidry, became so much more for the intimate group of seekers.Lead
by Philip Carr-Gomm, chosen chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and
Druids, the gathering was held at Healing Waters, a
yoga center
nestled in the loving embrace of a wooded river bend and rock face. The ten acre grounds were used, as well as the ashram, for our weekend.
The workshop began
with us standing in a circle and holding hands. This simple gesture
soon became a powerful experience and seemed to gel the group on a
deep level. Philip then read a
poem by Mary Oliver,”Wild Geese,”
which he said “gives the feel of Druidry,” And then, the outside
world disappeared...
For me, it was like
stepping into the Bardic Grade of the OBOD course work. Let me say
that Philip is a true
bard and a master story teller. Even though I
had read, re-read, and heard many of the stories before, in that
setting, with live-time pauses and spaces for back stories,
explanations, and historical context, the tales and lore came alive
with greater affect to my mind, heart, and spirit.
Music was played before, during, and after most of the sessions. Philip explained the different ideas the
composers used to create the inspiring music. The effect was wonderful! So many tools set the mood for inner journeying.
"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things."
-Mary Oliver
Our group was
divided into about one third who had done or were doing the
OBOD
course, another third who knew something of Druidry, and the last
third being composed of the curious and the seeking. Philip's
teachings appealed to all and the feed back I heard during the weekend was that everyone was
getting exactly what they were looking for.
Beginning with a
basic overview of the history of Druidry, the talk really was about
the dawn of time and the
beginnings of spirituality, ritual, and art.
Fitting subjects for a Bard. About 3,000 years of history were covered in
about an hour, yet I felt I learned more in that introduction than what I had reading so
many books chronicling the history of humankind! Philip offered that
religion sprung from the primal experience of darkness and light.
Caves
were considered not only as shelter but as temples and places
of spiritual transformation . The practices of being taken into
darkness,being brought to
the edge of life and death, then to be reborn into the light formed the
basis of early rituals and ceremonies.A guided meditation drove home
the concept that ancient people used
caves, light and dark, death and
rebirth, for spiritual growth. And we got to experience it!
To begin the study
of plants, Philip told the tale of Airmid's Cloak, an ancient
story
about the great healers of old. Using timing, gesture, and insight,
Philip brought the tale to life and gave us so many viewpoints and
lessons from that story. Instead of being a story about how all the
old knowledge of healing is lost to us, scattered to the four winds,
we were encouraged to see it as a tale of hope. Now is the time that
the old knowledge is being gathered and shared for everyone! "There is
still work to do."
We then learned
about the plants used by Druids and the process Philip and Stephanie
went through to choose those for the Druid Plant Oracle. These
cards
were placed in a circle and we each got up and chose a card. I
learned so many different ways to read, work with, and look at the
cards. 13 different ways Druids worked with plants sparked many
interesting questions and discoveries.
One thing about the
cards: we were told that instead of trying to see the future, that
the cards and the messages help us see now, the present. How to live
more fully in the present. To get a small insight instead of a
prediction. Indeed, we were reminded that “it's in the tiny things
that our lives can be changed.”
Guided meditations
with plants, and some Druid breath work and movement outside, were
awesome parts of the day. An informal banquet that night at the
Roycroft Inn, where we met Stephanie, who was experiencing the magic
of arts and crafts at
Roycroft Campus, rounded out a perfect first
day. Martyn and I crashed at our Air B and B, feeling the effects of
our two day drive from Minnesota.
The next day we were
treated to the
story
of Ceridwen and Taliesen. Again, not only how it
was told, but the added insights and suggested meanings showed this
story full of alchemy, animal lore, elemental work, as well as the
rich traditions and history of Wales. Nwyfre, Awen, and the Fferyllt,
the Druids alchemists, were discussed and explained. More guided
meditations, another outside practice in the chill Fall woods, and
then it was on to work with the Druid Animal Oracle.
Again, not only did
we do personal work with the
animals inspired by our card choice,
but Philip gave some partner work that was new to me and to many
others. Without divulging his teaching techniques, let me say that
the cards and their guidance and messages were worked in subtle and
obvious ways to promote multi-viewed insights and experiences.
As I've seen on other occasions, Philip was able to connect and work with everyone at
the retreat. We all had access to him, and each of us had a personal, as
well as group, experience with him and his teachings.
There were so many
other things we covered in only two days, but the pace seemed slow
and relaxed, making the information digestible. We finished with a
question and answer session. One question was, “What did Philip see
for the future of Druidry?”
He answered by
saying with the big shift to many people being S.B.N.R. or, spiritual but
not religious, we are in need of celebrants to fill in the gap for
rites of passages and rituals. With people taking charge of their own
wedding vows, baby namings, funerals, and other rites of passage,
Druids are well placed to act as celebrants to help devise rites and
rituals,as well as officiate to the degree wanted or needed.
Philip ended by stating that the two goals of a spiritual way,like Druidry, are to "sort
yourself out and be of some use." “Druidry can help you sort
yourself out with a view to finding wisdom. Discovering our innate
nature of the creative self. And urging us to help the world.”
