The Nine Strands: NOD assignment

Exploring the Druid Identity: What a Druid's role in Society might be & how you can incorporate this role into your life.

When we take the Nine strands of Druidry-
Tribal, Art, Healing, the Metaphysical, Seership, Ritual, Natural Philosophy, Teaching and Service- we can begin to break down our ideas about the Druid path and what a Druid's role is within our modern society.

In my last essay I looked at the ideas how and why the Druid Path is relevant in today's society. Some of the same ideas may come in this exploration of the role of the Druid, and how I myself will incorporate this role into my present modern-day life.

To do this I have to explore the role of the Druid in my Ancestor's time, as well as now.
I am English, but my family are predominantly Northern Irish and Scots, moving over to England in the late 60's/early 70's. I have family on the Isle of Man also.

I grew up with a strong Celtic identity- with Irish and Scots blood in my Veins. The lines of McQueen, MacMullun and Lawther being mapped on my family Tree.

Taking each of the Nine strands, I will explore what it was to be a Druid, and what it is to be a Druid now.

Firstly, let us look at the Tribal strand.
Our Celtic-British Ancestor's lived in various tribes throughout the Lands. All were Pagan, all were 'British' but they were very much separate- many of them at War with one another.

Each tribe would have their own Gods/Goddesses that they revered- most of which were linked to the Lands in which they lived.
The Druid would move between the borders and villages, settling disputes, sharing stories and information about other tribes.

In our modern society, the 'tribe' has become a lot smaller. Whilst we are all apart of a wider society, we align ourselves to our families and friendship groups.
For me personally, my 'Tribe' is my Circle 'Celtic Moon' (www.celticmoon.ning.com)
For them I am their advisor, their Priestess and it is to me that they come with their problems.
We are also apart of the Pagan Community of Southern England, and we attend gatherings and festivals to celebrate with other 'Tribes'.
This, along with my Blood heritage, gives me my cultural identity. And my cultural identity in this modern life is a Celtic Pagan.

The second strand in Druidry is Art.
Our Celtic Ancestors were well known for their artistic endeavours and beautiful, intricate spiral work.
Their jewellery and decorated ornaments were much sought after and traded throughout Europe.
The Bard's were the storytellers, and the first 'performers'. The Role of the Bard, and the Druid, was to keep the lineage of the tribes, and to bring to life the Legends of Gods and Heroes.
I am a Drama Teacher and occasional Actress. I have been on stage many times since my youth, including in London's West End (Hamlet, Duke of York's Theatre)
My creativity is in performing, directing and in writing. I write poetry, prose and plays.
I strongly feel that in our modern lives we can still be the Bards... the storytellers of old... and that the Awen can touch us just as freely as it did our Druid predecessors. Our role now is as it was then- to bring to life our history!

The Third strand, the Metaphysical, is an interesting one. We think of our Druid ancestors as being very Shamanistic in their practices (though they would not have seen themselves as 'shamans'). There are similarities between many Native cultures throughout the world (Native Americans, Aborigines, Maori, Haatian etc).
The Druid's worked closely with the Animals of their land, and found connection to them through Spirit and Ecstatic work (spirit guides, transformative meditation)
This is something we would link more with the 'Ovate' as opposed to the Bard.
I myself work with a Spirit Guide who once was a Wolf, but over time has revealed himself to have many different forms. The metaphysical for me in my modern practice is very much about meditation and spiritual work on the Astral planes.

Hand in hand with the Metaphysical is the Seership strand. For me this is very much about Divination. We know that our Ancestors used the Ogham, and this is something which I have been attempting to learn more about. For me though, I primarily use Scrying, Spirit guide meditation, Tarot/Oracle cards and Pendulums for my Divination. And of course I rely mostly on my intuition and innate ability to empathise and 'sense' things. My Intuition is very potent, and if I ignore it I always regret it!

The Ritual strand is one that is very important within Druidry now, and was also integral to our Ancestors.
The Druid's of the past led Rituals and Rites of Celebration as well as Rites of Passage.
We can see from archaeological and historical evidence that Ritual was something which existed in almost every human culture and country.
We still have 'rituals' today that we don't really think about (Birthday celebrations, Sunday Roasts and Bedtime routines).
Drama and theatre course came from Ritualistic performance and re-enactment.
For me in my role as a modern Druid, Ritual is how I mark the passing Cycles of the sun and the moon. It is how I strengthen my connection to the Gods, give thanks and give prayers, and create Magick within my Mundane!

Natural Philosophy for our Ancestors was simple. The Earth, and the Land where they lived was everything to them. It provided their sustenance, their shelter, their very survival. They revered it, they feared it and they worked the land to ensure that their crops were successful and their Harvests fruitful.
In modern society, we have forgotten how it feels to truly be connected to the Earth, to Nature Herself. Most of us live in cities, and are lucky if have a park/woodland nearby.
We are surrounded by noise, pollution and concrete and it can be difficult to feel inspired.
But when you take time out to explore the wonders of Nature, to really spend time in the outdoors and get to know more about it, you can begin to re-establish that long-lost connection. My Husband and I Love being in Nature. We walk weekly in the local Ancient Woodland, and spend as much time outdoors as possible. We recycle and try to leave as small a footprint as we can.
We donate to the Woodland Trust and animal charities, and try to eat organic and free range.

The 8th strand is Teaching.
The Druid's of old were Teachers and trained the Dreamers of the Tribe how to heal and how to be close to the Gods.
My job is as a Teacher of Drama.
I teach in a secondary school and teach teenagers how to grow in confidence as well as in knowledge.
Within Celtic Moon I am a Priestess and a Teacher of the Magickal arts.
I teach people the basics of modern witchcraft and guide them to new areas of study as they travel along their own paths.

Linked to this is the final strand of Service.
Just like my ancestor Druids, I am here for those who need help, healing, guidance and advice.
I am here to teach people about caring for the Earth and for Mother Nature. I am here to share my experiences that others may learn and grow with me.

I am an eternal student as well as an enthusiastic teacher.

A modern Druid's role in society is still so very close to the role that they have performed for thousands of years. We may not be exactly the same... our societies may be entirely different... but the role of the Druid remains the same.
To Teach, to Inspire, to Guide, to Honour and Celebrate the Divine Spirit, to care for the Earth and her Creatures, To tell stories, to Heal and to live a life Blessed by Awen.

How will I incorporate this role into my life? As I believe this essay already shows, I am living this role daily and intend to continue to do so as I learn and grow each day that I walk this Ancient, winding path.


Bright Blessings,
Breaca