Posted by shmastergru in Druid | 0 Comments
Meet the Druid: Who can be a Druid?
Over the past two days we’ve talked a lot about what a druid is and what they’re like according to their beliefs. Today we’ll be looking at a bigger question: Who can be a druid? In addition to not clearly understanding what druids are, people also (wrongly) believe druids are a special order of special people. If you don’t fit with this group then you cannot be a druid.
The truth, however, is that being a druid requires a desire to be connected. This mindset bypasses all genders, race and types of people. Anyone can be a druid because all it takes is a love for land and nature. There’s more to it, yes, but what draws someone to the path of becoming a druid is the belief that they can forge a relationship with the earth around them no matter where they may be at the moment. Druids do not care about nationalism or the land where they were born, instead they approach every country with the opportunity of learning from it and all its natural elements. Residence does not bind the druid.
By connectedness, I mean connect trough being present and feeling everything emotionally and spiritually. Today we are bombarded by product placement and incentives to do better in the world. You have to have the best car, the best house, the best job so you can buy the best toys and the best services to make you the best person. This kind of modern thinking doesn’t leave us much room for personal growth or spiritual development. The modern world essentially keeps us uprooted and vulnerable by telling us what kinds of opinions we should have. Following the druidic path leaves these notions behind and in turn gives us a mentality to appreciate everything in a deeper and more meaningful way. We essentially shut out the world around us and find our part in the big picture.
The big picture lets us know where we are along with everything else in the universe. By following the patterns in the big picture, we achieve a harmony that doesn’t allow us to be carried by other peoples’ agendas. Instead we’re like planets in a solar system; we’re orbiting in our own individual way while still being a part of the total sum.
A druid’s grasp on the big picture gives them a desire to experience everything as it happens. They want to learn by using all five of their senses. It’s the best way that they connect with nature and they extend that mentality to connect with the rest of the world. By discovering the world in this manner, a druid can better extrapolate from the lessons they learn and incorporate it into their being.
The only real requirement of being a druid is to become a doer. As a druid, your path is entirely experiential. What you decide to pursue in life requires you tackle it with all five senses and actually experience it every step of the way. Whether you’re learning music, art, science or just working your day-to-day job, you approach each task as though your growth as a person depends on your full attention to detail.
If you decide to research what druids practice, you will commonly hear them say that they practice awareness of their surroundings and the changes in nature. They’ll tell you it’s important for them to learn myth and lore that supports their belief system. Druids will also mention that they celebrate the seasons. Druids who have been at it for a while will tell you that they continually practice to understand the practical applications to any skill they have while encouraging their own creativity and learning from new fields of study.