It is better to be great at just one thing, than try and fit too many things into your life. I have found this to be true personally. So for 2023 I am deciding what I will personally focus on. The Old Religion is of particular interest to me.
A Druid is a title of a particular role, but Druidry and Druidism are modern terms to describe a religion that didn’t need a name at the time. Julius Caesar equated the Druids to the Mages of what is now Northern Iran. From which term we get magick or magician. Sadly, many miss the magical connection with Druids and somehow separate them from witches. But both have much in common. A Druid was very much a Celtic witch (with sub divisions of Bards and Vates), with witch deriving itself from Anglo Saxon. Some, though, have used the term DruidCraft to re-establish the link.
The religion of the Tribe, or group of Tribes was nameless and just part of everyday life, whether they go by modern day names of Celtic, Norse, Heathenry, etc. It was the religion that united Shamans worldwide with their connections to the unseen supernatural forces. Even the Abrahamic religions believe in supernatural forces and the Bible actually contains much magick, especially the Old Testament.
The unseen forces or spirits are all around us, but if we simply live by being part of the concrete jungle, we lose our connection to the unseen forces. These forces can help us by calling upon them in ritual or prayer (which in itself is a form of ritual). We can draw power from them, and they can give us insight. Whilst not denying science and physics, I acknowledge a higher science or magick, which mortals can tap into, but not fully understand because our spirits are inside a physical body. We must also not neglect the physical since we are here to have a physical experience. Balance is needed.
We must also ground ourselves because the universe is a balance of chaos and order. I do not use the words good and evil because these do not describe a being, or person, but the acts they do. All are capable of both, but chaos and order aptly describes the constant changes in ourselves and in the universe. One thing about the ancient Gods is that they learn and progress. Gods such as Odin (Woden in Heathenry). Odin discovered the runes when he hung himself from the world tree Yggdrasil in order to learn wisdom. He learned the magical art of prophecy from Freyja.
Kemetic (ancient Egyptians) recognised their Gods and Goddesses as elemental forces. Followers of Kemetism generally worship a few gods (Maat, Bastet, Anubis, Sekhmet, or Thoth, among others), but recognize the existence of every god. This worship generally takes the form of prayer and setting up altars, but there are no set guidelines for worship. Similarly, when you are part of a Coven or Grove, you might use commonly accepted protocol, such as casting a circle of protection and calling the quarters, but intent is the most important thing. And you must do whatever works for you. Experiment and see what works and what doesn’t. Ritual is a means of connecting with the unseen forces around us.
If you believe that one God is omnipotent and all powerful, then you must accept that this diety is responsible for both good and evil. Otherwise, bad things wouldn’t happen. This is brought out in Isaiah 45:7 – “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD (YHWH) do all these things.”
I am very fortunate to be part of a Grove, but each of us must consider our strengths. What attracts us most? Necromancy, Alchemy, Astrology, Crystology, Divination, or are we musical or a story teller, or do we just feel a connection with animals, trees, plants, and nature. All these things were practised as part of the Old Religion. Find your path and practice it. The effort is worth it. Even if you never settle on a path, the search in itself is enlightening. The ultimate goal is enlightenment.
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