Druid philosophy
(Nimue)
For me, the key thing about philosophy is that if you’re on the Druid path, this is something you do. It’s not about adopting a particular view, it’s the undertaking to think about things. Reflection, contemplation, questioning, and curiosity are all important parts of this. To be a Druid is to live a reflective life in a considered way. It means knowing why you do what you do, being self aware and deliberate in your actions.
For most, if not all Druids this will mean figuring out what your values and priorities are. You will ask yourself (probably many times) what it means to live honourably. You’ll question the ethics of things, probably many times as your experiences evolve and the world changes. You’ll ask yourself questions about what it means to live well, and you’ll try and figure out how to judge what is good, or needed or worthwhile.
As a Druid you will consider how your choices and actions have played out so as to learn from them. You’ll be alert to your own motives and curious about any unconscious things thar may drive you or limit you. You’ll think about how your ancestors have impacted on you and the things thy have passed down, which may led you into work around healing ancestral trauma and changing the stories you live by.
Along the way you’ll think about the terms on which you are willing to trust people. You’ll become alert to the spiritual equivalent of snake-oil salesmen, to ego-driven gurus and poor research. You’ll learn when to question, how to think critically, how to judge and how to value. We treasure knowledge and wisdom. In this age of misinformation, manipulation and the easy spread of errors through the internet, the Druid path demands that we hone our thinking skills, and seek integrity. Iolo Morgannwg had things to say about the truth against the world, and that seems highly relevant right now. There’s a shortage of truth out there, and integrity has never been more important.
As you build your personal philosophy, you’ll decide how to weight various issues. You may think about service, justice and compassion. You might want to develop a life that is earth centred, you may be most interested in teaching and supporting others. Your life choices and personal philosophy will help define how you choose to walk your path, and what will open up before you as you do so. And as we follow our paths and the world around us changes, what we’re called upon to do may also change. I think it’s important as a Druid to be open to change and willing to rethink things in face of new evidence or need.
