Pagan Portals - The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid

by Joanna van der Hoeven

Also, by asking our selves (the separation of the words, instead of writing “ourselves” is intentional here), “What ails thee?” we take the time to look within, to perhaps explore shadow aspects of being.

“Who does this serve?”

Ancestral gods, those who have been revered by a particular tribe or people for a substantial length of time, may still dwell alongside those who have formed a relationship with them in their original environment.

Other gods can be found in the place wherein one lives.

Then there are the gods of humanity – those of love and lust, of rage and anger, of compassion and fidelity.

Often the gods of wilderness are honoured within Druidry.

As wilderness flows with the cycles, it shows that it cares little about anything else. It exists to exist – there is no other. It follows its own song, and will continue to do so. Humans may interfere with the existing wilderness, “taming” it if you will, but it will continue to carry on attempting to restore itself to its original state.

When we humans enter (albeit very briefly) a state of grace where we dissolve and simply do (giving birth, or meditating, for example), we experience this whole other realm of existence. When we enter this state, we come very much closer to our gods. This can also be attained through a deep understanding and relationship to awen.

But the earthquake is not at fault (pardon the pun) – that is the nature of the earthquake. It will not seek out a place where it can cause the least destruction, nor vice versa – it happens where it needs to happen, where the elements dictate it should be, where the song takes it. It does not consider the repercussions it will have on anything.

What I hope to achieve through my relationship with the gods is a better understanding of the bigger picture in life, beyond my own mortal limitations, in order to better my own situation and that of the world at large.

As a Druid I work to find balance, harmony and truth in all that I do.

Many gods interact with humans on a regular basis, in a loving and caring way. Within the Celtic pantheon, there is the great mother goddess of all, Danu, who is deeply revered and honoured for all that she bestows on the gods and humans alike. Dagda, sometimes called The Good God, is loved by many for his relationship to humanity. Gods from other pantheons, like Thor, are the champions of humanity against the wild forces (sometimes of nature) that are pitted against them.

In the true spirit of Druidry, however, one would never, ever, mock another’s belief, or lack of belief in deity, nor hold it in contempt or condemnation. To do so is anathema within Druidry – we all walk our own paths.

For the Druid, there are so many levels of interconnectedness that we can tap into for inspiration along the path’s journey. Connecting with the ancestors is just one way – there are many others.

Apathy has no place in the Druid worldview – everything we do matters.

Honouring the ancestors is restrictive if we simply have a linear view of time – expand that a bit further and a whole new world of blood ancestors opens up, from our ancestors dating back hundreds of thousands of years, and even before we were classified as human.

Honouring our blood ancestors can also bring about peace. It can connect us to our most recent relatives, and also heal the wounds created by any discord, strife or grief that have occurred.

Ancestors of place are those who have shared the same physical space that we currently reside in. It could mean our homes, our communities, our country, our continent. Some of the wilder places may not have many human ancestors of place, but do we need to limit ourselves to just those of the human race?

Siegfried’s Prayer – Adapted Hail to the Day, and Day’s Sons, Hail to Night and her Daughters With loving eyes look upon us here and grant peace to those living here Hail to the gods, Hail to the goddesses, Hail to the mighty fecund Earth Eloquence and native wit bestow upon us here, and healing hands while we live

Inner pathworking is a tool used when we have achieved a meditative state in which we can work out problems and issues, or seek inspiration – its uses are endless. It is a form of guided meditation. We use our imagination to find our own inner world in which we are able to delve deeply into self-reflection, often challenged by those that we meet.

Your spirit guide is there to help you on your path, so don’t be shy to talk to them. Sometimes they may simply not have an answer, for there is no answer to be had. Use this inner pathworking whenever you feel the call to do so. If you are having trouble focusing in mindfulness meditation, you can always use this inner pathworking to help you find out where the agitation or trouble lies in your own soul.

This exercise is designed to attune ourselves with our natural surroundings, to get us outside into the physical world of nature and develop a very real and substantial relationship with it.

At the same time every day, if possible, go out for a walk. At least 20 minutes would be ideal. Find a pace that is comfortable for you and that allows you to take in your surroundings – i.e. too fast a pace and you will not notice the little things, like a tiny bud or the first nettle peeking through the leaf mould. Feel free to stop at any point on your walk to get closer to the earth, the plants, the trees or animals if it is safe to do so. Choose two or three different routes to take, so that your walks will be slightly different, for variety’s sake (as well as for personal safety, especially if you live in built-up areas).

Remember that you are not only experiencing nature, but that nature is experiencing you.

Druids live in reverence of nature, connecting to the world through awen, the flowing inspiration that guides and directs; the soul song. When each thing is living in accordance to its own soul song, in accordance to its own nature, then it is following its own truth.

When we take a step back away from the world, we can examine it from a different perspective, seeing what is often termed in Druidry as “the truth against the world”.

Yet honour is simply the courage to live our soul truth in the world.

Living in accordance to our own nature, our own truths and finding sustainability through honour, it naturally results in service to the world – that same world that tries to rail against our truth!