According to certain histories, today (November 1st) is the first day of the Celtic New Year. The day is called Samhain; it begins at sunset on October 31st and ends at sunset on November 1st. (Click here for a link to the Celtic calendar.)
In what way do I resonate with Druidry?
My love of nature and Earth and life.
As far back as I can recall, I have always felt a kinship with nature.
In recent years, I have recognized the place I feel most at home is on the trail or in the woods.
The earth is filled with stories passed along to each generation.
In its soil and waters, the earth holds the blood of our ancestors, blood that continues to course through our veins giving life to cells that recall those ancestors.
In those aspects, I am a Druid at heart; not to mention the love for poetry and art and music.
There are other earth-based religions and philosophies that value the same.
I think of the American Indian.
I know I have Celt in my blood; perhaps that is part of the draw toward earth-based religions.
I'm not sure if I have American Indian in my blood.
Nature, the wild, life...these are my so-called gods.
By the word "god," I mean something that obeys no one, something of which there is no greater power.
Ultimately, nothing is more powerful, less merciful, more graceful than Mother Nature - the nature of our planet and the nature that is the cosmos.
She is chaos and order all at the same time.
She alone is a creative and destructive force.
She has my utmost respect and awe.
Is there a creative entity whom She obeys? I don't think so.
Is there an entity that created Her? I don't know.
Whether or not I believe or know, does not change whether there is or is not such an entity.
If not for the dis-ease currently inhabiting my body, I would be on the trail often, or at least as often as I could.
I may never physically heal from this dis-ease which has been visiting for the past three-plus years.
If I do, I will rejoice and celebrate.
If I don't, I will rejoice and celebrate.
In preparation of the event that my body does not physically heal, I continue to explore ways that will connect me with the trail, with my love for the earth and for the woods and its inhabitants.
To name a few...
Bicycle.
Recycle.
Mandalas.
The number nine.
AT-thru hike game.
Bamboo knitting needles.
Flush less.
Minimize.
Sing.
Gratitude.
Pause.
Listen.
Recall.
Hmmm...I don't do much physically to connect.
More often, I connect within.
An awareness of life in times past, in the present, and in the future.
An awareness of our place and function in that time upon this earth.
An awareness that time is and isn't, and that time may be an illusion.
An awareness that our actions and words, our intentions and dreams, our blood and breath, matter.
Always, I am in awe
of Nature's majestic seasons and cycles;
of Her indifference toward favoritism;
of Her continual striving to regain and maintain balance;
of the tiniest cell to the vast swirling spirals of the universe.
Compared to the universe, I am a tiny cell.
Happy New Year!
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| 'three autumn trees' by lise winne |
8 comments:
Beautifully written Carol. Living in sync with nature should be a calling for all of us. I do have some Native American blood in my veins and have researched some of their religions. Some believed the sun was the "father" and earth the "mother." It makes sense to me.
I do pray you can overcome your illness enough to get back on the trails you love. I connect with nature best when I'm digging in the soil planting new flowers for the season.
James left for South America last week to hike the Andes. Really looking forward to seeing his new nature photos. xoxoxox
Thanks Anna!
Go James!! Oh my...he is really getting to see the world...and from the best views, imo! :)
My son is heading to Iceland in the summer of 2015. He and a friend bought their airline tickets last week. I think they will be in Iceland for about 5 weeks, backpacking and hitch hiking.
You mention your Native American blood/ancestry. I've been reading up on my ancestry the last couple days, of which I have known very little. I have been fascinated reading what I can find online the past few days. I realize room for error needs to be allowed in these genealogies...but it's still captivating for me.
This all started when I took one of those silly, fun, personality-type quizzes on Facebook about "what ancient religion are you" or something like that. I scored as Druidry which described me pretty well.
(As serendipity would have it, when I took that quiz our calendar just so happened to be coming up on Samhain, which I don't recall hearing/reading about until I started reading up on Druidry and its history.)
Druids brought to mind Celts which brought to mind my fraternal grandma whose maiden name is Galbraith, a Scottish clan.
So I had to dive in and take a look around. I have know very little about my ancestry.
I can trace part of Grandma Galbraith's lineage back to 1562 in Aberdeen, Scotland. That lineage arrived at Jamestown, VA, in 1613 on the ship, The Treasurer. Very interesting reading! I can trace another part of Grandma Galbraith's line back to Northern Ireland in 1666 and landing in Lancaster Cty, PA, in early 1700s.
So far, on my fraternal grandpa's side, I can only find Grandpa..and nothing before.
I also dove into my mother's side. Her fraternal side landed somewhere around NY from Ulmet, Germany, in the early 1700s .
I can only trace Mom's maternal side back to 1798 in North Carolina.
Anyhoo, thus far, my lineage go aways back here in the eastern USA, but not as far back as the indigenous peoples, of course. :)
How interesting! Of course we are all indigenous one way or another. I'm not surprised you find a connection to the Druids. I still find the mystery of Stonehenge intriguing, supposedly a place of worship of the ancient Druids.
My great-grandmother was an Apache squaw and my Dad was very proud of that. I know very little of the story. I did write in my memoir the story of Dad and his brother's first day of school. Dad was about 12 and his brother maybe 8 before a school was built close enough for them to attend. Dad said he was very anxious to learn how to read and write English since his parents didn't...only Polish, which we are mostly, and maybe some French and German.
They sat in the front row of the one room schoolhouse and a young girl yelled out..."Git those two stinking Indians out...they don't belong here."
Dad said the teacher walked to the back of the room and slapped the girl hard and told her the next time she had an opinion to express, to please raise her hand. Then she walked back front and told my Uncle Joe to come up, took a pair of scissors, cut off his long black braid, and handed it back to him and told him, "Joe, take this home to your Mother and tell her, "Joe may not appreciate this today but someday he will."
Dad was so upset about his crying brother, he took him by the hand and was going to go back home. The teacher told him, "John, if you and Joe sit down and be patient, I can teach you both to read and write very well...this may be the most important decision you ever make for you and your brother."
They stayed and my Father had the most beautiful penmanship of anyone I have ever known. The last time I saw my Uncle Joe in his 90's, he still had that braid.
All my other great-grand parents came over from Eastern Europe in the 1800's and changed their names so it's impossible to go back and trace our history but I would love to.
The Mullin's were able to trace theirs way back due to the fact they were from the family of Pricilla Mullins who came over on the Mayflower...but Mr. Mullin's only had it traced it back as far as a disgraced French nun and priest and decided he didn't want to know anymore. :)
Dad was a black-haired, dark skin, handsome man and loved baseball and was playing for a semi-pro team when a scout came to evaluate him for the Cleveland Indians, originally an all Native American team. They though he was 100% Indian until they asked him if hair grew on his face, it did, so he wasn't drafted. He always regretted that "fluke."
I know in my heart I have a connection to the "Great Spirit,"
because I'm certain Daddy did. There was nothing he loved more than being in the woods and around all the wonderful things nature has to offer.
Love this post Carol. I must be an honorary Druid too. :-)
We have similar heritage it seems. I have a Celtic Dictionary/Encyclopedia book I bought last year. I am drawn in what I'd say is a DNA/cellular way to Ireland. Mom thinks it's because I lived there in a former life. I love Celtic art and am coveting the 'three autumn trees.'
I do have Scottish, Irish, British, and German blood and have some books written about my ancestry as well as two books my grandmothers put together. I have always been attached to the land and ancestry.
Thanks for sharing this Carol. This may sound corny to you but have you ever read something and "felt fed" by it? That's how this writing of yours impacted me. :-)
My heart aches with tears thinking of that teacher cutting off Joe's braid. And the warm protection John was trying to provide for his brother.
A disgraced nun and priest? I wouldn't be able to stop inquiring at that point. ;)
Interesting and beautiful Anna.
I recall that incident from your book...when the teacher cut off Joe's braid. Wow, that he kept it all those years.
I've found a little more about my paternal grandfather's side...not much, but a tidbit. But, I haven't really dug yet. Maybe more will surface. (I incorrectly stated "fraternal" earlier...typo!)
Interesting too about the Cleveland Indians baseball team. I didn't know they were all originally Native Americans.
Thanks for sharing Anna!
Sorry this response is so late. I kept meaning to come respond..then this and that would pop up. Anyway...I finally made my way back to my blog! lol
Thanks Zoe!
Doesn't sound corny at all! I'm honored that my little snippet of meandering resonated with you.
I like how you phrase that ... drawn in by a DNA/cellular way. That's how I feel too...but mine feels more kinship with Scotland that Ireland, even though I know next to nothing about either land.
Wonderful that your grandmothers put together two books! Wow, awesome. How'd they do that without having the internet for research. Haha. ;D
I'll echo myself here, as far as what I wrote in the reply to Annan... Sorry this response is so late. I kept meaning to come respond..then this and that would pop up. Anyway...I finally made my way back to my blog! lol
Happy Celtic New Year....belated! I like what you wrote. Can relate to it in a lot of ways. I too, enjoy just being outside and I don't care if it's cold or snowy. I like that too! (yeah....I'm crazy....) Mother Nature amazes and frightens me, such awesomeness...(is that a word?). I am in awe of our universe, the world and even sometimes- in awe of humans. Take care my friend, I love you! April
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