f Protection ritual as described in the Druid Magic Handbook. After doing it using the general invocations/ banishings for a few weeks I lost my job. This kicked in a series of events that two years later led to me going back to the University this past May. It was a difficult two years though, barely making enough money to survive with the help of family and friends.
Since starting School, I have finally been stable enough to start working seriously on my Druidry and Magic again, working the SoP the same way. On the first of August, I lost my apartment and the University decided to verify my income so my financial aid is delayed.
Perhaps I am being stupidly ram-headed stubborn (I am an Aries and a Celtic Barbarian) but I have no intention of stopping. I am sure that like before, this will put me in a better place eventually.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Magic and a Latter-day Saint worldview.
Disclaimer: nothing in this post should be taken aspostulating that every member of the Church should practice magic or thatmagical practice and theory should be taught or promoted by the Church. Rather, it falls under the principle taughtin D&C 58:27.
Definition and Theory
Christian mage Dion Fortune defined magic as “the art andscience of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will.” This definition should be read along with theprinciple that ‘every energy is an entity and every entity is an energy.”
Magic depends on the life force; called ruach by theHebrews, Ki by the Japanese, ea by the Hawaiians, prana by the Hindus and TheForce by George Lucas in his Star Wars films. This “energy,” for lack of a better English term, is as much a part ofnature and reality as gravity and electromagnetism. Anyone can learn through simple methods tosense it. Magic works by influencing thelife force, which then affects the world.
Magic can only do things that nature can do; that is: itcannot, for example, cause rain to fall out of a clear blue sky. Rather the barometric pressure drops, thewind shifts, clouds roll in and rain starts to fall. What makes it magical is that it comes inresponse to the mage’s intent expressed through ritual or other techniques.
Magical Ethics
For me, the core of magical ethics is the principle taughtin Moroni 7:16-17 and the golden rule. In other words, if you are working magic to do good or if it brings youcloser to Christ, then it is ethical. Ifyour magic drives you away from Christ or if you are working magic on anotherthat you wouldn’t want done to you, it is not ethical.
The second stage of magical ethics is the practical “strawberryjam” rule; you can’t do anything magically without getting a little onyourself. This is because magic works byyour intent. If you create a pattern ofintentionality in the life force of doing harm, you define yourself as someonewho does harm and eventually even when you are trying not to do harm, thepatterns you have created lead you to do harm anyway. The converse is also true.
Unintentional Magic.
It is quite common that someone might work magic withoutrealizing that is what s/he is doing. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself that you are positive,intelligent, competent, etc; sooner or later, you will be. I have also on occasion seen Christian bands(who would be horrified at the idea they were working magic) quite effectivelycreate a group mind, unifying theaudience in the act of worship.
Definition and Theory
Christian mage Dion Fortune defined magic as “the art andscience of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will.” This definition should be read along with theprinciple that ‘every energy is an entity and every entity is an energy.”
Magic depends on the life force; called ruach by theHebrews, Ki by the Japanese, ea by the Hawaiians, prana by the Hindus and TheForce by George Lucas in his Star Wars films. This “energy,” for lack of a better English term, is as much a part ofnature and reality as gravity and electromagnetism. Anyone can learn through simple methods tosense it. Magic works by influencing thelife force, which then affects the world.
Magic can only do things that nature can do; that is: itcannot, for example, cause rain to fall out of a clear blue sky. Rather the barometric pressure drops, thewind shifts, clouds roll in and rain starts to fall. What makes it magical is that it comes inresponse to the mage’s intent expressed through ritual or other techniques.
Magical Ethics
For me, the core of magical ethics is the principle taughtin Moroni 7:16-17 and the golden rule. In other words, if you are working magic to do good or if it brings youcloser to Christ, then it is ethical. Ifyour magic drives you away from Christ or if you are working magic on anotherthat you wouldn’t want done to you, it is not ethical.
The second stage of magical ethics is the practical “strawberryjam” rule; you can’t do anything magically without getting a little onyourself. This is because magic works byyour intent. If you create a pattern ofintentionality in the life force of doing harm, you define yourself as someonewho does harm and eventually even when you are trying not to do harm, thepatterns you have created lead you to do harm anyway. The converse is also true.
Unintentional Magic.
It is quite common that someone might work magic withoutrealizing that is what s/he is doing. For example, if you repeatedly tell yourself that you are positive,intelligent, competent, etc; sooner or later, you will be. I have also on occasion seen Christian bands(who would be horrified at the idea they were working magic) quite effectivelycreate a group mind, unifying theaudience in the act of worship.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The legend of the Stone of Scone
According to Genesis, when Jacob/Israel was returning home from his in-laws', he camped one night and had a dream of a ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending and God standing on it. When he woke, Jacob set up the stone, anointed it and called the place Beth-el.
Legend has it that when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Jeremiah took some of King Zedekiah's daughters and the stone to Tara Hill in Eire. There, it may have been named the Lia Fail (some sources apply that name to a different stone at Tara). The stone of Bethel was used in the coronation of the High Kings of Eire. The claimant would stand on it and if it groaned, he was known to be the rightful Ard Righ (High King).
Now, we come to times a little better documented. When Fergus MacErca sailed from Eire to Alba to become king of a united Scotland, he took the stone with him. St Columba prophesied that wherever the stone was, a king of MacErca's line would always reign. In Scotland, the stone was kept at Scone from whence it received the appellation "the Stone of Scone."
During his attempt to subjugate Scotland, the dastardly Edward I (Longshanks) took a stone from Scone to London where it was installed in the English coronation chair. He certainly believed it was the original, but some say the stones were switched and Longshanks got a fake. Whatever happened, English monarchs have been enthroned on it ever since. There is no record of it ever groaning for any of the Sassenach (English) sovereigns, at least not that I can find.
Queen Elizabeth II (of England) and I of Great Britain, sent the stone and the chair back to Scotland with the stipulation that it be returned in time for the next coronation.
Where will it go next? Well, use your imagination, but some have suggested that it might be used in the foundation of the future Jerusalem temple.
Yours under the royal oaks,
Nathair /|\
Legend has it that when Babylon conquered Jerusalem, Jeremiah took some of King Zedekiah's daughters and the stone to Tara Hill in Eire. There, it may have been named the Lia Fail (some sources apply that name to a different stone at Tara). The stone of Bethel was used in the coronation of the High Kings of Eire. The claimant would stand on it and if it groaned, he was known to be the rightful Ard Righ (High King).
Now, we come to times a little better documented. When Fergus MacErca sailed from Eire to Alba to become king of a united Scotland, he took the stone with him. St Columba prophesied that wherever the stone was, a king of MacErca's line would always reign. In Scotland, the stone was kept at Scone from whence it received the appellation "the Stone of Scone."
During his attempt to subjugate Scotland, the dastardly Edward I (Longshanks) took a stone from Scone to London where it was installed in the English coronation chair. He certainly believed it was the original, but some say the stones were switched and Longshanks got a fake. Whatever happened, English monarchs have been enthroned on it ever since. There is no record of it ever groaning for any of the Sassenach (English) sovereigns, at least not that I can find.
Queen Elizabeth II (of England) and I of Great Britain, sent the stone and the chair back to Scotland with the stipulation that it be returned in time for the next coronation.
Where will it go next? Well, use your imagination, but some have suggested that it might be used in the foundation of the future Jerusalem temple.
Yours under the royal oaks,
Nathair /|\
Friday, June 4, 2010
Some relevant quotes
The inquiry is frequently made of me, "Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?" In reality and essence we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of "Mormonism" is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may. [Teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith, p. 313]
Have the Presbyterians any truth? Yes. Have the Baptists, Methodists, etc., any truth? Yes. They all have a little truth mixed with error. We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true "Mormons." [Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 316]
Saturday, May 22, 2010
What is a Druid
A reader of this blog recently asked me to define what a Druid is. This is an interesting challenge because there is no consensus. Ask any three Druids the same question and you will get at least six different answers. That is nowhere more true than in the question of what makes one a Druid. So, the best I can do is explain what a Druid is to me.
My short answer is: A Druid is a wise man who specializes in man's relationship with nature and the otherworld and reminds us that we are fully part of both.
Here are what I think are some fundamental characteristics of Druids. Feel free to add to and take away from this list as your Awen (Spirit of Inspiration) guides you.
A love of nature and wilderness
Creativity: this can take any form you find ethical
Wisdom
Living in harmony with the rest of creation to the best of ones ability
A desire to preserve, disseminate and enhance knowledge
Awareness of the divine in all things including yourself and each other.
Phillip Carr-Gomm's three mystical Druid senses:common sense, a sense of proportion, and a sense of humour
Seeking enlightenment and wisdom from nature and inspiration.
Recognition of the power of words and language; (John 1)That's enough for now. Feel free to add more in the comment section.
Yours under the non-definitive oaks
Nathair /|\
Friday, May 21, 2010
Prominent Latter-Day Saints who should have been Druids.
The following is a list of a few prominent Latter-Day Saints who I consider to be Druids in all but name. In other words, though they didn't (as far as I know) think of them selves as Druids or use the title, their lifestyles and teachings are consistent with the highest values of Druidry.
Hugh Nibley
An absolutely brilliant man, the Einstein of Mormon Scholarship, He was both warrior (intelligence officer for the Screaming Eagles) and a peace maker, a man of great scholarship and great spirituality, and one who found spiritual solace in wild places. He wrote positively on Hermetics, one of the main influences in the Druid Revival.
Brigham Young
Made the desert blossom as a rose, he knew the power of fertility. Nibley wrote a book on Brigham Young and the Environment and stated that BY lived up to the highest ideals of Hermeticism. The fact that such a book is possible marks Brigham as one of the greatest of my LDS para-Druids.
Spencer W. Kimball
Ephraim K. Hanks
I will add more names and commentary in a future post. Feel free to suggest any others you wish.
Yours under the fellowshipping oaks
Nathair /|\
Intro
I am a Latter-Day Saint and I want to be a Druid. This blog is an attempt to explain how they work together and do not conflict. It will start out as a collection of random ideas and quotes, but I hope to soon make it into a consistent whole. Many, including my parents, are disturbed by my interest in Druidry because they only know about NeoPagan Druidism. They are two different things. Druidry means, for me, a participant in the Druid Revival, which started in the seventeenth century as a response to growing environmental degradation, Cartesian philosophy and the power of established state churches. It is not a religion, but a craft as indicated by the "-ry" suffix. It is spiritual in the same sense as Freemasonry and like that craft, it can be applied to almost any religion. Gordon Cooper, one of the Archdruids of the Ancient Order of Druidry in America even told me in a private conversation about an atheist who found in all he needed spiritually in Druidry. I hope you can help me make this blog informative and readable. Polite comments are always welcome. Vulgarity, profanity and rudeness in comments will be edited or deleted, though I retain the right to say what I find appropriate.
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