Ritual

I know, for me, that ritual was one of the hardest parts of druidry for me to learn. My particular brand of christianity had few rituals unlike the Catholic or High Church of England. As such, I spent long periods trying to apply the order from some book or other, holding the pages open so I could recite these whilst still trying to 'feel' what I was saying and the various responses from those I was calling in. I worried terribly about missing out something, fearing some dire consequence.

In fact, for a while, trying to do it this way both stopped flow and creativity and also tended to make me rigid. For some things I have a tendency to rigidity  and this made me worse! Of course, if you are an absolute novice you have no idea where to start and you look to those who do know, (or at least profess to know!) to copy. Again, in christianity, I, like many others were meant to be sheep, following blindly, those we were told were our 'leaders appointed by God' and often deemed as our 'betters!' especially if you were female.

Of course in time, as I read different books and eventually began to see others and what they did in ritual, I relaxed enough to hear and trust myself more. I began to sense what felt right to me and began to experiment with various ways of doing things. I also attended courses. One particular course helped me immensely. This was a Spirit of Druidry course ran by Rob Wilson. His way of teaching is not dogmatic and enables you to find your own way. For those interested this is the website: www.woodspirit.org.uk

With Ritual, as with all things, read what you can on the subject. Try and be aware of your own voice in this. If it sits with you, try it and if you like it, use it. Don't get bogged down though and do every ritual exactly the same way every time! Don't be afraid to experiment! There are those out there, both druid and pagan alike who may be horrified at such advice but you will only learn what is right for you by experimentation and learning to listen to your internal voice.

The best way to build confidence is to join others who are working a ritual. Then try this out for yourself. Keep checking with yourself if the words said feel right to you. There is no book of rules or though shalt nots! You will find that there are those of the Otherworld and on earth that will help you too. For me, the advice I received in the beginning came from a tree spirit. I also discovered, a Goddess was helping me. I didn't realise she was a Goddess at the time but her energy felt different, very powerful and protective. As I learned to listen - and this is imperative, I found many helpers and teachers. Some helped me with specific areas for a short period, while others helped me over a longer period and some I work with still.

If like me you have no idea where to look for these mysterious druids and even pagans per se, then the next few contacts might be useful as a starting point:

*Druid Network offers a wealth of advice and you can join as a member for a tiny amount  You don't have to be a member to read some of the pages on their website. They also run a Druid Camp every year which is well worth going to.

*Anderida Gorsedd - They run open rituals for each of the eight pagan festivals and they also run a spring and autumn camp weekends which are fabulous. However, they have very small numbers for these camps and once the tickets are sold that is it. The small numbers though, enables their bardic school, type camps to be so intimate and life changing.
 
*Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids - They run
an excellent course and a forum which contains great advice on various areas regarding Druidry. They also run camps for their members.








Some books on ritual and Druidry I would recommend would be:

Ritual - a Guide to Life, Love and Inspiration - by Emma Restall Orr

Creating Ceremony - Glennie Kindred and Lu Garner

Living Druidry - Emma Restall Orr

The Green Hedge Witch - Rae Beth

The Path through the Forest - Julie White and Graeme K Talboys

Natural Druidry - Kristoffer Hughes

The Voice within the Wind - Greywind

Singing the Soul Back Home - Caitlin Matthews

Treading the Mill - Nigel G. Pearson

Some of these books should be read again along the path. You will find, as you progress, that different aspects will reveal themselves to you later on in your journey. This is particularly true of Caitlin Matthews and Emma Restall Orr's  books. You also might find that a book you don't get on with at the beginning will be useful to you later on. I always look at the references used in a book because these may lead to other books that would be useful for you at this time in your journey.

You might notice that some of these books are not strictly about Druidry, however, the principals of respect for nature are upheld in all these books and they also allow you to see how different rituals are performed and different ways of working. It will also help you to develop your own fluidity and way of working.

The best advice I can give you though is get out in nature, out in the woods. If you have to drive to the woods, so be it. Get to the woods as often as you can and allow yourself to sit there with the trees around you and just be open to all your senses. Sit on a bench or find a little space at the base of a tree and sit there, get as near to nature as you can. Sit on the floor preferably without any synthetic protection like plastic! If you must have something beneath you, use a woven blanket in natural fibres if possible. Of course, a plastic backed picnic rug may be necessary if the ground is wet and muddy! Particularly if you are going somewhere else afterwards and can't afford to get excessively muddy.

Sit in the woods or in nature as often as possible and not just in your garden! The beach near the sea or sitting on a river/stream bank is great. If you can get your shoes off and walk in the stream then brilliant! Common sense prevailing of course.

Find a quiet spot if you can and visit it regularly, get to know the energies of the place. When you first start, this can be very helpful but try not to become rigid. This place belongs to a wealth of spirits seen and unseen. Wherever you go in nature, try to be aware of all the sounds and sights, the smells and the 'feel' of the place. If you visit a particular place often, you will begin to notice subtle changes at different times in the day and year. Don't be afraid to touch things. Close your eyes and feel the coarse bark of a tree, the knarled and twisting branches, the nodules and bumps. Take your time. Feel different types of leaves and grasses, being careful and respectful of all things. Please don't take or touch without silently checking with the spirit of the plant or tree you are approaching. You will, if you ask feel an answer. You may sense that the tree is not happy for you to be touching it or you may sense a pulling away or a sense of being allowed into its nemeton. Also, always silently thank the spirit for letting you take a leaf or sit against its trunk. As humans we have been used to stomping around as if we own the place so, taking care and being respectful may take time and practice to change. More on this later.

You might be thinking, how will this help me with ritual? Well the above will help you develop your own listening skills and will enable you to start listening internally as well as externally. This then enhances the relationship you have with the spirits in nature who in turn will help you 'hear' and feel subtle changes in temperature and responses. When working rituals, you will need these skills.
For instance, let us say you want to create an impromptu ritual in response to some beautiful scenery that you have been sitting in or have found on a walk.

You might want to check with the spirits in that place that they are happy for you to do this. If they  are you might decide to mark the area out with some peices of nature that you can find on the ground. A round stone, a grey feather, a flower that has fallen, a peice of heather (don't forget to check with the plant spirit if it is okay to take a sprig and always thank them for it or give a little gift if you have one). A gift might be some dried herbs that you bring with you for such a purpose. A small pinch will be fine with a thank you. Manners goes a long way. Alternatively, if you have developed a relationship with some particular tree spirits, you might want to ask them to hold the space for you. You may just use your body and share your energy without any particular space marked out for the purpose. You may choose to dance or chant or both. You may just find a pretty stone, and making sure again, that the spirit of that stone is happy to be moved, you might place it at the bottom of a tree you felt an affinity with or shared something with. You might just sit, filled with the wonder and awe of such beauty and spend time absorbing it. You might find a song or poem flows through you. This may be your gift to the place or you may write it down and share it with others. You may just say a few words of blessing and thanks. However small and simple or precise and complex your ritual make it yours and therefore meaningful for both yourself and the spirits you are referring to. When you have finished, always thank the spirits who you have shared this with or have called upon to help. Always close down if you have opened up something specifically and tidy away. Let there be no trace either physically or spiritually of your presence there. If you have put a circle around you or marked out a space, undo it and spiritually sweep it of any excess energy. Ask that any excess energy be absorbed into the earth and transformed into healing energy for the earth or other words of your choice. Be spontaneous, let words flow through you, listen to your inner self and any teachers whose voice you trust. More on this later.  Ground yourself. Either, sit on the floor, placing your hands on the floor as well or stand, with your feel on the earth and stamp them a few times saying, I am here, I am grounded, it is done or words to that effect. If it is possible, you can lie on the ground, in a foetal position and feel yourself fully there, know where you are , feel the earth beneath you. If you have something to eat and drink - which is preferable, share a little portion with the earth and her children and have some yourself. This will help ground you particularly if you are driving.