I was just recalling a conversation I had with my dear friend and mentor, Bobcat, during my visit to England this past winter. I was thanking her for all that she had taught me. She asked what exactly she did teach me that I didn’t already know. I responded with telling her that her teachings on Druidry put a lot of things together for me. But most importantly, the key defining element of Druidry, was something I hadn’t found in my other spiritual pursuits. It was something I think other religions hint at but never really spell out and teach one how to attain. That thing is actively finding inspiration, Awen.
What I learned from her was that Inspiration isn’t just an impassive thing that just happens upon us. It isn’t just a state of grace where we are blessed. It can be actively achieved, consciously, when we need it.
Inspiration comes from actively negotiating the currents of deep relationship – soul touching soul. This teaching moves one out of feeling at the mercy of life, victimized, downtrodden, defeated. Every moment of every day is an opportunity to pursue soul level relationship. Whether or not we do this is our own decision. We can find inspiration anywhere, anytime. It is a matter of choosing to engage with other souls in a sacred manner. That receiving inspiration is something we achieve consciously through our own negotiation of relationship isn’t completely unique to Druidry. But teaching one how, is something I haven’t found elsewhere.
Yes, soul deep relationship (sacred relationship) takes knowledge and awareness. It is difficult to do in a crisis situation. Our engaging this deeply doesn’t mean it will attract an equal response. The relationship may not be a gentle one. Learning to maintain a sense of groundedness, a sense of self in the face of soul bare relating takes time. It is life-long process of learning through trial and error. Relationship on this level can be incredibly challenging as we work through all the layers and scars of our own woundings. It takes a lot of courage. It takes deep honesty.
These are simple truths and challenges. There are no shortcuts. For me, Druid craft is all about learning how to do this, how to find the courage, awareness and commitment to seek inspiration when life is a drag. It boils down to two choices: disengage and have a mundane life burdened with a sense of defeat, or to engage fully, looking straight in the mirror, dealing with all of our issues and insecurities, finding the courage to open our soul to life and the souls we encounter along the way.
Living life this way isn’t clean. It isn’t “safe”. But a safe sanitized life isn’t going to feed us. We need inspiration to live. And whether or not we have the inspiration we all desperately need and desire, is completely and utterly up to us. It is a sticky process. We will feel pain. But the reward is the energy of life itself flowing through us. And that is worth it all.
The Animist Druid 
No Deities, neither the Earth Herself, can touch and bless us if we don´t choose, in full awareness, this exchange of consciousness that allows the Awen to manifest — thank you very much to remind us of this!
Endovelicon,
Well said. I wish I could have put it so succinctly.
Just a couple of other thoughts to add…
First we do need boundaries. We need our edges. The world we live in, experienced through our human consciousness, requires this. One can go too far with “being open”. Our soul has edges for a reason. I don’t want to open up to a someone dangerous out of a sense of obligation. Our soul knows how to protect us. My point in this posting was to remind myself of what is required to find Awen. If we want to experience Awen, we have to open and have it reciprocated. I wouldn’t choose to do this with a serial killer on the street. But if the serial killer were behind bars, perhaps there is the potential. We won’t have courage without some sense of safety – however much of an illusion that safety may be. Listen to your soul. If it puts up an edge, try to understand why. Don’t just throw the edge down automatically. That is reckless.
I don’t pretend to be enlightened and transcended. I live in this body still and my goal is to live well for as long as this life walk continues. There is a potential to lose one’s sense of self, to throw down all the boundaries and relate to all. But can we do this permanently and still live in the flesh? I haven’t met anyone capable of this. We can experience moments of selflessness but those moments pass and we must find our sense of self, our edges and boundaries again in order to function.
As to Deity, touching the gods can blow our lives apart. This is why I think relationship needs to be negotiated. We need balance. We need Awen and we need to experience Deity and we also need to be able to function within the tribe. For me this is the great challenge of life.
The gods can touch us any time they wish and there is nothing we can do about it. If we are completely closed down, they can still reach us. We just may not survive the exchange. Working with Deity requires us to find our feet, our sense of self first. Only then can we open up to such powerful Awen and not get washed away. We may get washed away no matter. Nature kills indiscriminately. The Tornado gods don’t care. They just tear through edges and boundaries. Our choice in relating to such a god would be to honor its power and seek relationship at a safe distance – in an underground shelter. I am an animist Pagan. Deity does not equal Love. Love though is a Deity. Nature is awe inspiring. I just don’t pretend that is cares about me. Ignoring it though is an even more dangerous game.