This essay appeared as my weekly column in the Carroll County Times on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009.


The public persona of the Obama administration is to assert that there’s been a change in Washington, as the new President jets around Europe, Turkey, and the Mideast, burnishing America’s tarnished reputation abroad. His actions on the economic front may be debated by pundits and taxpayers from Wall Street to Main Street, but at least no one can claim that he’s sitting by and doing nothing while the economy crumbles. And the capture of Merchant Marine Captain Richard Phillips by pirates and his subsequent rescue by Navy SEALs conveniently provided Obama a chance at a minor but photogenic military victory early in his presidency.
 
Out of sight of the cameras, though, the new Obama administration has been behaving in a way that makes the Bush administration look like a model of freedom and openness. I am talking about Jewel vs NSA, litigation by the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) against the National Security Agency for the warrantless wiretapping of what the EFF calls “countless Americans.” Most will remember the furor that was raised when the Bush administration was caught illegally spying on Americans by using the powerful and super-secret NSA to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance.
 
According to the EFF website, the Obama administration is going beyond anything ever claimed by the Bush White House. Like the Bush team, Obama’s lawyers are arguing that the very case itself represents a risk to national security and should be thrown out. This, the website points out, “is a blatant ploy to dismiss the litigation without allowing the courts to consider the evidence.” This, after then-candidate Senator Obama blasted the Bush administration for “invoking a legal tool known as the 'state secrets' privilege more than any other previous administration to get cases thrown out of civil court.” Now that the ball is in Obama’s court, that exactly what he’s doing.
 
But the Obama legal team is going further yet. The EFF points out that Obama’s Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that the U.S. Government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying – that the Government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes. That is a truly frightening claim. Let me repeat that: the U.S. Government is claiming that it can never be sued for surveillance, even if that surveillance violates federal privacy laws. That is breathtaking in its implications.
 
Under the Bush administration, the Justice Department claimed that it possessed “sovereign immunity” from suit for electronic surveillance that was illegal under the FISA statutes (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). Now the Obama Justice Department has added the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act as statutes which it can effectively ignore at will, with no penalty, using the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act as its justification. Essentially, the EFF points out, the Obama Adminstration has claimed that the government cannot be held accountable for illegal surveillance under any federal statute. That’s another way of saying they cannot be held accountable, period: an arrogant and un-Constitutional assertion that the government is above the law.
 
I, for one, was counting on President Obama to follow through on the promises made by candidate Obama: to clean up abuses of executive power, to engage in transparent and accountable governance, to reform the PATRIOT Act, to free American citizens from the specter of warrantless (and therefore illegal) surveillance, and in general to reign in the power-hungriness that characterized the Bush White House. That would have been, as the campaign slogan put it, “change we can believe in.” Instead, Obama’s DOJ is making claims for executive power and prestige, under cover of the PATRIOT Act, that even the Bush administration never dared make. This is change for the worse.

Daily Ogham Question:  Should I get back with C____?

Initial reading using "The Voice of the Woods" electronic Ogham reader...

The Past:  Gorse

Generosity and persistence

Your work is bearing fruit, and you are reaping its benefits. Remember that generosity is an appropriate response to abundance! Persist in your efforts, too; the blessings you have seen are a result of perseverance, and require continued effort.

Well, I certainly was both generous and persistent with C____, holding on for nearly six months, and giving her all the benefit of the doubt.

The Present:  Heather

Dreams and luck

You have dreams for your life, but perhaps are not doing what you can to make them real. See if there are ways you can weave your dreams into your daily life. You are now in, or are about to enter, a time of good fortune; enjoy and benefit from it!

Okay, so does this mean with or without C____?

The Future:  Apple

Beauty and eternity

Beauty, vigor and, perhaps, love are in your future. Anticipate the good, and enjoy it when it arrives. Be careful not to scatter your energies, however; while many options may all be good, sometimes one still must choose between them.

Hmmmm, so do I choose the known quantity, C____, with her mix of endearing and aggravating qualities, or hold out for the “beauty, vigor, and perhaps, love” that are in my future?

Clarification:  Nuin – Ash

Druidry Handbook:  “Connection and transformation; relationship to a larger context; you are part of a wider world; events may be more important than they appear.”

Meaning of the Ogham Staves:
Physical:  Your actions echo in the cosmos as a stone thrown in a pool casts rippes. Know you and the word are interconnected. Be aware of the effect of your actions.
Mental:  Your problems or questions are not yours alone; others have the same ponderings. Look at the question in the wider context and ask opinions.
Spiritual:  Endeavor to become aware that all things are connected. Balance your need with the Earth’s.

Is this trying to tell me to take my friends’ (and probably family’s) viewpoints – which are generally opposed to my relationship with C____ – into account? Or that her views will have an effect on my future actions? Or both?

Clarification #2:  Beth – Birch

Druidry Handbook:  “Beginnings, new possibilities, potentials; renewal and rebirth; a favorable sign in most matters, though there may be discomforts involved.”

Meaning of the Ogham Staves:
Physical:  You must rid yourself of negativity, unhelpful influences and bad thoughts for a new, fresh start.
Mental:  Concentrate on your desire, the image of the result wanted must be held firmly in mind.
Spiritual:  For a new beginning, focus on the white of the birch, it stands out clearly from distractions and obstructions.

Okay, that finally clarifies it. “Beginnings, new possibilities, potentials”… that doesn’t sound like going backward, that sounds like moving forward. “Renewal and rebirth” could refer to a renewed relationship with C____... but based on past history, I fear more of the same. “A favorable sign… though there may be discomforts involved” must refer to the loneliness, sadness, and frustration I’m undergoing now. I pray there is indeed a new start, renewal and rebirth, at the end of this stage of my life’s journey! And much as I hate to say it, “rid[ding myself] of negativity, unhelpful influences and bad thoughts” does seem like separating myself from C____, who sadly provided plenty of those.

Concentrate on my desire? My desire is to find a young woman who actually shares some or many of my interests, hopes, and dreams; someone with whom I can find compatibility on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Someone who will be a true partner, in every sense of the word; someone for whom my heart sings, who I can love without question or condition, and who loves me the same way. Not much to ask for…  *wry smile*

One advantage to not knowing what to expect is that you go in with no preconceptions. That was this case this weekend, as I headed down to the Gaia Healing Center in Mount Airy, Maryland, for “The Way of the Shaman: Basic Workshop,” the 2-day initial and prerequisite class for Michael Harner’s “Core Shamanism” program. The class is subtitled, “Shamanic Journeying, Power, and Healing,” and core shamanism itself is described as “the universal or near-universal principles and practices of shamanism not bound to any specific cultural group or perspective, as originated, researched, and developed by Michael Harner.”

Before I get started on the workshop itself, I suppose I should take a few moments and address some of the issues that come up whenever one begins to discuss the subject of shamanism.

The first has to do with the issue of cultural expropriation: that is to say, of Westerners “stealing” elements indigenous practice, particularly when they are then offering this “native wisdom” for pay. My understanding is that Harner has received the permission of the primal peoples with whom he has worked to share this knowledge. Some of them believe that it’s essential that this information and training gets out to the wider world, which, they believe (with some justification!) needs it desperately. Or, with respect to information garnered from other, earlier scholars such as Mircea Eliade, the information is already “in the public domain,” as it were. The fact that core shamanism emphasizes “universal or near-universal principles and practices” is further insurance against any the cultural expropriation of particular indigenous peoples.

Others would go even further and suggest that since the word “shaman” is from the Tungus tribe (a member of the Finno-Ugric language group, closely related to the Saami, or “Lapplander” peoples, and part of the circumpolar cultural complex), no one who isn’t Tungus should use the word. Well, no one who’s not using Kleenex®-brand tissues should ask for a Kleenex, either, but an awful lot of people do. The fact is that certain words become common parlance because they are useful in getting an idea across. The word “shaman,” and the constructed term “shamanism,” have become such words.

There is a certain “toolbox” of common techniques relating to spirit communication and journeying, trance-induction through drumming, healing and accomplishing other desired purposes through alliance with certain animal and other spirits, and so on, that are “universal or near-universal” among a particular type of primal peoples. These peoples, whether they are Tungus, Saami, Huichol or Amazonian Indians, or whoever it might be, recognize each other’s traditions and techniques as being basically similar in function, even if different in cultural context. A hammer is still a hammer, whether it’s being used by me, or someone in Europe, Africa, or Asia.

Finally, there is the question of who is a shaman. The Harner folks teach that no one in his or her right mind would call him/herself a shaman. Even many indigenous shamans of long practice don’t. The tale was told of one such elder, 93 years of age, who has been practicing shamanism for more than 70 years, addressing the spirits as, “I am not a shaman, I am just a man asking you for help with my friend, here…” That is indicative of a deep and appropriate humility. At most, one may be a shamanic practitioner, or a student of shamanism. The title “shaman” is one to be given, or withheld, by the recipients of one’s efforts. The proof of the pudding is in the eating… the proof of the shaman is in the, shall we say, shamanizing.

These preliminaries out of the way, the next post (or series of posts) will deal with my experiences during the weekend itself.

Recent days – by which I mean, mostly yesterday and today – have finally turned toward the pleasant. After a remarkably raw beginning to April, it finally appears that Spring has sprung after all! Certainly the Spring Peepers think so, trilling vigorously, even vehemently, from their wetland homes on the far side of the parking lot from my condo. I visited them yesterday, and enjoyed the first (careful) bog-slog I've had quite some time.

Later that evening, around sunset, I ventured forth to Hashawha, my old stomping grounds from my Outdoor School days, and both before and after. It's frustrating to me that it's now a half-hour's drive out there, which means it not only takes a good bit of time, but uses a fair amount of gas to get to it, but it's still well worth visiting. Although the understory is beginning to leaf out a bit, the trees are still in bud, and the evening sky through their branches is a study in line-drawing it would take a skilled artist to match, if indeed he or she could.

Gazing westward into the sunset's afterglow, I saw movement on one of those branches in the middle distance, which resolved itself into a squirrel, tail flicking as it worked its way down the branch. Lying back on the wooden bench, I relaxed into the evening, enjoying the night-noises of small furtive creatures scurrying and scuttering about in the leaf-litter and, shortly before dark, a pair of Canada geese honking their way in to a nosiy, splashy touch-down on what I call the Wood-Duck Pond. As the first star appeared through the tracery of branches, I decided it was time to return to my car, and as I hiked back to it, was treated to the squalling bark of a fox off in the distance.

This afternoon I returned to Hashawha, in part to experience some areas of the place I hadn't visited in a while, but also with the specific intention of finding the "grapefruit-sized rock" I am supposed to bring to the shamanic workshop tomorrow. On my way to the area of Bear Branch stream where I hoped to find such a rock, I crossed the boardwalk between the created wetland and (also-created, and rather grandly named) Lake Hashawha. On the way, I enjoyed the croak of bullfrogs – still somewhat half-hearted, or perhaps they're just young frogs, this early in the season – and the liquid, warbling "konk-kereee" of Redwing Blackbirds.

I was particularly excited to see evidence of recent repairs to the beaver lodge nestled against the shoreline: fresh-cut sticks, some with the leaves still on them, others carefully de-barked by the industrious aquatic rodents, and nearby, the sites of those cuttings among the shoreline bushes. I am quite fond of beavers, having had the chance to study them "up close and personal" as both an educator at the Outdoor School (at Hashawha) and naturalist at Piney Run, so I am very glad to see that they're back in the area. I've missed them, these last few years!

Continuing on the section of stream I had planned to visit, I was somewhat startled to find a suitable rock sitting in the middle of the stream, all by itself, as if waiting for me. I am quite serious about this! Here I had come with every expectation of searching long and diligently for the perfect rock, and and here it was presenting itself to me at first glance. In an obscure sort of way, I felt almost let down! But neither was I about to refuse an obvious gift of the spirits... I did, however, decide to carry it about with me as I continued to look – perhaps not as whole-heartedly as I might otherwise have done – for possible alternatives.

Before long, thought, it was quite obvious that this was the one, fitting into my hands quite perfectly and all but vibrating with companionable energy. So, I did a short, impromptu ritual, thanking Mother Earth, Father Sky, the spirits of the stream and woods, and this particular representative of the Stone People its (her?) self for coming to me, and assuring them that I would use the rock respectfully, as a partner in my shamanic journey. I pushed three copper coins (pennies) down into the earth at the foot of a nearby tree as a thank-offering, and then, on impulse, as I cross the stream, paused to shape some of the stream-bank clay into an oval form with eyes and a smiling mouth, and left the manikin-head on a rock above the normal level of the stream: symbolically leaving a representation of myself, as well as a creative offering, at or near the place I had taken the rock.

On the way back across the boardwalk, I paused at the beaver lodge to carefully lift away one of the de-barked sticks, again with apologies and thanks, and left the offering of a coin (a quarter, as I had exhausted my small stock of pennies) in thanks to the beavers. This tooth-marked stick, or part of it, will become the handle of my rattle when I make it, in lieu of the stick included, so that I am putting something of myself and of this place – this segment of Turtle Island, known to its human inhabitants as Carroll County – into that rattle.

As I walked back to my Blazer with my two newest prize possessions, my rock and my stick, I felt a deep sense of peace and serenity, a sense which accompanied me all the way home. Its vestiges remain, even now... I am quite comfortably sure that attending the workshop tomorrow is the right thing to do, and I am very pleased with my preparations: a combination walking meditation and ritual, along with the attention of all my senses – inner and outer – directed to the natural world, to the specific place in which I was "on walkabout," and to the heart of Mother Earth. It was the right thing to do, the right place and time to do it, and I am grateful to, as the Lakota say, "all my relations," and to the Great Mystery of all life, for their presence with me and gifts to me today.

I've decided that for my ordinary daily readings I shall draw a single few as an omen for the day, and guide for the immediate future, reserving the more detailed three-few reading for weekly guidance. Today I drew Ailim, which can represent either Elm or Silver Fir, depending on the interpretation (I should note that the physical few provided by Spirit of Old looks much more like a branch of fir, to me, than a branch of elm).

The Druidry Handbook has this to say about that few:

Ailim (upright):  Insight, transformation, expanded awareness; change for the better; the ability to see things in perspective; peak experiences, dreams and visions.

Another table of meanings elaborates as follows:

Ailim/Silver Fir:  Fir is a very tall slender tree that grows in mountainous regions on the upper slopes. Fir cones respond to rain by closing and sun by opening. Fir can see over great distance to the far horizon beyond and below. Fir indicates high views and long sights with clear vision of what is beyond and yet to come.
Physical:  In this issue you can see what is beyond and what is coming. You have the perception to see and to understand from the point where you stand. Take long view point and foresee the future.
Mental:  Receive from the past and present strength and healing from which to draw insight and knowledge for your future.
Spiritual:  Be aware of your progress on your spiritual voyage.

At the moment, I have to confess, I do not feel all that far-sighted! But this is an encouraging drawing, nonetheless. I shall strive to make my choices and decisions worthy of that which has been drawn.

I’m sure everyone by now has heard of “sexting,” in which high school (and sometimes middle school) teens send each other racy or explicit pictures of themselves via cell-phone cameras. Apparently Vermont was considering prosecuting such offenders under child pornography laws, resulting in lifetime listing on the state’s internet sex offender registry. I hope I’m not the only one who finds this an absurdly excessive and draconian response to what is, after all, basically kids fooling around!

Fortunately, legislation newly passed by the Vermont state Senate and pending in the House would remove the most serious legal consequences for teenagers who engage in sexting. 13-to-18-year-olds who engage in sending or receiving such messages would be exempt from prosecution for child pornography, so long as the image transmitted was of the individual him- or herself. However, the bill would not legalize sexting. Offenders would still be liable to prosecution under laws regarding lewd and lascivious conduct, and against disseminating indecent materials to a minor, according to news reports.

I would hope that prosecutors use caution and discretion in leveling even such charges against teens, especially those on the younger end of the spectrum. It’s not that I support sexting, or would like to think of (for example) my 14-year-old niece engaging in the practice! But neither do I think that every activity that I think is unwise or even wrong should be prosecuted under the law. Provided that, as Vermont points out, the images are limited to the individuals in question, this is a personal and moral issue, not a public and legal one. Such issues are better handled by grounding and removal of cell phone privileges than through legal actions.

Yesterday I received by post a set of Ogham hand-crafted from the woods appropriate to each few (stave) by the lovely folks at Spirit of Old, in the U.K., along with an Awen pendant carved from 3,000-year-old bog oak. Very cool stuff!  :-)  At any rate, I decided to consecrate the Ogham set this morning, and as I did, a few (ogham stave) fell out of the bag (more on that below), which I took as a sign that it wanted me to do an initial reading right then. So, I did! I used a simple form, with three fews, one each for past, present, and future, as follows, and interpreted them in accordance with the suggestions given in The Druidry Handbook:

1)  Past, or what has been:  Tinne:  Conflict, challenge, struggle against opposing forces; victory against the odds; a change of fortune; decisive action is favored. Note: this few literally fell out of the bag, and struck the coal in my incense burner.

2)  Present, or what is:  Ruis: Healing, resolution, completion; transitions from one state of being to another; difficulties permanently overcome; an omen of success in most things.

3)  Future, or what is to come:  Straif, reversed:  Pain, retribution, unavoidable suffering; a difficult path that must be taken; every choice leads to unhappiness.

GAH!!! That is not what I wanted to hear, on my first reading, especially as a prediction for the future. Furthermore, it didn't seem to make sense, following the message of the Present, the first part of which seems apt: healing, resolution, completion, transition from one state to another – these are things which make sense in my current situation. And "difficulties permanently overcome" and "an omen of success in most things" certainly seems encouraging! So where, then, did Straif come from, as a hint of the future?

I then drew a fourth few, with the intention of further explicating the message of the third, and drew:

4)  Coll:  Knowledge, intelligence, talent; transformation and flexibility; the beginning of a new stage in life; communication and teaching; new information.

Okay, that's a bit better. So then, here's how I read this: I stand at a potential crossroads. Much from my past – which has been indeed a time of struggle in many respects – has been resolved and/or is in the process of healing (which is true). However, I stand, as it were, on the knife's edge. Depending on the choices I make, much that has been good could be lost, resulting in pain, suffering, difficulty, and unhappiness. However, if I make use of the fullness of my knowledge, intelligence, and talent, and keep myself flexible and open to the possibility of transformation, I can begin a new stage of life (in which communication and teaching will feature, which again makes sense); I should keep my eyes, ears, and heart open for new information to guide me onto and into this new stage.

What think ye, whomsoever may read this? Is that a reasonable reading? Has anyone anything they might add to it, or change about it?

(Which, of course, is far from "daily" for me, although I'm trying to become more regular about it... this one is from Voice of the Woods, as my handmade ogham set from England has not made its way to me yet.)

The Past:  Fir

Objectivity

You have seen the situation clearly in the past, although this vision may have been more recently clouded by immediate circumstance. Try to remember both the details of this clear vision, and the way in which you were able to see things objectively; it is usually helpful to blend an objective with a personal view of matters.

The fir is the sixteenth Ogham tree and the first of the fourth grouping, ususally considered to be the vowels. (Some scholars consider this tree to be the elm.) The fir is the tallest native tree, and it grows on hills and mountains, which add to its height. This is why the fir symbolizes objectivity and perspective, a distance that aids one in seeing clearly.

Color:

Pale blue

Animals:

Red Cow

Bird:

Lapwing

The Present:  Heather

Dreams and luck

You have dreams for your life, but perhaps are not doing what you can to make them real. See if there are ways you can weave your dreams into your daily life. You are now in, or are about to enter, a time of good fortune; enjoy and benefit from it!

Heather, the eighteenth Ogham tree, has long been considered lucky. Like several others of the Ogham trees, it is low-growing but has woody stems, fitting an ancient definition of a tree. Most varieties of heather are evergreen, and the flowers are symbolic of luck in love. Heather sprigs can be used as a springy bedding, too, and are said to bring good dreams. -This Ogham is sometimes associated with mistletoe as well.

Color:

Purple

Animals:

Bee and Lion

Bird:

Skylark

The Future:  Vine

Unlocking

You will find the key to the situation inside yourself. Look within boldly- but cautiously! While you will find truth within, there is a risk of confusion between what you need to do and what you might want to do; use care in making your determination.

The eleventh Ogham tree, and the first of the third grouping, is vine. Since the grapevine is not native to the British Isles, it is possible that this tree was originally associated with bramble, such as blackberry. In any case, "in vino veritas," and vine symbolizes the truth that can be found inside oneself, with bold and uninhibited examination. There is, however, a risk of self-deception or indulgence.

Color:

Variegated

Animal:

Lizard

Bird:

Titmouse

As usual, some good stuff there, that will need some pondering to fully unlock...

Hi folks,

If anyone is interested in following my Druidic studies – in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD), Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), and Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF) – in more (indeed, exhaustive) detail, you are welcome to wander over to The Greenwood Grove. Although I will continue to post related posts on here if or as it seems appropriate, that will be the chief repository of my Druidic studies and musings as they apply to the study programs of those respective organizations, and the way that they interact/relate in my own life and spiritual journey.

Yours from the heart of the Greenwood,

Tom

It has been raining lightly – somewhere between a mist and a drizzle, with occasional spits of heavier rain – off and on since yesterday afternoon, and more-or-less steadily all day today. The temperature, while far from warm, is at least above freezing, and the light has been growing steadily broader as we approach the Vernal Equinox (Alban Eiler, in the Druid tradition).

The result of that confluence of factors is that today for the first time I noticed that the fields and lawns and road-verges in my area have begun, faintly and hesitantly so far, but begun to show some green amidst the drab yellow-brown of winter dormancy! As I say, it’s just the first hints of Spring green as of yet, but combined with birdsong and bursting buds on the trees, it’s a very hopeful sign.

Spring really is coming. Let the Earth rejoice!

 ...
/|\

I have defined another… issue, let’s say… that I have with Ar nDraiocht Fein, perhaps in some ways the major one. I need to preface these remarks by saying that they are intended to be a sympathetic critique, not hostile criticism! And a sympathetic critique from within, at that, as I am member of the organization, and was at one time (albeit briefly) back in the 1990s Chief Liturgist of Cedarlight Grove in Baltimore, Maryland, currently the second-oldest Grove in ADF.

That issue is this: my whole point and purpose in becoming involved with Earth-centered or Nature-oriented religions was… well, to find a spiritual expression of the deep and abiding love and respect I have for Nature and the Earth, and support for my desire to heal and protect her. ADF calls itself an organization of “nature-worshipping polytheists,” there is mention of an Earth Mother in its ritual and cosmology, and Nature Spirits are among the Kindreds offered to in ritual, but ecological concerns do not, let us say, seem to occupy a very central location in its doctrine or praxis.

( Read more... )

Again, I am not bashing ADF, a very fine organization for which I have a great deal of both admiration and affection. But perhaps I am challenging it, on some level, to “put its money where its mouth is” when it comes to worshipping nature and venerating the Earth Mother. Otherwise, if one’s chief focus is on the relationship between the gods and the human devotee – and not on the interlocking web of relationships between and among humankind, the world of non-human Nature, and the Divine – it is difficult for me to see how one is better off with Paganism than under monotheism, save for having replaced one God with a committee.

 ...
/|\

Long before I ever thought of myself as walking in the Old Ways or practicing an Earth-centered form of spirituality, and certainly long before I ever heard of existing Druidic Orders, I thought of myself as a Druid.

My influences were literary, musical, and even recreational: scattered references in books of the history of ancient and medieval Europe that I have loved since childhood, similarly scattered references in selections from Jethro Tull’s album Songs from the Woods and, later, Robin Williamson’s A Glint at the Kindling, books of historical fiction and fantasy, and even the role-playing game D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) combined to create in my mind an image of what a Druid must be: a sort of combination of priest, philosopher, and wizard, dedicated to protecting the balance of Nature and also its integrity, and most particularly a guardian of the wild places, especially forests.

( Read more Druidic musings... )

It all comes back once again to what I have always believed a Druid to be: not so much the priest of a particular pantheon, but priest of Nature, of the Earth Herself, and along with that, a natural philosopher and hedge-wizard: a seeker of the aforementioned ancient mysteries, and a healer – of the Earth, of people and of human communities, and of the rifts that divide people from one another, from the Earth, and from the Source of all that is. This is what I believe a Druid is, and what I aspire to become… a journey begun at least a quarter-century ago, but really, probably more like four decades ago, and one which continue, I have no doubt, until my life’s ending – and whatever new beginnings lie beyond it.

 ...
/|\

This past weekend was a spiritually rich one for me. On Saturday, I participated in an Inipi, a Lakota sweat-lodge ceremony, with the Standing Bear Community. It was not my first-ever inipi, but it was my first in perhaps about twenty years! Despite some initial difficulties getting past physical sensations (frozen feet followed by various body parts falling asleep, primarily) to the spiritual aspects of it, I found it a very good and powerful experience. And, I think that I received some guidance there that is only becoming apparent and manifesting now, after the fact...

( About the Inipi... )

With that lesson – reminder, really – fresh in my mind and heart, I was ready for the weekend's second big event, one for which I have been preparing for weeks: the Druidic Imbolc/Brighidmas service I led at the Nature Church in York. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent pre-written service to draw on; after all, this was supposed to be service in the tradition of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, not an exercise in my skill at writing liturgy! All I had to do was "tweak" it in a few places – adding an element here, removing one there, switching the order slightly for yet another – to obtain a service about as perfect for my needs, and those of the Church, as could be imagined.

( About the Nature Church service... )

So, one lesson which I took from both of the major spiritual experiences of this past weekend – the Lakota Inipi and the OBOD Rite to Brighid – is that I am being called to engage more deeply with my own ancestral traditions, and specifically Druidic and related traditions involving my Celtic (and perhaps also Norse-Germanic) roots. To mark the beginning of this process, I used a service called  "The Voice of the Woods," to undertake a "virtual" (but still significant) ogham drawing for this day – ogham being the magical and symbolic alphabet of the Celts, used among other things for divination, much as the runes were by the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons:

 

( Ogham drawing for today... )

Hmmmmm.... elements of both mystery/challenge and promise, with a solid rooting in the present. Sounds like a fairly auspicious first drawing, on this new phase of my life's journey, as I embark on what I hope will be a much more focused and intentional engagement with Druidic spirituality, both OBOD and ADF, and with ancestral traditions in general...

Sunday morning dawned clear, crisp, and sunny, and my spirits matched it. In fact, I was up before the dawn, as my plans included attending my old Episcopal church, Church of the Ascension, Westminster, before heading up to Nature Church in York for their Candlemas/Imbolc service. I had gotten up in the night, for the usual reasons, and slipped in to the other room to give my new drum a few more exploratory taps, and been excited by the resonance... now, I would have the chance to try it out for real.

What can I say except that the experience far surpassed the anticipation? I had feared that perhaps I might not have pulled the lacings tight enough, and the drum would end up sounding flabby and dull... nothing could be further from the truth. The skin is taut and tight, in fact the extremely dry conditions at present have shown me where my lacing must have been a bit uneven, as the hoop has been pulled ever so slightly out of true. But the thick moosehide is indeed "tight as a drum," and the slightest tap awakens resonances, while a firm strike with either of my beaters booms out with authority! This will be a superb drum for both shamanic practice, its primary purpose, and also drumming in community, its secondary raison d'etre. I do not know how I could possibly be more pleased!

The spirits of Moose and Wolf continue to pulsate strongly in their respective tools, the drum and beater, and beating the drum with the Wolf beater seems to evoke particularly strong resonances from it. As I stroked the beater against the drumskin, almost an intimate caress, I reflected that in the wild, Wolf and Moose would never be in such close contact except in the mortal struggle of life and death. Yet here and now, in my hands, they dance together to invoke Spirit, to bring healing, and the dance of predator and prey is expressive of the Balance, the Yin-Yang energy of universal harmony and the dynamic interplay of seeming opposites which sustains the universe.

Later that afternoon and evening, I took the drum and its beaters with me to Chambersburg, PA, where with a circle of friends I once again celebrated Candlemas, more anciently Imbolc or the feast of Brigid, the goddess-turned-saint who is patroness not only of Ireland, but of poetry, smithcraft, and healing: the arts of transformation. An appropriate day on which to dedicate and bless, through sacred use, a drum whose purpose is healing and transformation, and at times, the accompaniment of poetry – including a piece I wrote to the honor of Brigid. The drum was received with pleasure and, by some, something approaching reverential awe, by my fellow-celebrants, and it tooks its place in the circle, incorporated into the celebration. A splendid initiation for our partnership in community!

It was as I arrived home afterwards that disaster nearly occured: I had gotten out of my Blazer to head up to my condo, when I suddenly stepped onto a patch of black ice. Before I could react, my feet slipped out from under me, and I was down on my knees... and my drum on its face on the pavement. The pain in my body was nothing compared to my concern for my drum – knees can heal, but my first drum is irreplaceable! Inspecting it once I was safely inside, I realized that it had indeed received a few scuffs... but the tough, thick moose rawhide had held, and no serious damage was done.

Morever, by absorbing a portion of the impact, my drum may indeed have saved me from more severe physical injury! The approximate size and shape of a Celtic targe shield, my drum had served as not just a spiritual but a physical shield as well, protecting me in my fall. To say that I am once again humbled and deeply, deeply grateful is to risk serious understatement. I thanked the spirit of the Drum and of Moose with deepest gratitude as I softly drummed my appreciation. It is within reach of me as I type this final account of its shaping, and in fact I find that I do not like to be too far from it! I am grateful to Steven Kauder for making this opportunity possible, to craft such a tool and partner, and to the Spirits of Moose and Wolf for choosing me, or allowing me to choose them, as the case may be.

I am content. Indeed, I am far more than content. I am joyful!

All my relations.

At this writing, my completed drum is drying in the other room, and indeed, seems to be drying nicely. I took a few exploratory "thumps," just to see, but am resolutely refraining from trying it out seriously until tomorrow, when it should be completely dry. I am quite excited at what seems to have been a successful first venture!

Due to events beyond my control, the raw moosehide of the drumskin and lacing ended up soaking for more than 24 hours, although not much more. I don't think that hurt them a bit; in fact, I think it make them easier to work with. But I would not do that in warmer weather, for fear of the onset of decomposition. As it was, it worked out just fine. At any rate, I knew I did not want to leave them soaking any longer, and that meant that this morning, prior to the several meetings scheduled for Spoutwood during the day, was going to be my window of opportunity.

I took the preparations, both practical and spiritual, seriously, and took the time to do a good job. I made sure my tools were gathered, both those necessary to build the drum, and those of a more mystical nature. I moved my personal altar – fortunately quite portable – from my bedroom to the room I was using as my workroom (the theoretical master bedroom, which has a decent amount of open floorspace and is out of the usual "traffic pattern") and moved several other objects of significance in there as well. This included my rack of mule deer antlers, which has been with me for more than twenty years, and my Celtic torc, which I hung over my working area in the configuration of a blacksmith's horseshoe, the open end pointed down to allow "luck" and energy to flow into the working area. Since this is a moosehide drum, that also included all I could find of my small but significant collection of moose-related artifacts, figurines, etc.

Once everything was ready, I called the Quarters (Directions/Elements) in a Native American fashion (East = Eagle/Air, South = Coyote/Water, West = Bear/Fire, and North = Buffalo/Earth) plus Mother Earth (below) and Father Sky (above), along with the Great Mystery (God/dess/Spirit) which permeates and suffuses, yet transcends, all things, offering smoke from a white sage smudge stick along with the invocations. I had sage/cedar/sweetgrass incense burning, and on my CD player in the next room, a shamanic drumming CD the drummaker, Steven Kauder, had kindly included in the kit. The beat of the drum accompanied me throughout the process of creating the drum (I had been playing the "O Great Spirit" chant while gathering my tools, etc., earlier).

Then I proceeded to follow the instructions provided with the kit and available on Steven Kauder's website. It's really not a difficult process, provided that one pays a reasonable degree of attention, but is also a bit more of a workout than one might think! Here are pictures of several stages of the process, the initial lacing (underside of the drum), handle construction (underside also), drumskin side showing the cloth and rope wrapping around the hoop to hold down the rawhide (the rope was my addition to the kit, as the cloth didn't seem to be quite doing the job), and finally completed, showing both the natural wolfskin beater and the artificial fur "everyday" beater Steven kindly included.

 

 

Please excuse the quality (or lack thereof) in these photographs! They were taken offhand, with a camera phone. But hopefully they will suffice to give you an idea of both the process and the finished drum.

Following the completion of the construction process, I thanked the Guardians and Great Spirit and released the circle, and by that time I had to hustle to clean up and get to Spoutwood for my meetings. But I did not in any way rush the process itself, giving due honor, respect, and reverence to the spirit of Moose and those benevolent Powers that assisted in the process. In an e-mail to me, Steven added these pointers for the final stage of the construction:


I look forward to this part of the process, once my drum is sufficiently dry, and again when I have made my rattle. But even before receiving the kits in the mail, I had a powerful sense of encounter with the spirits of Moose, Elk, and Wolf, while walking outside after dark one night. I was acutely aware of these powerful yet gentle animal spirits walking with me, and communicating to me – though without words – a sense of welcome and partnership, as if they were glad that I had chosen them to be my helpers. It was and is a humbling and gratifying experience. And I have already recounted the powerful feeling of connection I felt to both Moose and Wolf when I first opened my drum kit.

And so, as my energy for today draws to a close, so does this account of my first experience in shamanic (or any) drummaking. I will continue to post updates, if or as appropriate, as I begin to actually use my new drum, and of course of the process of making my rattle. But if the drum sounds and feels as good tomorrow as it seems to be shaping up tonight, I will be happy indeed!

My thanks to the animal spirits involved, to the Guardian spirits, and especially to Great Spirit, and to All My Relations on this Earth we share!

A few weeks ago, I began to realize that I was being called to incorporate more of what for lack of better terminology I will call primal, tribal, and/or "shamanic" elements into my personal spiritual practice. There were and are several reasons for that: to increase my sense of connection with the Earth, with the ancestors, and with the plight of contemporary primal peoples, whose way of life is being threatened by our mis-use of the Earth, of Creation.

Originally, the steps taken were fairly mild and perhaps even a bit superficial: replacing the woven cloth on my personal altar with the deerskin I had braintanned several years ago; replacing commercially-made objects or colored candles as representations of the directions and their associated elements on that altar with natural or hand-made objects – an abalone shell for South and Water, a cluster of amethyst crystals for North and Earth, a feather and a hand-made wand for East and Air, and a replica of a Roman oil lamp (made, but to an ancient form) for South and Fire – and the addition of smudging, the use of sage, cedar, and sweetgrass, for purification.

But my increasing interest in both Celtic and "Core" Shamanism, both interests I've had for many years but now coming to the forefront of my awareness, has led me to look into obtaining two of the most ancient and classic tools of the shaman's art, the hoop-drum and rattle. After looking at several sites, I settled on Steven Kauer's Beardrum Shamanic Art website.
But as good as his products looked, I realized that I wanted... needed... was being called to accomplish something more. It was not enough that I buy a drum and rattle... I needed to make them. I needed to join my own energy with that of the animal, join something of my spirit with its own. Fortunately, Steven sells kits, and he is furthermore very helpful and responsive in working with one and supporting one's interest in making these most ancient sacred tools. The upshot is that, after some missteps with PayPal and which address to send it to, I am now the recipient of a moosehide drum kit (the standard ones are elk, but he was quite willing to send me a moose one), with natural wolf-skin beater (representing the symbiotic relationship between those two species in my beloved North Woods) and an elk-skin rattle kit.

Hi folks,

Just wanted to take a few moments to share the fact that Spoutwood Farm, beloved by many of us on my friends list, was honored last night at the 23rd annual York County Agricultural Recognition Banquet, put on by the York County Agriculture Business Council.

Spoutwood Farm Center, Inc., was honored as sole recipient of the 2008 Outstanding Agriculture Industry Award! In a field still dominated by large, conventional (high-input, high-chemical) farms - even those still run by a single family - to have an organic, community-supported agriculture and education farm to be so recognized is pretty significant.


In fact, the keynote speaker made frequent and unsolicited references to Spoutwood and the model it embodies as being an important part of the "wave of the future," agriculturally, and the fact that the York Co. Ag. Business Council has chsen to get behind the Buy Fresh, Buy Local movement was further vindication to our Spoutwood way of doing things.


Rob, Lucy and I will be attending the PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) annual Conference next weekend, garnering new ideas, new inspiration, and new contacts to make Spoutwood's operation even better in the year ahead. And we have fresh new apprentices coming onboard, with their own new set of skills and new ideas. I'm confident that 2009 will be for Spoutwood and its supporters what every year I've worked there (since 2005) has been: our best year ever!


P.S. If you live in about a 25-mile radius of Glen Rock, PA, and would like to get a bag of fresh, delicious, certified naturally-grown vegetables every week, by subscription, please see our CSA page, or contact Rob, and get the satisfaction of knowing you're doing good by eating well.

The title might be a slight overstatement, but there's no question that the Western understanding of marriage is changing, and it's not just about same-sex unions...

Westerners Welcome Harems

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A dear friend of mine sent this to me by e-mail, and although I've read it before (although not, I think, all at once), it was too good not to pass on:

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

It's by Wendell Berry, who if you don't know him is well worth becoming acquainted with (or at least his writings). If you do know of him, you don't need me to sing his praises!

Vive le revolution!

The Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education, in York, PA, announces a holiday celebration: