The Core Cult in Druidic Rites

Our Druidry has, until now, focused on the business of providing meaningful,
powerful rituals for large and medium sized groups. Often this takes us toward
viewing spiritual ceremony as a series of tasks - speech, thought, movement; set
up, presentation and take-down. The clergy can easily come to view themselves as
servants of the congregation, with the task of keeping the group's attention
focused and the energy flowing so that the participants get a real benefit from the
rite. Participants, on the other hand, may come to depend on the clergy to keep
them entertained, and attend the rites to get the jolt of the blessing. In this way
the rite can be reduced to a sort of 'blessing machine' in which the detail and
meaning of the work can be eclipsed. So I would like to describe aa symbolic
context that might lead to a more integrated, symbolically whole approach to the
opening phases of the rite.

In any polytheistic culture, the Gods, Goddesses and spirits arrange themselves
into families, alliances and patterns that clarify and deepen their meanings for
the worshippers. Often this results from or is reflected in the order of the ritual
of the folk in which these patterns reside. Our Druidic ritual outline now contains
a clear constellation of Deities whose work is primary to the creation and
maintenance of sacred space.

It must be said that I am not in any way proposing a dualistic or even tritheistic
model for our religion. This pattern is just one of many that are inherent in a
polyvalent theology. Nor are the gender categories that I propose absolute. There
are good mythic bases for the following
model, but equally good ones for very different ones. This is presented not as
dogma, but as a practical theology that can be tested by each worshipper adapted
and customized at need.

Our liturgical order has grown to reflect core ideas about the origin and nature of
the spiritual cosmos. These ideas are pan-Indo-European and can fit comfortably
into many ethnic systems. In fact for purposes of this article I will mainly refer
to these primary powers by their generic titles-The Mother of Waters, the Fire
Father and the Gatekeeper.

The Mother of All

The first power called on in our order is the All-Mother. In many tales the first
Being is a Goddess from whom or of whom are the primal waters. From those waters
rise the land, the holy earth, also called a Goddess from whom is born all living
beings. This sea/land concept can be understood also as space-the starry sea, and
our island earth. For the children of earth the Mother of All is the Mother Earth,
who sustains our lives.

In several mythic systems the Primal Water Mother is connected with the principle
of wisdom, of far reaching knowledge and insight. She is sometimes the Mother of a
monstrous primal king who is overcome in the creation of the cosmos.

In this form as the Primal Waters the Mother can be conceived of as the All-Mind,
the underlying power of awareness that connects all individual beings. From this
ocean of mind arises the island-selves of the individual minds.

For these reasons the Mother is often connected with the waters under the earth. It
flows throughout, rising into the root of every life and sending forth sons and
daughters, the springs and pools upon the earth. So we are all connected deeply at
the roots of our souls by the mind of the Mother. One of the core goals of mystical
work is to expand the personal awareness into this vast reality and even to realize
the identity of the individual with the all.

As with any key cosmic symbol the cosmic waters are not exclusively one gender.
There Are many sons of the waters as well. But in our liturgy the primary
connection is between the All-Mother, the cosmic waters and the living Earth. It is
this complex that we invoke both in the Earth Mother offering and in honoring the
well.

The Power of Inspiration

To the Pagans of the ancient world the power to create poetry, song and art was
considered a crown of the human kindreds. The truest and most clear expressions of
spirituality are often made by the grace of poetic inspiration. So we acknowledge
and invite this power to
every major working.

The nature of this power is expressed differently in various European cultures. In

some it is seen as a draft of spirit ale or mead that produces poetic intoxication.
In some it is a breath of wind that blows in the poets' voice. The lore preserved
by the medieval Gaelic poets gives us another key image.

In Celtic magical poetry the poet draws inspiration from the sudden impact of light
upon darkness. Actual practice involved prolonged meditation in a darkened room or
cave. In this "incubation" the poet would lay motionless, contemplating the
material of the desired poem. After the required length of meditation the poet was
brought forth to gaze at the light of the morning sun or sacred fire. In this
sudden light the final form of the poem was revealed or coalesced.

This complex implies a connection between the power of inspiration and the sacred
fire. To return to a primal level it is the heat of the sacred fire that dries out
land from the world ocean. It is the gravity of suns that coalesces planets out of
the sea of space. It warms and defines the sacred grove in the midst of the nighted
forest.

So we can honestly connect the fire with the power of inspiration and with the
primal Father. In the most simple and archetypal sense the fire Father appears in
the midst of the sleeping Mother Ocean. The heat and light of the sun draws life
out of the moist, dark Earth, draws the individual being out of the universe's
matrix.

Again, there are important female and Goddess symbols of this power. The Celtic
Goddess Brigid gives the most clear example, combining in herself the whole complex
of water, fire and inspiration. Yet we may choose to honor the first Father both as
the power of inspiration
and as the sacred fire.

The Gatekeeper
Druidic lore teaches that the power of the Otherworld arises most strongly on
borders, where places and categories meet and mingle. Crossroads, shorelines, river
fords and bridges, borders, sunrise and set all partake of this "betweenness".

On the cosmic level this limnality is embodied in the world tree or pillar. In many
European myths the center of the worlds is occupied by a tree that expresses the
connection between the underworld and the heavens. In every IE mythos this power is
also embodied in a Deity, usually but not exclusively male. This Deity is
associated with roads, travel, magic and
commerce. He is often a guide and mentor to heroes and may be the inventor or
teacher of writing, poetry and art.

We offer to this power to ask for clarity and openness in our communication with
the spirits. In the Celtic pantheons we often invoke Manannan MacLir. He is counted
as one of the Tuatha De, but is named for his father Lir the Sea God. Manannan is
the core of the wizard archetype-the young ancient who keeps the Isle of Apples. He
is the bearer of the Silver Branch
crane bag that holds the treasures
modern era as a God of the sea, of
commerce. Manannan looks kindly on
stern
lesson at need.
that carries between the worlds. He keeps the
and Ogham wisdom. His cult has lasted into the
sailors and
those who seek the Old Ways, yet he may set a

So then, in these three powers we can see a primary triad of Druidic Deities.

The Mother of All is the ground of being, the all mind, the earth Goddess from
which all are born, who upholds all things.
The fire of Inspiration is the manifestor, the Father of the Child, that brings the
individual out of the matrix of reality. The fire brings the poet's voice, and
opens the seer's eye.
The Gatekeeper is the teacher of magic, the mentor of the wise. He is the
doorkeeper of the Otherworld who makes possible commerce with the spirits.
So, those who wish to grow in Druidic wisdom will do well to preserve a deeper
involvement with these three. In fact, contact with and understanding of this
primary triad of powers can be seen as a pattern of initiation for our Druidism.

The Threefold Cult as Initiatory Pattern

First, all Pagans can make contact with the Mother. We all give primary worship to
the Earth or land Goddess and we can all receive the blessing of the Earth's
unconditional love. On a deeper level, by learning the skills of meditation and
trance we can learn to pass beneath our common awareness into the inner waters of
the all-mind. There, in the matrix of the Mother we come to know the God/desses and
spirits of our way. If a Pagan seeker does no more than this she can accomplish a
great deal.

A sort of 'next step' is the kindling of a personal fire of inspiration in the

soul. When this flame appears in a spirit saturated with the all-mind it produces
crystals, gems of vision, of poetry, even of prophecy. Each individual Pagan will
have different responses to kindling the inner fire. Some will become healers, some
diviners, some able to manifest their visions, some to move into their dreams.

Some of these will feel drawn toward the work of moving between the worlds. They
will find their skill in mediating states of awareness, in spirit-journeying and
spirit contact. Perhaps it is these folks who are best suited to keep our groves
and work as ritual priest/esses. In fact everyone who hopes to effectively lead
group rites must learn the skills that are associated with the Keeper of Gates. The
cult of the Gatekeeper brings the Druid into a dual awareness. First the attention
is directed inward, through deeper trance and meditation. The Druid learns to pass
into the Otherworld in vision, and meets and works with the Gatekeeper Deity
directly. Then, when that contact is firm, the Druid turns awareness back to the
Outerworld, to bring the Otherworld power through, and open a gate through which
the folk can speak with the spirits.

Of these three, the Gatekeeper is the most immediate and 'human'. Gatekeeper
God/desses are usually in close relation with humankind. They are compassionate,
humorous and skilled; though they may set stern tests or even be tricksters at
times. So we offer to them with honor and seek their wisdom and support.

Those who wish to find wisdom and spiritual power inherent in our Druidic Paganism
will do well to take up the practice of this threefold cultus. With the wisdom of
the All-Mother, the inspiration of the First Fire and the magic of the Gatekeeper,
the Druid can do the work of the priesthood, blessing the folk and the land.

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Author Information
Rev. Jeffrey Wyndham (Ian Corrigan)

Author's Bio:

About the Author - Ian Corrigan is a past ADF Archdruid as well as recipient of the
Distinguished Service award for his time as Bard Laureate. He is deeply involved in
developing and implementing a modern Druidic occultism, creating rites and training
to enhance our growing spiritual work. His druid books are available at Lulu.com

Articles by Rev. Jeffrey Wyndham (Ian Corrigan)

2018 �r nDra�ocht F�in: A Druid Fellowship, Inc.

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