Helgrind: Letters From a Sorcerer .: PaganPages

Helgrind: Letters From a Sorcerer

The Path of Modern Pagan Mysticism

"In the religious field of Polytheistic mysticism, Druidry, or any shamanic mysticism, a lot of people enter in seeking mystical attainments such as visions, meetings with Gods and Goddesses or spirits, and mystical abilities like healing or the ability to divine the past and future. The majority of these people report having problems "succeeding" or "achieving" anything in their pursuits.

The mystical path deals with subtle trance-states quite often, and the difficulty most people have with subtle states of mind is itself enough to stand in the way of their progress. Few people have the "fire" or the dedication and motivation to really dig in and "do" this- to take the path all the way from beginning to end. Most people start with a real fire lit in their souls, but before long, they slow down, it dies out, and their efforts lapse into nothing.

The mysticism of the old European religions, like the mysticism of all tribal religions, is something that exists alongside a religious path, and a religious worldview. Like most religions, you don't have to engage the "deepest mysteries" of the religion to believe in the Gods or worship them or to practice the religion day to day, accepting its worldview, and finding happiness in it. It just so happens that most people are attracted to modern mystical paths like Druidry because of the promise they make of a truly unique, genuine experience of the world, 'Learning to see with new eyes' and that sort of thing.

I think that kind of practice and motivation is important for everyone, because my religion and my mystical practice is concerned with spiritual ecology, and re-entering into conscious spiritual, emotional, and intellectual experiences of (and forging reciprocal "contracts" with) the Land itself- the Land which is embodied as a "person" or a divine feminine being- as well as the spiritual powers we believe dwell in the inner dimension of the Land, endowing it with a certain sacredness that we can channel into our lives and interactions. It's a modern day descendant of the core "animism" that all ancient cultures evolved at points long past.

In the religious path of Celtic Polytheism or Druidry, Truth, and the Wisdom it brings, is foremost. Wisdom demands that people work to deconstruct the "basis" or the habit within that leads to the poor judgments they make, because those failures of judgment inevitably lead to both personal unhappiness and to destructive actions in the world.

Chiefly, that "faulty basis" is found in the harmful sense of alienation or isolation we feel when we mentally draw too many lines between ourselves and the "other", whether that "other" be the Land itself, our fellow humans, animals, green growing things, spirits, our own feelings and needs, or what have you. If you can see through the arbitrary, often self-serving and suffocating lines we tend to draw between ourselves and the "other", you can experience the reality of you for what it is- something boundless, participating in all places, all forms of creation. The Druids called this boundless participation the "tuirgen" or the "Circle of the Soul".

This is a short description of the Native path to "Illumination", or the supreme experience of the Truth about our condition, which leads to Wisdom and with it, a perspective that endows all experiences with meaning and makes persons lastingly happy. It makes people able to respond to every situation in a proper, fair way, without any feeling of alienation, harmful self-centeredness, or afflictive emotion.

So yes, you might say the art of the modern Pagan Drui or Mystic is about spiritual ecology, about illumination through defeating the urge we all have to build walls around ourselves, isolating ourselves from the world and others, and instead building bridges of healthy, broad interaction and acceptance in accordance with wisdom.

While that all sounds wonderful, and indeed, it is the basis for a thriving spiritual path which I certainly enjoy (and which gives my life meaning), few people have the drive to really bring this path to life. In much the same way many people struggle with the demands of Christianity or Buddhism or any religion, our path has demands as well- our own meditations and trance works, our own sacrifices and prayers, and our own ethical and moral system which makes demands on how we see the world and act. Those who excel at our path have a fire that burns strong, and a will to "wait out" the dark "winter" periods where the fire of motivation naturally burns a little low, before something inevitably re-kindles it.

Some have asked what differentiated a "Druid" or a priest-mystic on the path of Pagan Polytheism from the "regular" believer or polythiest. The answer is simple- the Drui or Bandrui puts the Truth and the Gods first in their everyday life, first in every thought and consideration, first in every act and deed, and first in their duty. The Drui or the Bandrui sacrifices to the Gods on behalf of others, and always seperates their personal desires and thoughts from their interactions with others, placing Druidic philosophy first in those interactions, and acting, speaking, and thinking from that place.

The Drui or Bandrui must act as a spiritual advisor to any who ask them for advice, and not give advice from their own perspective, but from the perspective of Druidic Philosophy first and foremost, and they must always keep confidence with those who ask them for help. They must be self-sacrificing for the good of the community they serve, and consider themselves to be parts of a community of life, of all people, and serve life itself and the common good, first and foremost. The Drui or Bandrui has deeper allegiances than most."

author: Robin Artisson