10/15/2022 Avalonian Druidcraft - two years onIt is now just over two years since the foundation of the Avalonian Druidcraft Tradition (founded September 2020). We have a handful of initiates as well as many more group members who might be consider "outer court", those who are exploring the tradition but not yet committed. Sometimes the deities and archchetypes work slowly and steadily to do their work in the souls of individuals so I am not concerned with the slow growth of the grove, besides, we live in uncertain times, when spiritual creativity may not be everyone's highest priority. Our egregore is still a younster, yet a personality is emerging gradually, bringing joy to his progenitors and our magical family. In Trinity Grove Esoteric Druid Order, for more than a decade now, we have offered a systematic course of study and initiation following the pattern of classical Druidry, in the grades of Bard, Ovate and Druid, as having completed the three year course of study with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids I can appreciate the wisdom of providing a foundation in basic ceremonial work and meditations to be followed by an in depth exploration of Ogham, herbcraft and divination, before beginning to consider magic. Indeed in that system many who attain the Druid grade have no interest in magic. In Avalonian Druidcraft, however, our approach is somewhat different as the goal of our work is magical proficiency, whether that be practical or theurgical magic. Following the tradition of Seax Wicca, founded by Raymond Buckland, we have but one initiation, as a priest or priestess of the craft, and it is up to the individual to determine his or her role in the grove and specific areas of expertise. From its inception our tradition has been inspired by the life and work of Dion Fortune, from whom we hold a lineage, and we are all, no doubt, aware that she was a great Qabalist, "The Mystical Qabala" probably being her best known work. If we are to follow in her footsteps should we not then also aspire to be Qabalists? That is certainly the position taken by the Society of the Inner Light, the magical order founded by Dion Fortune, which still teaches Qabala to all of its students. Conversely, people are drawn to Avalonian Druidcraft, for many different reasons, and of the initiates we have received so far I am not aware of any who have shown a particular interest or expertise in Qabala. Perhaps we ought to be mindful that in Dion Fortune's day the magical path was more or less limited to Golden Dawn, classical Solomonic Magic, esoteric Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and Martinism. The shamanic path had yet to be rediscovered, esoteric Druidism was in its infancy and Wicca had yet to be born, The latter in fact was heavily influenced by Dion Fortune's magical legacy. Therefore, we might ask, had (neo) Shamanism, Druidry and Wicca been options when Dion Fortune was seeking a magical path, would she have attracted to Qabala at all? I believe she may still have opted for a Qabalistic path for two reasons. Firstly, we live in a post Christian world, whilst Dion Fortune, unconventional as she was, did not. Her personal morality and private devotional life remained fundamentally Anglican, which at that time was an integral part of the national identity for most of the English middle and upper classes, therefore, a magical system based on Jewish mysticism would not seem so culturally alien to her, as it might to us, and it could even be envisioned as respectable. Secondly, even untrained in astrology as I am, taking a quick look at Dion Fortune's natal chart (see below) it would be hard to find any indication of a stong attraction to Earth based spiritual systems, due to an absence of earth and water influences, but rather, as a strong Sagitarian with significant planets in air signs, one can discern the source of her fiery temperament, creative genius and vibrant intellect. These qualities fitted her for the study and practise of Qabala, which in my limited experience, requires a disciplined intellectual approach, whilst some of us are naturally drawn to the more visceral and instinctive shamanic arts. So, two years on, in Avalonian Druidcraft, we may still be a bit weak on the Hermetic strand, and would certainly welcome initiates gifted in that area, however, we are blessed that among the present initiates we have some capable healers as well as those well versed in Celtic mythology and the Bardic triads; as well as those with expertise in Ogham, Herbalism, Tarot and Ceremonial Magic. Therefore, without setting out to do so, we have, nevertheless, managed to gather a select group in which the traditional Druidic skills of the Bard, the Ovate and the Druid are well represented.
My heartfelt desire, as we begin our third year, is that through individual practice and linking up with fellow initiates on the inner planes, we may nurture and strengthen the egregore of the coven, and continue to lay the foundations of a unique tradition; a Druidic Wiccan Tradition inspired more by Arthurian Ceremonial Magic than Spellcraft and more by Celtic Shamanism than Hermeticism - yet encouraging all four; explicitly Pagan in practice yet having a symbiotic relationship with Celtic Christianity, for as our dear teacher famously wrote, "Two traditions meet in Avalon, the ancient faith of the Britons and the creed of Christ". Let us go forward confidently, trusting in the guidance of our inner planes contacts. Blessed Be! Comments are closed.
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