The Future of Draíocht in Modern Society
An Ogham Reading

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L 'Elm in the Forest' Fires Above Stone Luis, Rowan I meditated on the question, "What will be the future of Draíocht in Modern Society?" After I had reached a sense of inner calmness I reached into the earth beneath me for a connection to the wellsprings of Land power. At the same time I extended my upper consciousness to the Sky for clarity and light. In this mode of connection between Land and Sky, I became a 'Tree of Seeking.' As I felt the flows of energy rising within me like the sap of a tree, I reached into my Crane Bag filled with Ogham fedha. I selected only one fidh to symbolize the answer to my question. The Ogham selected was Ruis, the Rowan of Druid Magic. Ask a general question and get a general answer! The future of Draíocht in modern society is to do the Magical work of Druids. This answer (though obvious) was very welcome to me because it implied that the gods see a role for Druids in today's world (and by extension, the world of the future). To gain more insight into the matter, I decided to use the Cranchurr method. Traditionally this requires the use of three fedha. I selected two other Ogham from my bag to compliment and augment the one that I'd already chosen. Since the first pick was an obvious one to me and also because I always start with where I am in any activity, I decided to let the next two choices represent the Past and the Future respectively. The Crannchur Method Let the lot of the Seeker stand between The place of the Speaker of Judgment And the Cauldron of Wisdom of the Gods. The second type of divination is based on the ancient Celtic divinatory form of Crannchur. In our modern use of this technique of lot casting using Ogham, we will draw three fidh from the Crane Bag. The first fidh or lot will represent the Present or our selves (this is the 'L' that we've already drawn). It is the Lot of the Seeker. The second lot drawn will call upon the knowledge of the Past. It is the Speaker of Judgment. The third wood that is chosen from the bag will look to the Future. It is the Wisdom of the Gods. Expanding the Reading to Three Choices Each of these three choices relates to a time, a state of being and a manner of certainty. We know the most about the Present, so that is where we begin. We can use our senses to gather information from the world that we perceive as it surrounds us. Many times our perceptions can be colored and influenced by the physical world around us. Perhaps it is the confusion and illusion of those perceptions that led us to seek divination as an answer in the first place? To better understand the present, that has caused us to seek divine knowledge, we should look to the past and to the history that is behind our current reality. The traditions and practices of our ancestors are two factors that have shaped our current society. It is for this reason that we should seek their judgment in evaluating our present or future circumstances. The role of history and tradition to a society is mirrored in the relationships that our subconscious mind has to our consciousness. We are shaped by the ways that our total being interacts with the world around us and not just by the elements of thought that rule the forefront of our minds. The third reading is a step along the pathway from the Past, through the Present, and into the Future. It is a projection of the course of our lives from cause to an effect, and onward to both possibility and destiny. The prediction of the future that is foretold by the selection of the Wisdom of the Gods is not the only possibility that awaits us in our future. However it is the most likely future to occur unless we change our present course or we heed divine knowledge to choose another pathway. We will expand on the original reading by drawing two additional fedha. As I've already said, these two additional picks will better allow us to consider the effects of the question and define its answers in each of the Three Worlds of Land, Sea and Sky, as well as the times of Present, Past and Future. The Lots of the Judge and the Gods The second lot or fidh drawn for this reading is Nuin or Ash, which represents the truth at the center of things. This is known as the 'Truth of a King.' It is considered by Celts and Druids to affect the outcome of all things. It is no surprise that the roots of the tree of Draíocht in the Past were truth itself. That is its strong foundation and its downfall if truth is ever denied. The third, lot, which is the lot of the Ruler in this reading, is Muin or Vine. The Lot of the Judge N Nuin, Ash "Weaver's Beam" The Truth of a King The Lot of the Ruler M Muin, Vine 'The Tie That Binds' A Rope of Many Strands This Ogham represents the binding that occurs when we become involved in an undertaking through dedication and study. The Cranchurr are telling us that the future of Draíocht and Druids is to be found by finding the truth of its roots in the past. This truth will involve nurturing those roots in the present and becoming a body for our choices in the future. The separate groups and organizations of Draíocht coming together to form a ‘Rope of Many Strands’ will accomplish this support of the Druids’ Tree. Druids will determine the future of Druids. It will be realized through a unity of effort and a letting go of separateness. In a way, these three selections mirror the way that a young Druid first steps on the path: They become interested in Draíocht through reading or through the direct effects of Draíocht in their personal lives. They seek the truth that lives in the realms beyond the ordinary, which helps us to determine how reality is constructed. They study many disciplines and meld these all together to become 'Samildánach.' Additional fedha will be selected up to a total of nine to validate this reading and to add some flesh to the bones of the Crannchur framework. This is called the 'Nine Dúile Method.' Expanding the Reading to Nine Choices In the Three Worlds There are as many pathways Through the forest as there are Leaves to the trees. The Dúile Method In this reading we will use the three fedha drawn previously and augment them with six additional fedha to account for the nine ways that the worlds can interact. The third method for performing Ogham Divinations will be an attempt to view the Cosmos as Three Worlds, Three Cauldrons and Nine Dúile. We will model the shape of our potential Future as a created being. To do this, we will individually draw nine (six and the original three) separate Ogham fedha from the Crane Bag to represent each respective dúile. Three Ogham fedha will be chosen to represent the dúile of the bones, flesh and skin of our Cauldron of Formation. Three Ogham fedha will be chosen to represent the dúile of the blood, breath and mind of our Cauldron of Vocation. The last three Ogham fedha will be chosen to represent the dúile of the face, brain and head of our Cauldron of Wisdom. When we have been guided in the selection of the nine elements of our future, we will better understand how the sum of its parts manifests for us as they reveal the possibilities and potentials. At this point, we will be able to interact with this created being, as if it were another person with whom we can communicate and converse. The Nine Sacred Woods of the Future I was once asked to write about the role of Druids in both the present and the future of Celtic Reconstructionism (CR), I must admit that I had mixed feelings about this topic (in fact, that's one reason I picked this topic for divination). I was glad to have the opportunity to discuss such an essential part of the Celtic spirit and tradition, but I was also apprehensive about the many ways in which the public does not understand Druids, in general. In fact, I was weary and wary of slogging through the many bogs into which such discussions have been known to sink. I'm still apprehensive about discussing such a misunderstood matter, but I feel that it is essential to the survival of the Celtic Reconstructionist and the Druidic community to do so. If the presence of Druids is to continue within a viable and growing Celtic community, then we must overcome the unnecessary fears of both the misinformed and the over-reactive. These fears can best be addressed and healed by presenting a better understanding of who Druids were and who Druids are. This need for understanding seems to be most required among Druids, as these readings seem to indicate a need to bind together in common cause and to achieve a consensus on what we are attempting to do. What Will Be The Future Self - Looking Beyond This selection of Ogham fedha represents the duine (or person) and their consciousness that seeks answers to the mysteries of the future. Each dúile represents a separate quality of the self (féin) that has a connection to a corresponding part of the Cosmos and the future. The Essential Nature The following Ogham fedha represent the essential nature of the future situation and their characteristic associations are a part of this reading for the future and the upper world of Sky: The Qualities of the Future Ogham/Tree/Dúile/Quality/Cosmos Nuin/Ash/Bones/Examination/Stone Coll/Hazel/Flesh/Tales/Land Duir/Elder/Skin/Bounty/Nature Luis/Rowan/Blood/Quickenings/Sea Ifin/Pine/Breath/Quality/Wind Ailm/Silver Fur/Mind/Science/Moon Muin/Vine/Face/Fierceness/Sun Edad/Aspen/Brain/Rulings/Stars Oir/Spindle/Head/Primacy/Sky The interactions of the Ogham that have been chosen for the possible outcome of the question, along with the influences of the Cosmos of the Casting cloth that represents the Future, will be interpreted in the following section. These interactions will guide our divination as we seek to understand what will be. >BR> The Awakening Future Ash of deep Examination Hazel of remembered Tales Oak of generous Bounty Rowan of Quickening Draíocht Pine of highest Quality Firstborn mind of Science Vine of Fiercest Binding Anxious Rulings of Judgment Fire of Judgment Lessons of the Past A Future of Challenge. The nine Dúile of this reading are telling us the same things that the Crannchur and Doorway methods told us. The roots of the future for Druids can be found in an examination and a study of the tales about Druids in the past. In particular the benefits for the future will be found in following the examples of service and generosity found among the Draíothe. This study of past information will be assisted by our use of science, Draíocht, Magic and the highest standards of scholarship in the present. These high standards will diminish our differences and decrease the actual subjective bickering that occurs when opinion rules over fact or reason. The future will be a great challenge to Druids everywhere, especially in finding wider and more credible acceptance by modern society. To achieve this acceptance in a successful way will require a meeting of Druids from everywhere. Convocation of the Wise will be necessary to put our fears and differences through the purifying fires of truth in unbiased and unquestioned judgment. It appears to me that the gods are saying that Druids and Draíocht will prosper if we work together in truth. This truth can only be established with roots established in tradition and teachings that meld science and Magic into a credible and living Draíocht. We must do our homework. We must synchronize our ways with the ways of the present and we must work together to overcome the fears and disagreements of all.

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A reading by a member of Keltria-L