A Few Words... About the Goals of the Sanctuary's Druidic College…
To change the world, alternatives to the ways of the world must be presented and lived. Otherwise we risk becoming the products of an already soulless instant consumerism. Education and awareness are two of our greatest allies and tools in rescuing humanity from the snare of its ingenuity and the pits of its own greed and insecurity.
In The Sanctuary, we are moving toward having schools for Druids where questions can be asked and answers can be discussed. In order to allow these schools to be as close to Draíocht as possible, they are being structured around what the Druids actually taught as codes of living and learning. Each idea or statement represents an area of training (or several areas of training) that is important to becoming and being a Druid. Beyond the thoughts of the essay will be created a course of study that deals in daily activities to bring life to the truth as taught by Druids.
In the past, a Druid's education might have taken anywhere from 12 to 20 years. It began with a study of the tales and traditions. It included a study of poetry, Nature and law. It continued into areas of communication and music. It included the science and arts of herbalism, medicine, astronomy/astrology, nature sciences, mathematics and composition. All of these concepts were tied more closely to the souls of Gaels and Celts and those of a Gaelic/Celtic heart, by learning the language of the ancestors. Beyond the beauty of the ancient languages there was also taught a Secret Language of the spirit. *ALL* of this was harmonized in a work of beauty entitled, the "Great Song." Using this foundation of knowledge as a base, the Druids investigated the ways of spirit as contained within the world, the self and the deities. In learning the entire wisdom of the world, they also learned the secrets of putting away worldly things, even to the extent of living beyond worlds. It was through their embracing of all that life has to offer that they also conquered death and discovered truth. Bringing this inner light back to the people in the form of Triads, teachings and innovations, was the beginning of a true Druid.
Education among Druids no longer takes 12 to 20 years. It now takes 12 to 20 lifetimes, as we have increased the number of worlds in which we must study. The need for study and dedication on the part of Druids within modern society has increased as the expansion of the world's grasp has created a vacuum within the hand and heart of its spirit. This task is the work of many souls, and many lifetimes. We ask that you join your spirit, reguardless of your Path or Tradition, to our own, as we endeavor to light the signal fires upon the mountains so that the pathways to wisdom might be more easily uncovered.
