Arglwydd Gruffudd

Hello WitchHazel, I could see there being some use for materials teaching "generic" moral values, such as sharing, being kind to others, not stealing, etc. Because most of the material is Bible "stories" aimed at children, I don't know how much of more advanced JW specific teachings are present in them. That would be my main concern. I wonder how much doctrine is in the Q & A book for young people. Teaching people not to lie is fine, but teaching children that only 144,000 people can go to heaven, not to take blood transfusions, that the "last days" of the world began in 1914, etc., would not be useful and perhaps counterproductive. Just my .

Hi Cuchulain, Since my form of Wicca is Welsh / Celtic based and shares some of the same religious "DNA" as Druidry, dreams are also very important in my path. The religion of the ancient Celts was believed to contain many shamanic elements, and the interpretation of visions and dreams (e.g., the ritual of imbas forosnai) was certainly part of their corpus of religious beliefs. Personally, when looking at dreams, I find that some may have significance, but in other cases I follow the quote often attributed to Freud, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Merry Beltane everyone, or Calan Mai (the Calends or first of May) in Welsh !

Yes, when I first became involved with Witchcraft (Celtic Wicca) in the late 1980's the unbroken line claim was still the party line. Many Witches today will concede that most current forms of Witchcraft were concocted less than a hundred years ago, although some of the odds and ends used to create them may be considered genuinely ancient. In any case, people are entitled to believe as they wish, and I do not believe that there is only one valid path. BTW, it is your tolerance and respect for others that marks you as a Druid irrespective of what others might say. Were not the Druids described as "the most just of men?"

Hi Brother Kaman, I have a ULC Doctor of Divinity and feel the same .

Hi Cuchulain, I enjoyed your post. I prefer to style myself as a Welsh Wiccan, but I have also studied Druidry in the past with O.B.O.D. (completed the Bardic and Ovate grades between 1994 and 1996) and with a few other Druid groups. You certainly have as much right to call yourself a Druid as anyone else does. The same kind of thing plagues the Witchcraft community as to who is a real Witch, who is allowed to call themselves a Wiccan, and the like. Your question of "Who taught the first Druid?" is much like the question of "Who initiated the first Witch?" asked by Doreen Valiente herself (Gardner's High Priestess). Continued luck on your path .

Yes, I have fallen for it in the past. But over the years I have also become a cynic, carrying my proverbial lantern everywhere. Unfortunately, due to the current state of things, I just feel it is more practical to be cynical. If I prepare for the worst, and it turns out not that bad, then I am pleasantly suprised. If I constantly hope for the best, then I am frequently disappointed .