Rocky Mountain Druidry

Long Time in the Nether

2010-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

I've seemed to have drifted away from things. It is so much easier to go through the day with blinders on than to be aware of nature. The reading and the awareness is a lot of work and not to be taken lightly. The only thing I can do now is try again. So here I am, ready to get back to work. More to come...

Sage Woman Herbs

2009-08-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

After a several month hiatus, Sage Woman Herbs is teaching classes once again. They are now offering a foundation program that gets you a certificate. I believe it is the same price as taking all the classes anyhow, so you might as well. You can get the pricing here here. Here is a class schedule:

Herbal Properties and Actions
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Colds, Fevers and Influenza
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Rocky Mountain Slide Presentation
Low Elevations
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Medicine Making Part I
Oils, Salves and Herbal “Hot Pot.”
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Medicine Making Part II
Tinctures and Percolations
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Medicine Making Part III
Teas, Decoctions, Syrups and Capsules
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Digestion
Food Combining, Juicing, Raw Food Diets,
Cleansing and Weight Loss Basics
Thursday in January 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Respiratory Health
Includes Asthma, Allergies and Ear Candling
Thursday in January 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Muscular/Skeletal Health
Diseases of the Bones and Teeth
Thursday in February 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Cardiovascular Health
Thursday in February 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Kidney and Bladder Health
Thursday in March 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Herbal First Aid
Thursday in March 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Herbs for Women’s Health
Thursday in April 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Healthy Skin
Thursday in April 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Aromatherapy
Thursday in May 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Herb Walk
High Elevations
Saturday in June 2010
(Actual date to be announced)
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Colorado Springs Metaphysical Fair Free Classes

2009-08-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of upcoming free classes at Celebration New Age Store:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2009

4:00 pm - Michelle Many - Living at a Higher Frequency
5:00 pm - Pam "Bubblingbrook" Eubanks - Guided Meditation
6:00 pm - Dana Haefner - Essential Oils for Spiritual Transformation
7:00 pm - Dan Cheatham - Introduction to Historical Calligraphy
8:00 pm - Terra-Raye and the Blooming Bush Women Concert - A Journey Toward Personal and Planetary Healing

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2009

11:00 am - Cynthia James - What Will Set You Free
(2 hr. Featured Workshop )
1:00 pm - Dr. Kamala Easton - Embodying the Goddess
2:00 pm - Robert Blond - Edgar Cayce Style Past Life Reading Demonstration
3:00 pm - Melodie Matice - Manifesting Money
4:00 pm - Rev. Marakai D'ané - Channeling Your Higher Self
5:00 pm - Kris Cassidy - Your Breath Can Heal You
6:30 pm - Community Drum Circle - In the City Auditorium's café
Join fellow fairgoers for a drum circle and celebration. Come to the Fair after 6pm, bring a drum, and get in free!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2009

11:00 am - Dr. Judith Sauceda - Shamanism for Our Times
12:00 pm - John "Thunderheart" Robinson - The Many Dimensions of Wealth
1:00 pm - Athene Raefiel - The Astral Planes and Astral Travel
2:00 pm - Jo Solem - Alkalize to Energize Your Life
3:00 pm - Sharon Moon - Wicca
"Color Magick." Wiccan teaching on how to cast magick and get what you really want out of life. Practical and easy teaching by Sharon Moon and members of a practicing coven available for questions and demonstration.
4:15 pm - Suren Shrestha - How to Heal with Singing Bowls
(2 hr. Featured Workshop)

Visit their site for more information. You can see the Denver schedule here.

How Easily Our Focus is Shifted

2009-08-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

I have become overwhelmed with school and other obligations. I have made little time for my spiritual growth these past four months and I have suffered as a result. I did manage to plant a nice garden at my mother's house. The pumpkins are coming in nicely and the tomatoes have been ripening for a few weeks now. When I am busy I long for a simple life. I crave a peaceful existence. Yet when it comes to living that life, it gets placed on the backburner. Instead of meditating or tending the garden, I play on the computer looking at the same websites and complaining that I am bored. What has happened to our culture?

It wasn't that long ago that most of the day was dedicated to farming and household duties. Then came all the gadgets to simplify our lives...but have they? Instead of being self-sustaining and active, many of us have become complacent and lazy. I often wonder what it would take to give me a true reality check. It is so easy to get swept up in the modern world. The media teaches us that we must have a cell phone or an iPod. Cities are built in a way now that you must have a car to get around (I lived in a city with no bus system or sidewalks for a time). So how do you simplify? I guess step one is to stop accumulating. Simply stop buying crap you don't need anyway. If you have to buy, make an educated choice. One of AODA's recommendations for the Earth Path is using hand powered appliances. That would 1) get you more active 2) save energy.

I guess this post is more of a lament than anything else. I often dream about a simple lifestyle where I could pack up and move at a moments notice, instead I pile belongings around me. Most of them unused. Small steps I guess....

Cambio Schedule Available

2009-06-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Cambio (donation based yoga) is now open and has released their schedule. You can check it out here.

More posts to come soon, it's midterms for me so I've fallen a bit behind.

Book Review: Priestess of the Forest

2009-05-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey
by Ellen Evert Hopman is a teaching tale. At first, when I glimpsed the cover I thought it would be an instructional Druid magick book. It is actually a fictional story set in Ireland. It revolves around the live of Ethne, a forest Druid, and her love Ruadh. The first few pages seem unnecessarily detailed when Hopman is describing all of the herbs and items in Ethne's home. This had me worried but, after only a few pages, I was sucked into the story. There is a lot of information about the Celts and about herbcraft that is woven in. It's one of those that you don't realize you are learning until you put the book down. The ending is quite sad, but probably close to what happened historically. If you are looking for a fun read that will transport you to another time, this is the book for you.

Cambio: Donation Yoga ~ Grand Opening

2009-05-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yoga can be used as your form of movement meditation for the Moon Path. A lot of times, regular classes can be cost prohibitive. The good news is that Cambio is getting ready to open in Colorado Springs. Cambio offers yoga classes on a donation basis so there are no set fees or membership costs. They will be having their grand opening on June 5th from 5-9pm. They are located at 3330 Austin Bluffs Parkway. Be sure to check their site at a later date for a class schedule.

Upcoming Classes at Celebration!

2009-05-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Inside Celebration
Celebration! Conscious Living Store is have a Conscious Living Day on June 6th. They will be offering in store discounts and free classes:

METAPHYSICAL TOOLS
For Times of Momentous Change~ Intention, Guidance, Strength & Balance

10 am WICCA/PAGAN Melissa Dalugdug

12 noon TAROT Laura Westfall

2 pm CRYSTALS Gaetan-Michel Belleview

4 pm CHAKRAS Courtney Starwolf

Useful ~ Informative ~ Exceptional Teachers!
Each class lasts 75 minutes

Hopefully there will be more detailed information closer in. I'm hoping to make all four of the classes.

First Aid/CPR

2009-05-22T00:44:00.000-07:00

One of the first things that someone wanting to be a healer should learn is First Aid/CPR. Here in Colorado Springs you can take courses with Pikes Peak Red Cross or Springs CPR Training. If you go with the Red Cross, they also have Wilderness First Aid which would be especially helpful if you plan on hiking out in the back country. They even offer dog and cat first aid (respectively). The price for basic First Aid/CPR is about $45. The certification lasts from 1-3 years. Really, everyone should do it. If you work in an office, let others know that you have this training in case of an emergency. If you work in a cubicle, like I used to, you can even put up a sign. Truly, for a few hours of your time, you can learn to save a life.

A Note About Fruit Bearing Trees

2009-05-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

In the course of the first year, a candidate must plant and tend a tree until it is well established. One type to consider is a fruit bearing tree. This is an especially good choice if you are planting the tree in your yard and are able to harvest the fruit. Then you could cook with it or make preserves. One thing to keep in mind is that certain types of fruit bearing trees have to be planted together. If they aren't, the trees will blossom but not bear fruit. In Colorado, we can grow Red Jonathan Apples but they must be planted with Yellow Lodi Apples. Here's a great article on "Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bloom." Scroll down to the pollination section and you'll see what I'm talking about.

When you make the decision to plant your tree, make sure you do your research. Arbor Day has a lot of great information on hardiness zones and planting. You can also ask at your local plant nursery. A great one in Colorado Springs is Harding Nursery.

Reiki

2009-05-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I took Reiki I at Faerie Moone. Walking in, I only knew that Reiki was energy healing. So what is Reiki? Well Reiki itself is Universal Lifeforce Energy. This energy is essentially channelled or flowed through you. You use your hands, either laying on or just above, to flow this energy to yourself or others. This energy heals in four ways: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

I noticed, that whatever sensation I felt in my hands (warm, cold, tingling, buzzing, pulsing) the other person was feeling in their body. When we switched, it was the same thing. I felt in my body what my partner felt in his hands. There were many times I thought I was being touched, but wasn't. If you are thinking about trying Reiki, I suggest you have a session first. You can find practitioners at most new age stores or metaphysical fairs.

Reiki can be cost prohibitive, the traditional price for Reiki III is $10,000. A lot of practitioners are moving away from that and it is more uncommon these days. Shop around for the best price and find someone that you feel comfortable with. You can visit this site for more information on Reiki.

Year One in a Nutshell

2009-05-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

So you might be wondering why I haven't been posting my divinations or things from my meditation. The reason being is that I haven't really started those things yet. I am getting resources together and deciding where I want to go with things. A big thing, was getting this list together below of requirements. This makes it a little easier to see what is required in the first year.

Journaling:
-Write a detailed account of each celebration in your Druid journal, and write at least nine pages on the place of seasonal celebrations in your own Druid path and in the Druid tradition in general.
-Write about your experiences with the Moon Path (Sphere of Protection, meditation, movement meditation) in your Druid journal.

Lifestyle Change:
-Make three changes in order to take less from the Earth.

Meditation:
-Learn a form of movement meditation and practice it for 30 minutes twice a week.
-Practice regular meditation, working up to daily meditation within the first year.
-Weekly meditation in nature (more is recommended) for the Earth Path.

Reading:
-At least 9 books on the area where you live (wildlife, ecology, ecosystem etc).

Ritual:
-Celebrate the full cycle of Druid holy days. You must actively participate in these celebrations and not merely observe.
-Learn and practice (daily) the Sphere of Protection ritual.

Special:
-Plant and tend at least one tree.

There. Those are all the requirements for the Earth, Moon, and Sun Paths. In addition to this, you must also select one of the Seven Spirals. I plan to dabble in many of them but, as most of them take daily study, I will only be focusing on two: healing and divination. I suggest you go to their site and really read through the requirements before deciding on one.

So now that this list is together, I'm ready to choose a date for my dedication. I want to do it either on a full moon or a new moon. I'll keep you posted.

Spiral Three: Divination

2009-05-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Photo from The Broom Closet
There are many options if you choose to follow Spiral Three: Divination. The requirements are for you to choose a method and learn it. For me, I will be doing tarot for the first degree, runes for the second, and Ogham sticks for the third.

To fulfill the requirements you must perform 270 daily divinations and record them in a journal. You must also perform nine additional divinations and create a personal handbook. You must also read at least three books on divination and use the reading to select 30 themes for daily meditation. Also you will write three pages in your Druid journal about the role of divination in Druidry. I recommend you read the full requirements here.

I know, that sounds like a massive undertaking but really divination can be fun. You have so much to choose from, there's scrying, tasseomancy, geomancy, dowsing, tarot, runes, Ogham sticks, astrology, numerology....really the possibilities are endless. The first step is to really do your research. Find something that appeals to you. From there, find a book, class, or group that will help you in your studies. I was fortunate enough to take a tarot class taught by Loren Scott Hellem over at Faerie Moone. I'll be posting more on that later. Check your local metaphysical store and if you don't see a class for what you are interested in, ask.

The Earth Path

2009-05-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Earth Path is all about your surroundings. The first step is to start spending more time in nature. It is recommended that you spend at least 15 minutes once a week in nature. Part of that time is spent in stillness and part in focus.

If you live in Colorado, the options for this are limitless. There are numerous parks and trails, most of which are free to the public.You can find a listing of Colorado Springs parks here and national parks here. Really make an effort to get out in nature. You may want to pack a drum or flute to use after your meditation time. So many of us think we don't have the time to do this but how much time are we spending messing around on the computer or watching television? As druids, we need to begin to break our dependency on technology and get back to a more natural way of doing things. Now, I'm not saying you need to move to a log cabin and live off the land (although that would work). What I'm saying is we need to be more mindful of how we are spending our time and what we could be doing.

The Earth Path is also about making changes so we take less from the Earth. First degree candidates are required to make three changes. The options here are limitless. You could start recycling, buy items with less packaging, use hand-powered appliances instead of electric ones, compost, grow your own food, and drive less (carpool, ride your bike to work). There are a lot of simple changes we can make.

For me, I'm not sure what all I'm going to do over the next year. I know I will be planting a vegetable/herb garden. I started yesterday with a seed starter. I hate to say, I normally don't like to put my hands in dirt but there was something satisfying about this. I have all these romantic notions of canning my own vegetables, making preserves, growing tea, and eating food straight from the garden. I don't have any space as I live in an apartment, but my mother has a large yard and has offered to let me plant there. If you don't have space, ask your friends/family. I'm sure someone would gladly trade a small spot of land and some water for a share of your harvest.

Remember also, candidates must plant a tree in their first year. If you are planting in your own space, it may be a good idea to plant a fruit bearing tree so you can harvest them for preserves. To find out what trees do well in your climate visit the Arbor Day Foundation. Remember though, if you order trees from them they are not large saplings. Truly they are little more than sticks and require some work before they can be planted. If you are planning a specific day for planting, you'll want to order them well in advance.

Welcome Back!

2009-05-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Merry meet and welcome to the new Rocky Mountain Druidry. This blog will follow my walk through the first year candidacy with the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). This site will have book reviews along with insights from my studies in the different paths and spirals.

The postings will be categorized into: The Earth Path, The Sun Path, The Moon Path and the Seven Spirals (Poetry, Music, Divination, Healing, Magic, Sacred Geometry and Earth Mysteries). Now of course, I am to focus on one of the spirals but I will dabble in some of the others.

I hope you will join me and possibly gain some insights for your own journey.