Sign at the URL below:

http://charterforcompassion.org

Peace!!
       -JPR

I will sign!!  Where do I sign?!

http://charterforcompassion.org

I encourage every member of the House of Danu to sign the Charter for Compassion.  At the next council meeting, I will put forth a motion that the House of Danu publicly endorse the Charter for Compassion and display it prominently on the website.

Read the text carefully.   Understand that this charter does not leave any room for an attitude which opposes enlightenment.  The light of this charter does not suffer that which opposes enlightenment.   Who do you think will sign it?  Who do you think will oppose it?  The Dalai Lama has signed it.  Archbishop Desmund Tutu has signed it.  Melissa Etheridge has signed it.  Several prominent Muslim scholars have signed it.  The world is polarizing, but this is not neccessarily a bad thing.  For the light also gathers at it's pole, raising the third pole to challenge duality.  Blessed be!!!


I have included the text of the charter below:

"The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community."

Yes, it's time.

This is very encouraging and inspiring, JP.  I wish that everyone here were as committed to the cause.

GG

Thanks Brian, for the words of encouragement!  I've started a blog on Google, called "Journey to Procyon".  There is a lot of wisdom I've been working with that isn't specifically Druidic in form or feel, so I decided it was better to post it there, and let my Druid colleagues know about it, if they are interested. the url is journeytoprocyon.blogspot.com

A fellow OBOD bard from Oregon (formerly from California) allowed me to post this here, for all who are interested.  It has been previously announced on the OBOD message board as well.

The North American Gorsedd Association

This new association will grow to encompass North America, the North Atlantic Islands, and the Caribbean Islands with regional, area, and local gorseddau. As with its sister associations in Europe, it is composed of Druids, Bards, and Ovates who serve in civic rituals and ceremonies at various Celtic events and festivals in North America and associated islands.

The North American Gorsedd Association is a voluntary-informal network of Celtic-cultural revivalists, groups, and events. Six regional Gorsedds coordinate civic and cultural activities as custodians of a Celtic impulse for events they are invited to assist with. Each of these member Gorseddau is a social association of Druids, Ovates, and Bards who serve various Celtic Festivals and Gatherings by helping to manage ceremonial functions at and for events such as announcing an upcoming event and awarding of prizes and tokens to contest winners. The first such cooperative event will be the 2010 (second) Left Coast Eisteddfod in Portland, Oregon, in early October. We look forward to expanding our Gorseddau throughout the six regions in North America and the Caribbean and to cooperating with our European counterparts in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Brittany, the Channel Islands, England, Wales, the Celtic revival movements in old Cymbria, Iberia, and elsewhere in Europe and Asia Minor.

Member Gorseddau of the North American Gorsedd Association will be composed of three grades, in ascending order, and similar to those in Britain and Brittany, Ovates who wear green, Bards who wear blue, and Druids who wear white. However, each constitutes a distinct and separate grade with specialties drawn from ancient practice, but adapted to contemporary needs of Civic Druidry in the twenty-first century.

The Six Regional Gorseddau.

A regional gorsedd, will itself have two or more sub-gorseddau to focus and promote Celtic events within their areas. While not required, local gorseddau may be formed to promote local activities and competitions, but only when these may be sustained over time. When the members of a regional, area, or local Gorsedd determine they want to establish bardic or other positions of honor for meritorious contributions to the bardic arts, they may elect to do so, providing each such competition is announced no less than a year and a day prior to holding the event..

Note: This tradition of announcing a competition a year and a day shall also be the rule for all competitions.

To contact the organizer, you can find him here:
http://americymru.ning.com/group/northamericangorsethassociation

Peace to all,
        I'm writing this to share my interpretation of some practical wisdom that many of us are in touch with these days.  Please forward this message to any you feel would want to be a part of this, I'm also posting it on the HOD forum.

The wisdom that comes to me is that now is the time for those among the wise, among the spiritual seekers,who are so moved to step forward and serve as a living witness
to the simple truth of these times: we must respect not only each other, but we must equally respect the eco-system that sustains us, because until we do, we are headed on a path that can only end in destruction.  At this point in time, a witness, backed by actions of integrity showing that change IS possible, to this truth, will have great power to encourage positive change.

What I've outlined below is the simple outline of a practical, plan that begins to work towards manifesting and supporting the kind of changes we all need to make, and while making these changes, they can serve as a powerful witness that it is possible for an individual to change.   Especially when that individual is supported by others on the same path, with compassion and kindness, without judgement, but instead with gentle support to help each other make the changes we need to make in order to preserve the life-web of our world.

These kind of things start small, but the small, positive, changes get the momentum started, especially when shared in a cooperative group environment.  Even something simple like using cloth bags instead of plastic bags, or having a thoughtful, intelligent conversation with a co-worker searching for clear perspective, they all lend power to this momentum for positive changes.  And as the momentum builds, we find that eventually, we are able to tackle the bigger, harder changes. 

Also, the completion of each of these changes lends power to our witness, both in the energetic sense and in the apparent world.
I have a notion that we could enact a type of "Witness/Earth Healing Ceremony" that taps into this dual, aligned power, this power created by the completion of these changes done with intention, done with compassionate support, and loving encouragement of a group, as both a witness to the apparent world and a source of positive energy.
I have a notion that such a ceremony, conducted by this same group, tapping into the positive energy generated by our deeds, done with the intention to inspire others to follow a path of integrity that honors what is right and perfect for each one,
would be incredibly effective, incredibly transformative, and wonderfully magical for both the participants and audience, and the atmosphere of the planet in general.
My vision is that we can hold a "Witness/Earth Healing Ceremony" at the Gorsedd.

My goal, as informed by wisdom that occurs to me, is that we forge a practical plan that is a product of all our wisdom. 
If you feel moved, let's meet and talk about this, let's start an email exchange, and let's see what happens when you get a bunch of us on the same page in the same room, to make a plan.
So don't take the plan I outlined as anything special, it's just one interpretation, where I strive to capture the essence of the wisdom that came to me.  Improve upon it, edit it, as you feel moved.

What occurs to me is that many of us are not used to speaking openly about these deep truths, for many different reasons.
What I really seek to find/create is a forum where we can get comfortable sharing our deep wisdom with one another, without fear of judgement, without fear of others tearing into what is sacred, what we have learned to protect.  Where we can stay grounded, centered, balanced, and yet still deal with these deep truths that shape our near future, and commit to positive, mutually supportive action to shift our consciousness.

Another aspect of this wisdom is that each of us has our own path, and many beings will not be called to this path, because it is not for them.  That is just as it should be, and must be honored.

The plan is an expression of my interpretation of the wisdom that is available to many of us, so don't be surprised if many parts of it mirror your own wisdom, it is the same wisdom!
In fact, in a discussion with Jen and Brian, many of the notions expressed below are theirs, so if I don't attribute proper ownership, apologies in advance!  Speak up and correct me. <G>
And of course it's all passed through the filter of my human engineer mind, so please bear that in mind. :-)

1) Define or find a simple word that encompasses this concept, this notion of universal respect.  I've been using the term Procyon, but there are other words, perhaps better ones, that will
    occur to others, maybe Divine Integrity, maybe Divine Respect.

2) Swear an oath/pledge.
Here are some key points of such an oath/pledge:

a)  Simple statement of the journey leading to the pledge. Example: "I acknowledge that the institutions of modern humanity no longer accord equal respect to
existences other than themselves.  I acknowledge this attitude to be ultimately destructive     to self and other.  I accept that until these institutions change, we walk a path that leads only to destruction."   

b)  Simple statement of personal acceptance: Example: "I accept responsibility for the destructive consequences of my lifestyle choices, without blame, without judgement.  I acknowledge my desire to live with integrity, I desire that my actions should align with my thoughts and words." 

c)  Personal Pledge to shift: Example: "I pledge that I shall work to
shift the foundation of my life, that my new foundation shall accord respect to all existences in thought, word, and deed, in the manner which is right and perfect for each one."

d)  Group Pledge to shift: Example: "I pledge that I shall I work to shift the foundations of our
civilization, that our civilization's new foundation should accord respect to all existences in thought, word, and deed, in the manner which is right and perfect for each one."

3) Support each other in making small simple changes, to live out the pledge.
Here is a simple concept:
a) Agree on a simple, flexible set of categories to help provide some simple structure to
the actions we can take with the intention of living with greater integrity.( I know that James' Taliesin group are focusing on making practical changes as well, I would love to hear about that!)

For example, here are some from the set I presented in the prior message:

Positive Education - This means getting the word out in the manner we are called to.  For example, someone might feel called to write a letter to the editor, or might choose to create art that expresses the message, or might choose to  financially support organizations that provide positive education.
                                                 
Reduction - This means making steps to reduce our impact on the ecosystem.  For example, you might start using cloth  bags instead of plastic bags.                                                                 
You might commit to getting lower wattage lights.  You might commit to remember to turning off your lights.

Owning our Impact - This means being aware of the consequences
of our lifestyle choices on our world.   For example, for me, I've decided that the best
place to start is by simplifying, by reducing the amount of stuff in my life.  It seems to me that if I
have less stuff, less attachments, I have less impact that I need to be aware of.  To that
end, we've committed to going through our rooms  one by one, slowly but surely, and reducing our stuff.

Care - Care for yourself and others. For example, simple things like taking care of your teeth, matter, and can be done with the intention to support this shift.

Youth of spirit - Stay receptive to new ideas! Cultivate the spirit of youth, the spirit of awe, acceptance without judgement. 
                                                 
Open to Spiritual Inspiration - Follow a spiritual practice so that we may stay open to divine inspiration.   For example, by commiting to a weekly spiritual practice.

Nurture - Nurture others on this path.  For example, by committing to a monthly meeting where we offer each other non- judgmental encouragement.
                                             
b) Touch bases once a month in some type of meeting.

c) At this meeting, there are five parts:  (Jen has a similar inspiration, a 12-step    program, that I would love to hear more about!!)

A) We enact an opening ceremony, something that puts us in sacred
space, where we leave all judgement behind, and take wisdom, encouragement, and humility with us.

B) Each of us shares with the group what changes we had committed to last month, and whether or not we achieved it, and what we learned from our experience.

C) Each of us shares with the group what we plan to change this month.  Each of us commits to change only as much or little as we are moved to do.

D) Close down the sacred space. (Maybe after E?)

E) Talk about new ideas, share wisdom that has come to us with each other.
 
4) Enact a "Witness Ceremony" where, with one voice, and one mind, and one heart, we recite our pledge/oath before others.

Some thoughts on such a ceremony:
a) The intentions of such a Witness/Earth Healing Ceremony include:

A) Provide inspiration to those who are called to this path, but feel alone, or isolated, or hesitant, or trapped in cultural conditioning, that we serve as a witness to them, that they should be inspired to heed the call of their inner path.

 B) Speaking this oath begins the process of making public the "dirty truth", the truth that unless we change, destruction is the only outcome, but at the same time, we present a positive direction, a positive path of integrity, a path that is humble, simple, compassionate, wise, without judgement that acknowledges this truth without succumbing to doom and gloom.  The world needs this!  Let me say it again, to emphasize how strongly I am moved as I write this,

THE WORLD NEEDS THIS, THE WORLD IS READY FOR THIS!!

b) Jen's Earth Healing ritual seems so appropriate here, where as each of us
recite the oath, we pour sacred liquid into the central cauldron, emphasizing
how each of our small changes, the positive, sacred contribution of each of
us, contributes to a greater healing whole.
 
Some random notes:
                 
Divine Respect: The concept that all existences are reflections of the divine mystery, and as such, it is right and proper that each existence prosper in the manner that is right and perfect for that existence.  (Wording Inspired by the Druid's Prayer!!)

Divine Integrity: A state of being where our actions align with our highest self.

Peace, may the cauldron of Awen bubble and brew, may practical inspiration of the highest loving-wisdom shine forth and be made manifest,
                            -JP

JP --
As I told you when I saw you last, your vision is inspirational.  Thanks for sharing with us all... I can only hope that there are others here who have heard the call.
Bendithion
Brian

If you haven't read it yet, please read Tarw Llywd's post "On Making a Druid Community"