Dear Council, Staff, and Druid Grove of the House of Danu:
      We have reached a turning point.  A new energy and purpose is spreading through the world, a new clarity, a new direction, a new voice.  The events and the aftermath of the Copenhagen summit have birthed a river of loving-wisdom that is flowing around our planet.  I have worked with this loving-wisdom energy ever since I noticed it in late November.  As I work to integrate this energy further, a deep and unshakable clarity emerges, which I have expressed to the best of my ability in the words that follow.

Peace to all who read this, and a blessing as well, that all beings should prosper in the manner which is right and perfect for each one. 

Each and every one of us walks a path through life, making our way,
bearing our burdens, sharing our blessings, struggling at some points, gliding past others, each one of us yearning to find guidance and a sense of the right direction to take, each of us making mistakes, learning from our mistakes, ultimately growing into more than we were, each of us being human.  When I look at another person, I am sometimes able to see that struggle going on within them, to briefly glimpse for just a moment behind the mask, and I see within them the same strengths, the same weaknesses, the same human qualities that are within me.  The truth of those moments reveal a special humble, beauty, as we see how their path is really no different from ours.   What then, when I stare into the eyes of an animal and see a being on their path, happy some times, struggling others, just like me?  What then, when I walk within a forest, and all around me I see the patterns of life repeated, life striving, changing, growing, each in it's own unique and special way striving to be more than it is, just like me?  The love that flows through those moments is divine, sacred, one with the sacred love that flows through all the moments of wisdom, of peace, of sorrow, of loss.  These moments are real, they are true.  The divine light shines back, where ever we look to find it.  All beings are truly divine, all beings are truly sacred.   

If this is true, then I must also compare it with another, much harder truth.  I must honestly, without judgement, without anger, without fear, but rather with compassion and love, look at the impact of my way of life on the divine web of life upon this world.  I find the awnser painful to accept, hard to reconcile with the first truth.  The fundamental truth is that our modern way of life does not treat the world and the ecosystem of the world with divinely-inspired respect, and this lack of respect is sending the life-web of our world to destruction.  The fundamental truth is that I cannot avoid my own personal responsibility for the  this lack of respect.  The truth is that if I do not change my personal habits, when I die the web of life on this planet will be weaker because of my existence, it will be weaker because I did not take personal responsibility for the full impact of how I lived my life.  How can I maintain my integrity as a being who sees the divine shine forth from the web of life that gave us birth, while my lifestyle choices threaten the very existence of that web? 

We all know change is hard. As with all things regarding change, one must start by accepting where you are, with the intention of traveling a path towards the new goal.  And so it is for me, I can only accept my impact for what it is, without trying to avoid it, without judging it, without fearing it, simply accepting it for the simple truth that it is.  Then, free from guilt or fear, I can seek divine inspiration in how I can best proceed to forge a new path, one step at a time, joining with the many others who have already started this journey, on a path towards divine integrity.  A world where we honor the sacred balance of Nature's web in more than just our words and thoughts, but in our deeds as well.

Now is the time for all beings of wisdom to stand and speak in every language, in every paradigm, from every perspective, send the message out in every way so everyone hears it, while serving a witness by commiting and implementing change in our own lives.  Now is the time for us to  provide the deepest support, the strongest compassion, the truest encouragement for each other as we blaze a new path towards a new way of life, one with divine integrity.  The insanity of our current way of life must stop.   We must shift the foundations of every aspect of society so that the well-being of the world's ecosystem is as important as our well-being, our deepest wisdom tells us they are the same thing.  Now it is critical to start listening to the deep wisdom of the heart.

I will bear witness here to the practical advice I received from the deep wisdom of my heart. 
This advice applies only to me, your own deep wisdom may lead you in a totally different direction.
It will take a great diversity of approaches to shift our foundations, here then is one.

"I, John-Paul Riley, can take the following steps to begin my journey on the path to divine integrity:

   POSITEVLY educate everyone around as to what is at stake and what we must
    do.  For me, this means I must share these simple truths whenever my heart bids me do so,
    with compassion, love, simplicty, directness, authority, authenticity, and wisdom.       

   REDUCE my personal impact in the best way I can.   For me, our family has
    started by brainstorming a list of ideas to reduce our impact, and committing to
    1 or 2 ideas a month, using a whiteboard to keep them visible.

   OWN my personal impact in the best way I can.  For me, our family has
    started by simplyfing our lives.  Being aware of the true impact a person has in this day
    and age is extremely difficult, but it seems to me that the impact of a simple life is easier to
    be aware of. 

   CARE for my own health and well-being and the health and well-being of my family.   For only
    when we operate from a foundation of balance can we sustain true change.

   YOUTH of spirit needs to be honored and respected.  The spirit of youth is the spirit in each of
    us that accepts new ideas, new ways of thinking, new loving-awe at old wonders, the sense of
    innocence and resonance with the life pulse of creation, the spirit of youth is
    capable of accepting that which we might otherwise deem impossible.  We need this spirit as
    we integrate radically different ideas and solutions to implement lasting change.

   OPEN my heart to divine inspiration, to Awen.  Divine inspiration, Awen, those aha! moments of
    creation, is the wellspring of new ideas, new ways of walking with greater personal integrity. 
    For me, this means commiting to a regular spiritual practice, cultivating the energies and
    wisdom that is most perfectly suited for our place in time and space.

   NURTURE my friends and dear ones, my fellow spiritual seekers, providing wells of compassion
    and loving-peace to bathe in, that we may all be renewed to face the growing challenges of
    our time.  Also, I support groups and  organizations that spread the foundation of divine
    wisdom, such as House of Danu, OBOD, Gathering of Light, Thorn T. Coyle.   For it is from this 
    foundation of divine wisdom that will come the will, the drive, and the practical solutions that will
    allow us to be with the world in a new, respectful way, long-term solutions that will be capable of
    reversing and healing the degradation done to our world.

This is my PROCYON pledge.  I pledge to work to shift the foundations of our civilization towards divine respect, in the manner which is right and perfect for each one, may this work contribute to the preservation of the life-web of our world."

I was called to OBOD because the truth of the divinity, the sacredness of all Nature shone forth from every OBOD teaching and from the words and deeds of their members.  To me, that is the heart and soul of all that is Druidry.    The Druidry within myself yearns to respond to this call, my Druidry calls me to action of the highest integrity, the most compassionate love, and the most balanced truth for these uncertain times.   What does your Druidry say to you?

I would ask that the Council, Staff and Druid Grove of the House of Danu consider these words with care and attention.  I would ask that in the weeks to come, the Members meditate and seek wisdom and guidance on this question that I put before us all:  What can we, the House of Danu do, to awnser this call?  The challenge has been issued all across this earth, now how shall we rise to awnser?   

Peace upon you during these cold winter months,
Peace upon you as Awen burns brightest.
May the Awen gift you with that which your heart needs most to experience.
May all beings of wisdom hear, and in hearing, be heard. 

May all beings prosper in the manner which is right and perfect for each one.
Peace,
       Bard of OBOD, Council Member representing the seed group of Croi Na Gleann, December 28th, 2009
       -John-Paul Riley

Your vision of a druid community is much like ours!  I think that a lot of people are waking up to the need for community, since individualism has been stressed for so long in this country.

As in all things, the ideal is a good balance between the two -- recognizing and respecting that the point of balance is different for everyone.  Some people need more togetherness, while others need more solitude.

So...when do we start putting up the walls?! 

Beautifully said. Luckily, all seemed to go smoothly, from what I saw at the Gorsedd.

Just a few thoughts about "Beyond":
I believe a Druid Community would involve much diplomacy and mutual respect but also the aspect of fair and wise Justice.

Ideally, I imagine a village similar to a native american one where humans work individually and as a team depending on the task. Families or individuals would have thier own home with a central Lodge for community use. It would house a fire place/pit, library, stage and the like. I imagine everyday tasks such as waking, eating, working becoming sacred acts with poems, songs and blessings attached to them like you might see in the Carmina Gadelica. There will be much hospitality and joy and those who are angry, distressed or "unable to feel the love" will find guidance and/or alternatives. Justice will be based on restoration rather than punishment.  There would be many festivities along with the 8. As one walks along the paths, sacred sites and power spots abound increasing the sense of community. Of course there would also be studying to increase knowledge and effectiveness, political activism, academic pursuits and the production of several earth-friendly products (not mugs) to help out with money concerns.

HoD product ideas for Gorsedd fundraising (realistic?):

Handmade Druid Blessed Gods-eye (western version of Brigits cross)
Bag of Druid herbs or incense with logo (ie: vervain, ...)
HoD DVD's (I know this is already a reality)
HoD patch or pin to sew on Druid robe or a pendant
HoD "Chalice" (kinda like a mug but not)
Ogham oracle kit

Love and peace,
Elizabeth

I was playing an Alto-F Recorder.  It was from Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copeland.

James
Gorsedd Master

Hi Jen,Yes I did send you an e-mail, I also sent one to James. The one that I sent you contained thanks for your work on the gorsedd, in it I sent answers to the evaluation questions, and to let you know that a picture cd was on its way to you, along with $20.00 for the dvd. You should recieve these by tomorow I imagine.

Hey there!  If I was one that you sent an email to, then I haven't received it.  At least I don't think I have...could be my spam filter ate it before it got to me.

If I wasn't one of the ones you emailed, then please disregard my post!   

Jen

I've sent e-mails to a couple of people that were part of the "7", and have no idea if they ever recieved them. Have you recieved them? Since there has been no response, I have no idea what's going on.

Greetings all. James asked me to post this on the forum. I originally sent it out as two emails. It is edited for this format.

My Brother and Sister Druids,

   So let’s see: Druids from around the nation meet for an extended weekend at the House of Danu Gorsedd in the mountains above California’s Monterey Bay to share collegiality, celebrate the revival of our ways, study, and do ritual to heal the earth. The healing of the earth was our theme, and we had it in mind in ritual, in our songs, in our communing with the magnificent redwoods around us, and in our conversations with each other. In our main ritual on Lughnasa, we called up incredible energy and sent it out to our mother the earth in honor of our mother Danu.
   We left the magic of the Gorsedd on Monday, August 3 to return to the apparent world. The following day, Tuesday, the California Fish and Game Commission voted to set aside 30 new offshore marine sanctuaries from San Francisco north, comprising 153 square miles of newly protected marine habitat, adding to the already preserved sanctuaries of the Monterey Bay. On the very same day, that day after the Druids returned to their places among the people, a federal appeals court returned national policy to a Clinton era policy that blocked road construction in 40 million acres of pristine national forest. Two days later, on Thursday, yet another environmental victory was won.
   If you attended the Druid panel at the Gorsedd, you heard me talk about the hills of bare stones left behind by the California Gold Rush in which miners literally washed the hills away, devastating the natural plants, trees, grasses and wildlife, leaving bare river rocks baking in the sun, and filling the rivers with brown silt that killed the fish, most notably the California Salmon whose annual breeding run was disrupted because their nesting waters were thick with silt and their nesting areas covered with mud.
   The American River that is a short walk from my home was at the center of the devastation, it being the river in which gold was first discovered in California. In recent years, gold hunting hobbyists have begun using powerful dredging pumps to suck up mud and silt and sand from the river bottoms to sift out the small flakes of gold still found in places on California’s rivers. These weekend gold seekers pour the silt and sand and mud back into the rivers, leaving huge clouds of particulate as dangerous to fish as ever.
   Well, on the Thursday after the Gorsedd, responding to a lawsuit by the Karuk tribe (ironically almost wiped out by the 49er gold miners), the state legislature passed, and Governor Schwarzenneger signed a bill immediately halting all recreational dredging until an environmental study can be done to determine the affects this dredging has on the recently devastated annual Salmon Run, a fish at the center of the Karuk way of life. Environmental groups and salmon fishermen and other tribes joined the Karuk in supporting the bill by Democratic Senator Pat Wiggins from Santa Rosa. We Celts hold the Salmon sacred as the source of wisdom and owe a great debt to the Karuk for halting a practice that endangers them. To the Goddess of the American River and our Native American cousins, the “other people of the circle!’ Sláinte!
   So there you have it: healing ritual by Druids in the mountains above the Monterey Bay, and within three days (love that number, three!), three major environmental victories are signed, sealed, and delivered, touching the whole nation. Coincidence? I think not. I trust you will all raise a glass to Manannán and Fand of the sea, Cernunnos and Druantia of the forest, and Danu of the rivers and our Native American Salmon-loving cousins, the “other people of the circle!’ Sláinte!
      And for our next trick . . .


Peace,
Michael