It's pretty obvious that the ancient Druids used several forms of meditation. That the Druids were able to still and control their minds is unquestioned, but the techniques they used have apparently been lost to the ravages of time and the lack of written records.
As with much of the re-creation of the Druid paths, we find ourselves turning to other cultures and methodologies to fill in the gaps. Before the cries of "Untraditional" become too loud I think I should point out that meditation and mind control/self awareness are universal to the human being. Everyone who's ever lived on this planet has had the ability to access their inner energies and power to varying degrees.
Today we find ourselves without the social framework of the ancient Druids. Rather than a single unified entity we find that our Tribe is scattered to the winds without a common language or concept of what it means to be a Druid. It's a period of creation and re-creation and thanks to the easy availability of printed sources and the internet we find that once again we can begin to study and put together systems for training Druids.
Meditation and energy work are areas where many of the modern Druid Circles seem to be lacking. Anyone who's ever been to any sort of ritual can attest to the feel of the energy that rises during the ritual. As I dabbled in and then studied energy work I discovered that it was much easier to feel when the ritual energy actually formed and then began to rise. One of the problems that I've found when attending various Pagan and Wiccan rituals is the lack of focus on what to actually DO with that energy. I recently attended a very nice Wiccan Solstice ritual. The energy rose very nicely into a crescendo towards the end of the ritual and hung there expectantly. Then the ritual ended with the energy still active. After the 'end' of the ritual everyone in the circle kept standing there for a few moments, intuitively feeling the energy and reluctant to leave it.
Many Pagans seem to view meditation as interesting and cool, but not really a part of their path. I couldn't disagree more. Rituals and spells are all about creating a focused energy and then sending that energy to DO something. The ability to clear ones mind and sense and feel energy at an advanced level can not only enhance the energy that you create, but it can improve your ability to focus it and use it.
In my upcoming articles on Druidry I'll include several exercises for feeling the energy of the natural world around us and even drawing that energy into ourselves and using it. Before you get to that point, however, it's important to be able to feel your own energy and use it. Rather than re-invent the wheel my purpose with this article is to point out the necessity of using meditation and focused energy. The next few articles in this series will show you exactly how to do that.
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Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who currently holds a
Black Belt in Hoshin Roshi Ryu. He's the founder of
the Kundalini Awakening Discussion Group, the Druids
Circle Discussion Group and the (offline) Druids
Circle in Lakewood, CO. You can find more info on all
these at; www.druidscircle.info
He's also the founder and Executive Director of the Windhaven Foundation for Sustainable Living.
He writes a regular column on subtle energy for Fight Times Magazine and a twice monthly column on Kundalini Awakening at Alumbo.com.
In addition to teaching about energy work and Kundalini Awakening he donates time to teach about Renewable Energy, Alternative Building and Creating Sustainable Lifestyles in various Public Schools.
He travels and teaches as much as possible and you can find out how to attend one of his Kundalini Awakening seminars at his website at; www.windhavenco.org
His new book "Personal Mastery: Develop Your True Inner Power By Awakening Your Kundalini" is now available at http://www.lulu.com/RobertMorgen.