As followers of the Druids grew in their understanding, they developed special insights into the world and reality in general. Where in the tradition of India, the disciple might manifest one of the siddhis or powers, those gifts that come from deepening intuition and spiritual growth, the students of the Druids would do so likewise, and where in Indian culture the disciple was almost discouraged from practicing these gifts, their cousins to the north were encouraged and even trained in their practice.

Did this also carry over to Native Americans? There may have been some transplanting of Druid lore, yes, as it may have emigrated with the Nordic explorers.

It wasn’t until further maturation in Druid wisdom that one came to the role of Druid in full. Druids being the elders of the entire path, it became the Druids responsibility to exercise philosophical insight and judgement, as well as officiate at tribal ceremonies. They were judges, guides, and advisors to the heads of clans. Clans together making up tribes and tribes coming together to eventually make up something like a nation.

So Druids were the first government? They were the first judges. The one who actually governed was still the village headman or warchief, but if this leader showed complete disdain for the wisdom of their Druid advisor, they often lost the confidence of their people who saw their leader as a source of strength but their Druid as their source of wisdom and peace or healing. They put their trust in their chief because he was the action arm of the people, their defense as well as their centre of conviction.

Ultimately, Druids would confer with each other, debate the wisdom of their individual judgements, as well as contemplate changes in the land and the disposition of the people. When they returned to their people they held more of a sense of the big picture or “spirit” of the land, so their judgements from time to time could seem cold or harsh to their people because they had to weigh outcomes that seemed to the clan or tribe to have nothing to do with their well-being or how they felt about anything.

Like the weather. Indeed, is where the concept of the king bearing the name Pendragon came from. The king was the ally of the dragon, or spirit of the land, as well as married to the earth mother. The role of king only came later of course.

Like how corporations don’t like the the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) because they don’t care about protecting the land. Not protecting the land back then meant everyone died of disease, starvation, or both. The destruction and bloodshed put a serious cramp on both the harvest and the hunt, as well as draining the talent pool of the tribe.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~