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BRD101 - Keeping The Hearth Fire
BRD101 - Keeping The Hearth Fire
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BRD101
Assignment 2 - Keeping the Hearth Fire
Menelluin
Druidry may be seen by some as being an irrelevant and ill informed practice, largely lost
in the annals of time. However, the archetype of Druid practice and beliefs is still very much
alive and relevant within the collective unconscious. This archetype leads those who wish to
honour and follow it into positions where the damage to the natural world, and humans as a part
of that world, can be healed. Druidic practice as the offspring of the archetype is as relevant as it
was in ancient times, and vital to the continuation of our planet as an entity.
According to Wikipedia, the term ‘archetype’ can have five different but related
definitions. The first offered definition is that an ‘archetype’ is an original thing, or form from
which other things merge. The second is that an ‘archetype’ is a pure, original form. The third is
the Jungian idea of an archetype being an element universally found in the collective
unconscious. The fourth definition is that an archetype is a symbol or idea that is found
constantly re-occurring in mythology, literature or art. The fifth definition is that archetypes can
be possibly interpreted as instincts that, in close correlation with the Jungian idea of a collective
If we take these definitions into account, we can see that while modern druidism is not a
handing down of the exact practices of ancient Celtic druids (much of which are unknown), it is
an ongoing development of perceptions of the natural and other worlds and the progression of
adapted traditions. There must be an intrinsic understanding of the archetype of druidism to fully
Menelluin (Lisa Crockett)
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understand how that archetype is represented in the collective and ecological unconscious to see
why druidism is even more relevant in today’s society and environment than it was in ancient
times.
Clearly, the world is a very different place than it was in ancient times. The natural world
has been assaulted and depleted and is on a path to total destruction, obvious to those who can
see. Society and human populations have increased to a point of overload and, while the quality
of life for most people is beyond the imaginations of ancient Druids, there is also a suffocating
miasma of depression, anxiety and despair. Humanity is almost completely over-run with greed
and is oblivious to the destruction that the controlling forces in society have on both the
At the same time, the collective unconscious still contains the symbols and ideals of the
Druidism archetype. This means that part of the relevance of modern Druidism is its role in
awakening the archetype within the collective unconscious. Through teaching, practice,
learning, guiding and ritual, opportunities arise to make contact with people who are ready to tap
into the collective unconscious and the druidism archetype. In this way, the Druid archetype
functions like a massive tree that was planted when the world became sentient. Its roots and
boughs spread over the world and through time. The archetype is the original seed of the tree,
and our modern practice is the fruit of the tree that unites all ecology, including humanity. The
collective unconscious has images of the archetype firmly planted within it. This archetype
appears in dreams, art and other forms of expression. While it is clear that there are people who
are more sensitive and aware of the messages the collective unconscious, it is equally clear that
there are people who are completely shut off to any suggestions beyond their ‘real’ world
experiences.
Menelluin (Lisa Crockett)
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While the collective unconscious carries the symbols and memories of various archetypes
which often represent the spiritual unity of the universe, the ecological unconscious lies within
us all and calls us to to the natural world. In a time when, as stated above, the urbanisation and
industrialisation of the world has all but destroyed the natural world, it is important to remember
that humans are animals and, like all other animals, we need a close connection to nature to
continue to survive.
The modern world is like a whited sepulture. On the surface, we drip with advantages and
wealth. In reality, under this layer of advancement, people are withering like neglected birds in
cages. Suicide and depression grow with each generation and more and more people live in
concrete environments under polluted skies. Soul are severed from what they truly need, a
The ecological unconscious, the need and drive to connect with the natural world, is an
element of druidism that makes it more relevant with each passing year. It is also important to
realise that Druids are also relevant in healing the damage to the natural world. Leading by
example, and devoting time to practice mending our natural environment are tasks vital to a
continued relationship to the spirits of nature. Encouraging people to spend time communing
with the natural world will help heal individuals. A natural progression of people awakening
their ecological connections, will be their drive to protect and nourish the natural world as they
As the world of humanity becomes more and more remote from the natural and spiritual
world, it is the role of Druids, and other pagan practitioners, to call humans back to the roots of
the archetype, follow the messages of the collective unconscious and nurture their ecological
unconscious. Through teaching, practicing and leading by example, Druids have a vital part to
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play in opening human consciousness to the massive task that lay before us all in repairing the