TomasFlannabhra wrote:
Stoirmeacha wrote:
In another organization I have been working with here in Minnesota, they training students for a full twenty years to be called Draoi. In fact, not even the teachers there call themselves Draoi as of yet, as I don't think any have been Gaelic Polytheists for more than 15 years, at most.
That's a rather ambitious training program. Although I don't know the content, structure, or methodology of the training program, 20 years seems a bit over excessive. What is this training program composed of, exactly?
Quote:
I imagine Gaelic Polytheism, as it progresses, may develop clerical training as Neimheadh an Srutha already is. From what I hear, the training process is very challenging, and very involving, as it should be, and very unlike the simple "read a book, and hug a tree" training found in some "Druid" groups....
Agreed, though this isn't something that should be rushed.
It is very ambitious, which, in my opinion, makes it so great. I am not sure how the whole program goes. I know that involves intensive study in history, mythology, culture, language, and such, as well as the more mystical. I have not been able to attend any of their public celebrations yet, though I hear of things like poetry contests and music and other arts. I know they have retreats throughout the year, where they go out into the wilderness for some training, and such. What happens during this training, I can't be sure, though I know that the entire process is
meant to be very hard and its suppose to push their students, however, most of their students are probably very dedicated, as they have a nine month period beforehand to give them a taste of what happens and it is then that they decide whether or not to continue. They also have those who are not clerical students that are still members of the temple. I am very interested to see more of the Neimheadh when I visit soon, with my mother. They have, I believe, four Neimheadh, and the one we are going to visit is at a house in the Twin Cities here in MN. They are all a part of the Old Belief Society.
I think it is this type of ambition that will really help Gaelic Polytheists form such communities that are so important to our spirituality/culture. The students at the Temple are already a community, in a way, and function very much as one.
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) They now have what is seen as a flourishing interest in their history/ mythology/ culture, and it revolves in great part around these linguistic carriers of culture.
