Druidry and Spirit Guides

Druidry and Spirit Guides

( Theme Music: Chukhung Biosphere - Substrata ) ( Kobresia)

Drawing inspiration from nature.   Living in Japan.  

The mind revealing itself to itself...

spiders and stick bugs: the analogy of patience

Many foreigners overlook life lessons we learn right here in Japan.  We use a lot of Western logic to deduce down common sensical things like when we ask stuff like " why Japanese, why?"  Or, why is being two-faced  a cultural feature of the country, and how it's the Japanese thing to do here, without any shame or conviction....

Druidry is a spiritual path based on Nature.  The knowledge we have can be found everywhere.  People are placed in our lives to test us, to make us better people, so we seek from within to understand what we must learn from the fakes and snakes.  The peace from within flows from outside in, through a breeze, a flowing river, or when a salmon battles up stream to lay its eggs.   

( "In the West we derive common sense from our parents, society, Murphy's Law, biblical passages, divination, and so on...")

It is said that....

Druidry is a spiritual path based in Nature. The knowledge we have can be found everywhere. In Druidry, the Spider represents The Bard, the Ovate and the Druid. As a Bard it produces works of art as depicted in the many kinds of webs it can produce; as an Ovate seer, to determine the best spot for the web or hide-out for the hunt, and the lessons the animal teaches us shows us the Druid side of Spider lore, or as some call it, Spider Medicine. 

The appearance of the stick bug is a reminder to be patient. We should continue what we have been doing, quietly camouflaging our endeavors. The stick bug indicates results are coming, but we must allow them to come in their own time. When we do, we will be in a better position to grab them and use them for our benefit. 

The stick bug reminds us to focus on our own activities and ourselves. It is also an indication that meditation and prayer will bring much greater results and benefits now. There is something in the offing, but we must be able to recognize it. This is where personal stillness--meditative and altered states of quietness--come into play. There may even be signals of what is coming through the dream state. 

( “ white candles are for meditation and purification”)  Light one....

Stick bugs are experts at camouflage. They hold still, keeping their legs and bodies in a position to resemble twigs. Their appearance is always a reminder to camouflage our intentions and our activities. We should keep them hidden beneath the surface. Most do their feeding at night, using the dark to further cloak their presence. Stick bugs also remain motionless around large animals, including humans, and are very difficult to detect. They remind us that for the greatest success in laying a strong foundation for our endeavors, we should use camouflage. We should not let others know of our activities. Present the appearance that nothing is happening, but prepare quietly and thoroughly for what we seek to accomplish and we will find ultimate success. 

The appetites of stickbugs are great, and if their numbers are abundant enough, they can defoliate trees and bushes, especially oak trees. (The significance of oak trees should be studied by anyone for whom the stick bug appears.) Because of its appetite, when stick bug appears, our appetites may be getting out of hand and may be becoming too public. We may be letting the wrong people know of our goals and endeavors. Stick bugs can also warn of being too open and too trusting. An old adage speaks of strength through silence. Now is not a good time to let others know of your plans. Others may be undermining them or trying to steal them for themselves. 

I analyze my dreams both waking and deep sleep through recordings and notes I keep at my bed side, and have been doing this for years.  Through these recordings, I have learned a tremendous amount about myself and the people I have slept with over the years.  I predicted all of my breakups through my dream notes, and what would cause them.  The mind never sleeps, for lies require you to be awake in order to weave them.   The stickbug dream was profound.  

The other day, I came across a huge brown spider on my wall with noticeable urticating hairs on it.   Perhaps the biggest spider I have ever killed, the size of a small dinner plate.  I did not hesitate not once to smack it hard killing it instantly.   Maybe I should have just captured it and placed it outside gently, like a good Buddhist.   Not.   The spider teaches us to weave our own destiny, to create our own future, and to write our own legends.   Japanese cannot define our experiences for us here, but they can either be a part of it, or not, makes little difference.   You make your own experiences here and find in Japan what you love, and pursue it passionately.

I believe spirit guides come in  many forms, not  blond haired and blue eyed messengers sent from God himself, for God is not  like a Japanese.   Who worships people who drop atomic bombs on them?  Is that supposed to make sense?  Requires patience....you see...It all really requires patience and understanding.    

In Japan, there are over 100,000 Shinto shrines!  The essence of nature worship is there, the beauty of the wooded gates, water, and air.  It's all there...even when great tragedy befalls you, we move with the water, the tides ebb & flow.   Life goes on.   The pain of death and birth, the newness of life.  Time heals all.   It's a beautiful process of life and death.    The Japanese have a reverence for nature, but uncommon common sense.    If they can merge and understand the two, they would truly be on to something.

Expats who live here try to use common sense to make sense out of uncommon common sense here.  You just go with it.  You know the drill.   Same chit different generation.   Stop trying to change the unchangeable.  You know you love the ancient teachings.  You know what it feels like to be here, in the picture standing alongside  giant pines and oaks.    Spirit guides exist everywhere, even in Japan.