with the Green Mountain Druid Order
led by Ivan McBeth
Druids are the practitioners of an ancient system of knowledge whose heart is the beauty and magic of nature. Their mystery schools have existed since the dawn of time and exist still; integrated with yet mostly invisible from, the modern world. The Druid tradition originated in the Celtic countries of Europe, yet in this modern age its enchantment touches countless people around the world. Druids can be men or women of any religion, belief, race, or color.
A Druid is an expression of the Spirit of the Earth, a servant of the God and Goddess, and reveres their manifestation in the world. He is a loving, fully trained and skilled caretaker of the Earth, starting in his local area and embracing the entire planet that he knows as Gaia, the Great Goddess. He loves the expression of the Divine both in deepest nature, and in the concrete jungles of the mightiest cities. To the Druid, the God and Goddess are everywhere; he or she finds their presence wherever he goes, and holds himself open to their guidance and instructions. He/she believes that all things, organic and inorganic, are conscious and need to be treated as equals, and with respect. The Druid considers both life, and himself, as a mystery and dances with his love through eternity. He is especially dedicated to Gaia, whom he supports and cares for on her cyclical journey of evolution through the universe.
The Green Mountain Druid Order invites you to enter a magical gateway into the Heart of Nature, to discover ways of deepening your relationship with the sacred. Our intent is to guide students into true communication with nature in order that they may build a practical, individual, hands-on relationship with the Spirit of the Land. Our playground will be the beautiful and majestic Vermont scenery. We will petition the God and Goddess to be our guides on a magical journey through our inner and outer landscapes. We will learn how to communicate with nature, and learn how to build an intimate, magical relationship with the area of land upon which we live.
Druids consider that everything is alive and has awareness, including trees, rocks, animals, the air, even automobiles! All beings love being loved, love being honored, and love being treated with respect. It is obvious, really. The world will treat you in the way you treat it - just like a friend will, or a lover. In this way life is a mirror. If you perceive the world as being a realm of magic and delicious mystery, then this will be your experience of life. It is possible to consciously, systematically, change your view of the world. We will give both theoretical and copious practical instruction on this theme!
Druidry encourages our magical children to come out and play, into a reality where dreams come true and trees and rocks speak. Students will be taught how to develop their intuition and divine nature so that this magical experience of the world can be switched on or off at will. Druids believe that their old view of the world is only the tip of the iceberg. The only limitation to reality is our imagination, and that can be expanded infinitely.
Druids also hold positions of great responsibility. It is not very well known that Sir Winston Churchill the politician and William Blake the artist and poet are examples of practicing Druids. Taking responsibility is a cornerstone of the training, for Druids need to be capable of working with power. The Spiritual Warrior is an archetype we explore and meet often in the training and, eventually, we will integrate his/her qualities into our everyday lives.
The Druid Training lasts three years and incorporates three Grades, or ‘attainments’: the Bard, the Ovate, and the Druid. The Bard learns the foundation of Druid magic and liberates the creativity within. The Ovate journeys deep within and discovers the secrets of Druid magic, divination, and healing (“Doctor - heal thyself”). The Druid interfaces between the spiritual and physical worlds, practices the arts he/she has learned, and manifests the sacred on Earth.
In April 2008 I will be starting a new Druid Training Program in Vermont. The course will last three years, with initiations into the Bardic, Ovate, and Druid grades. It will cover every aspect of basic Druid knowledge, and will create a good foundation for further development. When the training is complete, the GMDO will, if requested, support the graduates in their ongoing growth.
There are two common themes that run through all three grades. They come under the general heading of Geomancy and Awareness. Geomancy is the study and relationship between practitioner and the Spirit of the Land; Awareness is the study and mastery of reality, and the optimum use of our life-energy. Each student will be encouraged to practice the principles of Geomancy and Awareness in their everyday lives, building an increasingly energy-rich world in which he/she lives.
The training is designed to become a way of life. There will be homework set between each weekend session, for the work the students do at home is as important as attending the formal training sessions. The GMDO celebrates the changing of the seasons, and it encourages its students to come together at these times to celebrate together (it is not compulsory). At the festivals, family and guests are welcomed if there is advanced notification.
Druidry is transformational, not purely intellectual. It is designed to transform the students’ experiences of everyday life and their interactions with the world. My teaching style incorporates lots of laughter and play, as well as the serious bits. Be prepared to do, to be, and to get your hands dirty!
Bardic Training (Year 1)
The Bard is like a child starting to walk and crawl along the magical path of adventure towards healing and his eventual wholeness. In Tarot symbolism he is the Fool, setting out on his adventures with little experience but with trust and courage. He (for simplicity’s sake I will use the masculine gender - if you feel to do so, please substitute ‘she’ for ‘he’) breaks through the confines of his former boundaries as he explores the Unknown. As a consequence he gains understanding and skills in both life, and magic. His training concentrates on unlocking the creativity that is bursting to be expressed. Any excuse to play!
When a student requests to enter Bardic training, he will be accepted as a probationary student. This period lasts one month. After one month’s trial, if the student wants to continue, he will undergo an initiation ceremony which symbolically celebrates his birth into a new life of magic, service, empowerment and spirit; in other words, into the world of the Druid.
Students will gather one weekend in every month over the period of the training. The venue will be Dreamland, our land, a beautiful spot in Vermont just north of Montpelier, where we will camp together in tents and simple structures on the good earth under the stars. We will do much of our training sitting around open fires or walking the land, meeting the characters in the landscape first hand. We will travel to sacred sites in the spirit of pilgrimage, bringing gifts, asking for teachings, and receiving blessings from the beings that live there.
The Bardic Training includes:
- The background and history of Druidry
- The Elements of magic
- Geomancy (the art of interacting with the Spirit of the Land)
- The magic of trees and stones
- The Mastery of Awareness
- Training to develop the Intuition
- Ritual and Ceremony
- Steamlodge (sometimes called Sweatlodge)
- Shamanic Journeying
- Sacred Dance
- Meditation
- Developing the creativity within (Music, Poetry, Storytelling, Art, etc)
- The Power of the Circle
- Principles of Healing
- Initiation into the Underworld
- A project each student will choose for him/herself
Ovate Training (Year 2)
After requesting entry into the Ovate Grade, the aspirant is initiated. If the Bardic Grade was one of opening up to ones lightness and creativity, this grade is of descending the dark steps into ones depths, exploring the shadows to find the treasures that lie hidden within. The Ovate retreats into the deep forest of his soul and enters the Sacred Grove, the place where the great trees live and share their magical wisdom with humanity. He works constantly and diligently to earn his freedom from the (internal) enemies that attempt to ensnare him. He builds a new relationship with Death and learns, paradoxically, how to live.
The skills he learns are those of transformation. He undergoes purification of his whole being, in preparation for entering the world of the Druid, where aspirants are empowered to make a profound difference in the world. He awakens and develops the Spiritual Warrior that lives within. He learns how to take full responsibility for the great gift of life he has been given. He learns the arts of healing and divination, and gains confidence traveling the invisible worlds.
All the time he walks the body of his Goddess, learning to interact with Her in increasingly powerful and meaningful ways, exploring, feeling, discovering, learning, and applying his knowledge, healing, enjoying and supporting her on her definitive journey of evolution.
The Ovate Training includes:
- Making medicines - herbs and flower essences
- Purification and Steamlodge (Sweatlodge)
- Magical Portals
- The Shaman’s Death and Burial
- The Way of the Spiritual Warrior
- Shadow Work - Fear
- Gender Issues/Healing
- Cutting Ties to the Past
- Divination
- Power Animals. Making costume
- Vision Quest
- Manifesting our Dreams
- Collecting Sacred Songs
- Firewalk!
- A Project each student chooses for himself
Druid Training (Year 3)
After his transformation in the Ovate Grade, the student is initiated into the Druid Grade. He starts to hone and develop his increasing powers with focus and finesse. He is taught how to integrate his life into that of the community, if that is his desire. He is taught how to manifest his dreams, and the dreams of the planet. He learns how to teach, and how to inspire others. He learns the power of teaching by example. He discovers his destiny, and how to fulfill it.
The Druid Training includes:
- Dragons
- Stone Circles and Sacred Space Building
- Time Travel
- The King and Queen - Empowerment as a Human Being
- Holding and Gestating the Dream
- Magic Theatre
- Petty Tyrants
- The Solar Angel
- Prosperity Consciousness
- Conscious Group workings
- Advanced shamanic journeying
- A Project each student chooses for himself
Ivan McBeth lives near Montpelier, VT. He is a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and is the founder of the Megalithic Order of Druids. He is the founder of the Sacred Space School of Shamanic Studies and teaches ongoing shamanic healing courses. He is a founding member of the Oak Dragon Project in Britain, and teaches regularly in various schools of healing and geomancy. He leads regular ceremonies and courses around Vermont with his partner Fearn. His passion is the creation of sacred space, and stone circles in particular. He is a founding member of the Circles for Peace project in the USA, and is co-responsible for the “Burlington Earth Clock’ stone circle by the bike path in Oakledge Park, Burlington, Vermont. He is a Reiki Master, and the author of a book called ‘Crystal Journey.’ He blows a dijereedoo, throws a mean boomerang, and often wears a silly top hat.
Dates:
We will meet one weekend every month over a period of nine months, starting in April. Our weekends begin at 6pm on Friday and last until 5pm on Sunday. In August we will spend an extended period together on the land, from Tuesday until Sunday. Kids, family members and guests are welcome, booked in advance. There will be no formal weekend sessions during December, January and February, and during this time students will be set projects to accomplish at home. There will be, however, various group activities over this winter period, which will give us a chance to spend time together in sacred, fun pursuits.
2008 Weekend Sessions are:
April 11-13, May 9-11, June 6-8, July 11-13, Druid Camp July 29-August 3, Sept. 5-7, Sept. 26-28, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, Nov. 21-23
Tuition is $1600 per year.
You may pay the full fee up front or save your space with a deposit of $250 and pay $150 for each subsequent weekend of the training plus food costs.
Limited special arrangements for sliding scale, apprenticeship, and/or work exchange may be available upon request. (First come, first serve)
STOP PRESS!!! PAY ONLY HALF THE DEPOSIT IF YOU SIGN UP BEFORE MARCH 1st 2008!!! A SAVING OF $125!!!
For further information
Contact Ivan at: ivanmcbeth [at] aol [dot] com">ivanmcbeth [at] aol [dot] com and see his website at: www.ivanmcbeth.com
For registration and course details
Contact Fearn at: fearnessence [at] gmail [dot] com
and 802-505-8011
