I hear people all the time talk about being "this" or "that" spiritual path. I hear people say "Oh I am a Druid too!" But what does it mean to be a practicing Druid? Well there are as many answers to that question as there are people using the term. All I can say is what it means for me to be a practicing Druid.
I have always believed that the idea of Druidism was more of a way of life than just a religion or spiritual path. It is acts, it is a way of being. Yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking... "But David, what about all the stuff you post on the blog about religious practices and beliefs?" Well those religious practices and beliefs are hollow if I do not live my life applying them to my daily life. Easier said than done.... right? Not really. Saying that is a cop-out on actually putting effort into living a better life.
Living a Druid life for me started with how I treated others. I forced myself into the mind set that everyone has the right to feel and believe the way they want. I trained my heart to accept that there are those that will always try to be a force against those not living the life they believe we should. In other words, water off a ducks back. It takes very little effort to walk away from conflict. It actually takes far more energy to fight than to realize something is a pointless battle.
I started thinking about my impact on the earth. I know like all Americans I really like having the latest greatest thing. Well that's fine but be sure you properly recycle the old or purpose it. Do not just through it away. I do my best to take very good care of my belongings so I can hand them to someone else for use, such as cell phone or laptop. That helps prevent the items from going into the land fill. If it is just totally broken? Well then recycle it. Find the proper place which will take things like light bulbs, old computers, batteries, cell phones, etc so that anything that can be reclaimed is and so that anything toxic is treated. And speaking of lighting... are you using efficient light bulbs? Well why not? LED bulbs have come way down in cost. You can get 60watt equivalents at Walmart for under $5 that use as low as 5watts and last 10 to 20 years! Every paycheck I have gone and purchased 1 bulb until all of the lights in my apartment were replaced. So I was able to reduce the amount of electricity I used as well as cutting the actual power bill.
I also think about how my deal with my waste... The waste from coffee and tea grounds, from the cuttings let over during food prep, etc. each of these aspects gives me the chance to live my spirituality, not just pay lip service to it. I put all my organic waste into an indoor composter that turns the waste into highly rich soil while also making an organic "compost tea" that I feed all my plants. I have learned what veggies will regrow from themselves so I can plant their cuttings to continuously grow my own. I know I know, I hear all the time "I don't have room." Well sorry to say I call bullshit on this. I live in a 620 sq ft apartment with my partner and two cats. I have a potted garden which I grow on my patio and in my windows, I have the indoor composter under my kitchen sink, and house plants that require little actual sun light so they help clean my air while providing the energy that all living things bring to a home.
So just thinking about wht you can do to actually live your spirituality instead of just saying you do. You will find that it becomes so much easier in the long run, you save money, and you are being true to yourself!
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