Merry Meet
>>I have run out of too much to say about rhythm as I am not a drummer, but
>>I rely on their talents to keep me from getting lost on a stage.
>>I did however do my own research and i took a little drum out with me on a
>>field trip and spent some time listening for the natural rhythms of nature
>>and then trying to duplicate the rhythm. I found a piece of forest where
>>the creaking of the trees had a definite rhythm which was hard to notice.
>>several trees were creaking and popping while swaying in the wind with no
>>seeming rhythm but when i made a rhythm that matched some of the creaks
>>and cracks the rest seemed to go in line with my general rhythm. In other
>>words it seemed as if the trees were missing a quarter note than a half an
>>1/8th etc with no specific pattern yet lined up with my rhythm. The beats
>>were more spread apart but the beats hit with my beats. Now I don’t know
>>if it was similar to some laws in Physics and it was my observation that
>>set the pattern in motion, or the trees just wanted to jam-out with me or
>>if I had found what I most expect I found, Order within Chaos=Even Chaos
>>has a pattern. I hope I explained this well enough, twas my first time.
>>
>>I found a river with a definite rhythm, of course it rushed with a rolling
>>rhythm but the blooping dripping noises had a rhythm as well, also i
>>noticed a barely perceptible tide, an undercurrent which had the rhythm of
>>waves. As if barely detectable to the naked eye the river swelled and
>>dissipated to a slight degree almost as if throbbing. So me and this river
>>had a helluva jam session in which when the beat was established I felt as
>>if a part of me got swept away and rolled to the ocean. So then i did it
>>standing in the river and the trance state came almost immediately. The
>>visions and patterns which came with the trance were of emotions, a
>>quickly moving, cycling Moon and at some point it felt like the river just
>>ran through my heart.
>>
>>The most fun was without a drum. I re-entered the ocean after about 10yrs
>>of oceanic celibacy. First I immediately almost fainted, the cleansing was
>>so vast, severe and abrupt I felt negative parts of myself long hidden
>>from my view ripped from me, like a horde of demons drowning in a holy
>>water abyss. Twould take forever to describe and this is the best I’ve
>>done yet but this is about rhythm. THe waves had a definite rhythm and i
>>was on a board so i was going up and down with it and it was like i never
>>left. So since then I went to the ocean and played the drum with it and
>>the findings were again consistent, like being carried into that feeling
>>even to the point when i walked home it took a while to get my ‘land legs’
>>back.
>>
>>A Fascinating research but most of it would be redundant each element
>>pulled me into it each thing to. The rhythm of crickets and locusts seemed
>>to pull me into a state close to the ground, Fire swept me into dance.
>>Even the computer generated crickets had rhythm but then the weird thing
>>was the rhythm of Humanity. The popping static in between radio stations
>>showed me the rhythm of lighting 100s of miles away. The snow between the
>>tv channels showed me visually the swirling rhythmic movement of photons
>>that have traveled the galaxy since the big Bang.
>>In case you wanna try that, take a tv on a vacant channel, turn down the
>>brightness all the way and 1% of the pieces of snow left are Photons from
>>the BB.
>>
>>I found rhythms in power lines, computer fans and the rush of traffic.
>>Although I felt no need to be swept away by humanity but i did develop an
>>operational theory of using humanities rhythms to effect change within
>>that world. It is hard to do a natural magick spell to effect plastic,
>>bank accounts, the crunching of numbers and clicking of keyboards in your
>>favor. No hard and fast rules here but the theory seems possible, perhaps
>>you will find your own rhythms within these and further these theories or
>>develop your own.
>>
>
>In addition to all these concepts we now enter the realm of ‘the word’ the
>power of the spoken word, Magickal Linguistics and primitive neural
>linguistic programming.
>As was mentioned already the Druids utilized a practice of words that for
>images in the mind, complex patterns that the human mind subconsciously
>will react on, in this manner they were able to establish rule over a
>society without the rulers knowing and we could find examples forever of
>the reactions of their interference but instead we wanna be able to do it.
> So lets start with some of the minimal basics. Within Poetry and Fairy
>(feary, farie feri)tales people are used as symbols, some have theorized it
>is where the use of ‘character’ to describe people in the tales, like
>”characters” of language their existence and actions within a tale are
>often used to establish a geometric pattern in the mind of the target.
>Some of the basic symbol sets that we already use will give us hints at
>their meanings. Three characters in a piece of text indicate a Triangle of
>action. In craft words they are bringing something into manifestation. One
>character in a top line having an interaction with two other characters on
>a lower line has formed a triangle pointed up. Behind the lines of the text
>is spiritual manifestations, the opposite would be physical and the use of
>this symbol in text was often used to subconsciously procure physical
>wealth or other objects from the target. Four characters interacting causes
>a square and thus strife between forces, blockages and kings to find
>themselves Boxed in by their enemies.
>Quite often a classical tale of the Hero, rising to overcome terrible odds
>and ascending to King, Ruler or God was used with other methods to cause
>death. As we will have to remember these were Pagan times and there is only
>one course the King for a day can make and it is death.
>The idea here was not so much that the King would hear the tale and die but
>that the planted seed in the mind would affect the future actions of the
>king and as they always had enemies the king would make one fatal mistake
>as a result of this tale.
>People wandering until they end up at the same place or are caught in some
>cycle is of course a circle.
>
>Young girls were often symbols of innocence and youth as you might expect
>but also to bring about an incursion of the supernatural. Many variables
>decide what type of incursion but that will take some more study.
>
>Here,s a classic old Celtic tale somewhat like you heard. A little girl
>goes to a well to fetch her ailing mother a drink of water at which time a
>magickal frog jumps up and says “marry Me”, the girl says “no for you are
>very ugly”. “Then you can have no water” says the frog. THe girl tries
>again always with the same reply. On the third try the frog says “well if
>your not gonna marry me then at least you could take me to your room out of
>the cold” (yup we’ve all heard that-un). After they are in her room the
>frog says “if you wont marry me i wish you’d end my misery and cut my head
>off with that rusty sword”, which of course the girl agrees to. Upon
>cutting the frogs head off a beautiful prince appears and we know the rest.

Now of course my version is a bit abridged but it contains the elements
which concern us. We have a little girl so we can guess an otherworld
incursion and she is fetching water+ailing mother=The Good deed, the
hallmark of mystical quest and magickal journeys, the like to embark with
the good deed. Now we meet a frog, symbolic of transformation coming out of
a well which is a sacred spot in any Celtic tale, wells streams, water
outcroppings etc. On her third attempt at getting the water the story
changes as three is of course, is the charm but also a triangle in the mind
and a time for manifestation.
The sword of as you might guess in a mystical tale takes on the form of a
mystical device, the big Athame, but also the rust not merely for it’s
graphic image but to indicate it’s content to contain Iron a material for
magickal weapons against Fairy magick, to break or in this case cut the
spell. Now the prince of course will grow to be a King and is not symbolic
of a prince at all but that the little girl after questing for the good
deed, facing fear and ugliness and not wavering in her will (oh ya she got
the water though it isn’t mentioned) finds the youthful power to rule her
life, male and female complete within her.
So when we read between around and under the lines we find a story a Witch
would tell and something much larger than entertainment.

In Druidic verse number become quite important and in some texts the numbers
of the lines are keys. The Triads are an excellent example and it is rumored
at least 700 exist although no-one seems to have a complete list we can find
them fragmented in various texts. Firstly and again 3 is triangle,
transformation and of course the Triple Goddess the Druids listed her sacred
number at 9=herself times herself and the ninth wave being the voyage to the
other world.

So the Triads in addition to the wisdom they impart cause a transformation
in the reader, they are an uneven number which causes movement and change,
said to be an ‘active’ number, even numbers being passive.
Heres some of the triads I find laying around

There is no anger which will not at last be pacified
There is nothing beloved lost which will not at last be returned
There is no soul born which will not at last attain perfection.

The three foundations of the Awen: To understand truth
To Love Truth
To Maintain Truth

3 conditions for which a Druid may be un-seated
for performing murder or warfare
for telling a falsehood
for divulging a secret which he holds

3 things a Bard out not reveal
Injurious Truth
The disgrace of a friend
The secrets of the Druids

3keys to Druidic Mystery
To KNow
To Dare
To Keep Silent

3 virtues of wisdom
To be aware of all things
To endure all things
To be removed from all things

3 rights of a British Druid
Keep wherever he goes
That no naked weapon be born in his presence
That his counsel be preferred to all others

3 places upon a Bard where blood may be drawn
From his forehead
From his breast
From his groin

3 things that make re-birth necessary
Failure to attain wisdom
Failure to attain independence
Clinging to the lower self

3 things to be controlled above all
The Hand
The Tongue
Desire

3 signs of cruelty
to needlessly frighten an animal
to needlessly tear plants and trees
to needlessly ask for favors

3 things avoided by the wise
Expecting the impossible
Grieving over the irretrievable
Fearing the inevitable

3 things patience brings(which is also the symbol for Birch)
Love, peace and help from others.

3 things that bring strength to face the world
Seeing the beauty and quality of truth
Seeing behind the veil of falsehoods
Seeing to what ends truth and falsity come

3 persons beloved of the Gods
Those in whom strength and justice meet
Those in whom bravery and mercy meet
Those in whom generosity and satisfaction meet

3 persons who never meet with success
He who marries by counsel of his flesh
He who eats by counsel of his hunger
He who fights by councel of his anger

3 persons from which you should keep yourself
he who praises you too much for easy deeds
he who speaks against you for his own benefit
he who boasts of deeds never done

3 virtues of a sage
to remain calm when others cannot
to remain quiet when others are not
and remember the Gods when others do not

These are just a smidgen of the scattered Druid knowledge floating around
out there but we have much more on the power of Word to cover.
So in the meantime your ASSIGNMENT find as many of the triads you can and
share em with us, maybe we can get 700 or so. See if you can figure out
their meanings. What else can you find out about them?
For extra extra credit you can try and crack the codes within many of the
triads and sure cant tell you how to do it…

Till next week I leave you with the first 3 lines of the birth of Taliesin
I am Taliesin
I sing in Perfect metre which will last until the worlds end
I know why an echo answers again

Blessed Be
Birch

Tags: bardic, birch, chaos, druid, free, magick, phil, strega, tree, triad