by Jamie Wiseman
What is it?
So Bobcat asked me to write an article on “internet Druidry”. I was a
bit stumped at first, because I’m not really sure what it is. There have been many many
different applications for the internet in the two decades prior to this one in all its various
guises and forms. Given the diversity of backgrounds prevalent in the Pagan traditions, you can bet
that most of them have been applied in some form or another.
Through my own meandering paths, both online and within the Druid tradition,
I’ve come across many ways in which the two concepts converged. Chat rooms, web sites, email
based communities, news groups, web based communities, web rings... it’s all there. Hidden
within the different media employed, though, is this concept of community – which is what a
lot of this tradition seems to be based on.
One of the ideas central to the internet is that it’s not central.
It’s not owned. It cannot belong to any single person, because it cannot be defined as a sum
of any or all of its parts. It exists purely as an exercise in communication between otherwise
isolated islands of technology. A collaborative project. A very very large and disparate community.
This idea is of great importance and appeal, particularly to the Druid community. For the first time
in this modern civilisation it’s being demonstrated that people can work together, on a global
scale, with or without monetary funding, to create something that is beyond ownership and beyond
power or politics. An entirely free medium, in every sense of the word. This model is an ideal one
to base self-sustaining community on. No part is reliant on any of the other parts, and each part is
responsible for the well being of the whole community – including itself.
So what’s the use of it, then?
Community and communication are different expressions of the same concept. If
building communities is what the internet is about, then communication is the glue that holds then
communities together. Communication is what the internet excels at. It’s now possible to
communicate with people thousands of miles away at an incredible speed, for a very low cost. It has
levelled the distances between communities. It has created tight-knit communities that are –
in geographical terms – very disparate.
The spread of ideas across this medium is phenomenal. In just over 3 years, the
Awen List (the British Druid Order’s own online community) has clocked up around 22,000 posts
– each post being an email containing some form of expression from one of its members.
22,000?! Even if every 4th post were of any relevance, that would be the equivalent of a book all
about Druidry, containing 6,500 pages of juicy information. Possibly the biggest book ever written
on Druidry! The community owns this information – not any one individual. Therein lies the
power of the internet.
Where did it come from?
The internet developed out of proprietary military networks, using America’s
telephone system in the ‘60s. Over the years it became more and more civilianised, and
eventually the military pulled out altogether.
What about Druidry’s involvement? Well, that’s harder to answer.
Pagans have been using the internet as long as I can remember using the internet. What can be said
is that the amount of Pagans using the internet has grown hand in hand with overall internet usage
statistics, and that the growth of modern Paganism could also be linked to the growth of the
internet. What people (and subsequently Druids) seem to want out of the internet is also changing
and growing. The focus these days seems to be more on quality of information, and there’s a
greater demand (at least in the communities I frequent) for referencing information to their
sources. It’s no longer enough to copy love spells from another list to satisfy the masses!
Where is it going?
Another tricky question to answer! The most difficult part of using the internet
is probably finding the information you’re looking for. It’s probably out there
somewhere... indeed, very likely. Sifting through the masses of information is a fine art in
itself.
With movements like Open Source starting to gain popularity, good quality software
is being produced by large numbers of individuals, empowering people to become more creative in
their communities.
As broadband technology and the internet generally becomes more and more
accessible, it’s now the norm, rather than the exception, that a household is online. A
communication revolution is taking place. We have here something more dynamic than the printing
press, and cheaper than the telephone… the limits as to the practical applications of the
internet are only imposed by our imaginations.
Dummies’ guide to internet Druidry
First and foremost, remember that those words on the screen with which
you’re relating are the expression of a person. You may not like that person, fair enough.
If you’re reacting badly to the words on the screen, before you fire off the
vitriolic response, try to find out why you’re reacting so.
Be responsible. If you’re a part of a community you’re as responsible
for creating the community as everyone else.
Ask questions. It’s always better to leave questions unanswered than answers
unquestioned.
Exceed and excel! Be excellent. Use the community to further your knowledge.
Answer with enthusiasm. Research your answers! Be proactive in creating the dynamism of the
community, rather than just reactive.
Be open to response. Not everyone sees things the way you do. Honour their own
truth. If you can work out how, tell me.
Lastly – remember to get off your bum, switch off the computer, and go
outside once in a while! You’ll get all pasty sat there all the time!
Jamie Magpie Wiseman
Founder of the AWEN internet list
jamie_wiseman [at] hotmail [dot] com
