The Living Druidry Course

Reviews posted here are from the Living Druidry Course run by Emma Restall Orr (Bobcat)

From: Liz Williams (Dr)
arkady [at] btinternet [dot] com

The 2002/03 course took place during an intensely difficult time of my life, relating to my partner's last illness and subsequent death. I found that the course, whilst focusing on the various elements and therefore placing the participants deliberately out of balance, provided an anchoring stability to my life at this time. The processes that we went through mirrored my own healing: my partner died at the Winter Solstice, during the part of the course that concerned earth. My attempts to begin to come to terms with his death mirrored the work that we underwent with air, over Imbolc. At the Spring Equinox, a fiery time, I met someone who has become a lover and close friend. Toward the end of the course, during the period when we studied water, I started to integrate my partner's loss and the arrival of someone new into my life.

At the end of the course, I underwent a personal dedication to the goddess Elen, the Celtic Lady of Journeys. After that, I went out to Siberia and traveled there for a while, before returning to the UK. Since then, things have gradually become more stable and settled. Daily practice has been instrumental in my gradual healing and the return of my confidence. I am now looking ahead to the next stage of my life's journey.

The Living Druidry course has proved immensely helpful in dealing with a painful and tough transition. I would not hesitate to recommend it. The lessons that I have learned from it have proved of immense value, and Bobcat is an excellent teacher. 

From : Crow
crow [at] crowdance [dot] fsnet [dot] co [dot] uk

I completed the LD course earlier this year and I can honestly say that I found it truly inspirational. Under Bobcat's guidance, I learned the importance of finding my feet before taking to my wings; the profound benefits of inner stillness; the poignant beauty of questing the Awen and the power and release of creativity given expression - whatever form that may take.

LD is about how much you can put in to it. You could cruise through the nine months, just for the experience and the beautiful surroundings of Holycombe, but don't expect to come away with any blinding revelations if you do. However, if you can commit to putting in the time and effort to work through the exercises set over the five weekends, then the benefits of studying this course are quite incredible.

And the best part about it is, that by helping one to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of oneself and the world around us, LD is the first step on a whole new journey! 

From: Sue Bouvier
SUEBOU1 [at] aol [dot] com( Suebou1 [at] aol [dot] com)

A personal journey through the LD Course 2003/4:

Pain, despair, joy and ecstasy, as deeper into each element I went. From my soul the layers fell, or were ripped away.

And yet still I went back for more, although more than once got as far as typing the e-mail to say I didn’t want to continue, but, was unable to send it. Something was calling me. The wildness, the darkness, the essence of my soul's song, began to emerge, as I went from the deep pit to the high mountain, flying like a bird free in the sky to land again with seemingly no parachute to protect me, crashing down into the waves of the sea, to rise again riding the waves, to burn with fierce passion, and then to end up in ashes, as I threw myself into the fire, until I didn’t know who I was anymore.

My words at the commencement of the course were "self discovery", and self-discovery I found. How can I begin the course knowing who I am, where I am, and where I want to go, to end up nine months later, not knowing who I am, not knowing where I am, only knowing where I want to go. Back for more. To follow that path of self-discovery, as the layers fall and tear away from my soul, in search of the real me. To find my own true soul song.

Along the path I have learnt many different tools to help me deal with life and its problems, some of which I use, others which are there in the back of my mind, to be used at a later date, or filed away as not for me at this time.

I have become disciplined, in a way my erratic untidy scorpio nature didn’t think could happen. With practice, I am able to meditate anywhere and at any time : I am able to widen or close down my nemeton : I am able to connect spirit to spirit when spirit opens to me.

I have found friendship and support from those whose soul walked their own journey of the course, and yet connected into my journey. I have found soul to soul, spirit to spirit connections with others much further along the path of deep raw soul druidry, who have been there for me in my despair, and celebrated with me in my ecstasy.

But most importantly to me, I have found a freedom of my own spirit I could never have believed. I have become wilder and wilder, darker and darker. And I love it with a passion.

This course is not for the feint hearted, nor for the lazy, and cant be bothered. The homework is huge The dedication is total commitment. The pain is heartbreaking. But for the dedicated and committed, it is life changing, and it is freedom.

Thank you Bobcat. Without your teaching, guidance, kick up the backside, support and love, I would not be that free, dark, wild spirit I am becoming. My soul would not be screaming its song loud and clear, and with such totally wild, passionate abandonment.

From: Star (HW Teague)

The LDC 05 /06 has to be the best thing that has ever happened to me. I knew from the start it would mean hard work and putting my heart and soul into it. Indeed I was apprehensive as to whether I could achieve the tasks and homework but at the same time I was also totally determined to win through from the very start. I think one of the key factors for anyone attending this course is determination and commitment.

My main reason for attending the LD course was to learn how I could live my Druidry more effectively, and for me it most certainly did that! far beyond what I could have wished for. Anyone who is devoted to learning about living druidry in every aspect of their lives then this course is the one! The LD course is certainly not easy, it takes a lot of hard work, and basically you get out of it as much as you put in, but the the benefits are so worth every ounce of effort given.

For me it has changed my life deeply, helping me to learn ways I can live more effectively, ethically, and more honourably, how to cope better when in depths of despair, how to let inspiration flow through me, how to have courage, to be generous and to be creative, to learn how to connect with nature on a deep soul level, and more importantly for me to learn about relationship with everything.

Also what's great about this course for me is that it's ongoing for the rest of my life, the tools I acquired for living my Druidry have stayed with me so I can develop them further, and that makes it exciting because there is always something new to work through and learn from - thus exploring how I can be creative in any situation.

This course helped me do things I never would have believed possible. It has moved me deeply & I loved every minute of it, I'm truly blessed by Bobcat's hardcore teaching. This is not a course for socialising, it's a real deep learning hands-on life changing experience that brings freedom. All you need is commitment and a bit of courage, and if I can do it anyone can (believe me). Bobcat's teaching on this course is valuable beyond words.

From Peter Neall
peterneall [at] neallscott [dot] co [dot] uk

Living Druidry 2006 A Point of View

I ventured onto the Living Druidry course not knowing quite what to expect but both curious and excited. Over the 9 months of the programme I learned in a different way from that which I had expected.

As a course leader myself, and (almost) a course junkie I thought I knew how to handle courses. Bobcat showed me I had much to learn that was not about lots of information, though I did get a lot; not about doing processes, though I learned some; and not about going through the motions - though I did try that too.

I was required to engage with myself, my view of the world and the habits which I had developed to manage life in a way which I have to admit have changed me. The changes have been big but subtle, it is only as I live this next year that I am becoming aware of some of them which have sneaked up on me.

A few examples -

• I now 'see' the moon and know what phase we are in;
• I am curious about flora and fauna and learn almost daily more about my environment;
• I am curious about the seasons;
• I am more willing to try out things which I cannot or don't do! - like making things, like growing things, like just saying 'yes';
• I see people that normally I'd have dismissed as 'different to me' as people that I may even want to get to know;
• I'll try different food;
• I understand how ritual fits into my life in a way I had never imagined, let alone done;
• I have a connection with my children and grandchildren which I once dreamed of.

The course did not do all this alone, the process of being on it and mostly in it, though I could have used the opportunity more, brought me closer to things I had put off for years.

If you are drawn to it , follow your instinct - the blessings you receive will be different, and probably richer than you imagine.

From: Diana Marie Jeske

It is difficult to write a critical review of a spirituality based course. Spiritual experience is so personal and unique that to critically examine it is to walk a perilous line of potential judgment and misunderstanding. Therefore, I hope any reader of this review will realize it is completely infused with my own personal experience; and while I do not know if anyone, by reading this, will be persuaded or dissuaded to participate in Emma Restall Orr’s Living Druidry course, I do hope it will encourage everyone to find and follow their own spiritual path.

I was very fortunate, in the summer of 2006, to have received an invitation to participate in the Living Druidry course running from October 2006 to July 2007. I had for some time been seeking personal guidance for my spiritual development and having read some of Emma Restall Orr’s (Bobcat’s) books on Druidry, and having felt the ideas in them to resonate strongly with me, I was very eager to take advantage of an opportunity to experience her teaching. The course in reality was not as I had anticipated, however, now, having experienced it I realize attending it was one of the best choices I have ever made and that my life has changed as a result of my participation.

The title of the course is apt in many ways. It is focused, through individual development, primarily on a Druidry living vibrantly in the world of the twenty first century. Anyone expecting to learn the Druidry of the Ancient Britons, or even to experience the Druidry of the eighteenth century revivalists will be sorely disappointed. Bobcat’s teachings are firmly rooted in the earth of this century. There is no nostalgic longing for a long dead golden period. There is instead a vibrancy and energy focused on the world of today, on its wonders and beauties, on its challenges and sorrows, and on the myriad possibilities for crafting relationship within it.

Crafting relationship lies at the heart of the Living Druidry course. Living Druidry is about just that – living a life which is infused with spirituality in its every aspect. Bobcat presents a spirituality which cannot sit on a shelf in the mind waiting for a special day or time to be dusted off, perused for a brief period, and then replaced and forgotten. Her conception of Druidry infuses every aspect of life; it becomes part of one’s everyday existence. Relationship lies at the center of that infusion – relationship with the earth and all nature and relationship with those around us and our ancestors; our mud and our blood – a phrase which is often associated with Bobcat’s teachings. With the doors opened to the possibility of forming relationships with everyone and everything around us – from trees and stones to our siblings and long dead great great great grandmothers to the spirits and deities which surround our existence – we realize we can never be truly alone. It is the relationships we form with all that surrounds us that keeps Druidry a vital part of every moment of existence. It allows the act of preparing and enjoying a meal to become a spiritual exercise. It allows us to learn from pebbles on the beach, and it allows us to dance in wild ecstasy under any phase of the moon. With the techniques and tools Bobcat presents one is able to live Druidry everyday in everything one does.

Holycombe, the location of the course during my attendance, in Warwickshire is the perfect place to begin experiencing Bobcat’s teachings. Combining the quiet comfort of a bed and breakfast with easy access to wild nature, a stone circle, and a carefully tended labyrinth, Holycombe provides more than enough inspiration for someone interested in walking a Druid path. Relationships can easily begin while wandering the paths of the forest or tripping through the meadow, and Holycombe’s location in a small country village allows one to feel completely removed from the stresses of the usual urban environment. It allows one to easily focus on spirit; the challenge comes in keeping that focus once one has left.

The number of individuals on the course is enough that there is variety in conversation, yet it is not so large that it is impossible to get to know everyone well. The structure at Holycombe forces everyone to interact. As the students cook all their own meals and eat together much opportunity is provided for bonding in the preparing and sharing of these meals. Evenings are filled with plenty of time for socializing and story telling and communal ritual forms an important part of every Living Druidry weekend. Individuality thrives on the Living Druidry course as faces from all ages and walks of life are present. The joy of the course comes not in conforming to a rigid inflexible standard, but in seeing the adaptation of a malleable model to every individual life, challenge, or situation.

The course is well laid out over the cycle of the year; beginning just before Samhain in October the student journeys through the cold, dark time of winter, through the rush of energy and vitality in the spring, to end in July with the heady days of summer ripe with the fullness of accomplished creativity and Lughnasah beckoning just around the corner. Bobcat’s teaching mirrors both the natural and pagan festival cycles of the year. In the autumn when the earth is pulling back, conserving its energy for the long dark time the students are encouraged to look inward – to find who they are and to find where they come from through finding connection to the land they live on and the ancestors whose blood flows in their veins. As the course wheels toward spring and the budding and flourishing of nature the students are encouraged to begin looking out – to find their boundaries and where those boundaries meet others’. And as spring ripens into summer the students begin realizing how relationship crafted through a thorough understanding of both self and other can be life altering and immensely fulfilling.

Throughout the course Bobcat introduces various tools and techniques to help her students on their journeys. I will not go into detail about them but will mention that they compliment the themes of the course and give the students ways to improve and work deeper with course material. Bobcat stresses the importance of daily practice. She emphasizes that the course is hard work. Creativity and play are encouraged and Bobcat pushes her students to step outside their comfort zones.

Along with emphasizing hard work and creativity Bobcat also places great emphasis on ethical discussion and practice. Perhaps the hardest aspects of the course, the ethical challenges force the students to re-examine their choices in life and they provide an ongoing reminder of the importance of always being aware of one’s surroundings and impact. The ethical challenges are a reminder that committing to a spiritual Druid path is not light or easy. Bobcat presents tough challenges and asks a person to face darkness and his/her own demons which reminds one that while living a life immersed in a spiritual mind frame is extremely rewarding it is not easy.

Bobcat chooses to allow her students to find their own path rather than telling them everything they should or should not do. She opens the door and invites you over the threshold but she will not take your hand and pull you through. She gives as much advice and support as is asked for and leaves it to the student to determine how much he or she needs. I had expected wanting much more directed teaching, however, by the end of the course I was more eager to find my own way. Bobcat gave enough support without taking away from my own development and by the end of the course I was full of confidence and eager to go back to my life infused with a new spiritual focus.

I would warn anyone contemplating taking the Living Druidry course that it is not easy. There is more work to be completed than one would anticipate. Also I would recommend anyone living outside of Britain who is thinking of participating in the course to seriously consider the extra challenges posed by the long travel. The course is spread over five weekends and it can be extremely tiring to be flying to the UK every six to eight weeks (not to mention the environmental and financial costs). I live in Vancouver, Canada and while I do not regret for a second attending the course the constant travel took its toll as well as the disjunction between the landscapes of Warwickshire, where I first practiced Bobcat’s tools and techniques, and British Columbia, where I had to adapt those same techniques to suit the landscape of my home. Having said that though, Bobcat’s course is not Britain dependent; while rooted very strongly in the heritage and land of Britain it can be adapted to other places. The tools and techniques can enable one to craft relationship with nature and others anywhere.

The legacy of the Living Druidry course for me has been a radical change in my perception of the world. Living Druidry allows the ordinary to become extraordinary. Nothing is mundane, typical, or boring. Every relationship is new and different and the challenge of reaching for it provides the impetus to keep searching.