Oak, Ash, and Hawthorn: The Path of the Druids (4/6)

The Awen
The Awen is what I consider to be one of the most beautiful and unique parts of Druidry. "Awen" is Welsh for "muse" but is often translated as "inspiration." Originally, it was associated with poets and a Goddess named Cerridwen. Today, many Druids still like to tell the story of Cerridwen and her cauldron of inspiration, which you are more than free to read, but it's not what I want to focus on.

The Goddess Cerridwen

Many Druids see the Awen as a gift from the Gods, or from Cerridwen specifically (the Patroness of Bards). They see it, as I said, as a source of inspiration, but also as so much more than that. The best definition I've heard is that the Awen  "is the energy of divine inspiration, the flow of spirit, the essence of life in motion. It is the exquisite power of sacred relationship, the power that floods through the body and soul when spirit touches spirit, life is acknowledged, a moment's experience shared, divine energy exchanged. Awen is the focus of the deep inner quest; it is what we all seek as we stumble through life, that which brings us wisdoms, clarity, freedom, ecstasy, the joy of being alive, simply being, peaceful, presence. It is fire in the head, poetic frenzy, lust for breath, complete purpose in perfect serenity." (Druidnetwork.org) Damh the Bard also has another great song about the Awen, which I will link here.


The Awen has had a major impact on Druidry in terms of some of it's practices and emphases. Druidry encourages and emphasizes creativity like I've never seen. They won't make you do anything you can't, but one of their goals is to have all people connect with that Awen in some way, whether through poetry or knitting, baking or teaching; anything that makes you feel creatively fulfilled. Also, you've probably noticed the term "Bard" floating around quite a bit in here, but don't fret, I'm about to explain it.

Damh the Bard

No, the Bards that I've been referring to here are not the same as the ones that you find in Fire Emblem nor are they people who dance around with a tiny harp singing into the ear of whoever will listen to them, but that's kind of close. As you may remember, in some traditions there are three levels: Bard, Ovate, and Druid. Bards are considered to be on the first rung of the ladder of Druidry. In this tradition (which is mostly perpetuated by OBOD) are encouraged to start their spiritual journeys through cultivating their creativity and mastering the art of story-telling, in other words, becoming a Bard. The whole tradition is based off of this connection to creativity and inspiration; the Awen.


You might be thinking, "If this is such an important idea, does it have a symbol?" The answer is, "Yes."

This symbol was created by 19th century Druidic history buff, Iolo Morganwg. The three circles often represent the three positions of the Sun (sunrise, noon, sunset), the three visible phases of the Moon (waxing, full, waning), as well as the three droplets that fell from Cerridwen's cauldron (see story above). The lines, often called the "Rays of the Awen," represent male (R), female (L), and the balance between them, as well as Land, Sea, and Sky. The three rings represent the Upper-, Middle-, and Otherworlds. The three teachings of the Awen are said to be, "To understand truth, to Love truth, and to maintain truth;" Truth, Love, and Wisdom.


As you can see, the Awen has a profound effect on Druidry and is often featured and emphasized heavily in their rituals and celebrations, but we'll get to that in the next section on the Wheel of the Year.