The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘future’

A few months ago I was returning from work on a lovely sunny afternoon when a bright shining light caught my attention. Hold on, it wasn’t anything mysterious. It was the sun sparkling of the face of a distant church. I was surprised by the sight and felt a calling to it. As is rarely the case these days, I ignored this intuitive call and continued on my way home.

Since that time I have occasionally had a twinge to go and look for this hidden church but have resisted the urge with remarkable rationality. Recent circumstances have suggested to me to move away from my current residence and look for a new place to stay. Although my current residence was found through very synchronistic means and one of those rare occasions when your higher self intervenes directly in your affairs. We are co-creators and it is about time to make another shift.

I was perusing the rent-a-room site looking for a place when my eye was caught by an advert. I read the description, it was perfect. I sent an email off straight away and considered my position. My main criteria had been broadband internet access, which my current landlord for various reasons was averse to installing. However, I had an issue. The room had a minimum stay of 3 months and my contract was/is due to finish in one month. An interesting conundrum.

The following evening I went to view the property and found to my surprise that it was adjacent to the above mentioned church. As I was walking up the slight hill, I recognised the building immediately and since I had some spare time. I decided to wander through it and feel the energies. It has a remarkable feel to it and I thought that it would be great to be living by it and explore the energies at my leisure.

As a follower of signs I knew almost at once that this was the place for me. Signs are signs! I visited with the delightful residents of the house and we got on famously. I have to say though that they had had much interest in their place and even though I offered to take the place immediately they asked to reflect on it.

For about 5 minutes I wondered whether this was a path I should be following. Nah! Of course it was. I knew that I would be offered the room. And even as I walked past the old sign, the church of St Mary, I knew that my work contract would be extended by the required three months.

I am not into predictions but I am into future confidence and I am confident that both of these truths will come to pass. Let’s see if they do!

Kal Malik

Addendum: In complete disregard of what might be I have just returned from paying the first months rent on a place that I might not even need.

Addendum 2: A week later my boss called me into his office. You have your extension he said, we’d like to keep you on for 14 weeks. I was bemused, because my intent was for 12 weeks. I apologised to him and said that I could only accept 12 weeks. He looked surprised. After all contractors were supposed to be happy with “more” time not less. I, however stuck to my guns and said that I could only work until 14 Oct. He went off and consulted with higher authorities and returned with the same 14 weeks. Again I apologised and said that  could only do 12. But on impulse I suggested we look at the calendar. We did so and found that I was mistake. It was 13 weeks that took me to the 14th. So we were still a week short of the required time. My manager went off a second time.

It was at this point that a friend called me up and asked whether I was free for the weekend. I replied no, and his comment was, “Why, are you working the weekend or something?” What a revelation! I approached my manager and gave him some middle ground. I would work the extra 5 days over the weekend (at the same cost as a weekday) to make the 14 weeks.

Kal Malik ~ Knight Errant

One of the skills that ancient historians attributed to the Vates of the Druid class was the ability to divine the future from a number of unusual sources. One of the sources that doesn’t involve disembowelment and which would therefore be considered to be relatively acceptable to the modern druid is bird augury – acquiring knowledge from the observation of the flight patterns of birds. Some modern druids take this system a little further, reading signs of the future flow of the universeTo join with the flow of the universe is to follow a natural progression in tune with Nature’s own direction of development. Religion has called this concept “following the divine will”, but then has proceeded to make it a law, rather than a useful option for personal and communal progress. from the historical symbolism inherent in the type of bird. A good example of this is a recent OBOD seminar which can be read here.

I have noticed that I am beginning to recognise the interventions of birds, especially when I look to them for direction or advice on how to progress on my path. Whilst reading Jaq D Hawkins‘ book “Spirits of the Air” I came to realise that I could categorise the types of interventions and characterise each, in terms of what it signified or portended for me. Of course, one remembers the times when the event subsequently took place, or the right outcome happened – but then, that’s the trick of birdwatching!

So far I have identified relatively few birds that seem particularly significant to me. The wood pigeon‘s call reminds me of a time when I came across a tramp sleeping in some woods in the grounds of a large stately home. I don’t think I’ll ever forget his look of sad discomfort and the feelings of helplessness and pity on my part. The tramp’s discomfort was a mirror opposite of my own feelings of comfort and security in those woods, or in fact, these days, any woods. For me, then, the wood pigeon’s call signifies COMFORT. It makes me smile when I hear it’s trill. It’s also strangely hypnotic for me. Often I am lulled by the continuous warble, and when I imitate the sound in forests it’s like the forest enjoys the fun of my attempts, and the mood lightens even in the densest depths.

We are almost saturated with media renditions of the common crow. They are prevalent in most sinister contexts, from sound effects to super heroes. For me the crow has come to symbolise KINSHIP. Generally, if a crow makes its presence known when I am scrying for guidance then I know that the thoughts of others are with me, and that I can tap into their wisdom and advice concerning directions in life. They help me make decisions, although the final say is always mine to have. The crow is also significant to Kal. Usually when I see a lone crow land near to me and look at me I know that this is a sign related to Kal.

Song birds as a whole seem to symbolise my family. That’s probably because I haven’t yet trained myself to differentiate their intricate identities. Nevertheless, when I hear their song my thoughts are tuned into my family. The appearance of this type of bird will alert me to imminent family contact.

Finally, there are birds of prey. Seeing one of these is always a special event, but their frequent appearance at moments when I am strongly connected to nature is uncanny. It is far too frequent for me now to think of it as anything less than a handshake, a sure sign, and thus birds of prey signify TRUST. I always feel immensely privileged and trusted when I am granted a meeting with these graceful creatures. Their majesty exudes from them, and they make ideal avatars for nature’s subtle assent. I also feel like I am within their protective circle when they cross my path, and I know they show me that I am on the right path with my actions.

Here’s is a summary of the characteristics I have been able to associate with some birds:-

1. Wood pigeon or Dove – comfort, companionship, direction of flight as indicator of event or place
2. Crow – friendship, group flight direction indicates path of a decision
3. Birds of Prey - magic, druidry, spirit of Merlin, right path, protection, apprenticeship

Gwas.

Watchin da boidies.

In a previous post I had explained how Terence McKenna’s Timewave Zero algorithm, which purports to track the ebb and flow of what he calls “novelty” (or greater inerconnectedness, doing new things, creativity, the breaking of old habits)  had drawn a graph with a huge drop in late 2008 – actually, it was October 7th – the exact day that Gordon Brown publicly pronounced a recession in the UK.

I noticed in today’s blog stats that someone had searched for “february 12,2009,timewave zero” and found this blog. This is the date that the “descent into novelty” as Terence McKenna terms this drop into new territory. Few could doubt that times are quickly changing as we start 2009. So, what does February 12th 2009 signify in the Timewave progress? That is the date when the descent into novelty levels off, and even performs small peaks back into habit beyond that date.

Yet, if the wave is pursued along its historical course into the future the wave shows a definite trend towards the eventual end date of December 22nd 2012. It seems our journey towards the End of History, as McKenna has also claimed that date to be, is somewhat inevitable.

What can we expected from this levelling off on February 12th this year? Some element of recovery from the current plummeting in everyone’s confidence with the financial systems perhaps. Maybe we return briefly to our old ways – we reconstruct our systems to regain confidence in the future. Yet McKenna predicts that such attempts are failing to engender such confidences. February 12th looks like a day to take stock of how we could regain confidence in each other, rather than in the old-guard crumbling institutions that have fed our desire for goods and services to the detriment of our immediate sense of community.

2009 looks like a time to think about how we can all work for each other, instead of working for the very organisations that show no interest in us.

Gwas.

Follow the zig-zag line.