It all comes in threes – or at least that’s what I have heard throughout my life. There’s the urban myth that famous people die in threes. There’s three outs to an inning in baseball. Three strikes will get you out. A baseball game is nine innings or if you prefer three groups of three. There’s the three-point in basketball. My parents warned me not to do something by counting to three. A stop-light has three colors – red, yellow, green. And then there’s Druidry…

There’s the Awen with the the three rays. There’s the three dots which represent the three drops of the potion brewed by Ceridwen in the Welsh legend of Gwion Bach. There are the triads that we are all so fond of – little sayings that provide guidance and inspiration for the reader. And there’s the ever-present aspect of Past, Present and Future – the three phases of time, a truly man-made concept that we have ingrained into us through our lives. We also have the three measures of the daytime – morning, noon, and sunset.

Let’s just face it – the three is around us everywhere. And I find it in the strangest of places too. Recently, I was asked by a friend what Pagan authors I would recommend from my bookshelves. It didn’t take me long to name the ones that have had the biggest influence on me – and yes, its a group of three. Cat Treadwell, Nimue Brown, and Johanna van der Hoeven. Each one, in her own way, has influenced me greatly to the point I am now at – where I am taking time to turn my own concepts of Druidry and Paganism over within my hands – examining every crack, crevice – feel every surface that is smooth, rough, finished and unfinished – tugging at each connecting strand to see where it leads to, and embracing not only the result, but its necessary function within my life.

Each of them, through their works and their their public posts on their respective blogs, has shed a little more light into the darkened corners of my own Spirituality. And this has allowed me to turn over some points I had not considered previously. I have been reluctant to take up the mantle of “Priest” previously – and still find some uncomfortable aspects to this as I move forward. But moving forward isn’t about being comfortable. Sometimes, the lessons on this Path are not as easy as flipping a rock over and examining what you find. Sometimes, you have to take apart parts of who you are, so you can examine the internal workings of yourself. There’s always the constant niggling at the back of your mind that you will never get this all back together in a way that it worked before. Always a worry there….

I have been on this Pagan Path for close to thirty years (28 to be more precise) – and in that time, I have learned a lot about Paganism, and a lot more about myself. Its only been recently that I have started to realize that my learning will continue far beyond any course I take, beyond any title I earn through studies with a group or organization. At nearly thirty years, I know that I can be considered by some to be an “Elder” on the Path….another descriptive title I am a bit disinclined to handle or adopt. And in seeing my reluctance there, I know there’s another lesson I will need to learn – much like I did in my avoidance of remembering I am a Priest. But I do know that there are those that look to me as an “Elder” on the Path – merely because of the time that I have embraced my Path. The truth be told, I am learning just as much as anyone else will – novice or expert, beginning student or advanced teacher – we are all lifelong students on our own Paths. Because I still view myself as a student, even now, I would suppose that is why I am reluctant to embrace the idea of being an “Elder”. Perhaps…

There are many other Pagan authors I have learned many points and perspectives from – even Pagan musicians with their blog postings….essentially, there’s something to be learned from any corner. And oddly enough, if I look a little bit more than just the surface, I discover that somewhere – embedded deep down into the lesson – there’s an aspect of three. In some form…