Leadership. Priesthood. Yeah, I am back on to these two points again. I keep getting pushed into the concept of being a Priest. I have essentially come to some manner of understanding what that will require of me. I have started stumbling along that Path, trying to figure out where I need to be taken with it. Eventually I’ll figure it out…or it will figure me out. One or the other. But everything circles back to the perspective of leadership – a cloak I care not to wear.

I have never considered myself to be any type of leader. Sure, I can talk with folks and help them see their own Paths through Life. I’m more of a counselor in that regard…not really a leader. Yeah, people can see how I manage my own way through Life — navigating the waters of one seriously munged up mundane life, dealing with my own Trickster Gods, and continuily working my way through the Gwers work I have within the Druid order (OBOD) that I am a part of. Does that make me a leader? I doubt it.

Certainly, I have written no books. I have some aspirations in that direction, but Life needs to calm down a bit more first. I certainly do not lead my own Grove, nor do I have any inclination to do anything of the sort. Most of my Spiritual Life has been done on my own, and I am fairly content with that. I do not give talks anywhere…though I am not adverse to this. I have just never been asked, nor would I have any idea how to go about doing so. Besides, would I have enough to say that others would find useful or informative? if you could see me right now, I would be shrugging my shoulders over-exaggeratedly with a questioning look on my face. Plus, I’d dig even further and ask if any of this REALLY makes someone a leader?

Nimue Brown posted an excellent blog post today (14 February 2020) on just the perspective of leadership within Druidry. Its a short blurb of thought, which I believe is an excellent starting point for someone wanting to look into the aspects of what makes up the idea of leadership within Druidry. In particular….

Druidry as it exists today has grown out of that revival period stuff, and become something a lot more anarchic. There’s a much more democratic sharing of ideas, much more room for more people to be heard…

I believe that this is an excellent example of the way Druidry works for me. There is no need for me to be a leader of anything. Nor do I need to find leadership from anyone else to be a Druid. Leadership is a cloak worn by those provided that relative position by others. For instance, within OBOD, Philip Carr-Gomm, the current Chosen Chief will be passing that cloak of leadership to Eimear Burke in an installation ceremony in June of this year (2020). As a member of the Order, I see both of these folks as leaders of the Order. If I did not, I would have left the Order a long while back. They do not dictate how Druidry is for me, rather they communicate how Druidry works for them. From that communication, (verbal, visual, what-have-you), I can distill parts of that which works for me, and set aside that which does not. In my opinion, leadership is not about dictating how things are to be done. Rather it is about opening others’ perspectives about how to proceed – even when those approaches are distinctly different from your own.

Quite a few people see me as a leader of some type. That I have the charisma (ha!) and approach to bring a group of people together. The reality is that anyone can do this sort of stuff. You just have to have the internal drive to get there. You have to have that burning vision to approach what you are trying to accomplish, coupled with that unflinching nature to get to that point – no matter what. The dream of what you want harnessed to the drive and energy to get there.

I am not necessarily that guy. Really. I’m not. I have quoted Edgar Friendly from the movie “The Demolition Man” before. I’m no leader. I do what I have to. Sometimes people come along. To a large degree that is true. I am not looking or wanting to have people following everything I saw or hanging on every word I say or write. I am not built that way. Leadership to me is about doing – not saying. The people that I look to for leadership? Those are the ones you will find me looking to. And rolling up my sleeves to work right down there beside them – provided I can see and relate to their dream or vision.

Is that me? Well, I can hardly give you an answer to that. I honestly have no idea. Nor do I need anyone to convey to me that it is or is not true. But I do know this – we had better be careful about those who we entrust the perspective of leadership in. Because we are saying that we are buying into the dream and/or vision that they are expressing. We are sharing those dreams and visions with them. Is our input being allowed? Are our voices being heard? Or are we crying out with the crowd because we like the howls of the wolves and coyotes around us? Its your energy. Its your perspective. Be sure that your voice is being distinctively heard, not buried in the chorus. Just my two quid on that.