The Bardic Way Part 2: Making It Real…The Bardic Way

Drums beating in the night, calling and responding with exotic and intricate rhythmic phrases…a rowdy group of combat veterans at the table in the corner of the club, drinking and laughing, helping each other remember the worst moments of their lives…robed and hooded figures circling around the fire, chanting and dancing, invoking unfathomable cosmic energies…a mother softly singing to the newborn in her arms in a private language that she makes up in the moment, but that the child has known since before the cord was cut…

These are some of the endlessly diverse ways in which people engage in the same single practice of telling our stories. And stories as we know are the raw materials from which we create, or confound, our shared reality from one brief moment to the next.

In the first part of this series on The Bardic Way, we followed the cultural and historical pathways of the storytellers in many civilizations and historical periods that have shaped traditions, held memories, instilled beliefs, and imagined futures for their societies. And through that common lens of storytelling we identified them all, and by extension ourselves, as true Bards, together dismantling and recreating our worlds with every breath.

In this seminar, we’ll look at many of the Bardic practices that we employ in our circles and rituals and magickal workings, and we’ll examine the idea that, by actively and consciously including these practices in our daily living and personal relationships, we can craft a society that rises above the fractured narratives of our times and tells instead a story of simplicity, empathy, and diversity…of a community traveling together on the path of the Bardic Way. 

Braeden C (he, him) has been a practicing Wiccan for 30 years, a Pagan in spirit for twice that, and is a lifelong hand drummer and singer of the stories. He is an initiate in the West Coast Eclectic tradition through the Circle of the Winter Moon and has led numerous ritual circles in the Four Corners community. Braeden also served on the Ardantane board of directors in the early days, and recalls tramping around the local deserts and mountainsides with the founders, looking for a home for this special institution! Braeden has since taken a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and traded the beautiful New Mexico desert for the rugged coastline and redwood forests of northern California, where he practices family mediation in the state Superior Court for Humboldt County.

This class is free to supporting members of Ardantane. Others must register  below. Be sure to add the number of tickets you want before clicking the Blue GET TICKETS button. The fee is $10.

Registration closes at 5PM Mountain Time on Thursday, July 17th.