Good evening and bright blessings to all. This space will be updated periodically with information on upcoming events, resources, and calls to action. Keep an eye on it.

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#druidry #obod #pagan #peace #strength #knowledge #justice

So thankful for spaces that remind me the world is not entirely filled with hatred and vitriol. Today I sunk into my studies with #OBOD and felt such renewal.

#Imbolc is coming, and I am ready for the fresh start she brings.

https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/imbolc

For my OBOD Bardic studies, I've got to work with the four classical elements (fire, earth, water, air), and tbh I'm not a huge fan of this system of elements. So, to make it cooler and more relevant to me, I've picked four lovely invertebrates to represent the elements in my practice, instead of the animals that OBOD uses (bear, hawk, stag, salmon).

Earth is represented by a Tansy Beetle, and I've assigned this element to the North, because tansy beetles are mainly found along the banks of the River Ouse in York, which is northwards from me. I think beetles make a good choice for Earth generally, since they are often found in or on soil.

Water is represented by the Migrant Hawker dragonfly, and that's in the East for me because my nearest coast is to the east. The blue markings make me think of water, and of course dragonflies spend a large part of their life in and around water.

Fire is represented by the Stag Beetle, which is in the South because stag beetles are only found much further south than where I live in Yorkshire (so I've never seen one in person 😢). The associated between the stag beetle and fire is a bit tenuous, I've mainly chosen this beetle to riff on the traditional stag.

Air is represented by the Leopard Slug, who is in the West kind of by default because that was the last direction left. I've picked this particular slug for Air because they have a marvellous way of mating that involves dangling from a rope of slime in mid-air!

I did a drawing of my four elemental animals, and I think I having these cute minibeasts associated with the elements is making me feel happier about working with this system. I still prefer the land/sea/sky system overall, but I'm fine with invoking the Tansy Beetle of the North when I need some earthy stability 🐞

#insects #slugs #druidry #obod