First Sprouts

The Taoist Druid is about the passions in my life, Taoism and its expression in Tai Chi Chuan, and Druidism, as an expression of Celtic culture.

Originally I began to study Tai Chi Chuan as a way to improve my massage skills. Over time though, I discovered that what I had learned in massage school actually informed much of my Tai Chi training. That sense of touch, to be able to "feel" my opponent, I discovered I had developed over the years of massaging hundreds of people; it was a skill in short supply among my fellow students. Over time, as i incorporated the natural breathing and relaxation Tai Chi is famous for, I felt this "other", as something I was pushing against, as something I was in, and something I could let flow through me. Again, what I had learned in massage school, was developed and refined in Tai Chi.

In massage school, during one of our exercises, I spontaneously had a "vision" of being a druid in a past life. Now, to be sure, I wasn't sure what being a druid was, or is. Nature priest was the closest I could come up with. After digging around, I discovered the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. I hesitated for many years to become a member and enroll in their course. Now, I have finally taken the plunge. I hope to chronicle my journey with this blog, along with some of my thoughts about Tai Chi, Taoism, and Druidry, both ancient and modern.

So onwards, as a newly minted druid who explores the Tao from his Sacred Grove!