Pictish Orthodox Druidism: Reconstructing the Traditions, Priesthood and Mysteries of the Elusive Painted People - Paperback

by Ray Hess (Author)

Religious reconstructionism, the rebuilding of ancient traditions based on fragmented data and adaptation of these traditions for practical use in today's world while still retaining historical and cultural integrity, is a tall order on any day. When talking about the Picts, a tribal people from the British Isles, separate from the more familiar Celts and about whom we have only a spare few foreign accounts and some mysterious monuments dotted about the isles, it seems impossible and most have given up right out of the gate. Ray Hess is a polymath, capable of seeing patterns and making connection between seemingly disparate subjects to come to logical conclusions in an unconventional way. In this work, he pushed those skills to capacity. The premise is simple, if we consider the "book of invasions" as a mythologized version of history, it becomes clear that the Mythical DeDanann may be based on the Picts, and there we get some data to work with. Moving forward in time, we see the warring times where the Picts, nearly decimated, are united with the Saxons, and there we get a little more to work with. Finally, to fill in the blanks, he looks to other cultures with similar background and considers parallels in their respective development, comparing, contrasting and drawing out all he can.This work represent years of painstaking research and endless hours of work. The result is a unique and deeply engaging spiritual system which permeates all aspects of life while remaining practical and down to earth. There are modes of practice to fit all walks of life, from ancestor reverence, to animistic nature worship, to magical mastery of runes and draiocht (a unique, organic approach to magic), to the aspirations to priesthood and teaching of one's own revealed knowledge within a "grove" a congregation somewhere between a church, a philosophers' symposium and a Hindu ashram! If you ever wanted to know more about who the Picts really were, if you feel drawn to both Celtic and Nordic spirituality, but feel something lacking in mere "eclecticism" or if you are merely curious about how a long lost culture can be resurrected after centuries of being relegated to the world of fantasy, this book is sure to be a revelation.

Author Biography

I was born and raised in the south, going back and forth between Memphis and the backwoods of Hornsby and Obion Tennessee. My family line is descended from American Maroons, isolated groups of escaped slaves who scratched out their living in the harshest wilderness, eventually blending with the Natives and, in time, other oppressed peoples such as the Romani (perjoratively known as "gypsy") and finally the Irish. I grew up learning folklore, wilderness skills, how to read omens and other types of folk magic which were presented to me is just fundamental knowledge I assumed every adult would have, I still have no certain name for my spiritual practice/tradition. In a way, I owe my extensive and varied knowledge to that ambiguity, for it inspired me to never stop searching. I went on to study Old World (traditional) witchcraft, ATRs (African Traditional Religions) Asatru, Druidism and modern Wicca along with the major world religions and finding the common threads in hopes of building bridges between diverse faiths. This lead to my getting ordained as a Unitarian minister. I also studied philosophy, psychology, parapsychology, cultural anthropology and quantum theory to give my spiritual teachings a rational background. In addition to spiritual services and lectures I also offer lessons and workshops on natural living, wilderness survival and foraging. Having fully depended on my own skills in natural medicine since 1995, I now offer many of my own medicinal formulas to the public and do what I can as an herbalist and folk healer.