Hunting the Wren

Today in my Gwers, I was told of the story of how the Wren was considered the king of birds and the Welsh and Irish words for Wren were synonymous with Druid.

Long long ago, the Bird tribe called it's people together so that they may choose a king. It was decided that the king should be the bird which can fly the highest. The mighty Eagle was the favorite. The birds took flight and soon the Eagle sored high above all the rest. Just as he was about to declare his victory a Wren spring up from between the Eagles wings, who had been hiding there all along, and flying above even the eagle he peeped at the top of his voice that he had flown the highest and was the king of the bird tribe. Thus the Wren became the king, not out of physical might, but out of cunning. The fact that druids were thus associated with this bird and thus this story indicates to me that the druids and Celts of old respected cunning and intelligence over brute strength.

Sadly with the coming of Christianity in its zeal to destroy all things pagan it started the tradition of a ceremonial hunt of the Wren. It would be killed and paraded all around the town and berried. Of course it's not hard to see that this was one way of the Christian's persecuting druids and all they represented.

The lesson then went on to having me meditate on what it was that I seek, what it was that I hunt. So with that in mind, I gave incense offerings to the holy kindred, and my CoP and three cauldrons exercise, as I do each day. Then I sat and I came to see that currently I am hunting to feel accepted and loved. This seemed silly to me as I know well that I am surrounded by people who love and care about me. So why the need to seek it? It was because I had closed myself off to it. Not just the love of those around me, but to the love of the holy kindred. This realization alone was enough to allow me to open myself up to the love and I could feel it flooding back into me.

Then I thought of how I was hunting for better financial stability by going back to school and becoming a nurse. I thought of how I was hunting for wisdom. How I was hunting for spiritual power, how I was hunting for inner peace. I realized these were the three rays of light, the tribann. Thus I was hunting for Awen. I was hunting to be a druid....I was hunting the Wren.

Gwynt-Siarad