The Founding Vision of the Fellowship advocates for "three commitments" as being central to the identity of the church and the practice of its members: a commitment to study, a commitment to piety, and a commitment to hospitality. Before a member proceeds with further spiritual development in the way of Neo-Druid paganism, it is important to contemplate these concepts and come to terms with how these three commitments can be honored.
Moral precepts in ancient Celtic society were often expressed in the form of "triads," three part aphorisms that purported to express a truth of the social or physical world. The Three Commitments of the Fellowship can be seen as a modern triad; they are not drawn from an ancient precedent, but, rather, represent the use of an ancient Celtic pattern of expression to communicate a set of ideals embraced by a modern community. This is, in a sense, one example of the way in which the Fellowship's practices and philosophies evolve: The distilling of ancient customs and ideologies into forms that are useful in a contemporary setting.
These three commitments reach beyond the surface level of the words that describe them to link with the past, present and future and with the allies, seen and unseen, with which members and communities of members work.
The Commitment to Study is described as being a commitment to "the past and the path that has shaped us." This means that this is not simply a commitment to academic achievement--though that is a central part of the work. More generally, "study" in this context implies "acquisition of lore" or, more broadly, of "custom." The associations of this first commitment are to:
--The Ancestors (be they of blood or spirit, literal forebears or role models)
--The Past, conceived of as shaping the present and therefore fully alive in what the present has become
--The work of the Bard, who carries sacred words from generation to generation and holds the vital task of keeping alive the honor of the ancients
--The Well of Wisdom and therefore the world below (which can include the tombs of the Dead as well as the deep womb-dark waters of the mother goddess, she who was often seen as the life-giving river among the ancients)
The Commitment to Piety is a commitment to "honor the Gods and the spirits who guide us." As a word in the English language, "piety" implies the quality of having or showing reverence. The essentially tolerant attitude the Fellowship attempts to promote allows the objects of one's reverence to ultimately be a matter for their own spiritual work to uncover and embrace. This commitment extols the value of developing a heightened regard for the Other in the cosmos, apart from the Human. For polytheists, much of what can be described as "pious" work includes prayer, contemplation or meditation, and sacrificial offerings (however simple, such as the composition and recitation of a poem of praise or the lighting of incense or the pouring of a libation). This second commitment has associations to:
--The Deities (being those non-human powers--of whatever form, literal or metaphoric--who have proven themselves valuable as sources of inspiration in the life of the member)
--The Future, in the sense that the myths which reveal the exploits of the gods and goddesses form a reflection of the ways in which human life may unfold (and, as well, for those who employ divination, a means of concretely tapping into the current of things)
--The work of the Seer, who is not a "fortune teller," but rather the speaker of wisdom (for the words "wisdom" and "vision" are deeply connected), whose sacred creativity is an attempt to bring to human awareness glimpses of the Great Way of Things.
--The pure and holy fire-light of the Shining Ones and therefore with the world above, the source of the "fire in the head" and the so-called rays of Awen.
The Commitment to Hospitality is described as being a commitment to "honor the community and the Land it shares." This is a complex undertaking and is as much a lifetime effort as the first two commitments. Hospitality is obviously practical: Herein is reflected thousands of years of shelter and sustenance for the guest and the ancient Indo-European word-magic in which "guest" and "host" derive from the very same word bespeaking a relationship of mutual regard and obligation. However, this also takes us into other challenges: to be part of a well-ordered community which balances personal dignity with respect for others; to offer cheer not merely to other people, but also to the mighty Powers we invite to share our lives; and to join as partners with the Land itself--embodied by Sovereignty--and all the other beings that dwell within. On its highest level, the commitment to hospitality is a commitment to living in interconnection with all who live in the cosmos with us. Its associations are to:
--The Land and its beings, seen and unseen, with the prosperity of all being highly tied to the joining of Sovereignty with the People in a bond of mutual defense and sacred union
--The Present, as a dynamic moment always on the knife-edge between order and chaos, potential and manifestation
--The work of the Druid, who stands in service to the People and is willing and able to step forward to offer cheer to the Powers at the ritual fire and make offerings of alliance between the folk and the Land
--The stone of Kingship, that which is the centerpoint and holder of the manifold qualities of the middle world and which supports Truth in leaders above all else--that which may be an altar to receive offerings and which rests in the earth while thrusting to the sky, seen in its most exalted form in the sacred hilltop, as the union of three worlds, above, below, and between
In beginning the work of building and deepening a path of Neo-Druid paganism, the simplest gesture is merely to light a flame on a daily basis and--inviting whatever of the Powers, known or unknown, one will to find warmth, light, and protection there--renew the Three Commitments. One may wish to light incense or share in a toast--offering the first libation to the Powers present--but even just the offering of time, praise, and the fuel for the flame (even if only a humble candle) is sufficient for the purpose.
Before the flame and holding whatever consciousness of the gods, ancestors, or spirits present one is able to maintain, this is a time to make concrete oaths to take steps--even the most simple steps--to fulfill the commitments during that day. Study? Promise to finish reading a chapter of a history book or to learn a bardic poem. Piety? Perhaps there is a god or goddess you wish to understand better and can promise to make an offering to before retiring for the day. Hospitality? It could be that you promise to put in time for a volunteer organization...or at least send them a donation to support their work.
However, the renewal of the commitments is really what is most important on these occasions. Even if you are unprepared to make concrete promises for the day--and it is always better not to undertake oaths you can't fulfill--just offering the warmth of your small hearth-flame to one or more of the Deities or Ancestors (or simply to any who might hear your words) and asking for support in following these commitments is a fine act in itself.
For myself on such occasions, I merely light a candle with the following prayer, which is a daily litany for me:
I kindle this flame
For the hearth
For the home
For the whole of the People
One flame for light
One flame for warmth
One flame to encircle us all
Earth under heaven
Heaven down to earth
This day and every day
May it be so
May I pray with a good fire
As the Ancestors have done in times before
I honor the Gods in the old ways
That my heart and my hearth may give cheer
By the light
By the warmth
By the protection of this my fire
May I be strengthened in the way of study
May I be strengthened in the way of piety
May I be strengthened in the way of hospitality
This my will
These my words
So my work
May it be so
Todd Covert - August 2006