u/Jiktten

I've been agnostic since I was old enough to understand what that was, probably 25 years now, always fascinated by all kinds of mythology in theory and for the stories but without ever feeling any kind of personal connection. At times I have been envious of people who do and tried to have a feel around to see if anything clicked but nothing ever did and when I discovered Druidry earlier this year I felt and still feel great peace and relief at finally at the age of 40 having found what feels like my true spiritual home.

I have been following the OBOD course and doing some wider reading in the course of which I have discovered Ceridwen, whose story resonates with me in a way that no other myth ever has. It's Ceridwen as mature woman, as artist who tries to create something, fails, is angry at her failure and acts poorly, only to recognise that even in her failure she has accidentally created something which deserves to exist and sends it out into the world to do what it will. I also feel a strong connection to the Moon in that any time I see it I feel great emotion and just want to stare and stare at it, but I never know what to do beyond that.

Intuition tells me there is something for me to explore here, but I don't know how. The idea of worship in itself doesn't sit right with me and even if it did in theory, it doesn't feel like it would fit in this context? I don't want to ask her for anything, just kind of acknowledge a connection somehow? But then I also know that due to various factors I am instinctively prone to assuming people in authority aren't interested in or likely to care about me or want to help me so I resent having to ask them for anything, which is likely the root of my aversion to worship, so maybe I ought to work on that instead? Or something else? Any thoughts gratefully received!

Tomorrow there will be a near total solar eclipse in my corner of the world. I'm still very new to Druidism and don't know anything about anything as of yet, so hoping to get a nudge in the right direction by more experienced folk!

I'm planning a significant birthday so looking for something nice, ideally more focussed on really good quality local produce than fancy cooking methods. If it could have a nice setting with some pretty grounds that would be a plus! I was looking at the Hambleton Vineyard restaurant but it's a bit far. Many thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I've been circling sort of general Celtic paganism for a while now but could never quite get deity worship to click. Recently I've discovered modern Druidry and from what I know so far it resonates much more deeply with me, particularly the direct connection with nature and the freedom of practice. As a complete stranger to any kind of spiritual practice I still feel a need for some kind of guide/starting point, though, so today I have taken the plunge and joined the OBOD after reading good things on here. Somehow I feel the need for some kind of dedicated practice space to help me focus, at least initially, and the obvious place seems to be the corner of our garden where a couple of big trees combine with the corner of the wooden fence to form a small shaded and secluded space. If I wanted to sit in here to do my reading, lessons and meditation, would I need to add anything? Better to sit on the bare earth I would think, or should I get a mat? Maybe a focal point of some kind? Many thanks in advance!

This is probably some algorithm BS but now when I try to search a sub for a specific term I get all kinds of random results which don't actually include the term I searched for, even though I know it appears regularly in the sub. Is there any way to turn off whatever is going on and just make it return the results I actually asked for?

I'm about to turn 40, I'm married, I've never been assaulted so far as I know, and I still feel so confused about my sexuality. I vacillate between thinking I'm straight but mostly asexual (my few crushes and Noticing of bodies have been with men), to wondering if I'm actually a repressed lesbian, but then when I mentally explore that route it doesn't really appeal either, to thinking that all that is just a way my brain is trying to protect me from getting hurt. I can admire my husband's looks and enjoy intimacy with him emotionally (he knows this) but I think I've ever felt bodily sexual arousal, towards him or anyone else outside of my own head (and when I imagine things I am never in the fantasy). I've never felt a spark from anyone's touch. And yet I doubt if I'm truly asexual because I feel the lack and grieve it. And yet I have no idea what's wrong or what would help or if anything can even be done. I don't know whether to keep niggling at it in the hope of some kind of insight or whether to try to make peace with this just being how I am.

Any thoughts or sharing of experience would be very welcome!

Non-smoker, non-drinker, moderately actively lifestyle, moderately healthy diet. No family history of illness or bad periods so far as I know. I'm not on any hormonal or permanent contraceptives and never have been.

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Since I started them my periods have been pretty text book, more or less regular every four weeks, two days of heavy but not excessive flow followed by three days of petering out, some tiredness, cramps and emotional sensitivity but nothing that can't be easily managed.

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For the past couple of years, though, every other period has been increasingly worse, not so much with cramping but full body aches, sometimes nausea, exhaustion, horrible brain fog and deeply depressive moods, like emotionally I feel like someone has actually died or something. It has now got to the point where I am essentially completely non-functional for several days every eight weeks. It honestly feels more like the flu than anything else. Fortunately I work for myself so I can schedule around it but even so, it is extremely annoying. The periods in between are straightforward as they used to be. Is this a normal part of aging or should I be seeing someone about it?

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Of the Great and Blue varieties. Historically we've had robins, blackbirds, pigeons, magpies and the occasional jay and woodpecker, but hardly any tits. This year though they are everywhere! Is it a good year for them or something?

I'm experiencing an upset stomach at the moment and my body wants to tremor intensely. I can stop it but it feels really bad and when I allow it I feel less sick. This is definitely tremoring, not shivering, moving up and down through different sections of the body and including the hip and shoulder twists and arches that often appear in my sessions. It might be worth noting that I have CPTSD and have been slooooowly thawing with TRE but still a long way to go, and I have considerable 'issues' around stomach-based illnesses, to the point where I would probably be considered mildly emetophobic.

Any thoughts on what might be going on here would be much appreciated!

Seriously I can't believe how much water I need to drink when I'm going through a period of heavy processing, multiple glasses before breakfast even. It's not a magic cure and the work still needs to be done but drinking enough makes a huge difference in the level of brain fog, lethargy and headaches I experience.