"on Tuesday they dressed in their finery,
On Wednesday their common desire was better,
On Thursday envoys were chosen,
On Friday carnage was assessed,
On Saturday action was forthright,
On Sunday blood blades were distributed,
On Monday they were thigh-deep in blood."
___ Aneirin, "Y Gododdin" (trans CM)
The battle of Catreath in A.D. 600, fought between the northern Britons and the Angles, is commemorated in this epic Welsh poem. The resolution of conflict is never simple. We may long and pray for peace to come, but it cannot be build upon shaky foundations of wished-for-pacification. We cannot tiptoe around areas of conflict forever. If we truly want to seek peaceful solutions, we have to be actively prepared to deal with conflict. Principles of arbitration and conflict resolution are traditionally part of the druid path: when conflicts, arguments and differences arose in ancient times, a druid was consulted as an arbitrator.
"Meditate upon some area of your life where you are in conflict with another person. Visualize your opponent as an innocent child, an uncertain teenager, a mature adult, a wise elder. Cease to demonize your opponent. Consider how your conflict warps the world's web, the great net of life and consciousness that binds us all together. With your own issue of conflict in mind, repeat this prayer for peace, written by druid Cairisfiona Worthington:
Deep within the still center of my being may I find peace.
Silently within the quiet of the Grove may we share peace.
Gently within the greater circle of humankind may we radiate peace.
Take a period of silence to allow solutions to arise."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Mattews]
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