The day before I birthed my son, I had sent off the last few requirements for the OBOD Bardic course to my tutor. And a few days after, I received an email that I was accepted into the Ovate Grade.
I’m really excited about starting these lessons. The Ovates (according to ol’ Julius at any rate) were the diviners and healers of the Druids. Ever since I first heard of OBOD’s courses, Ovate was the one that most aroused my curiosity. While the foundations created by the Bardic Grade affected me in deeply personal and profound ways, I have to admit that when I started the course, I would have happily skipped over it all just to get a crack at the Ovate teachings.
I also can’t help but draw a connection between giving birth (literally) and finally being mature enough to begin the deeper mysteries of the Order. If I am brutally honest with myself, the work of the Bard took so long because I started too young. I really didn’t have enough life experience yet to be able to immerse myself in the teachings. I hadn’t fallen in love, hadn’t experienced passion, hadn’t taken the risks necessary for growth and seasoning. Now, all of these things happened in due time, but I think if they had all taken place in a single year instead of four, I really would have been questioning my sanity!
So now, having birthed a child, and been reborn myself as a Bard, I’m waiting at the Gates of the Ovate Grove. I can’t wait to see what new challenges will greet me here, and what new friends and allies I’ll make along the way.
—A.V.
The Druid's Well 