The Witch's and Druids Den

Welcome, fellow seeker — to a path not paved in stone, but whispered in wind and stirred in soul. I write not from a pulpit, but from a grove within, where the wind of Awen stirs leaves of knowing and unknowing alike. This is not a manual. It is a lantern I offer you, lit by my own Awen. Here you will find a reflection — not of doctrine, but of devotion. This is the heartwork of one called to serve as a Priest of Awen. One who listens, who stands between, who clears paths without claiming them. My service is to the sacred within you, not above you. To inspiration, not instruction. To mystery, not mastery.
This is my Awen. May it meet yours in resonance and in kindness.

The Breath That Moves All Things

Awen is the breath before the word, the hush before the song, the stirring in the soul that says, “There is more.” It is the divine spark that dances between what is and what could be, the inspiration that shapes silence into meaning and movement into purpose. To serve Awen is not merely to speak of beauty or wisdom—it is to become a vessel through which they flow. A Priest of Awen is not a master of doctrine, nor the keeper of a single truth. Rather, they are the keeper of a sacred fire, the one who listens deeply to the unseen and the unheard, and offers it gently into the world. They stand not on pedestals, but at crossroads. They do not lead through force, but through presence. Their calling is not to bind others to their path, but to reveal the light that shines on many paths. To be a Priest of Awen is to live a life of attunement—to inspiration, to virtue, to the holy rhythm that pulses beneath the surface of all things.

Before I move on let me simply guide those of you new to a breakdown of the word AWEN..

Awen finds its roots in the Indo-European root -uel- (or wel-) meaning “to blow.” This same root gives rise to the Welsh word awel, meaning “breeze,” and the Cornish awel, meaning “wind” or “gale.” Some reconstructions suggest that awen may also be derived from the Proto-Celtic ad-ue-nā, meaning “to breathe,” “to inspire,” or “to blow upon,” implying a divine or spirited breath. There may also be a connection to the Indo-European root we- or -wen, which signifies desire, striving, or wind.
From its very beginnings, awen has been associated with motion—not just any motion, but the kind that stirs, moves, and awakens. Awen is the breath of life, the movement of spirit that animates and enlivens. It may be understood as the sacred breath or wind that carries inspiration into the soul.

In old welsh and early bardic tradition, Awen referred to poetic inspiration, the divine madness or ecstatic fire that descended upon the poet, prophet, or seer. It was not a thing one owned, but a current one entered. Awen flowed like a river, burned like a flame, and whispered like wind. In later Druidic revival texts, Awen is described as a triple ray of light, flowing into the soul from the divine source — illuminating mind, heart, and spirit. The image of three rays (/|\) (Williams, 1862) has become a modern symbol of Awen inspiration descending into the world from the unmanifest.

Awen carries with it the breath of inspiration, the fire of passion, the movement of energy, and the sacred impulse toward expression, connection, and becoming.

To speak of Awen is to speak of:

• Breath: that which animates
• Wind: that which moves unseen
• Fire: that which transforms
• Water: that which flows
• Earth: that which grounds and sustains
• Song: that which carries meaning across time

To follow your Awen is to live attuned to this current — to flow, to burn, to move, to become. It is more than a moment of artistic insight or poetic brilliance. It is a presence—a sacred flow that moves through the world, threading life together in subtle, powerful ways. It is the breath of the universe inhaling and exhaling in rhythms beyond measure. It moves between the bright order of clarity and the fertile chaos of mystery. Awen is the current that runs through both, not favoring one over the other, but drawing from both to create wholeness. To feel Awen is to sense the living pulse in all things—to stand in a forest and feel the hush of communion, or to sit in silence and hear the world speak without words. Awen does not belong to any one tradition, voice, or form. It belongs to the sacred itself, and the Priest of Awen is one who learns to live in service to it.

The Rule of Awen

I am a priest in the Gnostic Celtic Church (GCC)—an independent sacramental church rooted in nature spirituality, serving as the religious expression of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). As the spiritual heart of AODA, the GCC oversees the education and ordination of Druid clergy, offering a path shaped by inner transformation, devotion, and sacred service.

Walking this path has led me to ask hard and necessary questions:
What am I a priest of?
What is the focus of my studies and service?
How can I help others through my vocation?

These questions have brought me full circle. As a devotee of the Horned One—whether you call Him Cernunnos, Herne, Carnonos, or by another name—I’ve come to understand that I am a Priest of Awen. My calling is not to teach, not to lead, but to guide—to walk beside others as they seek their own sacred breath, their own Awen. I strive to help others connect with that inner fire, to inspire, and to tend the Sacred Flame that burns quietly at the heart of all things.

I am a wanderer in the forest of the cosmos, catching glimpses of Awen in all its forms. This vision ties closely to my Galatis path—my Gaulish spiritual practice. To be a Galatis is to carry Galâ: the inner flame, the ardor, the resolve. It is not merely a spark of belief, but a blazing commitment:

• To live with virtue,
• To walk in devotion,
• To stand in presence.

Your anation—your breath-soul—feeds that flame in its pursuit of uissus (wisdom).
Your deeds shape its light. Your rituals keep it alive. Your lanolabā (right speech) directs its heat—toward truth, clarity, and harmony.

At the center of this path in the GCC lies a vow—not a commandment, but a living Rule.
Find and follow your own Awen. This vow is the compass of the Priest of Awen, calling us continually back to authenticity, humility, and reverence. It demands listening more than speaking, presence more than performance.

To this, I have added my own three precepts:

Follow your Awen – Stay true to the divine breath within you, even when it leads you into wilderness, into silence, into unknown lands.

Protect the space where Awen may speak – In your words, your actions, your presence—become a sanctuary where the divine can unfold without fear or force.

Honor the Awen of others – Recognize that each person carries a unique thread of sacred inspiration; it is not yours to judge or reshape.

So, Seekers—You Ask, “What Is a Priest of Awen?”

I can only give you an interpretation, for there is no the interpretation.
A Priest of Awen is one who follows the Rule of Awen—the sacred breath of inspiration. More than a title, it is a calling to become a living channel for this divine current: a spiritual guide who embodies and nurtures the creative life-force that flows through all things.
A Priest of Awen walks the path of inspiration, bearing the sacred flame that transforms and sustains. They carry the inner fire—the transformative spark of Awen—and keep it alive through prayer, meditation, and acts of creation. This flame guides seekers and communities toward spiritual awakening and self-realization.
Through ideas, storytelling, poetry, song, and ritual, they awaken the muse in others, encouraging all to find and follow their unique spiritual path.
A Priest of Awen is a conduit of life’s creative pulse—a guardian of the divine breath that animates all things. Through balance, inspiration, and service, they carry the eternal flame of Awen forward, illuminating the path for themselves and for others.

A Priest of Awen guides not by command, but by the wind —
carrying the sacred breath that stirs hearts,
lighting the inner flame,
and leading seekers to the wellspring of their own inspiration.

Awen: The Breath of Life

Awen is the sacred breath—the invisible wind that stirs the soul and awakens the heart. Born from the ancient breath of the cosmos, it flows like a gentle breeze or a roaring gale, unseen yet felt in every living thing. It is the divine whisper that kindles the fire, the wind that carries the song. More than mere inspiration, awen is the life force itself—the sacred breath that animates creation, weaving spirit and matter into one.

In every whispered word and every stirring thought, awen flows—the eternal breath moving through all things, binding earth and sky, flesh and spirit. To know awen is to know the living pulse of the cosmos—the breath of the divine, the song of life.

More than a word, awen is a sacred spirit flowing from the roots of ancient tongues. It reaches beyond the physical wind—the invisible force that fills our lungs, the muse that awakens the soul and sets the mind aflame with inspiration. Like breath animating the body, awen is the movement of spirit itself. It flows unseen but felt, a sacred current of life and creativity. To receive awen is to be touched by the divine wind, to have the breath of the gods stir one’s being and awaken the depths within.

Awen is not far—it flows through all things. To find it, still your mind, open your heart, and reach out and touch it.
Root

Linguistic Notes

Awen derives from the Proto-Indo-European root h₂weh₁- meaning “to blow” or “to breathe” (Watkins, 2011). In Proto-Celtic, this root produced two closely related feminine nouns: awelā, meaning “breeze, wind,” and awenā, meaning “muse” or “inspiration” (Matasović, 2009, pp. 46–47). These terms appear adjacent in the Proto-Celtic lexicon, highlighting the semantic link between the physical breeze and the metaphysical notion of inspiration.

From awelā come the Welsh awel (“breeze”) and Cornish awel (“wind” or “gale”), both retaining the literal sense of moving air (Koch, 2006). The Welsh awen—denoting “poetic or divine inspiration”—derives from awenā, with attestations in Old Welsh as aguen and in Middle Welsh as awen (Koch, 2006). In Cornish, awen is a borrowing from Welsh, while awel preserves its original meaning (Koch, 2006).

Some scholars propose a Proto-Celtic variant awē, meaning “flowing” or “breezing,” reinforcing the shared root concept (Koch, 2006).

The semantic evolution from “blowing” or “breeze” to “inspiration” is a common Indo-European metaphor. Breath and wind, though invisible, are life-giving forces and have long symbolized the divine breath that animates poets and bards (Watkins, 2011; Matasović, 2009).

Stage	Form	Meaning	Source
Proto-Indo-European	h₂weh₁-	to blow, breathe	Watkins (2011)
Proto-Celtic	awelā	breeze, wind	Matasović (2009)
Proto-Celtic	awenā	muse, inspiration	Matasović (2009)
Welsh	awel	breeze	Koch (2006)
Welsh	awen	poetic inspiration	Koch (2006)
Cornish	awel	wind, gale	Koch (2006)
Cornish	awen	inspiration (borrowed)	Koch (2006)

Understanding the etymology of awen enriches our appreciation of how ancient peoples experienced inspiration—not merely as a mental state but as a sacred force intimately connected to the natural world. The breath of wind that stirs the trees also stirs the soul, showing us that creativity flows from the same source as life itself. This linguistic heritage offers us seekers a poetic reminder, inspiration is the divine breath that animates the soul of us all.

References

• Morganwg, Iolo. Barddas. Edited by J. Williams ab Ithel, W. Rees, 1862.
• Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006.
• Matasović, Ranko. Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic. Brill, 2009.
• Watkins, Calvert. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd edition, 2011.