The Nine Virtues - Wisdom

Part of the Dedicant's Path requirements are an exploration of the nine virtues as listed in Our Druidry (pg 15). To that end I'll do a post each to discuss the dictionary and ADF definitions of the virtue and my own current understanding of it. I hope to use these posts as inspiration/raw material to draw together and synthesize for my essay on the virtues.

Dictionary Definition 

–noun

1. the quality or state of being wise;  knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

2. scholarly knowledge or learning: the wisdom of the schools.

3. wise sayings or teachings; precepts. 

Dictionary.com

 ADF Definition

Good judgment, the ability to perceive people and situations correctly, deliberate about and decide on the correct response.  

Our Druidry (pg 15)

My Understanding

The sole accumulation of knowledge does not make one wise. Divorced from context and passion facts and figures will never equate to wisdom. A person could collect raw knowledge for a lifetime and never ever actually achieve wisdom. 

Wisdom requires discernment, judgment, experience, compassion, empathy and the ability to anticipate the immediate future, that is, the likely result of decisions and deeds. It also takes courage.

Those we consider to be wise are often asked to to decide, to judge, to advise and therefore to assume the burden of fault or blame.

Wise persons have made mistakes, poor decisions, and reaped the consequences, ideally lived through their personal crucibles and gained personal insight into their own motivations and the ripple effect of them. This is a type of knowledge that cannot be gleaned from books or at the foot of a mentor, it must be earned by living. It is also not knowledge restricted by age. The archetype of the wise old person advising the younger hero is near and dear to our cultural hearts but is not necessarily fully accurate. Wisdom may be found in persons of nearly any age.

Wisdom implies morally acceptable or even superior judgment and action. A wise person is capable of understanding the ramifications of actions both in the now and in the potential future. A wise person is able to understand and accept that a decision may result in an immediate negative reaction but ultimately prove the better decision in time. A wise person is willing to accept their own limited nature and understands the dangers of hubris and arrogance.

Wisdom is hard earned and may be a dutiful burden as much as an asset.

Selections from the Dedicant's Reading List

According to Our Druidry completion of the Dedicant's Path requires a book review on at least 1 Indo-European studies title, 1 preferred ethnic study title, and 1 modern paganism title (page xii). I am choosing mine from the recommended reading list located here.

I may end up doing more than the minimal 3 book reports as I am a voracious reader and love to discuss books, then again I'm still trying to finish my degree and get a full time job (CEP is great but it costs me money).

Anyway, as of now I'm hoping to read and report on these titles:

For my Indo-European studies requirement - The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory: Why an Invented Past Will Not Give Women a Future by Cynthia Eller

For the ethnic studies (hearth culture) requirement -An Introduction to Roman Religion John Scheid; Janet Lloyd, trans.

And for the modern paganism requirement - Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today by Margot Adler

I chose the first because I was quite interested in a hard look at what the title describes. I've taken a few anthropology courses and to the best of my knowledge there is no evidence that a functioning matriarchy has ever existed either in the ancient or modern worlds, rather the term seems to exist merely to describe the theoretical oppsosite of a patriarchy. There have, however, been matrilineal societies where inheritance etc traveled through the female line rather than the male. Therefore I was very interested in a scholastic perspective on the phenomenon of the mythical matriarchy and its potentially negative impact.

I chose An Introduction to Roman Religion because it was available on the kindle and I realized that I know as much as the next average well read westerner about Roman deities, but I don't know much at all about Roman religion. Also, I'm not very pulled toward the Roman pantheon (the least pull of any of the ADF hearths for me is the Vedic but I plant to investigate it as well).

The third choice, Margot Adler's iconic work on modern paganism was chosen because I already have a gently used copy in my possession and have just not gotten around to reading it. I also have a copy of Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond.

As I said I may end up reading and reporting on many of the titles offered, largely because, while I feel initially motivated to claim a Celtic hearth, I don't necessarily know enough about any of the ADF hearths to truly claim one yet. I also find many of the available titles quite intriguing in their own rights.

I will be sure to post the reports here as well :)