Rev. David Smith is the author of two non-fiction books Honoring the Sacred Earth, A Path to Spiritual Awakening and Under the Expanse of Oaks: one on druidry and the other on spirituality. Both are geared towards beginners on their path towards enlightenment.
As a spiritual person he is a practicing Druid Priest, and member of many Druidic Organisations. He is interested in all forms of religion and spirituality, and hopes to share his knowledge through his books.
I asked Rev. Smith a few questions about his faith, his books and life in general:
Your full title is Rev. David P. Smith - a clergyman for the Christian Church - how can you be a druid? Isn't that witchcraft?
Now that is a good question. Though used mainly by the Christian Faiths the title Reverend is often given to any ordained member of the clergy. I am ordained through the Ancient Order of Druid’s in America http://www.aoda.org/ and their affiliation with the Universal Gnostic Church, as well as the Universal Life Church http://www.ulc.org/ . Druidry can be a religion but to many it is a philosophy so there are most definitely Christian Druids. As for being Witchcraft, Druidry and Witchcraft do have similar roots but are not exactly the same. I am personally currently Pagan in my belief system.
Has druidry moved on since Merlin times?
Modern Druidry is quite different from the Druidry of the past and has a variety of groups, some which are Reconstructionist, some which are revivalist, and some which are mainly philosophical. The main modern Druid movements started as Masonic groups in the 1700’s, and have evolved into a spiritual movement since then. I myself am a member of a few of these organizations including the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids http://www.druidry.org/ the Ancient Order of Druids in America http://www.aoda.org/ and the Order of the Mithril Star http://www.mithrilstar.org/.
A main focus of Druids today is reconnecting with the natural world and practising sacred ecology.
Long robes at Stonehenge?
Indeed. When performing public rituals most Druids do wear long robes and yes Stonehenge is still viewed as a major sacred site among Druids.
A reverend is a vocation, so why or how did you become one? Was is entirely because of your belief?
I have felt called to serve others for most of my life. I became one through the Ancient Order of Druids in America.
What came first, your beliefs or your passion for writing?
Well I have enjoyed both my whole life. Which came first I don’t know.
Do you have the backing of the church for your books?
Not any particular church at this time.
This is a personal question because I can not understand "enlightenment". What is this "enlightenment" that people search for?
It is inner peace. It is a view of the world that is not obscured by illusion and which one finds the truth of love and compassion in our lives. It definitely differs between individuals and is definitely a personal pursuit.
You have written two books. How do they differ from one another?
Well my first book was written predominantly for people, who wish to learn more about the druidic spiritual path or existing druids, and the second was written for everyone and the aim of it was to be non-denominational and help people start along their spiritual paths.
Are they both "how-to" books (offering guidance and info)?
Yes, they are but they both encourage you to find your path on your own.
Who is your publisher, and is that the publisher for both books? How did you find them?
My Publisher is Dreamz-Work Productions, LLC http://www.dreamz-work.com/. They are a small publisher out of Independence, MD. I found them by being lucky enough to know the CEO and have since signed on to help with the company.
Are you working on anything now?
I am working on a fiction with a co-author named Rosa Sophia whose first book Taking 1960
has recently become available and toying around with a few other non-fiction ideas.Are you agented?
I currently act as my own agent.
Tell us a little about Honoring the Sacred Earth.
Honoring the Sacred Earth, A Path to Spiritual Awakening was basically written as a beginner’s book for the spiritual seeker. It is meant to augment any faith that you currently believe in and deepen your spiritual awakening and love of nature. It is filled with helpful prayers, meditations and exercises to help you to internalize the lessons it sets forth. It is aimed at those who wish to connect in a deeper way with their spiritual selves and their faiths, and are just starting on this path.
And Under the Expanse of Oaks?
Under an Expanse of Oaks, A Druid’s Journey is aimed at those who are interested in the modern Druidic movement. This too encompasses different exercises and meditations to help the ideas discussed within the books hit home. Again it is a book aimed at the beginner but I hope the more advanced student would also be able to take something out of it and its meditations.
Excerpts from both books can be found at my official author site http://www.davidduir.com/ and both books have the "look inside" feature at amazon.com.
Any final words?
I would like to thank you for taking the time to interview me, I am honored. I also wish to say that I hope that you and all your readers find whatever they seek in this life.
Other links for Rev. David Smith:
http://www.honoringthesacredearth.com/
http://revdavidpsmith.com/
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