On Becoming A Druid in Hawaii

A Quick Introduction

When I first moved to Oahu people would ask me what brought me here. The transient nature of the population makes that question necessary, because it doesn’t make sense to invest time and resources into personal relationships that end abruptly when the other party discovers that paradise doesn’t have a zip code and leave for somewhere less expensive. My answer was always something like “I came here for the surf…” because it’s an easily relatable answer “...and I stayed for the people” because it’s true plus it’s also very flattering to the listener.

A couple decades later people stopped asking that question. Not sure why, because it’s not like I suddenly gained the ability to get a glorious golden sun tan instead of going straight from pale to red and crispy. Maybe it’s the way I carry myself? Apparently this place has made it’s imprint somehow, but the silent acceptance made me start wondering about the real reason that I developed a dread of leaving the islands and getting stuck somewhere else, unable to return.

During the first few months in Hawaii my girlfriend at the time took me to the Big Island with her college class in order to hike Volcanoes National Park, and I’ll never forget the Herb Kane painting of Pele in the Jagger Museum (the building was reclaimed in the 2018 eruption). All the feelings of immense power and overwhelming sense of an intelligent presence at every turn were perfectly explained in his work. Soon after I was regularly coming into contact with all sorts of interesting local characters who had different pieces of the puzzle that challenged my perception of reality and inevitably wore down my resistance to acknowledging the unseen.

At some point it became obvious that I needed a context that was compatible with my Western mindset to help me understand what I was experiencing, and thanks to the fine books of John Michael Greer I began the process of study and purification in the Druid tradition. There are benefits to being a Druid in Hawaii, number one being zero politics. Nobody out here cares if you are doing it wrong, and on the rare occasions I make it to the mainland it’s always exciting to touch an oak tree! It’s also a welcome break from the constant interactions and stimulation of a tiny crowded island.

This exploration of the occult answered a lot of questions but raised more than could ever be covered even in several lifetimes, and therefore it was necessary for me to put aside my aversion for talking about spiritual subject matter and seek out experts in the field who have their own connections with Na Akua. This includes others who, like myself, brought their own gods and traditions to Hawaii and had their relationships with the divine similarly shaped buy the overwhelming powers and intelligences here.

I’d be honored if you would join me on Wednesdays to explore the possibilities together.

Yours Amongst the Albizias,

Kalihi Valley Druid