Now, I don't want you getting all excited about this. We're talking twenty years or more off here. And lots more, with appropriate medical treatments.
But it's been occurring to me that the day will come when I decide that I need to step down as Archdruid of Husborne Crawley. When I don't need the stresses and challenges of day-to-day druidship, and decide to pass on the baton to someone like Charlii or - better still - someone more suitable. Naturally Hnaef will be ruled out because he's a bloke, and therefore prey to the masculine weaknesses of a brain awash with testosterone and 4 million years of blood-guilt. So how could he be an archdruid?
And I often think it would be nice to hand over - let go the reigns and slide quietly off (after a suitably huge month of celebration of all my achievements) to a quiet retirement in the Dower House.
And I know I'd want to make really sure that my successor had a clear run at the job. Which is why I'd keep well out the way - simply popping up from the Dower House on rare occasions each day, for meals or to join in worship.
And I'd not want to take any part in leading worship. Oh no. Only if I were "invited back" - maybe to take a Naming Service or a Handfasting for people who would appreciate the long associations I had with them. Or else thought the new woman was likely to cock it up.
And I like to think the Dower House would be a place where people could come - just to unwind and unburden themselves. You know - in a neutral environment, where they could say what they liked about the current regime without fear of reprisal.
But apart from the obvious fact that I own the house and the land, I'd really want to ensure I broke all official links with the management of the Beaker Folk. I'd not want more than two representatives with vetoes on the Moot, for example. And these wouldn't be specific official posts - more just nominated "old friends". And I'd not want any more than a strictly emeritus title. I thought maybe "Perpetual Spiritual Leader of the Beaker Folk".
Still, enough of this dreaming. It will still be a long while before I am prepared to let go in such a radical way.
