Who is Cerri Lee? Well, I guess on a purley material level I am a mother to three adult offspring, and a woman of maturing years and experience. I also enjoy being wife to my husband Damh the Bard a Folk musician (and resident artist for his album covers), an avid gardener and allotmenteer, as well as, a druid, writer and artist in various media, a YouTuber, and many other things besides.
I am generally restless so rarely stick to one thing for too long prefering to bounce around a multitude of creative endevours. I will dive into a writing project one month, then work on a jewellery project the next. However, I tend to come back to certain forms of expression time and again, chief amongst these are writing and artwork. However, I also regularly co-facilitate a Druidic group, seasonal rituals, workshops, and give talks across the world. More recently I have started creating videos of my gardening exploits and visits to sacred sites to put up on our YouTube channel The Green Grimoire.
I am inspired by and driven to interpret the world around me. My creative expression evolved through learning how to express my feelings about being a human in this complicated, beautiful and diverse universe. I am constantly fasinated by how humans have used art, story and philosophy to make sense of their place within a complex web of existance. We are a narrative spiecies and when we take the time to look at or listen to each other’s stories we are moved in profound ways. Art is the gateway to the soul of any culture. For me it’s where the heart of understanding lies. When we share our experiences of life through our artistic endevours we see that our hopes, fears and delights are the same across the ages, and across cultural divides. Art has a way of disolving time and cultural barriers allowing us to connect with both ancestor and neighbour. It’s hard to be at odds with or distant from someone who can bring you to tears or laughter through similar emotional experiences.
My spiritual path is Druidry and it’s fundamental to all my creative work. For those unfamiliar with Druidry, it is a spiritual path that takes the Book of Nature as its guide. It encompasses: the turning of the seasons, flora and fauna, the stars in the heavens, the myths, legends, folklore and archeology of Britain in particular, but also the world at large. It’s about re-enchanting this beautiful world on which we live. Reconnecting in a way that inspired our ancestors, yet reimagined and adapted for a modern life.
My world view is based in Animism, the profound sense that all forms of life are sacred and sovereign in their own right. I firmly believe that all things from a tiniest blade of grass to an immense mountain are sentient and hold their own agency in some way. Each have a unique story to tell. Their language is not easy to converse in, it’s a language of relationship and takes time to understand. Our ancestors were much better at turning this notion into tales of wonder, and they have left us a treasure trove of myth and legend to help us rediscover the skill.
I feel my creative task is to listen and interpret what I hear in the myriad voices. To find a thread of learning and wisdom held within each story. When a tribal tale tells me that a mountain is Grandmother to the people that live in its shadow, I hear a tale of the relationship between the people and that mountain. A story of how their Grandmother nurtures the lives of each generation. How its moods and seasons affect the weather and the animals they rely on. Relationship is the subtle message woven into their vocabulary. When we take the time to observe our environment we start to understand it’s subtly terminology and forms of expression. Artful re-learning can lead to a colabarative conversation within our own relationships with each other and the planet as a whole. This for me is the profound power of art in all its forms and inspires me everyday.