Over the weekend, Netflix viewers were treated to a fresh new take on procedural dramas with Unbelievable.
Inspired by a gripping true story, Unbelievable revolves around two storylines involving a serial rapist slowly coming together to form one path of solving who the suspect is over 8 episodes.
One involves Marie Adler, a troubled girl whom the police do not believe after she files a claim of being raped in her own home. The other involves two detectives tracking down her assaulter unwittingly through a series of separate victims.
One of these victims is a young woman named Lilly (Annaleigh Ashford), and we come to find out she has a strange religious practice of being a “Druid.” We also learn that on the night of her attack, she drank an unusual liquid called Kava Kava, which gave the police pause over her claims at first.
Fans of the series have been dying to know ever since, what on Earth is a Druid and what is Kava Kava? Well, here is everything to know about both topics.
What is a Druid?
According to Druidry.org, a Druid is a spiritual seeker who hopes to fill three of his or her most fundamental needs, to create things, to live in empathy with Mother Nature and to live in wisdom in all areas of life. Druidry splits the self into three parts, the Sage, the Singer and the Shaman, each of which correlate with the human needs mentioned above. Each of these things are meant to enhance the human experience in both a spiritual and charitable way.
Even though, for many followers, the beliefs were replaced by Christian ones in later times, many still practice Druidry in its root form. Many people seek inner peace from Druidry when other forms of religious practice have not provided inner peace, or have followed a more conventional format that does not appeal to all three of what followers consider to be the most basic human needs.
Many Druids believe that even having life is a gift, a magical one, that must be explored utilizing the innermost self to its full capacity. Druidry offers training in its ways so that anyone can become a follower and find inner peace.
Druidry, also known as the Order of the Bards, Ovates, and Druids has its roots deep in the past but is staying in modern times enough to still be relevant.
What is Kava Kava?
According to Medical News Today, Kava Kava is a natural remedy for many different things including anxiety and insomnia. Strangely enough, it can also cause an overwhelming sense of excitement. Much like Druidry, it has a long history with more traditional aspects of religion and has been around nearly as long as Mother Nature herself.
Like marijuana, it can be used medicinally in a tea form, pill, or even simply mixed with water. Medical News Today goes on to explain that like many other drugs, Kava Kava can cause massive liver damage. Much like cigarettes or alcohol, it is legal but must be used with extreme self-control because it also has some pretty intense side effects.
Much like getting drunk, Kava Kava can cause an altered mindset because you are not always fully self-aware, which can make someone an unreliable source. This is why the detective was hesitant to believe Lilly when she first came forward to report her rape.
How does this apply to Druid practices? Well, Druidry’s website also describes their practices as not being able to understand herbs or plantlife unless you “experience them.” Much like any other drug, recreational or otherwise, its use yields mixed results.
Some religious sects promote the use of Kava Kava in their religious ceremonies. Perhaps her belief in the Druid religious ideals led her to its usage.
So, next time someone says, “take a chill pill”, reply to them to go have a glass of Kava Kava, and admire their confusion as they try to Google Kava Kava themselves.
Unbelievable is now streaming on Netflix.