Druidry as a Spiritual Practice
Druidry is an enigmatic term. It provokes an archetypal image of Wizards and Seers from the ancient past. However, it is also a modern-day phenomenon that endorses a legitimate spiritual path and metaphysical viewpoint. Today, people all over the world are finding that the path of Druidry provides a quality not found in other spiritual traditions. This path experientially connects the individual to the world of nature. It is rich in myth and symbol, and it evokes the creative spirit within us. When we follow the Druid path today, we embrace the unique opportunity to create a personal practice, which springs from an ancient tradition, yet speaks to the modern-day Druid. This path connects us to our historical roots and to images that still live and breathe within the archetypal world.
Phillip Carr-Gomm in his book The Rebirth of Druidry: Ancient Earth Wisdom for Today (2003:77) states succinctly that “Some people consider Druidry a religion, others a philosophy, others say it is a Mystery School. However else it is characterized, it is a nature-based spiritual way, that has no sacred texts or dogma, but which has grown up over thousands of years, influencing and being influenced by many historical, religious and cultural movements.”
Druids today walk this ancient yet modern path that venerates nature, honors a wealth of lore and tradition, believes in the sacred nature of all life, and celebrates a connection to an ancient and archetypal past. By walking the path of Druidry, we can create a personal path to spiritual awareness that can enlighten us as well as enrich our lives.
Maya Magee Sutton, PhD and Nicholas R. Mann have written a wonderful and inspiring book, Druid Magic: The Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001). Maya Sutton is a teacher of Celtic Mythology and Urban Druidry, and Nicholas Mann is an author of several books on the Celts. They present a well-rounded overview of the mysteries of the Druid path, and they tell us how we can follow this path and gain insight, wisdom, and inspiration. Their book not only explains many of the practices that will help us connect to our own spirituality, but also offers exercises that bring the individual closer to the heart of Druidry.
Miranda J. Green has written a definitive account of the ancient Druids in her book, The World of the Druids (1997). She shares the known history and archaeological evidence that give clues to the Druid way of life, beliefs, and mythic connections. This book is filled with a wealth of pictures and diagrams of ancient sites and Celtic artifacts that allow us to draw our own conclusions about what they mean and how they were used. Green is an informative, authoritative, and well-respected scholar in today’s Druid culture.
Philip Carr-Gomm, Archdruid of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) is a prolific writer, psychologist, and longtime Druid who speaks eloquently of the Druid path. In his book, Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (2002), Carr-Gomm gives us a magical tour through the world of Druidry, providing an overview of its basic tenets as well as its mysteries. He peppers his book with exercises that anyone can attempt. These exercises will help the individual determine if the Druid path is a good fit. This book is an excellent primer and introduction to the world of Druidry. Another book by Carr-Gomm is his earlier primer, The Elements of the Druid Tradition (1991), also mentioned in this thesis. This account of Druidry represents his earlier thinking, which he wrote soon after assuming his current position as Archdruid of the OBOD.
Two additional books by Philip Carr-Gomm are referenced in this thesis. They include In the Grove of the Druids (2002) and The Druid Way (1993). The first book is Carr-Gomm’s edited and annotated compilation of his mentor, Ross Nichols’, writings on Druidry. Here we glimpse the thinking of the early creator of the OBOD through Carr-Gomm’s eyes. The second book is the story of a personal journey taken by Carr-Gomm through the sacred landscape of Britain. As we walk with him on this journey, we are allowed to share in his inner mystical adventures with many ancient and ancestral voices, and we glimpse the personal path of the Druid journey through his eyes. Both of these books provide a unique view of the thinking of two giants in the Druid world.
Phillip Carr-Gomm has also edited a wonderful collection of thoughts about the path of Druidry in his book The Rebirth of Druidry: Ancient Earth Wisdom for Today (2003). Carr-Gomm has collected contributions from various writers who possess a wealth of experience with Druidry and provide words of wisdom about its different aspects. We catch a glimpse of modern-day Druidry from authors who discuss topics such as ritual, tradition, connection to the land, the enchantment of Druidry, and the future of Druidism.
In his book, The Druids (1994), Peter Berresford Ellis delivers a fascinating and detailed account of the Druids. This account stems from his research of the classical authors who write of the Druids, as well as the medieval writers who tell the tales of the Celtic people and their history. Many of the medieval texts and stories are recounted in order to give us a unique glimpse into the ancient past. Though this book is scholarly and at times difficult to read, it definitely provides the interested student with a firsthand account of the Celtic past.
Brendan Cathbad Myers’ book, The Mysteries of Druidry (2006), is an excellent introductory volume that paints an illuminating picture of the Druid way of life. He offers a spiritual and mystical approach to the practice, backed by personal experience, scholarly research, and historical documentation. Myers writes with a respect for scholarship, yet displays a unique experiential wisdom. His twelve years of experience with Druidry and his background in philosophy provide a distinctive viewpoint for Druids today.
The Celtic Druids’ Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts (1994) authored by John King, presents an academic yet readable history of the early Celtic seasonal cycles. King talks about the Celtic society, the Druidic functions within that society, the agricultural cycles, and the annual ceremonies celebrated by the Celts. He relies on the archaeological as well as mythical evidence available to us today, and he compares the ancient religion of Druidism with other religions of the times.
Emma Restall Orr, in her book Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul (2004), provides a personal glimpse into her own thoughts about what it is like to walk the Druid path. She is one of Britain’s foremost Druids and was a former chief of the British Druid Order. Orr now heads the International Druid Network. Her unique viewpoint aptly communicates her rich personal experience with the mysteries of this spiritual teaching as she explores the principles and practices of Druidry and tells us about Druidry's relevance to one’s personal life and spiritual perspective.
Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism (2006) written by Isaac Bonewits, offers a well-rounded, balanced look at the many strands of Druidism that have developed down through the centuries. Bonewits is considered a leading expert on Druidism and a scholar on Indo-European and Celtic history. He was a member of both the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA) and a founder of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). In his book, Bonewits divides the history of Druidism into three phases: the paleopagan, mesopagan, and neopagan. He speaks extensively about each of these phases, and he tells the history of Druid organizations that are active today. He explains how these organizations originated, and he provides us with an overview of what they believe. Although he attempts to demystify what others would prefer to remain mystical, his approach provides yet another viewpoint to the practice of Druidry. Bonewits’ exemplary book offers a wide perspective of the Druid path and the many ways of walking this path. It is highly recommended as a source book for interested readers.
John Michael Greer, Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) has written The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (2006) as a resource for members of this Order. Within this Sourcebook is a clear and well-written account of Druidry’s history as well as a wealth of information about the Druid path and its many strands. Greer’s book is a valuable introduction to Druidry. He writes from 25 years of experience with occult traditions and nature spirituality.
Graeme K. Talboys, in his book Way of the Druid: the Renaissance of a Celtic Religion and its Relevance for Today (2005), provides a balanced overview of Celtic history and Druid beliefs. He bases his writing on the works of ancient scholars and the interpretations of archaeological findings. He reviews the metaphysical aspect of the Celtic world, including their cosmology and beliefs, and he discusses Druids today in terms of this ancient world. Talboys holds degrees in philosophy and education, and he has been a Druid for over 30 years. He speaks from experience as well as extensive research on the topic of Druidry. His book is highly comprehensive yet easily readable, and it provides yet another viewpoint on today’s Druid world.
Christian J. Guyonvarc’h’s book, The Making of a Druid: Hidden Teachings from the Colloquy of Two Sages (2002), gives us a tantalizing and well-annotated glimpse into the ancient past. His book recounts the dialog between a Druid sage and a young Druid apprentice. We have no surviving records to tell us exactly how to interpret or understand this dialog; however, Guyonvarc’h provides his thoughtful interpretations of this unique perusal of the past. His annotations are brilliant and enlightening for the Druid scholar today.
J. A. MacCulloch’s book, The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1992) attempts to reconstruct the Celtic faith through bits and pieces of evidence left by this ancient group. His text dips into the legends and lore available to us today and provides a classic account of the Celtic religion. This book is difficult and complex reading; however, it is well respected among scholars today.
Who Were the Druids?
Today, we face the fact that the Druids of the past are virtually unknown to us. Their tradition was an oral one, and they left few clues about their beliefs and views of the world. However, as we reconstruct their history from available resources and try to sense their philosophy and way of life, we come to some verifiable conclusions about the richness of this wisdom tradition. In their book, Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001), Maya Sutton and Nicholas Mann describe the ancient Druids as bards, storytellers, scholars, teachers, judges, and seers of the Celtic tribes. Searles O’Dubhain also writes marvelously about the Druid’s role in Celtic society in his article, The Traditional Roles of Druids, which can be found on the Summerland website at http://www.summerlands.com/. Searles states that they were wise to the ways of all the learning and wisdom of their tribe, including the wisdom of the leader, the judge, the scientist, the poet, the historian, the storyteller, the philosopher, the political advisor, and the wizard. They were able to dip into the occult or hidden wisdom and sense the mysteries of the universe. They could read the past and the future, and give counsel to the actions of the present. They believed in truth and honesty as well as fairness and balance.
Miranda Green’s book, The World of the Druids (1997:7), tells us that the Druids were a professional pagan clergy. They held ceremonies, counseled rulers, involved themselves in political as well as spiritual affairs, and were regarded with much respect. They mediated both civil and criminal difficulties, and they held the power of life and death as well as banishment from participation in tribal rituals. Their word was essentially the law. Indeed, the rulers and kings could not speak until the Druid had spoken. Green tells us that they were “involved in politics, sacrificial ritual, prophecy and the control of the supernatural world. They were teachers, keepers of oral tradition, royal advisers and, in some instances, they were themselves rulers.”
Isaac Bonewits’, Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism (2006), tells us that the Celts were an Indo European culture, and all Indo-European cultures shared a similar tribal and occupational hierarchy or social caste system. The clergy or Druids represented the intellectual caste and were responsible for magical, religious, and judicial functions. They held the spiritual power, wisdom, and knowledge of the tribe, and they were responsible for transmitting knowledge and culture from one generation to the next. This would include teaching the younger generation how to perform critical religious ceremonies that would ensure tribal survival. They used poetry, music, historical memory, genealogy, law, and divination for these purposes. Officially, they ranked below the king, but because they were keepers of the tribal intelligence, the king would always rely on their wisdom. In addition, some kings and chieftains were also Druids themselves. Bonewits tells us that we could compare the Druids to the Brahmins in the Hindu caste system.
Other members of the tribe included the warriors, farmers, craftspeople, and slaves or servants. Warriors were often the nobles and landowners, and they were responsible for hunting for food and providing protection from tribal enemies. Craftspeople and farmers were associated with fertility, strength, and production of food and crafts needed for tribal survival. These would be such items as tools, weapons, and household goods. Lower caste servants or slaves did the work that no one else would do. In addition to these castes, Bonewits notes that the king or tribal leader was associated with the spirit of the tribe as a whole and the tribe’s relationship with the land. Many Celtic myths tell us that when the king was imperfect in any way, the tribe would remove from his position and replace him with another.
We can see that the Druids held a special place in Celtic society. Tribal allegiance was very strong, and people were tied to their leaders. The Druids, however, were not bound to any tribal allegiance or geographical area. They preserved their independence and chose their own allegiances. Druids traveled with their own retinues and received gifts and valuables as payment for their services.
Peter Berresford Ellis, in his book, The Druids (1994) tells us that such notables as Gaius Julius Caesar, leader of the Roman Republic, and Pliny the Elder, Roman writer of the ancient world, as well as others of their day, enumerated the Druid roles in their ancient accounts. Druids were described as ambassadors, tribal lawgivers, and judges. They were able to stop tribal wars, make and administer laws, and even declare kingships. Druids as lawgivers held strong beliefs in law, truth, and fair play. Punishments and reparation were always meted out to fit the nature of the crime.
Druids
represented the top of the political structure. They interpreted the law
within their tribe, passed judgment on wrongdoers, and decided the fate of
those who erred. Druids possessed great authority over all members of society,
even the King or tribal chieftain. They settled disputes over territory and
possessions, enforced domestic law, supervised contracts, and advised Kings in
all things. Caesar stated that Druids were exempt from taxes and military
service, and other normal tribal obligations, which set them apart as an
independent class.
Druids were historians and keepers of the wisdom, history, and genealogy of the people. They could recite the genealogy and the stories of leaders and heroes, and they used poetry and music to tell these tales. Druids were also healers and herbalists. Pliny the Elder refers to their medical abilities and their use of herbs and substances for healing.
Druids practiced ritual, and tales exist of their use of augury in reading the flight of birds or the entrails of sacrificed animals. They foretold events to ensure that the tribe knew the best course of action. They were also respected for their scientific wisdom and their knowledge of astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. Pliny the Elder mentions that the Druids took note of the cycles of the moon in order to know the best time to cut the mistletoe.
Caesar’s references allude to the depth of Druid training and curriculum. He noted that the length of study for Druids was twenty years, and that all of their teachings were oral. They were required to memorize extensive amounts of material and make accounts of battles and heroic deeds. They taught their students in much the same way that Socrates taught his students - through question and answer. This is demonstrated most aptly in Christian J. Guyonvarc’h’s book The Making of a Druid: Hidden Teachings from the Colloquy of Two Sages (2002). In his book, we are introduced to a text that recounts an ancient colloquy between a young and old Druid. Within this text, the older sage challenges the young Druid with questions, and the young Druid must answer appropriately to show his wisdom and learning. This demonstrates what the Druidic teachings might have been like.
Origins of the Word, Druid
The word, Druid, holds so many meanings and connections to our past that it is itself a symbol for Wizards of lore and the Knights of the Holy Grail. Philip Carr-Gomm in his Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (2002) tells us that we do not know the origins of the word, “Druid,” however; we find many clues when we reference the ancient Celtic languages.
The Celtic word, dru means “oak,” and the Indo-European root wid means, “to know.” Thus, one meaning might be “oak wisdom” or “the wise person of the oak.” The oak tree is the archetypal world tree that stands for all trees in ancient lore. Pliny the Elder mentions the oak in his book, Natural History, (1855:chap. 95, referenced at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu), stating that the Druids were magicians who performed no rites without using the foliage of oak trees. He says that “indeed, everything that grows on it has been sent immediately from heaven, and that the mistletoe upon it is a proof that the tree has been selected by God himself as an object of his especial favour”. Peter Berresford Ellis’ states in his book, The Druids (1994), that all Indo-Europeans shared the worship of the oak tree, perhaps because of its majestic appearance and its long life. It also represents the Axis Mundi, or sacred symbol that creates sacred space and connects heaven and earth.
Languages of the Celtic people include several derivations that support this claim. In Irish, the word for oak is daur, in Welsh, it is derw, and in Greek, it is drus. Each of these bears a close similarity to the word dru. Additionally, the Welsh word for tree is gwydd, and in Irish, it is fid. When one puts this together, the word for oak tree strongly resembles the word Druid (Irish = daur-fid and Welsh = derw-gwydd).
Another distinct possibility however, is that the term Druid derives from the word draoi, which means “to know or to see.” Draoi is a Gaelic word, meaning magician or sorcerer. In his book Religion of the Ancient Celts (1992), J. A. MacCulloch tells us that the word Druid may have derived from Celtic roots and implies that the Druid was a medicine man or wizard of old, a seer or wise man, who knew the herbs and roots that would cure. Regardless of its original source, today the word Druid invokes the image of a Wizard or Wise Seer who embraces a reverence for the natural world.
History of the Druids
In order to understand Druidry today, we must investigate its history and origin. Peter Berresford Ellis in his book The Druids (1994:11) says, “In no field is it more necessary to ask the right questions than when attempting to discover the Druids. The simple truth is that one person’s Druid is another person’s fantasy.” Ellis notes that we must diligently search among many sources to come up with answers. The Druids and Celts of the time did not write down their teachings. By the time that the Celts began to commit knowledge of their culture and past to writing, they had become Christianized.
Sutton and Mann, Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001), tell us that we have three main sources of evidence for reconstructing the ancient Druid practice. The first includes the writings of the Greeks and Romans, including Pliny the Elder, Julius Caesar, Strabo, and others. The second source includes a rich supply of history, folklore, and literature that was captured by the Christian Monks during the Christianization of the Celtic people. The third is the archaeological evidence from such sources as the sites of Hallstadt in Austria, La Tène in Switzerland, and burial grounds across Europe. We must be careful in interpreting these artifacts however, because we interpret without benefit of written record.
When we view the Celts through the eyes of other cultures, namely the Greeks and the Romans, we view through the veil of opinion. The Romans were their conquerors, and the Greeks either romanticized or criticized the Celts, because the Celts appeared barbaric to members of these civilized cultures. Most of the classical writers who spoke of the Druids were strongly anti-Celtic. While the accounts of Julius Caesar seem more balanced and believable, he was still a conqueror who saw them as his foe.
Ancient Druids
We have established that the Druids were the intellectuals of the Celtic tribes. By 500 BCE, they lived mainly in Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man. Philip Carr-Gomm, Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (2002), tells us that no one knows for sure where the original Celtic tribes and Druids came from, and few verifiable references give us information about the ancient Druids. They left behind no writings of their own, because they passed their wisdom from teacher to student using the oral tradition.
Miranda Green, in The World of the Druids (1997), tells us that the classical authors speak of the Druids, including Gaius Julius Caesar who discusses them in his Gallic Wars Book 6 (found at http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au). Caesar notes that the Druids engaged in sacred things and with all things concerning the gods. They settled disputes and passed judgment on civil and criminal matters. Caesar tells us that the Druids taught many things to the sons and daughters of the noblemen, and they spent up to twenty years in remote places such as caves and groves learning their trade. Learning was committed to memory, and the Bards used verse and rhyme to help compose this material. Bards passed on the history of the tribe through song and verse, and they recited it at tribal gatherings. Thus, the teachings served three purposes – to remember the history, to entertain the tribe, and to stimulate creative and artistic skills. Caesar tells us that the ancient Druids held certain things to be true. They believed in the transmigration of souls after death, which made them so valiant in war. They also studied the stars and their motion, natural philosophy, and the powers and acts of the immortal gods.
The Druids were described as healers and magicians. Pliny the Elder tells us in his ancient classic, Natural History (1855:chap. 95, referenced at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu) that the Druids used plants such as selago and mistletoe that they gathered in magical and mysterious ways. These herbs healed sickness and were used in rituals and rites. Most of all, Druids were described as philosophers and scientists. Pliny the Elder states that they used the moon to measure time, which is also revealed in the archaeological evidence of their monuments and their calendar system. These monuments show us that they had knowledge of the solstices and equinoxes. We also know that they officiated at the sacred rituals and acted in a shamanistic position for the tribe.
Archaeological evidence in their jewelry, metalwork, and cave drawings reveals that the Celts used the symbol of the circle and the number three in their renderings. The picture of the triple spiral or triskele, Greek for ‘three-legged,’ is just one representation of this idea of circles and the number three. This symbol appears on many ancient sites across Europe. Please see Illustration A in Appendix 2 for an example of this ancient symbol.
We also have archaeological evidence of the Druids from inscriptions and carvings on both wood and stone. Monuments such as Stonehenge and Newgrange offer us insight into what Phillip Carr-Gomm calls the ‘proto-druids’ who were the precursors to the Druids and lived in this area prior to 500 BCE. Much debate still wages over whether Stonehenge, Newgrange, and other buildings of their type were constructed by the Druids or were constructed by unknown tribes who lived on the land prior to the arrival of the Celts. Regardless of who built them, they were probably used by the Druids in ceremony. Carr-Gomm relates that the people who built these monuments possessed an astonishing knowledge of both mathematics and astrology, and that even though these buildings were constructed over a thousand years before Pythagoras existed; the builders used Pythagorean mathematics in construction.
One wonders where the people learned this wisdom and knowledge. Some say that the Druids studied with Pythagoras, and others say that Pythagoras studied with the Druids. Of course, we have no way of knowing. The ancient Greek and the Alexandrian schools compared the Druids to Pythagoreans. Both Pythagoras and the Druids believed in metempsychosis and the immortality of soul, and they were both well versed in the use of geometry and numbers.
Many today believe that Druids were priests of the Celts; however, we have no direct evidence of this. We do know that they presided over ritual; but this does not imply that they served any other priestly function. Peter Berresford Ellis in his book The Druids (1994) notes that the accounts of classical writers never mention that Druids were members of the priesthood. They are always mentioned as philosophers and scholars and were probably much like the Brahmins of the Hindu culture. In most classical cultures, the learned classes served as the judges, teachers, historians, physicians, prophets, and advisers to the ruling class. Caesar does mention that the Druids officiated at ceremonies and at the worship of the gods, and that they regulated private and public sacrifices. They also gave rulings on religious questions. He does not however name them as Priests. This may imply that the Celtic religion was more individualistic than was the Roman religion. The Romans had their temple priests who tightly governed the religious life of the people. Of course, this is just speculation.
Most of the early writers were rather unkind in their discussion of the Druids and the Celts, because they considered them a barbarous northern race of men who performed secret ceremonies in sacred groves of trees and carried out distasteful rites such as human sacrifice and beheadings. Of course, this viewpoint comes from a civilization describing a world that, to them, was less cultured and refined.
Celtic World Sources and Christianity
The Celtic tribes disappeared with the rise of Roman rule and the advent of Christianity. They became incorporated into the Roman Empire, and by the 5th century, the Saxons and Franks had overrun them. We hear very little about the Druids during these times. Miranda Green, in The World of the Druids (1997), notes that only an occasional historical mention is made in documents such as the Augustan Histories and in the work of some of the poets. Peter Berresford Ellis, The Druids (1994), mentions that with the arrival of Christianity, Druids probably merged with the new culture and may have become the new priests of the Christian church.
The Romans did not overrun Ireland, and therefore, we can look to its land for interim references to Druidry. Most of the evidence regarding the Druids and the Celts was written at the beginning of the 11th and 12th centuries. Local Christian Monks tried to capture the history of their land through their recordings of the tales, poems, and songs that had been passed down over the centuries through Bardic verse. Bards continued to be active, even until the 17th century, and we can thank them for keeping the history alive. Written versions of originally oral material include, for example, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Red Book of Hergest, and the Book of Taliesin. Translations of these ancient tomes can be found at http://www.sacred-texts.com/. Most of these were transcribed between 1100 and 1400 AD. Another source of information comes from the oral Welch triads, which are wisdom sayings that provide much insight into the thinking mind of the Druids.
We must keep in mind that these tales of the ancient Celts may be as much about the mythology of the Druids as it is about their actual history. Chronicles about the Tuatha dé Danann, the divine race of Ireland, Finn the leader of a war band, and the chronicles of Saint Brigit and Saint Peter all intertwine with Druidic lore. We must use these accounts with care, because it is virtually impossible to sort out truth from myth.
Philip Carr-Gomm, in The Elements of the Druid Tradition (1991), notes that mythic lore tells us of six ancient races who swept through Ireland. They included the company of Cessair, the company of Partholon, the people of Nemed, the Fir Bolg, the Tuatha de Danann, and the Milesians. The Book of Invasions, also known as The Book of the Taking of Ireland, found at http://www.ancienttexts.org, describes this influx of these different groups. The Tuatha de Danann, the children of Danu, were the godlike race who became the sidhe or fairie folk of the Celtic people. They were the Children of the Goddess Danu. We do not know whether they were mythical or whether the stories actually describe a tribe who once lived in Ireland. They were supposedly superb at enchantment and magic, and they used their magic in their fight against the Fir Bolg, Fomorians, and the Milesians. We can glean much of the lore of Druid behavior and magic from reading of these exploits. Charles Squire offers us a wonderful account of their activities in his book, The Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland (1906, located at http://www.case.edu/edocs/7/494.pdf).
Peter Berresford Ellis in his book The Druids (1994:71) tells us that the Book of Invasions hails Amergin as the first Druid in Ireland. Amergin is credited with three poems, one of which is the famous incantation, also attributed to Taliesin, the Bard. We do not know whether Taliesin actually existed in history, but many historical or mythical references do tell us about his exploits. Ellis notes that this poem sounds much like the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita in its form:
“I have been a blue salmon
I have been a wild dog,
I have been a cautious stag,
I have been a deer on the mountain
And a stump of a tree on a shovel
I have been an axe in the hand
A pin in a pair of tongs
A stallion in stud
A bull in anger
A grain in the growing
I have been dead, I have been alive
I am a composer of songs
For I am Taliesin.”
Brendan Cathbad Myers in his book, The Mysteries of Druidry (2006) tells us that the next mythological stories of Ireland include the Ulster cycle, and the third tells the tales of the Fianna cycle. These stories generally describe various battles and foreign invasions against the Celtic tribes. Along the way, they encounter various magical beings. The final group of stories, called the Cycle of Kings, details the life of the various Kings of Tara in Ireland.
The Welsh have their myths as well, which appear in the stories of The Mabinogion, (1877 translation at http://www.sacred-texts.com/). These include the story of Pwyll, Bran, and the goddess Don and her family. These stories are important because they give us an insight into the thinking mind of the ancient Celts. The British of course have their stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable in their quest for the Holy Grail. Many still believe that a king named Arthur actually existed in the early years of Christianity when the powers of mystery and magic were alive and the Druids still walked the earth.
The Renaissance
During the Renaissance, Druidry was resurrected, and in its resurrection, it was highly romanticized. Bonewits calls this period the Mesopagan era of Druidry. America had been recently discovered, and industrialized Europe was highly attracted to the “natural man” as represented by the American Indian. Britain looked to its own past for its ancient primitive culture and the Druids stood out. Writers such as Joan Aubrey and William Stuckeley reconstructed the history of the Druids and started several Druid orders. The Welsh Bard, Iolo Morgannwg also wrote extensively about the rituals and lore of the Druids.
The Druid renaissance revival began in earnest around 1690 when John Aubrey studied the ancient stone monuments of Avebury and Stonehenge. Carr-Gomm considers him the real founder of the modern Druid movement. Aubrey wrote several books that connected these monuments with the Druids. His ideas about these stone circles influenced William Stuckeley who carried out his own research. Stuckeley wrote several books that described his findings, and this research laid the foundation for the development of the science of archaeology. John Aubrey and William Stuckeley were instrumental in bringing the Druids back into the modern day world. Stuckeley has been linked to the formation of the Ancient Druid Order out of which the modern-day Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids was eventually formed.
Isaac Bonewits, author of Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism (2006), tells us that many Druid revivalist groups formed from the seventeen hundreds onward. Individuals in these groups were also members of other secret societies of the time such as the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and Theosophists. Therefore, the Druid orders took on qualities and characteristics from other secret societies, and the rituals and rites were strongly influenced by the rites of these societies. Bonewits calls this cycle of Druidry the mesopagan area, and its history is a long and involved one. Bonewits does an admirable job of identifying the major players and their influences. Some of the orders that still exist today originated at this time, such as the Ancient Order of Druids and the Ancient Druid Order. Other Druid orders today are offshoots of these original groups, including the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
Edward Williams, who took the name Iolo Morganwg, influenced Welsh Druidry. He referenced ancient Welsh Bardic writings and constructed a tradition that most consider a forgery today. However, his construction still stands as a work of creative imagination and inspiration that can be approached as a part of the mythology of Druidry. Morganwg has been responsible for inspiring much of the Druidic tradition, including the creation of the Eisteddfod, which is still performed in Wales each year.
Druids today sometimes disagree on whether the work of the Renaissance or mesopagan Druids has any merit, because so much of it is fabricated or lacks historical basis. Indeed, this continuing debate rages between those who wish to reconstruct the past and those who simply seek inspiration. John Michael Greer’s book, The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (2006:x), mentions how some Druid groups tend to discount the renaissance Druids and their writings and reach back to ancient times for their inspiration. They call the Renaissance era faulty at best and forgeries at their worst. Greer states that “we reject aspects of our past, however, at our own peril. The search for an authentic Druidry that rejects revival Druidry altogether makes a threefold error.” Greer explains that Morganwg may have created things out of his imagination; however, there is evidence that his creations were based on some truth. We must not discount these works simply because they are not ancient. In other words, when we take on the task of bringing Druidry into the modern-day world, we must realize that yesterday and today’s inspiration is just as valid as ancient findings. A work may not be authentic to the ancient past, but it may still have value as a source of spiritual inspiration. The Revival Druids added their own personal inspiration to the Druid spiritual movement, and this personal creativity and inspiration should not be discounted.
In his foreword to his edited book The Rebirth of Druidry: Ancient Earth Wisdom for Today (2003:8), Phillip Carr Gomm agrees with Greer and says that it is incorrect to invalidate the work of those who have gone on before, including the renaissance Druids, because all groups have made a contribution to history’s and humanity’s spiritual progress. He states “the challenge facing us, if we wish to follow one of these paths, is to use our discernment to retain that which is valuable, and discard that which is deceptive or outmoded.” His comments speak to the fact that people often feel they must establish a history or lineage if their spiritual path is to be taken seriously. Instead, Carr-Gomm believes that Druidry has merit because it provides a source of inspiration, images and symbols, and ideas that people find meaningful and responsive to their life today.
Carr-Gomm says that Druidry is an important spiritual path because it inspires us. It has no creed or dogma. “Its mythic teachings simply flow like a river through the generations, twisting and turning, responding to the contours of the land, echoing the spirits of time and place” (2003:12). Carr-Gomm continues: “if we believe in the spiritual world, then we will also believe that the source of any spiritual tradition lies in that world, rather than in the physical world of effects. In addition, if Druidry’s source is in spirit, and not in a lost past then we can free ourselves from a concern about the origins of our tradition moving further away from us as each day passes” (2003:19). What he is basically saying is that spiritual inspiration exists in the present moment or ‘now’, and it is the present where we go for our connection to the numinous.
Today’s Druids
Druids of the past, both ancient and renaissance, differ from modern Druids. Ancient Druids lived in different times and circumstances, and without the benefits, challenges, and knowledge that we possess today. In addition, Renaissance Druids did not have the knowledge of modern technology and scientific methods such as Carbon 14 dating. Modern Druids reflect today’s world and are a product of today’s culture. We can participate in this ancient tradition and still find meaning and inspiration for our modern-day practice. Searles O’Dubhain notes in The Traditional Roles of The Druids, (found at http://www.summerlands.com/), that if we act, speak, study, and seek inspiration as Druids once did, then we too are walking in the footsteps of the Druids. It is the method of seeking and using wisdom more than the particular knowledge of their times or history that makes one a Druid.
Today, Druidry has once again been resurrected through the attraction of the New Age movement and free thinkers of the sixties. Many individuals from this era seek a return to nature and the simple life as well as freedom from the grip of organized religion. Druidry deeply satisfies both desires. Isaac Bonewits in his book Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism (2006) says that we can freely adapt and evolve our religion to match what we learn in our current world. We need not be held to the historical traditions of the past in order to develop a modern expression of that tradition that fulfills our spiritual and religious needs.
In his article, Who Possesses the Past? (2003:36), Ronald Hutton tells us that the entire history of Druidry has been formed by a process of selection and creative reinvention. Each era of Druidry selectively chooses what is important for the times. He states that Druidry offers an interesting paradox in that Druids actually existed, and yet they have the characteristics of legendary beings. We have so little information about them that they might as well have never existed. Hutton says that this can be disparaging for the historian. However, this is why the Druids “have acted as potent stimulants to the creative mind, every age dreaming them anew, and often in two or three markedly different ways at once.” He believes that much of their value lies in this ability to stimulate our creativity.
Today, Druidry is experiencing a significant revival, and many Druidic orders exist in all parts of the world. The internet offers extensive opportunities to join online groups and study the ancient ways and modern day expressions of Druidry. Each group provides a uniquely different way to practice Druidry. One can find groups centered on nearly any possible combination of beliefs including Zen Druids, Christian Druids, and Druidcraft, which is a combination of Druids and Wiccans.
Phillip Carr Gomm tells us that three basic types of modern Druidism originated from the Renaissance. The first can be found in Wales in their festivals of music and poetry called Eisteddfodau. We trace this form of Druidry from the works of Iolo Morganwg. In England, a second kind of Druidry developed out of the Ancient Order of Druids. This form of Druidry offers social and fraternal membership that has its basis in Freemasonry, the Golden Dawn, and other esoteric orders. The third type of Druidry evolved in England from the Ancient Druid Order, which was an attempt to make Druidry a spiritual path in its own right. This order holds rituals that center around the traditional ceremonial equinoxes and solstices.
What Makes Druidry Special?
Druidry represents an ancient Mystery tradition, specifically European in its roots. Although we cannot reconstruct its tenets or know exactly how the ancients believed, we do know that a wellspring of spirituality and inspiration still exists when one follows the Druid path. Surviving myths and legends offer information, insight, poetic inspiration, and deeply symbolic expressions of the depth of the Celtic past. We can bring this inspiration to life by plumbing Druidry’s archetypal images and connecting to those that inspire us and touch us deeply within our own souls.
As Sutton and Mann express in their book, Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001:3), “Druid magic comes from a true understanding of the powers of the eternal Self, our divine being that incarnates in many lives.” Pursuing the Druidic spiritual path helps us to answer for ourselves those most important questions including “Who am I? What is my eternal nature? How do I live and what do I bring forth in the world?” Philip Carr-Gomm, in The Elements of the Druid Tradition (1991:xi), tells us that the word “Druidry” touches off archetypes that lie deep within us. The word itself is highly evocative, and if we make associations to it, the associations will “weave a pattern of words and images that range from magic and mystery to wisdom, heritage, stability, and continuity. The practical reason for following the Druid way today lies in the fact that we can contact the potencies hidden behind these words and use them for the benefit of ourselves and others.”
John Michael Greer in his book The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (2006:x) says that Druidry is different in that it does not pretend to have all of the answers to life but rather it starts with asking the question. Greer tells us that contemporary followers of Druidry have managed to find inspiration and guidance in the teachings and have realized that “to a great extent, a spirituality that works is one that is made rather than simply found.”
In his book Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (2002:7), Philip Carr-Gomm asserts that Druidry focuses on a love of the land, the earth, and the wild; a love of peace, beauty, justice, story and myth, history, and reverence for one’s ancestors. Additionally, Druidry inspires a deeply felt love of truth, of oneself, of each other, and of all of life. One may be called to the path because of one’s Celtic ancestry, or because one simply hears the call from the Otherworld whispering in one’s ear. He notes that “Druidry is rooted in the imagery and inspiration of the natural world – it speaks of the mystery of life itself as it shows itself in the windswept sky, the gnarled oak, the sparkling wave” (2002:10).
Alienation
Druidry can help us heal our alienation from the world and the land. Traditional earth based religions help us rediscover our connection with the world around us. Carr-Gomm, in The Druid Way (1993:10) says that the revealed religions such as Christianity place their source of inspiration within one person such as Jesus, and truth is based on the message alone. With earth-based religions however, we learn that the prime source of inspiration is Mother Earth herself. There is no dogma to defend, to kill, or to die protecting. Instead, we are offered the grandeur and simplicity of nature to guide us and inspire us. We build upon tradition, we synthesize, and we unite all that we know into an inclusive whole. Car Gomm says, “The Druid tradition is first and foremost a tradition of the land. It is an earth religion. It requires a listening to the earth. However, it is also a wisdom tradition, and as such carries a heritage of written material.” If we can incorporate the centuries of learning with the relationship to nature and the land, then we have the best of both worlds.
Emma Restall Orr, in her book Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul (2004) tells us that Druidry today is a personal spiritual path that does not require a medium or representative to connect us to deity. A Druid today will help others walk their own Druid path with confidence and respect. Each Druid is his or her own priest and needs no intersession. Druidry also does not ask us to accept anything based on faith, but rather one learns to trust one’s own experience. Druidry is a perspective on the world that holds no dogma, liturgy, or authority outside the individual’s own experience. For this reason, it appeals to the philosopher and the mystic alike.
Environmental Consciousness
Brendan Cathbad Myers in his book The Mysteries of Druidry (2006) tells us that Druidry can fill a need for environmental consciousness that is so important to day. Druidry is a spirituality of tribe and family, of personal empowerment, and of social justice. It connects us to a spirituality that dwells in the land, sea, and sky, and it celebrates a love of the land rather than a rulership or mastery over it. In this way environmental consciousness and protection of our resources is inherently important to today’s Druids, and in fact, many make environmental issues their primary work or area of service.
Druidry offers a connection to all of life and helps us discover our part in this web of creation. It provides practices and rituals that can put us back in touch with nature. It uses holistic healing ways to promote health, and it supports the concept of a life journey with rites and rituals to mark the seasons and passages. Druidry’s practices open us to altered states of consciousness and to different ways of knowing and experiencing life. It also develops our potential by helping us grow, and it assists us to manifest our greatest goals and desires. Finally, it puts us in touch with magic that can open us to the experience of feeling totally alive.
A Focus on Wholeness
One tenet that sets Druidry and other nature based religions apart from the Book or traditional religions of today is its emphasis on wholeness rather than perfection. Druidry opens us to a spirituality that follows a depth psychology approach to spirituality and myth. Philip Carr-Gomm states it succinctly in his book In the Grove of the Druids (2002:19) that “The esoteric and occult world was dominated by dualism until very recently (and still is, in many areas). This dualism suggests that the spiritual quest is for perfection, and that it involves a struggle to follow the spiritual aspirations of the ‘higher self’, by freeing oneself from the earthly demands of the ‘lower self’.” Carr-Gomm suggests that the nature religions such as Druidry do not pit the higher self against the lower self in a fight for perfection, but rather, in the terms of C. G. Jung, they attempt to bring the higher and lower self together in wholeness and integration. Rather than splitting apart, they unite. This is an entirely different and highly important focus, which shifts our spiritual goal from perfection to wholeness. We integrate rather than try to transcend. We celebrate our life on earth and we aspire to an experience of nature and the natural mysteries of life, rather than setting ourselves apart from them.
Druidry today is a living tradition that changes to reflect the changes in the world, however, the experiential teachings that promote a connection to nature remain the same. We establish our roots and draw upon the heritage of the past but we also seek an experience in the present moment, and we attempt to merge the two. Druidry is a spirituality that is constantly evolving, and there are many ways to follow and experience its mysteries.
Druid Grades or Levels
Most organizations break the study of Druidry into the Bard, Ovate, and Druid levels, although this is not true of all groups. For example, ADF uses only the Druid category in its workings. According to Graham Talboys in his book Way of the Druid: The Renaissance of a Celtic Religion and its Relevance for Today (2005), both Caesar and Strabo note that the intellectual class of Celts fell into three general categories, which included the Bards, Vates, and Druids. The Bards were singers and poets, the Vates were natural philosophers and interpreters of sacrifice, and the Druids studied moral philosophy. We do not know whether these classes represented a progression of learning or whether they were distinct within themselves. In other words did one first become a Bard then progress to Ovate and Druid, or did one choose one of the classes and remain within it? Today’s Druid groups generally interpret the ancient classes or grades as a progression of learning, and they structure their study accordingly. We can see from the overview that Bards are the seekers of inspiration, Ovates are those interested in divination and occult practices, and Druids are mainly the philosophers, seekers of truth, and wisdom keepers.
Bards
In his book, The Elements of the Druid Tradition, (1991), Philip Carr-Gomm asserts that the Bards were the first level of training for the apprentice Druid, and they were the keepers of tradition. Bards were also custodians of the sacredness of “The Word.” Over the course of their apprenticeship, they had to learn more than 350 stories and be able to recite these stories to their tribe. Stories would include the mythology of the tribe, the ancestry of its members, and the recounts of famous battles and heroes. Much of the lore and mythology still exists today because of the oral tradition passed down by the Bards. Indeed, Bards and Bardic training continued to flourish in Ireland up until the 18th century.
In his book, Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (2002), Carr-Gomm tells us that records from the western Highlands and Ireland revealed that sensory deprivation was the basic technique used to teach the Bards. They spent time in total darkness seeking inspiration, known as Awen or Imbas, and it is here that they incubated their poems. Awen is the Welsh word, and Imbas is the Irish word for the flowing spirit or divine inspiration that was the gift of the Bards. Awen, as defined by the Druid Network at http://druidnetwork.org/beliefs/definitions, is the “exquisite power of sacred relationship, the power that floods through the body and soul when spirit touches spirit, life is acknowledged, a moment's experience shared, divine energy exchanged. Awen is the focus of the deep inner quest; it is what we all seek as we stumble through life, that which brings us wisdom, clarity, freedom, ecstasy, the joy of being alive, simply being, peaceful, presence. It is fire in the head, poetic frenzy, lust for breath, complete purpose in perfect serenity.”
We can imagine that meditation was a strong component in Bardic training. Erynn Rowan Laurie, in her article The Preserving Shrine (2003), tells us that the ancient art or technique of imbas forosnai required a Bard to isolate himself in darkness, which created a state of sensory deprivation and allowed an intense contact with the inner world. In the ancient past, the Bard would go into a cave or other dark isolated environment and incubate the wisdom that came forth in poetry and song. Many of the great historical works of the Celtic past talk of the incubation chambers where this initiation took place. Taliesin, which means “radiant brow,” spent a year encapsulated in a crane bag or leather pouch before he was born as the great mystical poet and Bard who possessed wisdom and spiritual insight. We could liken this to sensory deprivation tanks that are used today.
Phillip Shallcrass in his article The Bardic Tradition and the Song of the Land (2003:59), tells us that the Bard “ was expected to be able to recite the legends attached to any standing stone, sacred tree, burial mound prominent ridge, or other feature of the landscape, whether natural or artificial, which lay within the bounds of the tribal homeland.” In this way, the Bards told the Songs of the Land, and showed their tribal reverence for nature.
Bards were masters of both history and inspiration. In the Bardic grade today, most groups provide material to help the individual develop his or her creative self. Today’s Bard also focuses on the historic pass and reconnects to ancestors and the world of nature. As a Bard, one learns to dip into mythology, heritage, and stories of old. The OBOD website at http://www.druidry.org explains that the Bardic grade or level of their organization is designed to awaken one’s inherent creativity. Bards learn to “sing the song of our soul.” As modern day Bards, we go to the “Well of Insight” to access the wisdom that the ancient Druids plumbed, and we do our own modern day plumbing to connect to the ancient knowledge and wisdom that exists within.
Ovates
The Ovate moves into a different realm of study and becomes the master of death and rebirth symbolized by the shaman of other cultures. Ovates were the masters of prophecy and divination, and they were skilled in reading omens and divining auguries from nature. They were also able to visit the realm of the ancestors and bring back wisdom and information that would assist their tribe. One of the most important roles of the ancient Druids was predicting the future and interpreting the will of the gods. The classical writers tell us that this was done by observation of natural phenomena and animal behavior and by human sacrifice. Miranda Green, in her book The World of the Druids (1997) notes that this ability to predict the future gave the Druids tremendous power and influence in their communities.
Sutton and Mann, in their book Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001) tell us that divination represents non-ordinary ways of knowing, and it is more about knowing what is hidden in the present rather than about predicting the future. Druids today use different forms of divination that foretell hidden secrets in nature. The Ovate works with trees, herbs, and the powers of nature to learn the gift of healing, divination, and the forces of light, dark, and transformation. Today, Druids of the Ovate grade may use many different forms of divination including the Tarot, Ogham, and Runes. An Ovate may also use prophecy and second sight as do clairvoyants, seers, and prophets. Prophecy and second sight can help one to divine the future or know things at a distance. Precognitive dreams, astrology, trance, and meditation are used to help promote second sight, and Druids will often travel to the Otherworld to gain knowledge not readily available in this world.
People with Second Sight communicate with races in the Otherworld including the ancestors and the sidhe or little people of Irish mythology. Ovates also practice herbal lore and healing in its many forms. These may take such modern-day forms as therapeutic touch or Reiki. The OBOD website at http://www.druidry.org tells us that the purpose of the Ovate grade or level is to help us awaken the wild person within and to ignite the fire in our souls that connects with the spirits of nature. They consider this our “inner shaman or healer” who can “unite instinct with intuition” to access the inner mysteries.
Druids
The Druid is often thought of as the priest, but more accurately they could be termed the philosophers and judges and the wise ones who understood the balance and maturity needed to arbitrate laws and bring justice to the people. They are also the teachers of their people and advisers to Kings and Queens. They acted as scientists, alchemists, and sages and were the magi or wizards of the tribe.
Peter Berresford Ellis, in his book The Druids, (1994) tells us that Druids were always described as moral philosophers. Diogenes Laertus, an ancient biographer, asserted that the Druids believed that people should worship the gods, do no evil, and exercise courage. This brief statement is an example of what is called a Welsh Triad. It represents a statement of belief that incorporates the power of three and the power of the Word, together in a pithy wisdom statement. It was one of the methods the Druids utilized in order to remember and impart their wisdom.
Truth was one of the Druid’s basic tenets. Ellis tells us that the Irish word for truth also means holiness, faithfulness, righteousness, and above all justice. The Druids were the judges of the tribe. When they performed this service, their judgment had to be based on a proven maxim or a just reason. One agreement among all classical writers is that the Druids were admired for their sincerity of beliefs and their teachings, and that they were considered both moral and just men.
Today As we study the Druid grade, we seek our own inner sage who can help us find inner wisdom. The OBOD website at http://www.druidry.org tells us that the purpose of the Druid grade or level is to awaken this inner sage or wise person within, the still small voice that can “offer counsel, but is often not heard or heeded at all.”
The Magical Practices of Druidry
John Michael Greer in his book The Druidry Handbook; Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (2006:39) tells us that three main themes run through the strands of Druidry today, and these form the basis of a Druids’ personal path. These include a deep reverence for the land, a dedication to personal spiritual development, and the use of ritual in one’s life. Notably absent from these themes is any set of beliefs or restrictions that one must follow. Freedom of thought and action are an important part of the Druid tradition. Indeed, the RDNA, founded in the 1960’s, created two basic tenets that explain their entire Druid practice. These tenets are, (1) nature is good, and (2) likewise, nature is good. John Michael Greer notes, “It would be hard to sum up the central theme of the Druid revival more succinctly.”
Druidry also includes many mysterious occult or metaphysical practices that are handed down to us from ancient times. These practices can still be used today to open us to hidden and magical worlds. Brendan Cathbad Myers in The Mysteries of Druidry (2006) discusses his summation of nine distinct Druid mysteries and practices that flow from the ancient Druid teachings. Each of these practices helps reveal the heart and soul of Druidry, and they can be used today to enrich and enliven our lives.
Shapeshifting
The first of these mysteries is the practice of shapeshifting or fith fath. This is the art of transforming oneself into other forms or beings. Myers posits that Britain, Ireland, and Wales provide the perfect natural atmosphere for this practice, because they are full of mists, bogs and other mysterious natural settings. Fith fath is described in Celtic myth as a magical skill that was performed by the immortal deities as well as the Druids. The Tuatha De Danann hid their comings and goings by use of this skill, and Druids were known to use magic to raise the fog in order to contact the inhabitants of the Otherworld. Myers notes that fith fath was actually one of the known professional responsibilities of the ancient Druids. He reframes this skill to include a current-day interpretation, and he proposes that the mist is equivalent to the Hindu principle of Maya or illusion. He equates the two based on mythic Celtic references that allude to the space between worlds or threshold places where the individual steps from the real world into the mystical world. Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrated around Halloween, is such a threshold place where time ceases to exist. Another is the threshold of the doorway into the home, because it represents movement or transition from one world to another and provides a boundary that divides worlds. The Celts buried gifts at the doorway or threshold to their homes to ensure protection and good luck.
Shapeshifting is a Celtic art that is demonstrated in such stories as the Tale of Taliesin, the Bard who changed into a hare, a salmon, a bird, and a kernel of grain to elude the goddess Ceridwen. This famous tale demonstrates the art of transforming oneself, and it represents the initiation into the mysteries and practices of the Bard. Shapeshifting is also demonstrated in T. H. White’s The Once and Future King (1987), when Merlin shapeshifts the young Wart into different animals so that he can experience first-hand the elements of earth, sea, and sky. Shapeshifting is found in many of the ancient Celtic tales, and, in some ways, it is what we do when we practice empathy. We step into another’s shoes and see the world from another’s perspective.
Shapeshifting Druid style can be likened to the magickal act of the shamanic journey, where we connect to the Earth and all her creatures. Through shamanic journeying, we may find our wild side, our passion, and our creativity. As we learn to see the world through the eyes of the deer, rabbit, tree, pond, and other forces of nature, we also begin to understand how our acts significantly affect others and nature herself. We become more conscious of personal patterns that do not serve us. By meditating on the act of viewing the world through the eyes of others, we can change our own consciousness and develop a new appreciation and compassion for all of life. We speak directly with the trees, rocks, rivers, clouds, moon, sun, and sky. We communicate with nature and hear the whisper of her voice as she shares her secrets. Who has not sat in front of a setting sun and marveled at the wondrous beauty and color of the sky? We can take moments such as these to appreciate the beauty and the majesty of life and the world around us.
Land, Sea, and Sky
The second element noted by Myers is the connection to the land, sea, and sky. He tells us that this is revealed in the Irish word flaith, which means sovereignty. The principle of flaith represents the magical connection of the ruler or King to the land. Kings were chosen through magical means, and were thought to be fulfilling a destiny. In Ireland on the Hill of Tara, rests a stone called the Stone of Destiny, which is said to roar three times when the future king stands on it. In the story of King Arthur, Wart must pull the sword from the stone in order to prove that he is the rightful heir to the throne. These stories represent the magical means by which rulers were chosen, and they show the magical connection of the ruler to the land and tribe.
The King was the mediating force between the tribe and the land, and he assured the survival of his people. One of the tenets of medieval tradition was that if the King was healthy then the land was healthy, and if the King was sick then the land became sick. This tenet demonstrates the mystical connection that was thought to exist between the people and the earth. Many ancient myths recount stories of the deposition of the King when he was found to have a blemish. A blemish could be considered either a physical blemish or a blemish of character. This principle is called the Hiros Gamos or Great Marriage.
Another aspect of the connection to land, sea, and sky is the worship or reverence of sacred places and sites. John King in his book The Celtic Druids’ Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts (1994) tells us that The Celts believed that geographical features such as mountains, springs, wells, and trees were inhabited by different deities, which are referred to as the Spirits of Place. Druids acknowledge the spirits that reside in such sacred places. Other cultures, such as the Phoenicians and Greeks, shared this belief and worshiped in the open air and in groves of trees.
Miranda Green, in her book The World of the Druids (1997) tells us that these holy places were all considered numinous or possessed of spirit. Much of our archaeological knowledge about the Druids is due to the number of personal items and artifacts that were thrown into sacred lakes or buried at sacred sites. Examples of such sites include Llyn Fawr, a natural lake in South Wales, and La Tène on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland. The sacred spring at Bath in southwest England was also probably a holy location of the Druids. It was later appropriated by the Romans who then built a great religious complex over it. Even today, many springs and locations across England, Ireland, and Wales are considered sacred and are believed to have curative powers.
John King in his book The Celtic Druids’ Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts (1994) tells us that Nemeton is a Greek word used by the classical writers to describe a sacred grove, which is usually defined or demarcated by a circular clearing in a forest of trees. Frank MacEowen, in his article Nemeton: Healing the Common Wound and the Re-enchantment of Everyday Life, (2003:133) tells us that the word Nemeton is also an ancient Celtic term related linguistically to the Irish words nemed and fidnemed. Its Latin and Greek roots are nemus and temenos. The meaning is consistent throughout, and Nemeton can be translated as referring to a sacred grove of trees that is used as a holy site for meditation and ceremony.
MacEowen invites us to go beyond Nemeton’s linguistic reference, however, and enter into the deeper feeling tone of the word. This feeling connects us to an appreciation of a “sacred place, a holy site which nourishes and replenishes the soul, offering both refuge and renewal through communion with nature and the divine.” The principle of Nemeton asks us to connect with the sacred and holy aspect of nature in order to heal ourselves and fill us with the divine energy. It could be viewed as an attitude of ‘presence’ in the moment of ‘now’ and a connection to ‘all that is.’ Through Nemeton, we can heal our sense of alienation and purposeless that is so prevalent in our modern world.
Today, worship and celebration of land, sea, and sky can be viewed as a form of land ethic or environmentalism. We create a magical connection to the environment and we develop a symbiosis with it. We take responsibility for protecting and caring for it, and in turn, it cares for us by providing what we need to survive. This principle is at the heart of the Druid practice.
The Triskele
The next mystery, according to Brendan Cathbad Myers in his book, The Mysteries of Druidry (2006) is the magical meaning and connection to the number three. Numbers were once considered to have magical meanings, as can be seen in the writings of Pythagoras. The number ‘three’ possesses an underlying magical principle that many cultures recognize and acknowledge. Myers notes that, in the Celtic culture, the number three represents the three worlds of heaven, earth, and the underworld. Iolo Morganwg named these three realms Annwn, the Underworld; Abred, the physical or terrestrial realm; and Gwynfyd, the celestial realm of spirits and divinities. This division of the cosmos into three distinct realms is a common theme across cultures.
Celtic archaeological evidence reveals the prevalence of the triskele symbol, which is an artistic rendering of three interconnected spirals. This drawing or symbol must have represented tremendous symbolic importance to the Celts, because we find it on their jewelry and pottery. We also see this symbol carved at locations such as Newgrange in Ireland, which is an underground structure that may have served as some type of ritual chamber. Newgrange is constructed in such a manner that on the day of the winter solstice, the sun’s angle in the sky causes the sun’s light to reach deep into the inner chamber for a total of seventeen minutes. This happens on no other day of the year. At this point in time, Myers says, “Time itself is renewed, and life is empowered to continue by the increasing energy of the sun (2006:70).” On the day of the winter solstice, the underworld of the inner chamber unites with the newborn sun to create the rebirth of the year.
Newgrange was presumably constructed to acknowledge and revere this time of the year, and we find the triskele etched on many of the exterior and interior stones. A picture of a triskele drawn on a stone at Newgrange is shown in Appendix 2, Illustration A. Today, Druids honor the sacred number three in the creation of the Druid ‘triads’ or pithy wisdom sayings, in their use of correspondences, and in their magical spells and workings.
Four Quarters
The next mystery noted by Myers connects us to the magical principle of the number ‘four’ and represents the mystery of the four quarters. The Celtic cross is a symbolic representation of this magical number and depicts a circle dissected by two lines and cut into four equal parts. This symbol stands for any number of correspondences, including the four seasons, the solstices and equinoxes, the four directions, and the four phases of the moon. Myers notes that the Newgrange inner chamber forms such a cross by the juxtaposition of the entryway, the main chamber, and the three smaller recessed chambers that surround it. For a diagram of this inner layout, please see Appendix 2, Illustration B. We must remember that Newgrange is older than the pyramids of Egypt, and was probably built around 3200 BCE, long before Christianity used this symbol in its traditions.
The understanding of the power of this symbol is a very ancient phenomenon and is seen in many ancient cultures. It is therefore probably an expression of an archetype or symbol in collective consciousness. We see it in the four humors, the four elementals, the four directions, the four corners of the medicine wheel, and the fourfold mandala, among others. We also see it throughout nature in the shape of four-legged animals. Today, Druids honor the number four in their numerous uses of correspondences, the four seasons, and the four stages of the moon.
The Center of the Mandala
The next mystery, according to Myers, is the center point of the mandala that is formed by the four intersecting sections. This symbolic center is represented in Celtic myth as the Sacred Well or Cauldron of Wisdom. One can see this representation in the Celtic cross where the two arms of the cross meet at a central point. It is also symbolized in the labyrinth where one walks to the center and back out again, and in the act of circumambulation where one walks in a circle around a central holy site that contains religious or political significance, such as the Hill of Tara or the Hill of Uisneach in Ireland.
The center is an archetypal image that provokes and embodies many symbolic meanings. It is a place of stillness where all movement ceases. It is a focal point of order or oneness where chaos ends and begins. It is the mystical union of the individual with all of existence. Many center stones exist in the Celtic world, and the symbol of the center is etched deeply into our collective consciousness. A Celtic artistic rendering of the center’s symbolism is shown in Illustrations C and D in the appendix.
The Hero
Myers tells us that the sixth Druid mystery encompasses the image of the hero in mythic lore. Many of the tales and myths that surround the Celtic people tell us the story of the Hero’s Journey. One need only think of the Knights of the Roundtable in their quest for the Holy Grail. This hero myth exists in all world cultures and mythologies. It describes the rites of passage found in primitive cultures, and it forms the essential ingredient of all life transitions and transformations, such as movement from childhood to adulthood or from adult to elder. Joseph Campbell describes the Hero’s Journey as consisting of the three stages of separation, initiation, and return.
The Celts were a warring tribe, full of fierce and honored heroes, and tales of the Hero’s Journey abound. This journey provides not only a story of the rite of passage but also of initiation and change, and it helps explain the mysteries of life and one’s special place within life. Druids today can use the tales of the mythic Hero and the Hero’s Journey to illuminate the stages of initiation, change, and transformation that we all pass through many times in our own lives.
Draiocht
Draiocht is the Irish word for magic. It could literally be translated as what Druids do. Myers calls draíocht or magic the seventh mystery of Druidry. The Irish word, draoi that is derived from draíocht, is sometimes translated as ‘Druid,’ and it refers to someone who is magical or who practices magic. In his book, The Mysteries of Druidry (2006:78), Myers says that magic is the belief that certain extraordinary effects can be realized by the “use of immaterial, mysterious forces which everyone, or almost everyone, has a hidden ability to sense and to control.”
Sutton and Mann in their book Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001:17) also describe draíocht to mean magic or enchantment. They say that magic refers to “actions, thoughts, intentions, and energies that cause transformation or change through a knowledge of all aspects of nature.” This implies that magic is intentional and that it works with the natural world to create change.
People can use magic to gain control over the elements of their lives. This could be practical control such as affecting daily weather conditions through rain dances or cloud busting, or it can refer to casting a spell for magical purposes. Additionally, it could represent deeper spiritual control where one attempts to challenge the limits of consciousness in the experience of life. The pursuit of magic can also represent the search for deeper wisdom or sacred truth. The most powerful form of magic is the change that we create in ourselves through committing to, and following, a spiritual path. By doing so, we shape and change our own consciousness. We recognize that magic comes from the self, and to accomplish draíocht, we must create our intentions and goals from our own personal truth. We follow the perennial suggestion to “know oneself,” and in knowing ourselves, we come to know all of life.
Tir Na n-Og
In Irish, the name for the Otherworld is Tir Na n-Og, which means Land of Youth. Myers considers this the eighth Druid mystery. Julius Caesar noted that the Celts believed in rebirth into the Otherworld, and this belief gave the Celts their fearlessness in battle. The Celts were a highly warring tribe. Their warring nature is revealed in the stories, myths, and tales of the classical authors who describe the frightful Celts as men who rode their horses into battle. These brave men and women were described as often unclothed, painted, and screaming at the top of their lungs, uttering dreadful curses upon their enemies.
The Otherworld was as real to the Celts as their day-to-day existence. Tales of lore mention people who shift into animals and back again, and describe heads that talk after they are decapitated. One particular legend in the Mabinogion, http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/index.htm, tells the tale of Bran, the leader of a Celtic tribe. Bran ordered his men to strike off his head and carry it to the White Mountain in London. His men comply, and on the way, they have long discussions with Bran’s decapitated head. It continues to guide them and provide them with good company on their journey. John King tells us that the Celts believed that the soul resided in the head, and by taking the head of enemies, they captured the spirit and prevented it from emerging into the Otherworld. Druids were known to cut off the heads of their enemies and display them as trophies.
The Otherworld is free from the difficulties of mortality, including suffering, old age, and death. It is the place or realm where myth and mystery reside. It is the land of the ancestors and the gods such as the Tuatha De Danann, also known as the sidhe or little people, and the gnomes, fairies, and elves of mythic lore. Druids visit and experience this world to gain knowledge for the tribe. Sacred wells and caves are the boundaries between the mundane world and the Otherworld. Today, we can go there in shamanic visions and travels to gain wisdom from our ancestors and from other energy forms that may reside in this realm.
Metempsychosis
Metempsychosis is the Pythagorean word for the belief that souls transmigrate to other bodies upon death. Classical writers asserted that Druids believed in metempsychosis, and this belief gave them the courage they displayed in battle. Myers calls this the ninth Druid mystery.
John King in his book The Celtic Druids’ Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts (1994) mentions that Celtic warriors frequently agreed to pay small cash and other debts in the next world. The classical writers took this to mean that the Celts believed in life after death or transmigration of souls just as did Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher. We cannot be sure of the ancient viewpoint on these matters; however, evidence does indicate that the Celts subscribed to life after death. Gravesites often include materials such as weapons, clothing, and provisions that could be used on their journey into the afterlife.
The doctrine of metempsychosis leads John King to believe that the Druids were somehow linked with Pythagoras. Druids and proto-druids used Pythagorean mathematics in the construction of some of their sites and monuments. It could be true that the Druids and Pythagoras shared learning on these matters. Pythagoras lived around 530 BCE on the Greek island of Samos, during the time of the Druids. It is not impossible that some cross-cultural sharing occurred between the Greeks and the Celts, because trade and travel brought them into close proximity. These ideas may also have developed independently, as major ideas do. In any event the similarity between the philosophies of Pythagoras and the Druids is striking.
Some modern-day Druids believe that the ancient Celtic people originated in India and the East, and this is where they derived their belief in the afterlife. Indeed some of the gods and goddesses of the Celtic and Indian people, particularly the Goddess Danu, are the same or very similar in name. The Druids and Celts were an Aryan race, and they may indeed have originated from the same root race that moved into India and spread eastward. The Druid sense of justice and fair play sounds strikingly similar to the ideas of karma. This similarity is demonstrated in the Celtic word geis, which is a way of describing a forbidden action or predetermined fate. Each hero in myth was said to have his geis or forbidden act, and this act was often his downfall.
The Practices of Druidry
Today’s Druids are found in all corners of the globe and may be involved in other religious or spiritual traditions such as Christianity, Taoism, or Buddhism, among others. Alignment with Druidism does not preclude an interest or involvement in other teachings. Druids do hold certain similar beliefs however. Philip Carr-Gomm in his book, Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century, (2002) tells us that Druids generally view their path as a philosophy, a way of life, or a spiritual tradition. They are not a book religion, and they have no written beliefs, or sacred texts. They also cherish the earth and consider themselves to be following a nature path. Rather than believing in a transcendent God who lives outside the world, they focus on the immanent force of spirit in all things. They celebrate life and connect to a sensuous and experiential enjoyment of the goodness of life. This is quite different from other paths where followers endure life on earth in order to transcend the rigors of living and receive their reward after death.
Is Druidry a religion? Different people have different attitudes regarding this question, however most of the current day organizations profess that indeed, they are practicing a religion called Druidry or Druidism. They train Druid clergy to perform rituals and rites that any religion would provide to its people. Religion is usually defined as the outer form of an inner spirituality. The outer form or ritual is created and serves to lead the individual to the inner numinous experience. In this sense, Druidry is both a religion and a spiritual path, because it combines the outer ritual act or rite with the inner mystical experience to bring about a connection to the divine force.
Today when speaking of the religion of the modern day Druid, many variations can be found, including animism, monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, and panentheism. It is up to the individual to determine how he or she defines and worships any form of god, goddess, or spirit. No underlying principle or understanding of spirit dominates all Druid groups, other than the recognition that nature is the source of life. Some groups use a combination of gods and goddesses, ancestors, and spirits of the land as their source of worship and inspiration. The ADF for example, accepts any pantheon of Indo-European origin, and the RDNA and AODA accept all gods and goddesses, including Christian, Jewish, and oriental deities. Membership in certain Druid groups today may sometimes define the deity worshiped or revered, because the particular group practice will pay tribute to a certain god or goddess. For example, the Order of the White Oak centers its practice on a tribute to Brighid.
The religion or spirituality of Druidry today consists of a combination of rituals and ceremonies that celebrate the circles of life, the seasons, life passages, and astrological symbolism such as the moon cycles. The moral aspect of the religion can be defined as a reverence for nature, the ethical belief in truth, and the sense of justice and fair play. The ancient Druids, and the Celts in general, were a very individualistic group of people, and they firmly believed in the rights of the individual. Today this also holds true in modern Druid groups, because most groups lack any firm rules, regulations, or belief systems that one must adhere to in order to belong to their organization. This sense of individuality creates a unique opportunity because one may call oneself a Druid and construct a personal spiritual path without having to believe or devote oneself to any predefined principle or obligation. Druidry is a uniquely individual path, and many solitary Druids exist who belong to no group and have no particular affiliation with any group today.
Rituals and Ceremonies
John King in his book The Celtic Druids’ Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts (1994) calls Druids and Druidism a primitive religion. By this, he means that its precepts spring from an intimate connection with the rhythms of the natural world and the agricultural cycles. In this way, Druidry is very much like other primitive or early religions, because it is based on astrology, astronomy, and the seasonal changes that allowed people to predict the weather. This knowledge of cycles and seasons was instrumental to the tribe’s survival. It told them the best possible times to plant, harvest, and drive their cattle to pasture.
Druids, celebrated the seasons, cycles, and spirals of life, and they were the members of the tribe who were knowledgeable in astrology. Belief in the spirals of life is clearly depicted in Celtic artwork and jewelry, and in the three spirals or Trieske shown in appendix two, illustration A. Most primitive religions were connected in this way to the earth, sky, and cycles of life. Other agricultural tribes such as the Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Greeks also used astrology to mark the years and seasons. The wise men in the tribe needed to be learned in the astrological arts so that they could follow the progression of the cosmos and use this wisdom for tribal survival.
The Druids celebrated the solar festivals, which include the festivals connected to the solstices and equinoxes. We can see this in the construction of sites such as Stonehenge and Newgrange, which respectively align with the summer and winter solstices. Today, Druids celebrate the festival of the spring equinox, Alban Eilir; the festival of the summer solstice, Alban Hefin; the festival of the autumn equinox, Alban Elfed; and the festival of the winter solstice, Alban Arthan. These are four of the eight traditional ceremonies that most pagan groups celebrate today. Many Druids also celebrate the lunar or fire festivals including Imbolc which occurs midwinter or in February, Beltaine which occurs on the first of May, Lughnasadh which occurs at the beginning of the fall season in August, and Samhain which occurs around Halloween.
We know that the Druids marked and celebrated these important times of the year, because archaeologists have located an ancient Gaulish bronze tablet in Coligny, France, known as the Coligny calendar. This calendar dates from the first century B.C., and it appears to be a timetable of farming rituals and celebrations used by the Celts to mark the seasons. The Coligny calendar is engraved with a list of 62 lunar months and 2 intercalary months. The language is Gaulish, but the lettering is Roman. Each month is divided in half, and the waxing moon is labeled as positive, while the waning moon is labeled as negative. The calendar is also reckoned by nights instead of days. It may represent an intermediary stage of Roman influence that occurred after the Romans had moved into Gaul. Miranda Green tells us in her book The World of the Druids (1997) that the Druids were probably involved in drawing up these calendars just as priests of other cultures kept similar timing schedules for their people.
The gods, ancestors, and spirits
Gods and goddesses of the Celts hearken back to a connection with animals and nature spirits, just as did the Egyptian gods and goddesses. Indeed most ancient cultures connected their gods, goddesses, and other divine or heroic beings with animals, trees, sacred wells, and spiritual locations, that hold power and inspiration for the people. Cernunnos, the Celtic Stag God, is found on many of the Celtic archaeological remains including the famous Gundestrup Calderon, which is pictured in Appendix 2, Illustration E and F. Celtic shapeshifting into animals may be an aspect of this type of worship or reverence.
The Celts left no written record of their religious past; however, archaeological evidence and ancient writers provide us with a tantalizing view of the way that the Celts may have perceived their gods. Fragmentary evidence from statues and other archaeological findings reveals that there may have been over 300 names of gods and goddesses throughout Celtic Europe. Many of these were local and specific to an area, which means that the god or goddess was probably specific to a particular tribe. Some are more widespread and may have represented original gods and goddesses that were brought with the Celts as they migrated across Europe.
Peter Berresford Ellis in his book The Druids, (1994) tells us that Julius Caesar describes the Celtic gods as ancestral rather than creational. In other words, he notes that the ancient Celts believed that their gods fathered the tribes rather than created them. This is apparent in such Celtic myths as the story of Danu and her children the Tuatha Dé Danaan. Danu is viewed as a mother goddess, and her children were the people who invaded and settled Ireland. The Celts considered themselves children or descendants of this mother goddess. Celtic gods and goddesses were living breathing beings who gave birth to the people, much like the mythological gods and goddesses of other ancient civilizations.
The gods and goddesses of the Celtic world were not viewed as perfect beings. Rather, they were believed to have very human characteristics as well as frailties much like the mythic figures of Greece and Rome. This is why it was so easy for Caesar to equate the gods and goddesses of the Celts with their Roman counterparts. He renamed the Celtic gods with Roman equivalents and noted that their primary gods were Mercury, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, and Minerva. He also noted that the Celts believed they were descended from the god Dispater, their progenitor. The study of the Celtic gods and goddesses provides a fascinating account of the history of the Celtic people, because they reveal a vast part of the rich Celtic mythology.
The religion of the Druids is mixed with an understanding of their mythology. Since the gods were often seen as ancestors, it is difficult to know whether a god or goddess actually existed in human form as a person who once walked the earth. Many of the recorded battles in the mythology of the Celts include stories of one tribe of people overcoming another. One of the most famous tales in Irish mythology describes the different races of people who settled the land of Ireland. The most famous is the story of the Tuatha De Danann, or tribe of Danu.
Miranda Green, in her book The World of the Druids, (1997) tells us that the Druids and Celts also believed in what is known as the Spirits of Place. Each place or sacred site possessed its own spirit, god, goddess, or divine power that was intimately connected to the place. These include the sacred wells, springs, or groves of trees that have been referenced in this thesis. One could visit these places and converse with the Spirits who inhabited the place and ask for blessings or healings. This type of belief is called animism, which means that the god or goddess that inhabits the place is not simply a metaphor for the energy; rather he or she ‘is’ the energy and ‘embodies’ the energy or quality. We find this idea expressed in many primitive cultures, and it is the cornerstone of Druid practices today.
Many people from all religious groups and beliefs still visit holy places or shrines. This practice stems from an archetypal awareness of the spirits that pervade the holy sites. Many wells and shrines across Britain are still dedicated to the memory of Saint Brigit who was a nun named after the goddess Brigit of the Celtic people. It is possible that the two have become merged in the consciousness of the people. The belief in the sacredness of certain sites and places is the impetus behind pilgrimages to holy lands and places. In Ireland, Christians still tie ribbons and handkerchiefs onto trees when they ask for the blessings of Spirits and Saints.
Sacred wells and water locations have been found to hold many artifacts that were offered to the Spirits of Place, and they were most likely given as gifts when asking for prayers or healing from the spirits that were thought to inhabit these places. Green states (1997:29) that “the pagan Celts perceived the presence of supernatural power as integral to their world. The sky, the sun, the dark places underground all had their spirits. Every mountain, river, spring, marsh, tree, and rocky outcrop was endowed with divinity.” It was the role of the Druid to connect the tribe to these Spirits of Place.
Connection to Ancestral Spirits and Spirits of Place necessitates a meditative practice and a reverential attitude toward life. In her book Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul (2004), Emma Restall Orr tells us that the practice of Druidry teaches a different kind of meditation than we might be familiar with from other traditions. The Druid meditation is simply the craft of listening. Rather than stilling the mind to empty it, we open the mind with curiosity and try to connect to the wonders of the world. We become curious and fully attentive to the experience of nature, and we listen with our entire being to the song of the sea, the sound of the fire, and the whispering of the trees in the wind. We listen for the voice of the Lady of the Lake or the Goddess as she whispers her mysteries to us. We meditate with a pebble, an apple, or a single flower. By using this method, we hear the ancient wisdom that will come in our silent interaction. We become fully present, and we restore body and soul through quiet communion.
As Druids, we also listen to the ancestral songs, and we find the history and the continuity of all of humanity that flows in our veins and our hearts. Many references in medieval literature refer to conversations with ancestors who have lived before. The festival of Samhain is the time of year where we pay tribute to our ancestors and connect with their spirits. It is held at a time when the veil between the living and the dead is said to become very thin or even disappear entirely. This allows our ancestors to walk the earth among us. Communion with ancestors provides us with their knowledge of the past and wisdom that can only come from a personal experience of the Otherworld. One of the major duties of the Bardic poets and storytellers was to keep the memory of ancestors fresh and alive in the stories and recounts of battles and brave heroics acts. The ancestors could act as guides and see things that the living could not see. This image is succinctly played out in the Bardic productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth.
The Symbolism of the Ogham Alphabet
Although the Druids did not write down their teachings, they did use the Ogham alphabet to inscribe names on monuments or to establish territorial markers. Irish mythology tells us that the god, Ogma, invented this alphabet. Many Ogham inscriptions on monuments or slabs of stone are found across Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. An inscribed stone can be seen in Appendix 2, Illustration G.
This alphabet is constructed of perpendicular and angled lines that cross a baseline. Therefore, it is easy to produce on a piece of wood or stone. John Michael Greer in his book The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (2006) says that we do not know where this alphabet originates, but it has great value to the modern Druid because of its wealth of symbolism. Each letter or line is linked in old Irish lore with a tree, a bird, an agricultural tool, and other natural correspondences. In addition, we can add symbolism such as an animal or a gem or crystal. The Ogham can serve as a magical alphabet for both divination and ritual, and it can be reworked to suit the needs and experience of the individual. In mythology, Ogham is considered the alphabet used to write warnings and challenges to enemies as well as magical spells and incantations. Many Druids today consider the Ogham alphabet to have magical properties.
Robert Graves, a Druid and English poet, created an Ogham tree alphabet or calendar with thirteen trees representing the thirteen lunar months. This is a modern-day creation and exists nowhere else in historical references, yet the tree calendar provides a source of tree lore that has been adopted by many Druids today. A number of resources are available for study of the Ogham as a divinatory or ritual tool.
Tools and Implements of the Druid
Druids today may use a range of tools in their ceremonies and rituals. These include the Druid Wand, Staff, Cingulum, Druid Egg, Sickle, Robe, Crane Bag, and Ogham. When using these tools, one must recognize that they act as props or conduits for our own personal power. In this manner, today’s cell phone and palm pilot serve some of the same functions! Nevertheless, when one uses ancient tools, such as the wand or staff, the individual creates a connection to the past that helps enhance and increase the power of ceremony, ritual, and magical workings. Many excellent resources are available that describe how to create and use these implements of power, including Sutton and Mann’s Druid Magic: the Practice of Celtic Wisdom (2001).
Two other tools or implements are mentioned repeatedly in the ancient stories and Druid lore, and these include the Cauldron and the Holy Grail. The Caldron plays a central role in Taliesin the Bard’s initiation into Druidry, and the Grail plays a large part in the Arthurian lore because it was the focus for the symbolic quest of the Knights of the Roundtable. The Cauldron is a pre-Christian symbol, and the Grail is a post-Christian symbol. They are both rich in meaning and serve as healing and inspirational symbols that Druids can use today to enrich their practice.
Newgrange and Stonehenge
The Druids may have used sites such as Newgrange and Stonehenge, but they probably did not build them. They were built before the Celts and Druids arrived in this area of Europe. Medieval or Renaissance Druids, such as Aubrey and Stuckeley, attributed their construction to the Celts; however, these authors did not have access to our current scientific methods such as carbon dating. Today we know that construction of most of the large stone monuments happened approximately 1000 years before the ancient Druids were ever mentioned in history. We can probably assume however that the Druids and Celts used these sites for their own purposes. Indeed, many of the drawings or carvings of symbols such as the Triskele may have been added by the Druids. Isaac Bonewits in his book Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism (2006) tells us that archaeologists have found evidence that ritual activities took place at Stonehenge during the Iron Age, around 500 BC, which would mean that the Celts used Stonehenge even if they did not build it.
Today’s Major Groups
There are several ways that we can look to our historical past and religious practices and define their relevance today. One is by using a factual scientific approach, another is by using a mythical approach, and a third is by using a mystical or spiritual approach. Our interpretation and use of history will depend on which approach we take. Today’s major groups demonstrate this issue most clearly. Some books about Druidry and some Druid groups attempt to reconstruct Druidry from ancient written excerpts, linguistic similarities, and cultural artifacts. They attempt to be factual yet speculative about these sources and then recreate Druidry as a path or spirituality based on these discoveries. They live the path of Druidry in an objective way by resurrecting and reconstructing the past. Because the data is so sparse, this is a difficult task at best! These individuals are called the Celtic Reconstructionists who endeavor to remain true to the past.
Other groups attempt to take the spirit of the ancient findings and construct a living tradition that serves as spiritual sustenance for today’s world. In this light, the spiritual seeker understands that all spiritual traditions emanate from the One Source, and that the physical world unfolds from the spiritual world. These individuals tap into the spirit of Druidry as a part of the timeless stream of the One Eternal Source of Being. Individuals who take this approach may not know exactly how the Druids worshiped, how they lived, and what they believed, however they use myth and archetypal principles to construct a personal and meaningful path that connects the individual to basic Druidic themes. In this way, they create a modern tradition that unites the individual with these essential principles and practices. They expand and explore their creativity, occult and psychic abilities, and philosophical and spiritual lives.
Both paths are valid. Perhaps, the challenge of today’s Modern Druid is to find the perfect and unique balance of history and mystery, and use one’s personal creativity to construct a path that will inspire and stimulate the divine spark within. As Emma Restall Orr tells us in her book Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul, (2004:6) “Druidry is a spirituality that emerges and grows from a different foundation for each person, according to their own bloodline, family and community history. Diversity is integral to its nature, for it is integral to nature itself.”
Susan Reed, in her article, An Introduction to Modern Druid Groups (2004), notes that there are six prominent Druid groups today, and they each provide a unique way to practice the Druid path. They include the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), the British Druid Order (BDO), the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA), Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) and the Henge of Keltria. Each of these groups has internet presence as well as various local chapters or groves that meet in person. The Druid Network gives a list of these and many other popular Druid groups at http://www.druidnetwork.org/en/directory/index.html.
The OBOD was derived from an older group, the Ancient Druid Order, which was founded around 1717. Ross Nichols formed the OBOD around 1964 when he split from the Ancient Druid Order. Philip Carr-Gomm revived the OBOD around 1988 after Nichols’ death. Susan Reed notes that today the OBOD has over 7,000 members worldwide. It is a teaching order and offers lessons in each of the three levels of Druidry.
The BDO was founded by Philip Shallcrass in 1979 as a way to bring about or recreate a native British spirituality. It has gone through difficult times, but now it represents one of the better-known orders.
The AODA was historically the Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids, formed in 1874, which was more of a Masonic order of Druids. Around 1976, it separated from the Masonry and changed its name to the AODA. It went inactive, but John Michael Greer, present Archdruid, revitalized this order in 2003.
Students at Carleton College in Minnesota created the RDNA in 1963 when they objected to the College’s mandatory attendance policy for religious services. They created a religious group based on the ancient Druids as a way to protest this policy. The attendance policy was eventually withdrawn, but the group continued to exist because it provided a form of personal spiritual investigation that the students found meaningful. This order is still very active, and groves exist across the country today.
The ADF was formed in 1983 by Isaac Bonewits, former member of RDNA, as a way to forward his vision of what a Neo-pagan Druid group should be like. It is broadly based on Indo-European history. He promoted scholarly rigor and training in theology as a means to form a Druid clergy. The Henge of Keltria was created as a response to theological differences with the ADF and came into existence somewhere between 1985-7. The members of this group differ from the ADF, because they take a Celtic-centered rather than an Indo-European centered focus.
Each of these groups differs in approach. Reed tells us that three of the groups, OBOD, AODA, and RDNA, welcome members who also belong to other religions. They promote a form of Druidry that is a spiritual philosophy rather than a religion, and one need not be pagan to enjoy the aspects of these Druid paths. RDNA is unique in that it encourages people to question deeply the basis of their beliefs. The ADF and Henge of Keltria consider themselves a religion, and they provide a path to Druid Clergy status. AODA does as well, but it does not exclude members from incorporating other religious traditions into their Druid practice.
Some of these groups have more formal beliefs and mission statements that are a part of their order, and some are as simple as the RDNA, which hold their tenets, previously noted, that (1) Nature is good, and (2) likewise, nature is good. Some are more loosely structured than others are, and all groups offer internet membership as well as membership in local groves.
Druidry, as practiced today, offers us a unique opportunity to mystically commune with the archetypal energies of the ancient Druids and create a personal path that speaks to our soul. We can light within us the same passions and energies that the ancient Druids experienced, and we can incorporate the heart of the teachings into our personal practice and use them to further our own spiritual quest. In this way, we utilize the best of both worlds, ancient and modern, to enrich our lives.
Druidry offers a wo