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About Druidry
Well, for a writer on Druidry, my ‘Druid’ page has been sadly lacking so far: with such an enormous subject, where to start? And others have done it so well...
I’d refer any serious enquirers to the information pages on the OBOD website, as there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. But for browsers and ponderers, here are a few of own feelings about the modern Druid path:
Modern Druidry springs from the landscape; it is a deep, spiritual emanation from the land that informs our right way to act and interact with the world in this time, this terrain, this society.
As different plants thrive in different conditions, so we react and respond to the land we were born on, and to the land which we yearn to for spiritual sustenance. Sometimes, these lands are not the same, which means that Druidry is not a matter of race or nationality, but is accessible to all who feel drawn to its current.
The pointers we have in recreating a system of indigenous spirituality are threefold:
From the written commentaries - evaluating and choosing only what is in tune with modern ethics. And remembering always that history was written by the victors!
From archaeology and the insight it gives into the mindset of the ancestors
From folk wisdom and native myth and legend.
In my experience, these three strands of study will set your feet on the path of living Druidry.
And to try to answer the student's first question, 'What do Druids believe?' most Druids would agree that:
They access their spirituality through a direct first hand experience of nature
That the harmony of the ancient Druids is symbolically expressed well by following the eightfold festivals of the year
That every ‘person’ is sentient - tree people, rock people, cloud people et al. and all have their lessons to teach us. Respectful communication is possible - and desirable - with all.
‘Spirit sleeps in the stone, dreams in the plants, moves in the animals and wakes in man.’
That the Celtic belief of parallel existences is a strand of intuitive wisdom, which we can use to enrich our lives.
These are some general ideas to start with; there are specific shared beliefs that we can get on to later…Happy studying
Well, for a writer on Druidry, my ‘Druid’ page has been sadly lacking so far: with such an enormous subject, where to start? And others have done it so well...
I’d refer any serious enquirers to the information pages on the OBOD website, as there’s no point in reinventing the wheel. But for browsers and ponderers, here are a few of own feelings about the modern Druid path:
Modern Druidry springs from the landscape; it is a deep, spiritual emanation from the land that informs our right way to act and interact with the world in this time, this terrain, this society.
As different plants thrive in different conditions, so we react and respond to the land we were born on, and to the land which we yearn to for spiritual sustenance. Sometimes, these lands are not the same, which means that Druidry is not a matter of race or nationality, but is accessible to all who feel drawn to its current.
The pointers we have in recreating a system of indigenous spirituality are threefold:
From the written commentaries - evaluating and choosing only what is in tune with modern ethics. And remembering always that history was written by the victors!
From archaeology and the insight it gives into the mindset of the ancestors
From folk wisdom and native myth and legend.
In my experience, these three strands of study will set your feet on the path of living Druidry.
And to try to answer the student's first question, 'What do Druids believe?' most Druids would agree that:
They access their spirituality through a direct first hand experience of nature
That the harmony of the ancient Druids is symbolically expressed well by following the eightfold festivals of the year
That every ‘person’ is sentient - tree people, rock people, cloud people et al. and all have their lessons to teach us. Respectful communication is possible - and desirable - with all.
‘Spirit sleeps in the stone, dreams in the plants, moves in the animals and wakes in man.’
That the Celtic belief of parallel existences is a strand of intuitive wisdom, which we can use to enrich our lives.
These are some general ideas to start with; there are specific shared beliefs that we can get on to later…Happy studying
