Hi there,

This is a general question for the druids out there and I apologies in advance if this has been done to death already but I have done lots of searching on here and on the internet at large and I can't really seem to find much.

What is druidry all about and how do most of you druids do your thing on a day to day basis (I know about solstices and stuff but they are not that frequent . How would I go about it all if I were interested in joining up (if it is that type of path).

Sorry if it seems lazy but I have looked as best as I can - honest

Thanks

*looks round for Eagledance*

He's doing the OBOD courses and would be a good person to ask

You might want to read a book by Philip Carr-Gomm, or Emma Restall-Orr, or talk to someone from OBOD.

These days, Druids seem to have evolved into cannon-fodder eco-warriors.
I lean druidish, but although I know a few members of OBOD, it ain't for me.

Very very little is known about the Druids.

We do know that there was a secret language called ogham - and different people prounce it differently. Welsh-oriented people pronounce it "oyyam" which I find irritating. English people pronounce it "oggam" which I am prepared to put up with. English can't do a soft "g". If you read Robert Graves' book "The White Goddess" you'll know 90% of what is out there on ogham. It involves trees.

Brian and Caitlin Matthew (and she doesn't, but where I come from, Caitlin is pronounced "Kathleen") have translated a bunch of Gaelic literature. It's worth reading. Druids know their legends. Or they should.

There is some scant evidence that the Druids' idea of afterlife bore some resemblance to Buddhism. Not exactly, but what the hell.

I have an idea the Druids were into antiphonal singing, but that's only my opinion.

We know there were three ranks of Druids: Bards, Ovates and full Druids.
I'm sort of Bardic. I can play a few instruments, I'm well up in the legends, I've written a few songs. And I know Ogham.
Ovates were supposed to be into healing. If you could do the bardic stuff and heal as well, then you were a full druid (if the existing druids accepted you).

Most of the little we have on druids comes from the Romans. This is like going to the Nazi Party archives for information on Judaism.
"The Druids practiced Human Sacrifice".
Well, excuse me. If making your captives fight to the death in arenas in honour of the god Mars is NOT human sacrifice, then what is it?
Actually, the one example that sticks in my memory of Druidic sacrifice happened at the time the Romans had invaded and were busily chopping down sacred groves.
The sacrifice was himself a high-ranking druid, and seemed to be a sacrifice in order to prevent or alleviate the effects of the invasion. And he was a volunteer.

My idea of why groves are sacred, is that with mental discipline, druids could pass their memories to the trees when they died. Children concieved in a sacred grove would "reincarnate" a druid of old. So chopping down a sacred grove was like despoiling a library and a graveyard, in one go.

But broadly speaking, Druidry is Witchcraft with Ogham.

I should add:

There are a few Druid organisations. OBOD is one. There are others. They tend to be hierarchical, and run correspondence courses for you to learn things.

I've guested at Druid rituals - our local grove asked the local witches to make up numbers. They were very nicely planned and executed.

I've also visited a Druid camp, and got really turned off by patronising attitudes.

OBOD is very ecology oriented. They will encourage you to be an activist. For my money, they are too zealous. I would have trouble toeing the party line. Actually, I disagree with them on various matters relating to ogham. I've done my own research and am confident of my findings. They differ.

They also believe in one higher spirit. It's too much like the Xian idea of god for me. I'll have none of that.

Hmmmm there is a great deal of discussion about day to day druidry even among Druids. The festivals (solstices, equinoxes, fire-festivals) are a large part of it but many orders and groups (but not all it has to be stressed) break down the actual practice of druidry into bardic, ovate and druidic arts. These divisions can be sequential (as in OBOD's division of teachings) or they can all be practiced alongside each other gaining in complexity with experimentation and wisdom.

The bardic arts revolve around the basics of meditation and cultivating awen - the essence of inspiration. This can have outlets in poetry, music, crafts, pathworking and other creative pursuits, I wrote a heck of a lot of poetry while I was studying the bardic arts and I learned to play whistles and other wind instruments.

The ovatic arts are those of divination and transformation, utilising the energy raised in ritual and turning that energy inward to increase our awareness of the subtle things in life. The Ovate may study nature and augury by plants, animals, trees and such, especially the Ogham.

The majority of works on druidry tend to concentrate on the roles of the bard and ovate as they are the most practical and appeal to the casual reader. The druidic arts are those of cultivating the mind and involve themes of justice, wisdom and ethics. Druids may revisit some of the work of the bard or ovate at a more advanced level to bring the strands together.

I have to say that the information given above is somewhat skewed by the few organisations that I have studied under in the past, you may find other groups have different emphases and especially the background may be Scottish, Cymric (popular with English groups due to the shared history between Wales and England), Irish or a mixture of all three.

There is a free online taster course at The Druid Network written by Emma Restall-Orr which is a good enough intro. OBOD is probably the largest byt most diverse single Druid organisation and can be found here - OBOD

The other groups which I have heard good things about are the ADF (I'm afraid my gaelic isn't up to enlarging upon the acronym without heinous spelling mistakes - Ar n-Draiocht Fein?) and the Ancient Order of Druids in America which uses a very traditional (well, druid-revivalist traditional along Iolo Morgannwg's lines) Welsh basis. You don't have to join an order though, there are plenty of books out there at the moment by authors including Philip Carr-Gomm, Ross Nichols (both of OBOD), Emma Restall-Orr, Graham Tallboys, John-Michael Greer, that will set you on the right road. Druidry isn't really that different from many paths when you strip out the white robes, the titles and the pomp and ceremony.

Thanks for the replies,

not sure it is for me after reading all that. I think I am more into the whole "equal and opposite forces (Ying Yang God Goddess) thing" not trees so much.

Oh well I guess I'll keep searching, thanks again

You sound as if you are either coming from or looking for a Taoist path (or Daoist if you prefer). A lot of the concepts of Daoism have similarities to Druidry but it is not an exact parallel. Balance is considered very important in most flavours of Druidry, there are not really any Goddess-centred paths in Druidry, equal importance is given to male and female principles. Some courses state this explicitly, some implicitly but it is there.

*Eagledance waves at Pomona* Here I am!!

Woops been offline for a few days! Sorry!

I am doing the OBOD course and most of what has been said above is true - I don't agree re the being moved to activism statement, not something I have experienced, not that I would mind if I did as it suits my leanings! Also re deity again no push in any one direction imo as they embrace all views.
Also disagree re comment on witchcraft with ogham as many druids do not do magic! (I do) and those that do may talk of 'Druidcraft'

For me druidry is:

questing for awen
seeking the gods
seeking to live well
celebrating beauty in all i see and experience
honouring the ancestors and spirit in all things
celebrating life!!
celebrating the wheel of the year through the 8 festivals
living with honour
love of trees
divination
wisdom

I enjoy the OBOD course but it is very ritual/ceremonial riented and my leaning is more shamanic but thats ok!!

Hope that helps

ED

Right sorry must jump in here. I haven’t posted for a while, but this comment

But broadly speaking, Druidry is Witchcraft with Ogham.

really gets my back up. Druidry is certainly NOT witchcraft in any shape or form. I get really fed up of people thinking, because a system involves magic, it automatically makes it Witchcraft. Witchcraft is a path on its own. It is not Wicca, Heathenry, Druidism, Chaos Magic, Ceremonial Magic, or any other label people want to try and fling at it, or vice versa. Witchcraft is a state of being achieved by the Witch passing through many processes and affording changes and awakenings in the self and the psyche. Some of this is very traumatic and can also be violent; some are more gentle but anybody who thinks they can pick up a book on the subject and learn how to achieve it from that is sadly mistaken. It is a solitary path (and life-long) and it can be an extremely lonely path. Like “raising the Kundalini” if Witchcraft is not properly connected to, by traversing these processes, it can result in psychosis (and I have witnessed this). I’m sorry if this sounds like a rant, but I know how hard I searched to find true Witchcraft, not the nonsense banded around by those who want to make a quick buck, but true Witchcraft - the tradition that was never written!! Now before anyone gets uppity and says “who am I to say what Witchcraft is right or wrong” (cos I’ve read all the previous threads on the subject) I’m not here to start a debate about what is and what isn’t Witchcraft, or to challenge any ‘Witches’ on here about there personal understandings, I just had to address the above comment. It really pisses me off when people label every kind of magical tradition or pagan path as ‘X incorporating Witchcraft” grrrrrr

PS. This is not a personal attack on Fred or anyone else, just a ‘correction’ . If you doubt my sincerity then please read my previous posts on the subject.

So ED, does one have to do a course or become part of an order of some kind then to follow druidry.

Thanks for your input Aronwy, I'm also looking into witchcraft as I find it interesting too so a good insight for me there.

Fair enough, Aronwy.

But bearing in mind that Witchcraft is its own path, there are some (accomplished) Witches who do not do a lot of "magical" working on a regular basis. I get upset when I hear people saying "Witchcraft - that means Wicca". And I contend that druids are magic users, with a dedicated path that takes effort and concentration. OBOD has its own agenda, which I do not share. In my experience, Hedge-druids and hedge-witches overlap in their practices.

Can we have an umbrella-term that takes in general craft-ish magic users?

I can't think of one. Other than Witchcraft.

[/quote]


Fair enough, Aronwy.

But bearing in mind that Witchcraft is its own path, there are some (accomplished) Witches who do not do a lot of "magical" working on a regular basis. I get upset when I hear people saying "Witchcraft - that means Wicca". And I contend that druids are magic users, with a dedicated path that takes effort and concentration. OBOD has its own agenda, which I do not share. In my experience, Hedge-druids and hedge-witches overlap in their practices.

Can we have an umbrella-term that takes in general craft-ish magic users?

I can't think of one. Other than Witchcraft.

[/quote]

Hi Fred

That was kind of my point. Just because someone uses magic doesn't automatically follow that it is Witchcraft. And also Witches do not always use Magic. As I said Witchcraft is a state of being, it's not all about casting spells. I think the umbrella term would just simply be...Magic, whatever form that takes depends on the practitioner using it. Sure Druids use a magical system but to label it Witchcraft is something I have to defend. Not sure that I've made myself completely clear here...wine kicking in

Aaaaaah, so refreshing when Aronwy gets fired up! Good onya.

NO not at all!!
I just chose to do that!
I am probably more of a hedge druid but wanted some formal training. I am not sure I want to meet regularly with other druids. The main trianing though is nature!!

Oh good!!!

me and my fiance are both interested in it and have plans to pack our tent and go into the middle of nowhere next half term.

Glad to know it is not that formal

See now I have to admit that one confuses me.

I thought to become a Druid there was a 21 year training process. (or something like it) I thought the Druids were (in effect) a priestly order and you can't just decide to call yourself a Druid because you want to?