DRUIDS AND DRUIDISM
The Druids emerged from the ancient Celtic tribes, at a time when the people had to live close to nature to survive. By the light of the storyteller's fire, and with the play of the harp, the Druids dreamed magic for their people. In the deep woods they would gather, bringing together their mysticism and philosophy, their insight and learning. Their spirit emerged from the the tides of the sea, the light of the sun, the wind in the Oak, the cry of the deer. In this way, they created an institution that inspired, frightened, and uplifted their world.
The moon still dances for us now as she did then, and so the wonder of Nature remains as awesome as in those lost days. The Druids may be gone, but their magic is not. It may yet emerge from the earth again, if we remember her and love her again.
Druidic Beliefs
because so many ask... this is from the ONTARIO CONSULTANTS ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE a non religious, non sectarian organization:
Beliefs and Practices:
Beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts are being pieced together by modern Druids. Because so much information has been lost, this is not an easy task. Some findings are:
Goddesses and Gods: The Celts did not form a single religious or political unity. They were organized into tribes spread across what is now several countries. As a result, of the 374 Celtic deities which have been found, over 300 occur only once in the archeological record; they are believed to be local deities. There is some evidence that their main pantheon of Gods and Goddesses might have totaled about 3 dozen - perhaps precisely 33 (a frequently occurring magical number in Celtic literature). Some of the more famous are: Arawn, Brigid, Cernunnos, Cerridwen, Danu, Herne, Lugh, Rhiannon and Taranis. Many Celtic deities were worshipped in triune (triple aspect) form. Triple Goddesses were often sisters.
Afterlife: The dead were transported to the Otherworld by the God Bile (AKA Bel, Belenus). Life continued in this location much as it had before death. The Druids believed that the soul was immortal. After the person died in the Otherworld, their soul lives again in another human body. At every birth, the Celts mourned the death of a person in the Otherworld which made the new birth possible.
Creation Myth: No Druidic creation story appears to have survived, although there are numerous accounts of the supernatural creation of islands, mountains, etc.
Baptism: There is some evidence that the Celts had a baptism initiation ceremony similar to those found in Buddhist, Christian, Essene, Hindu, Islamic, and Jainist sacred texts. Other researchers dismiss baptism as a forgery by Christian scribes as they transferred Celtic material to written form.
Divination: Druids used many techniques to foretell the future: meditation, study of the flight of birds, interpreting dreams, and interpreting the pattern of sticks thrown to the ground.
Awen symbol: This is a symbol drawn in the form of three pillars, in which the outer two are sloped towards the center pillar, as in /|\. The symbol has been in use since the 17th century; it recalls the Druidic fascination with the number three.
Triskele symbol: This is an ancient Druidic symbol consisting of three curved branches, bent legs or arms radiating from the center of the symbol. The flag of the Isle of Man contains a triskele.
Seasonal Days of Celebration
Druids, past and present, celebrate a series of fire-festivals, on the first of each of four months. Each would start at sunset and last for three days. Great bonfires would be built on the hilltops. Cattle would be driven between two bonfires to assure their fertility; couples would jump over a bonfire or run between two bonfires as well. The festivals are:
Samhain (or Samhuinn) Literally the "end of warm season". November 1 marked the combined Feast of the Dead and New Year's Day for the Celtic calendar. It is a time when the veil between our reality and that of the Otherworld is most easily penetrated. This fire festival was later adopted by the Christians as All Soul's Eve, and later became the secular holiday Halloween.
Imbolc (or Brighid) Literally "in the belly". February 1 marked The Return of Light. This is the date when the first stirrings of life were noticeable and when the land might first be plowable. This has been secularized as Groundhog Day.
Beltaine (or Bealteinne). May 1 was the celebration of The Fires of Bel. This was the peak of blossom season, when domesticated animals bear their young. This is still celebrated today as May Day. Youths dance around the May pole in what is obviously a reconstruction of an earlier fertility ritual.
Lughnasad (or Lughnasadh, Lammas). August 1 was The Feast of Lugh, named after the God of Light. A time for celebration and the harvest.
There were occasional references in ancient literature to:
the winter solstice, typically December 21, when the night is longest
the spring equinox, typically March 21, when the day and night are equal
the summer solstice, typically June 21, when the night is shortest
the fall equinox, typically September 21, when the day and night are equal.
However, these do not appear to be major seasonal days of celebration for the ancient Druids.
Modern Druidic Movements
Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD):
There are two beliefs concerning the development of this group. One traces their origin to the Ancient Order of Druids (AOD) by Henry Hurle in England in 1781. This group repeatedly split due to internal dissension into many separate organizations. By 1918, there were five groups attempting to perform solstice ceremonies at Stonehenge; all were breakaway groups from the original Ancient Order of Druids. By 1955, all had disappeared except for the British Circle of Universal Bond which subsequently split in 1963 to form the OBOD. The other lineage is claimed by the OBOD who trace their ancestry back through the AOD to a group founded in England in 1717 by John Toland. He is said to have combined local groups of Druids (called groves) from a 10 locations into the Mother Grove. The OBOD's current address is: PO Box 1333, Lewes, East Sussex, England, BN7 3ZG. Email address: oaktreepress@e-world.com
Ar nDraiocht Fein:
This can be loosely translated as "our own Druidism". Their name is pronounced "arn ree-ocht fane". It was founded by Isaac Bonewits who is currently the Archdruid Emeritus. The ADF emphasizes scholarly research, and " a blend of ancient practices and modern realities". His motto is "paganize mainstream religion by mainstreaming paganism". Their goal is to recreate a Pan-European Druidism, involving elements from Baltic, Celtic, Germanic Slavic and even pre-classical Greek and Roman beliefs. The ADF publishes a quarterly ADF journal, a bimonthly News from the Mother Grove, and a semi-yearly Druid's Progress. Their address is: PO box 516, East Syracuse, NY 13057-0516. Email address: mailto:kithoward@delphi.com
Frequently Asked Questions
(click on the links)
What is a Druid? The perennial question, answered as concisely as I know how.
Is there a Druid organisation or grove near where I live? See for yourself in "A Forest Full Of Groves", ADF's directory of Druid organisations, local and international. (offsite link)
What books should I read to learn more? This is a bibliography of books and journals on the subject of druidism, celtic spirituality, history, archaeology, etc.
Is Wicca related to Druidism? I have added a new section to the website having to do with The Craft.
Additional Writings, Essays, And Nonsence to be found here
(click on the links)
The Ex Nemeton Series of Letters on philosophy and social issues for contemporary paganism (June 1999)
The Story of The Prarie Druid or, Catching a Charlatan. (March 1997)
Initiation and the Druid Secret Language The story of the Three Calls to Cormac interpreted as a Druidic initiation. (July 1999)
Not Just Tree Hugging After All! An essay on the ethics of Druidism. (January 1995)
An essay on The Origin of Spirit, a thought experiment millions of years in the making. (October 1997)
A book review of The 21 Lessons of Merlyn by Douglass Monroe. (December 1997)
(click on the links)
What is the ADF
What do Neopagan Druids Believe?
ADF Questions and Answer
Family Ritual
Basic Ritual
Yule Ritual
Beltane Ritual
Imbolg Ritual
Vesting Ritual
Hellenic Ritual
Grove Concecration
