Modern Druidry

by Philip Carr-Gomm On radical Druidry: Stukeley was (at first) a pagan Neoplatonist who disapproved of the intolerance of Christianity; Iolo a pacificist and republican, who was regarded as dangerous by the government and held a Gorsedd of Bards that was broken up by mounted militiamen; William Price a revolutionary...

more sophisticated grasp of the foundations of their spiritual practice than many academics claim. This attitude to the past has much in common with recent developments in post-modern historiography, including a realisation that it is impossible to isolate a single, objective past without relying on written accounts, which are...

by Jonathan Woolley ~ The Lay of the Land Imagine yourself walking through a woodland. The air is cool and fresh with dew. Your footsteps fall softly on the mossy ground. The birds are singing, the tree tops are filled with light, as all about you, Midsummer’s Day is dawning....

by Philip Carr-Gomm From the trees Teut draws out many beautiful spirits with healing, cathartic and defensive powers, whose chief is Esus. Into the stones Teut writes the records and infuses the messages of the higher worlds. ~ Ross Nichols,The Book of Druidry When first approaching Druidry it is natural...

by Shaun William Hayes So, let’s start with this word Sovereignty. You have all heard it in this context, but what do we really mean. I could have titled this ‘The Importance of the Land’, or ‘The Spirituality of the Land’ etc. These alternatives would not be wrong, but would...

by Joy Purcell Pulled from many sources but based on the research of Dr. Masaru Emoto before his passing. Water holds a charge, sacred prayer and honoring sent to the water changes it’s molecularprogram for the better. Water is life. Everyday Affirmations for simple things, having a glass of water,...

by Penny Billington The mistletoe is found but rarely upon the oak; and when found is gathered with due religious ceremony, if possible on the sixth day of the moon (for it is by the moon that they measure their months and years, and also their ages of thirty years)…They...

by Joanna Van Der Hoeven Is ritual important? Many Druids perform ritual on a fairly regular basis – at least the seasonal rituals that celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year. Many also honour the phases of the moon, in whatever aspect, whether it be quarter, half, full...

by Philip Carr-Gomm ~ Nowadays it is quite common to see psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists aligning themselves with Druidry. We live in enlightened times. But even in earlier years, before the ‘Great Enlightenment’ of the 1960s, there is evidence that some of those working in these professions were drawn to...

by Steve Hounsome It was recently stated to me that Druidry takes its teaching not from human wisdom, but from Nature. Such a statement reflects a great depth and timelessness in the teaching and inherent wisdom of Druidry and opens for us great vistas of learning from all ages of...

by Kansas Stanton ~ I’ve been an environmentalist since the age of twelve when I started a Save the Rainforest club in my grade school. I had assistants, an artist, an editor, and interns that made us matching t-shirts that we wore while we handed out educational pamphlets door to...

by Jules Sparkles ~ ‘Only occasionally the sequel outshines the original’ haunted me as I trotted off to the 7th annual One Tree Gathering (OTG), welcoming all Hindus and Druids to celebrate our differences and similarities, with fascinating talks and fun activities. I secretly hoped this year would be fabulous...

by Philip Carr-Gomm ~ I want to share a little information with you about Lewis Spence, a Scottish writer and occultist who was a Presider of the Ancient Druid Order – the group out of which the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids evolved. The following does not offer a...

by Dr Karen Parham This short article, based on a wider study of Druid mysticism within Western esotericism, examines the factors involved in modern Druid Nature mysticism. Mysticism, in the popular imagination, conjures up something vaguely magical or mysterious. Not to suggest that mysticism is not mysterious or magical but...

by Peter Goodhugh ~ John Soul was a prominent figure in Amesbury from the late nineteenth century to the earlier part of the twentieth century, remembered mostly from the 1920s to 1940 or thereabouts. Here we have two accounts of him. The first, created by member Hazel Ledgard, is derived...

by Emma Restall Orr One of the most common phrases we hear from folks who have newly come into Druidry is that what they are experiencing is a return to the way they were. They marvel at how they are once more discovering the openness of childhood perception, with its...

by Elizabeth Cruse When Chris Park announced at morning meeting that there would be a sweat lodge that night I thought well that sounds alright. Saunter down the field a little way just before dark, maybe even only as far as the sauna and shower, take my clothes off and...

by Harriet Sams What is ecotherapy and what role could it play in Druidry? Ecotherapy branches from ecopsychology and originally comes from a Buddhist approach to the therapeutic practice of nature-based psychology. It uses the concept of ‘other-centred therapy’, a concept that encourages the client to view the world from...

by Helen Graham ~ Celtic Reconstuctionism: this is the attempt to use archaeological data, records of the time and known history in order to reconstruct ancient Celtic beliefs and practices, to be followed as a religion or spirituality today. This practitioner wishes to resurrect ancient Celtic religion. Celtic Revivalism: this...

by Robert Kyle Many people get confused in the west thinking that enlightenment is ‘an eastern thing’ but when we come to take a closer look we realise that this is not the case at all. The reason it’s considered eastern is because meditation is the main focus of this...

by Kevin O’Reilly Awen is a complicated concept and hard to understand. Teaching its meaning is often not clear and imprecise. Okay, I started like that last time. But it’s true. During the year that has passed since I started the contemplation that lead to the first article I have...

by Brendan Howlin and Stuart Lythgoe Have you ever felt that you just don’t have the time to practise the Druidry that you want to? Wouldn’t you like to be out in the woods meditating for hours, getting in tune with spirit and nature but the reality is a nine...

by Luke Eastwood It is not well known amongst those interested in Celtic Spirituality that the modern interpretation of the Irish Ogham alphabet is largely based on the ideas of Robert Graves, following the publication of his magnum opus The White Goddess. Those in academia generally have different ideas about...

by Paul Magee A few years ago, while I was working my way through the Bardic grade, I had an interesting experience while meditating. I have had a meditation practice for many years, long before I started with OBOD, and I have largely trained in the Chinese Daoist style of...