"What is Druidry?" Members offer their views.

[sarah]

great veiws. I've read through as i'm still learning and is good to read others veiws. For me druidry is going back to what my ancesters believed and trying to learn more about my ancesters and connecting to nature and back to the origional route.I believe that nature isn't respected the way it used to be and in some ways the worlds becoming too materialised. Druidry is about peace and love for the world and everything around us. enjoying life and celebrating it the seasons and festivals.

[ennys]

To me, druidry means honouring and being connected with nature and the spirits that are in it. Most of all, it is a bond of friendship with the Land, a love that I feel is mutual. To try to serve the Gods, the Land and the spirits in the ways that come on my path when I feel it is appropiate or asked of me, motivated by this mutual love. To be conscious of nature and the powers in it: a druid doesn't bathe his feet in the sea in the same way as another tourist, although the action is the same. The druid connects to the sea and the element of water.

Personally I feel my celtic studies in general, and my studies of breton folk tradition in particular, as being related with my spiritual path. In my own way, as a modern druid, I try to step in a tradition that was there before druidism was reinvented. As a bard I sing traditional music, I dance old dances. As a pagan I honour the landscape that has been honoured by generations before me. But this is personal and no main trait of druidry for me; it is a kind of specialisation? The first paragraph sums up what is to me, at this stage in life, the essence of my understanding of druidry.

[solsticedreamer]

i am new here and spent many years as a 'pagan' before finding and exploring the whole OBOD website for many months. i even printed out sections to read as i could not only have it online to read~i had to have the printed words to read, hold and think on.

what is Druidry to me?
~ it is a feeling of coming home, it has entered my soul like nothing else.
~ its the connection to the land and my ancestors~i have both Irish and Welsh ancestry and feel it so strongly.
~its the nature around me, the land beneath my feet, the sky above me and the water around me-everything i share this land with.
~ its a state of complete and utter peace i have found
~its the joy i have in finding something that is 'me', that reflects everything i have always believed and loved

[Sencha]

How do I get reprint permission for the OP?

[Selene]

Have you tried sending him a PM or e-mail?

[Sencha]

This might be better placed on another thread, but a corollary question to 'What is Druidry?" might be, "Where does Druidry go from here?"

[DJ Droood]

I think a shorter discussion might be "What isn't Druidry?"

[Sencha]

LOL...true. It does seem to be rather all-encompassing as defined on this thread...

[Argenta]

Perhaps this isn't the best place to put this question, but then, it isn't the worst, I guess. No provocation is intended, it's just something I've been thinking about.

As I see it, both my previous religious institution and the modern practices of druidism, focus on what once used to be the "priestly" class of society (brahmins and druids). When people from different walks of life -- generally with other jobs, careers, children, etc. -- become interested in these religions, they seem to start pursuing them on an advanced level, which was, in earlier times, reserved for only a few special individuals for whom this was a life calling. Also, these "priests" were not self-delegated positions. They were, at least in part, chosen by their society/clan/family and respected by them. Modern-day brahmins or druids (or shamans, for that matter) -- at least those in the West -- do not have this sort of foundation on which to build their religious practice. They are often a marginal group, instead of being leaders of society. Moreover, the more they engage in their practices, the less connected they are to a wider group of people who don't share their worldview. Of what use is such a closed society comprised only of the highest class, with no "commoners" or a religion apart from their practice? I mean, wouldn't it be awkward if a thousand years from now people came up with a belief called "bishopry" and tried to live as today's bishops live, calling that religion, and forgetting about Christianity?

Any thoughts?

PS. If it is the wrong place to ask, I kindly ask the moderator to remove the post elsewhere.

[Donata]

As I see it, many of us today realize we don't need someone else to intercede for us or set rules for us. For centuries humans have looked to others to tell them how to lead a spiritual life. We lived by rules, often enforced by fear, and were to varying degrees, dependent on the judgment of others to know who we were.

Many of us today want freedom from rules. We want to make our own discoveries and be free from fear and control. Freedom means that we must also choose to accept personal responsibility for the entireity of our lives - including our own spirituality. We are truly our own personal priests/esses. We speak directly to Divinity, however we perceive that. We may choose to join with like-minded others, as I have in a Wiccan coven and in OBOD, but that doesn't limit me. If either did I'd leave. My own conscience is my highest teacher. This means however that I have a great responsibiliy to have a riightly trained or aware conscience! It's so important to develop an ethical and moral basis for all that I do. For myself, membership in an organization as small as a coven or as large as OBOD can help keep me in balance between individual action and pride or arrogance - which is always a danger for any solitary. Humility and concern for others' welfare is IMO part of a well developed conscience and a good working sense of ethics and morality.

As for any possible future religion, so long as it allows me freedom to practice my own spirituality and doesn't coerce others, I don't care what they may choose to call it. I'll still be my own Priestess and Druid, and be free to make direct contact with my Gods.

BB
Donata

As I see it, both my previous religious institution and the modern practices of druidism, focus on what once used to be the "priestly" class of society (brahmins and druids). When people from different walks of life -- generally with other jobs, careers, children, etc. -- become interested in these religions, they seem to start pursuing them on an advanced level, which was, in earlier times, reserved for only a few special individuals for whom this was a life calling. Also, these "priests" were not self-delegated positions. They were, at least in part, chosen by their society/clan/family and respected by them. Modern-day brahmins or druids (or shamans, for that matter) -- at least those in the West -- do not have this sort of foundation on which to build their religious practice. They are often a marginal group, instead of being leaders of society. Moreover, the more they engage in their practices, the less connected they are to a wider group of people who don't share their worldview. Of what use is such a closed society comprised only of the highest class, with no "commoners" or a religion apart from their practice? I mean, wouldn't it be awkward if a thousand years from now people came up with a belief called "bishopry" and tried to live as today's bishops live, calling that religion, and forgetting about Christianity?

Any thoughts?

PS. If it is the wrong place to ask, I kindly ask the moderator to remove the post elsewhere.

[Merlyn]

Over 38000 views, this thread indeed is well read
Being in the open forum, a bit misleading, as non-"members" of the OBOD also offer their opinions.

I think a shorter discussion might be "What isn't Druidry?"

Neo-druidry has a few misunderstandings also.
Some 9 years since my first post here, I should say on the first of the many incarnations of this board, much has been discussed, even some tidbits incorporated into the very course of the OBOD. Thousands of my own posts later, in the midst of hundreds of thousands, I see many of the very same questions, and many new ones, as; in this 9 or so years our world has changed so much. We see the struggles of society, religion, ecology and much more evolve at an astounding rate. Everything from Freemasons to Scientology, atheist to Jew and Christian, Muslim and much much more have all graced this board with insight, ideas, efforts, contributions and controversy.

The very last thing we should ever think, is that druidism is some sort of closed group, or small. This board is also but a small part of the whole.
What is a druid? who were the drui? and yes, what is druidry? And if this thread is ever answered, and the end comes, then so would druidism end.

To this is the real test of it's metal, so very unlike the defined pages of dogma, druidism is so many things..."

[skh]

I mean, wouldn't it be awkward if a thousand years from now people came up with a belief called "bishopry" and tried to live as today's bishops live, calling that religion, and forgetting about Christianity?

Any thoughts?

In principle you are right, it is a bit odd. It is also source of a major misunderstanding I already ran into when discussing things with members of a group of celtic reconstructionists -- as they understood the title "druid" as a priest role, they felt every use of the word in modern druidry is presumptuous, as if we wanted to be a ruling priest caste, which they quite understandably wouldn't accept. I wouldn't accept some stranger appearing from somewhere, claiming to be my priest! That there was no way in that situation to convince them that many modern Druids don't claim that, and that concepts may change their meaning is a different story... I am often not very good in heated discussion, so it was probably my fault as much as theirs.

But the concept did change its meaning, at least in certain groups. OBOD follows more the freemason-ish model where everybody is in some grade, and possibly aspiring to a higher grade, at any given moment. Other groups (I have read this at least on the ADF website somewhere, http://www.adf.org/) allow for "plain" members who just want to celebrate the festivals and have a religious / spiritual community, and those who also want to take over "clergy" roles.

peace /|\
Sonja

[Art]

Spiritual systems tend to develop a “laity by default” regardless of the degree of training any given individual has achieved. There is no board of governors or ordination that dubs any given individual with powers or respect based on achievement of a certain level or course of study. At the same time, there are folks who by virtue of insight and understanding are generally recognized as elders or persons of note.
Obviously, there are also individuals who self-designate as influential voices and if you watch the pages of this message board you may see people of that ilk baying at the moon in stuttered rants.
So it would appear to be a mixed bag and we do not have any formal mechanism for recognizing leaders other than the esteem, deference and confidence of their peers or as you put it, their “society/clan/family.”
Druidry is inclusive of people from many different callings in both professional and blue collar fields. We have doctors and lawyers, scientists and mathematicians, teachers and artists, administrators and accountants, the wealthy and the disfavored, and everybody in between. Yet we are drawn to this gentle spiritual path as a fertile common ground very much formed by a diverse congregation of minds. We do have leaders of society on board along with folks who function quite well in the margins.
Contemporary Druidry is not by definition the exclusive province of a “priestly” class. We would hope that it is a source of comfort and personal realization for many. To some extent it is a pathway of choice for people who tend to think outside the envelope and (I hope) spend considerable effort questioning and looking for answers.
I don’t think it is necessarily true that “the more they engage in their practices, the less connected they are to a wider group of people who don't share their worldview.” I think there is ample opportunity to share that worldview by continuing to be engaged in the wider social culture of our times and in doing so, contribute to the body of knowledge and understanding that helps shape our collective future.

As I see it, both my previous religious institution and the modern practices of druidism, focus on what once used to be the "priestly" class of society (brahmins and druids). When people from different walks of life -- generally with other jobs, careers, children, etc. -- become interested in these religions, they seem to start pursuing them on an advanced level, which was, in earlier times, reserved for only a few special individuals for whom this was a life calling. Also, these "priests" were not self-delegated positions. They were, at least in part, chosen by their society/clan/family and respected by them. Modern-day brahmins or druids (or shamans, for that matter) -- at least those in the West -- do not have this sort of foundation on which to build their religious practice. They are often a marginal group, instead of being leaders of society. Moreover, the more they engage in their practices, the less connected they are to a wider group of people who don't share their worldview. Of what use is such a closed society comprised only of the highest class, with no "commoners" or a religion apart from their practice? I mean, wouldn't it be awkward if a thousand years from now people came up with a belief called "bishopry" and tried to live as today's bishops live, calling that religion, and forgetting about Christianity?

[druid93]

I'm a solitary/ self proclaimed Druid as some have come to know. Extremely experienced from other religious training I have come on my walk to understand Druidry as faith that does not deal in absolutes. Absolutes, as defined, is a system of beliefs that tell the adherent to believe their way or the highway. Or, another definition of absolutes are a system of beliefs which explicitly state that a follower must forego or extinguish their previous beliefs in a sense and absorb ALL of the new beliefs or go somewhere else. Depends on the point of view of the religion. This, to me, is wrong.

Druidry I have come to understand isn't like that. It gives the adherent freedom to explore and absorb whatever beliefs of Druidry is best suited for them. They may choose either absorb some OR all beliefs. Some may believe in pluralistic deities while others may pray to one god- one 'head of state' in a sense- depends on the believer. Druidry isn't like a supermarket that tells you to buy ALL of their products or shop elsewhere. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and others have this 'so called' belief of "buy everything in our store or shop elsewhere" attitude which is just plain silly in my opinion. Druidry is not only about loving your creator or creators- a creator/creators who are NOT jealous dictators like Abrahamic faiths. Had an argument with one person who was Catholic. She told me that God writes how HE wants me to live my life and that I had no say in the matter. I told her that I will not serve a dictator/ slave driver. God or gods, in my opinion, may protect you from harm when or if you pray for it but, in my opinion, will not or should not tell you to do as they say, when they say and how they say with no input from you whatsoever. Druidry is also about loving nature and meditating in it and becoming one with it- to blend right in and feel peace and unity. Druidry is also about love of nature, love of animals and love of one another. These are just my opinions. Feel free to agree or disagree.

[Sencha]

As I see it, many of us today realize we don't need someone else to intercede for us or set rules for us. For centuries humans have looked to others to tell them how to lead a spiritual life. We lived by rules, often enforced by fear, and were to varying degrees, dependent on the judgment of others to know who we were.

Many of us today want freedom from rules. We want to make our own discoveries and be free from fear and control. Freedom means that we must also choose to accept personal responsibility for the entireity of our lives - including our own spirituality. We are truly our own personal priests/esses. We speak directly to Divinity, however we perceive that. We may choose to join with like-minded others, as I have in a Wiccan coven and in OBOD, but that doesn't limit me. If either did I'd leave. My own conscience is my highest teacher. This means however that I have a great responsibiliy to have a riightly trained or aware conscience! It's so important to develop an ethical and moral basis for all that I do. For myself, membership in an organization as small as a coven or as large as OBOD can help keep me in balance between individual action and pride or arrogance - which is always a danger for any solitary. Humility and concern for others' welfare is IMO part of a well developed conscience and a good working sense of ethics and morality.

As for any possible future religion, so long as it allows me freedom to practice my own spirituality and doesn't coerce others, I don't care what they may choose to call it. I'll still be my own Priestess and Druid, and be free to make direct contact with my Gods.

You might want to share this 'no rules' information with the moderators, and certain other members of this board.

[Edwin]

Hello Alferian and all!
Great job!
I will come with another aproach though.
It is known that letters represent sounds.Sounds are taken from nature(the sound of waves,a bird song) or from activities involving creating with nature(make a fire ,cut a wood,hit a stone).From these first sounds that impressed humans the most emerged a primitive vocabular wich denoted the most simple ideas wich are images after all.
There is a system coming form the works of the ancients that makes that connection between letter-sound-source image-source activity for the greek language wich I adopted for romanian and it works and somehow it makes sense in english too.
It is basic and good luck fact that greek is a very ancient language.
I would be glad if one day obodies who are interested could work this system and adopt it and enrich it in their languages.
So,by this code Druidry meaning in greek first of all 'the way of the oakman',druid meaning 'oakman',it would have the following meanings:
y=liquid form of energy(in a cup)
r=flow
d=nature
i=power
u=seeing energy
r=flow
D=power of nature
In a first clumsy aproach I would put it as the accumulation or reception of the flow of power of nature and its vision.The duplication in meanings enhaces their power.
It is interesting to apply this code on the grades and those who are higher in rank than me bard in training could find or not if it suits them.
Bard:
d=nature,power
r=flow
a=concentration
B=the blow of wind,the Word
In my own aproach :the power to concentrate(on,if you like)the flow of the Word in nature.It makes sense to me!
Ovate:
e=the ancient
t=mastering(of)arts
a=accumulation,concentration
v=wind,mountain ,the word
O=the concrete ,the visible
My interpretation:To see the gathering of the Word by mastering the ancient arts.You tell me!
Druid:
d=power of nature
i=powerful
u=energy in cup(awen?)
r=flow
D=power of Nature
So:Druid is enclosed by power of nature ,is one who became part of it or is deeply connected to it,and is him(ok her too)self powerfulby the flow of the distilled energy...
I am aware that this code needs work ,team work ,adaptations and enrichment.I presented some elementary
interpretations.
I hope I didnot disturb you and the very good level of the topic till now.
I hope for understanding and cooperation maybe...
Love to all
Zamolxis

Thats interesting. I saw a similar 'language' that associated trees with letters in alphabet. I was able to convert my name and see trees that were associated to my name. It made a great deal of sense. All the trees associated to my name were trees I lived around growing up. Some I never paid much attention to but they were there. Poplar being a noteable one. Others that I have come to accept as sacred. Like Ash.

I dont see an N in this partial list and I never found a W in either. I think that W might in fact be a divide. Ed - W - in. The W being a balance and the Ed and in being the polar ends.
Using that here I have:
Ancient nature
W is balance
Power is I
N is unknown

So for me, I need to balance between Ancient nature and Power.

After reading this, I can add that it was similar to the trees.
Ash is N and Ash is sacred to me. It wards away evil.
Even in the trees, it is about Acient nature and power. Poplar are common trees, ash are not as common. Hmm.. I would like to get full lists of both conversions.

[Huathe]

My druid identity is still developing and I am still learning but I would define druidry or being a druid as being a faith that follows a reverance of nature, venerates ones ancestors, studies Celtic history, mythology, etc, Has responsible and respectful ethics for his fellow man and nature. A druid would also follow the cycle of the year using ritual around the " Wheel of the Year ". And last but not least, includes his God or Goddesses in his practice. And all of nature has a spiritual aspect.

This may oversimplified but my druid identity is still at a very formative stage.

H.E.

[MiriamSPia]

I read Alferion's post from 2003 and thought it still stands. I am very impressed by the 'word-sound of nature' letter magic interpretation by the 41 year old who is afraid of nothing.

The others made sense to since I come from a peculiar position and while I generally don't mean to be irresponsibly avoidant. I started out as a a Unitarian Universalist. I pretty much still view myself as one, having actively practiced for most of the past 16 years. What this really means - if you want another opinion just ask a different UU and you're sure to get one!, is that I am a 'soft Christian' which means the love and forgiveness and belief in Jesus Christ as divine is all there but a lot of what people seem to fear about Christians - mainly judgmental attitudes and behavior...well, I wouldn't say I"m not judgmental but its more of a liberal and tolerant worldview. For me druidry is not a reaction against Christianity as the way I experienced Christianity tended to be rather nice, but simply deals with the magical and natural aspect of life in a more embracing manner. The divine feminine tended to be acknowledged and female clerics have practiced for over a century in UUism.

To me, druidry is the intimacy with nature and chatting with trees and learning divination etc..

[Edwin]

I think what defines any principal system or faith system is what makes it difficult. In the case of 'Druidism' it's balance and neutrality that dont end up being indifference. Druid philosophy doesnt train to be good or evil. It doesnt create polarity between the two, pitting one against the other. I think Hindu has similar philosphies but I dont have Indian ancestors, I have British ancestors and much like Druids aspire to, heritage and clan loyalty matters to me. Perhaps because I dont have any. I am a Spence and that name means 'Bastard'. Nobility in old UK would have children with a mistress and rather than give them the nobility name and 'tarnish' it, the children of a noble mistress would be called 'Spence children'. Meaning that be a Spence didnt mean you were related to every Spence, didnt make them your ancestor.
This also shaped my views on feminite beliefs. Knowing Spence was an invention of men to eliminate an inconvenience, I looked at the mothers. After reading the Earths Children Series by Jean Auel, I stepped away from inherited christianity and started figuring things out as I saw them and not as I was being told them. This is where I ended up.

Where I will be in another 20 years?

[wolf560]

This is just "My Druidry" OK?

No insult is intended for anyone reading this, so here goes....

"My Druidry" is an ancestor based worship or belief in life the universe and everything.
I believe that my ancestors had good reason for doing what they did and I think that some of it can be translated into modern life and some cannot. I believe that unless it is contradicted by modern science it can have an application in my modern life and I should attempt to incorporate it in an effort to bring honor to my ancestors and what they felt important.

My Druidry is both a spiritual as well as a historical approach to what is important in life. I read voraciously and back-check every source to the 3rd degree (3 sources that support the first book or I do not consider it worth repeating). This is actually at the basis for what I consider important in this ancestor worship; the importance in "Three's".

Magic works, Ritual is important, Deities exist and should be honored.
Everything has life (an entropic value) which should not be wasted or trivialized.
Everything has a reason for its existence and should be used appropriately.
Everything has a place that it not only occupies but resonates in and with.

This is "the Balance" in Life; it is immutable and has its own fulcrum and set of rules.
What you do (or fail to do) reacts with this Balance and when that Balance is disturbed it seeks to right itself in whatever fashion it can. This can be mediated but cannot be prevented or twisted. This can "paid forward" by acts of generosity and hospitality in some fashion and to some degree. Since the ancient Celts valued hospitality above nearly all else I believe that I am acting in concert with their belief system in my own hospitality.

My "Magic" acts within these guidelines and balance points.
My "Life" revolves around this balance and I try not to interfere as much as possible.
My "Belief" is that I bring a measure of interest to the lives of my Ancestors long since beyond the Veil from me and in doing so I bring them back into concious memory if only for brief moment in time.