Druidic Orders in the contemporary world

[MiriamSPia]

Personally, I only know of the following 3 Orders, but suspect there are at least a few others and that there are also numerous 'independent groves' and solo-practioners.

Arn Draicht Fein - this one is based in the USA. I found it first, and to the best of my knowledge it is a completely respectable druidic order.

BDO - the British Druid Order is based in the UK. Last I knew the Chiefs of the Order were Phillip Shallcrass [musician and sometimes writer] and a woman who is not his lover, the beautiful author Emma Restall Orr. They run or did 'head' an Eastern Eisteddfod at Avebury, in Wiltshire, England.

OBOD - The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Although based in the UK, this is the contemporary worlds largest and most international respectable and well known druidic order of the contemporary world. I found this one last, but joined this one since I have been living somewhat internationally and that makes OBOD a 'best fit' for me, personally.

[DJ Droood]

AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America) has members in the United States and a very good writer as their head druid, John Micheal Greer. (it is well established that you have to have 3 names to be an Arch-Druid.)

There are loads of internet druid orders, but those 4 are the only ones I know of that have real-life meetings. I think the UK may have a number more...

[Huathe]

Miriam,

There is also the New Order of Druids ( NOD ) based in Belgium. I am taking their online course which is stuctured in three grades, like that of OBOD.

[Corwen]

http://www.neopagan.net/CurrentDruidGroups.html

http://www.dragonskeepfarm.com/druid_groups/start.htm

If you peruse the sites linked to above, or any of the several similar lists on the web, you'll find that the Druid-scape is very varied indeed and consists of many many overlapping groups, orders, groves and so on. Many as DJ says only exist online or are essentially one small working group, maybe even a single couple or individual, but there are many others that have meetings in the real world too!

[Davin Raincloud]

Bonewits' Guide for Druidism has an extensive list in one of it's chapters.

[Heddwen]

I've found http://www.druidicdawn.org/ to be an excellent site for resources worldwide. It's not affiliated to any particular order, but there are many OBODs there.

[MiriamSPia]

Thanks to you all for replying. I did not know at least half of what I read until you told me using this forum.

Its also nice that this is actually today....you know rather than handling posts from weeks or months or even years ago. Sometimes that's necessary.

I think I'll just send OBOD some info and hostess a 'seed group' here in NW Germany. Maybe we could meet up a few times a year. Most of my traveling will be for writers conventions and conferences, with SF people a lot of the time,...If it wasn't outer space it was probably an elf with a sword and "mojo".

After I make it to the next level, maybe I could even see if we could get it together for a Grove?

LOL, this is all common interest stuff: its real, but sometimes its deep and other times it really is not.

[Pacific Druid]

There are some great resources listed here... thanks all!

Pacific Druid /|\

[Huathe]

The New Order of Druid's membership and courses are free also! However a paid upgrade package offers more benefits. They also have real-life meetings through their home grove Nervii Nemeton.

http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.php?Itemid=145

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 6prmd%3Div

[Rayne]

I'm not sure if this would be better suited to a new thread or not.

I've read through the links here, and I'm curious. Are there any major differences from Order to Order that you all know of? Tangible ones anyway?

[DJ Droood]

I'm not sure if this would be better suited to a new thread or not.

I've read through the links here, and I'm curious. Are there any major differences from Order to Order that you all know of? Tangible ones anyway?

Ok...I'll take a crack at it...I'm only really familiar with ADF and OBOD, so:

ADF

Location: USA-based
Membership cost: (it was $25/yr in the 90's)
Structure: Yes. regional reps, chain of command, etc., democratic elections.
Leadership: I think they have an elected Arch-Druid, and elected regional reps.
Theology: pan-Indo-European...heavy on the scholarship
Course-work: Self-directed, I think...so you would buy your own materials and work on your projects, etc. Different "guilds" of interest rather than grades. (correct?)
Outlook: Public rituals, growing the organization, proselytizing within pagan circles.
Community:They seem numerous and active in my region of Canada, and hold various gatherings. I think they have quite a few active chapters across North America. Don't know about international. On-line, there is a fairly anemic newsletter...perhaps I am missing a bulletin board somewhere. Good podcast.
Notables:The late founder and author isaac Bonewits. Author and (current leader?) Skip Elisson.

OBOD

Location: UK-based
Membership cost: Purchase the coursework for the first/Bardic Grade (a few hundred dollars) and you are in for life.
Structure I think they posted some sort of chart awhile back, but it looked like a Dadaist sketch from the 1920's to me. You organize yourself, locally...organized sort of like...maybe a resistance network...with individual cells, and an inspirational spiritual figurehead. Few know where his compound is.
Leadership: Chosen Chief, various trusted officers.
Theology: Celtic-inspired, with modern neo-pagan, liberal Christian and self-help leanings..but very much self directed/self discovery.
Course-work:Multi-grade Mystery school approach, which involves mostly correspondence course work.
Outlook: Mystery school, local/regional groups and gatherings.
Community:Scattered in NA, but with a few bigger/active groups. Various groups around the world. Small regional gatherings. More active in the UK. Most extensive druid on-line communities, superb podcast, vast community of accomplished artists, scientists, theologians, magicians, shaman, mystics and pet lovers.
Notables:The late founder and writer Nuinn. Author and current Chief Philip Carr-Gomm

[MiriamSPia]

Thanks to all of you who have replied since the post I did last October.

I am still harboring hopes of figuring out a way to work with others more in person. The forum does add another level. There are at least of few of you who I know by face or name now, who I had not been very aware of before.

I'm in NW Germany where we have all of the ogham trees growing within 5 miles of my home. I am 'cheating' on my herbalism requirement by making most of the fact that the Germans are 'herbalist gods' - and so I am just buying some of the medicinal herbal combinations off the shelf and collecting box tops of recipes for healing herbal remedies and the ailments they address: the trick of course, is that they are written in German.

The Germans might have taken this for granted or else they are especially like that where I happen to be located and I am not really aware that it is 'the locals'.

The manufacturers even put the labels in braille and I see Nuns of the Catholic variety so this is Christianized church sanctioned herbalism but still good druidry. This is the Ovate level of education.

I hope none of you are offended about my being 'off topic'. OBOD - I was looking to find the others here in Germany for working together in a seed group and also looking into starting a seed group. I don't really practice the druidry as my religion, but rather as a supplement to my UUism which covers things my church doesn't. I am not sure how to approach locals about it, but in truth, they are mainly also Germans at this time. This gives me the feeling that the nonverbal parts of rites might grow in their significance to me...at least...Anyways, if you ever happen into any other OBOD anywhere near Bremen, Germany please have them contact me for a live meet up.

Thanks again for your input.

[Beneath_the_Oak]

I had no idea there are so many! Thank you for the info