Awen Grove

1. Are there any holy books/writings/teachings used?

There are no official holy books used. Since Modern Druidry’s main tenet seems to be to seek the “truth against the world”, a holy book would invalidate this. However, there are certain texts that are out there, which contain some useful information.

These texts are as follows for those interested in Celtic culture, history and lore:

•    The Audacht Morainn (Testament of Morann) – A statement of ethics of a ruler should follow: http://home.flash.net/~bellbook/faolcu/morann.html (Compiled by Fergus Kelly)

•    Cormac’s instructions to his grandson on the virtues of good kingship – (Translated by Kuno Meyer) http://www.wildideas.net/cathbad/pagan/cormac.html

•    The Brehon Laws or the Fenechas (Law of the Freemen) from the Senchus Mor. These are not available in original format, but there are books and websites you can check out to get more information. This is a good compilation by Raimund Karl: http://www.fhaoil-choin.org/celtlaw.htm

•    The Triads – These are triads of wisdom that have been passed down. John F. Wright of Clannada collected a ton of them and they have been circulated all over the internet with no credit to him: http://wolf.mind.net/library/celtic/triads/triads.htm

•    The Myths and Legends – Depending on what hearth culture a Druid follows, one can find a lot of material out there on mythology. The Mabinogion contains the Welsh Legends in particular.

Questionable Sources

You may hear mention of a “Book of Pheryllt”, particularly in Douglas Monroe’s “21 Lessons of Merlynn”. This is essentially bunk as there was no such thing. (See this site for a well-researched and excellent article on the so-called “Book of Pheryllt” http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/faqs/pheryllt.html)

Another book of questionable origin is the Barddas, which is claimed to be ancient, but was invented and written by Iolo Morganwg in the 19th Century. This is interesting reading, however, if you are interested in learning about what was believed and practiced when the Druid revival was taking place in England.

2. Are there any present leaders? Have there ever been leaders?

It depends on which order you work with. There is no “one” order of Druids and no “one” leader. In fact there is no one way of seeing Druidry! Some see it as a philosophy, others see it as their religion.

Each order has its own requirements and standards of leadership and as such has its own leaders and requirements for leadership. The Reformed Druids of North America will allow someone to call him or her self “Arch Druid” if he or she has been initiated into the Third Order. Some orders require lengthy training courses, while others will recognize a leader through their own merit (or ability to survive an initiation ritual). There are many leaders out there: ADF is led by Skip Ellison, OBOD is led by Phillip Carr-Gomm, the Druid Network is run by Emma Restall-Orr, etc. While recognized as leaders of their groves or orders, none of these folks have any authority over another group, nor do they represent all modern Druids.

In ancient times, it is written by others that there was an elected Arch Druid who oversaw Druids in his order, usually until his death when a new Arch Druid was elected. Some places known for Druid schooling and orders were Anglesey and Iona.

3. How is Druidism practiced? (Methods of worship, etc.)

The practice of Druidry is determined by each practitioner. There is no one way to practice Druidry.

Some commonalities that many Druids can agree on are as follows:

•    Neo-Pagan Druids are Polytheistic – They worship or believe in a number of Deities, usually of the same pantheon. (i.e.: all Welsh or Irish Deities). Most Druids follow the Celtic Pantheons, while ADF Druids are free to follow any Indo-European Pantheon, including Russian, Germanic, Norse, etc. Most Druids will agree that Deities are not meant to be “used” for a certain purpose. Many Wiccans will call upon a Deity from any pantheon, as long as that Deity serves the purpose listed in a correspondence chart. Most Druids do not subscribe to the “Deity of the Week” practice common to so many Pagans. While many other pagans see each deity as being a part of one Goddess or one God, Druids see each deity as an individual who must be respected as such.

However, that being said, it should be known that there are Christian Druids who believe in only one Deity. Some Druids do not believe in deity at all and see it only as a philosophy.

•    Casting of Circles – British Druids do cast circles like Wiccans, complete with the calling of the four elements. North American Druids often do not. (They see that as being a Wiccan thing and not Celtic at all – see this article for more on that: http://www.clannada.org/wicca.php) Most North American Druids may worship with everyone standing in a circle, but there is no magical “boundary”.

•    Druids generally welcome anyone. - Rituals are generally open to all who wish to attend and anyone is welcome to train as a Druid. Practitioners of Wicca and other Neo-Pagan groups tend to be more exclusive in their ritual practices and teaching.

•    Raising energy – A common practice in Wicca, most Druids do not engage in this activity during ritual. Why should we when there is plenty of energy around us to work with?

•    Magical workings (spells, etc.) - While practiced by many Druids, this type of activity is not the primary focus of Druidry. Spiritual development, study and communion with the Deities seem to be more important. Wiccans and such practice the magic to hone their skill, since that is a large part of their practices. If a modern Druid never cast a spell, no one would really think less of him or her for it since it is not a requirement. There is a type of “poetry spell” called the rosc, which is quite powerful…so powerful that Christian Monks like St. Patrick used them. (See here for a good article on Roscanna: http://www.imbas.org/articles/excellence_of_the_ancient_word.html)

•    Nature is Sacred – Many Druids honour Nature and do their best to stay ecologically aware and sound in their practices.

•    Celebration of at least 4 holy days – Many Pagans celebrate the 8 seasonal festivals of Samhain, Winter Solstice (Yule), Imbolc, Spring Equinox (Ostara), Beltaine, Summer Solstice (Litha), Lughnassadh (Lammas) and Autumn Equinnox (Mabon). Only four of these are actual holidays that come from the Celts: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnassadh. Many modern Druids do celebrate all 8, while others celebrate only the four Celtic ones. It’s generally up to the Druid, unless he/she is part of a group that requires all 8 days be celebrated, like ADF.

•    Service – Druids often seek to serve the Divine, Community and their own needs through community service, ecological awareness, keeping one’s life in balance and maintaining a respectful spiritual practice. Those folks who see Druidry as a philosophy may just follow their own religions with a kind of “Celtic-Earthy-Mystical” approach, which is the addition of the Druid philosophy. There are Christian, Buddhist and Wiccan Druids, as well as many others.


4. How does Druidism today compare to Druidism from ancient times?

It differs a great deal. The main reason being that the Druids did not leave any written records! What we have to go on today are the legends passed down through the ages, writings of people who observed the Celts (and some of those writings were pretty biased against the Celts), and what scholars have learned through study of archaeological evidence.

Modern Druidry has evolved from the fantasy-like meanderings of the 19th Century Druid Revivalists to the modern century. Most Druids today want more scholastic proof of things, more Celtic or hearth-culture focused spirituality and an identity of their own. Many want to be as authentic as possible, but we have so little to go on. However, some folks don’t care about the scholarship and just go with what works for them.

Some of what the Romans wrote about the Druids is definitely illegal by today’s standards, such as Human Sacrifice, sleeping with little boys, etc. Since the Romans were the only ones to really touch on this subject, the importance of human sacrifice is questionable. Were these folks sacrificed or were they murder victims or executed criminals?

Regardless of the endless debate that could go on about this, this is not done, condoned or even thought of today. (Even though it is joked about at times!) The same goes for bedding little boys…pedophilia or any other illegal practices are absolutely not condoned! (Despite what Skip Ellison might say in his book “The Solitary Druid”)

Looking at what was written about Druids of the ancient times is that they seemed to be very in line with their time, if not more advanced. They interacted with cultures all over the world with trade agreements, they were involved with politics since they advised the rulers, they healed using more advanced medical techniques than the Romans (actually, they introduced soap to the Romans) and served their communities as ritual leaders, teachers, law makers and advocates, as well as for spiritual or counseling services.

Druids were well known for being the educated class. If one were to try and draw comparison to what an ancient Druid knew and practice to what would be required today to do the same work; one would need university degrees in law, medicine, psychology, education and religious studies. One would also require training in diplomacy, several languages and Public Relations.

Druidry seems to be a philosophy or faith that was with the times in its day, so it is important that Druids stay “with the times” today. We live in the modern world, therefore we have different needs, culture, skills and issues. While the Earth was not in danger of pollution in ancient times, it is definitely in danger of it now. While most Druids are not advising rulers or politicians today, they can still be involved in their communities and still keep up with world peace or aid efforts.

Druids can serve their communities today through community service or choosing a career that allows them to serve in a way that helps. There are lots of Druids who are psychologists, teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. Basically, we need to live in accordance to today’s standards yet still maintain a spirituality that is fulfilling and unique to ourselves and our traditions.

Being a Druid should not excuse us from living in society…it did not in ancient times either, except for being exempt from serving in the military or paying taxes. This is because the Druids were in their own class in Celtic society and considered as providing a very essential service to their community.

5. Are there any celebrations/holidays? How are they celebrated?

Many Neo-Pagans celebrate the 8 seasonal festivals of Samhain, Winter Solstice (Yule), Imbolc, Spring Equinox (Ostara), Beltaine, Summer Solstice (Litha), Lughnassadh (Lammas) and Autumn Equinnox (Mabon). Only four of these are actual holidays that come from the Druids: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnassadh. However, many modern Druids celebrate them all. Some do not, if they are particular about maintaining only the Celtic holidays.

Samhain is an Irish Gaelic Word that means “Summer’s End”. (no, there is no Celtic Deity called Sam Hain – that a load of fiction that has no historical bearing) It is also knows as Calan Gaef. The Summer season had ended and the last harvest brought in at this time. Winter was at hand and people had one night of revelry before the chaos of the cold time dug its claws in.

The Celts believed that the gateway to the Otherworld was at its thinnest at this time and the souls of the Dead could come and mingle with the living. Many folks would hold feasts for the dead and this was seen as a nice time to mingle with dearly missed ancestors. The people would extinguish all of their home fires and the Druids would light the Samhain bonfires. The cattle and livestock would be passed between the fires in blessing, and folks would take torches lit from these fires to relight their home fires. Divination was commonly done at this time to predict what may lay ahead in the new year, since the Otherworld was close at hand and the results would be enhanced by this.

Many confuse this as being the Celtic New Year. It simply is the end of the Summer. There is a time of dark chaos (“no-Time”) that starts now and carries on until about Imbolc. Modern Pagans tend to celebrate it as the New Year, but it was not the new year for the Celts. Just the start of the chaotic time between the old and new year.

Winter Solstice is a cross-quarter holiday and is known as Yule or Alban Arthuan by many Pagan traditions, including many Modern Druids. It coincides with the Christmas season. This is the longest night of the year and many traditions are celebrating the conception of something, whether it be the God or just ideas. This is generally a time of gathering with family and friends to stave off the cold winter with a nice meal and perhaps the exchange of gifts. The days will grow longer from this day forward.

Imbolc is sacred to the Goddess Brighid and is essentially the beginning of Spring in the Celtic countries. Lambs are born, ewes are lactating and snowdrops are beginning to appear. The days are growing longer as well. Most folks celebrate Brighid’s aspects as a protector of the household, a healer and a deity of light. Some celebrate her aspects as Smith and inspirer as well. Common traditions include the making of Brighid’s crosses, Bride Dolls, Bride Beds (to put the dolls in) and leaving milk and bread outside for Brighid and her white cow as they make their rounds blessing homes.

Spring Equinox is a cross-quarter holiday that celebrates the balance of daylight and darkness. Some folks call it Alban Eiler or Ostara. Day and night are the same length at this time as we head towards the lighter half of the year. The days are noticeably longer and the weather is starting to warm up. This holiday is often called Ostara by Neo-Pagans (Wiccans in particular) because of its Germanic origins with the Goddess Eostre (which, coincidentally is where we get the word “Easter” from), who brings in the spring and wakes the earth. The hare is her animal and with the birth of chicks and such at this time, eggs and rabbits are popular symbols! Folks often plant seeds at this time, or bless seeds for planting, to symbolize planting goals for the year. This is a time of transformation as the Earth wakes from her winter slumber.

Beltane or Calan Mai happens around May 1 and this is a Pan Celtic festival celebrating the beginning of summer. The leaves have appeared on the trees and life is bursting everywhere. Fertility is the focus of this season as well as bonfires for welcoming in the lighter half of the year. Two large bonfires were lit with nine sacred woods, by nine men, and the cattle were passed between them to ensure health and blessings for the summer. Some folks would collect dew at dawn and keep it in bottles to use for healing all year. This was known as the joining of the fire and water (sun and dew) and sometimes the cattle would be washed with the dew rather than be passed between the bonfires.

Many folks today celebrate Beltane with a May-Pole. This is not a practice given to us by the Celts. The British started this custom, but it may have stemmed from the dancing around birch or hawthorn trees (with no ribbons) in Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

The veil between the Otherworld and our world is thin again and Beltane is the exact opposite of Samhain in this regard. While Samhain celebrates death, Beltane celebrates life. 

Summer Solstice (also known as Alban Heruin) is the longest day of the year. This is a major holiday in Scandinavian countries and folks take time off work to celebrate the longest day with loud festivities. This is a time to celebrate summer and the height of the growing season. The days will grow shorter from this day forward.

Lughnassadh (also known as Lammas) is a festival that originated in Ireland. The God Lugh, had been fostered by a human foster mother named Tailtiu, who taught him everything there was to know. When she died, he instated a festival day of funerary Olympic style games for Tailtiu who was also a warrior. Each year, on August 1 (or thereabouts), we celebrate Lugh and honour his foster mother, Tailtiu. This is the start of the harvest season, so most celebrations have a harvest theme. As well, some groups will host their own “olympic style games” in honour of Tailtiu. The days are beginning to get shorter, and some folks notice it at this time.

Autumn Equinox (Also known Alban Elved or Mabon) is the second of equinoxes when day and night are again balanced, this time leading us towards the dark half of the year. This is the second of the three harvest festivals (Lughnassadh, Autumn Equinox and Samhain) and the harvest is in full swing. It is a transformative time as the leaves are all changing colour and the Earth prepares for the winter ahead. We stand at the balance, poised to enter the dark half of the year. This is a time of wrapping things up, looking at what we’ve harvested this year (our goals and what we’ve accomplished).

6. Are there holy places or sites used?

Not many of us are lucky enough to live near Stonehenge, the Rollright Stones or other sacred places in the UK, but many modern Druids in those areas will try and worship there if they are allowed on the land. Many of us set up sacred space in our own homes or in a favourite natural spot that we feel drawn to, if we are not lucky enough to live near the “Celtic sacred sites”.

“Wherever you go, there you are” is also a philosophy that some Modern Druids follow. All life is sacred and all places have the potential to be sacred space. One can pray or meditate almost anywhere since the Earth itself is sacred.