yule-garden

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Historical accounts

Celtic history is quite long, so we'll only be discussing aspects of it that touch on druidry. The earliest known written references of druids date to 200 BCE, although they likely existed for much longer. Ancient Celtic people kept very little written records of their lives, traditions, and beliefs, most knowledge being passed down orally through familial generations and by bards. But thanks to first century CE Greco-Roman accounts and 7th century Brehon Laws we do have some information to go off of in how the Druids practiced and what they believed.

The Ogham

While Druids were observed to hold all nature to be divine, the most sacred of all seemed to be the trees, so much so they created a script known as the Ogham, also known as the Tree Alphabet, the earliest known writing of this script being from 300 CE. It is theorized by scholar and historian Damian McManus that each letter of the Ogham script also represented a different tree. The vertical line is to represent the trunk of a tree, the horizontal and diagonal lines representing branches. Most archeological finds have shown the script carved into stone and wood, often monumentally but some finds suggest a claim of ownership over the object or to create short lists and messages.

Sacred groves

Written accounts from the Greeks and Romans who observed Druidic practices said that they performed their rituals, rites, worship, and ceremonies within groves viewed upon them by oak trees. Each Druidic community went to a different grove, but each seemed to be very valued. Some accounts described the grove as being surrounded by oak trees in particular, or a central oak tree that was used in ceremonies.

Belief in life after death

Greek Historian Diodorus Siculus, Julius Ceasar, ans early Christian writer Philostratus all documented that the ancient Druids believed in some form of life after death. Some accounts describe it as a reincarnation from one body to another, others describe it as the soul moving to the Otherworld. We're not 100% sure which was believed, or perhaps both. Regardless, it was an ideology of rebirth, and documents tell of celebrations and rejoice at funerals because of this sacred and honorable rebirth.

Philosophy and Theology

Diodorus also describes the Druids as holding teachings in natural and moral philosophy, which seemed to be highly valued amongst them. It took around twenty years of training to become a Druid, followed by an honorable lifetime of learning. Julius Ceasar writes that the Druids "hold various lectures and discussions on the stars and their movement, on the extent and geograph(y)... of the earth, on... branches of natural philosophy, and on many problems connected with religion." Meanwhile Diogenes Laertius writes that Druids "(taught) that the gods must be worshipped, and no evil done, and manly behavior maintained".

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Druids, Bards, & Ovates

Diodorus Siculus is the main source of this three order system within ancient Celtic society. He wrote his observations in around 36 BCE, which was then continued and reconfirmed by Strabo in the 20s CE. Each order had years of extensive training, most of which people took on by choice while others were observed to be given the mantle by their parents.

Bards or bardoi were the ones who kept their peoples' history and neighboring communities' history alive. They spent their whole life memorizing hundreds of songs, stories, epics, and myths to continue to pass down through the generations. Their magick lied in charisma, performance, creativity, song, various arts, and movement.

Ovates or o'vateis were the healers and seers. They were very interconnected to the physical natural world, and were specialized in all sorts of natural knowledge from the forests to the ocean to the sky and stars for the good of their people. They didn't perform spells or communed with spirits. Their magick lied in learning all about nature to heal, divine the future, and connect to the land.

Druids or druidai were their peoples' leaders in every sense of the word. They were their peoples' judges and lawmakers, theologians, decided upon going to war or performing sacrifices, and through their magick and trancework led seasonal activities, celebrations, and generational rituals and rites. Their magick lied in rituals, spells, trancework, spirit communication, lore, and myctisim.

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Modern Druid Practices and How I Fit in Mine

There are different philosophies and guidelines within different modern Druidic groups such as the Ancient Order Of Druids In America, A Druid Fellowship, and the Order Of Bards, Ovates, & Druids, and while they have similar foundations they teach quite differently. Some teach Druidry as a religion and deity worship, others as a spirituality. Some are Celtic reconstructionists, others are not. Some use a three element system, others a five or nine. So on and so forth, but there are foundations to Druidry which all (congressional or solitary) seem to agree on.

Take care of and work with nature

The foundational aspect to Druidry is a reverence for nature. Working with and utilizing nature in ones practice is commonplace amongst most metaphysical and spiritual practices, but Druidry worships nature itself. This means different things to different people. but nature is the most sacred aspect of Druidism and is of the utmost importance. Without nature, Druidry wouldn't exist.

For me this means picking up litter when I go on my walks, taking care of homegrown plants, treating wild and tamed animals with kindness, taking lots of time to find reverence in and appreciate the beauty of nature on hikes and walks, and learn all I can about the plants, animals, and fungi that live in my environment. I use herbs quite a bit in my craft and forage for them when I have the time!

Take care of your body

Our bodies and minds are how we perform our practice and overall live life to its fullest extent. To disrespect our body is to disrespect ourselves, and while we by no means have to be perfect at taking care of our bodies, we should be doing our best to promote vitality for a long and active life.

For me this means eating relatively well in terms of whole/real foods but still indulging in treats, doing daily yoga and plenty of physical movement, doing activities that do well for my mental health, and keeping myself in good hygiene.

Take care or your community

Druids quite literally trained to serve their community. While modern Druids might not have as much responsibility as our ancestral counterparts, we can still do lots of things to help and connect with our local communities. Even as a solitary practitioner myself, we are all better, stronger, and kinder with a good community to find friends in and have each others backs during hard times.

One of my jobs is working for a nonprofit local art museum, but I also do volunteer work when I can. I love to participate in community events and fairs in my village and neighboring towns, support local farmers, and overall just show kindness to the people around me. Not many people know I do magick, but for those that do I'm always happy to craft a spell for them when they ask!

Work with the spiritual

Regardless if you are religious or not, Druidry at its core is spiritual. Druids didn't just worship nature's physical aspects, but their metaphysical aspects as well, acting as a bridge between both the mundane world and the Otherworld. I think many can agree that without spiritualism, you don't quite have Druidry, although what you believe in spiritually and how you practice is up to you.

I have always been spiritual in my life, and I personally find it easiest to connect with nature inclined spirits. Spirits housing trees, stones, and water, spirits that travel with the weather and seasons, spirits that are related to the cycles of life and death, the fae, and so on. As someone who is also a Hedge Witch I connect directly with the Otherworld through trance work as well.

Always seek, foster, and protect knowledge

With how committed the Druids and Ancient Celts were to learning and memorizing everything about their knowledge and history through the spoken word, it's reasonable to determine that they deeply valued learning as part of their practice. Knowledge is our greatest tool in our practice and to gain a greater understanding of ourselves, life, and the natural world around us. There is always something new to learn, and we are students for our whole lives.

I have always loved philosophy, psychology, and other sciences that spark my interest. I've studied several different branches of philosophy and other sciences from high school through college, and I still do in my spare time today. I love learning all that I can, challenging my own perspectives and beliefs, and seeing the world from the history and perspectives of other parts of the world.

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I hope this was a decent beginners guide into Druidry for those who are interested in it! I encourage people to learn more about Druidry from the modern groups I had listed earlier and to just check out the practices of other Druids in general. You don't need to practice Celtic mysticism to be a Druid and Druidry can be applied anywhere so long as nature, spirituality, and knowledge are important to you!

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(I do want to point out though while Celtic Mysticism is not required for Druidry, it is often practiced within Druidry and is widely known to be part of Celtic history, so many people who aren't Druids heavily associate the practice with the Celts. It's unfortunately something that really can't be helped, so if this makes you uncomfortable while you can still practice Druidry it might do you better to utilize a different label to others)

Sources

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Amgueddafu Cymru – Museum Wales

Celtic Mysticism by Tracie Long

The Book of Hedge Druidry by Joanna Van Der Hoeven

Wikipedia

Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids

Ancient Order of Druids in America