D is for Druidry (or Druids)

So first I am going to preface by saying this is not a comprehensive dissertation on Druidry.  I am still exploring this part of my spiritual path and I thought I would share some of what I found and why I think this might be another part of my personal spiritual journey.  So first in many of my readings I came across this word, Druid.  In fiction as well as non-fiction books, this was something that I thought it might be worth to read some more about "one of these days". 

First stop was me heading off into the World Wide Web to see what I could find, and I came across two big groups, ADF and OBOD.  Then I thought why did I find all of this alphabet soup!  So ADF stands for Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship and is an American based group.  OBOD stands for the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids and is a Britain based group.  Both have a lot of resources and articles on their websites, but I particularly like this one passage on the OBOD's website:

"The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids works with Druidry as a spiritual way and practice that speaks to three of our greatest yearnings: to be fully creative in our lives, to commune deeply with the world of Nature, and to gain access to a source of profound wisdom. Each of these yearnings comes from a different aspect of ourselves that we can personify as the Singer, the Shaman and the Sage. In Druidry, Bardic teachings help to nurture the singer, the artist or storyteller within us: the creative self; Ovate teachings help to foster the shaman, the lover of Nature, the healer within us; while the Druid teachings help to develop our inner wisdom: the sage who dwells within each of us."

From: http://www.druidry.org/druid-way/what-druidry

 I love nature, being outside, and I know I have truly disconnected from this love of mine as I have gotten older.  I used to have to be forced to go inside as a young person, or be forced inside by my horrendous seasonal allergies, and now it is the opposite.  I loved being creative with different projects, especially nature photography and the occasional (and hardly Monet quality) sketches.  I love to learn, the pursuit of lifelong learning has lead me to my Associates and Bachelor's degree a little later in life (27 and 30 respectively) but yet I always am finding a reason to want to learn and read and expand my mind.  These things are all what lead me to discover the Pagan religions or spirituality, as you are searching and reading and discovering your own path.  I have also been so drawn to Celtic culture, deities, and it seems anything Celtic since I started my Pagan journey (well that and Norse, but later for that), that I felt it might be time to pick up some books or read some more into Druidry.


I had spent some time finding some books that would help me figure out if this truly was a pursuit that I wished to follow.  The two books I have picked up so far have been The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual by Alexei Kondratiev and The Mysteries of Druidry by Brendan Cathbad Myers, PhD.  I keep picking up this one book in the bookstore when I go (they have a limited selection at Barnes and Noble) called The Druidry Handbook, and I also have another book, Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism, on my Amazon wishlist as well.  I just have yet to bother to purchase them yet.  And I am always looking for new sources, so if you have any Druidry book suggestions, pass them along in the comments, by all means!

My current Druidry reading list, reading/in progress on left, to be read on the right.

So I have picked up and have been reading the first book, The Mysteries of Druidry.  I started I think with this book because it is more academic and what I am most comfortable reading at the moment because I feel I can stop and go. The book does a great job first off with a devoted specifically to questions and answers.  This is really what made me pick the book off the shelf, it asked and answered questions I had.  I'm hoping to finish it soon and do a blog on it for the Pagan Book Challenge.  So the simple explanation is that this book has drawn me closer to the Celts and my desire to know more. 


So now the true question - what do I think a Druid is now (after reading and exploring a bit) and do I think it is the path for me at this time.  I think (in my opinion only) a Druid is someone that respects nature and is on a constant journey for learning, be it creative or academic.  From what I read it is a personal path that is drawn on many sources and that each individual follows, but comes to groups (groves) and shares in activities with others.  I think it is someone that seeks to live and be connected with our fullest potential.  Do I think this is for me at the moment - absolutely yes.  I have also found a group here in the US that has online classes, as well as a radio show that I have been listening too, and am considering starting the dedicant classes this summer, when I have the time to devote to them.  They are called the Black Mountain Druid Order.

I hope I have shared something that you find worthwhile this week, I feel like I have been rambling on about a subject I know I am just starting to skim the surface of.  I am hoping to reconnect with my love of nature and my spiritual self that I long for that I know I had long ago.