Say the word Druid and most people will immediately think of Stonehenge and people walking around in long robes.  That is mostly all they know.  The ancient Druids were the Magicians, Priests, Scientists and Judges of their time.  The name itself actually comes from the Ancient Cornish, Gaelic and Welsh meaning wizard or wise man.  Druidry is a philosophy and a religion and in the present time there are many different systems, just as there are within other disciplines and beliefs.

 

 

There are basically three types of Druid

 

The Bardic - people in this group are the storytellers, the artists, musicians and academics. This group is responsible for passing on the knowledge they have gained.

 

The Ovate - this group are the healers, magicians and work with divination and astrology and are responsible for using the knowledge for the benefit of the planet at large.

 

The Druid - these are the people who are responsible for public rituals, and reaching out to inspire others and for the culture.  Druids are expected to speak out against injustices as they are in the public domain and to live their lives in support of their magical beliefs.

 

Within the different groups of Druids they focus on whichever aspect of the system they feel most aligned with.

 

Like many other Pagans the circle is important particularly in ritual as this represents a shape with no beginning and no end; no one person is greater than any other.  This is the likely basis for the Round Table in the Arthurian Legends.  The Druids’ focus is on the Sun and solar work.

 

One difference in practice is that the Gods or deities are not invoked they are free to come in to a ritual or not as they wish.  Most people will only work with a few of the many deities that are recognised within Druidry.

 

There is also a big emphasis on the environment and environmental issues and working towards World Peace. The symbol of peace for the Druids is mistletoe that was traditionally cut with a golden sickle and never allowed to touch the earth. As with most if not all of the earth focussed traditions there is a keen awareness of the interconnectedness of all things.  If our planet is not healthy and self sustaining there will be nowhere for us to live.  A better world for all of us begins from the ground on which we live.

 

An ancient script or alphabet that is linked with the Druids is the Ogham believed to come originally from Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, South Wales, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.  This is a system of lines across a central vertical line.  There are straight lines to the left, the right and right through and on a diagonal.  They represent letters and also the names of various trees and use the Gaelic names.

 

 

 

For instance the ogham for B or birch is                           T or holly is                             G or ivy is                               O is gorse 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When writing ogham as script they are written from top to bottom, left to right.  Nowadays the Ogham are also used as a divination tool.

 

The Druids are also linked with many of the ancient sacred sites throughout the country.  Although it is likely that these sites were not created by Druids they have used the sites for many years.  The most well known are places such as Stonehenge, Avebury.  Although these links are relatively recent and the revival of the Druids came in the late 1700s.

 

As with a lot of other Pagan traditions there is no formal written text like the Bible and loose structures within which the individual can express their belief.  They also have a belief in a world beyond this one and in reincarnation.  Druidry like other traditions has over the years overlapped with some of those traditions and taken parts into itself perhaps changed a little to suit.  Earth based traditions have really all come from the same precepts of the seasons, growing food and so on it is perhaps not surprising that there are many similarities between them.