Ask this question and you may receive many different answers!

In ancient Celtic times, Druids were said to be guides, mentors, poets, healers, and generally the “keepers of spiritual wisdom.” Generally, the Druids of this time held a special kinship with Nature, and honored the land as sovereign, held the ideals that people should be free, that men and women shared equal standing, and passed their traditions on orally from generation to generation.

Today’s Druids are actually a part of the Druid Revival Movement that started sometime in the 18th century. There are many branches to this movement, and many different philosophies now of what a Druid really is.  A great saying in Reformed Druidry is:

“Put two Druids in a room and ask them the same question, and your bound to receive at least three different points of view!”

There can be many paths to Druidry.  You can join a Druid Order or Grove, become a researcher on Celtic and Indo-European history, practice herbalism or a healing art, lead ceremonies or rituals, or take a completely solitary path.

All that is required is a Love of Nature.

I consider myself a Reformed Druid, relying mostly upon my own discoveries in Nature – and my own synthesis and integration of learning. To me, I was drawn to Druidry because it seemed more like a “craft” that one could develop over time – over their lifetime. As well, I don’t regard Druid-ry as an “ism” or “dogma” or “prescribed” ideology. However, I do belong to a few Druid organizations. I am a member of The Druid Network, The Reformed Druids of Gaia, and The Order of the Mithril Star.

Other Druids may take a different path.  Some are Reconstructionist Druids who study, learn, and apply the historical traditions of the ancient Celts or Indo-Europeans.  Some forms of Druidry mix pagan ideas with Freemasonry.  Some consider Druidry a religion, while others are comfortable choosing Druidry as a compliment to their current spiritual path.  A person who simply voyages into the woods to ponder the “groovyness of Nature” could also consider themselves a Druid.

For me, Druidry is a way of embracing my own Euro-descended heritage, without co-opting another culture’s beliefs, titles, or spirituality. At the same time, I believe that one can simply become a Druid if they call themselves such!  There need not be prescribed curriculum, prescribed rituals or prayers – only a willingness to discover. Discovery to me is the key to the real magic of the Druid Path – when we are faced with knowledge that comes out of nowhere – unexpectedly.  How we grow, change, and evolve through our interactions with Nature are my primary focuses.

Here are some great links to resources and organizations to get you started on your own path to Druidry if you choose.

Organizations:

Reformed Druids of North America
The Druid Network
The Reformed Druids of Gaia
The Order of the Mithril Star
Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids
ADF – a Druid Fellowship
The Order of the White Oak
The Henge of Keltria

Books that Inspire Me:

All books by Ellen Evert Hopman
(she deserves her own category!)
The Mist Filled Path and The Spiral of Memory and Belonging, by Frank MacEowen
New Moon Astrology by Jan Spiller
The Flaming Serpent by Áine Armour
The Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill
Eco-Shamanism by James Endredy
Plant Spirit Medicine by Eliot Cowan
Esoteric Anatomy by Bruce Burger
The Great Turning by David Korten
The Medicine Wheel Garden by E. Barrie Kavasch
Permaculture – Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren
Earth Mother Herbal by Shatoiya de la Tour
Indigo Adults:  Understanding Who You Are and What You Can Become by Kabir Jaffe and Ritma Davidson
The Wildwood Tarot by Mark Ryan, John Matthews, and Will Worthington