I just did a little druid research for a story, and it appears that it's pretty much a facet of the pre-Christian British Isles. It did say that some traditions survived to the present day, but I doubt it's really got a big following. Sounds pretty cool though, hopefully somebody on here is with you and can share more info.
Druidism is the worship of nature. It is a practice of magic and the transfer of life energy into other beings.
No i am actually not. I actually practice the druid religion. The group I practice magic with, in druid terms, is called a grove. And you really shouldnt be telling me i dont understand things unless you practice druidism your self
First of all, I meant no offense, I was just commenting because this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I am a Celtic Heathen and have spent many hours researching the lore and legends of my ancestors, learning Irish Gaelic and speaking with the gods. In a historical context, the druids were not just priests but also: teachers, historians, judges, lawyers, doctors and yes, priests too. Druid was the ancient, insular, version of a modern day PhD. To be considered a druid one usually undertook, on average, 20 years of schooling in an official institution. This is why I said you might not be using the right term. In no way am I trying to minimize your spirituality and development along your path; I think it's wonderful that you have found a group that you can practice and worship with. If you would like to continue this discussion, PM me and I would be happy to talk further.
I have just begun the OBOD Bard gwersi. The seed group I am working with has at least one other gay member. I suspect our group (Gay Druids) is quite small. Though I found the acceptance in the Druid community to be something that is overwhelming and positive.
Druidism is somewhat like Wicca in this manner. People have used the name to make some cash off of book sales, and now there are a ton of people who don't understand what it actually is. Granted, this is far worse a problem within Wicca than Druidism, but I think that may be because Wicca is often seen as analogous to Paganism because of publicity hounds like Silver Ravenwolf, and many Pagans incorrectly consider themselves Wiccan as a result. That's not to say that you are using the term incorrectly. I don't know enough about Druidism to make that verdict. I'm just saying that it is something to think about, because this is a sizeable problem in New Age religion. ---------- Post added 8th Dec 2013 at 06:05 PM ---------- I would be careful here. A lot of New Agers have the knowledge base to speak authoritatively about many different New Age religions, not just their own. The community is not so large as to allow people to only associate within or learn about their own belief system, and my experience has been that there is far more common understanding of each other's beliefs within the New Age movement than within other religious systems I can think of.
Well, I went with one of the larger groups (OBOD) because I felt a connection to what their principals stood for. Another odd thing (amongst many) about Druidry is that due to it being an oral rather than written practice, very little of the older information prior to 18th century when the neo-druid movements reemerged. So is it an ancient belief or a more modern one? Each group seems to have their own "spin" on what they see are important from ancient texts. There is an excellent comparison on ADFs website comparing the two groups. It's an interesting conversation, but ultimately, if you find you peace and inner light there, then so be it. Since I fall into the more atheist/pantheist group, for me the teachings are still relevant regardless of where they came from. It's has been fun reading and learning about it though. And while I have much to learn being so new, OBOD fit me better than ADF as I felt more drawn to the beliefs and not necessarily to the religious aspect of it. Lots to learn...
