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(Auf Deutsch)
But we shall never understand Druidism, unless we grasp the fact that it was recognised that all knowledge must be sought in two directions: one, by searching the outer world - Science; and two, by searching the depths of the human soul and the secrets of the human body - Art
Eleanor Merry 'The Flaming Door
'Some view Druidry as a 'thing of the past' - but in reality it is a tradition
which has been evolving and growing from the earliest times to the present day.
Until recently, the practice of Druidry had been confined to those who could
learn by visiting a Grove in person. But about fourteen years ago, an experience-based
course in Druidry was developed which could be followed by anyone wherever they
lived. Since then, over four thousand people of all ages and educational backgrounds
have taken this course, which works with the ideas and practices of Druidry
in a thoroughly practical, yet also deeply spiritual way.
The course is in three grades or stages: those of the Bards, Ovates and Druids.
Each grade has its own initiation which can be performed alone at home, or with
others in a Grove.
In ancient times it took nineteen years to become a Druid, but this course of
training included many of those subjects that we learn today at school. And
nineteen years is also a symbolic length of time: it represents a Metonic cycle:
a calculation of the time between two almost identical eclipses, and a calculation
which also succeeded in uniting the solar and lunar calendars. And so nineteen
years symbolises the time it might take for someone to unite the sun and moon,
the Masculine and the Feminine, within their beings.
Today it still takes a long time to achieve this union in the depths of our
souls, and the study of Druidry is a lifetime pursuit for many. But we no longer
need to train for nineteen years before we can call ourselves a Druid. In fact
the term Druid has now come to denote, for many, the type of spirituality they
follow. And as for training, we have found that most members taking the course
reach the Druid level of training in about three years, although it is possible
to achieve this in just over two years.
The course is divided into three sections that correspond to the three traditional
divisions of the ancient Druids: those of the Bards, the Ovates, and the Druids.
Taking you on a journey through the cycle of the year, the Bardic grade introduces
all the basic concepts of Druidry and shows you how it is a living Way that
can be practised in the modern world, bringing a greater sense of connection
with all of nature, and with the ancient heritage of the Druid wisdom-tradition.
The aim of the Bardic course is to help your life flourish and blossom - to
help your Soul express itself fully in the world. It does this by helping you
discover the sources of your creative power, so that their gifts can flow fully
in your life. In addition, the Bardic course teaches the fundamental skills
and techniques of Druid spirituality - the use of ritual, of sacred space, of
the circle, the directions and elements. Over the course of the first year you
are taught thirteen rituals in addition to the eight Druid seasonal ceremonies.
These rituals help to attune you to the natural world, to the rhythms of the
earth and moon, the sun and stars. And as they do this, they help you to access
your Deep Self - your Soul - that part of you which feels at One with all life.
The course is presented in the form of Gwersu - a Welsh word meaning lessons.
Each month you receive four of these, together with a copy of the monthly magazine
Touchstone, and supplementary material, such as audios and booklets.
In the introductory package you are sent the first two Gwersu of the course
- to give you a feel for what they are like. They combine seed-thoughts, exercises,
poetry and teaching material, which are designed to help you to truly walk the
path of Druidry, rather than simply read about it.
If you feel the course is for you, and you decide to take it, then the next
package begins with an initiation ceremony, and you start to follow a path laid
down, initially probably thousands of years ago, and which was encoded in an
old story about a young boy who becomes the finest Bard in the land -Taliesin.
To help you on this journey you are offered a tutor or mentor who you can consult
whenever you wish, by mail or email. Some members consult their tutor often
- others hardly at all. You are also sent The Book of Ritual, which includes
the eight seasonal ceremonies, and The Bardic Companion - a resource book for
the course - and audios to help you with pronunciation and meditation. Supplementary
Gwersu deal with such topics as The Art of Story-Telling, and The Relationship
of Druidry to Wicca, Shamanism and Magic.
Because the course is experiential rather than academic, members from a wide
range of educational backgrounds find the course helpful and inspiring.
Initiation into the Ovate Grade is followed with work on the healing and divinatory
skills of the Druids, a study of sacred sites and trees, animals and plants.
In the Druid Grade, the teachings continue the study of the Arthurian and Grail
myths and are particularly concerned with expressing our full potential and
purpose in life.
The course at the first level in the Bardic Grade is self-directed, and at any
time you may suspend your studies, either completely or for a time, and you
are free to correspond or not as you feel appropriate, with your tutor/adviser
who is allocated to you at the beginning of the course (on-line mentors and
an on-line groups are available too!).
University Degrees
Members who complete all three levels of the course receive a Completion Certificate,
and are entitled to credits that can be used towards a Bachelors, Masters or
Doctoral degree from Westbrook University in the USA. Westbrook offer distance-learning
degrees in subjects highly compatible with the training provided by the Order,
such as Esoteric Studies, Jungian Psychotherapy, Transpersonal Psychology, Natural
Health Sciences, Mythology, and Metaphysics.
Membership
When one dreams alone, it is only a dream. When many dream together,
it is the beginning of a new reality
-Hundertwasser
Membership and taking the course are synonymous. Once you enrol on the course
you also become a member of a worldwide community - a Fellowship of Druids (Cairdeas
Mor Shaoghal nan Druidh in Gaelic) and over the years this has grown to include
groups and individuals in over a dozen countries. How you choose to relate to
this community is entirely up to you. Many members say that they are not the
'joining type' - they don't belong to clubs or associations, and prefer studying
on their own. But if they do come to a meeting - a camp or workshop for example
- they are often amazed to find themselves amongst a group of people who feel
the same way as they do - and who are relaxed and friendly, and interested in
the same things.
There are over thirty groves and seed-groups that meet to celebrate the festivals,
and at other times, and a list of these is sent with the first course package.
You can start a seed-group whenever you like and a booklet tells you how to
do this.
In Britain we hold an Assembly once a year at Glastonbury. We meet together
and hold separate grove meetings and ceremonies for each of the grades. We hold
a colourful ceremony atop the Tor, and have a big supper party and Eisteddfod
on the Saturday evening. The next day we go to Stonehenge for a Summer Solstice
ritual amongst the stones.
In Holland each spring we hold an Assembly over a weekend in the country - with
rituals, workshops, meditations, feasting and Eisteddfod. Members come from
all over Holland and Belgium to take part.
In Australia each spring we hold an Assembly too, which moves every year around
this vast continent. So far we have had Assemblies in New South Wales, South
and Western Australia.
As the books and the course are translated into other languages, and as the
membership grows, there will probably be assemblies held in other countries.
They are organised with the initiative of local members, and any member can
offer to organise one.
In addition to grove and seed-group meetings and assemblies, an annual retreat
is held on Iona (Isla na Druidneach - the Isle of the Druids) in Scotland, and
workshops and other events are offered by members and announced in the Events
section of the website and Touchstone.
To help members get the best out of the course, we have also developed a number
of one-day workshops, on subjects such as Ritual and Meditation, which are held
in different locations. Members of the Druid Grade can learn how to give these
workshops, to offer them in their locality.
There is a Healing Network which any member can join, which publishes a Register
of Healers, and which acts as a forum for members interested in healing. The
Network has its own section on the Order's website, and The Druid College of
Healing has been formed to develop a training programme and Healing Retreats.
The Order also offers an Internet Listserv community, known as NOBOD (Network
of the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids) to any member who wants to enjoy
cyber communication with other members. It is a large international group of
enthusiastic people who regularly share their opinions on both a social and
academic plane.
A cyber Grove has also been created by NOBOD members to further enhance their
cyber space experience. All the eight festivals are celebrated with 'live' rituals
as well as topical discussions each weekend in a private chat room. A private
web site, with biographies, photos, archives and more is available to assist
and support members.
Members are also planning to form Harpists and Storytellers groups to support
each other and share in their passions and experiences.
Over the years Druid camps have become an exciting and vital part of the Order
- giving us an opportunity to truly live the teachings and the philosophy of
Druidry out in Nature. Some Groves arrange weekend camps for their members,
and there have been longer camps held in California and upstate New York.
In Britain, we hold four camps a year, usually near the White Horse of Uffington
in Oxfordshire. We have our own benders and equipment - including a hot shower,
hot tub, and giant 'mega-bender' - and an enthusiastic crew who help to make
each camp a magical experience for everyone. At Lughnasadh the camp is usually
ten or fourteen days long - at the other festival times a week or five days.
Young and old, single people and families all contribute to make the camps a
success. We put on plays, have storytelling and music-making around the fire,
hold ceremonies and create magical adventures. We've developed a way of exploring
and 'entering into' the old stories and myths, so that they become exciting
and educational games that take place across two fields and in the woods. We
hold Druid sweathouse rituals and initiations, and big communal ceremonies under
the stars.Druidry and the Order are vibrant and growing movements, attracting
interest all over the world from people who want to combine their creative and
spiritual interests with a care and concern for the Earth and all of Nature.
How do I enroll?
You start off by sending for the first package, which gives the first months work of the course, together with details of the Order’s Sacred Grove Planting Programme and Campaign for Ecological Responsibility. This costs £10 or $25. After sampling this material, if you feel the course isn’t right for you, you can either keep the materials, or send them back to us and we will refund your money. But if you decide you would like to follow the course, we will send you a package each month for the next twelve months.
Course Fees In Britain and Europe
If you choose to follow the Bardic course, we will send you a package each
month for the next twelve months. Each package contains four Gwersu to study,
and a copy of Touchstone - a monthly magazine which contains articles and poetry,
and gives details of Groves and Seed-Groups, Contact Addresses, Members’
Notices and news of forthcoming events, workshops and other items of interest.
Through the year we also send you The Bardic Companion, audios of the Sacred
Grove and Light-Body exercises, and of Gaelic Pronunciation, and The Book of
Ritual giving full ceremonies for each of the eight seasonal festivals.
In addition to the material that you receive each month, you may correspond
about your experiences with the course with a tutor who is personally allocated
to you.
The cost of the course is £3.46 a week, £180 in total in Europe,
310 USD for the United States and the rest of the world. We are very aware of
the fact that finances can sometimes be difficult for members, so we have developed
four ways in which payment can be made easier:
1 Through paying by credit card.
2 Through paying half now and half later.
3 Through paying monthly by Standing Order if you have a bank account and live
in Britain.
4 Through paying in cash monthly if you don’t have a bank account, and
provided you live in Britain.
Each grade course is complete in itself, and it is by no means necessary to
complete all three grades to benefit from the material. Each grade takes about
a year to complete.
We do not want financial hardship to prevent people following the course, so
if you really find that even with the easier payment methods, you still cannot
afford the fees, please write to us explaining your circumstances.
Bursaries are often available for retreats and workshops in the event of financial
difficulties.
Each grade course is complete in itself, and it is by no means necessary to
complete all three grades to benefit from the material. Each grade takes about
a year to complete.
Fees Abroad
Unfortunately, if you live outside Britain our bank cannot accept monthly payments,
and if you live outside Europe the course fees are higher because we send everything
by airmail postage which is very costly.
For the USA and the Rest of the World, the course fee is $310 US Dollars payable
either by credit card, personal check, bank check, IMO or US Postal Money Order.
You can stage the payment if paying by check by sending two checks, with one
dated five months ahead. However you decide to pay, the first step to take is
to order the introductory package for £10 / $25.
We allocate a proportion of the fees to tree planting, to compensate for the
number of trees felled to make the paper that is used to print the course and
Touchstone. With the advice of ecologists, we use recycled paper and chlorine-free
paper from managed forests.
If you would like to receive the introductory package which includes the book
Wild Wisdom – introducing the Order and Druidry, a book entitled The Sacred
Grove, sample lessons of the course, a copy of Touchstone, and details of the
Campaign for Ecological Responsibility, then click here:
If you feel you might like to follow the course, you can receive an introductory
package on a trial basis. If after studying the material you feel it is not
right for you, you can if you wish send it back, and we will return your payment
in full. If, however, you find it answers an inner call, then you will be most
welcome to keep the package and begin a journey that we feel sure you will find
both exciting and rewarding.