Beltane is one of eight special times we celebrate in Druidry. It marks the height of Spring and the start of Summer. Whatever our age, this time of the year makes us feel young again, with all the life in Nature bursting out around us in all its colour and beauty. At Beltane we dance around the May Pole, or jump over the fires of vitality and youth and allow that energy to enliven and heal us. Within the Order, we have a beautiful ceremony that members can work with, and the link below offers a simple solo ritual you can use, and more information.
OBOD – The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids – is a mystery school, a community around the world, who love nature and want to follow a magical, spiritual way that respects and protects the natural world in all its beauty. Members work with spiritual teachings that combine the inspiration of the ancient druids and the old stories with contemporary scholarship and insights into the relationship between human beings and the world of plants and animals, stars and stones. On this site you’ll find hundreds of articles on Druidry and Druid Lore, Nature Spirituality, Gods & Goddesses, contributions from members, and much more.
A glimpse into the life of The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids
It unites our love of the earth with our love of creativity and the arts.
Flowing through all the exciting new developments in modern druidism is the power of an ancient tradition: the love of land, sea and sky – the love of the earth our home.
TEA WITH A DRUID – A collection of over 250 informal conversations and meditations on Druidry, spirituality and life in general. Find them on the Order’s Youtube page. New episodes live on Youtube and Facebook every Monday at 8pm UK time or watch later.
DRUIDCAST – monthly podcast of music, talks, and interviews hosted by Damh the Bard. Downloaded over 3 million times. More than 200 episodes to enjoy.
ADVENTURES IN NUTOPIA – Our new podcast created with Sony award-winning presenter Dr David Bramwell.
FIRESIDE CHATS WITH EIMEAR – the Order’s Chief – in-depth intimate talks with members from all over the world live on Youtube and Facebook every Thursday at 8pm UK time or watch later.
THE OBOD BLOG – Regular news updates and articles. Subscribe for updates directly via your email by joining the subscriber list on the blog page.
In the Druid Way section of this site, you can find information on Druid Beliefs and festivals, and key teachings based on Druid lore.
There is no dogma in Druidry, or Druidism as it also known, so you will find a wide range of beliefs amongst Druids. But most will believe in a realm or realms beyond or in addition to the physical world; in the continuity of the soul after physical death, perhaps through reincarnation; in the interconnectedness of all life, in the great web of Being; and in the Law of the Harvest, expressed in the East as Karma, in Christianity in the idea that “as you sow, so shall you reap.”
Druids love and respect the natural world and celebrate eight special festival times during the year. They work to develop their creativity, to foster community and compassion, and to study spiritual teachings. They are interested in meditation, mysticism and magic as means to improve their lives and the lives of others, and are often engaged in projects to preserve, protect and restore the natural world, and celebrate the creative arts.
Some people follow the Druid Way as their religion, others see it as a spiritual or magical path, others as a philosophy or way of life.
Most Druids believe in some form of afterlife. The ancient Druids believed in the transmigration of souls, which means that after death we can reborn as humans or even animals. Just as many Buddhists and Hindus hold to this belief, so do many Druids. Others believe in reincarnation (rebirth as a human) while others will be agnostic, simply stating they do not hold to any belief, while others, particularly Christian Druids, may believe in a heavenly afterlife.
Yes, and in the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids we have developed an online training programme in celebrancy, which shows you how to create and hold such rites. You can also find a list of Druid celebrants on this site who can help you with organising and leading these.
Druidry, or Druidism as it is also called, encourages you to find the magic in life itself, and in particular in the beauties and wonders of nature. In addition, it teaches natural principles that draw on a spiritual understanding of the way creativity works, to help you change your life and create more love, beauty, healing and peace in the world. Druids are both magicians and mystics. The mystic in us seeks union with the Divine, with All. The magician in us seeks to be creative and of use in the world.
Some believe the term ‘Druid’ comes from the Celtic word for oak – dru – combined with the Indo-European root – wid – to know, making the Druid a ‘knower of the oak’, in other words a ‘forest sage’. Others believe the word comes from the pre-Indo-European roots deru, meaning ‘strong’, and weid, meaning ‘to see’, making a Druid a ‘strong seer’.
Our home learning course, in six different languages, presents the teachings of Druidry in an accessible, direct way that is supported by a team of over 50 mentors around the world who support students as they learn about the eight festival times, the magical properties of trees, plants, animals and the Earth. We have over 300 groups around the world, and this website is full of articles and information about the Druid Way.
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OBOD CIC
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