The Handbook of Urban Druidry
by Brendan Howlin
Druidry is a spirituality that is associated with being in the beauty of nature but what happens when you live in an urban environment, which is where the majority of people live? Does Druidry also have a message for people in this situation? Any mature spirituality must appeal to people in all walks of life and in all situations otherwise its appeal is limited, so I have tried to explain what Druidry has to offer to urbanites in my book The Handbook of Urban Druidry, Modern Druidry for All.
The book doesn’t require any previous knowledge of Druidry but several people who are druids have said that it clarified their practice. Interestingly it has found favour amongst young people, some of whom said it was ‘cool’ and SBNR people (spiritual but not religious). It is short enough to read in a single sitting but is not written in a serious pontificating way. In fact one reader said that it felt like the author was talking directly to them.
The book starts with developing our perception, as we tend to sleep walk around a familiar environment, not really seeing what is around us. If we open our eyes and other senses we can see that even the most urban of environments literally teems with life. Everyone has seen people these days walking along, mobile phone in hand, concentrating on the blue screen and seeing nothing. In fact phone use has got so bad that one manufacturer of ready meals provides an electromagnetic screen in the form of a tray, that diners are encouraged to put their phones in whilst eating, so that they can actually talk to one another. Everyone talks about stress in urban life these days and it is a big problem but the practice of Druidry can help to release some of that pent up stress and enable you to get more out of your life.