Related Information to Real Druids

Real Druids - Page 3

Name: Lisa

Comments: I am happy to answer your questions. I am an ordained minister with the AODA. Be aware, however, that my answers are mine alone, and I certainly do not speak for any other person who follows the druid path.

* When you are asked about religion or your religious beliefs how do you explain? I never explain myself to anyone, it isn't necessary. If people actually ask me about my religion (and no one ever does; it just never comes up in real life), I say that I am pagan and follow a nature spirituality.

* Do you have a belief in Christ, devils, how do you take to Buddahism and Muslims? To each his or her own. Spirituality is found on your own personal path. Who am I to say one is right or wrong? I don't personally believe in 'devils', . That sounds so silly to me. I think that there are myriad gods, but I only pray to my own, the ones I have a personal relationship with.

* Are plant and animal life more or equal to our own lives?
Equal. Everything is equal in my eyes. Each life is entangled in all other lives around it. We are all interdependant.

* Are any kind of sacrifices made? Sure, all the time. Do I kill anything? No. My sacrifices are libations or food.

Hope this was helpful in some way.

Druids Real

In regards to the questions that were posted, just as Lisa said I do not speak for anyone but myself and my answers are strictly based on my own beliefs and practices.

(and Hello Lisa!)

* When you are asked about religion or your religious beliefs how do you explain?

When this does occur (and it is rarely) I begin by stating that I am Pagan (and not all Druids are, by the way) and follow a Nature-based Spirituality which is the foundation for my religious beliefs and practices. If the subject progresses further, I do explain that I do hold a pantheistic/polytheistic view of things.

* Do you have a belief in Christ,

I believe that there could have been an actual historical person who was Jesus of Nazareth that the Christian Lore was based off of. As to his being "the Son of God", I feel that is possible as there are similar tales of "divine conceptions" in many of the world's religions, incluidng the Celtic Lore. As to the Christian God being the "only true God", no, that part I do not hold to.

* devils,

No. No belief in that. I'm a firm believer that "evil" is not an inherent concept in nature. Therefore, if everything is a part of nature there can be no "evil". It is a thing based on human actions and concepts. I've never encountered an evil tree, an evil rock, or even an evil animal...a mean animal, protective animal, fearful animal, but never an "evil" one, just merely a product of its environment.

*how do you take to Buddahism and Muslims?

Quite well. I have a respect for anyone who follows their respective religious path to the best of their ability, regardless of what faith it is. I do, however, dislike ANY Religious Extremists (such as suicide bombers or Cults). I have many friends and many family members covering pretty well the entire gambit of modern Religions.

* Are plant and animal life more or equal to our own lives?

Equal in some respect, more in others. We are all part of the same biome that exists on this planet we inhabit. Without trees and plants to produce and scrub the atmosphere, animal life would not be able to exist as we know it. Yet without some animal life, most of the plants and trees would not be able to reproduce via their pollination methods, but I'm sure nature would find some way to compensate, and animal dung and decay from the cycle of life make wonderful food for the plant life. If you take humans out of the picture completely though, this entire biosphere would just continue chugging along quite nicely without a single one of us...probably for the better in the long run.

* Are any kind of sacrifices made?

Yes, in a variety of ways, but no ritual slaughtering of animals at any time. Most often, as in Lisa's example, it is libation and food. Both the RDNA and the ADF use bits of greenery or the like placed on their ritual fires as an offering to the Gods. I have done so as well.

Tully

Real Druids Paranormal & Mystics Dreams Studies

Thanks for all this cool information, and you as you may have guessed, it leads me to more questions.

First Lisa,

What is the process towards becoming an ordained minister druid?

This leads me to believe that there is no active recruitment then?

So you believe there are many gods or one specific god and other wannabe ones?

Next, Tully,

What about people who commit very evil acts, murder, rape?

Aren't druids like a cult though? I mean no disrespect by asking that.

Do you have disagreements between groups?

Page 3 Druids Real

You summed it up by using the word "people". The actions you describe don't occur in nature. Evil, I feel can indeed be used to describe consistent and detrimental antisocial behavior in people, but not as an inherent force in nature. "Good and Evil" are concepts developed by the human mind to describe their surroundings. Nature has "positive", "negative", and "neutral" forces to it, any of which can be "good" or "bad" depending on how they impact you or your surroundings. Too much air pressure, you cant breathe, too little air pressure, you can't breathe. Too little water, you dehydrate, too much water, you drown. A jolt from a defibrillator when your heart has stopped can start it again. Placing a criminal in the electric chair kills them. None of these actions make the air, the water, or the electricity either good or evil, it is how they impact you or your surroundings.

No offense taken.

This is from a 2000 FBI bulletin on assessing the "risk" of "New Religions Movements" (in other words, Cults)

I don't know of any Druid Groups or Organizations, within the USA or elsewhere that fall into any of these categories. Plus, when it comes to such groups as the AODA and OBOD, these have their roots in the Druid Revival era of the 18th Century, hardly a "New Religious Movement" being 300 years old.

Issac Bonewits, author and founder of the ADF, also has a "Cult Evaluation" framework, which can be read here;
https://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html

Oh, most definitely. But, so do the Catholics, and the Mormons, and the Protestants, and the Jehovah's Witness, and the Baptists, and etcetera etcetera etcetera...

There are those who feel Druidry is strictly a scholastic path, and you have their opposites who feel it's wholly about personal experience. You have some who feel that Druidry can only be practiced by Pagans, and their opposite who feel it is open to all faiths. Some feel that Druidry MUST be reconstructed and practiced solely based off the Irish and/or Welsh Lore, while others approach it from an extremely eclectic view and anything goes.

And, you have every possible middle ground between the extremes... as well as combinations of these.

Just like with Christianity, there is no single way, no one path, that will fit every person. To progress and grow as an individual, you have to find what path you are comfortable with, be it Druidry, Christianity, or what have you.

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Druids Real

Actually, I was wondering if the pictures shown with druids wearing robes is just medieval based or if it is also practiced among modern day druids? If so, what is the purpose of the robes and what is a typical ceremony like?

Real Druids

Some Modern Druid Groups and Organizations do wear robes for their ceremonies, some do not, some leave it as an option.

The AODA wears white robes and a Nymess (an Egyptian Pharaoh style headdress, but in white), but leaves an option for those who may prefer a regular hood to their robe.
Photo of Grand Archdruid John Michael Greer in AODA regalia;
https://www.rogueregalia.com/Robe01.htm#Stonehenge

Here's a picture of one of the ADF's Groves during Ritual and this particular Grove's choice of robes,;
https://www.ssg-adf.org/photopages/DesertMa...DMF4-07_jpg.htm

I believe that Keltria also wears white robes, but I'll leave the whats and whys of that to TonyT.

Everything involved in a ritual or ceremony is there for a purpose, even when it comes to clothing. A general explanation is that all of these things are meant to put one's thoughts along a different track than what goes on in your routine life. They help set aside thoughts of work, paying the bills, what to fix for dinner, does the cat have enough food, etcetera.

That varies with the different Groups/Organizations, and even if one is performing a ritual or ceremony as a solitary.

Here are a few links though;

An AODA Solitary Grove Ritual
https://www.aoda.org/articles/sgrove.htm

An AODA Handfasting (marriage) Ceremony
https://www.aoda.org/articles/wedding.htm

Some of the RDNA's Liturgy (ceremonies) that have been used. This may take a bit to open, it's a rather large PDF file.
https://orgs.carleton.edu/Druids/ARDA/ARDA-03.pdf

An OBOD Tree Planting Ceremony
https://druidry.org/obod/sac_grov/ceremonytree.html

An ADF Solitary Yule Ceremony
https://www.adf.org/rituals/celtic/yule/sol-yule-mjd.html

Of course, Rituals can be as simple as lighting a candle for a specific purpose along with some silent meditation, or as elaborate as some of the ones from the links I've posted. It's all dependent on purpose.

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Real Druids - Page 3

I'm interested in knowing more about your chant or prayers, what do you say, or who do you say it to for example?

Real Druids Studies Dreams Mystics & Paranormal - Page 3

Again, let me remind that I am only speaking for myself and only about my own practices.

One of my personal daily practices which involves a "prayer" involves a version of a prayer from the Carmina Gadelica, which is is a collection of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, runes, and other literary-folkloric poems and songs collected and translated by amateur folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912) in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1855 and 1910.

I say this every morning when I wake up before I leave the house.

Awen to enfold me
Awen to surround me
Awen in my speaking
Awen in my thinking

Awen in my sleeping
Awen in my waking
Awen in my watching
Awen in my hoping

Awen in my life
Awen in my lips
Awen in my hands
Awen in my heart

Awen in my sufficing
Awen in my slumber
Awen in my spirit
Awen in my eternity

The Carmina Gadelica translation has "God" in place of "Awen".

Let me also explain that "Awen" is not a God or Godform. In it's most basic sense, "Awen" (pronounced somewhat like "Ahh-oon") is Spirit, Inspiration, and Illumination.

As to Deities;
Again, that will vary not only between the various groups, but quite so between individuals.

The RDNA focuses specifically toward "The Earth Mother" in general for their rites, but individual Groves may add other Godforms in a rite.

Rather than post a very copious list of Godforms, this link lists quite a few with some brief descriptions;
https://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/eu...c/articles.html
Just click on one of the articles listed alphabetically on the left.

It also depends for a Druid following a Pagan path as to what region one's studies and associations are with, such as Ireland, Wales, Britain, or Gaul, as to what pantheon of Godforms are called upon.

Now, on a personal note, I do not "worship" these Godforms. The simplest way I could explain it would be a "working relationship". Although I perceive them as "real", I also associate certain natural attributes and archetypes with them.

Tully