The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth

289 Pages·2006·42.3 MB·English

by  John Michael Greer

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New Age/Pagan
John Michael Greer
This is an altogether admirable book that wears its
“author’s considerable scholarship lightly. A valuable edition to
any collection of books on the history of Druidry and espe-
cially the modern druidic revival, it goes far beyond this in
being both a deeply spiritual and eminently practical book.
—JOHN MATTHEWS, AUTHOR OF SECRETS OF THE DRU”IDS
A LIVING TRADITION of nature spirituality rooted in Celtic antiquity and
revived to meet the challenges of contemporary life, Druidry offers a path of har-
mony through reconnection with the green Earth. The Druidry Handbook is a
hands-on manual of traditional British Druid practice. Explore the Sun Path of
seasonal celebration, the Moon Path of meditation, and the Earth Path of living
in harmony with nature—all tools for crafting an earth-honoring life here and
now. From ritual and meditation to nature awareness and ecological action, John
Michael Greer opens the door to a spirituality rooted in the living earth with a
mix of philosophy, rituals, spiritual practices, and lifestyle issues.
In this book, with great clarity, Greer performs
“alchemy. He discovers and articulates the gold that lies
hidden within the obscure texts of the Revival Druids, and
succeeds with consummate skill in offering a perspective
that redeems much of modern Druidry—revealing it to be
a heritage around which we can grow and build a vital and
dynamic spirituality.
” —PHILIP CARR-GOMM, FROM THE FOREWORD
JOHN MICHAEL GREER has been a student of the occult traditions and
nature spirituality for more than 25 years. He began following the Druid path in
1993 with initiation into the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, where he has Spiritual
been honored with awards and elected offices. Greer is the author of numerous
articles and books, including Paths of Wisdom, Circles of Power, and Inside a Magical Practice Rooted
Lodge. He recently co-authored Learning Ritual Magic (Weiser Books, 2004). Greer
lives in Ashland, Oregon, with his wife Sara. in the Living Earth
U.S. $19.95
ISBN-10: 1 -57863-354-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-57863-354-8
Foreword by Philip Carr-Gomm
Greer THE Druidry Handbook
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THE DRUIDRY
Handbook
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The DRUIDRY
Handbook
Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth
John Michael Greer
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First published in 2006 by
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
York Beach, ME
With offices at:
368 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
www.redwheelweiser.com
Copyright © 2006 John Michael Greer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Greer, John Michael.
The Druidry handbook / John Michael Greer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 1-57863-354-0 (alk. paper)
1. Druids and druidism. I.Title.
BL910.G75 2006
299'.94—dc22
2005023545
Typeset in Perpetua by Anne Carter
Printed in Canada
TCP
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For Sara
Companion on the forest paths
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD BY PHILIP CARR-GOMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .XIII
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Part I: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
A Quest for Ancient Springs: The Druid Tradition in the Modern World
CHAPTER 1: CIRCLES AND STANDING STONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Diviners, Poets, and Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The Rebirth of Druidry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
CHAPTER 2: THE REVIVAL TRADITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Druids and Masons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Welsh Druidry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
The Druidry of the Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
CHAPTER 3: DRUIDRY IN THE WIDER WORLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Druidry Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Druidry and Modern Paganism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Part II: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Wisdom of the Stone Circle: Three Triads of Druid Philoshophy
CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST TRIAD-DRUID SYMBOLISM . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Three Rays of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Three Circles of Manifestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Three Elements of Nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
CHAPTER 5: THE SECOND TRIAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Above and Below . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Stations of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Ogham, the Alphabet of the Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
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CHAPTER 6: THE THIRD TRIAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Taliesin, the Wizard Bard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Arthur, the Once and Future King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Merlin, the Mage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Part III: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Ways of the Sacred Grove: Initiation into the Druid Tradition
CHAPTER 7: THE EARTH PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
Nature Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143
Stillness, Focus and Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146
Living in Harmony with Nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Twenty Steps to a More Natural Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Planting Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164
CHAPTER 8: THE SUN PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .167
Learning and Performing Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170
Opening and Closing the Grove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173
Holy Day Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180
Further Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196
CHAPTER 9: THE MOON PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .199
Preliminaries to Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
Concentration and Meditation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
Other Meditation Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
AFTERWORD: PATHS TO THE FOREST TEMPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
THE ANCIENT ORDER OF DRUIDS IN AMERICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237
THE AODA FIRST-DEGREE CURRICULUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238
ENDNOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257
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FOREW0RD
A WO R K O F A L C H E M Y
When you die, only three things will remain of you, since you will abandon all
material things on the threshold of the Otherworld: what you have taught to oth-
ers, what you have created with your hands, and how much love you have spread.
So learn more and more in order to teach wise, long-lasting values. Work more
and more to leave to the world things of great beauty. And Love, love, love people
around you for the light of Love heals everything.
FRENCH DRUID TRIAD, FRANÇOIS BOURILLON
THE STORY OF DRUIDISM CAN BE DIVIDED INTO three
phases: the ancient Druids, who left only traces of their teachings; the
Revival Druids of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, who left
behind a great deal of literature; and modern-day Druids, who from
the mid-twentieth century onward have developed Druidry into one of
the leading alternative spiritualities in the world today.
Modern Druidry has faced considerable difficulty establishing itself
as a valid and viable spirituality. Critics have suggested that its two ear-
lier manifestations are fatally flawed as sources.The amount of mate-
rial inherited from the ancient Druids is minimal, and the material
inherited from the Revival Druids is often spurious and incomprehen