Top Sites>OOBOD | Order Of Bards, Ovates & Druids | Druidry

User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php

# START WPFORMS BLOCK
# ---------------------------
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-content/uploads/wpforms/
# ---------------------------
# END WPFORMS BLOCK

Sitemap: https://druidry.org/sitemap_index.xml

Generated by Rank Math SEO, this is an llms.txt file designed to help LLMs better understand and index this website.

# OBOD: The First Druid Worldwide Community

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://druidry.org/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Five Ways to Turn Eco-Anxiety into Something Positive](https://druidry.org/resources/five-ways-to-turn-eco-anxiety-into-something-positive): A repost from the wonderful Positive News Website
- [Landscapes of the Soul](https://druidry.org/resources/landscapes-of-the-soul): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Happy Equinox – The Resurfacing and the Turning Inward](https://druidry.org/resources/happy-equinox-the-resurfacing-and-the-turning-inward): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Digital Spirituality ~ Crossing The Rubicon?](https://druidry.org/resources/digital-spirituality-crossing-the-rubicon): by Luke Eastwood, reposted from Luke's Substack
- [We All Feel The Ache ~ Ignore At Your Peril!](https://druidry.org/resources/we-all-feel-the-ache-ignore-at-your-peril): by Penny Billington ~ a repost from Penny's Blog 
- [My Mystical Switzerland ~11 places to see for Travelling OBODIES ~ Part Two](https://druidry.org/resources/my-mystical-switzerland-11-places-to-see-for-travelling-obodies-part-two): Westschweiz / The French part of Switzerland
- [My Mystical Switzerland ~11 places to see for Travelling OBODIES ~ Part One](https://druidry.org/resources/my-mystical-switzerland-11-places-to-see-for-travelling-obodies-part-one): I love travelling, I always have and probably always will. But there were times in my life when it was not possible, due to jobs, having small children, pets, caring for parents or terms of illnesses. This taught me to enjoy even the smallest of excursions, and a day trip became a real adventure. Now that I am retired and the children are grown up, I’m up for new places to explore. Even if it’s just around the corner here in Switzerland.
- [The Just Poetry: Writing The Worlds We Hope For Into Existence](https://druidry.org/resources/the-just-poetry-writing-the-worlds-we-hope-for-into-existence): A repost from the GreenPeace Website  about how to respond to the Climate Crisis in the most Bardic of ways
- [Rain and the Softening of Judgment](https://druidry.org/resources/rain-and-the-softening-of-judgment): by Melanie Quinn (a contemporary Druid practice informed by early Irish learned and legal material) What follows is offered as a contemporary Druid practice shaped by early Irish learned and legal material. It does not claim a single unified historical doctrine, nor does it attempt to reconstruct a specific rain-rite. Its purpose is to articulate a disciplined modern practice that remains consonant with early Irish understandings of order, correction, and land response. In early Irish thought, weather is not sentimental. Rain is neither reward nor punishment, neither gentle blessing nor hostile force. It belongs to order. Law-texts and wisdom literature repeatedly frame land, fertility, and weather as responsive to the maintenance or distortion of cóir (right order) and fír (truth), rather than to emotional appeal or individual desire. Rain operates within this system as consequence rather than communication: impersonal, precise, and regulating. This distinction matters for practice. Rain is not approached here as symbol, spirit, or tool. It is not invoked, petitioned, or interpreted. It is a condition to be entered. Where fire is tended and water is carried, rain is received. Rain as a corrective condition Rain acts first upon condition, and only secondarily upon understanding. It cools, equalises, and reduces excess sharpness. These effects are not incidental; they are the work itself. Rain alters the ground in which judgment takes place. In early Irish terms, rain counters excess heat and restores measure. Where anger has hardened into certainty, where grief has stalled, or where thought has become fixed and repetitive, rain softens structure without dismantling it. It does not erase feeling or dissolve responsibility. Rather, it restores movement where rigidity has set in. This is correction, not cleansing. Cleansing implies removal or erasure. Correction implies recalibration. Rain does not wash something away; it brings it back within proportion. Why rain is not cold-water immersion Rain must be distinguished from practices such as cold-water immersion, plunging, or deliberate exposure to shock. Those practices are intentional stressors. They rely on abrupt contrast, intensity, and controlled extremity to provoke response. They are entered deliberately as ordeals or tests of endurance. Rain operates differently. It is gradual, open, and diffuse. One remains upright and within the ordinary world. There is no threshold to cross, no conquest of fear, no catharsis. Rain does not challenge the body; it equalises it. This difference is essential. Immersion works by rupture and recovery. Rain works by steady adjustment. Its effect lies precisely in its lack of drama. Method: standing in rain The discipline of this practice is one of restraint. Rain is not summoned, directed, resisted, or thanked. There is no invocation, no spoken formula, and no gesture. The practitioner does nothing to the rain and asks nothing of it. One stands uncovered, traditionally with head or hands exposed. Posture is left uncorrected. Breathing remains ordinary, without patterning. The governing discipline is the refusal to intervene. This restraint is not passivity. By declining to react, habitual patterns of resistance loosen. By declining to narrate the experience, judgment releases its grip on explanation. Rain equalises. Overheated certainty cools. Fixed internal postures soften. Rain does not deliver insight during exposure. Any clarity that follows comes later, once measure has been restored. Rain prepares the ground; it does not supply the answer. Appropriate use This practice is used when judgment has lost flexibility: when certainty has hardened, when grief no longer moves, when anger has crystallised, or when thought circles without rest or action. It is not used for reassurance, affirmation, or comfort. Rain does not console. It recalibrates. This accords with early Irish modes of correction, in which imbalance is not punished or erased, but exposed until it can no longer sustain a false shape. On the absence of overlay Visualisation, narration, and symbolic interpretation interrupt the primary action of rain. To impose meaning during exposure is to reassert control and resist correction. In older modes of knowing, understanding follows condition. The body is brought back into right relation first; articulation may come later, or not at all. Rain therefore teaches restraint in meaning-making. Not all knowledge arrives as insight, and not all correction requires explanation. Closing the work The practice ends deliberately. One steps out of the rain, dries, and restores warmth. Rain opens and softens; warmth consolidates and settles. Without closure, the work remains incomplete. Rain does not loosen fate, bind forces, or transmit messages. It restores the conditions in which order can once again be recognised. Further Reading (indicative) Primary sources Senchas Már Audacht Morainn Tecosca Cormaic Cath Maige Tuired Tochmarc Étaíne Secondary scholarship Binchy, D. A., Corpus Iuris Hibernici Kelly, Fergus, A Guide to Early Irish Law Carey, John, King of Mysteries Mac Cana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology Charles-Edwards, T. M., Early Irish and Welsh Kinship
- [The Golden Thread of the Bard](https://druidry.org/resources/the-golden-thread-of-the-bard): I felt a real kinship with Ariadne and her golden thread because of my surname: Weaving. The idea of being lost in a labyrinth – the confusion of endless walls and a darkness that is home to something unknown and terrifying – was and still is a frightening thought to me; the thread that helps to retrace steps, to make sense of the complex layout of a world designed to baffle and unnerve, felt to my childish self an invaluable gift, one I longed to possess.
- [Two Myths for the Climate Emergency](https://druidry.org/resources/two-myths-for-the-climate-emergency): “She came with a flame-red silk robe around her, and a red-gold torque around the maiden’s neck with pearls of great worth on it, and red gems. Her hair was more yellow than the flowers of the broom. Her flesh was fairer than the wave’s foam. Her palms and fingers were whiter than shoots of marsh trefoil from among the fine gravel of a welling spring. …. Four white trefoils rose up in her track wherever she went. And from that she was called Olwen.”
- [Children’s Forest ~ Planting a Brighter Future](https://druidry.org/resources/childrens-forest-planting-a-brighter-future): by Erica Shorter
- [The Old Woman and the Old Man of Dreams](https://druidry.org/resources/the-old-woman-and-the-old-man-of-dreams): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Connecting with Old Gods: A Personal Reflection](https://druidry.org/resources/connecting-with-old-gods-a-personal-reflection): Me and Cerri were in the back of Kristoffer Hughes’ car. It was September 2020, and there was a break in the Pandemic Lockdown so we’d taken the opportunity to get away for a weekend to Wales to see our friends. We were driving through the North Wales countryside and Kristoffer was telling us the names of the mountains, lakes and regions we were driving through. I’ve always found Kristoffer’s love of his language and culture an inspiration. He was my go-to advisor when it came to honouring the Welsh language by getting the names and places pronounced correctly in my Y Mabinogi albums, and his books and insights into the myths through what I’ve called ‘linguistic archaeology’ have brought them to life even more over the years. The Old Brythonic stories were the keys to my Pagan Path, and I love them all still. But driving with him on that day, I realised that I knew so very little about my own language and history – I’d focused entirely on the Brythonic. I didn’t know the roots of the words I spoke, the names of the places where I lived, the days of the week I had heard all my life, or the Old English view of the magical and secular world. So in the back of the car that day, inspired once more by my dear friend Kristoffer, I made the decision to change that.
- [Alban Arthan Clam Chowder](https://druidry.org/resources/alban-arthan-clam-chowder): by Tim Billbrough
- [Hail the New Pendragon of the OBOD](https://druidry.org/resources/hail-the-new-pendragon-of-the-obod): by Damh the Bard
- [Midwinter ~ Embracing the Dark with Cosy Light](https://druidry.org/resources/midwinter-embracing-the-dark-with-cosy-light): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Samhuinn Roasted Feast](https://druidry.org/resources/samhuinn-roasted-feast): by Tim Billbrough
- [Samhain and the Colour Red](https://druidry.org/resources/samhain-and-the-colour-red-2): And now the dark seeps across the lines, spreading out and staking a claim to more of the day than I would currently like. Samhain will soon be here…
- [Tips For Outdoor Ritual All Year  /|\](https://druidry.org/resources/tips-for-outdoor-ritual-all-year): by Catriona McDonald, reposted from her Blog The Druid's Well
- [Where the Three Streams Meet the Red Kite Flies](https://druidry.org/resources/where-the-three-streams-meet-the-red-kite-flies): by Craig
- [Alban Elfed Wild Rice and Mushroom Risotto](https://druidry.org/resources/alban-elfed-wild-rice-and-mushroom-risotto): by Tim Billbrough
- [27th Mount Haemus Lecture ~ Participant Experiences of Learning from Tree Teachers in the ACER Integration Community](https://druidry.org/resources/27th-mount-haemus-lecture-participant-experiences-of-learning-from-tree-teachers-in-the-acer-integration-community): This paper explores the ancient Irish myth of the Fifth Province as described in The Settling of the Manor of Tara, tracing its transformation into a powerful cultural metaphor in twentieth-century Ireland. It argues that the myth’s symbolism — a central unifying force among divisions — was reimagined by thinkers, artists, and politicians to promote dialogue, healing, and postcolonial reflection. Drawing on figures such as Richard Kearney, Seamus Heaney, and Imelda McCarthy, the study shows how the Fifth Province served as a philosophical and creative space during key moments in Irish political and spiritual renewal, including the peace process and the cultural liberalization of the Republic. The paper concludes by considering how this mythic structure offers practical tools for contemporary Druids seeking to balance personal, communal, and ecological harmony.
- [Planting Bulbs in the Hope of Spring](https://druidry.org/resources/planting-bulbs-in-the-hope-of-spring): The awful events happening in our world at the moment have me feeling a deep heaviness and grief; I have lead for bones.  My day-to-day reality is actually relatively peaceful, but it is impossible to ignore what is happening ‘out there’. I am sure I don’t need to remind anyone that there are distressing and ugly eruptions of our darkest collective shadow being given full rein in some places, and by some people. Although I might hope that this underbelly brought into the light potentially offers us an opportunity to collectively heal, I despair that this will not happen in time to avoid immense suffering and pain. The immense suffering and pain are already happening, and I have never felt so impotent. I have lived long enough to witness some pretty awful things that have happened in our world, but this feels different somehow and more akin to the dark times my own parents went through as the generation who were caught up in World War II.
- [Unlocking the Magic of Druidry and the Mabinogion](https://druidry.org/resources/unlocking-the-magic-of-druidry-and-the-mabinogion): I'm trying to remember how long ago it was. I was a sales rep, out on the road, visiting customers during the day, and then, having booked a hotel near some ancient sacred site, as soon as my calls were over for the day, I would head off to find a barrow, stone circle, hill fort, or woodland glade. That night’s hotel was in the city of Bath. I remember that much. I’d called in to Glastonbury for lunch and bought a copy of the book I’d heard so much about. It was in my briefcase, ready to be opened and reveal the wonders it held. Every time I opened the case to show a customer some gut-wrenchingly dull piece of sales literature, I saw it, teasing me. Eventually, I shut the car door after the last call and drove to Bath.
- [Weaving A Story Of Hope With Nature Recovery](https://druidry.org/resources/weaving-a-story-of-hope-with-nature-recovery): by Hannah Partos reposted from Positive News
- [Harvesting Insight](https://druidry.org/resources/harvesting-insight): by James Nichol of Contemplative Inquiry Blog
- [Countless Seeds and Endless Harvests](https://druidry.org/resources/countless-seeds-and-endless-harvests): There is a prehistoric sacred monument on the Isle of Wight. Although the monument looks like two standing stones (one on its side) it is actually the remains of a Neolithic long barrow, the stones themselves once having been part of the barrow’s entrance. Known as the Mottistone Longstone, it is set in a beautiful enclosed valley on a plateau at the foot of Mottistone Down. Below the plateau is the western plain stretching out towards the ocean, the white chalk of Tennyson cliffs to the west and the striking Gore Cliff to the east. There are several paths up to the stones – one comes up through the valley and feels like a processional route towards the entrance of the tomb; others come up from the plain below through bluebell woods or up a wide path that climbs through heath land on the outer side of the hill. This last route doesn’t reveal the stones until you mount the top of the hill and turn into the valley itself. From here the incredible view of the sea is lost as the surrounding Downland enfolds itself around the monument, as if to keep it secret and protected. Looking back through the valley, the chalk ridge of the western downs is clearly seen and you get a sense of how the tomb’s entrance would have caught the rising sun, the shape of the earth here a perfect channel for its light.
- [The Druid Graveyard ~ Exploring Early Irish Writing and the Legacy of King Cormac](https://druidry.org/resources/the-druid-graveyard-exploring-early-irish-writing-and-the-legacy-of-king-cormac): by Luke Eastwood
- [Lughnasadh Succotash](https://druidry.org/resources/lughnasadh-succotash): by Tim Billbrough
- [Oak ~ Gateway of Transformation](https://druidry.org/resources/oak-gateway-of-transformation): Reposted from Caroline's Williams Blog Druid Therapy The tiny acorn, as it nestles expectantly in the deep embrace of the earth, doesn't resemble the mighty and towering Oak it eventually grows into being. How often we also forget that just like the acorn we are a young seed of potential curled up inside a hardened shell of life's trials and tribulations. So how does the acorn transform into the Oak? The sacred Druid tree which symbolises transformation, nobility and the gateway into the spiritual mysteries. The Oak which is known for lightning strikes, its twisted and gnarled trunk calling us to venture into the realms beyond. The quote below from Bob Proctor explores the science and nature of the acorn in this analogy. "Although the acorn may appear to be a solid object, by now you should clearly understand that the acorn, like everything else which appears to be solid, is in truth, "a mass of molecules at a very high speed of vibration." Within the acorn, there is a nucleus or a patterned plan that dictates the vibratory rate at which these molecules will move. Moreover, the same principle holds true for all seeds. In other words, every seed has a nucleus or a patterned plan within it, which dictates the vibration it will be in and which thereby governs the end-product into which it will expand or grow. I believe you are all aware of this fact: everything in the universe is governed by a basic law-"Either create or disintegrate." Therefore, it follows that, if something is not in the process of growing, it must, by the law of its being, be dying. For example, so long as the acorn is kept out of the earth, it is slowly but surely disintegrating. However, as soon as you plant the acorn in the earth, the patterned plan or the vibratory rate of the acorn sets up an attractive force and the acorn begins to attract everything that vibrates in harmony with it. If you were able to observe with the naked eye exactly what is taking place, you would see a "parade" of particles of energy-a never-ending stream of them-marching in a very orderly manner toward the acorn. As they came in contact with the molecules making up the acorn, they would join, marry, become one, and of course, the acorn would expand, become larger, grow." So if we take this analogy and apply it to ourselves, what is the seed of our true potential? And are we vibrating or even "planted" in the ground where we can truly flourish? In nature all the elements of sustenance, nurture and potential are all around in the very life force or "nwyfre" that connects everything in the web of life. By slowing down and allowing ourselves to tune in to our unique soul song we can begin to flourish and grow in harmony with our individual acorn energy! Walk in beauty and peace, Caroline.
- [In a Bed of Reeds I Find My Peace](https://druidry.org/resources/in-a-bed-of-reeds-i-find-my-peace): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Alban Hefin ~ Two-Part Feast](https://druidry.org/resources/alban-hefin-two-part-feast): by Tim Billbrough
- [26th Mount Haemus Lecture ~ The Fifth Province: Myth and Metaphor in Twentieth Century Ireland](https://druidry.org/resources/26th-mount-haemus-lecture-the-fifth-province-myth-and-metaphor-in-twentieth-century-ireland): This paper explores the ancient Irish myth of the Fifth Province as described in The Settling of the Manor of Tara, tracing its transformation into a powerful cultural metaphor in twentieth-century Ireland. It argues that the myth’s symbolism — a central unifying force among divisions — was reimagined by thinkers, artists, and politicians to promote dialogue, healing, and postcolonial reflection. Drawing on figures such as Richard Kearney, Seamus Heaney, and Imelda McCarthy, the study shows how the Fifth Province served as a philosophical and creative space during key moments in Irish political and spiritual renewal, including the peace process and the cultural liberalization of the Republic. The paper concludes by considering how this mythic structure offers practical tools for contemporary Druids seeking to balance personal, communal, and ecological harmony.
- [Beltane Fermented Fiddleheads](https://druidry.org/resources/beltane-fermented-fiddleheads): by Tim Billbrough
- [Ancestral Oak: Roots of the Past ~ Branches to the Future](https://druidry.org/resources/ancestral-oak-roots-of-the-past-branches-to-the-future): Many of you will know and love Yannick Dubois's beautiful artwork. We are delighted to announce that today Yannick is launching his new book Ancestral Oak: Roots of the Past ~ Branches to the Future . Philip Carr-Gomm has endorsed the book and his words sum up perfectly this wonderful exploration of that most Druidic of trees: Ancestral Oak is a wonderful book, tracking a fascinating journey through time, one that honours and celebrates our relationship with this most iconic and sacred of trees. Yannick has sensitively crafted many magical doorways through which we can enter into a deeper connection with the Oak; through beautiful photos and images, storytelling, poetry, meditation and activities, this delightful book takes us to the heart of the Oak's gifts of wisdom, strength, generosity and resilience, that we might embody its qualities for the greater good. This gorgeous book will resonate with all those on the Druid path and beyond - it is a joyful celebration of the Oak. To buy a copy, do please visit Yannick's Etsy  store 
- [Alban Eilir Nested Egg](https://druidry.org/resources/alban-eilir-nested-egg): by Tim Billbrough
- [Digging for Treasure ~ A Journey Through the Astrological Symbolism of the Planets](https://druidry.org/resources/digging-for-treasure-a-journey-through-the-astrological-symbolism-of-the-planets): by Simone Riley
- [Journey to The Summer Solstice!](https://druidry.org/resources/journey-to-the-summer-solstice): This is your chance to walk the path of the Druids into the old Thracian lands, embrace the sacred rhythms of nature, and become part of a growing spiritual community. Step into the circle and awaken the wisdom within!
- [Imbolc Bannock Recipe](https://druidry.org/resources/imbolc-bannock-recipe): Ingredients
- [Imbolc Bannock](https://druidry.org/resources/imbolc-bannock): by Tim Billbrough
- [Being Kinder To Yourself](https://druidry.org/resources/being-kinder-to-yourself): by Nimue Brown, reposted form Nimue's Blog Druidlife
- [The Lightning Struck Tower and the Star of Hope](https://druidry.org/resources/the-lightning-struck-tower-and-the-star-of-hope): by Maria Ede-Weaving
- [Series Three of Adventures in Nutopia](https://druidry.org/resources/series-three-of-adventures-in-nutopia): We are delighted to announce that the new series of Adventures in Nutopia with David Bramwell has now launched!
- [World Rivers Day 22nd September 2024 ~ Honouring our Rivers and Waterways](https://druidry.org/resources/world-rivers-day-22nd-september-2024-honouring-our-rivers-and-waterways): by Lorien Cadier
- [A Good Path](https://druidry.org/resources/a-good-path): This is a good path. A path of uncertainty, of questioning, of not-knowing, of seeking. Of losing the path and wondering if it ever existed in the first place…
- [I am Spirit](https://druidry.org/resources/i-am-spirit): by John King, reposted from his Blog Muddy Feet: Meeting Nature on Nature’s Terms ~ A Blog about a Druid living in the Oak woods of Ardnamurchan
- [‘Mystery’ In A More Than Human World](https://druidry.org/resources/mystery-in-a-more-than-human-world): by James Nichol from his Contemplative Inquiry Blog 
- [The Seer Poet](https://druidry.org/resources/the-seer-poet): by Damh the Bard, reposted from Damh's Blog
- [Druids For Justice](https://druidry.org/resources/druids-for-justice-2): Back in late 2020, we created the Druids for Justice page on the OBOD website. We intended it to be a place where members could share their experiences with Justice, and explore ways in which a Druid practice informed their approach. We are sharing again here the link to the page and Eimear's introduction below, as it has come to our notice that many members are not aware that the page exists. We do hope that you will feel inspired to add to the discussion:

## Pages
- [2025 Annual Review](https://druidry.org/about-us/annual-reviews-order-and-druidry/2025-annual-review): "This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight, Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic, Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms. Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-voiced neighboring ocean Speaks, and in accents disconsolate answers the wail of the forest." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- [OBOD Social Media](https://druidry.org/about-us/social-media): The Order uses social media to spread the message about caring for our environment, what our members get up to and important notices about events and gatherings.
- [Add Listing](https://druidry.org/add-directory-listing)
- [Groves & Seed Groups](https://druidry.org/directory-groves)
- [Login](https://druidry.org/login)
- [Dashboard](https://druidry.org/dashboard)
- [2024 Annual Review](https://druidry.org/about-us/annual-reviews-order-and-druidry/2024-annual-review): "Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." John Lubbock
- [CSAE Policy](https://druidry.org/csae-policy): Updated on: 09/04/2025
- [Test page](https://druidry.org/test-page): Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
- [The Druid Hearth](https://druidry.org/the-druid-hearth): The Druid Hearth contains a wealth of interactive features to help you with your training as well as keep you engaged in the OBOD community.
- [Groves in Europe](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/groves/groves-in-europe): There are three noble melodies: A melody for weeping; A melody for laughing; A melody for sleeping. Irish Triad
- [Groves in the Rest of the World](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/groves/groves-in-the-rest-of-the-world): The three great melodies of Creation: The wind in the trees; The stream at snowmelt; The cry of a new-born babe. Contemporary Triad
- [Groves in the UK and Ireland](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/groves/groves-in-the-uk-and-ireland): The three most beautiful sights:
A potato-garden in bloom;
A ship in sail;
A woman after the birth of her child.
Irish Triad
- [Groves in the USA and Canada](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/groves/groves-in-the-usa-and-canada): The three tasks of a Druid: To live fully in the present; To honour tradition and the ancestors; To hear the voice of tomorrow. Contemporary Triad
- [Seed Groups in Europe](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/seedgroups/seed-groups-in-europe): Three things it is everyone's duty to do: Listen humbly; Answer discreetly; And judge kindly. Irish Triad
- [Seed Groups in the Rest of the World](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/seedgroups/seed-groups-in-the-rest-of-the-world): The three foundations of friendship: Respect and trust; Understanding and forbearance; A loving heart and helpful hands. Irish Triad
- [Seed Groups in the UK and Ireland](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/seedgroups/seed-groups-in-the-uk-and-ireland): The three supporters of inspiration: Success; Acquaintance; Praise. Welsh Triad
- [Seed Groups in the USA & Canada](https://druidry.org/get-involved/groups-groves/seedgroups/seed-groups-in-the-usa-canada): The three foundations of Spirituality: Hearth as altar; Work as worship; And service as sacrament. Irish Triad
- [Frequently Asked Questions](https://druidry.org/frequently-asked-questions): You might be looking for answers to some questions that other students may have asked! Here are some of the Order's most frequently asked questions and answers.
- [2023 Annual Review](https://druidry.org/about-us/annual-reviews-order-and-druidry/2023-annual-review): "For Peace, As the fever of day calms towards twilight, May all that is strained in us come to ease. We pray for all who suffered violence today, May an unexpected serenity surprise them. For those who risk their lives each day for peace, May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history. That those who make riches from violence and war, Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost. That we might see through our fear of each other, A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression. That those who enjoy the privilege of peace, Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters. That the wolf might lie down with the lamb, That our swords be beaten into ploughshares. And no hurt or harm be done, Anywhere along the holy mountain." John O'Donohue
- [Winter Solstice – Alban Arthan](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/winter-solstice-alban-arthan): The name for the festival of the Winter Solstice in Druidry is Alban Arthan, which means 'The Light of Arthur'.
- [Samhain Festival](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/samhain-festival): On or around the 31st October in the northern hemisphere, 1st May in the southern, Samhain is the festival of the dead, a festival of remembrance and honouring of our dear departed friends and relations.
- [Autumn Equinox – Alban Elfed](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/autumn-equinox-alban-elfed): The name for the festival of the Autumn Equinox in Druidry is Alban Elfed, which means 'The Light of the Water'.
- [Lughnasadh](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/lughnasadh): On or around the 1st August in the northern hemisphere, 1st February in the southern, Lughnasadh is celebrated as the first of two harvest festivals, the second being Alban Elfed (the Autumn Equinox)
- [Summer Solstice – Alban Hefin](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/summer-solstice-alban-hefin): The Summer Solstice is on the 21/22 June in the Northern Hemisphere and the 21/22 December in the Southern Hemisphere. The time of maximum light and the Festival of Joy.
- [Beltane](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/beltane): On or around 1st May in the northern hemisphere and 1st November in the southern, Beltane represents the beginning of Summer or the height of Spring.
- [Spring Equinox – Alban Eilir](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/spring-equinox-alban-eilir): The name for the festival of the Spring Equinox in Druidry is Alban Eilir, which means 'The Light of the Earth'.
- [Blog](https://druidry.org/blog)
- [Imbolc](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/imbolc): On or around the 1st February in the northern hemisphere and 1st August in the southern, Imbolc is often seen as the first of three Spring festivals.
- [Adventures in Nutopia – Podcast](https://druidry.org/adventures-in-nutopia-podcast): Welcome to Nutopia, a documentary-style series exploring radical ideas, new myths and social movements for a positive future shaped by community, re-enchantment, sustainability, ecology, creativity, magic and compassion. Don’t worry about poe-faced beard-stroking, there’s plenty of mischief, weirdness and fun to be had.
- [2022 Annual Review](https://druidry.org/about-us/annual-reviews-order-and-druidry/2022-annual-review): Peace, Here you come, striding up that leafy street, looking for me. I’m here. Remember sitting under that tree in Pavia? We were there together there and I knew, for an hour, your happy blood. Open your heart now, let me enter it, I want to live in you for good. ~ Brendan Keneally
- [The Eightfold Wheel of the Year](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/the-eightfold-wheel-of-the-year): Basing itself on this deep and mysterious connection between the Source of our individual lives and the source of the life of the planet, Druidry recognises eight particular times during the yearly cycle which are significant and which are marked by eight special festivals.
- [2021 Annual Review](https://druidry.org/about-us/annual-reviews-order-and-druidry/2021-annual-review): When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace.” ― John O'Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace
- [Observing Imbolc online: Meditations & Explorations](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/imbolc/observing-imbolc-online-meditations-explorations): Imbolc ~ A Solo Ritual Imbolc ~ This Tender BloomingBrigitBrighid and the Fires of LoveRekindling the Fire
- [Observing the Winter Solstice online: Meditations & Explorations](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/winter-solstice-alban-arthan/preparing-for-winter-solstice-2020): https://youtu.be/2gV-Jie8j80
- [Furze](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/furze): After the bleakness of winter, furze clothes the hillsides and heaths with a welcome blanket of headily scented yellow flowers. It is one of the first flowering plants of the spring, with most bushes in full bloom by April. With the newly awakened bees busy among the flowers it fills the senses with the promise of honey and other good things to come.
- [Elder](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/elder): The elder is a small but bountiful tree, covered with edible fragrant blossoms in summer and juicy purple berries in autumn which country people have used for centuries in jams, jellies, medicinal syrups and wine. Its hollow branches have proved useful for all manner of pipes and bellows; in fact, its name probably originates with the Anglo-Saxon ‘eller’, meaning a kindler of fire. In Ireland, elder was a sacred tree, and it was forbidden to break even one twig.
- [Birch](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/birch): The White Lady of the Woods, also known as the White Birch stands, slender and graceful, with long branches reaching toward the sky. This Tree is rarely seen singly, growing most often in Groves. She embodies the ideal of graceful femininity and light-filled grace. The Birch grows out of a common, joined trunk so that many appear to grow from the one. People who have been ‘claimed’ by Birch tend to be very gentle in nature and do not stand alone but are joined to others as supportive and close allies, showing devotion to their beliefs and having a strong desire to make others happy and to enhance growth and development.
- [Holly](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/holly): At every summer’s end, the Holly King fought and won a battle with the Oak King for the rulership of the year, and reigned supreme over the dark season. At the end of the winter, another battle was fought, this time won by the Oak King, who ruled triumphantly over the summer months. This ancient drama was enacted in the medieval romance of ‘Gawain and the Green Knight,’ where the giant Green Knight enters Arthur’s court at the New Year bearing a great bush of holly as his insignia. He and one of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain, whose name means the Hawk of May, engage in a beheading contest. Gawain, who as his name suggests, symbolizes the waxing year, strikes off the head of the Green Knight, but the Knight, who is magically still alive, will do the same to him next time around meaning, no doubt, at summer’s end.
- [Spindle](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/spindle): The wood of the spindle tree is bright, colourful and was used to make spindles. With this in mind, we can see why it came to embody creative inspiration, purification, initiation and blessings.
- [English Ivy](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/english-ivy): Ivy is associated with the ogham gort, the letter G, and the time from September 30 – October 27 … ‘September...eleventh month in the Celtic Ogham. September is said to have originated from the word ‘Septem,’ which means seven, being the seventh month in the oldest Roman calendar. It is the first month of Autumn's rule and a time when the Druids celebrated their Festival of Alban Elued ... bidding the Sun God farewell, while thanking him for the harvest.
Penumbra
- [Yew](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/yew): In early times, the darkly glorious yew-tree was probably the only evergreen tree in Britain. Both Druids with their belief in reincarnation, and later Christians with their teaching of the resurrection, regarded it as a natural emblem of everlasting life. Its capacity for great age enriched its symbolic value. The early Irish regarded it as one of the most ancient beings on earth. Yew is the last on a list of oldest things in a passage from the fourteenth century Book of Lismore: ‘Three lifetimes of the yew for the world from its beginning to its end.’
- [Beech](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/beech): Beech groves have been found in and near important places of power; Avebury and Cerne Abbas to name two. They maybe have been used for food as much as their majestic presence. They have been said to have inspired the building of Cathedrals; the high vaulting arches mimic the high arching branches of the Beech Grove. Beech is thought of as The Mother of the Woods. Beech is also known as the Beech Queen who’s consort is the Oak King.
- [Hazel](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/hazel): I went out to the hazelwood, Because a fire was in my head. W.B.Yeats
- [Sacred Sycamore](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/sacred-sycamore): Look through your list of Holy Trees, the Tree Alphabet or the Oracle – I bet you won’t find a Sycamore there. I always considered them to be weeds. They’d grow on the Moon given half the chance and have taken extremely well to cold acid soils of the North Highlands of Scotland. What kind of tree is this?
- [Hawthorn](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/hawthorn): "A hundred years I slept beneath a thorn Until the tree was root and branches of my thought, Until white petals blossomed in my crown." Kathleen Raine, The Traveller
- [Apple](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/apple): The Apple tree is the oldest cultivated tree in Europe.
- [Rowan](https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-tree-lore/rowan): Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)Botanical Name:(Sorbusaucuparia)Folk Names: Mountain Ash, Quicken Tree, Witch TreeGaelic: CaorannIrish :CaorthannCeltic Ogham: LuisOld Celtic: Kair

## FAQs
- [Do I have to take the course in the sequence of Bard to Ovate to Druid?](https://druidry.org/faq/do-i-have-to-take-the-course-in-the-sequence-of-bard-to-ovate-to-druid)
- [I’m not sure: Can I  dip my toes in?](https://druidry.org/faq/im-not-sure-can-i-dip-my-toes-in)
- [Isn’t the division of Druid training into three grades limiting or artificial – after all, aren’t we all simply seekers on the path, so why create divisions or separate groupings?](https://druidry.org/faq/isnt-the-division-of-druid-training-into-three-grades-limiting-or-artificial-after-all-arent-we-all-simply-seekers-on-the-path-so-why-create-divisions-or-separate-groupin)
- [Should you be charging money for your course? Shouldn’t spiritual teachings be free?](https://druidry.org/faq/should-you-be-charging-money-for-your-course-shouldnt-spiritual-teachings-be-free)
- [How can I get involved in the Order’s work?](https://druidry.org/faq/how-can-i-get-involved-in-the-orders-work)
- [How can the Order help me in my everyday life?](https://druidry.org/faq/how-can-the-order-help-me-in-my-everyday-life)
- [Is Druidry shamanic?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-druidry-shamanic)
- [Do I have to be a Celt to be a Druid?](https://druidry.org/faq/do-i-have-to-be-a-celt-to-be-a-druid)
- [Is the Goddess honoured in Druidry?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-the-goddess-honoured-in-druidry)
- [Is there any gender bias in the Order?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-there-any-gender-bias-in-the-order)
- [Are there any connections between Druid and Native American Ways?](https://druidry.org/faq/are-there-any-connections-between-druid-and-native-american-ways)
- [I’m a Christian. Can I be a Druid too?](https://druidry.org/faq/im-a-christian-can-i-be-a-druid-too)
- [I’m a Wiccan. Can I be a Druid too?](https://druidry.org/faq/im-a-wiccan-can-i-be-a-druid-too)
- [Do I have to adopt any particular set of beliefs or practices when joining the Order?](https://druidry.org/faq/do-i-have-to-adopt-any-particular-set-of-beliefs-or-practices-when-joining-the-order)
- [What is the difference between a Seed Group and a Grove?](https://druidry.org/faq/what-is-the-difference-between-a-seed-group-and-a-grove)
- [What sort of people are members?](https://druidry.org/faq/what-sort-of-people-are-members)
- [How many members are there?](https://druidry.org/faq/how-many-members-are-there)
- [Are the teachings given in a Correspondence Course?](https://druidry.org/faq/are-the-teachings-given-in-a-correspondence-course)
- [I’ve got more questions!](https://druidry.org/faq/ive-got-more-questions)
- [What are the goals of Druidry and the Order?](https://druidry.org/faq/what-are-the-goals-of-druidry-and-the-order)
- [How does the course work and how much does it cost?](https://druidry.org/faq/how-does-the-course-work-and-how-much-does-it-cost)
- [Is there an age limit for the course?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-there-an-age-limit-for-the-course)
- [Can a friend or partner follow the course with me?](https://druidry.org/faq/can-a-friend-or-partner-follow-the-course-with-me)
- [Is the course suitable for me if I have had mental health issues?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-the-course-suitable-for-me-if-i-have-had-mental-health-issues)
- [Is there a lot of course work – will I be able to manage?](https://druidry.org/faq/is-there-a-lot-of-course-work-will-i-be-able-to-manage)
- [How can I become a Druid in such a short time when the classical authors said it took nearly twenty years to become a Druid?](https://druidry.org/faq/how-can-i-become-a-druid-in-such-a-short-time-when-the-classical-authors-said-it-took-nearly-twenty-years-to-become-a-druid)
- [Do I have to complete the Bardic course in a year?](https://druidry.org/faq/do-i-have-to-complete-the-bardic-course-in-a-year)
- [Where do the teachings that make up the course come from?](https://druidry.org/faq/where-do-the-teachings-that-make-up-the-course-come-from)

## People
- [JJ Middleway](https://druidry.org/people/jj-middleway-honorary-bard): JJ Middleway is a facilitator, space holder, celebrant, and poet. He has produced three CDs of Chants: Enchanting the Void and a book of poetry. He is passionate about Sacred Earth songs, where he sings the land alive through prayerful vibration. His Sovereign Earth Session videos and Earth Service videos can be found on YouTube
- [Adrian Rooke](https://druidry.org/people/adrian-rooke-honorary-bard): Adrian Rooke is a beacon of light within the Order. He has served as our PR officer for many years. He is a celebrant, ritual and retreat holder, poet, facilitator of sacred chanting and  Ogham carver.
- [Grzegorz Bran Jakielski](https://druidry.org/people/grzegorz-bran-jakielski): Grzegorz Bran Jakielski lives near Iława, in the heart of Warmia and Mazury. He surrounds himself with nature, raising geese, chickens and ducks, which allows him to live in tune with the seasons and deepen his bond with the land. For many years he has been walking the druid path and cultivating a spirituality that is present in his everyday life. He takes part in rites of passage and important moments in the life of the community. His presence and dedication help to give these events the right atmosphere. George (Grzegorz in PL) has been playing the traditional signal horn for many years. He also crafts torches, symbols and ritual objects, carefully shaping every detail to enrich the ceremonies. You can contact Grzegorz at: 📧 e-mail: grzegorz@druidyzm.pl 🌐 www.druidyzm.pl FB: https://www.facebook.com/druidyzm.polska
- [Fleur Camille](https://druidry.org/people/fleur-camille): Celebrancy Honouring and Witnessing
- [Shawn O’Neil](https://druidry.org/people/shawn-oneil): Southwest Washington State.  I am a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids where I also received my Celebrants Certificate in Serving the Living and the Dead in 2025.  I also am a member of A'r nDraiocht Fein (ADF), and Isle of Wight order of Druids.  Additionally, I serve as a Chaplain in the American Legion in Southwest Washington where I officiate at Veteran funerals; memorial and internment services, and military honor ceremonies.  My ceremonies can be provided from established scripts edited for your specific need, or completely written by family and friends, or myself to truly honor your loved ones.  I I am experienced, respectful to all faiths, and will create a memorable celebration of life, whether a full ceremony, brief memorial, or internment.  I have found my over twenty years of pagan and druid background offers great insight into the end of life transition we make and the way in which I can assist in honoring those traditions.  I can be reached via email at irish.tech@hotmail.com.
- [Jim and Heather Ramsay](https://druidry.org/people/jim-and-heather-ramsay): After a deeply immersive Training as a Sacred Celebrant with the Glastonbury Goddess Temple in 2019 Jim has been Celebrant for Handfastings, Celebration of Life, Ashes to the Land and Baby Naming Ceremonies.
- [Luke Eastwood](https://druidry.org/people/luke-eastwood): I began my study of Druidry in 1995 in London, although I started life in Scotland. I moved to Ireland in 1999, later initiated in the Druid Clan of Dana (2009) and completing my OBOD training in 2011. I have been involved in Druid groves in both Wexford and Kerry for many years, as well as organizing spiritual events (e.g Éigse Spiorad Cheilteach) and I founded Irish Druid Network website in 2006. I currently am the Editor of Pagan Ireland magazine, which began in 2021. I have performed weddings, funerals, baby namings and coming of age ceremonies for a diverse group of people and I hope to provide a special and uniquely tailored ritual, that suits each person's hopes and needs. Currently I am not a legal celebrant, so I cannot legally solemnize handfasting/marriage ceremonies. Generally I draw on Celtic cultural values in ceremonies but I have also adapted rituals for other paths (e.g. Norse Paganism) when requested. I try to be flexible in approach, so that ceremonies can be honed to fit your own tradition and your own personal beliefs. I am happy to travel anywhere in Munster or Leinster and I can cater for all budgets. info@lukeeastwood.com
- [Nick & Jane Amer ~ Sarsen Celebrants](https://druidry.org/people/nick-jane-amer-sarsen-celebrants): Sarsen Celebrants are Wiltshire based and was set up & run by a husband & wife team, Nick & Jane Amer, both qualified Civil Celebrants (FOIC), who enjoy helping couples and groups to experience the joy & love of special celebrations, connected within the rich circle of life. This has meant that over the years we have been privileged to share so many beautiful times with our clients, who love the fact that we are a married couple working together to make their days special. We will always write and create truly bespoke personal ceremonies for any occasion, which allow friends and family to take an active part if they so wish.
- [Penny Billington](https://druidry.org/people/penny-billington-2): Penny and her work have been at the heart of OBOD for the for the first quarter of the twenty-first century. As the editor of the order’s magazine, Touchstone, for 22 years, Penny curated the artistic expression of the Order with generosity and good humour. Her editorial ethos ensured that every author got the opportunity to show their work off at its best. She also helps members develop their practice through the Meditation, Visualisation and Ritual Workshops, which she runs with Matt McCabe and Gary Llewellyn, and her contributions to the online series Tea with a Druid and The Private Magician’s Club. However, it is for her own writing which Penny was made an honorary bard in 2024.  Her three books with Llewellyn - The Path of Druidry (2011), The Wisdom of Birch, Oak and Yew (2015) and Nine ways to Charm a Dryad (2022) – explore aspects of Druidry in an engaging and magical way, opening the path to new readers whilst deepening the practice of those who have walked the Druid way for many years. In 2022, she collaborated with Ian Rees to explore the work of her magical mentor, Dion Fortune, in the book The Keys to the Temple. Just like Fortune, Penny explores magical themes and ideas, specifically in her booklet detailing  a practical experiment in Druid magic,  How to stop the Rain: Conversational Magic with the Cosmos,  and through fiction. Her Gwion Dubh: Druid Investigator series wittily frames Druidic philosophy within the genre of detective fiction. A talented poet and mean washboard player to boot, Penny’s work is an ongoing source of inspiration for members around the world.
- [Therese Kennedy](https://druidry.org/people/therese-clemo): As an OBOD Druid, trained and certified in Celebrating Life and a practicing Celtic ‘Monk’ of Irish and Indian ancestry, I offer sacred rites of passage and holy intercessions. With over two decades of experience and as an Informal Celebrant, we will weave, craft and forge a ceremony, a prayer or a rite of passage together. I offer both Fully Present and Astral Rites; the former is when you choose to hold your ceremony here with me in stunning West Penwith Cornwall or as a shamanistic model where I fulfil the full ceremony and provide you with the symbolism, insight and blessing bestowed upon your ceremony.
- [Carol Ludwick](https://druidry.org/people/carol-ludwick): Hello! I’m Carol Ludwick, a proud OBOD member, currently in the Ovate grade and a certified lifecycle celebrant and ordained metaphysical minister. I was trained at the Celebrant Foundation and Institute and have earned three certifications- Ceremonies Across the Lifecycle, Weddings and Funerals. I’m also the Midwest Alumni Chapter facilitator for the institute.
- [Froskr Pilgrim](https://druidry.org/people/mat-pilgrim): There are no two memories that are alike, so I will work closely with you to develop a ceremony, celebration, or ritual that will be an event that you and your loved ones will never forget. I will help you to ensure that everything needed for your ceremony will be in place so that nothing gets forgotten. When there are legal qualifications required, I will ensure that every step is followed to the letter so that by the end of the day, you will have a new milestone that will be the start of this new chapter in your life. I offer a wealth of options to suit your every occasion, to ensure the right words, thoughts, and actions take place for all of life’s special moments including Nuptials, New Life Ceremonies, Milestone Commemorations, 2SLGBTQ+ Ceremonies, and a wealth of Pagan Rituals.
- [Rowan Armstrong](https://druidry.org/people/rowan-armstrong): I am a qualified Celebrant, End of Life Doula, a Grief Coach and a member of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. I offer personal celebrations for handfasting, funerals, naming of babies, naming of pets and pet memorials. There are many key rites of passage and life transitions which I provide ritual and ceremonies to mark the occasion with joy and love. Working with you together we craft an appropriate ceremony and ritual for you and your loved ones, commemorating your important event.
- [Chrissie Lloyd](https://druidry.org/people/chrissie-lloyd): I am a fully qualified Celebrant and Soul Midwife and member of OBOD. I offer beautiful, personal and memorable wedding celebrations, handfasting ceremonies, baby naming ceremonies, and pet memorials. In fact, any coming-of-age, rite of passage, or life transition, where you need to mark an occasion with love, joy, celebration, appropriate ritual, due ceremony and great respect.
- [Jean-Michel Taberly](https://druidry.org/people/jean-michel-taberly): I am a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, a poet, writer and professional trainer. As a Druid, I celebrate the seasons with a small group of people in Maine et Loire.
- [Thomas Stölzer](https://druidry.org/people/thomas-stolzer): As a Bard, Ovate and Druid, I play music and write poetry as well as offer my services for celebration, divination and healing.
- [Juli Moran](https://druidry.org/people/juli-moran): I've been a celebrant for over 10 years and bring warmth, empathy and experience to any occasion. I fascilitate hand-fastings, naming ceremonies, funerals and memorials. Bringing my many years of experience, I am able to help you plan and prepare for your ceremony, and be a calming and reassuring presence on the day.
- [Emrys Kosek MacDara](https://druidry.org/people/emrys-kosek-macdara): Emrys lives in Ilawa (Warmia and Mazury), where he has been leading one of the Polish pagan groups for years. He is strongly connected with the land on which he lives. His activities promote cultural heritage and folk traditions. For Emrys, leading in rituals is not only a duty, but a real passion.
- [Monica Zunica](https://druidry.org/people/monica-zunica): I started the druid way in 2007 and today I am an OBOD druid. I am a tutor, mom, wife and fantasy writer. I love to celebrate the steps of life in harmony with Nature, using a poetic and emotional ceremony. I love listening to your stories and the way you imagined the ritual you are going to live, that's why I like to offer the possibility of changing the ceremony in some points, in such a way as to make your moment truly yours. I like to create harmony among the participants whatever the spiritual feeling of each may be. I love special ceremonies where everyone can stay like at home. I also love reading Ogham with a very personal divination system.
- [Deborah Rose Halani](https://druidry.org/people/deborah-rose-halani): As a celebrant and member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, I am trained in both Traditional and Ancient Celtic Ceremony whether it be a Naming, Handfasting, Home Blessing or Farewells. In essence I love collaborating in a ceremony, something that honours the person(s) in that moment in time.
- [Harriet Sams](https://druidry.org/people/harriet-sams): Hari is a Druid, celebrant and ritualist based in southern Scotland. Hari is delighted to offer weddings, handfastings and baby naming ceremonies, as well as more bespoke rituals of transition, ancestral connection and Earth based rites of passage.
- [Sian Lang](https://druidry.org/people/sian-lang): I offer babynamings, handfastings, renewal of vows, divorce healing rituals, rites of passage, individual healing rituals and sweatlodges (with the Druid Medicine Wheel). My resources are Shamanic, Druid and artistic and, since I am Bi, I am there for all LGBTQIA people with all my heart.
- [Margreeth van Eersel](https://druidry.org/people/margreeth-van-eersel): Tot mijn grote geluk mag ik mij celebrant noemen, een ceremonieel begeleider. Ik heb beide opleidingen gevolgd; “Serving the living and the death” en “Celebrating Life”, begeleid door River Jones. Uit eigen ervaring weet ik hoe belangrijk het is om bij keerpunten in het leven stil te staan. Het geeft diepte aan zaken die moeilijk kunnen zijn of juist heel feestelijk. Het zijn niet alleen keerpunten maar vaak ook hoogtepunten.
- [Lorien Cadier](https://druidry.org/people/lorien-cadier): My name is Lorien Cadier. I am an accredited civil celebrant and offer to work with you to create personal and meaningful celebrations of love and light for all your important rites of passage including baby naming, wedding and hand fasting, renewal of vows, civil partnership, and ceremonies for those that have passed on. I completed the Druid Grade and now have the honour of serving as a mentor on the OBOD course. I have run and contributed to Druid spiritual retreats and offer workshops on Druidry with a particular interest in the Sacred Wheel of the Year. I am happy to travel to you as needed from my home in Hampshire in the southern part of the UK.
- [Beate Reiß](https://druidry.org/people/beate-reis): I am happy to support you in the development of tailor-made personal, secular and spiritual rituals and stand by your side as a ritual leader.
- [Debbie Merritt](https://druidry.org/people/debbie-merritt): I am a Druid Graduate of OBOD, and a member of the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants. I am also an Approved Celebrant with the Pagan Federation (Scotland), which means that I can Solemnise marriages on their behalf, basically I can legally marry people! I live on the beautiful and mystical Scottish Isle of Arran. All of my ceremonies are personally written for you. I am an experienced celebrant, and am happy to work with you whatever faith or no faith you may be. My wedding blessings have been described as Celtic Spiritual weddings, make of that what you will, but I am delighted! I can also facilitate other rites of passage such as baby Namings, handfastings, vow renewals and funerals.
- [Simon Emmerson](https://druidry.org/people/simon-emmerson): Simon is a musician, record-producer, and founder of the bands The Afro Celt Sound System and Imagined Village. Simon joined his first band, Scritti Pollitti, in the 1970s. Later he was a founding member of Working Week, which toured extensively worldwide, won many European awards, and headlined at the Montreux and Nice Jazz festivals.
- [Youth, Martin Glover](https://druidry.org/people/youth-martin-glover): Youth, Martin Glover, is an artist, poet, writer, musician and record producer.
- [Jamie Reid](https://druidry.org/people/jamie-reid): Jamie Reid is an artist, living in Liverpool, with a lifelong interest in Druidry. His great uncle George Watson MacGregor Reid founded the Ancient Druid Order. Jamie has created 'The Eightfold Year' - a set of paintings for every day of the year. Jamie Reid's longstanding practice as an artist sits firmly within a tradition of English radical dissent that would include, for example, William Blake, Wat Tyler and Gerrard Winstanley. The work of dissent must offer, out of necessity, other social and spiritual models and Reid's practice is no exception.
- [Henriëtte de Groot](https://druidry.org/people/henriette-de-groot): Henriëtte is an opera singer based in the Netherlands, who performs solo in the fields of opera, art song and oratorio.
- [Eric Maddern](https://druidry.org/people/eric-maddern): Eric is a storyteller, the author of a dozen children’s books and a singer-songwriter.
- [Barry Patterson](https://druidry.org/people/barry-patterson): Barry is a full time bard, house-husband & urban peasant. He has always been inspired by our beautiful, ancient land & its wildlife.
- [Claire Hamilton](https://druidry.org/people/claire-hamilton): Musician, writer and storyteller, Claire Hamilton has recorded many Celtic harp albums.
- [Steve Gladwin (Ardan)](https://druidry.org/people/steve-gladwin-ardan): Steve is is a poet, workshop leader, performer, storyteller, musician, confidence builder and teacher based in Meifod, Powys. His novel for young adults, The Seven, is published by the Gomer Press.
- [Esme Vincent](https://druidry.org/people/esme-vincent): Esme is a calligrapher whose meticulous and beautiful work includes miniature books, illustrated volumes and many different book styles and illustrations.
- [Liv Torc](https://druidry.org/people/liv-torc): A performance poet, writer and comedian who runs cabaret events and poetry workshops across the UK. The winner of the southwest heat of the Radio 4 National Poetry Slam 2009, the 2010 Bard of Exeter, the 2011 Bridport Poet in Residence and a constant and popular figure on the UK spoken word scene.
- [Arthur ZZ Birmingham](https://druidry.org/people/arthur-zz-birmingham): Founder member of R Cajun & The Zydeco Bros with a background in folk music, Arthur has gone on to perform extensively as bluesman Z.Z.Birmingham and with his family band - daughter Ursula (Weil Influenz) on fiddle, wife Penny (Carmen Piranha) harmonies and percussion and son Jake (Elmos Grandez) on bass.
- [Jim Faupel](https://druidry.org/people/jim-faupel): A hugely talented songwriter, vocalist and guitarist, Jim Faupel is widely respected and admired in the European druidic and bardic community, and released his debut solo album Here Be Dragons (on Stop the World Records) in 2003, and a follow up album, Reinventing the Wheel in 2009.
- [Damh the Bard](https://druidry.org/people/damh-the-bard): A modern-day Bard whose spirituality, and love of folk tradition, is expressed through his music, storytelling and poetry.
- [Myrdhin](https://druidry.org/people/myrdhin): Myrdhin was born in Upper Brittany to a Cornish family, Myrdhin is one of the driving forces behind the rebirth of the Celtic harp in Brittany.
- [Mara Freeman](https://druidry.org/people/mara-freeman): Mara is a teacher of Western esoteric traditions, from the faery realms within the Earth to the regions of the Summer Stars.
- [Robin Williamson](https://druidry.org/people/robin-williamson): Founder in the 60's of the influential Incredible String Band and the Merry Band of the 70's.
- [Lisa Tonner](https://druidry.org/people/lisa-tonner): New England I am an OBOD member and facilitator of the Connecticut OBOD Seed Group. I am also an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. I have 25 years of training in various spiritual belief systems, including Druidry, Wicca, Asatru, Voodoo and Thelema. I am available to perform weddings and legal handfastings as well as baby blessings, house blessings, rites of passage, funerals and memorial services.
- [John Shrewsbury](https://druidry.org/people/john-shrewsbury): I am a Druid Graduate of OBOD. I hold a baccalaureate degree in religious studies and several graduate degrees in unrelated fields including a Ph.D. and have many years of experience with ritual and liturgy and as a celebrant for various types of rituals including weddings and funerals.
- [Susan K. Rowan-Nelson](https://druidry.org/people/susan-k-rowan-nelson): I am a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, currently studying the Bardic Grade. I am also a Certified Independent Celebrant, and I perform Weddings, Handfastings, Renewals of Vows, Namings, Welcomings, House Blessings and House Cleansings, and more.
- [Moss Magill](https://druidry.org/people/moss-magill): Seattle, WA An ordained minister, I am also a member of OBOD. I have experience in officiating weddings, baby blessings and house clearings.
- [Ray Hayward](https://druidry.org/people/ray-hayward): Minnesota and the upper mid-west I am a registered minister and can perform baptisms, weddings, and funerals, as well as any rituals, rites of passage, or custom celebrations. I am a Druid Grade member of the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids and base all my ritual on the Order’s methods and insights as well as drawing on my other experiences with Sufism, Taoism, and the Western Mysteries.
- [Sarah Fuhro](https://druidry.org/people/sarah-fuhro): Boston Druid member of the Boston (Mystic River) Grove in Massachusetts. I have celebrated with Druids and non druids alike. I have created and facilitated weddings, baby and child naming ceremonies, house blessings, celebrations for moving, for healing and for funerals.
- [Huathe Fearn](https://druidry.org/people/huathe-fearn): Southwestern portion of the United States. (OK, TX, AR, NM, KS, CO.) I am a Druid graduate with OBOD, group facilitator of The Circle of the Six-Fold Path and an ordained minister with the Universal Life ChurchI offer Celebrant services which includes baby blessings, weddings, rites of passage, and celebration of life ceremonies (funerals and memorials). With the benefit of interfaith training, it allows me to bridge beliefs and customs which strengthens our faith through similar ideas; while understanding the differences without creating a division.
- [Gail Arthur-Eddy](https://druidry.org/people/gail-arthur-eddy): Cleveland area, Ohio As you stand at a threshold, you stand in a special space, where you are poised between one way of being and another. Once you cross it, you will no longer be as you were, your life becomes something other. The birth of a baby, the crossing from childhood to adulthood, a marriage, a death or a divorce, these times, and others, change us irrevocably. Bless, celebrate and mark these precious occasions.