Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study PDF Download

Author: Michael T. Cooper
Publisher: Sacred Tribes Press
ISBN: 1452471320
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
Contemporary Druidry is one of the fastest growing religions in Western society. This book addresses the attempt by practitioners to bring an ancient spirituality into the mainstream. It examines ancient Druid beliefs and critiques the contemporary expression by comparing the two. Relying on eight years of research and more than 200 interviews, the book provides an outsider's look at this faith

Author: Larisa A White
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781736779200
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
What does it mean to be a Druid, circa 2020 c.e.? - What do modern-day Druids believe? - What are their religious practices? - How does Druidry vary with geography? - How has Druidry evolved over time? - What defines it as a religious tradition? In the past, the answers to these questions have, of necessity, taken the form of educated guesses based on limited data, often biased by ease-of-contact, or Druidry group affiliation. The World Druidry Survey of 2018-2020 was the first, large-scale global effort to collect, interpret, and learn from the stories of all the practicing Druids of the world. The questionnaire included 189 items, organized into 42 sets of questions, including 18 open-ended essay questions. It probed into details of modern Druids' physical, social, and cultural environments; their ethnicities; their theological beliefs, ritual practices, and celebrated holidays; and the factors that influenced their development as Druids. Completed surveys were returned by 725 Druids, in six languages, from 34 nations, representing 147 Druid groups from around the world, in addition to 131 unaffiliated, solitary practitioners. Their responses included thousands of pages of rich, narrative data, allowing for the use of robust, mixed-methods analytic tools to paint a vivid picture of the contemporary religious tradition that is World Druidry. Here are their stories.

Author: Liz Williams
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1789142601
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 351

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Book Description
A bewitching and authoritative historical overview of magic in the British Isles, from the ancient peoples of Britain to the rich and cosmopolitan landscape of contemporary paganism. “An absolute must for anyone interested in the development of paganism in the modern world. I cannot recommend this book enough.”—Janet Farrar, coauthor of A Witches’ Bible “At last, we have a history of British Paganism written from the inside, by somebody who not only has a good knowledge of the sources, but explicitly understands how Pagans and magicians think.”—Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon and The Witch What do we mean by “paganism”—druids, witches, and occult rituals? Healing charms and forbidden knowledge? Miracles of Our Own Making is a historical overview of pagan magic in the British Isles, from the ancient peoples of Britain to the rich and cosmopolitan landscape of contemporary paganism. Exploring the beliefs of the druids, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings, as well as Elizabethan Court alchemy and witch trials, we encounter grimoires, ceremonial magic, and the Romantic revival of arcane deities. The influential and well-known—the Golden Dawn, Wicca, and figures such as Aleister Crowley—are considered alongside the everyday “cunning folk” who formed the magical fabric of previous centuries. Ranging widely across literature, art, science, and beyond, Liz Williams debunks many of the prevailing myths surrounding magical practice, past and present, while offering a rigorously researched and highly accessible account of what it means to be a pagan today.

Author: Philip Carr-Gomm
Publisher: HarperThorsons
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
The Druid tradition lies at the heart of Western spirituality and today it is experiencing a renaissance unprecedented in its long history. The Druids, like the Native Americans and Aborigines, revere and respect the earth. They see Nature as their teacher and mother. Today, Druidry offers a spiritual way that includes an understanding of healing, creativity and the need to place our love for the land at the centre of our lives. Drawn together in this collection are contributions from Druid Chiefs from Britain, France and America together with writers and mystics, healers and psychologists, professors and historians, which express the excitement and breadth of the modern Druid renaissance. This book is a celebration of the flowering of a tradition that is ancient yet ever-new.

Author: James Nichol
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781500807207
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Contemplative Druidry is an evolving aspect of modern Druidry. Rather than talking in purely abstract terms, this book focuses first on the experience of people practicing contemplative Druidry now. Only then does it look at the bigger picture and draw conclusions for the developing spirituality of modern Druidry as a whole.'Contemplative Druidry' takes the five months of March-July 2014, and offers a snapshot of how 15 practitioners of Druidry in England today understand and practice contemplative Druidry, and why they value it. Responding to a set of questions either in live interviews or through written responses, they describe both what contemplative Druidry means to them personally, and how they see it fitting in to the context of Druidry as a modern pagan spirituality. In this way 'Contemplative Druidry' acts as a contemplative inquiry, with many voices offering perspectives on contemplative Druidry, its place within Druidry as a whole, and its wider contribution to the development of modern spirituality, particularly within pagan traditions. The contributors, in alphabetical order of first names, are: David Popely, Elaine Knight, Eve Adams, JJ Middleway, Joanna van der Hoeven, Julie Bond, Karen Webb, Katy Jordan, Mark Rosher, Nimue Brown, Penny Billington, Robert Kyle, Rosa Davis and Tom Brown. In his introduction, the author describes the experience which led him, already a practising Druid, onto a more contemplative path. He talks of how he turned outwards to his own community, as well as inwards to his personal practice, and brought together a group dedicated to developing a practice of contemplative Druidry in Gloucestershire, England. The book is in many respects a fruit of this work, and 11 of the 15 contributors are involved in the group. The other four are independently engaged with contemplative and meditative practice in Druidry, and agreed to be part of the book. The main section of the book is divided into three parts. The first is about the people involved - their childhood spirituality, their histories of questing for a spiritual practice and home that made sense, and their commitment to Druidry as an identity and set of values. The second is about practice - formal sitting meditations, ways of contemplative engagement with nature, forms of group practice, contemplative arts, and having a contemplative stance in every day life. The third is about potential - what the practice of contemplative Druidry can do for the individual and its benefits to the community as a whole. The book ends with a set of author's reflections and conclusions, including suggestions about how contemplative practices can become more widely adopted within the Druid community. There are eight appendices, which include models of group programmes and solo practices for contemplative Druidry, and also two threads from the Contemplative Druidry Facebook group, one about contemplation and mysticism and the other on pilgrimage. The book has a foreword by Philip Carr-Gomm, Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, a significant contribution in its own right under the title: 'Deep Peace of the Quiet Earth: the Nature Mysticism of Druidry'. The foreword endorses the view that contemplative Druidry is an idea whose time has come. 'Contemplative Druidry' is an introduction in that it raises awareness of contemplative practice in Druidry, and potentially in pagan spirituality more widely. It provides documentary recognition of the approach. And it sets a note of contemplative inquiry and exploration, rather than offering a fixed set of teachings that people are invited to assimilate in a top-down kind of way. The book is therefore of interest both to people with a personal interest in contemplative Druidry, and to those with a more general interest in the life and development of modern Druidry, pagan paths more widely, and evolutionary spirituality as a whole.

Author: Ivan McBeth
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
ISBN: 1578636345
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
The Bardic Book of Becoming is a warm, user-friendly, eclectic introduction to modern Druidry that invites you to take the first steps into the realms of magic and mystery. In this book you will be introduced to the various techniques and practices of a Druid in training. Written by Ivan McBeth, the cofounder of Vermont's Green Mountain School of Druidry, with Fearn Lickfield, the book incorporates lessons, visualizations, rituals, and magical stories. Many different activities and exercises are included that provide the reader with hands-on learning. Ivan also provides personal stories that demonstrate his own journey from spiritual seeker to Druid.

Author: Philip Carr-Gomm
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781870450621
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
Druidism, the ancient shamanic religion of Britain is experiencing a major revival there and in America. This book is both a complete description of the Druid Way as well as a fascinating tour of the major Druid sites, ruins, and "power places". Includes specific suggestions for bringing this ancient wisdom tradition into our own lives and activities.

Author: Joanna van der Hoeven
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
ISBN: 1782795464
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 109

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Book Description
Druidry is a wonderful, spiritually fulfilling life path. Through the magic that is Druidry, we build deep and abiding relationships with the natural world around us, and through our connection to the natural environment we walk a path of truth, honour and service. We aim to immerse ourselves in the present moment, in the present environment, in order to share in the blessing that is the cycle of life. Throughout the ages, people have withdrawn from the world in order to connect more fully with it. This book is an introductory guide for those who wish to walk the Druid path alone, for however long a time. It is about exploration and connection with the natural world, and finding our place within it. It covers the basics of Druidry and how, when applied to the everyday life, enriches it with a sense of beauty, magic and mystery. This book is for those people who feel called to seek their own path, to use their wit and intelligence, compassion and honour to create their own tradition within Druidry.

Author: John Michael Greer
Publisher: Weiser Books
ISBN: 1633412245
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
The classic guide to living a spiritual life rooted in Celtic antiquity and revived to meet the challenges of contemporary life. Druidry offers people a path of harmony through reconnection with the green Earth. The Druidry Handbook is the first hands-on manual of traditional British druid practice that explores the Sun Path of seasonal celebration, the Moon Path of meditation, and the Earth Path of living in harmony with nature as 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. Featuring a mix of philosophy, rituals, spiritual practice, and lifestyle issues, The Druidry Handbook is an essential guide for those seriously interested in practicing a traditional form of druidry. It offers equal value to eclectics and solitary practitioners eager to incorporate more Earth-based spirituality into their own belief system.

Author: Philip Carr-Gomm
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0007555830
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Druidry and Wicca, also known as "the Craft", are the two great streams of the Western Pagan tradition. Both traditions originated in the British Isles, and both are now experiencing a renaissance all over the world, as more and more people seek a spirituality rooted in a love of nature.