Druidry

Seeing the beauty in nature, and exploring the ways we find to be Druids in our land

Druids see and rejoice in the daily miracles of the natural world around us. The cycles of the seasons, life and death (and rebirth, for those of us who believe in this), and the cosmic dance instruct and inspire. We draw upon the past for inspiration, and our deep respect for learning, science, and the arts has shaped our new modern traditions. And like the many types of wildflowers in a meadow, Druids span a wide range of traditions and ‘religions’ (Pagan, monotheistic, agnostic, none, or any combination thereof).

Many people when first drawn to Druidry lack a knowledge of training resources, groups, active orders, and the traditions these orders originated from. These resources and information will help you learn about Druidry in North America.

Druid Orders

DRUID TRADITIONS

Many of our well known Druid orders arose out of specific movements and traditions, each with their own history and basic beliefs. Go here to learn about Revival, Reformed, and Neopagan orders in North America.

PODCASTS

DruidCast- OBOD
NODCast – New Order of Druids
Life With Trickster Gods Podcast

COMPARING ORDERS

This in-depth table compares four larger Druid groups in North America- including group origins, divinity and culture used in worship.

PUBLICATIONS

Druid Inquirer Magazine – Reformed Druids
Henge Happenings- Henge of Keltria
The Druid’s Egg – RDG
Trilithon: The Journal of AODA (print)

LIST OF ORDERS

Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF)
Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA)
Fellowship of Druidsim for the Later Age (FoDLA)
Orden Druida de Mexico
Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (OBOD)
Reformed Druids of Gaia (RDG)
Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA) Info & RDNA- Carleton College Grove
Tribe of the Oak
Druidcraft Fellowship (Druidic & Wiccan fellowship)

Community & Training

FINDING OTHER DRUIDS

Advice for finding individuals and groups of Druids – how to explore and evaluate groups, and maps, guides, internet, and organization resources.

MAP OF LOCAL GROUPS

map 4-16 Here is an interactive map of public groves and study groups in North America– regularly updated, it currently lists 290 groups across 5 countries.

ORDER’S TRAINING & STUDY PROGRAMS

ADF – Training Programs – $50 order membership includes initial Dedicant Program, with further study, guild, initiate, or ordained clergy training

AODA – Study Program, $50 or $100 for each degree

Druid College– Maine, US. 3 year training, suggested gift of $500/year

FoDLA – Druidic Training – training towards initation and ordination only

Green Mountain Druid Order – Home Study Course, Bard level is $200 to $600 depending on option chosen

New Order Druids – Grove of Dana Druid College, free or course grade books ~$12 each

OBOD – Membership & Training– ~$270 – $423 (depending on formats) for each of 3 grades

RDG – Druid Path Study CD ($19.99) and Reformed Druidism 202 Study CD ($19.98)

Tribe of the Oak – group by invitation only, reading list to start study towards Druidic initiation

Covenant of Avalon Theological Seminary– Florida, US, requires membership in The Druidcraft Fellowship, may have local dues/tithes or suggested donations (no accreditation)

NOTE: Accreditation
Please note that the above programs are designed for in-group or order use, and do not have formal educational accreditation. Contact the program you are interested in for more information.

LOCAL TRAINING

Local training opportunities vary widely. Many groves will have no formal training, as their members are progressing individually through their order’s programs. Some groves will have informal learning across a broad range of topics of interest to members. Individual groves may have their own training programs, but often only for seekers in their immediate geographical area.

DRUID ORDINATION

Based on most recent information, these are the Druid orders in North America that are legal churches (for instance, 501(c)(3) religious non-profit corporations in the US), and that can train and ordain clergy.

ADF is a Pagan, polytheistic, independant Neopagan church based on practices from Indo-European cultures. Founded in 1983, they are registered in the United States as a tax-exempt Nonprofit Corporation (501c3). In addition to their many other training programs, they offer a clergy training program for their members.

FoDLA is a fellowship of American polytheistic Pagans following the path of Draíocht Nua or Neo-Druidism. It is a is a tax exempt nonprofit church incorporated in the State of Califormia. They offer training toward initiation and ordination for individuals sincerely seeking to serve the Neo-Druidic and polytheist community. Membership (free), and a preliminary interview/review process required before offering an invitation to apply for training. $50 application fee once invited.

ATS Accredited Theology Schools

There are religious studies programs at regional accredited colleges- they can be checked for in your local area. (Go here for an ariticle on US accreditation.) There are also colleges that are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada- here are colleges from that list that have degree programs that may welcome Druid students. (Please do your own research.)

Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, US

McGill School of Religious Studies, Montreal, QC, CN

Meadville Lombard Theological School (Unitarian Universalist), Chicago IL, US – offers distance learning

Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA, US (Wikipedia article)

Starr King School for the Ministry (Unitarian Universalist), Oakland, CA, US

University of Manitoba, Faculty of Arts- Religion, Winnipeg, MB, CN

Devotions

RELIGIONS

Druids can follow any of a number of religious paths (or none), such as:

Paganism

Buddhism

Christianity/Judaism