What is Druidry?
For an in-depth overview of 21st century Druidry as expressed by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, please see "What is Druidry?" on the OBOD website.
The teachings of our Order derive from five strands, which are briefly reviewed here. For more on the history of the order, please see A Brief History, A Longer History, and Recent History, under The Druid Way tab on the OBOD website.
We celebrate the Eight-fold Year: eight seasonal festivals, four of which are based on astronomical events, and four (called Fire Festivals, or cross-quarter festivals) that are based on agricultural and livestock cycles of the ancient Celtic lands.
Thus, our year goes like this:
The teachings of our Order derive from five strands, which are briefly reviewed here. For more on the history of the order, please see A Brief History, A Longer History, and Recent History, under The Druid Way tab on the OBOD website.
- The first strand comes from antiquity, through the stories that have been passed down through the ages, but which contain the essence of Druidic training and forms the core of the Order's training program. In addition, we draw on the wisdom of the Druidic triads.
- The second strand originates in the Druidic Revival, which began at the end of the 17th century. Our Order traces its lineage to that period, and it is from these teachings that we have inherited certain of our ritual forms. Some of these we have discarded as inappropriate to the modern age, but others have been kept, not only for their beauty and relevance, but because they too might well derive from earlier sources or draw their inspiration from them.
- The third strand comes from a more recent time just over fifty years ago, when the previous Chief of the Order, Philip Ross Nichols, together with a group of fellow-druid members of The Ancient Druid Order, formed The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids. It was at this point that it was decided to incorporate more study of Celtic source material and to include celebration of the four Celtic fire festivals (see below).
Ross Nichols was a friend of Gerald Gardner, the founder of the modern Wicca movement, and the evidence of the intellectual cross-fertilization that occurred between them can now be seen in both Wiccan and Druid teachings. Nichols edited Gardner’s first book on Wicca and contributed material to his second book. - The fourth strand comes from the contributions of the previous Chosen Chief of the Order, Philip Carr-Gomm, to the teachings. Having trained with Ross Nichols and having trained in psychology and psychotherapy (in particular Jungian analytical therapy and Psychosynthesis), Philip was asked to lead the Order in 1988. (He handed on the role of Chosen Chief of the Order to his successor Eimear Burke in June 2020.)
- The fifth strand comes from the contributions of many contemporary scholars and specialists in Druidry and Celtic spirituality, who have offered their insights and writings to the world, and in some cases specifically to the Order, to help build a body of teachings that are truly relevant and helpful to students of Druidry in the modern world.
We celebrate the Eight-fold Year: eight seasonal festivals, four of which are based on astronomical events, and four (called Fire Festivals, or cross-quarter festivals) that are based on agricultural and livestock cycles of the ancient Celtic lands.
Thus, our year goes like this:
- Samhain, celebrated October 31–November 2
- Livestock for which there was insufficient fodder were slaughtered and their meat salted and stored.
- Alban Arthan or Winter Solstice, around December 21
- This is the time of death and rebirth. The sun appears to be abandoning us completely as the longest night comes to us.
- Imbolc, celebrated today around February 1
- First lambs of the year were born; the first snowdrops appeared and snows began to melt.
- Alban Eilir or Spring Equinox, around March 21
- The time of equality of day and night, when the forces of the light are on the increase.
- Beltane, May 1
- Time of mating and of the passing of the livestock through the two Beltane fires for purification.
- Alban Hefin or Summer Solstice, around June 21
- Light is at its maximum, and this is the time of the longest day.
- Lughnasadh, around August 1
- Marked the link between the agricultural and the livestock cycle--the harvest began and both human food and animal fodder were reaped and stored.
- Alban Elfed or Fall Equinox, around September 21
- The second of the harvest festivals, this time marking the end of harvest-time, just as Lughnasadh marked its beginning