Druidry is the spiritual practice of honouring, revering and celebrating the Earths seasonal cycles, the cosmos, the ancestors and the self as one and the same, as the purpose of life itself. It is not black magic, it is not witchcraft. It is simple awareness of the reality of life.
It holds sacred this interconnectedness of all things in divine existence and acknowledges divine energy as the essence of all things, providing the infinite stream of inspiration for creativity in our realm.
This wisdom is celebrated regularly through ritual and festivals, held in alignment with the seasonal shifts, that see people gather together in love, respect and reverence to offer their blessings and gratitude to all that creates and sustains our life in this cosmic energy field.
Originally, Druidry was a practice of primitive Ireland, and later Scotland, that used The Wheel of Life as a calendar of sorts to arrange the seasons and agricultural cycles (times of planting seeds and harvesting crops) in alignment with the actions of the Gods and Goddesses revered at the time as the higher entities who governed Earth.
The Druids were the moral, ethical and spiritual leaders of the Celtic (Gaelic) people of Ancient Ireland, the Noblemen of their time, with the earliest records of Druidry dating back to the third Century. The word Druid has correlations to the phrase 'Knower of the Oak Tree'. They were later known by the Christians as Pagans after the Iron Age when their influence and power was coming to an end due to the Christianisation of the land, often treated as lower class people with no true God, as they worshiped Mother Earth and the spiritual cosmos as a whole and not a single entity embodied as a man as did the Anglo-Saxons.
Modern Druidry
Today, Modern Druidry is practiced by anyone wishing to honour the earth's rhythm and pulse. Active and dynamic reverence, varying between landscapes, beliefs and values of the groups is used to practice rituals and share celebrations that recognise divine energy as the source of all that is. It reflects the current and emerging needs, shifts and feelings of the people and the land, whilst respecting and recognising the roots and authenticity of ancestral traditions.
Australia is adopting a very flexible approach to Druidry, with the natural seasonal shifts (both predictable and irregular) being recognised as the appropriate time to celebrate. As it is not befitting to honour Yule, the Winter Solstice, during the Australian December when the country is experiencing Summer, new ways are being developed to honour the land and natural cycles of the Australian landscape, rather than simply changing the dates. This involves the possibility of having no set dates for celebration, as the seasons, weather patterns and landscape do not support such predictable and rigid timelines. Practiced examples include celebrating and ritualising the wet and dry seasons in the North of Australia, and the bushfire and drought seasons of different areas. The coastal region of Sydney have created their own Wheel of the Year that incorporates the specific weather patterns of their sea affected land.
"Instead of expecting nature to work to our timetables, we learn to listen for when the season is ready to be celebrated"
~ Julie Brett - Author of Australian Druidry ~
All paths regard the infinite, divine energy of the cosmos that flows through all things as supreme... Awen.
Awen is the magic, the unhindered energy that connects us to nature. It provides the inspiration for poets to write their words and musicians create their songs. It is accessed through opening up and connecting to the stillness and beauty of the natural world.
Awen is represented in our physical realm as
Earth presenting as Body
Sea presenting as Mind
Air presenting as Spirit
Christianity and The Druids
When Christianity spread through ancient Ireland and Scotland during the Roman Empire, their religious calendar was overlaid onto the Gaelic Wheel of Life in order to make conversion to Christianity easier for the Druids and Pagans by keeping their celebration dates close.
* Lughnasadh became Lammas (Loaf Mass Day) whereby bread is baked using the new seasons grain and consumed in church.
* Imbolc became Candlemas and also The Feast Day of Saint Brigid (also likened to the Roman Lustrations).
Ancient Holy wells (some of which actually pre-date the Christian Faith) are visited on this day to renew and protect the Christian faith.
* Ostarg, traditionally the Gaelic honouring of the Goddess Eostre, became Easter, with new beginnings being expressed through the resurrection of Jesus.
* Beltaine became Roodmas, with abundance being attributed to the discovery of the real cross.
A later transition was Litha (Summer Solstice) becoming Christmas
The Wheel of Life
Today, the Wheel of Life is manifested in physicality through eight yearly Sabbats. The Wheel of Life is the spiritual calendar of the Druids, and represents the cycles of Nature as transitional periods of the year, connecting the outer natural changes we see in the trees and animals with our changing inner nature. It marks the appropriate times to honour and practice ritual, in alignment with Mother earths seasonal shifts.
- Yule (Winter Solstice)
- Imbolc
- Ostarg (Spring Equinox)
- Belatine
- Litha (Summer Solstice)
- Lughnasadh
- Mabon (Autumnul Equinox)
- Samhain
Historical evidence indicates that there may have only been four natural cycles celebrated by the Gaelic peoples of ancient Ireland; the cross-quarter days of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasadh and Samhain, known now as the Greater Sabbats, the Solstices and Equinoxes being added later. As no physical records were kept by the Druids, all known information has a degree of ambiguity.
Litha and Ostarg are both known to be Anglo-Saxon (Christian) additions to the Wheel and are Solar festivals (traditional Celtic festivals were evoked by the monthly cycles of the Moon). Mabon is a very recent addition, being added in the 1950's and it's name not coming about until the 1970's when it was created by Aiden Kelly. Yule was originally a Germanic celebration, dating back to the fifth century. Bede, an English historian, recorded Yule as being absorbed into the Anglo-Saxon celebrations in the eighth century.
Modern Druidry recognises all eight yearly Sabbats, with the inclusion of Yule (Winter Solstice), Ostarg (Spring Equinox), Litha (Summer Solstice) and Mabon (Autumn Equinox), acknowledging the sun's yearly cycles as reflective of our own natural energy flow, with it's times of rest, invigoration, darkness, creativity and reflection.
Solstices and equinoxes are physical, astronomical happenings of the multiverse that are celebrated as outward reflections of our inner selves and so, are times for us to harness the energy of the earths changes to manifest personal, spiritual transformations that match the feeling or mood of the cosmic energy at that time.
The Greater Sabbats
~ Lughnasadh ~ Samhain ~ Imbolc ~ Beltaine ~
These four festivals mark the halfway points between the solstices and equinoxes and so signify the seasonal transitions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are referred to as 'cross-quarter days' and are celebrated as 'fire festivals'.
~ Lughnasadh ~
August 1st (North) February 1st (South)
In the North, this celebration is a festival in honour of the Celtic God Lugh and his step-mother, the Earth Goddess Tailtiu. These deities were associated with the sun, light, preparation of the land for farming, and harvesting the crops.
It falls midway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumnul Equinox (Mabon) in the Northern lands and aligns with the cutting of the first crops. It is celebrated with dance, mock battles and other artistic and athletic performances that signify gratitude for the land its it's bounty. Offering part of the first harvest to Lugh and Tailtiu is also a major act of this celebration, as well as hiking to the top of mountains to perform ceremonies.
In the South it falls between Winter Solstice (Yule) and the Spring (vernal) Equinox (Ostarg).
~ Samhain ~
October 31st (North) May 1st (South)
Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of the New Year in the North. It falls between the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon) and the WInter Solstice (Yule) and is celebrated with the Festival of the Dead. This death represented by the end of the light and coming into the darker part of the year, as well as passed souls.
This is a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at it's thinnest, allowing communication with passed souls more accessible. People would traditionally dress up and walk from house to house singing songs to scare off the bad spirits. Food would be given as thanks for this offering and great bonfires would be burning to protect the people and the land.
Samhain is still celebrated today as Halloween. The practice of dressing up and going door to door for food (lollies) is still practiced today, albeit with little knowledge of it's origins. Similarly, the carving of pumpkins as decorations symbolises the traditional practice of carving scary faces into turnips to ward off evil spirits.
In the South it falls between the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon) and the Winter Solstice (Yule).
~ Imbolc ~
February 1st (North) August 1st (South)
This is the celebration of Springs arrival, the return of the light and warmth. It falls between the Winter Solstice (Yule) and the Spring Equinox (Ostarg), marking the time of new beginnings, manifested in the beginning of the lambing season. It's name reflects the word Imbolg, meaning 'in the belly'.
Brihid, the Gaelic Goddess of fire and fertility is honoured here by sharing a feast of purification, the cleaning of dwellings and planting the first seeds of the season, signifying the fertility of the land, and the impregnating of the lambs. Brihid was the daughter of Dagda, King of the Tuatha De Dannan, an ancient race of Gods and Goddesses that inhabited Medieval Ireland who have been incorporated into Celtic mythology. The crafting of Brigids Cross using plant fibers is performed to commemorate Saint Brigid within the modernised Christian version of this celebration, St. Brigids Day.
In the Southern Hemisphere this festival falls between Lughnasadh and the Spring Equinox (Ostarg).
~ Beltaine ~
May 1st (North) October 31st (South)
Beltaine marks the commencement of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It falls between the Spring Equinox (Ostarg) and the Summer Solstice (Litha) and depicts a time of plenty, bringing balance and harmony. Maypole dancing and the gathering of flowers for garlands is a physical expressions of the abundance and fertility of the land.
This is a time when the Aos Si, or Faery folk, are at their most active and are offered food to satisfy the needs of the land. It is believed that the morning dew is a gift from the Aos Si and gives humans youthful beauty. Huge bonfires are lit using the ashes from the peoples homes to ensure that the fires energy will offer protection to those homes, and represent the warmth of the sun. Jumping over the fire is a traditional practice, done to bring on the health of livestock and a plentiful harvest from the land.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Beltaine falls between the Spring Equinox (Ostarg) and the Summer Solstice (Litha).
Solstices and Equinoxes
In Australian Druidry, we tend to celebrate the Solstices and Equinoxes as they are more reflective of our seasonal changes, with the Greater Sabbats holding not so much relevance here. Monuments around the world have been built over the centuries to honour the Equinoxes and Solstices and the significance of their impact on us. Stonehenge in Salisbury, England is one such monument and Jill WIntersteen pays homage to the strategic positioning of the stones... "When the Sun’s light first breaks through the darkness on the day of the Summer solstice, it hits this ancient monument directly in the center, lighting up each pillar like a magical horseshoe. During the Winter Solstice, the sun sets directly between the largest stones of this mysterious piece of history"
Summer Solstice
December 20-23
Opposite to the Winter Solstice, the Summer Solstice (Litha) brings the longest day of the year, with the sun at it's highest point in the sky. This occurs annually between December 20-23.
This is a time to celebrate and nourish the warmth of the light within us, and trust that our intentions set at the Spring Equinox are being kept warm and safe, ready to blossom in the heat to come. It is a time of inward nourishment, opening up to our own capability for personal growth and development.
Energy levels and mood are both lifted with the rising serotonin levels, allowing us to achieve more than in the colder months.
Our consciousness is awakened and remains in this state until the Autumn Equinox in March.
Autumn Equinox
March 20-23
As with the Spring Equinox, the Earth's axis at the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) is not tilted toward or away from the sun, causing equal amounts of light and dark hours. This occurs between March 20-23.
It is a time of slowing down and entering the darker and colder time of the year. Inwardly, this means rest, withdrawal from the activity that saw us through Spring and Summer, and self-reflection. Gratitude is paramount here, with the spiritual lessons learned from life being appreciated like the fruits of the land that were offered throughout the warmth of Spring and Summer.
It is here, with our lessons learned and knowledge broadened, that we find our strength and resolve to get through the coming darkness of the outer and inner worlds.
Winter Solstice
June 20-23
The Winter Solstice (Yule) marks the other time of the year when exactly half of the earth is tilted away from the sun, causing the shortest day of the year. This occurs each year sometime between December 20-23. From this day onward, the daylight hours gradually increase.
This is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. The cold, dark and melancholy energy of the winter will slowly dwindle from here until Spring to make way for the increased energy that comes with the forthcoming light of the outer and inner worlds.
It is the perfect time to release what no longer serves your life and hunker down for the warmer time ahead.
Creativity often begins brewing around this time.
Spring Equinox
September 20-23
The Spring Equinox (Ostarg), occurs between September 20-23 when the sun rises directly in the east and sets at the most western point. The light and dark of the days is of equal measure.
As the light and dark are in equal quantities in the outer world, so our inner world experiences balance... a balance between action and rest, and reflection and expression.
It is a powerful time of renewal and rebirth, with intentions being set and left to simmer, as the seeds of the new crops are planted within the earth and left to germinate.
The promise of new life is potent here, presented physically through the conception of babies in the animal kingdom. This gives hope and assures the continuation of life.
The Southern Druidry Facebook group holds regular Druid Learning Circles which are aimed at creating a Wheel of Life for our beautiful part of the world, Melbournes Eastern suburbs. A resource that will represent our landscape and people.
Seasonal celebrations will be forthcoming.
Head over to the group here... https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EJUyLVHFU/
Anastasio Peralta, a Guarani-Kaiowa leader in Brazil reminds us that the earth is a living being, she is our mother who gives us life and health...
"We are nature, we are earth, we are water, we are tree..."
To honour. love, and give back to to our Mother, the Guarani-Kaiowa people bless the seeds and the land before planting, and then pray collectively for rain to nourish the soil so the seed can sprout and grow to give the people nutrition. This is how they connect with the land, the ancestors and the Divine.
"We need to reforest our mind, our soul, our life, and then show it to our children"
We are all that is, and all that is is made of us.
We need to feel this, we need to connect to this...
We need to remember this.