I finished my first journal. I've never finished a journal cover to cover before. I have some that were as complete as could be given the chapter they were part of ended, but never end to end like this. There is some meandering sure, but its all related. Nature observations, notes from books, pieces of three different druidry courses, learning about and meeting Brigid, and meditations are all in there somewhere.

Just a personal achievement I wanted to share. Anyone else journal? Is there anything you do to commemorate the completion of a journal?

A catholic friend of mine told me that according to his religion spirit and soul are the same, and I always thought that they were different, but I don't know why. What's your view on this?

I know the question about being an Atheist and a Druid has been answered many times before. So that's not what this is about.

So to preface I used to be deeply into the occult/witchcraft and Paganism for about a decade. Even though I'm an Atheist I still do enjoy many aspects of that way of life I just don't believe in any of the magickal or God/Goddess related parts of it. I don't like religions for the most part even though I am accepting of anyone's religious beliefs - I'm open minded. And I know Druidism isn't necessarily a religion, it can be a spirituality, a way of life, a philosophy or even just a spiritual path (from what I've read).

So with that in mind, basically what I'm wondering is... What would Druidism offer to me that would be worthwhile for me to pursue? Are there any Agnostic/Atheist Druids that could give me a better idea of what Druidism brings to your life (if you're okay with that)?

Just curious if Druidism is something worth embracing in my life (in some way). Anyone's experiences or thoughts are welcomed.

EDIT: Just to point out, I do like nature and find it to be beautiful and somewhat enchanting at times. I also enjoy celebrating the sabbaths of the Wheel of the Year as it is both fun to do and helps me honor and remember the different parts of the year. I'm open to new experiences as well.

Anyways... I have gone over all of your comments and do appreciate your input. Based on that, I have done some thinking and decided I will start my journey as a Druid. I'll begin doing a little more research into it and try to find ways to incorporate it into my daily life.

I've been debating and interested in the OBOD off and on, mainly due to my iffy experience on discord that made it off putting but every group has its bad apples, or in this case dogmatic apples? I come from a fairly lengthy energy work background but I am interested here for some time, but I had a few questions:

1. For someone considering joining OBOD, how adaptable are the rituals? Are they typically performed outdoors, or can they be modified for indoor settings, especially in challenging weather or urban environments.
2. How much flexibility does OBOD offer in adapting the teachings and rituals to personal circumstances, such as living in a small space or having limited access to natural environments?
3. Are the rituals in OBOD a required part of the practice, or are they more optional, depending on one’s personal preferences and circumstances?
4. Are the seasonal rituals in OBOD actually required for members, or are they more of a suggested framework for those who wish to celebrate the Wheel of the Year?
5. Are spiritual tools like staffs, stones, or other symbolic items encouraged in OBOD practice, and if so, are they essential for connecting with the teachings, or are they optional enhancements?
6. To what extent can OBOD rituals and practices be personalized? For example, can someone focus more on meditation or study if they feel less drawn to ritual work? and if so does that stop their progress if they aim to still move forward as from a Bard to Ovate, to Druid?

thank you for all your responses.

I have looked at druidism for a while and I was wondering if I could be a druid if I do not believe in any higher power.

Hello all, I am going to be travelling to Minnesota (Minneapolis) and am wondering if anyone has any recommendations as to places to check out, it could be a location, a store, etc.

The trip is a little last minute and I’m hoping to find some sort of connection to druidry while I am there 😊

Thank you.

I am wondering if anybody here has any interesting interactions with mushrooms. Including edible ones. I realize there are psychedelic mushrooms but the mushroom world is so much bigger than psylicybin.

I am currently working my way through eating some chantrelles mushrooms and I feel great. I swear I can feel one wriggling or vibrating in my hand before I cut in into pieces. Sweat I can hear them chanting "eat me, eat me" and I get distinct vision of them enjoying being cooked in the hot pan. I think of fungi as interstellar travelers 🍄🍄

Forgive me if this isn’t the right sub. I figured yall know about tree spirits and the like 😅 So a few nights ago I had a lucid dream about being in front of a large tree. There was a wooden anthropomorphic figure, friendly vibes, not really scary. Everything was very cartoony. I had some intense brain zaps, and my partner woke me up out of sleep paralysis and some strange chanting/vocalizing (yar, for reference). Any insight as to who/what this may have been?

I'm having trouble finding any symbols that were invented by Celts (so, not the triskel) and not by Christian Celts (Not the triquetra either - I am looking for Pagan symbols invented before Christianity came to the island).

Thank you!

https://preview.redd.it/09cpscz3is5e1.jpg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae553637dcdb8aa0386fe566ebd01fc1cd62601d

https://preview.redd.it/lq41oqi5is5e1.jpg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4f34b635d660d369dcb4da6c865de3666cf17a4

America is restless, the oaks were burning in the East of the North this fall, and the pines have been roaring war songs all around me in the Far West. I fought the fanatic jack-pines erasing the majestic forests and paths of the Far North, and paid attention to the lessons taught by the charred palisades of surviving colonies of birch and willow. Some trees love fire, others love water, these tortured fire spirits are cursed to writhe their roots in too much water, watching the horizon burn, with cauldrons of their kin kept alight beside them, well defended in a dungeon condemned to be safe from redeeming infernos.

I know joining an order is entirely optional, but I’ve always been drawn to the idea. I’m particularly fond of the AODA and their Gnostic Celtic Church. But I just can’t justify the fees. I understand why they charge them, but it just jives with my personal sensibilities and would be somewhat of a strain on my family.

Are there any truly free orders one can join? I more of a Neoplatonic monotheist than a polytheist, so I may not fit well with the more hardline polytheist groups.

Hello everybody. I just finished making my Winter Holiday Yuletide Wreath. And I want to share it with all of you. I collected plant cuttings from local plants in the downtown Portland Oregon area. And here is the finished product. I wonder, can anybody tell me why when where did the tradition of holiday wreaths begin? What is the pagan significance? Thankyou

While I love collecting bones ( both for educational purposes and just because I find them beautiful and fascinating ) I can't help but feel guilty about taking them from their resting place. If it were me, I wouldn't be happy with someone taking my bones and collecting them. Death is such a natural thing and while I believe the animal's energy will return to the earth in different ways ( both literally with decomposition and spiritually ) I feel like I'm interrupting that natural process by taking the bones.

I treat the bones I collect with love and care. I process and clean everything myself. Processing dead animals is incredibly unpleasant and worsens that guilt I feel. Maceration is a nasty, nasty thing. I just feel like I'm violating them and the natural order.

When I find bones, I sit with them for a moment and say a "prayer". I'm not sure if that's the correct term for it, but it describes it well enough. I don't worship any specific god or diety- just the earth. I don't have a name for her, I just call her "mother". I'll sit, close my eyes and say thanks as well as wish for the wellbeing of the "spirit" or life energy of the animal.

I'm also a college student studying wildlife biology, and having these bones is really helpful for studying and understanding the variation in structure between species. All this to say that I don't take these bones for granted. I cherish them. I just can't help but feel like the mother is displeased when I collect these bones. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Any ways for me to be more respectful to both the animal and the environment it's in?

Are there books out there that any of you recommend for Druidism? Non-fiction, obviously, but even fiction where you thought it was well-depicted? I would love to deepen my knowledge. 💚

I’m wondering what are some good, simple offerings to leave out in nature (a small woodland patch for example). At first I thought maybe just some pretty boughs, leaves, flowers if there are still any… but if you have to pluck something in order to offer it back, that seems rather counter-intuitive. Little bits of bread are bad for most animals (at least for birds). Looking for inspiration!

I’ve been dabbling in whittling/carving all fall and knew I wanted to do something homemade for my Yule. I carved and stained this tree ornament/wall decor for my brother’s new house. The inspiration was the Green Man but Santa Claus also comes to mind. Just a little guardian/totem for a peaceful home ✨

This is my first Christmas season as a baby Druid, although I’ve been a practicing Wiccan in the past. I love rediscovering the ancient remnants of the original Celtic druids still scattered amongst the capitalist Christian-ish consumerism, like Yule logs, decorating with holly and mistletoe, and even the use of red and green colors. I’m curious how you incorporate your Druidic practice into the winter holidays if you celebrate them? I celebrate secular Christmas with my friends/family and Yule privately.

I came across this on another Reddit group and it is fascinating! Defiantly something of interest for people wanting to connect their Druidism with their local ecologies.

Navigator | One Earth

Hi,

As I'm slowly becoming disillusioned with Islam, and the Abrahamic faiths in general; I am tentatively thinking of becoming a Celtic pagan. I've prayed to Manannán mac Lir (the god I feel most drawn to) several times, and made an offering once, though the situation I am in isn't particularly conducive to set up an alter or anything. I'm wondering what steps I might want to take to become more established, to develop more of a relationship with the Tuatha Dé Danann, in general and Manannán in particular. I thought perhaps joining a community of some sort might be the next step. I just wanted to ask here, --and I'll be repoasting this in the relevant subreddits as well--, how do druid groves function? That is to say, as a general rule, are they only for established practitioners who have taken the proper training to attend, or are they welcoming of potential converts? I live in NY, and an ADF grove is the only group I know of remotely connected to Celtic paganism. Should I try to join, or find some other group, or try to continue solitary?

Thanks

Do any of you guys use ogham for writing or is it only used as a divination tool nowadays?

Hello, imma be brief but in short my grandma gave me a deep connection to nature, Irish and Norse ancestor’s and now years later I find myself very drawn to Druidism. I’m an American just starting out and I don’t know much but I’ve got an over active pineal gland and a hunger for connection to ancestors and spirituality after leaving a cult that my parents are in and that I was indoctrinated into.

So I’ve been reading about Celtic Gods and Goddesses and I’ve been open to let one or more connect with me. I didn’t feel a strong curiosity or interest in any particular one but I feel very drawn to my birth month of May and Beltane. I feel a strong pull to a deity there but I don’t know enough history and mythology to pin point who or what this could be. Anyone have any insight they would be willing to share with me?

So I don't really know if I can articulate this properly.

I leaned Druidism from my great grandmother when I was a child up to 12 when she passed away. She was a beautiful old Scottish women who migrated to Australia in her 20s.

Since her death I continued with other family members but around my 20s I moved away for various reasons all to do with Adulting in these modern times.

So I lost contact with my group and slowly let modern life gets in the way of my practice until recently when I have started to return to it.

This relative (sort of) because looking up bdruidism on the internet I am rather shocked by how organised Druidism is. We only ever practiced in our group (or grove I guess you would say, though we used that as the alter not the group). We also seemed to practise a different way to what the main groups do.

I don't really know the point of this post other then sometimes reading posts here and books I seem to feel we are practicing different beliefs.

Signed "Rather Confused".