Druid societies

Ok i recently got in crap cause i have a fascination with this society or philosophy of druids but what who when where and how is what i have to ask about druids. I know a couple of things i have started some research but does anyone know stuff that you can't find on the net.

Heres a little info for you

en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by Magickesists
Ok i recently got in crap cause i have a fascination with this society or philosophy of druids but what who when where and how is what i have to ask about druids. I know a couple of things i have started some research but does anyone know stuff that you can't find on the net.

Magickesists,

There are NUMEROUS organizations who have taken upon themselves the title "Druid" I'm familiar with several, but one in particular (one to which I belong) the United Ancient Order of Druids.

If you'd like to know more about them, feel free to e-mail me at: [email protected]

Regards,

'Nuff said.

I've heard that the ancient order of druids are also dying out much like oddfellowship..was there a huge following in the first place?

Originally posted by Magickesists
Ok i recently got in crap cause i have a fascination with this society or philosophy of druids but what who when where and how is what i have to ask about druids.

Only actual sources that we have on the druids are from their contemporaries, the Romans, who had come into contact with them and provide some information about them. The romans talk about the religion of the druids in roman terms tho, such that 'Mercury' is a high god amoung them and the like. You'd want to check out those sources. All other sources tend to build up on fantasy, rather than actual history.

Like Nygdan said not a whole lot is known except what has been passed down through verbal lore and some accounts from various sources. They seem to have been mediators and high priests who intead of erecting huge temples, settled with small and crude gathering spots. I believe some historians have tried to link Stonehenge with thier order.

EDIT: Here is an excellant reference

www.britannia.com...

[edit on 28-9-2005 by Linux]

Well it makes sense theres little to read about them as they believed in verbal history like bards of the medieval century.

I find it facinating though that the god cernunnos is represented as the devil in catholic religion and holds odd connections to the image of the god mercury.

I think from what i gather though that the druids way back when were actually more on the philosopher/ astrologer side of the coin.

Any way thanks for the info if anybody actually knows anything specific, family secrets and such carried down from forefather to father to son type stuff though that would be extremely cool.

Originally posted by BoonePanic
I've heard that the ancient order of druids are also dying out much like oddfellowship..was there a huge following in the first place?

True. The Druids fraternity is all but extinct. It confers 3 degrees (Ovate, Bard and Druid) and has ceremonies similar in structure, etc. to the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Columbus, etc. I'm not sure how many "Groves" (Lodges) there are left. I belong to Southwind Grove in Kansas City, MO and was initiated in Iona Grove No 1 in Washington DC, but I never hear much from them.

There are actual lodges left that offer Druidism? I'm curious as to what these ceremonies consist of, but thats why your supposed to join the Lodge.

The druids were about knowledge and a strict adherance to virtues. They simply put were purveyors of wisdom and loyalty. And hopefully still are.

Originally posted by Magickesists
Well it makes sense theres little to read about them as they believed in verbal history like bards of the medieval century.

I find it facinating though that the god cernunnos is represented as the devil in catholic religion

Just the catholic religion, not the rest of christianity??

and holds odd connections to the image of the god mercury.

This would be one of the things remarked upon by the romans, that they worshipped mercury. Another intersting, tho weak, connection is that the druids are usually associated with esotericism, (though without much basis, considering we know very little about their beleifs), and that that is connected to hermeticism, and hermes is mercury.

actually more on the philosopher/ astrologer side of the coin.

Based on what? They seem to be shamans, based on things like being buried and having to survive for their initiation and the like no?

Any way thanks for the info if anybody actually knows anything specific, family secrets and such carried down from forefather to father to son type stuff though that would be extremely cool.

Wouldn't it be better to read the original roman sources???

of, but thats why your supposed to join the Lodge.

senrak is talking about a modern organization that is based on the ideas of druidism at the time of its inception. In england too there are 'druids' who have worked up a lot of magical ceremonies, but without any real basis for the stuff, such as the contemporary roman texts on the druids.

I am from Placerville, CA. It is a Druid town. Most of it's residents don't even know. There are Druid monuments all over, even on the old buildings. Here are a few links.

www.co.el-dorado.ca.us...

mill-valley.freemasonry.biz...

We called the Druid Monument in the first link, the Burning Rose.

Really tho "The grove" is just a masonic organization, it doesn't really have any connections to the preistmen of the pre-roman celts in gaul, brittany, and britain.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Really tho "The grove" is just a masonic organization, it doesn't really have any connections to the preistmen of the pre-roman celts in gaul, brittany, and britain.

Almost all literature was verbally passed down to bards and such so its impossible to resurrect the true druidism which was kinda my point in my response.

altreligion.about.com...

Might be of some interest.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Really tho "The grove" is just a masonic organization, it doesn't really have any connections to the preistmen of the pre-roman celts in gaul, brittany, and britain.

Well, "Fraternal" not "Masonic" (as there is not connection to Freemasonry, except some overlapping memberships, as in most fraternal societies)

You're right about no connection, etc. The society (as others) is roughly "based-upon" the Druids. There's not direct line FROM the actual Druids....particularly since there's no concrete evidence of Druids actually having existed as we (think we) know them.

I thought that the Grove was one of the allied organizations, like the Shriners and the Order of the Eastern Star, etc etc? Co-fraternal is perhaps the correct word?


edit:
nevermind, I am thinking of "The Grotto", my mistake. I confused 'the grove' for "The Grotto".

[edit on 30-9-2005 by Nygdan]

Originally posted by Nygdan
I thought that the Grove was one of the allied organizations, like the Shriners and the Order of the Eastern Star, etc etc? Co-fraternal is perhaps the correct word?


edit:
nevermind, I am thinking of "The Grotto", my mistake. I confused 'the grove' for "The Grotto".

[edit on 30-9-2005 by Nygdan]

Right. The Grotto is MOVPER, Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm....a Shrine-like organization that came along sometime later and allowed 3rd Degree Masons (Master Masons) to join, while the Shrine required that their members be York Rite (Knight Templar) or Scottish Rite (32nd Degree) Masons.

That, since, has changed and the Shrine allows Master Masons (3rd Degree) so the two are in direct competition with one another for membership...and have a lot of overlapping members.

The Grove is the name of a local chapter or lodge of the United Ancient Order of Druids, a distinct fraternal organization, much like (but not connected with) Odd Fellowship, Freemasonry, etc.

www.phoenixmasonry.org...

The UAOD is all but non-existant, although some groups calling themselves the UAOD still exist in California...and they go beyond the realms of fraternalism and do some pretty strange stuff (go figure)

Edit: Double post

[edit on 30-9-2005 by Tamahu]