Druids of many paths

We believe that Druidry is more of a perspective than a cultural phenomenon. The Celts were the original people to claim the title "druid" but we recognize the druidic ideals in many cultures such as the Native American faiths. Each culture may have slight variations of the Core Beliefs but the spirit of the belief is not reserved for Celtic traditions alone. However, all individuals who join our Order are required to be proficient in our liturgy and generally ascribe to the tenants of our Core Beliefs.

Cosmology

We seek to become one and understand the universe and how it works by observing and learning. When we come to fully realize this and we have learned all the lessons we need to learn we become an Ascended Master or a soul which can become one on a fully conscious level with Divinity.

Divinity, The Universal Soul or Source is the universal force of life which flows through all things. When we realize it's presence and reach out to it we can tap into it's connection with all things.

 

The Three Realms

We do not necessarily believe in the literal existence of three separate and distinct realms. This model cosmology is used primarily as a point of reference so that or minds have an easier time understanding and referencing the spiritual world. We understand this model may not be correct but it's use is none-the-less effective or ritual and/or teaching purposes.

The Land of the Living , The Land of Youth, 'of Women,' the Blessed Ones, Summer Land, The infinite Universe, The dwelling place of the eternal Soul when it is not with a body (where we go when we die). This realm infuses, surrounds and contains the Otherworld and the Material World. It is vast, and knows no corporal, spatial or temporal limits. It has no beginning and no end. This is the center of the wheel of creation; the hub of life if you will. Divine sacred light of creation and of Universal Soul emanates from this place that is not a place.

The Otherworld , The realm of the Fae/Fairy, The Land of the Sidhe, gods, goddesses and ancestors. The Otherworld infuses the Material World at all times with its power and influence. It can be seductive and dangerous. This is the resting place of all god archetypes, demons, fairies, familiars, spirit guides, ghosts and mythic places/heroes or those people/things/places that have since passed from the human world. This world is represented as the spokes on the wheel of creation as it lies between the Land of the Living and the Human World. It is also our interface with the Land of the Living while we are in Human form as this world must be crossed in order to access the Land of the Living.

The Material World : The manifestation of Life for us at this time. This is the here and now. What we know consciously as our world. The embodiment of the Life of the Universe in Nature on this planet. Our Souls are accompanied by a body in this world, and the physical senses of the body determine its perceptions. It is possible to journey to the Otherworld or the Land of the Living from here, or be visited by beings from there. Druids can learn or remember awareness of the eternal Soul and thereby gain some understanding of the Otherworld and immortal existence in the Land of the Living while incarnate, but full memory usually does not return until death. However, if we learn to listen to ourselves we can usually hear the whispering of our higher self (soul) whispering and hinting to us from the full wisdom of our soul gained from our many incarnations in creation.

 

Pillars of Druidry

Reincarnation: The Soul (anam) comes and goes in an eternal cycle of lives. Between lives in this world, the Soul dwells in the Land of the Living. The Soul may incarnate in any form, animate or inanimate.

Spirit in All Things: The whole universe is alive with immanent presence. Water, rocks, fires, hills and rivers, even thoughts, shouts, waves and the wind are alive with soul or spirit presence. The spirits of place and especially the Goddesses of Sovereignty represent this power in the land. The Druids revered the landscape, worshipped within it, and let nature be their guide and teacher. Their task was to nourish the Soul of Life with the life of their own soul.

Reverence for Ancestors: The awareness or wisdom that each soul brings into existence is both individual and collective. The life of the individual, the life of the village, and the life of the land, are the same. The lineage and tradition into which the Soul incarnates shapes consciousness. The Druids honored the ancestors and the tradition, usually expressed as honor for the tribe and its symbols. The community of the tribe is made up of the dead as well as the living. As we are our ancestors (multiple lifetimes concept) we also pay tribute to ourselves and our brothers and sisters as we honor those in the ancestors.

Multiple Worlds: In addition to this world, there are two others: the Land of the Living and the Realm of the Sidhe. These worlds co-exist and interpenetrate each other. It is possible to journey between the worlds, but to do this in human form is dangerous. Time in the other worlds is non-linear, and glamour and the subjective limitations of the physical senses may seriously affect the traveller's experience. An image for these many worlds is that of a wheel. We live on the rim of the wheel and experience time on the journey around its perimeter. The spokes of the wheel are the many other worlds (Irish myth mentions thirty-three), and the Soul passes through these to get to the hub. The hub is the Land of the Living, where the experience of the Soul is not constrained by birth, death or time. The hub of course, also contains the perimeter, so the wheel imagery turns out upon itself.

The text on this page is developed from Druid Magic, by Maya Magee Sutton and Nicholas R. Mann, Llewllyn 2000. It is copyright and presented here for educational purposes only.

Elements aka Realms

Most neo-pagan traditions recognize the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Prismatic Druidry, however sees elements as slightly different. Elements are those things that occur around us naturally every day in common nature. Fire is not an every-day occurrence in nature; it represents destruction and creation, beginning and end and life itself and is therefore not an element. Fire is the spirit of life itself, also known as Awen. The elements that are recognized are Earth, Sea (water) and Sky (air). Each element has a spirit associated with it, which is personified as a dragon in OPD.

Cardinal Directions

Prismatic Druidry recognizes 7 cardinal directions where most other schools of neo-pagans recognize 4 as North, South, East & West. The additional three directions recognized incorporate the fact that we live in a 3-dimensional world and thus Up, Down and Center are also added to the standard NSEW orientations. Center is also synonymous with the inner self or the spirit world.

Other Spiritual Beings

We recognize that the creatures existing in the Realms are many and varied. Many creatures that exist in mythology, now or always only exist in the Otherworld. Other such creatures may cross between this world and the Otherworld. Examples of these might be Fairies, Dragons, Trolls, Demons, Angels, etc.

 

Terminology

Awen - Spirit of life & Inspiration. Associated with Fire.

Cardinal Directions - North, South, East, West, Up, Down and Center

God - The general term for the OPD concept of divinity or Source not necessarily referring to the Christian meaning of God but no exclusionary of that meaning either. We believe the Christian God and all other gods are also encompassed with the term God.

Non-discriminatory Reason - A reason not based on sex, sexual orientation, or age but instead based on aspects like personal qualities, responsibility, maturity, level of awareness, etc.

The Source - another term for the ultimate divinity or source of God. This term may be preferable as it is not as easily confused with the Christian concept of God.

Unseating - See corresponding entry in The Book of the Law

Weaving - A spell or work of magick. Also known as Spell or Ritualized Prayer.

 

FAQ about OPD:

How can I become a part of the Order?

Only individuals who can regularly commute to the Southeast corner of Houston, Tx. to attend meetings and classes in-person may be considered for dedicants into the order. There is no online or distance learning program for OPD as of yet. You must also meet the age requirements of OPD or have permission from your legal parent or guardian to participate. More information on this is available in the documents linked to the bottom of this page.

OPD is still in the process of forming. If you are interested in participating and you have read through all of the information available on this site please email Merddy for more information.

Is OPD an authentic path of druidry?

As with many things, that depends on how you define the terms involved. Obviously we're serious about our path but we are NOT claiming to be reconstructing the druidry of the ancient Celts. We are a breed apart, sharing much of the same philosophy but an entirely different denomination from the original Celtic druids. Some may argue that druidry is entirely a Celtic phenomenon and we respect that. We don't, however, agree. We believe druidry is fundamentally about seeking truth, revering nature, living a spiritual life, gaining knowledge and helping our fellow man/woman along their spiritual path as well as gaining illumination for ourselves.

We also don't believe in strictly adhering to the "authentic" tenants of what we know of druidic law/ideals. We believe that druidry was a living and ever-changing tradition and had it fully-survived in the mainstream of society of today's times it would have changed and evolved with society in order to continue to offer guidance in a new day and age. Blindly holding on to the traditions of the past without incorporating new elements of society would slowly choke the faith and traditions unltil they lost meaning with the people and thus potency. We believe in a MODERN and ever-changing tradition that can fully service the needs of people today while keeping to the same guiding principles of the original Celtic druids.

To directly answer the question, No, we are not trying to recreate ancient druidry verbatim but Yes, we do consider ourselves a very valid spiritual path in the fellowship of druidry.

Do you follow the Old Gods?

Yes and no, we believe in the validity of gods from just about all traditions but we believe these are all reflections of the one Source and the living spirit of that Source, Awen (or Imbas in the Irish tradition). Most of our rituals revolve around this Source rather than specific deities.

However, there are times and situations where specific deities may be more appropriate to use in ritual than Source. We welcome all who follow different deities so long as they understand that all gods are separate but connected incarnations of Source.

Fundamentally we believe that all deities are actually extensions of Source. It may be easier to visualize Source as wearing the mask of each of the deities as they are called for. This concept is also known as the One God of a Thousand Faces. At times we also refer to Source with the generic term of God but not to be confused with the Christian term God. We believe the Christian God is yet another mask worn by Source.

For more information on this concept you might explore the comparative mythology work of Joseph Campbell.

Since I follow a specific deity such as Selene, Thor, Hern, Cernnunos, Christian God, Shiva, The Morrigan, etc. would I be welcome in OPD?

Absolutely, that's the entire point. We believe all individual gods are actually reflections of the one true source so we're all fundamentally following the same light. So long as you agree with the general beliefs & rules of OPD and respect everyone else's right to their specific deities you will be welcome.

How do I become a member of OPD?

Please see the Book of Elevations and other information in the links under Working Documents at the bottom of this page. Membership takes time, a tremendous amount of study and you have to fit well into the dynamic of the group personally in order to be voted in.

If I'm part of OPD can I also belong to other groups?

So long as the groups you are associated with are not in conflict with the spirit of OPD you are more than welcome to pursue other spiritual paths as well. .

I'm a member of some rank in another path. Can I transfer that rank to OPD?

If you demonstrate adequate knowledge of a given rank in OPD you may be granted an honorary title if you can prove your rank in another organization similar to OPD. However, honorary members are not voting members and may not mentor new members until they meet the requirements of their official rank. An honorary title is simply meant to convey a measure of respect but is not a substitute for actual study in our path.

If you find this offensive or are overly-concerned with rank or the power you think rank implies you probably are not a good fit for OPD anyway.

Is OPD some type of secret society?

Not exactly. We do maintain a level of confidentiality about our membership though this is not guaranteed. Upon reaching Elder status your name will be recorded on the official church roster which will be held confidential unless an individual wishes to confirm your status in OPD and has valid reason to need to know or has the permission of the member in question to know their rank. This is intended to protect our members from harassment from individuals who may not agree with our beliefs.

 

Working Documents for OPD

• Introduction
• Book of Beliefs
• Book of Elevations
• Book of Fire - Restricted to Elders and above
• Book of Law
• Book of Learning - a work in progress
• Book of Liturgy - Restricted to Dedicants and above
• Book of Words

• Druidry 101 Class Handout
• Articles of Incorporation
• Bilaws

Meeting Minutes:

• Grove_minutes_Nov_19_03.doc

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