Why Druidry?

Why Druidry is an interesting question.

As readers of this blog will know, I came to paganism through the Wiccan path and got to a point where it didn’t fit any more. Or not totally. I’m not quite sure when I realized that I was more of a Druid than a Witch .. I’m still discovering what it means to me to be a Druid!

I’m also still working on the difference between being a Witch and a Druid, and so far there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of difference in practice, but I’m sure that there are some who will disagree :). The differences seem to be subtle, and I must admit that most of my experience with witches are with Wiccan and Wiccan-derived groups and people, so that also colors my views. Also keep in mind that when I talk of “Druidry”, I’m talking about the modern druidic practices and not the historical druids.

From an interview with Philip Carr-Gomm 25.05.2008 in Sünna

In the past you didn’t need these labels of Druidism or Wicca, it’s just ‘the old ways’, the simple nature way. But there’s a way in which Druidry and Wicca evolved particularly around the middle of the 20th century through the two people who knew each other, Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols, so there’s a way you can see them as two sides of the same coin. You can see them as completely unique and individual and separate, which they can be, and they can be practised in that way, or you can combine them and see them as very compatible systems which can be combined.

You can find the full text of the interview on the OBOD Forums.

One of the reasons that it’s hard to define is that the difference is in the trappings, the protocols, and in the details of the goals. I like the trappings of the modern Druidry practices that the ADF and OBOD use. They’re different for each group, but they seem to have their place and speak to me. One of the main things that I like is the higher focus on the Sun and fire, as well as the inclusion of the hallows … tree, well and fire (in ADF terms). I also really like the focus on study that both groups have. I’ve noticed that it’s important to “cite your sources” and to differentiate between what is based on historical fact or tradition and what is more a more modern creation, or what you created because it works for you. I like having that tie to the past and yet having the flexibility to create new traditions for our modern world.

So now, if you ask me what I am, I’ll say I’m a Druid .. but there’s a chunk of what I do that is also done by other traditions, and I choose to learn from many different people and traditions to create the Craft that is my own.