The solitary druid : walking the path of wisdom and spirit

Ellison lays out the basics of Celtic Paganism in a scholarly yet accessible way. He supports each of his assertions about Druidic beliefs and practices with citations from ancient sources and from archeology, and lays it all out in an outline that allows students to get started immediately with a Druidic spirituality. Far from being duotheistic, the book gives advice for constructing your Druidic pantheon of worship based on the realities of the local land, and the spirits proper to each individual worshipper. From there, he presents a full system of Druidic ritual, as used in Ar nDraiocht Fein - about as far from a Wiccan form as one could get. It involves offering to the Gods & Spirits, divining their blessing, and then receiving that blessing. Ellison gives solitary rituals for each of the Celtic holy days (and for the solstices and equinoxes), as well as ideas for Druidic funderal and wedding rites. There is a section on spells and practical magic as well, and the book ends with a listing of every Druidic group and order of any size at all. This is a valuable resource - one of the very first books on Druidry drawn from a non-wiccan, scholarly perspective, adapted to practical use. Highly recommended. S. parker "Ian Corrigan" Written by the Archdruid of the nation's largest Druid organization. The Solitary Druid is the first book written for those new to the Druidic path. Focusing on the core teachings of contemporary Druidry, this essential guide will illuminate readers on such crucial topics as: The Druid world today and Druid history-from cosmology to sex, The relevance of nature spirituality and contemporary Druidic tradition, How to gain self-empowerment through Druidry, Seasonal holiday rituals, Life passage ceremonies, Incantations to ancient gods and ancestors, Celtic magic, from spell casting to shape-shifting and from rune divination, to weather magic, And much, much more.Covering the full range of issues relevant to the modern-day Druid, this carefully researched and thoughtful handbook provides practical information-such as how to contact Druid groups throughout the U.S. as well as around the world. It also discusses philosophical issues, including modern equivalents of ancient Druid life, grove organization, and polyamory.