Esoteric Wisdom Phone 310.427.1700
druidism
DRUIDS COULD BLEND INTO THE BACKGROUND
Druids have a variety of beliefs, but generally revere the divine nature of the world. Some Druids are polytheistic, believing in multiple gods and goddesses, while others believe that a deity is present in all things.
DRUID? ...think Merlin
Was Merlin the magician a druid?
While some modern authors write about Merlin positively through an explicitly Christian world-view, some New Age movements instead see Merlin as a druid who accesses all the mysteries of the world.
PRE-RELIGION | PRE-SPIRITUALITY | PRE-PAGAN
The Druids were a priestly order in ancient Celtic society who were influential in Wales and are still felt today
History
The Druids were a polytheistic religion that worshipped the natural world and considered trees sacred, especially the oak. They were also associated with bards, singers, poets, and diviners. The earliest mention of Druids comes from the 1st century BC.
Anglesey
The island of Anglesey in north Wales is known as the ancient stronghold of the Druids. The island is home to many ancient sites, including Bryn Celli Ddu, a Neolithic site with carvings that evoke the cycle of birth and death.
Roman invasion
The Roman writer Cornelius Tacitus documented that the Druids were on the front lines of the defenders against the Romans when they attacked Anglesey. The Romans eventually occupied Anglesey and put the Druids to death.
Influence
The Druids' influence is still felt in Wales today, including in the Anglesey Druids Way, a pilgrimage route with many pre-Christian holy places.
Neo-Druidism
The Celtic revival in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the founding of fraternal and neopagan groups based on ideas about the ancient Druids.
Welsh Faerie Witchcraft, or Dynion Mwyn, holds beliefs in reincarnation similar to the Druids of Caesar's time. These beliefs include:
• Nature operates in cycles
• Life shows patterns of existence, or souls
• Souls do not cease to exist at the death of the physical body
One Welsh tale, the story of Ceridwen and Gwion, involves reincarnation. In the story, Ceridwen is a goddess or enchantress who chases Gwion after he gains wisdom and knowledge that was intended for her son. Gwion uses a potion to transform himself into different animals, but Ceridwen is able to transform into the same animal each time. Eventually, Gwion turns into a grain of corn, and Ceridwen turns into a hen and eats him. However, because of the potion, Gwion is not destroyed. Ceridwen becomes pregnant with Gwion's child, but throws him into the ocean instead of killing him. The child is rescued by a prince and grows up to become the legendary bard Taliesin.
WELSH DYNION MWYN RELIGION
The Dynion Mwyn (Welsh: Y Dynion Mwyn, meaning 'The Fair Men') tradition is said by its adherents to be derived from Welsh and Pictish religious sources as well as Druidic and witchcraft magical practices.
Dynion Mwyn documents claim its priesthood evolved from Welsh Druidism, Pictish witchcraft and Etruscan culture, including in its ancestry Druids, Bards, Ovates, "Faerie Doctors", "Cunning Men", "Men in Black", and "Wise Women".