Celtic Druidry - by Ellen Evert Hopman (Paperback)

About the Book

"A handbook for becoming a modern Druid"--

Book Synopsis

A handbook for becoming a modern Druid

- Explains how to make and use the essential tools of a Celtic Druid and how to create Druid rituals for seasonal rites, blessings, and other sacred observances

- Details Druidic magical techniques and divination practices, as well as plant spells for performing magic with herbs

- Explores the Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic pantheon, Druidic cosmology, and the Druidic festivals that occur throughout the year

In this authentic handbook for the Celtic Druid path, Ellen Evert Hopman shares lessons, rituals, and magical techniques drawn from the ancient wisdom teachings of the Celts as well as a modern Druid Order created by the leading minds of twentieth-century Celtic Reconstructionism.

Hopman begins by exploring what we know about the original ancient Druids, citing Druid-contemporary sources such as Caesar and Diodorus Siculus as well as transcriptions of Druid oral teachings. She explains the basic tools and clothing of a Celtic Druid, including instructions for making the essential tools of the craft, such as the crane bag and the apple branch, the tool used to open a Druid rite. She explores meditation techniques based on ancient texts and discusses the Goddesses and Gods of the Celtic pantheon, Druidic cosmology, and the Druidic festivals that occur throughout the turning of the year. She shares invocations for connecting with specific deities and elements and also outlines the basics of Druidic liturgy, enabling you to create Druid rituals for seasonal rites.

Hopman shares charms and incantations for abundance, protection, and healing as well as plant spells for performing magic with herbs. She discusses many forms of Druidic divination, including interpreting omens and divining with the ancient Ogham alphabet. Exploring the special connection between humans and Nature, a core component of Druidic practice, the author explains how to bond with Nature and the Sacred Land and the important connection between Druids and trees.

Review Quotes

"It's no secret to anyone who knows me well enough that I've been a practicing Druid for 6 years, having studied multiple systems and styles of Druidry, and incorporating them into my general practices. That said, I found this book to be a refreshing take on the subject, as it's a step away from the more ceremonial takes. . . . The style of Druidry that Hopman presents feels more in touch with the natural world, while also acknowledging the need for ritual and ceremony when appropriate."-- "Modern Merlin, PaganPages.org"

"Celtic Druidry is a unique Druid path through the practices and perspectives of Celtic Reconstructivism. For people who are interested in bridging ancient Celtic traditions with modern Druid practice, Celtic Druidry is a great resource that provides thorough coverage of the ancient Druid lifestyles, deities, festivals, magic, and divination. It also offers the modern Druid an accessible set of practices to apply to their ongoing path."-- "Dana O'Driscoll, Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America"

"Celtic Druidry is compelling and fulfilling in bringing alive the Druid ways of listening to the spirits of nature and the spirits of the Goddesses and Gods to bring healing and health to the Celtic people. Ellen's book beautifully introduces the ways of the Druids for newbies on their beginning journey. The many incantations for meditation, for the spells the Druids call upon in their practices, are a tremendous source for learning the Druid ways."-- "Nicholas E. Brink, Ph.D., author of The Power of Ecstatic Trance, Baldr's Magic and Beowulf&rs"

"Ellen offers us another wonderful book that is both superbly researched and written in a very approachable manner. Her many years of experience shine through in this work, and she also teaches us to never stop learning. Highly recommended! I'm sure it will be on every Druid's bookshelf as one of the classics."-- "Joanna van der Hoeven, author of The Book of Hedge Druidry"

"Modern Druidry (or Druidism) is fraught with mistakes and pitfalls of false information and practices that have little or nothing to do with ancient Druids. This book goes a long way toward addressing some of the modern misconceptions and pointing the reader in the right direction. While it is pan-Celtic, for want of a better term, it draws heavily on Irish native traditions, which have often been ignored in the past. This is a worthwhile and practical introduction for the beginner or for those who have not developed a sound foundation from which to expand."-- "Luke Eastwood, author of The Druid's Primer, A Path Through The Forest and The Druid Garden"

"The trees are singing, animals are speaking, the land is calling--magic is afoot. A wise, skilled, and generous Druidess, a teacher of old ways for a modern world, gifts us with a valuable book of blessings and enchantments to help you remember where you are and why you are here. May the path home open before you."-- "Phyllis Curott, Witch, Wiccan priestess, and author of the Witches' Wisdom Tarot"

"Trying to explain Druidry is a daunting task as there are several explanations and interpretations available. There is also a lot of debate about how 'Druid' should be spelled too. Through this book, Ellen has expertly taken on explaining Druidry through her personal lens of experience and understanding in a very easy to read and very easy follow approach. Much of Ellen's book is anticipating questions and answering them. I like that. By the end--before the end--of reading this book, the reader is bound to become enthusiastic to learn more about Druidism and even become an apprentice through following their own newly enlightened questions. Thank you, Ellen, for making this available."-- "John Willmott, host of Nature Echoes"

About the Author

Ellen Evert Hopman is a master herbalist and lay homeopath, who has been a Druidic initiate since 1984. She is a founding member of the Order of the White Oak and its former co-Chief, the Archdruidess emerita and founder of Tribe of the Oak, a former professor at the Grey School of Wizardry, and a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages. She is the author of Celtic herbals and Druid novels, including A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, Secret Medicine from Your Garden, The Sacred Herbs of Samhain, The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas, and Once Around the Sun. She lives in Massachusetts.