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FAQs
Frequently Ask Questions
Q: What is a druid?
A: Druids were the priests of the Celtics in Western Europe
before conversion to Christianity. Anthropologists would call them
shamans because some were also healers, fortune-tellers, or conjurers.
Merlin in the King Arthur legends, Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, and
Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars were all druid-like characters.
Q: What is druidism?
A: Druidism is the pagan religion of the Celts. It is
the only religion named for its priests.
Q: What does a druid do?
A: Julius Caesar wrote "Druids ... are concerned with divine
worship, the due performance of sacrifices, public and private, and the
interpretation of ritual questions... In fact, it is they who decide
in most all disputes, public and private; and if any crime has been
committed, or murder done, or there has been any dispute about succession
or boundaries, they also decide it...
"The Druids usually hold aloof from war, and do not pay
war taxes with the rest; they are excused from military services and
exempt from all liabilities.(1)"
Contemporary druids, however, are limited by law,
or at least discretion.
Q: In what do druids believe?
A: Druids have a triple vow to Truth, Peace, and Secrets.
Everything in Nature is recognized as a manifestation of the Divine. A druids duties traditionally were directed to the welfare, success, and
harmony of his or her king or queen, tribe or clan. Druidism was
more pragmatic than dogmatic. There was a deep reverence for
nature, tradition, and the Sídhe,
the Faery Folk. There was ancestor worship too; they
believed in an after-life. They cared for nature and folks in the
present by constancy to the lore and rituals of the past.
Q: Do druids believe in God?
A: The American philosopher Albert Pike wrote that "the people
were polytheists, but their priests were monotheists.(2)"
Nobody can speak for all druids, but the ones we have known all believe in
the ultimate 'one-ness' of Nature, that is at least monotheism at
some level. So the answer is mostly 'yes.' In this view the
faeries of the Irish, and the gods, goddesses, and other creatures of any pagan
mythology, may be seen as just aspects of God; as are people, plants, and
all living things; as are the Earth, Sea, and Sky but glimpses of God.
Q: Who are the gods and goddesses of druidism?
A: The Irish poet William Butler Yeats wrote "'Fallen angels who
were not good enough to be saved, nor bad enough to be lost,' say the
peasantry. 'The gods of the earth,' says the Book of Armagh.
'The gods of pagan Ireland,' say the Irish antiquarians, 'the Tuatha De
Danān, who, when no longer
worshipped and fed with offerings, dwindled away in the popular
imagination, and now are only a few spans high.'"(3)
The Faery Cavalcade of the ancient Celts was as rich, varied,
and flexible as those of the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. Some
characters are pan-Celtic, such as Belenos, a sun god. Some had a
distinctive character in Irish Gaelic mythology, such as The Morrígan, the
dark, foreboding, and menacing triple goddess. And still others are
unique to Irish Gaelic mythology, such as Ériu, the triumvirate goddess
for whom Éire is named. The many talented god Lugh is the patron god
of druids. Together they are Aes Sídhe, the Faery Folk.
They are the Good Neighbors, the Fairy Cavalcade, and the Mound People.
For more see our lexicon page.
Q: Is there a druid "bible"?
A: No! Well before Christianization came to Ireland, druids
and others were literate in Latin, Greek, and writing of Viking and Irish
invention, and they were liberally educated in the ways of the world.
Then, as even today, insular and isolated Ireland was not just
surprisingly cosmopolitan, but even a bastion of intellectual resources.
However, the enchanting, poetic, mythic cycles were passed on only
as an oral tradition. The druids, by their vow to secrets, passed on
their knowledge of the seven liberal arts and sciences only mouth
to ear, as is common in bands bound by secret knowledge even now.
The druids' knowledge comes from Librum Naturæ,
Leabhar
de Chineál, or The Book of Nature, whose pages
are open everywhere, for all to read who can and would and will.
Much ancient knowledge was lost during the druid holocaust that came with
Christianity, when Saint Patrick 'drove the snakes out of Ireland.'
Ironically, it is surviving manuscripts of Christian scribes from the
Middle Ages that serves as a repository of much that was nearly lost.
See Primary Sources on our
Otherworld page.
Q: Are the Celtic gods real? Is Irish
Gaelic mythology true?
A: They are real in their moving, inspiring and entertaining cyclic
tales. These are true in a literary, but not a literal sense,
although the Historical Cycle is mythicized accounts of real people. The reality of Aes Sídhe and the truth of their tales
lies in the unity of cultural values they bring to folks across the
generations. For example, the story of the boy hero Cú Chulainn
lashing himself to a pillar that he might die facing the enemy is not
about another teenage life wasted in war, but about heroic constancy to
duty. A non-literal belief in our myths and mythic characters is
fine. The mythologist Joseph Campbell compared those who insist on
reading myths as literal history, instead of cultural, to someone who goes
into a restaurant and eats the menu, mistaking the printed description for
the entrée.(4)
Q: What about pagan orgies?
A: Sexual mores were different in pagan Ireland. Before
Christianity, sex was a good thing.
The Dagda, Éire's Good God and
All-Father, had a dong so long it dragged on the ground, and his trysts,
promiscuities, and dalliances were the stuff of stiff humor, long, hard
laughter and ribald comedy. Even the great Stone of Destiny, the
Lia Fáil, is a giant
phallus. Druids and druidesses have generally been people of their
Times, and openly accomplished in all their undertakings. Sexually,
they are the inverse of nominally celibate Catholic priests and nuns.
AR*ID sect rituals are always social events.
We absolutely insist on having a good time. We believe in sexual
equality, mutual consent, and staying out of trouble with the law.
Q: Do druids practice white magic or black magic?
A: The druids of myth did magical things that were sometimes good,
sometimes evil, and sometimes just magic. Although there is no
such thing as literal magic, the wonder, awe, and majesty of existence,
nature, and life are indeed magical and that is precisely the 'magic' the
learned druids brought and bring to their kith, kin, and kings. Druids, whether
mythic or real, ancient or contemporary, powerful or humble, are human
all. We would like to think that the 'magic' they did, by illusion
or by understanding of Nature, was all 'white,' but some have certainly been
drawn to the dark side, and even the best of people sometimes do bad
things.
Q: Is the American Reformed* Irish Druids sect
Wicca?
A: No. Wicca is a modern neo-pagan practice that includes
references to some ancient Celto-Germanic mythic characters and symbols.
They usually believe magic is real.
Q: How is the AR*ID sect different from
other druid-inspired groups?
A: The AR*ID sect celebrates the ancient ways, beliefs, and
poetry of Ireland. We are doing our bit to keep the beauty, charm
and spirit of Éire's Past from fading,
corrupting, or being lost in the bog of Time. Since the Celtic
Revival was brought to life by Yeats, Lady Gregory, T. Crofton Croker, and
others, interest in the old ways has sprouted, like Spring grass, in many
places. There are fraternal lodges, religious orders, and
philosophical groups. Links to some can be found on our
Otherworld page. For all who seek or
have a shared passion, we have profound admiration, we have respect, and
we have good old pagan
love.
Our stated goal is to retain, restore, and
reinvigorate the ancient knowledge, customs, and practices of Ireland,
with the singular exception of our 1 reform*.
Q: Are AR*ID rituals secret or open?
A: In ancient times many druid rituals were secret.
Unfortunately there is very little surviving information on how any of
them, open or secret, public or private, were conducted. Instead of
practicing made-up, make-believe, or facsimile rituals the AR*ID sect
simply acknowledges the purpose of the ritual, and moves on to the social
aspect. In other words, our rituals are mostly great big parties.
They are open to members, their guests, and other interested folks.
Q: Are AR*ID rituals
authentic?
A: History and archaeology provide scant information on what the
Druids of the Bronze and Iron Age did and believed, and some of that is
problematic. Most contemporary Druidic groups have made-up rituals
and practices bases on what little there is in the corpus of firmly
established knowledge, embellished by what is fancied, romanticized or
hallucinated.
A core belief of both ancient and contemporary Druids is in
reincarnation. If you are going to believe in Faeries then you might
as well believe that our rituals come from reincarnated memories. Of
course all rituals change with the times, but the AR*ID
sects maintains that our fancied, romanticized or hallucinated
embellishments are a gift from the Faery Folk.
Q: Who can join?
A: There are no admissions requirements, fees, or tests of
faith, for those of lawful drinking age (or who have a good, fake ID) and
who are Irish or Honorary Irish. In the Iron Age folks were born
into the religion of their tribe, kin, or clan and that was that.
Like the Jews, we are still stuck with that Iron Age notion. Having
some Irish blood in your family Tree is surprisingly common. The
Irish are a very, very randy race.
For those who would like to be Honorary Irish we have a
simple, 3-fold test: 1) Have you ever had too much to drink,
and regretted it later? 2) Have you ever been in a fight, and
regretted it later? 3) Do you cry when you hear the song
'Danny Boy'? If your answer was 'yes' to any of the three, then you
are Honorary Irish.
To join click here.
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