Michael Harner, a world authority on shamanism, speaks of the shamanic way as one which is best defined as a method to open a door and enter a different reality. Much Druid ceremony and meditation has as its goal journeying into other realities, and the word 'Druid' is related to words meaning both 'oak' and 'door' - with the symbol of the door or gateway being central in Druidic teaching.

Druidry is a way of life. It is a religion, but at the same time it is more than just a religion. It is communion with Nature, it is communion with Nature's Spirits. It is a way of life filled with constant learning and spiritual growth. ~INDEX~

There is an extensive literature about shamanism that has been compiled since the late Eighteenth Century. Like any field of study and religious practice, shamanism has developed a specialized vocabulary. Please note that some of the words used in the material that follows are drawn from scholars who have a solid background in shamanic studies and may have meanings that are specific and less general than is often the case in popular usage.

The shamanic arts explore modern applications and benefits (emotional, mental, physical and spiritual) of consciously voyaging into the wilderness of one's mind for the purposes of healing, increasing communication skills and inspiring arts.

The Siberian shamans have 9 levels of heaven. Australian shamans have this world and Dreamtime. African shamans have various shades of reality depending upon the tribe involved. Indo-European have three levels much like their Native American counterparts. These are the three most common levels Upper, Middle, and Lower. These are the levels from which the neo-shaman uses today. These worlds are located on the Tree of Life. Upper World is located in the branches of the Tree of Life.

Druidry was influenced by Freemasonry in the 18th and 19th centuries - a period not noted for its belief in the equality of the sexes - and consequently in those times it tended to be male-dominated. But this no longer applies in modern Druidry as taught by The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids. In ancient times Druids were male and female, and in the Order we use the single term Druid as it has traditionally been used, to denote a person of either gender.

Very much so - and this is discussed in the Bardic course. Members are free to conceive of Deity in their own way.

Why not? Actually, there are a number of good reasons for modern people to consider Druidism. Some see it as a way to reconnect, or "ground" themselves in history, or to improve their relationship with their ancestors (if they are of Celtic descent). Some are attracted by the relationship with the natural world that a Druid cultivates, or by the artistic, creative methods used to build that relationship. There are those who choose Druidism over other forms of neopaganism.

You can read "Shaman, Healer, Sage" by Alberto Villoldo or Read the interview with Alberto Villoldo

The shamanic initiation is two-fold; both in this world and in the next. This phenomenon takes place simultaneously. This initiation is part of the "call" that all traditional shamans receive. This is a very involved process that can, at times, result in death or permanent disabilities if not seen through.

The term "Druidry" was a creation of Ross Nichols, one of the major luminaries in the English Druid community in the mid-twentieth century. He wanted to stress that the Druid path was not an "ism," an ideology or set of beliefs, but a craft, a set of practices and traditions sharing common principles. The English language gives the suffix "-ry" to any number of crafts, such as pottery and forestry; the example of Freemasonry was probably also in Nichols' mind (nobody talks about "Masonism").

To some extent that depends on the Druid you ask; there have been very few attempts to set up a Druid orthodoxy, and none of them got far. Druids have always been an independent-minded (not to say bloody-minded) lot! Broadly speaking, though, the Druidry of the Druid Revival is nature spirituality. Druidry sees divinity expressed primarily in the world of nature, and pursues nature awareness and a life in harmony with nature's cycles.

That's a good question, and how you define "druidy" determines the answer. The terms "druidry" and "druidism" were coined in the 18th century by the forefathers of the modern Meso-druid movement. Our particular tradition, is a form of Gaelic Revivalism. Our Ancestors, like many tribal peoples, probably did not have a name for their spiritual practices- their spiritual practices are inseperable from thier cultural practices- it was just their way of being.

From the Greek 'ekstasis', ecstasy literally means to be placed outside, or to be placed.This is a state of exaltation in which a person stands outside of or transcends his or herself. Ecstasy may range from the seizure of the body by a spirit or the seizure of a person by the divine, from the magical transformation or flight of consciousness to psychiatric remedies of distress.

Yes. I teach a very gentle form of shamanic journey. It can feel as mild as a daydream or a guided meditation. You can end a shamanic journey instantly if you ever need or want to. When journeying with the techniques I teach, you travel to safe and protected places in the shamanic world and meet with guides who will protect and support you in all your journeys. Quite the contrary. I get to see people at this wonderful moment when they've committed themselves to their own healing.

Shamanic healing is an ancient practice of Indigenous peoples all over the world to heal traumas, wounds, and abuses that are held on the spiritual and energetic levels. In many cases spiritual healing can also assist in the healing process of physical conditions. The good news is that we and our pets no longer need to live with the burdens and effects of our often tumultuous and abusive pasts.

Life presents to us many challenges and opportunities for us to learn, grow and transform. Shamanic Spiritual healing can assist us on our paths of transformation by allowing us to explore the spiritual origins of many of our life challenges, some of these might include:

with humans, our four-legged companions experience a wide and complex range of life altering events. Many times, they can also “ take on” or mirror our own issues to help us along in our healing processes. However, in our pets, these situations can often manifest in ways that are undesirable to the overall family harmony – whether with human family members or other animal family members. I have found Shamanic Healing to greatly assist with:

Keeping in mind that the answer is true only for this tradition (i.e. other shamanic traditions may draw the line in other places), a shaman is someone who is seized up by the spirits and forced through a long and tortuous phase of illness that brings them close to physical death, or complete insanity, or both. During this time, the Gods and wights modify their astral body in ways that you'd have to be close to death in order to manage.

An excerpt from 'The Druid Renaissance' edited by Philip Carr-Gomm and published by Thorsons (HarperCollins) July 1996: The two main streams of 'British' Paganism are Wicca and Druidry. Although both traditions draw their inspiration from past ages, much of their contemporary practice has evolved very recently - from the eighteenth century for Druidry, from the 1940s onwards for Wicca.

Very much so - and this is discussed in the Reformed Druidism101 course. Members are free to conceive of Deity in their own way. Generally, the Goddess is referred to as the "Earth Mother," "Gaia." or, more simply, as "Nature." ~INDEX~

Again, that depends on the individual Druid you ask. AODA is a church in the original sense of the word - that is, a community or assembly of people with a common religious focus. Our approach to spirituality is experiential rather than dogmatic, and we don't presume to define divinity for our members; that's up to each individual.

You may be able to apply these studies to your AODA degree work. Our "transfer credit" policy allows equivalent study programs in other Druid organizations to count toward work on the AODA's First and Second Degrees. Please see our "transfer credit" policy for more information. It's traditional but not required for members of the AODA to take a name or title, generally in a Celtic language.

Again, this is not a problem at all. The Druid Revival has always had a strong tradition of tolerance and respect for all spiritual paths. It may be worth mentioning that all four of the Archdruids of AODA's Grand Grove are also involved in other spiritual and esoteric traditions, and the AODA has historically had links with a number of entirely non-Druidic spiritual organizations, including the Universal Gnostic Church and the Modern Order of Essenes.

The ecstatic technique of shamanism does not involve itself in the broad range of ecstasy reported in the history of religion. It is specifically focused on the transpersonal movement of the consciousness of the shaman into higher or lower realms of consciousness and existence. Another aspect of shamanism is that compared to other spiritual traditions, it is a path that the individual walks alone.

To induce a gentle trance state, facilitating the shift in consciousness necessary to the work, drums, bells or rattles are often used to pace a steady, driving beat. As if in a lucid dream, the shaman can move and walk about, can see and hear as well.

To enable us to become a cohesive shamanic village in a short period of time we are establishing a policy of offering and sharing only. We are asking all who gather to honor "no selling" at Oracle 2000. We envision individuals and groups offering their instruction and services to each other without charge, whether this is crafting, soul retrievals, providing morning shots of coffee, or leading an early morning tai chi session.

Our definitions of ourselves and how we view the world are created by external influences, family, religion, culture, ethnic group, etc. Shamanic healing helps the client to step back from the story of their life and identify the patterns that keep them stuck in beliefs and behaviors that no longer work for them. The healing is actually done as a ceremony where the client is released from their attachments to their past.