The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth [Paperback]

John Michael Greer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006

A living tradition of nature spirituality rooted in Celtic antiquity and revived to meet the challenges of contemporary life, Druidry offers people a path of harmony through reconnection with the green Earth. The Druidry Handbook is the first hands-on manual of traditional British Druid practice that explores the Sun Path of seasonal celebration, the Moon Path of meditation, and the Earth Path of living in harmony with nature as tools for crafting an earth-honoring life here and now. From ritual and meditation to nature awareness and ecological action, John Michael Greer opens the door to a spirituality rooted in the living Earth. Featuring a mix of philosophy, rituals, spiritual practice, and lifestyle issues, The Druidry Handbook is one-stop shopping for those seriously interested in practicing a traditional form of Druidry. It offers equal value to eclectics and solitary practitioners eager to incorporate more earth-spirituality into their own belief system; it also appeals to the merely curious.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Michael Greer has been a student of the occult traditions and nature spirituality for more than 25 years. He began following the Druid path in 1993 with initiation in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD). In 2003, he received OBOD's Mount Haemus Award for Druid scholarship and later the same year was elected Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). Greer is the author of numerous articles and ten books, including Paths of Wisdom, Circles of Power, Inside a Magical Lodge, Natural Magic, Monsters, and The New Encyclopedia of the Occult. He recently co-authored Learning Ritual Magic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578633540
• ISBN-13: 978-1578633548
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Druidism
  • #9 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Celtic

More About the Author

Born in the gritty Navy town of Bremerton, Washington and raised in the south Seattle suburbs, I began writing about as soon as I could hold a pencil. SF editor George Scithers' dictum that all would-be writers have a million words of so of bad prose in them, and have to write it out, pretty much sums up the couple of decades between my first serious attempt to write a book and my first published book, "Paths of Wisdom", which appeared in 1996. These days I live in Cumberland, Maryland with my spouse Sara; serve as presiding officer -- Grand Archdruid is the official title -- of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), a Druid order founded in 1912; and write in half a dozen nonfiction fields, nearly all of them focused on the revival of forgotten ideas, insights, and traditions of practice from the rubbish heap of history.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful for anyone considering the Druid Path, April 2, 2006

By 

Tammy McArdle (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (Paperback)

As someone who is extremely intriqued by the Druids and considering the Path for myself, this book has been immensely helpful. It's straight-forward, informative, and sometimes even humorous. John Michael Greer explains everything very clearly. Other books on Druidry have put me to sleep, but this one I pick up in the middle of the night because my mind keeps going back to it and I have to keep reading. I just finished it tonight, and I'm already looking forward to reading it all over again.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Honest Manual for Druidry, June 14, 2006

By 

Lance M. Foster "Solvitur ambulando" (Helena, Montana, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (Paperback)

As noted by Mr. Greer, there is little we can know for certain about the original Druids of the Celtic world, outside of the anecdotes preserved about them by their Roman adversaries. However, as many continue to seek links with the past and with nature across time and space, the romance of what people imagine about the Druids continues to inspire and resonate with many seeking a spiritual path based on nature and the ancient past. Thus, the birth of modern Druidry.

Mr. Greer's book is divided into three parts, (1) "The Druid Tradition in the Modern World" (the Druid Revival which began in the 1700s and its various descendants), (2) "The Three Triads of Druid Philosophy" (which includes such subjects as the three rays of light, circles of manifestation, the elements of nature (three in druid tradition, as opposed to the 4 or 5 of alchemical or neopagan traditions), solar and telluric currents. stations of the year, ogham, and the place of Taliesin, Arthur and Merlin in Druidry, and (3) "Initiation into the Druid Tradition", which includes three paths of practice which connects one to nature (both contemplation and action), to ritual and the annual cycle, and to one's self through various practices of meditation.

This book also serves as a manual for the first stage of the study of Druidry according to the approach of the AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America), which Mr. Greer heads as Grand Archdruid (http:www.aoda.org). Mr. Greer is to be commended on an honest, pragmatic and very readable approach to an earth-oriented spirituality to which many find themselves drawn.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid reference for anyone seeking to practice or simply learn about this ancient spiritual tradition, March 4, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth (Paperback)

Written by a student of occult traditions and nature spirituality of 25 years' experience, The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted In The Living Earth is a straightforward manual of traditional British Druid practice. Chapters discuss druid traditions in the contemporary world, the three triads of druid philosophy, and the different paths of initiation into druid followings: the earth path, the sun path, and the moon path. From a practical outline to planting trees, to lists of druidic symbols with their pronunciations and definitions, to step-by-step instructions in druidic ceremonies, The Druidry Handbook is a solid reference for anyone seeking to practice or simply learn about this ancient spiritual tradition.