Customer Reviews

Exploring Celtic Druidism (Exploring Series)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Unfortunately, Sirona Knight is yet another author to join the ranks of D.J. Conway, Edain McCoy and Douglas Monroe, in passing off grossly inaccurate fallacies as "Druidry." This text is a serious waste of your money!

It becomes painfully clear, almost instantly, that Ms. Knight's knowledge of *accurate* Celtic history and Druidic traditions is severely lacking. The majority of her claims are completely inaccurate and have absolutely nothing to do with Druidism at all. For example...

She lists what she calls "the five magical druid works," which includes the pentacle, binding, and a "cone of power" that have absolutely NO basis in Druidry or the Celtic tradition. She also implies that the number five is of some sort of significance to the Druids, when it is in fact a component of Wicca, not Druidry.

One should note that the Celts strongly reverenced triads, the number three (as well as it's multiples) being eternally sacred, but you won't find any mention of the triads in Druidism from Ms. Knight.

What's more, the author attempts to pass off Goddess-centered spirituality, pentacles, circle casting, the five Greek elements, and use of athames as core components of Druidic practice, which is grossly inaccurate! While these are Wiccan concepts, they have absolutely nothing to do with Druidism or Celtic spirituality!

Unfortunately, Ms. Knight continually overlooks key elements of Druidic tradition, replacing them with Wiccan concepts. I find this absurd! If readers are looking for information on Druidism, why would they want a book that tries to pass of something else, rather than giving you genuine information? This is what Ms. Knight has done! [Its like asking for an apple and someone giving you a banana, claiming its an apple. Unfortunately, if you've never seen an apple, you might not realize what you're being given is something very different.] Wicca and Druidism may both be Pagan spiritual paths, but they are very, very different!

Judging from some of Ms. Knight's other titles, such as the "Pocket Guide to Crystals and Gemstones" and "Celtic Traditions: Shamans, Fairies, Druids & Wiccan Rituals," I guess the best we can expect from this author is inaccuracy and misinformation that has nothing to do with real Druid traditions.

This material does not present any authentic information on the Druids or Druidic practice, and sadly, it's gross inaccuracy may be seriously misguiding to students wishing to learn what real Druidism is about. I highly recommend any reader serious about Druidism or Celtic traditions not waste his or her time and energy on material that encompass such drastically false claims about Druidism and Celtic tradition. Don't waste your time and money!

If you are interested in Druidism and Celtic studies, you will find the following reputable, intelligent authors have something genuine to offer: Anne Ross, Peter Berresford Ellis, Alwyn & Brinley Rees, Nora Chadwick, Miranda Greene, Stuart Piggot, Alexei Kondratiev.

/|\ Ceud Mìle Beannachdan
(A hundred thousand blessings)

This work, "Exploring Celtic Druidism", is yet another misleading book which attempts to pawn off Wiccan practices as being authentic Celtic religious practice. What little the modern world does know about the ancient Druids verifies that what is laid out in this book is not true. In this work, the author explains many practices commensurate with modern Wicca, such as the casting of circle, the use of pentacles and athames, etc... While magically sound and of value to practitioners of Wicca, it is a grievous fallacy to call these practices "Druidism". Furthermore, the old "Gwyddonic Order", from which most of this information is taken, has been exposed as a group of dabbling, erroneous control[lers](note: the modern Gwyddonic Order, which takes its name and little else from the now defunct order of the same name, practices a hybrid of several magical and religious styles). Anyone seriously interested in pursuing Celtic Druid Reconstructionalism should steer clear of this book and look at other works such as "The Druids" by Peter Berresford Ellis, "The Druids" by Jean Markale or "The Druids" by Stuart Piggott.

When I purchased this book, I was disappointed to see that there wasnt much information on actual Druidism. The book was more based around Wicca.

Just what we DON'T need, another Wiccanized version of Druidry. The druids did NOT celebrate Sabbats and Esbats or cast circles. Athames are a modern invention. If this sort of thing appeals to you, then you are a Wiccan, not a Druid.

Sirona Knight, aka Barbara Swanson, is NOT a Druid. The so called "druid" information in this book has no academic or substantiated background ... and she most certainly has NOT been a Druid nor student of Druidry 'since 16'. She is another "fluffy bunny wanna make money pagan". Her books are full of misinformation, words taken from others' work, and are about as valid as Edain McCoy, Douglas Munroe and DJ Conway's fabricated nonsense.

The 'Gwyddonic Order' ~ a predominently Wiccan tradition with 'some' elements of druidry in it ~ is related to a specific group called The College of the Three Cranes, started in 1974 in Sacramento, CA ~ and from whose Book of Shadows Ms. Knight took the words to use for the majority of her first few books. Virtually all of Greenfire is taken from the Three Cranes Greater and Lesser Books of the Art and Craft ~ yet she gave no credit to that group, effectively claiming the words as all her own doing. She joined The Three Cranes in the late 80's and took their information after she left the group.

If you truly wish to learn about Druidry, buy these authors from Amazon.com: Phillip Carr-Gomm, John & Caitlin Matthews, Emma Restall Orr, Peter Berresford Ellis, Miranda J Green, Barry Cunliffe, Smon James, Tom Cowan, Alywn & Brinley Rees, Phillip Shallcrass, Mara Feeeman, Anne Ross, Carl McColman, Ellen Evert Hopman, Alexei Kondratiev, Jean Markale... *real* authors and scholars of Druidry.

Oddly enough, the majority of this book seemed familiar to me... then I realized it's because it is taken WORD FOR WORD from the sacred texts of Ms. Knight's former order. These texts, while not strictly secret, are not supposed to be given to those not initiated into that order. Unfortunately, Ms. Knight callously broke her vow to the Gwyddon tradition. If you want to waste your time with a book that REALLY should be accompanied by oral instruction, then this is the book for you!!

I have read this, and I will reinstate and agree with all others, this book has not a speck of Druidism in it.
Inaccuracies include the following: pentacle, degree systems, athame, theban? which is Egyptian, then used by Wiccans, Book of Shadows, a term first known to be used by Gardnerians. The idea of a secret name, that no one uses, I find ridiculous. Casting a circle is very not only Wiccan, but Ceremonial magick type. Perfect love and Perfect trust, is a Wiccan phrase. Cone of power , very Wiccan. Sirona Knight also does not state the Futhark as being Norse, or give a reference to their source, the Edda's. In her Bibliography, she cites herself twice, one of which being the Shapeshifter Tarot. Tarot is not druidic in nature.
Another interesting note, the book begins with "The time I first came in contact with the teachings of Celtic Druidism at the age of 16, it felt like I'd come home" Really? What else have you experienced at age 16? What else have you done and where else have you been at this time? She also mentions astraling during mass. So before you were 16, you could astral? Quite gifted I'd say. Not saying that "astraling"(her term) could not / isn't / wasn't done by druids, but certainly not a druidic term, and not a staple of practice. Wicca is a fine practice, and faith, as is druidry but your not doing either a service by commingly the two, or at least acknowledge it. Philip Carr Gomm wrote a book on combining the two, yet he name the book Druid Craft, and acknowledged that was his angle on that book.

Hate to break it to people, but the historical Druids did NOT hold the number 5 in such high regard as Ms. Knight likes to believe. Nor is there any evidence to suggest that the historical Druids used athames or pentacles, or that they cast circles, or any of the rest of the quasi-Wiccish nonsense Ms. Knight tries to present as Druidic tradition. This isn't Druidry. It's what happens when one takes neo-Wiccan fluff and paints over it with Celtic knots.

Thank you Sirona Knight! Finally someone has written an authentic book on the Druid tradition. I was unhappily part of the Gwyddonic Order back in the 80's. When I picked up this book, I was pleased that it covers all the information that the Control Freaks that called themselves my teachers were trying to dish out a few pages at a time. Congratulations Sirona on bringing the light to the dark land! There are complete instructions in this book for doing bindings, pentacles, healing works, cones of power, and talismans. There is a complete initiation too, plus instructions on how to gather and make ritual tools. She covers it all in this intelligent, authentic and timely book! Thank you Sirona for sharing the information so we don't have to deal with the bozos anymore. Forget the group thing and READ THIS BOOK! You will be pleased with the intelligent, useful and authentic information inside of it. It's a must read!

Many druids feel the ancient practices should be kept secret, and somehow they own these teachings that have been passed down for generations. Pagans went underground because of the times, now is the time to bring forth the ancient teachings. In this book, Sirona Knight has gone a long ways towards making that happen. Because of this, "Exploring Celtic Druidism" is a great book, and as a result Ms. Knight has probably angered many of the people who feel the ancient teachings should kept secret, and as such, used to control and manipulate people who seek the teachings. I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to all.