Druidic beliefs are some of the most fascinating of any ancient or modern religion, and it’s no wonder that they have resonated so powerfully with people around the world.
Druidism is largely free of dogmas and fixed, rigid practices and beliefs, instead taking a more spiritual path in order to change global problems like sectarianism, intolerance and judgement.
Druids do not follow any bibles or sacred texts, so there is no universally approved focuses among those who practice this way of life.
Instead, the druids adhere to a number of ideas and moral notions that are widely agreed upon, and it is these that still define the nature of this ancient belief system today. Here are the 5 core tenets of Druidism, along with basic guidelines on how to incorporate them into your own life.
1: Nature is Spirit and Spirit is Nature
Druidry is a spiritual path more than a religious one, and most druids believe firmly that life has a fundamentally spiritual nature.
Some choose to try to define this nature, choosing to be polytheistic, pantheistic, animistic or monotheistic. Others avoid the notion of any one deity, and instead believe that we cannot ever really fully know the nature of life.
Monotheistic druids believe in a single god or goddess, or a being named ‘Spirit’. Others prefer to believe in both a god and goddess, many gods and goddesses, or a general esoteric spirit that permeates all things, as is the case with animists.
Either way, nature is an essential focus of the druidic way of life, and these people believe that nature is divine, sacred, and central to life. You can worship nature through gardening, spending time therein, joining permaculture and reforestation projects, or any other way you prefer – even playing nature-themed online slots Australia.
2: The ‘Otherworld’
Druids tend to love and appreciate nature, but they believe at the same time that the world we are in is not the only one in existence.
The Otherworld is a core belief of these spiritual people, and describes a realm that exists beyond our physical senses. It is here that the druids believe we go when we die, but some also think it possible to visit it during meditation, hypnosis and dreams.
3: Death and Rebirth
Many druids believe that our souls undergo processes of continuous reincarnation, either in human form or a number of other forms like trees and animals too. Some think that to be born into this world, we have to die in the Otherworld, and vice versa. Druidic funerals focus on the concept of the soul experiencing a time of birth, even though those in this world are experiencing it as death.
Incorporating this belief into your own life may take research and deep contemplation, but truly understanding such deep philosophy brings great peace of mind to many druids.
4: The 3 Goals
Most people practising Druidism have 3 main goals present in all that they do. Namely, these are:
- Wisdom. In this belief system, wisdom is imparted through two old teaching stories; the tale of Fion MacCumhaill and the story of Taliesin of Wales. They both offer instructions to achieve wisdom itself, which is why they are so widely used.
- Creativity. Bards have been seen as participants in Druidry for aeons, with many believing that they shared their wisdom through stories and songs. Druids encourage others to completely participate in life on this earth and express their creativity as much as possible. You can achieve this through painting and art, music, any form of creation, writing, or any other way you please.
- Love. Druids aim to foster love as much as possible through loving the land, the earth, the wilderness and peace.
5: The Web of Life
Druids believe every person, being and experience in this world to be interconnected by the Web of Life.
In this view, all of nature is sacred and interconnected, and everything should be treated with love and care so as to continue to spread those ideals throughout all facets of life.