World Druidry

Mythic images of moonlit oak forests, and sickle-wielding, white-robed sages abound, but is there really such a thing as a modern-day Druid? If so, what do modern-day Druids believe? What are their religious and spiritual practices? How do they connect with Nature and build honorable relationships with the natural world? How do Druidic beliefs and practices vary across Druid groups, countries, cultures, and regional landscapes? What, if anything, do the Druids of the world have in common?



Easy to read, and richly illustrated with hundreds of direct quotations from 725 practicing Druids, in 34 countries, and 147 Druid groups around the globe, World Druidry presents the findings of the World Druidry Survey of 2018-2020, the first rigorous, sociological study of contemporary Druidry as an international religious tradition.



In an era plagued by climate-anxiety and eco-despair, reading true stories of practicing Druids — who are working to cultivate honorable, reciprocal relationships with Nature — was a truly uplifting experience for me as a researcher. I hope you will find their stories inspirational, as well.



What does it really mean to be a Druid in modern times?


Read, and discover.



PRAISE FOR THE BOOK:



”If anybody wants to know what modern Druidry is like, across the world at the present day, then this is the book which provides the answer. It is researched to rigorous standards of academic scholarship, while also allowing Druids to speak in their own many voices, unmediated. No other work brings out so clearly what they have in common, and what distinguishes them between groups and nations. It is an excellent achievement."


— Ronald Hutton

Professor of Divinity, Gresham College, U.K.

Professor of History, University of Bristol

Author of "Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain"





"World Druidry offers a fascinating and unrivalled survey of contemporary Druidry internationally. It is enlightening about attitudes and activities, clarifies dynamic frictions between individuality and community, and traces generational changes. Among many virtues, its inclusion of the many voices of diverse Druids will make this an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners alike."


— Graham Harvey

Professor of Religious Studies, The Open University, UK

Author of "Animism: Respecting the Living World"





"Whatever the future holds for humankind, it will be the same future for all in Nature. This book explains how ordinary people with new perspectives are both caring for and working with Nature and all its denizens as we live our lives and face that future together. When you read this book, you will find not just a new way of thinking, living and believing but also true hope, for us and for all in the Natural World. I cannot recommend this outstanding book too highly."


— Malcolm Brown, Isle of Wight