The Mysteries of Druidry: Celtic Mysticism, Theory, and Practice (a Training Manual for the Modern-Druid)

By Brendan Cathbad Myers

Book Overview

"A clear, accessible, and forthright exploration of Celtic tradition as the foundation of a personal path of mystical transformation that's profoundly relevant to the problems and possibilities of the modern world. This is a book I would be delighted to recommend to my students, to members of my Druid order, and to anyone interested in Celtic spirituality as a living path for today." --John Michael Greer, former Grand Archdruid, Ancient Order of Druids in America and author of The Druidry Handbook

The Druids were the mystics, philosophers, and magicians of the ancient Celtic world. Their spirituality was borne from their near-worship of poetry and music, their warrior prowess, and the world of nature. The Mysteries of Druidry reveals this mystical romanticism as it was in ancient times, and shows various ways to bring it to life today. It includes: A professionally researched survey of Druidic history, tradition, and customs.Detailed descriptions of the mysteries of Celtic spirituality, including the Sacred Truth, the Great Marriage, the Hero's Journey, and the Otherworld.Practical guidance for meditation and ceremony, for individuals and for groups.The Celtic story of the creation of the world, presented together with a plan for re-enacting the story in ritual.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1564148785
• ISBN13: 9781564148780
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: New Page Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.0" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

An inspiring book on Druidry

For those who are interested, curious, or well-versed in Celtic spirituality, Brendan Myers' second book, "The Mysteries of Druidry", will provide food for thought and different perspectives. Beginning with the Call of the Morrigan, Myers challenges the reader to consider how they have chosen to live their lives - are we wielding our power over our own lives? He suggests that life is far simpler and far more complex than many people recognize. It is this sort of philosophical discussion which sets "Mysteries" apart from many other Pagan and natural spirituality books available. Myers does not shy away from asking difficult questions of the reader, and one comes away with the sense that one has grown a bit after reading this book - not only in knowledge, but also in the development of a different perspective about what is involved in Druidry and Celtic spirituality. He leads the reader through the history of Druidry and then weaves it into a modern way of practicing this ancient spirituality. He encourages the reader not to just go through the motions, but to really learn about the world and invest time in the contemplation of it. He provides a unique perspective on ogham, incorporating biological information on the trees into his interpretation of the meanings. This deepens the understanding of their interaction with the natural environment and how that may have influenced their meanings and use in divination. Myers' book provides accessible philosophical discussion and guidance for those who are on the Celtic spiritual path. He proposes ideas that will excite, will engage and will cause the reader to pause and reflect on their life. It is a truly worthwhile book, and I recommend it highly.

One of the few to blend spirituality with intellectual and psychological analysis

Brendan Cathbad Myers, Ph.D.'s THE MYSTERIES OF DRUIDRY adds to literature in the new age Celtic area, and is one of the few to blend spirituality with intellectual and psychological analysis. Celtic history, myth and folklore enter into his discussions of the early Druids, and their role in the ancient world. Of special focus is their mystical romanticism and how it translates into modern-day Druidary: descriptions of meditations, ceremonies, and Celtic spiritual paths are detailed and allow for modern followers.

A beautiful read

This book is a wonder to read, very philosophical in outlook. It's different from other general Druidry books, yet grounded in the basics. It poses many wonderful questions for the reader to think about and to allow them to better define themselves. Overall, it was beautiful to read, and I recommend it for beginners and sages alike.

Well done!

Well, as a Druid myself I have looked at the texts out there on Druidism and been sorely disappointed. At one end of the spectrum are the excellent works by such people as Isaac Bonewits, Philip Carr-Gomm and other such noted Druids. They are packed full of information, dense with it, and as a result of that, they tend to lose the audience since most of they write about is beyond the average reader. At the other end of the spectrum are the popular books on Druidism which are good for use in paper-mache; works like 21 Lessons of Merlin and other such landfill fodder. There has not been a book to successfully bridge the two ends, making a good book that has lots of information which has the potential to become popular because of how that information is presented to the reader. That is, until now. Make no mistake, I have known Cathbad from a list we were on together and I have spent many hours reading his articles on that list and off. He is an extremely knowledgable man and I consider him one of the contemporary masters of Druidism. In this book, he brings his formidible knowledge to those who wish to know what he knows. What emerges in this book is a snapshot of what the Druids could be now, and might have been in the distant past. He uses myth and story to construct possible rituals that the Druids could have performed. He shows how the myths fit together and what principles the Druids and Celts could have lived their lives by. He uses all this and then he admits that he is constructing from what he has been able to assemble in years of study, not that this is the only way or that this is THE way. He is very clear in saying that this is only an extrapolation based on what we do know. But, oh boy, what an extrapolation. I found myself amazed with the contents of this book. Everything I had discovered through my studies with one group and on my own, things that I had thought were unverified personal gnosis (UPG's) and guesses, were upheld and expanded upon. It was really an exciting revelation for me. But I was also able to learn a lot. I have studied the myths of the Druids of Ireland, and I thought I understood them, but Cathbad was able to reinterpret those same myths and give me a different understanding of what was happening and what the story meant. He took me on a mythic tour of the seasons and explained those holidays with a sensitivity one would find only in someone who lived with the Land day in and day out as our ancestors did when they struggled to grow food for themselves. Reading this I began to wonder where his time machine was. The ONLY quibble I have with this book is the text and typesetting itself. The publisher saw fit to break each page into two columns of text, like a newspaper. The problem here is that the size of the book doesn't justify doing this. It's a standard "trade paperback" size, approximately 9 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches. That gives a reading area of about 8 3/4 inches by 5 3/4 inches,

The Mysteries of Druidry by Brendan Cathbad Myers PH.D

Another title of this book may well be The Chalice of Druid Wisdom for such is the achievement of the author that it far surpasses any other book written on the subject of what it is to be a Druid and is well illustrated with drawings and photographs. The research is that of a learned person in truth for it is a well crafted document, that skilfully carries the reader's eye and interest from the very first page to the end. This is a book that I highly recommend to those interested in the practise of Druids in particular for both the apprentice druid to use as a study and for the professed druid to gain further insights of their chosen path. Melvyn Lloyd Ard Draoi of The Owl Grove & Founder of the Hibernian Order Of Druids.