Hello, Weary traveller, and Welcome To Merlynns Realm Druids Info Page, presently under consuction.
Im hoping that this page will answer any questions you may have. As of yet, there is a lot of things I have to add to this page, such as a little music to listen to while you read, and even some images which are celtic and druidic based to look at, while your taking a break from reading. If you have any questions that this page doesnt answer for you, please feel free to e-mail Me, and I shall try to find an answer for you. please enjoy yourself, and Blessed Be
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First off, let Me tell you who the gods/goddesses are that the Druids believed in:
Airmed: A goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann of Ireland.
Belisama: The Gaulish-Celtic goddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts.
Branwen: The Celtic goddess of love and beauty.
Brigit: Goddess of crafts, poetry, fertility, and healing, daughter of Dadga.
Dadga: The Irish-Celtic god of the earth and treaties, and ruler over life and death. Dagda, or The Dagda, is one of the most prominent gods and the leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Danu: The Irish-Celtic earth goddess.
Fergus: The Celtic-Irish hero and king, one of the warlike lovers of queen Medb.
Grannus: The continental Celtic god of healing, associated with mineral springs.
Mag Mell: A paradise where the deceased live.
Mog Ruith: The Irish-Celtic god of the sun.
Rosmerta: In Gaulish-celtic mythology, Rosmerta was the goddess of fire, warmth, and abundance.
Sheila-Na-Gig: The goddess of fertility in British-Celtic mythology.
Sirona: The Gaulish goddess of astronomy and goddess of the Mosel Valley.
Taranis: The thunder-god of ancient Gaul and master of the sky.
Tuatha Dé Danann: An Irish race of gods that perfected the use of magic and were founded by the goddess Danu. They traveled on a big cloud to the land that later would be called Ireland.
This article below provides you with a little insight on the reverence the Druid feels with nature:
Besides observing that the name 'Druid' is derived from "oak", it was Pliny the Elder, in his Naturalis Historia (XVI, 95), who associates the Druids with mistletoe and oak groves: "The Druids...hold nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and the tree on which it grows provided it is an oak. They choose the oak to form groves, and they do not perform any religious rites without its foliage..." Pliny also describes how the Druids used a "gold pruning hook" or "sickle" to gather the mistletoe.
"Anything growing on those trees [oaks] they regard as sent from heaven and a sign that this tree has been chosen by the gods themselves. Mistletoe is, however, very rarely found, and when found, it is gathered with great ceremony and especially on the sixth day of the moon... They prepare a ritual sacrifice and feast under the tree."
Maybe some of you got scared when the word sacrifice was mentioned in the above article. Now would be a good time to tell you about some common myths and misconceptions surrounded the Druids:
Ritual Killing: Many historians believed that the ancient Druids performed human sacrifices. All of these references can be traced back to the writings of one individual, Julius Caesar. He may well have been prejudiced against the Celts because of their continual warfare with the Romans. In war, the enemy is routinely demonized. Some remains of executions have been found in the archeological record, but it is not obvious whether the victims were killed during religious rituals or to carry out the sentence of a court. There is one reference to human sacrifice in Celtic literature, but it appears to be a Christian forgery. The ancient Celts might have engaged in ritual killing; certainly other contemporary societies did. Druids,however, of course, do not. The belief that the Druids were "evil wizards" is a Christianic flight of fancy devised to scare people out of their own belief's
Stonehenge, Avebury, etc.: Many people believe that the Druids constructed Stonehenge, the complex of standing stones in South Central England. Stonehenge I ("Old Stonehenge"), which was composed of the 56 "Aubrey" holes, was constructed circa 3500 BCE. The current formation was completed circa 1500 BCE. This was almost a millennium before the start of Celtic civilization. The Druids may have preceded the Celts in England. Thus, either the Druids or their fore-runners might have been responsible for the finishing of Stonehenge and other monuments. There is no historical proof that they were or were not involved. Even if they did not actually construct these monuments, they may well have performed rituals there, and understood its astronomical meanings and uses.
In Ireland and Great Britain, there are many ancient "Druid" altars, beds, rings, stones, stone circles and temples. However, radio-carbon analyses assign dates such as 1380 BCE (Wilsford Shaft) to 3330 BCE (Hembury). Again, ancient Druids may have used these megalithic monuments, but did not necessarily build them.
Ireland now has countless wells and springs dedicated to the Christian Saint Bridget. She was obviously descended from the Celtic Goddess Brigid/Brigit. "Finding the cult of Brigit impossible to eradicate, the Catholic church rather unwisely canonized her as a saint, calling her Bridget or Bride." 4 The sacred ownership of the various Pagan holy sites were simply translated from Goddess Brigid to St. Bridget after the area was Christianized.
Celtic God Samhain: This non-existent God is often mentioned at Halloween time. He is supposed to be the Celtic God of the Dead. No such God existed. Samhain is, in reality, the name of a Druidic fire festival. It can be loosely translated as "end of the warm season".
Monotheistic Druids: Some writers have promoted the concept that Druids were basically monotheistic, following a sort of pre-Christian belief system. There is essentially no evidence of this. Druids worshipped a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.
Triskele symbol: This is an ancient Druidic symbol consisting of three curved branches, bent legs or arms radiating from the center of the symbol. The flag of the Isle of Man contains a triskele, like the one shown below and on the previous page:
Walking the Druid path as individuals in modern society, we are faced with one incumbering impediment: How do we devise a way of worship which emulates the feelings already embeded within our hearts? By following our hearts and studying the history of our predecessors we can reconstruct enough to give us a solid basis in which to build our Druidism.
I am a Solitary practicing Druid and have spent more than a decade in persuing the knowledge of the Old World Religion. Celtic Paganism, Lore, and History have always fascinated me. I have found that just like any other religion, Druidism has its variations and mysteries of fable and Lore. It is my belief, however, that Druidism is not a religion, but a way of life.
I have been solitary, mostly due to the inconsistancies of the teachings of the many Druidic organizations, but not due to there lack of credibility or merit. Sometimes these organizations can offer some good ritual advice which is difficult to come by in solitude. As a result of the cultural difference in Celtic religion, which was caused by regional separation and tribal segregation over a great number of years, there are numerous differences of minor note in Celtic Druidism.
Some may not know, but legends tell of Merlin (the man, not the legend)of being a Druid. There is great reference to what I say in a book called "The 21 lessons of Merlin" (look for it in your favorite bookseller) I have listed the Precepts of
Merlin below, the rules upon which He guided His life:
First: Labor diligently to acquire knowledge, for it is power.
Second: When in authority, decide reasonably, for thine authority may cease.
Third: Bear with fortitude the ills of life, remembering that no mortal sorrow is perpetual.
Fourth: Love virtueÑfor it bringeth peace.
Fifth: Abhor viceÑfor it bringeth evil upon all.
Sixth: Obey those in authority in all just things, that virtue may be exalted.
Seventh: Cultivate the social virtues, so shalt thou be beloved by all men.
To Brighid, Patroness of the Druids and Bards
Beloved Brighid of the triple flame,
Daughter of the Dagda,
Guardian of the sacred springs,
Whose voice is the soul of the harp,
We call on Thee.
Teach our hands to heal and our hearts to sing.
We entrust our life's progress to your care
and we ask that you shape us,
bending and turning our hearts on your bright anvil of flame
till we are made perfect jewels
fit to be set in the Eye of your timeless harp
to play for the soul of the people in times of sorrow
and times of celebration.
We thank you for your gifts to us of Poetry and Music
of laughter and tears,
and for the healing balm of your Wisdom.
May we always remember to meditate
on the gift of your sacred waters,
which surround us at our birth
and sail us to our destiny.
Our hearts are open to recieve yuor blessings.
Midwife of our souls, rain on us,
shower your inspirations in curtains of song
from sacred waterfalls in the realm where you dwell.
Come to us as Virgin with the soft smell of flowers.
Come to us as Mother and feed us your fruits.
Come to us as the Wise Woman in the stark blasts of Winter.
Help us to see your mystery in all creation,
that we may know gratitude and reverance.
Our hearts sing to you with love.
Teach us to change like the revolving seasons.
Teach us to grow like the green corn that feeds the people.
Teach us to fashion beauty like the stillness of the forest pool
and the roar of the ocean wave.
Teach us to heal like the soothing gem which cools the eyes and
restores the limbs.
With humility and bright expectation
We invoke Thee this hour!
What's an Ovate 
Ovates are also know as vates. The Vates were the young students who were in the first stage of the Druidic priesthood. Vates were given the symbolic color of earth, Green, which signified the period of youth years. The Vates were to focus mainly on their powers of observation to take notice the effects nature had upon life and matter. Thus the Vate became a student of the natural sciences. Vates were also writers of prose and music. We know from Strabo that vates were the interpreters of sacrifices and natural philosophers. Ovates who followed the Irish pantheon were known to carry out the divinations. We can assume that the Ovates were the ones responsible for the calander of Coligny which is described as a solar/lunar predictor. It would also be safe to assume that they would have been the astrologers as well.
What's a Bard
The Bard is the second stage in the Druidic priesthood. Young Ovates develop into Bards. As we know from tales and folk lore, the Bard was a poet, and musician. Due to the Bards venerating way with music and poetry they were given the color of the sky, Blue, which signified Truth, Purity, and Freedom. Bards were also the historians of their time. Passing down from generation to generation the tales, fables, and history of their people. This was very important, because of the lack of written text. Bards were the piece makers and advocated always advising what is just while maintaining balance of self. Strabo describes them as singers and poets which is synonomous with what we have already conclusively derived.
Ogham, the Druidic language
The Druids and the ancient Irish Celts used this form of writing for centuries. It was used up until about the fifth century CE. It consisted of a vertical line with the appropriate dots and dashes. The alphabet was named after Ogham, the Celtic god of literature, who some believe actually created it. It was used on the edges of burial stones and boundary markers. The surviving examples of ogham are on large standing stones. There are almost 400 known Ogham inscriptions in Ireland, most of which are located in the southwest of the country. The ogham alphabet contains twenty letters and is read from the bottom up.
B= Beth= Birch
L= Luis= Rowan
N= Nionn= Ash
F= Fearn= Alder
S= Saille= Willow
H= Huath= Hawthorn
D= Duir= Oak
T= Tinne= Holly
C= Coll= Hazel
Q= Quert= Apple
M= Muin= Vine
G= Gort= Ivy
Ng= Ngetal= Reed
St= Straiff= Blackthorn
R= Ruis= Elder
A= Ailm= Fir
O= Onn= Gorse
U= Ura= Heather
E= Eadha= Poplar
I= Idho= Yew
A list of the Trees that the Druids respected:
ALDER
This tree was sacred to the Druids. The pith is easily pushed out of green shoots to make whistles. Several shoots bound together by cordage, can be trimmed to the desired length for producing the note you want and used to entice Air elementals. The old superstition of "whistling up the wind" began with this custom.
APPLE (Domestic)
Another sacred tree to the Druids. It is said that you may cut an apple into three pieces, then rub the cut side on warts, saying: "Out warts, into apple." Then bury the pieces and as the apple decays, the warts will disappear. Use apple cider in any old spells calling for blood or wine. Apple indicates choice, and is useful for love and healing magic.
ASH
A Druid sacred tree. Druid wands were often made of ash because of its straight grain. Ash wands are good for healing, general and solar magic. Put fresh ash leaves under your pillow to stimulate psychic dreams.
BIRCH
Known as Lady of the Woods, Paper Birch and White Birch. Carefully gather strips of the bark at the New Moon. With red ink, write on a birch strip: "Bring me true love." Burn this along with a love incense, saying "Goddess of love, God of desire, Bring to me sweet passion's fire." The specific name of a god/goddess may be added. Or cast the bark into a stream or other flowing water, saying: "Message of love, I set you free, to capture a love and return to me." ***Remember*** It is unwise to use this incantation and ritual directed toward a specific person as that would violate the rule. If a love is to come to you, it must be of that persons free will to do so.
BLACKTHORN
Blackthorn is a winter tree. Its white flowers are seen even before the leaves in the spring. It is black barked with vicious thorns and grows in dense thickets. The wood is used in the cudgel shillelagh and Blasting Stick. Its thorns are used to pierce waxen images. Blackthorn indicates strong action of fate or outside influences that must be obeyed.
BROOM
Also known as Scotch Broom or Irish Broom. It can be substituted for furze (gorse) at the Spring Equinox. The Irish called it the "Physician's power" because of its diuretic shoots. Sweep your outside ritual areas with it to purify and protect. Burning the blooms and shoots calms the wind.
CEDAR
Also known as the Tree of Life, Arbor Vitae, Yellow Cedar. Ancient Celts on the mainland used cedar oil to preserve the heads of enemies taken in battle. To draw Earth energy and ground yourself, place the palms of your hands against the ends of the leaves.
ELDER
Also known as Ellhorn, Elderberry, Lady Elder. Sacred to the White Lady and Midsummer Solstice. The Druids used it to both bless and curse. Standing under an elder tree at Midsummer, like standing in a Fairy Ring of mushrooms, will help you see the "little people." Elder wands can be used to drive out evil spirits or thought forms. Music on panpipes or flutes of elder have the same power as the wand. Remember the words of the Rede. Elder is the Lady's Tree, burn it not or cursed ye be!
ELM
A slightly fibrous, tan-coloured wood with a slight sheen. Elm is often associated with Mother and Earth Goddesses, and was said to be the abode of faeries, explaining Kipling's injunction; "Ailim be the lady's tree; burn it not or cursed ye'll be". Elm wood is valued for it's resistance to splitting, and the inner bark was used for cordage and chair caning. Elm adds stability and grounding to a spell.
FIR
Fir is a very tall slender tree that grows in mountainous regions on the upper slopes. Fir cones respond to rain by closing and the sun by opening. Fir can see over great distance to the far horizon beyond and below. Fir indicates high views and long sights with clear vision of what is beyond and yet to come.
FIR (SILVER)
Also known as the Birth Tree. The needles are burned at childbirth to bless and protect the mother and baby.
FURZE
Also known as Gorse, Whin. Its golden flowers are associated with the Spring Equinox. Wood and blooms are burned for protection and preparation for conflict of any sort.
HAWTHORN
Also known as May Tree and White Thorn. Wands made of this wood are of great power. The blossoms are highly erotic to men. Hawthorn can be used for protection, love and marriage spells.
HAZEL
Wands made of this wood symbolize white magick and healing. Forked sticks are used to find water or buried treasure. If outside and in need of maigckal protection quickly draw a circle around yourself with a hazel branch. To enlist the aid of plant fairies, string hazelnuts on a cord and hang up in your house or ritual room. Magically, hazel wood is used to gain knowledge, wisdom and poetic inspiration.
HOLLY
A beautiful white wood with an almost invisible grain; looks very much like ivory. Holly is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism of winter in both Pagan and Christian lore and is important to the Winter Solstice. In Arthurian legend, Gawain (representing the Oak King of summer) fought the Green Knight, who was armed with a holly club to represent winter. It is one of the three timbers used in the construction of chariot wheel shafts. It was used in spear shafts also. The qualities of a spear shaft are balance and directness, as the spear must be hefted to be thrown the holly indicates directed balance and vigour to fight if the cause is just. Holly may be used in spells having to do with sleep or rest, and to ease the passage of death. A bag of leaves and berries carried by a man is said to increase his ability to attract women.
JUNIPER
Its berries were used with thyme in Druid and Grove incenses for visions. Juniper grown by the door discourages thieves. The mature berries can be strung and hung in the house to attract love.
MISTLETOE
Also known as Birdlime, All Heal and Golden Bough. It was the most sacred tree of the Druids, and ruled the Winter Solstice. The berries are poisonous! Bunches of mistletoe can be hung as an all-purpose protective herb. The berries are used in love incenses.
OAK
Oak has been considered sacred by just about every culture that has encountered the tree, but it was held in particular esteem by the Celts because of its size, longevity, and nutritious acorns. The oak was the "King of Trees" in a grove. Magick wands were made of its wood. Oak galls, known as Serpent Eggs, were used in magickal charms. Acorns gathered at night held the greatest fertility powers. The Druids and Priestesses listened to the rustling oak leaves and the wrens in the trees for divinatory messages. Burning oak leaves purifies the atmosphere. It can be used in spells for protection, strength, success and stability; the different varieties will lend their own special 'flavour' to the magic.
PINE
The Pine tree is an evergreen, its old title was "the sweetest of woods". It was known to the Druids as one of the seven chieftain trees of the Irish. Mix the dried needles with equal parts of juniper and cedar and burn to purify the home and ritual area. The cones and nuts can be carried as a fertility charm. A good magickal cleansing and stimulating bath is made by placing pine needles in a loose-woven bag and running bath water over it. To purify and sanctify an outdoor ritual area, brush the ground with a pine branch.
ROWAN
Also known as Mountain Ash, Witchwood and Sorb Apple has long known as an aid and protection against enchantment. Sticks of the Rowan were used to carve Runes on. Rowan spays and crosses were placed over cattle in pens and over homes for protection. Its lovely red berries feed the birds in winter. The berries have a tiny pentagram on them and are especially poisonous. The pentagram is the ancient symbol of protection. The Rowan tree indicates protection and control of the senses from enchantment and beguiling. The Rowan was sacred to the Druids and the Goddess Brigit. It is a very magical tree used for wands, rods, amulets and spells. A forked Rowan branch can help find water. Wands are for knowledge, locating metal and general divination.
WILLOW
Also known as White Willow, Tree of Enchantment and Witches' Asprin. Once of the seven sacred trees of the Irish, a Druid sacred Tree. The willow is a Moon tree sacred to the White Lady, Its groves were considered so magickal that priests, priestesses and all types of artisans sat among these trees to gain eloquence, inspiration, skills and prophecies. For a wish to be granted, ask permission of the willow, explaining your desire. Select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it while expressing what you want. When the wish is fulfilled. return and untie the knot. Remember to thank the willow and leave a gift.
YEW
Also known as English Yew and European Yew. Another important tree to the Winter Solstice and the deities of death and rebirth. It is a beautifully smooth, gold-coloured wood with a wavy grain. The Irish used it to make dagger handles, bows and wine barrels. The wood or leaves were laid on graves as a reminder to the departed spirit that death was only a pause in life before rebirth. All parts of the tree are poisonous except the fleshy covering of the berry, and its medicinal uses include a recently discovered treatment for cancer. The yew may be the oldest-lived tree in the world. Ancient yews can be found in churchyards all over Britain, where they often pre-date even the oldest churches. There are some convincing arguments for it being the original 'World-tree' of Scandinavian mythology. The Yew may be used to enhance magical and psychic abilities, and to induce visions.
There are many symbols related to Druidism and to the Ancient Druids. They did not use symbols for worship such as idols, nor did they meet in churchs or temples of any sort while performing sacred rituals. The sacred places were mostly associated with groves and streams. Circled stones, usually of vast size, enclosing an area of about thirty feet in diameter, formed their sacred ground when not in a grove of trees. Ireland and Great Britain have vast amounts of ancient Druid altars, beds, rings, cairnes, stones, and stone circles. The most common site reccognized today is Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain, England
Cromlech: This is a large stone placed upon two upright stones to make a table or altar. It was always placed in the center of the circle.
Cairns: These were either large stones or a pile of stones that were placed on high ground, such as a hill, and used to worship their deity.
Viereckschanzen: These are roughly rectangular wall or ditch constructions that appear in the La Te/ne period from middle France. Inside of these rectangular wall and ditch enclosures, which also quite often had elaborate gate constructions, there often appear deep pits which in some cases still contained wooden statues of "gods" and a number of offerings. Equal pits, but without the surrounding wall and ditch constructions, have also been found on the British isles. Sometimes also small houses appear inside these Viereckschanzen, which in some cases appear to be the precedessors of later Gallo-Roman temples.
Portal tombs: Also called dolmens, they consisted of three or more standing stones capped typically by a large monolith and the dead would be buried under an earthen mound. Erosion over the millenia caused these structures which were built between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago to appear like an altar or table, hense the term dolmen.
Druid Sigil:
The origin of this is unknown, however, it is commonly seen as a leaved wreeth with two staves running through it.
Awen:
The three rays of light known as, The Awen, form a symbol of the Devine name and concentre upon the stone of speech as do the rays of the summer solstice and of the spring and autumn equinoxes upon the altar stone at Stonehenge. The Awen symbolizes the source of Light in the cosmos and in man whence come the Druidic virtues of courage, brotherhood, and selfless service.
Torc: This was often a ceremonial neck piece worn by the Druids and often worn by Celtic hierarchy. The actual significance of this is unknown.
Triskel:The triskell is considered British origin, finding its way from Scotland Wales and Cornwall over to Brittany. The 3 arms are said to represent Earth, Wind, and Fire. It is often said that the triskel represents the three druidic virtues or the three stages of life to the Celts.
