A Druid is a person who believes that everything has a soul or spirit, and all Pagan religions share this belief. Rivers, animals, rocks, trees, land are all filled with there own unique spirits for people who are Pagans. Christians believe that only humans have souls or spirits, Pagans see the divine spirit in all life.

As a social class, they seem to have been just below the warrior/nobility class in power and prestige, though they apparently had the political and religious power to be noncombatants and to start or stop wars. Their training could take as long as twenty years and seems to have included poetical composition, memorization techniques, law, ritual practice, weather predicting and other specialties.

The word Druid comes from an ancient Celtic word , druii, meaning "Wise" and id which means "One", so druid means Wise One. Druidic belief was deeply rooted in the ways of Nature and the Spirit world. Above all, Druids are known for their curiosity and their willingness to discover the answer to any questions they may have.

The Druidic orders arose in Celtic society in order to maintain a balance with the natural world. Druids learned the ways of all living things. Many Druids swore their lives to the service and protection of Nature and to maintaining of the Balance that sustains life.

The Druids were a priestly caste existing among the Celtic people. The Celts, as they were called, were a tribal people who spread throughout Gaul, Britain, Ireland, and other parts of Europe, Asia Minor, and the Balkans. This migration had occurred by the 5th. century BC. By the first century AD the Roman had launched many attacks against the Celts that greatly dwindled their population. Christianity dealt them their final defeat.

More evidence that the Druids and the religion of Druidism held the Celts together were the tribal assemblies which occurred on days that were vital in the agricultural year. The original Druidic festive days were 'Beltain,' May 1, the beginning of summer, or the light half of the year; and 'Samhain,' November 1, the beginning of winter, the dark half of the year. The assemblies, especially large and important ones, took place in "sanctified" places. It was here that people from a large area or a whole island would gather. For example, ancient Ireland was divided into five communities, each separate and independent of each other, but all unified on days of great feasts.

The Druids were said to be the keepers of wisdom that was concerned with moral philosophy, natural phenomena and theology. They were skilled in reading, the interpretation of dreams, the conducting of sacrifices, the construction of a calendar, herbal medicine, astronomy and the composition of poetry.

The Path of the Druid, like that of the Brahmin, the Medicine Person, the Shaman or the Rabbi, is one of heavy responsibilities and hard work. But like these others, it is also a path of great rewards -physical, intellectual, artistic, magical and spiritual. For those who feel a link to the Paleopagan Celtic peoples, and who find themselves wanting to use their highest talents to serve their communities, Druidism can be a challenging and exhilarating way of life to explore.