What Is Druidry?

Hospitality

We are taught that hospitality is a reflection of the largesse of spirit. It is also necessary for us to be aware of our impact on others because of our connectedness. From acting on a concern for the comfort of another, we learn to value generosity over wealth or status. For example, you will rarely see a Druid who withholds their best drink or food when entertaining. The same can be said for not withholding their best stories, best jokes, or best ideas.

We teach and learn the value of shaping the future through our actions in the present. If there is withholding in the present, there is deception and hoarding in the future. Maybe this is why Druids fostered so many Celtic children. Their fosterage created a strong level of connectivity between peoples which prevented hierarchical relationships of power from developing. It's hard to war with someone who has shared something of value with you.

Honor

Honor shapes the way that we perform our responsibilities and duties. To a Druid, honor is something we strive to earn as well as to practice through our actions. Honor is tied into the issue of hospitality and also how that is performed. We learn to honor our families, our communities, our paths, ourselves. Put another way, we learn to revere existence as a conscious act.

In all—leadership, connectivity and inclusiveness, hospitality and honor—these may not sound like very religious until you realize our training leads us deeper and deeper into the mystery and into the sacred. Our gods and goddesses lead us gently as we bump blindly against strange objects in our learnings; our histories and stories explain to us what we've gone through as a humanity and how it will shape our futures; and while we experience the discomforts of ongoing spiritual growth and self-awareness we let the sensual world soothe us.

If we are here to enrich others, then what path provides the necessary lessons to stretch our spirits?