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Druids
Members of the ancient pre-Christian Celtic priestcraft of Britain and Gaul, a secret order about which almost nothing is known. The term 'druid' means 'knowing the oak tree' in Gaelic; the oak tree was sacred to the Celts.
The Romans tell us that the Druids were magicians, but the nature of their magic is unknown. The Romans also tell us that they believed in the transmigration of souls (which may have been reincarnation). They are said to have conducted their cult practices in sacred oak groves, where one of their chief rites was harvesting mistletoe using a golden sickle. They are also thought to have offered human sacrifices. It is probable that they were the representatives of the ancient Nordic and Christian Mysteries.
The theory that the Druids built Stonehenge or Avebury, advanced by some antiquarians in the 17th and 18th centuries, has been proved by modern archaeological techniques to be false.
Many of the ancient magical spells used among the Druids survived until a comparatively late period the names of saints being substituted for those of Celtic deities. In pronouncing incantations, the usual method employed was to stand upon one leg and point with the forefinger to the person or object on which the spell was to be laid, at the same time closing an eye, as if to concentrate the force of the entire personality upon that which was to be placed under the spell. All magic rites were accompanied by spells, and Druids often accompanied an army to assist by their magic in confounding the enemy.
Various Druid groups flourish in Britain and the United States, but claim no connection with ancient Druids. They celebrate eight pagan festivals in outdoor henges and groves, the most important being the summer solstice. Since 1985 modern Druids have been prevented from gathering at Stonehenge for the solstice, due to vandalism by spectators. American druids use a replica of Stonehenge in Washington State.
See Celts, Casting Black Magic Spells, Commanding Spirits, The Tarot Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, and The Pyramid Collection.
Sources: (1) Shepard, Leslie (editor), Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Thomson Gale; (2) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (3) Steiger, Brad and Sherry Hansen, The Gale Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained, Thomson Gale.
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Suggested Art prints and Posters:
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Ancient Celts or Gauls Sacrificing a Cow, circa 1800-18 Giclee Print
Raineri, Vittorio
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Ancient Celts or Gauls in Battle, circa 1800-18 Giclee Print
Raineri, Vittorio
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Druids at...
Adam Woolfitt
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Stonehenge, or a Circular Temple of the Druids, Plate 19 from "The History of the Nations" Giclee Print
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The Sacred Grove...
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In a Forest Near Chartres France Druids Collect Mistletoe for Ritual Purposes Giclee Print
Damblans, Eugene
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Human Sacrifice by a Gaulish Druid, from "Histoire De France" by L.P. Anquetil, 1851 Giclee Print
Philippoteaux,...
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Druids Sacrificing to the Sun in Their Temple Called Stonehenge Giclee Print
Whittock,...
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Child is Sacrificed to the Druid Deity Giclee Print
Boyd, Arthur
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The Wicker Man in Which People were Burnt as Sacrifices to Their Deities Giclee Print
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-- Click HERE for more related art prints and posters. | | | Suggested Books: -- A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year.
-- Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom.
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-- Brendan the Navigator: A History Mystery About the Discovery of America.
-- By Oak, Ash & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism.
-- Celtic Bards, Celtic Druids.
-- Celtic Druids.
-- Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales.
-- Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions.
-- Celtic Magic (Llewellyn's World Magic Series).
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-- Celtic Warriors (Shire Archaeology).
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-- Celtic Women in Legend, Myth, and History.
-- Clerics and Druids.
-- Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend.
-- Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today.
-- Druid-Shaman-Priest: Metaphors of Celtic Paganism.
-- Druids.
-- Druids: A Beginner's Guide.
-- Druids: Gods from Celtic Mythology.
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-- Lives and Legends of Saint Brendan the Voyager.
-- Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis: From Early Latin Manuscripts.
-- Omens, Oghams & Oracles: Divination in the Druidic Tradition.
-- Spirits of the Sacred Grove: The World of a Druid Priestess.
-- The 21 Lessons of Merlyn: A Study in Druid Magic and Lore.
-- The Ancient Celts.
-- The Book of Druidry: History, Sites and Wisdom.
-- The Celtic Druids' Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts.
-- The Celts (Sacred Symbols).
-- The Celts: Conquerors of Ancient Europe (Discoveries).
-- The Druid Animal Oracle: Working With the Sacred Animals of the Druid Tradition.
-- The Druid Renaissance: The Voice of Druidry Today.
-- The Druid Tradition ('Elements of ... ' Series).
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-- The Druids (Nora K. Chadwick).
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-- The Sacred World of the Celts: An Illustrated Guide to Celtic Spirituality and Mythology.
-- The Secret World of Cults: From Ancient Druids to Heaven's Gate.
-- The Voyage of Saint Brendan.
-- The Voyage of Saint Brendan: Sources and Analogues.
-- Thorsons Principles of Druidry (Thorsons Principles).
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-- What Life Was Like: Among Druids and High Kings: Celtic Ireland Ad 400-1200.
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