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Living Druidry
Grounded in everyday life and experience this book guides the reader to find their own vision, and their own deep, personal, ecstatic relationship with nature. You will learn about: The fundamental principles underlying Druidry; The relevance of Druidry and nature spirituality today; The powers of nature that resonate within the individual; Understanding and accepting yourself; How to bring a profound spiritual experience into your everyday life; Simple ways to acknowledge and embrace the wild side of your nature
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
13 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Emma Restall Orr
19 books69 followers[from Wikipedia] -- Emma Restall Orr is a British neo-druid, animist, priest, poet and author. She worked for the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids in the early 1990s, becoming an Ovate tutor. In 1993 she became joint chief of the British Druid Order (BDO) staying until 2002. Together with the Order founder Philip Shallcrass, she developed the BDO into one of the largest and most influential of its time. Feeling the system of Orders too limiting, in 2002 she created The Druid Network, which was officially launched at Imbolc 2003.
Since the late 1990s she has organized the largest annual gatherings of Druids and those interested in Druidry, first at The Awen Camp with Philip Shallcrass, then since 2001 The Druid Camp with Mark Graham. In 2004 she founded Honouring the Ancient Dead. Since 2004, she has been involved with PEBBLE (The Public Bodies Liaison Committee for British Paganisms) encouraging positive and productive interaction between modern British Pagan groups and British government departments, and other institutions.
Over the course of her life in Druidry she has been on numerous television and radio programmes in Britain and around the world, featured and quoted in the print media and on the internet.
She is daughter of Robin Restall, renowned ornithologist, writer and artist. Her brother is Matthew Restall, history professor and writer.
Since the late 1990s she has organized the largest annual gatherings of Druids and those interested in Druidry, first at The Awen Camp with Philip Shallcrass, then since 2001 The Druid Camp with Mark Graham. In 2004 she founded Honouring the Ancient Dead. Since 2004, she has been involved with PEBBLE (The Public Bodies Liaison Committee for British Paganisms) encouraging positive and productive interaction between modern British Pagan groups and British government departments, and other institutions.
Over the course of her life in Druidry she has been on numerous television and radio programmes in Britain and around the world, featured and quoted in the print media and on the internet.
She is daughter of Robin Restall, renowned ornithologist, writer and artist. Her brother is Matthew Restall, history professor and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 12, 2016
I love reading books about Paganism and Druidry. I don’t even mind reading beginner books despite that this is a path that I’ve been on for a few years. There is usually some spark or new perspective that gives my path a burst of energy or enriches my life. However, there is something so gloriously satisfying about reading a book on spirituality that doesn’t assume you are just starting to figure things out. Living Druidry by Emma Restall Orr is a book that honors the path you’ve already taken and the steps you are preparing to take.
Living Druidry is a book that wants the reader to get messy. The reader is encouraged to dig deep and find the ugly, mystical, and beautiful while cultivating a path that serves the discovery of self and usefulness for the community. There is no shying away from tough topics (drugs for example) and no dumb-ing down language in an attempt to make a transcendental experience easier to take in. Topics range from energy work, Gods, and reaching a trance state. But the topics don’t really do justice to the style and range covered in this book.
Mostly, I am entranced by the authors style and tone. The “educational” part of the book is a told in a rich narrative. There is a lesson to learn, a nugget of knowledge you might be able to shine off and take home. However, the point isn’t the knowledge. The point is that the reader must take that knowledge and use it, make mistakes with it, and experience it so that it transforms into a wisdom that might be useful in one’s own practice and path. Interspersed throughout the book are italicized sections that gracefully describe the authors own experiences or thoughts. The reader is given a glimpse into the real experience of Druidry through this Priestess’s eyes.
I really recommend this book to anyone who is earning to let their wild soul out a little more. If you are tired of “how-to” Pagan books, this one is going to be a pleasure to read!
Living Druidry is a book that wants the reader to get messy. The reader is encouraged to dig deep and find the ugly, mystical, and beautiful while cultivating a path that serves the discovery of self and usefulness for the community. There is no shying away from tough topics (drugs for example) and no dumb-ing down language in an attempt to make a transcendental experience easier to take in. Topics range from energy work, Gods, and reaching a trance state. But the topics don’t really do justice to the style and range covered in this book.
Mostly, I am entranced by the authors style and tone. The “educational” part of the book is a told in a rich narrative. There is a lesson to learn, a nugget of knowledge you might be able to shine off and take home. However, the point isn’t the knowledge. The point is that the reader must take that knowledge and use it, make mistakes with it, and experience it so that it transforms into a wisdom that might be useful in one’s own practice and path. Interspersed throughout the book are italicized sections that gracefully describe the authors own experiences or thoughts. The reader is given a glimpse into the real experience of Druidry through this Priestess’s eyes.
I really recommend this book to anyone who is earning to let their wild soul out a little more. If you are tired of “how-to” Pagan books, this one is going to be a pleasure to read!
November 11, 2021
It is truly a disappointment to write this review because I was genuinely so excited to read this book.
Previously I read Orr’s Spirits of the Sacred Grove and absolutely loved the journey that she takes you on through the Wheel of the Year and her experiences as a priestess.
I cannot say the same for this title. It honestly feels like I have a laundry list of issues with this book that I became frustrated enough that I decided not to finish it. If I had to succinctly explain the problems with this book it would be this: confusing, hypocritical, and misleading.
In every chapter there are points where Orr feels like she is using words just for the sake of using them and the message that she is trying to communicate gets lost. Throughout the book she also refers to the Craft and speaks about Druidcraft, which is a modern practice of a path that utilizes elements from both Druidry and Wicca - and because so many do not recognize the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft, they have dubbed this particular path Druidcraft.
Which is all well and good, but the title of the book is “Living Druidry” not “Living Druidcraft.” Several times throughout my attempts to read this book, I felt frustrated and bypassed as a reader because I felt like I was reading excerpts from a different project that had been dropped in for flavor or to fill the space.
For example, at the end of chapter seven she talks about trancing and other similar practices, and while she describes her experiences in minimal detail, she also talks as if she is encouraging her readers to also participate, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but she provides no instructions. She provides surface level recommendations but nothing concrete, no disclosures, no warnings of not attempting these things lightly, nothing to differentiate from putting that aspect into practice. Not only that but she continues to intertwine Druidry and Witchcraft, creating the feeling that these aspects of practice are incomplete without incorporating elements of the Craft. Which is not just misleading or confusing to the reader but can be potentially dangerous.
She also repeatedly refers to ‘the western world’ and ‘western culture’ like she is somehow not living in it - it’s as though she is trying so desperately to remove herself from it so that she can sound more legitimate in her practices and the views she is trying (and not entirely successfully) to share.
But the piece of this book that frustrates me the most is on page 56 where Orr shares her perspective perhaps even experience when it comes to psychology and psychiatry and whether or not this was her intent, I don’t know, but she makes this sweeping generalization that any therapist or psychiatrist believes that a person who experiences spirituality is reduced to actually experiencing psychosis - this is not the case.
As someone who works in the mental health field and has worked personally with both psychologists and psychiatrists, my experience is very different. By no means am I pretending that mental health is perfect, there is certainly room for improvement, but to suggest that EVERY person who practices psychology and/or psychiatry is so dismissive to people’s spiritual needs and experiences is not just wrong, it’s could very easily dissuade people from seeking help that they might genuinely need which to me is the complete opposite of what a recognize spiritual leader should do.
As I shared at the beginning of this review, reading this book was truly disappointing and at times hurtful and upsetting which is the complete opposite of what I was hoping to experience. I cannot say I will ever recommend this book but I wouldn’t discourage folks from reading it, but I also will not hesitate to share my experience with this title as a cautionary disclaimer.
Previously I read Orr’s Spirits of the Sacred Grove and absolutely loved the journey that she takes you on through the Wheel of the Year and her experiences as a priestess.
I cannot say the same for this title. It honestly feels like I have a laundry list of issues with this book that I became frustrated enough that I decided not to finish it. If I had to succinctly explain the problems with this book it would be this: confusing, hypocritical, and misleading.
In every chapter there are points where Orr feels like she is using words just for the sake of using them and the message that she is trying to communicate gets lost. Throughout the book she also refers to the Craft and speaks about Druidcraft, which is a modern practice of a path that utilizes elements from both Druidry and Wicca - and because so many do not recognize the difference between Wicca and Witchcraft, they have dubbed this particular path Druidcraft.
Which is all well and good, but the title of the book is “Living Druidry” not “Living Druidcraft.” Several times throughout my attempts to read this book, I felt frustrated and bypassed as a reader because I felt like I was reading excerpts from a different project that had been dropped in for flavor or to fill the space.
For example, at the end of chapter seven she talks about trancing and other similar practices, and while she describes her experiences in minimal detail, she also talks as if she is encouraging her readers to also participate, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but she provides no instructions. She provides surface level recommendations but nothing concrete, no disclosures, no warnings of not attempting these things lightly, nothing to differentiate from putting that aspect into practice. Not only that but she continues to intertwine Druidry and Witchcraft, creating the feeling that these aspects of practice are incomplete without incorporating elements of the Craft. Which is not just misleading or confusing to the reader but can be potentially dangerous.
She also repeatedly refers to ‘the western world’ and ‘western culture’ like she is somehow not living in it - it’s as though she is trying so desperately to remove herself from it so that she can sound more legitimate in her practices and the views she is trying (and not entirely successfully) to share.
But the piece of this book that frustrates me the most is on page 56 where Orr shares her perspective perhaps even experience when it comes to psychology and psychiatry and whether or not this was her intent, I don’t know, but she makes this sweeping generalization that any therapist or psychiatrist believes that a person who experiences spirituality is reduced to actually experiencing psychosis - this is not the case.
As someone who works in the mental health field and has worked personally with both psychologists and psychiatrists, my experience is very different. By no means am I pretending that mental health is perfect, there is certainly room for improvement, but to suggest that EVERY person who practices psychology and/or psychiatry is so dismissive to people’s spiritual needs and experiences is not just wrong, it’s could very easily dissuade people from seeking help that they might genuinely need which to me is the complete opposite of what a recognize spiritual leader should do.
As I shared at the beginning of this review, reading this book was truly disappointing and at times hurtful and upsetting which is the complete opposite of what I was hoping to experience. I cannot say I will ever recommend this book but I wouldn’t discourage folks from reading it, but I also will not hesitate to share my experience with this title as a cautionary disclaimer.
February 7, 2023
This is an interesting book in that it describes a woman's experience as a Druid Priestess rather than being an information book.
I resonated with parts of her journey and other parts did not resonate at all. There were times I was annoyed by her writing as it seemed to be flowery in a contrived and superfluous way.
Other times I feel there were stems of real insight. Letting go of fear and accepting reality and nature as a way to broaden your vision, ways to move beyond Neocortical control, ritual advice and a particularly powerful exploration of death at the end of the book.
Not great but not bad either.
I resonated with parts of her journey and other parts did not resonate at all. There were times I was annoyed by her writing as it seemed to be flowery in a contrived and superfluous way.
Other times I feel there were stems of real insight. Letting go of fear and accepting reality and nature as a way to broaden your vision, ways to move beyond Neocortical control, ritual advice and a particularly powerful exploration of death at the end of the book.
Not great but not bad either.
June 15, 2012
Yes, it was indeed amazing. The author's ideas, her philosophy, her journey, her poetry, vision and certainty of the truth of all of these are truly magical. I read the book slowly in order to try to understand fully some of the more difficult concepts, but practice and experience - living the life of the wild soul - is probably the only way to gain a little of the magical spirituality described in this book.
And yet, stunning as it was, for me there was some unease between the pages. In spite of overcoming harrowing physical problems, Emma Restall Orr has created a magical image of herself as Druid Priest and shapeshifter that seems too flawless - too impossible an aspiration for mere mortals - so I was glad to read the paragraphs that begin and end the final section:
Yet, what you read here is my perception. The philosophy and theology of Druidry and the experience of the Craft may be utterly different for you...
...What is important is not what I have said, but what you feel yourself. What is crucial is not what you feel, but what you do, what we each do. Wild and free, true to your own soul, connected to the web of all nature, I urge you to live life fully, every moment, here and now...
I can't help wishing that this last section had been part of a prologue too, and that magical success had been balanced a little with magical difficulties (rather than just physical ones) - that way the path described would have felt inspiring rather than daunting.
Reading through the above, I can't help wondering if I'm being fair - so don't let me put you off. Read it - it is amazing...
And yet, stunning as it was, for me there was some unease between the pages. In spite of overcoming harrowing physical problems, Emma Restall Orr has created a magical image of herself as Druid Priest and shapeshifter that seems too flawless - too impossible an aspiration for mere mortals - so I was glad to read the paragraphs that begin and end the final section:
Yet, what you read here is my perception. The philosophy and theology of Druidry and the experience of the Craft may be utterly different for you...
...What is important is not what I have said, but what you feel yourself. What is crucial is not what you feel, but what you do, what we each do. Wild and free, true to your own soul, connected to the web of all nature, I urge you to live life fully, every moment, here and now...
I can't help wishing that this last section had been part of a prologue too, and that magical success had been balanced a little with magical difficulties (rather than just physical ones) - that way the path described would have felt inspiring rather than daunting.
Reading through the above, I can't help wondering if I'm being fair - so don't let me put you off. Read it - it is amazing...
Read
August 7, 2011She has a very persuasive writing style - it's easy to go along with the narrative at the time of reading it. But after finishing it, I felt that quite a few of her statements sit uncomfortably with me. A book to read with an attitude of open-minded skepticism.
Read
March 7, 2008I thought this was unexpected and well done.
She wrote what she wanted and covered the subject in an original and engaging way.
I'm looking for more stuff from this author.
She's to be watched.
She wrote what she wanted and covered the subject in an original and engaging way.
I'm looking for more stuff from this author.
She's to be watched.
July 28, 2022
I found this to be an unexpectedly frustrating read, considering how much I enjoyed Restall Orr's earlier book "Ritual". I was going to give it 2*, but the great section on Druidry and gender in the final chapter clinched 3*.
The things I like about this book include the author's comments on gender in Druidry. Her focus on the pleasure of connection and creativity, rather than gender binaries and fertility was refreshing. I also valued the author's emphasis on the real experience of connection, of being rooted in time and place, in the here and now. Restall Orr's sharing of her lived experience of Druidry were the best parts of the book. I also liked how much explicit theology there was, as the majority of books I've read so far emphasise shared story and ritual, and put specific theologies to one side.
My main struggle with the book was the extremely florid prose, which I sometimes found incomprehensible. I often wondered whether I was reading something meaningful, or just meaningful sounding word-salad. There were also a number of theological points that kept tripping me up:
1) The author repeatedly writes that Druidry isn't about beliefs, but as this is a very theological book, there's the presumption that a Druid needs to believe that experiences like seeing the dead are at least a possibility for some people. Similarly, at several points the author says Druidry is not a religion, but then talks about the importance of altars. There's nothing wrong with being a religion that has beliefs, and it's confusing to pretend that Druidry has neither, when (to me at least) it clearly does, even if those beliefs are contested between Druids.
2) Related to this was the rejection of the term "supernatural", and talking of Druidry as simply a poetic way of speaking about science. I couldn't accept the author's claim that "Druidry is not based on implausible beliefs". Most people I know would consider talking to the dead, literal shapeshifting, the separation of consciousness from the body, and the participation in the toxic effects of mushrooms through meditation alone, to be implausible. Again, I don't think there's anything wrong with a religion having claims/beliefs that others find weird. All of them do. Own it!
3) Another frustrating tactic was the repeated contrasting of Druidry with a generic "monotheism", sometimes given that meaningless label "Judeo-Christian". I'd have preferred her just to write "Christianity in its worst forms" as that would have been more accurate. It would have been better to leave these comparisons out altogether.
4) Finally, I found the author's discussion of evil confusing. I couldn't understand why paedophilia and homosexuality where referred to in the same paragraph. As a queer person, I don't expect those terms to be in any way linked without a very clear explanation.
The things I like about this book include the author's comments on gender in Druidry. Her focus on the pleasure of connection and creativity, rather than gender binaries and fertility was refreshing. I also valued the author's emphasis on the real experience of connection, of being rooted in time and place, in the here and now. Restall Orr's sharing of her lived experience of Druidry were the best parts of the book. I also liked how much explicit theology there was, as the majority of books I've read so far emphasise shared story and ritual, and put specific theologies to one side.
My main struggle with the book was the extremely florid prose, which I sometimes found incomprehensible. I often wondered whether I was reading something meaningful, or just meaningful sounding word-salad. There were also a number of theological points that kept tripping me up:
1) The author repeatedly writes that Druidry isn't about beliefs, but as this is a very theological book, there's the presumption that a Druid needs to believe that experiences like seeing the dead are at least a possibility for some people. Similarly, at several points the author says Druidry is not a religion, but then talks about the importance of altars. There's nothing wrong with being a religion that has beliefs, and it's confusing to pretend that Druidry has neither, when (to me at least) it clearly does, even if those beliefs are contested between Druids.
2) Related to this was the rejection of the term "supernatural", and talking of Druidry as simply a poetic way of speaking about science. I couldn't accept the author's claim that "Druidry is not based on implausible beliefs". Most people I know would consider talking to the dead, literal shapeshifting, the separation of consciousness from the body, and the participation in the toxic effects of mushrooms through meditation alone, to be implausible. Again, I don't think there's anything wrong with a religion having claims/beliefs that others find weird. All of them do. Own it!
3) Another frustrating tactic was the repeated contrasting of Druidry with a generic "monotheism", sometimes given that meaningless label "Judeo-Christian". I'd have preferred her just to write "Christianity in its worst forms" as that would have been more accurate. It would have been better to leave these comparisons out altogether.
4) Finally, I found the author's discussion of evil confusing. I couldn't understand why paedophilia and homosexuality where referred to in the same paragraph. As a queer person, I don't expect those terms to be in any way linked without a very clear explanation.
May 1, 2019
This book wasn't what I expected. The description focuses on finding your own magical spirituality in Druidry, yet in my opinion the book is very, very biased by the author and focused on her own experiences and views.
There definitely were some things in the book that brought me great insight, it just didn't draw me in personally.
For me it lacks a lot of structure. It seems like it's one big ramble. There are no headlines, just chapters with no clear themes. For example when talking about the wheel of the year, the author writes it all in one sentence with no sublines, subtext or explanations. In the final chapter she out of the blue talks about Samhain in depth, which I was very surprised by.
I felt myself lost in thought throughout many pages due to the lack of structure and order. A lot of the time I wasn't sure what she was talking about when.
In my opinion it would've been a lot more educational if she at least explained certain terms more clearly with more subtext and structure. It was too vague for me and hard to find back when I wanted to reread some parts, considering the pages were all one big line of text.
I really liked that in the book she talks about morality on quite some subjects. I think it's really important and felt delighted to see how she focuses on ethical choices.
Though, I feel the author at times spoke about things without knowing exactly what she was talking about. She mentions Wicca a couple of times and bashes it quite a bit as a gender specific religion among other things. Also her explanation of the word Magick spelled with a k, was completely incorrect. And so she talks down on it I feel.
I felt this book was more so a description of the views of the author, rather than being an informational guide to Druidry. Which of course, can be good and insightful, but it wasn't for me personally.
There definitely were some things in the book that brought me great insight, it just didn't draw me in personally.
For me it lacks a lot of structure. It seems like it's one big ramble. There are no headlines, just chapters with no clear themes. For example when talking about the wheel of the year, the author writes it all in one sentence with no sublines, subtext or explanations. In the final chapter she out of the blue talks about Samhain in depth, which I was very surprised by.
I felt myself lost in thought throughout many pages due to the lack of structure and order. A lot of the time I wasn't sure what she was talking about when.
In my opinion it would've been a lot more educational if she at least explained certain terms more clearly with more subtext and structure. It was too vague for me and hard to find back when I wanted to reread some parts, considering the pages were all one big line of text.
I really liked that in the book she talks about morality on quite some subjects. I think it's really important and felt delighted to see how she focuses on ethical choices.
Though, I feel the author at times spoke about things without knowing exactly what she was talking about. She mentions Wicca a couple of times and bashes it quite a bit as a gender specific religion among other things. Also her explanation of the word Magick spelled with a k, was completely incorrect. And so she talks down on it I feel.
I felt this book was more so a description of the views of the author, rather than being an informational guide to Druidry. Which of course, can be good and insightful, but it wasn't for me personally.
October 20, 2017
I don't think this was the right time for me to read this book. I got really bored with the tone of this book really fast. Maybe I'll try reading this again in a couple of years.
September 29, 2008
This book helps me get back to basics. It reminds me that things are not always quite what they see. It also helped me come to my own path/decision. I recommend it if you're open enough to have some of today's common views challenged. No, it's not some political book. ^.^ It's not the typical book on working with energy because it's more of a personal experience that is being related instead of "steps in the right direction" (as if there is only one). A very relaxing read. Short, but good.
August 18, 2013
This is a great book and I would give it 3,5 stars if I could. There is substance and the author is writing about important things. However the writing style, as poetic and beautiful as it was, made it heavy to read and too often I found my mind wandering in the middle of the extravagant describtions. Maybe it gives you more if you're a native English speaker. I love vivid and colourful text when I read fiction but somehow here it made the book difficult to follow.
November 5, 2011
This book had some good ideas and concepts but was very hard to follow.
January 14, 2013
A truly inspirational and thought evoking read that really drew me closer to my path and to nature and helped point me in the direction of overcoming the darker aspects of myself. Wonderful.
June 8, 2013
experiential course of Druidism
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews