Aims and Ethics of The Druid Network
The Druid Network aims ...
to act as a framework, making tangible the spirit-web that is the global community of the Druid tradition.
The Network is not a Druid Order: it makes no attempt at defining or teaching one interpretation of Druidry, ancient or modern. Instead it aims to offer a rich blend of information and inspiration to all, expressing a philosophy that is a celebration of life, a reaching to understand the power of nature with respect and sensitivity. Druidry is not only a philosophy though; for an increasing number of people it is a deeply held religious practice, honouring the sanctity of nature and providing an ethical framework based on the understanding of sustainable, honourable relationship. The Network therefore also aims to provide conscious support of individuality, community, local diversity and environmental sustainability, promoting awareness of the divine within nature, helping to create a world beyond unnecessary consumerism and political paranoia. Put more simply the aim is to inform, inspire and facilitate the practice of Druidry as a modern living religion.
The open pages of our website are an essential part of the focus of the organization, offering information, resources, contacts and ideas which we hope will inspire those seeking to learn more about Druidry.
Words though are simply not enough, we must walk our talk and to aid those
who have chosen a druid path the Network provides a members area. This area
provides access to members database, discussion boards and help with starting
and running projects. More importantly though it offers support; a resource
based on the richness of waking, thinking, eagerly learning and actively living
this tradition we call Druidry.
Not simply a conceptual web, the Network reaches out, connecting people.
At the very core of the Network is its own magical centre, humming with the energy of the earth and our heritage: the Druid Order of the Yew.
We are a Druid organization, and one that is based upon Pagan principles, but we are not here to advertise or evangelise Druidry. The Network, while not diluting its essentially Druidic principles of honour and respect, is open to people of all beliefs, all over the world, who are seeking understanding about the Druid tradition.
The Aim of our Website ...
is to offer a beautifully simple and clear environment within which people can explore and gain understanding of this rich tradition that is Druidry. Like the natural world it is constantly in a state of flux as we seek to improve the experience for visitors and to reflect the ever changing society in which we live. It continues to expand its range of articles, events diaries and courses, local news from around the international community, the directory of Druid groups, ethical consumer guides, news on environmental projects and much more. The Project Areas page gives a clearer idea of what is currently on offer and that which we hope to create for the future.
Members of the Druid Network are not only free to browse the open pages, but also have access to the Network database itself. Here members can find other members, using the simple search facility, seeking by name or locality, or skills and interests shared. The web of networked groups (Orders, Groves and Gorseddau) is listed in more depth in this area, and there are topic-oriented forums for questions and discussion. The pages of the Order of the Yew are found here too.
The Members' area is secure, each member having their own password access.
We are an organization that encourages action. Come and see what we have on offer, but don't stay on the computer too long: there's a world out there to honour and to celebrate. And where there is pain, conflict and pollution, we can always make a difference.
Our Ethics and Vision
In every way possible, the Network aims to exist in a state of ethical awareness,
those ethics being 
based on the Druidic pagan principles of honour, respect and
responsibility for life. With regard to the environment within which we live,
locally and globally, the Network actively promotes and supports campaigns for
peace, racial and religious harmony, reduced consumerism, conservation,
reforestation, organic agriculture and fair trade, recycling, encouraging
holistic health and personal responsibility.
It is established in the Network's Constitution that the organization and its office should run on environmentally ethical principles. A statement on how the office is run can be found by clicking here
Our aim within the Druid Network is also to encourage honourable relationship. As a result, we work on the basis of honesty, clarity and respect, nurturing strong and successful relationships with other organizations. These include a great many Druid Orders and Pagan groups around the world. Indeed, our hope is that the Network will be a medium through which a wider community can thrive, offering its deep well of human wit and wisdom to everyone, whether solitary practitioners or members of Orders or Groves, covens or hearths, those taking their first steps into the old traditions, and those already working within the mysteries and the priesthood.
In Britain, we have honourable relationships too with organizations such as English Heritage and the National Trust, who own and care for most of our ancient and sacred sites. We are well connected with woodland and forestry organizations, interfaith bodies, the Church of England, the police. At times, it is necessary to fight for change and justice, for a voice to be heard, but in tune with the tenets of Druidry we have respect for the magical power of words. Through honour, exchange, honesty, and personal relationship, a great deal can be accomplished. When a demonstration is, however, clearly needed in order to bring attention to some injustice, we make our stand in peace, through presence, expressing wakefulness.
Welcoming individuals from all walks of life, all socio-economic backgrounds, all races and colours, genders and sexualities of humanity, the Network also acknowledges and welcomes those whose physicality provides limitations. Our Deaf Access Policy and Disability Access Charter can be found on our website, giving a clear understanding of our aims and policies.
The Druid Network itself also aims to operate within honourable, honest and respectful relationships, its team of volunteers all contributing on this basis. Information on the Structure of the Network, terms and conditions for working for the Network, and a list of those folk actively contributing to the Network, can be found on these About pages.
The Inception of the Network
On 4 December 2002, as the darkness of a solar eclipse moved across the Earth, in the stone circle near her home in the north Cotswolds of England, Emma Restall Orr called to the ancestral spirits who had guided her to Druidry, and to the British Druid Order nine years earlier. Knowing that great changes were already flowing fast in the current beneath her, she made prayers for inspiration. It was during that rite that The Druid Network was born, the idea being presented and accepted by the ancestral spirits of the tradition.
With the guidance and support of those ancestors, astrologers and fellow Druids, at Imbolc, 1 February 2003, the inauguration rite of the Druid Network was made at the same circle. Standing in the heartland of Britain, upon ley lines connected to the ancient site of Rollright, within a moated ring of stones, with snow upon the ground and soft clear sunshine, the offerings, prayers and vows were made, bringing The Druid Network into manifest existence.
It was the magical work at the core of these rituals that inspired the Druid Order of the Yew, which lies at the heart of the Network.