The New Order of Druids
ABOUT N.O.D.
The New Order of Druids is a non-profit community, operating on the internet through website, discussion board and chatroom, as well as an online college with Druidic courses, but also through meetings, and by establishing local groves. Membership is FREE of charge.
Our Community Circle has three main goals: to learn, to grow, to exchange.
The New Order of Druids was founded in February 2003 to provide means of communication over the internet, so likeminded people can meet and talk. Rather than have a “chosen chief”, a Council runs all necessary areas of the New Order of Druids.
The N.O.D. Headquarters is established in Belgium, but has people working together in several aspects, from many parts of the world. The people in our community can be either male or female, young or old. We make no restrictions on that, neither on the location where people live. We have people from Europe, America and Australia, and welcome people from all over the world. The intention is, of course, to attract people who show interest in the path we present, and take it serious. You can be Celtic, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or atheist, it does not matter, as long as you are willing to have an open mind.
So why the name "NEW" Order of Druids? The Druids and their wisdom don't just belong to the past, they can also be our future, and Druidism constantly grows with the world, grows to something new, listening to the voice of the future. A Druid order that continuously grows toward the new, remains "new" and never becomes old, dusty, rusty or outdated and stuck in time. Instead, we continue to be a growing, dynamic, living, thriving and evolving Druid Circle, adapting the wisdom of the timeless Druids into the world of today and tomorrow.
GROVE OF DANA: THE ONLINE DRUID COLLEGE
The Grove of Dana was created in 2004, for the purpose of providing a free course of learning in the subject of Druidic spirituality and the primal Earth-honouring Celtic traditions. Although much of the readings and work will focus on the traditions of Ireland, we welcome those who are interested in or practicing other traditions. Where possible, information will be expanded to include these traditions.
The college is set up in three different "grades" based on those outlined by literary sources: bard, or fili; ovate, or fáith; and druid, or draoi. These titles were never intended to be "grades" in any sense of progression, but rather distinct professions among the intellectual class of Celtic people. However, in order to make our courses more comprehensible, we have adopted these titles for our courses, which do serve to denote progression. Our aim is to take people through a study in Celtic and Druidic spirituality, not to train people to serve these roles, as that takes many more years of study, practice, and experience than we can offer here. We want to give people a firm grasp on the subject, and where they decide to take their studies and pursuits from there, is a matter of their own sovereignty. That being said, we have used the inspiration gained from each of these professions to serve as the basis of our "grades". When one is a member of the bardic grade they will learn appropriate knowledge and skills that are firmly rooted in the spirit of the bard. The same goes for the ovates and druids. After completion of these three grades, the student may decide whether or not they want to specialize in a certain area. These may include "Celtic shamanism", mythology, history, healing, poetry, seership, ritual, a combination of these things, or a self chosen study. The purpose of this is to guide the student in an independent research of their particular field of interest. This means that it will require a lot more work and research on the student's part.
The college remains entirely free of cost (aside from any additional materials you choose to purchase), and open to all people with an interest. All courses are self-paced so you can work on them on your own time, without having to worry about deadlines for assignments, or it getting in the way of your job or schooling.
NERVII NEMETON
The Nervii Nemeton established in Antwerpen, Belgium, as the Mother Grove of the New Order of Druids. Like any other grove, it is our purpose to organize gatherings and meetings of members and like-minded people from Belgium and surrounding areas.
Our monthly meetings are usually free-style, unless specifically announced, and with a drink, we talk about a variety of Celtic, Druidic, religious, spiritual and pagan topics. Our monthly meetings always take place in Antwerpen, Belgium. We also organize Celtic ceremonies, day trips to visit places of Celtic nature, museums, re-enactment shows and fairs.
Website New Order of Druids and Grove of Dana College: http://www.druidcircle.net/
Website Nervii Nemeton (both in English and Dutch): http://mothergrove.druidcircle.net/
E-Mail: masterphoenix [at] skynet [dot] be