What is a druid?

Answer

Druids are followers of Druidism, an ancient religion prevalent among the Celts before the arrival of Christianity. Classical Druids were priests of sorts who specialized in the pursuit of wisdom through mystical means. They were teachers, philosophers, counselors, magicians, astrologers, and fortune-tellers.

Modern Druidism, or Neo-Druidry, is similar to the New Age movement in its lack of established doctrine. It is universalistic in its inclusiveness and acceptance of other belief systems and thus takes many different forms, from Druidcraft (a fusion of Wicca and Druidism) to Christian Druidism with anything and everything in between. Druids can be monotheistic, duotheistic, polytheistic, animistic, pantheistic, etc., depending on the spiritual path the individual decides to pursue.

Despite Druidism not having an official doctrine, there are a number of foundational elements that all Druids subscribe to. First is the sacredness of all life. According to Druidic philosophy, all life—humans, plants, and animals—is equal in value and importance in the interconnected web of life. Druids revere the earth, the human body, and the rest of the physical world as part of the spiritual Divine. Nature is seen as sacred, though how it directly corresponds to the Divine differs among Druids. Some see nature as God, while others see nature as just a soothing balm to ease the stress of everyday life.

There are many Druids who wish to reconcile Neo-Druidry and Christianity as mutually beneficial; however, at their core, these faiths are incompatible. While Neo-Druidry holds to the universalistic approach of all spiritual paths leading to God, Jesus preaches the opposite message in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” The Christian gospel is exclusive: the only way to God is through Jesus Christ.

The second issue to coOne aspect to consider in neo-druidry is their respect for all life as equal. While we have been entrusted with the responsibility to care for our planet «And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. », (Genesis 1:28), as beings created in God’s image, we have been given authority over the earth and all its inhabitants (Genesis 1:26-28;Psalm 8:6-8). Furthermore, while humanity has been endowed with an immortal soul «And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. », (Genesis 2:7), the rest of creation is destined to perish «Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. », (Matthew 24:35).

Thirdly, Proverbs 9:10 teaches us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” James 3:15 mentions a different type of wisdom that is “earthly, natural, and demonic.” Druids have a strong desire to gain wisdom, but instead of seeking the God of true wisdom, they resort to mystical practices like divination and shamanism for enlightenment. Throughout the Old Testament, God consistently condemns all forms of sorcery, including divination and spirit communication (2 Chronicles 33:6;Leviticus 18:21;Leviticus 20:2;Isaiah 57:5). In the New Testament, Paul encounters a slave girl.With the power of divination «And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: », (Acts 16:16); however, verse 18 shows her power came not from a good and holy source, but from a demon.

On the surface, there are many aspects of neo-druidry that seem wholesome and in harmony with Christianity. We are to be good stewards of the earth, we are to pursue wisdom, we are to embrace a loving attitude toward our fellow man, and we should utilize our God-given creativity for His glory. However, upon deeper examination, neo-druidry covers up salvation-issue truths in pretty wrapping paper. First Peter 5:8 says, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,” and 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” No matter how nice something looks on the outside, it is critical to examine each detail in light of Scripture. We must “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” «Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. », (1 John 4:1).