Double whammy book review: The Druidry Handbook and The Druid Magic Handbook, both by John Michael Greer.
I picked up both of these books when I became a member of the Ancient Order of Druids in America back in May. Neither are required reading for members of the AODA, but The Druidry Handbook was originally published as the core textbook for the Candidate year program (the curriculum has since changed slightly, but it’s still highly relevant for all Druids, and especially for members of the AODA).
The author, John Michael Greer, came to Druidry by way of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids in 1995 and served as the Grand Archdruid of the AODA from 2003 to 2015.
The Druidry Handbook is a foundational read for anyone interested in learning about the core of Druidry and earth-based spirituality, from what we know about the historical Druids to the basics of nature awareness, ecological actions, meditation, and ritual. I highly recommend it to anyone who is curious or wants to learn more about Druid beliefs and practices.
The Druid Magic Handbook builds upon what was laid out in The Druidry Handbook, and takes some of those core ritual practices to a more magical level of application. JMG’s involvement in the Golden Dawn is very apparent in this book, as most of the rituals are quite ceremonial in nature (think “perform this ritual on this date at this time, after doing these ten steps with these five necessary tools,” etc).
The magic in The Druid Magic Handbook probably isn’t for everyone, but if you are interested in spells, rituals, and magical practices that are rooted in the Druid tradition (and don’t mind a bit of complex ceremonial magic), this is the book to get!
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