Druids, Druidry, Druidic, Druidism
The Druids were polytheistic and revered the sun, the moon, and the stars, looking to them for signs and seasons. They also venerated other natural elements: the oak, tree groves, hilltops, streams, lakes, and even plants. Fire was believed to be a symbol of several divinities, the sun, and cleansing. The calendar year of the Druids was governed by the lunar, solar, vegetative, and herding cycles.
The four main Druid holidays included Imbolc, signaling the first signs of spring, Beltane, which recognized the abundance of life after spring, Lughnasadh, a celebration of the maturing first fruits and the deity Lugh, and Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the lowering of the barrier between the world of the living and that of the dead.
The timing of the four festivals or holidays were determined by the presence of a full moon and the seasonal changes. Imbolc was celebrated at the full moon roughly midway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Beltane fell between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. Lughnasadh was celebrated between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. Samhain was the holiday halfway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.
The original timing of the festivals by the ancient Druids was much different than the popular "New Age" modern-day beliefs about Druidism wherein a holiday is celebrated according to the Julian calendar, which did not exist at the time of the formation of the original holidays, festivals, or celebrations.
A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year
By Oak, Ash & Thorn : Modern Celtic Shamanism
Celtic Lore : The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions
Celtic Magic (Llewellyn's World Magic Series)
Celtic Mythology : The Nature and Influence of Celtic Myth from Druidism to Arthurian Legend
Celtic Traditions : Shamans, Druids, Faeries, and Wiccan Rituals
Drawing Down the Moon : Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today
Druid-Shaman-Priest : Metaphors of Celtic Paganism
Druids : Gods from Celtic Mythology
Druids, Gods & Heroes from Celtic Mythology (World Mythology Series)
Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions
Omens, Oghams & Oracles : Divination in the Druidic Tradition
Spirits of the Sacred Grove : The World of a Druid Priestess
The 21 Lessons of Merlyn: A Study in Druid Magic and Lore
The Book of Druidry : History, Sites and Wisdom
The Celtic Druids' Year : Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts
The Druid Animal Oracle : Working With the Sacred Animals of the Druid Tradition
The Druid Renaissance : The Voice of Druidry Today
The Druid Tradition ('Elements of ... ' Series)
The Druids (Peter Berresford Ellis)
The Druids (Ancient Peoples and Places Series)
The Druids : Celtic Priests of Nature
The Handbook of Celtic Astrology : The 13-Sign Lunar Zodiac of the Ancient Druids
The History and Origins of Druidism : A Long-Lost Classic Resurrected
The Lost Books of Merlyn : Druid Magic from the Age of Arthur
The Secret World of Cults : From Ancient Druids to Heaven's Gate
Thorsons Principles of Druidry (Thorsons Principles)
Veil of Isis or Mysteries of the Druids
What Life Was Like : Among Druids and High Kings : Celtic Ireland Ad 400-1200
