[Updated 9 June 2020]
(OBOD Beltane 2007)
INTRO
Druidry is a lively and growing phenomenon, so any list is by its nature incomplete. Suggestions for additions and emendations are welcome, particularly for figures and organizations in non-English-language traditions (Breton, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, etc.), who are often less well known.
Included in the rosters of groups and people below are references and links to several of the most visible and influential Druid organizations active today. Visits to their websites can provide an additional and useful sense of the directions and emphases of Druidry today. Many groups also maintain active Facebook sites; some are open to non-members.
DISCLAIMER
Like many things that should go without saying but which need to be stated and repeated explicitly nowadays, please use common sense and discretion when investigating or contacting any school, teaching, teacher, etc. The inclusion of a link on this page or anywhere on this site is not an endorsement of a group, an individual or a course of training. Follow your own judgment, needs, inner guidance and resources.
I — SELECTED GROUPS
• British Druid Order/BDO — founded in 1979. Wikipedia page.
• Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids/OBOD — founded in 1964/refounded in 1988. Wikipedia page.
• Ancient Order of Druids in America/AODA — founded in 1912.
• Ár nDraíocht Féin/A Druid Fellowship/ADF — founded in 1983. Wikipedia page.
• Henge of Keltria (disbanded 2017) — int’l Druid order founded in 1988. Wikipedia page.
• Kredenn Geltiek Hollvedel (Celtic Creed of the World) — French group in Brittany. Wikipedia page (in English).
• Reformed Druids of North America/RDNA (one member’s page — not updated since 2016) — founded in 1963. Wikipedia page.
• The Druid Order — “contemporary fraternal Druid order”, founded 1909. Wikipedia page.+ Robert Ellison‘s subpage listing numerous other Druid organizations
+ Dana’s interactive map of 250+ Druid groups in 5 countries.
II — SELECTED PEOPLE
• Adler, Margot
• Beckett, John
• Bonewits, Isaac
• Burke, Eimear
• Carr-Gomm, Philip
• Chapman, Vera
• Corrigan, Ian
• Ellison, Robert
• Freeman, Mara
• Greer, John Michael
• Hopman, Ellen Evert
• Hughes, Kristoffer
• Hutton, Ronald
• Matthews, John and Caitlin
• Myers, Brendan
• Nichols, Ross/Nuinn
• O’Driscoll, Dana
• Orr, Emma Restall/Bobcat
• Pagano, Jean (Drum)
• Pendragon, Arthur Uther
• Schlotterbeck, Karl
• Shallcrass, Philip/Greywolf
• Smith, Dave/Damh the Bard
• Stewart, R. J.
• Taylor, Wren
• Thomas, Kirk
Margot Adler (1946-2014) [Wikipedia entry; NPR obit page]
Adler, “an American author, journalist, lecturer, Wiccan priestess and radio journalist and correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR)” according to the Wikipedia entry, is cited here for her widely-read Drawing Down the Moon (1997; rev. 2006). Its full title better conveys its range: Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today.
Her NPR bio page (closed after her death) noted that “Margot Adler is a NPR correspondent based in NPR’s New York Bureau. Her reports can be heard regularly on All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Weekend Edition. In addition to covering New York City, Adler’s reports include in-depth features exploring the interface of politics and culture.”
John Beckett (1961- ) [Under the Ancient Oaks (blog)]
Best known for his widely-read blog, Under the Ancient Oaks: Musings of a Pagan, Druid and Unitarian Universalist, John is a frequent presenter at Pagan and Druid events, a devotee of Cernunnos, and the author of The Path of Paganism: An Experience-Based Guide to Modern Pagan Practice (2017) and Paganism in Depth: A Polytheist Approach (2019). An OBOD Druid, a member of ADF and Pagan Unitarian Universalist, John is a voice of reason and careful reflection as well as obvious knowledge and passion for his spiritual path.
Isaac Bonewits (1949-2010) [Wikipedia entry; ADF page; Isaac and Phaedra’s neopagan.net page]
Bonewits was a colorful, controversial and influential author, activist and founder and first Archdruid of the American-based Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF). The first (and only) graduate with a degree in Magic from Berkeley, he was the author of the seminal Real Magic, as well as many other books. The ADF bio page characterizes him in part thus: “A practicing Neopagan priest, scholar, teacher, bard, and polytheologian for over 35 years, he had coined much of the vocabulary and articulated many of the issues that have shaped the rapidly growing Neopagan community in the United States and Canada, with opinions both playful and controversial.”
After credible accusations of child abuse by Bonewits emerged, ADF formally repudiated him in 2019, and his name is no longer prominent on the ADF website.
Eimear Burke [website]
Burke is Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), succeeding Philip Carr-Gomm. A nurse and psychologist by profession, Burke lives in Ireland where she heads the Kilkenny Druid Grove. A member of the Fellowship of Isis, Burke is also a licensed celebrant in Ireland. She was a guest lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin for six years.
Her website notes that she offers classes in creating and performing meaningful rituals; the Ogham trees; metaphysical herb walks; Irish for ritual; the craft of the storyteller; psychological lessons from the mythology of Ireland; the Goddesses of Ireland; and the sacred landscape.
Philip Carr-Gomm (1952- ) [Wikipedia entry; blog]
Carr-Gomm is former Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). The following is from the OBOD page on Philip: “Philip Carr-Gomm lives in Sussex, England, with his wife Stephanie. From an early age Philip studied with Ross Nichols, the founder of The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. He has a degree in psychology from University College London, and trained in psychotherapy for adults at The Institute of Psychosynthesis, and in play therapy for children with Dr Rachel Pinney. He also trained in Montessori education with the London Montessori Centre, and founded the Lewes Montessori School. In 1988 he was asked to lead The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, and he combines his role in the Order with writing, and giving talks and workshops.” In June 2020, he welcomed Eimear Burke as his successor as Chosen Chief of the Order.
Carr-Gomm is the author of many books, including The Book of English Magic (with Richard Heygate), The Druid Plant Oracle (with Stephanie Carr-Gomm), Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century (a short and readable intro to Druidry), and In the Grove of the Druids: The Druid Teachings of Ross Nichols (OBOD founder).
Vera Chapman (1898–1996) [Wikipedia entry; Pollinger page]
Chapman, author and founder of the Tolkien Society, served as first Pendragon of OBOD for nearly three decades. She was also a member of the Ancient Druid Order, and the Kibbo Kift Kindred. She began writing in her late 70s, and lived to nearly 100.
Her titles include The Green Knight (1975), King Arthur’s Daughter (1976), The King’s Damosel (1976), Judy and Julia (1977), Blaedud the Birdman (1978), The Wife of Bath (1978), Miranty and the Alchemist (1983), and The Enchantresses (1998).
Ian Corrigan [ADF bio; website]
Corrigan, according to his Lulu bio, “has been teaching, learning, singing and playing in the American Neopagan movement since 1976. He has decades of experience in a variety of occult, pagan and magical topics. Having received his 3rd degree initiation in Celtic Traditional Wicca in the early 80s, Ian has led eclectic study groups, a traditional Wiccan coven and a Druid Grove. Ian has been well-known for decades at Pagan festivals as a bard, ritualist and teacher.
For the past 30 years Ian’s primary path has been Celtic polytheism and especially Neopagan Druidism. Ian has been a primary author and teacher in Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). He is a founder of Stone Creed Grove, ADF’s oldest working congregation, and served as ADF’s first Chief Liturgist and first elected Vice Archdruid.”
Corrigan is the author, among other titles, of Sacred Fire, Holy Well: A Druid’s Grimoire; The Book of Summoning: A Grammary of Pagan Spirit-Art; The Book of Nine Moons; Draiocht: A Primer of Celtic Sorcery; Toward a Pagan Mysticism.
Robert “Skip” Ellison [Wikipedia entry; personal website]
Ellison is an author, former Archdruid of ADF (2001-2010), liturgist, and retired industrial electrician. His four books are The Wheel of the Year at Muin Mound Grove ADF: A Cycle of Druid Rituals; The Divine Liver — The Art and Science of Haruspicy as Practiced by the Etruscans and Romans; The Druids’ Alphabet: What Do We Know About the Oghams?; and The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit.
The Wikipedia entry notes, “He has been a frequent speaker at Neo-Pagan events including the Starwood Festival, Sirius Rising, and the Wellspring Gathering. Ellison serves on the faculty of the Grey School of Wizardry as its Instructor in Beast Mastery, Divination and Lore.”
Mara Freeman [OBOD site; website]
Freeman, says her website, is an “author and teacher of Western esoteric wisdom and spirituality, which she has taught internationally for over thirty years. She is an initiate in the Western Mystery Tradition, an Archdruidess of the Irish Druid Clan of Dana, and Honored Bard with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.”
Her books include Kindling the Celtic Spirit (2001) and Grail Alchemy: Initiation through the Celtic Mystery Tradition (2013). She has taught at Omega Institute, NY; Naropa University, CO; and the University of California in Santa Cruz. A resident of Wales, she leads Celtic retreats and pilgrimages. She founded Avalon Mystery School, a three-year home study program, and is a qualified psychologist and astrologer.
John Michael Greer (1962-) [Wikipedia entry]
Greer is a writer, blogger, conservationist, hermeticist, gardener, modern reviver and archdruid emeritus of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), and founder and leader of the Druidical Order of the Golden Dawn. Author of over 20 books, and of the (archived) lively, influential and widely-read weekly blog, The Archdruid Report, and now Ecosophia, Greer has written extensively on magic and sustainability.
Among his numerous titles are Circles of Power: Ritual Magic in the Western Tradition; Inside a Magical Lodge; A World Full of Gods; The Druidry Handbook; The Long Descent: A User’s Guide to the End of the Industrial Age; The Wealth of Nature: Economics As If Survival Mattered; The Celtic Golden Dawn; The Ecotechnic Future: Envisioning a Post-Peak World; Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth: An Introduction to Spiritual Ecology; Green Wizardry; and Not the Future We Ordered: The Psychology of Peak Oil and the Myth of Eternal Progress.
Ellen Evert Hopman (1952-) [Wikipedia entry; personal website]
Hopman is an “author of both fiction and non-fiction, an herbalist, a lay homeopath, a lecturer, and a mental health counselor who lives who lives and works” in Massachusetts, according to Wikipedia.
Among her books are The Secret Medicines of Your Kitchen; Walking the World in Wonder: a Children’s Herbal; Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore; A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year; and her trio of novels Priestess of the Forest, The Fire Temple, and Priestess of the Fire Temple, among other works. She is also Archdruid of the Tribe of the Oak Druid Grove, “a Celtic Reconstructionist Druid Grove that seeks to preserve and pass on the traditional ways of the ancient Celts.”
Kristoffer Hughes (1971-) [Anglesey Druid Order biography page]
Kristoffer Hughes, as his website notes, “is a native Welsh speaker, born to a Welsh family in the mountains of Snowdonia in 1971. He lives on the Island of Anglesey, Wales, the ancestral seat of the British Druids. His love of Celtic literature and traditions guided his path into the exploration and practice of Celtic paganism. He is the founder and Head of the Anglesey Druid Order/Urdd Derwyddon Mon, and studies with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. In 2012 he was awarded the Mount Haemus Scholarship for original research in Druidism and related subjects. Hughes frequently presents workshops and lectures throughout the United Kingdom.
Hughes has worked professionally as a Anatomical Pathology Technologist at public mortuaries (morgues) throughout the UK for the past 25 years. He is a semi-professional funeral celebrant, officiator and funeral advisor, having written and officiated 25 funerals.”
Among his books are The Celtic Tarot, The Cauldron Born: Exploring the Magic of Welsh Legend and Lore; The Journey Into Spirit: A Pagan’s Perspective On Death, Dying and Bereavement; and Natural Druidry.
Ronald Hutton (1953-) [Wikipedia entry; U of Bristol page]
Hutton is professor of history at the University of Bristol and author of over a dozen books on British folklore, early history and Paganism. Recently elected Fellow of the British Academy, he is a frequent presenter at both academic and Pagan venues.
One critic observes: “Predictably, Hutton finds himself defending his position on two fronts. Neo-pagans, clinging to the notion that their beliefs are part of an ancient nature religion, and radical feminists upholding the idea of a primeval matriarchal society (which Hutton finds “rather delightful”), scorn Hutton’s refreshingly cheerful acceptance that there seems little evidence for either of these. And his less unbuttoned colleagues shake their heads at his optimism about Druidry and other ‘alternative spiritualities’ as valid contemporary religions.” [Hutton, Ronald (2010). “Writing the History of Witchcraft: A Personal View”. The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies. 12 (2): 239–262.]
John (1948-) and Caitlin (1952-) Matthews [Wikipedia entry; website]
John and Caitlin Matthews are British authors who, according to their Wikipedia page, “have written over 150 books, translated into more than thirty languages, including Tarot packs, a card-based storytelling system, screenplays, songs and other works.” They are also “active on the New Age workshop circuit, teaching their versions of the Celtic mysteries, Neo-Shamanism, the Goddess and King Arthur.” Among John’s books are The Grail: Quest for the Eternal; The Celtic Shaman; Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in Britain and Ireland; King Arthur: From Dark Age Warrior to Mythic Hero; The Grail Seeker’s Companion; The Wildwood Tarot; The Lost Tarot of Nostradamus; and The Camelot Oracle.
Caitlin has authored Mabon and the Mysteries of Britain: An Exploration of the Mabinogion; The Elements of the Goddess; The Elements of Celtic Tradition; Celtic Wisdom Sticks: An Ogham Oracle; Sophia, The Bride of God; Singing the Soul Back Home: Shamanic Wisdom for Every Day; The Psychic Protection Handbook: Powerful Protection for Uncertain Times; and Celtic Visions: Seership, Omens and Dreams of the Otherworld, among other titles.
Brendan Myers (1974- ) [Wikipedia entry; Homepage — About]
Myers is an author, Druid/Pagan, and professor of philosophy and humanities at CEGEP Heritage College in Quebec, Canada. The Wikipedia entry asserts in part that Myers is “known for his contributions in environmental philosophy, Druidry and Neo-Druidism, mythology, and applied virtue ethics.”
Myers writes both non-fiction and fiction. A selection of his titles includes Dangerous Religion: Environmental Spirituality And Its Activist Dimension (2004); The Mysteries of Druidry: Celtic Mysticism, Theory, and Practice (2006);The Other Side of Virtue: Where Our Virtues Really Came from, What They Really Mean, and Where They Might Be Taking Us (2008); Pagan Testament: The Literary Heritage of the World’s Oldest New Religion (2008); Loneliness and Revelation: A Study of the Sacred Part One (2010); Circles of Meaning, Labyrinths of Fear: The 22 Relationships of a Spiritual Life and Culture ~ And Why They Need Protection (2012); and Clear and Present Thinking: A Handbook in Logic and Rationality (2013).
Ross Nichols (1902-1975) [Wikipedia entry; OBOD page]
Nichols, also known by his Druid name, Nuinn, was a poet, educator and founder of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). The OBOD page on him notes that he was “one of the key figures in the revival of interest in Celtic Spirituality and Druidry in modern times. In 1964, Nichols, a Cambridge academic and published poet, became Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, and from that time, he wrote prolifically on the subjects of Druidism and Celtic mythology.
His main work, The Book of Druidry, was published in 1990, fifteen years after his death, and over twenty years later remains in print, while The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, which he founded, is now the largest Druid organisation in the world, with many thousands of members worldwide.”
A more extensive biography by George Knowles may be found here.
Dana O’Driscoll [AODA entry; personal blog]
(Image from AODA site; biography adapted from the AODA entry) O’Driscoll became the first Ollave Adept in AODA and at the Fall Equinox in 2019, she stepped into the role of Grand Archdruid. She served as Chief Editor of Trilithon: The Journal of the Ancient Order of Druids in America for the first four issues. She is also a Druid-grade member in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and was chosen as the 18th Mount Haemus Scholar by OBOD for her work, “Channeling the Awen Within: An Exploration of Learning the Bardic Arts in the Modern Druid Tradition.” Dana holds a Bachelors Degree in English, a Masters Degree in Linguistics, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, and by day, enjoys her job as a university professor. Dana is the illustrator and author of the Tarot of Trees(www.tarotoftrees.com) and the Plant Spirit Oracle (www.plantspiritoracle.com). Her writings on druidry and sustainability can be found at The Druid’s Garden (druidgarden.wordpress.com).
Emma Restall Orr (1965-) [Wikipedia entry; homepage]
Orr, also known by her Druid name Bobcat, is an author and poet, and for almost a decade was joint chief of the British Druid Order with Philip Shallcrass (see below). She founded The Druid Network and Honouring the Ancient Dead.
Among her numerous books are Spirits of the Sacred Grove (2014) — republication of Principles of Druidry (1998); The Wakeful World: Animism, Mind and the Self in Nature (2012); Kissing the Hag : The Dark Goddess and the Unacceptable Nature of Woman (2009); Living with Honour: A Pagan Ethics (2008); The Apple and the Thorn (with Bill Melnyk) (2007); Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul (2004); Druidry: Rekindling the Sacred Fire (with Philip Shallcrass) (2002); Druid Priestess (2000); Ritual: A Guide to Life, Love and Inspiration (2000); Druidry (2000); Principles of Druidry (1998).
Jean Pagano (Drum) [ADF bio]
Pagano (known as Drum) was elected Archdruid of ADF in 2016, assuming the leadership from Archdruid emeritus Kirk Thomas (see listing below). A 2016 Wild Hunt article comments, “Raised in Chicago by French parents, Drum is both an American and French citizen. He went to a Catholic high school and then to the University of Illinois, where he received an undergraduate degree in philosophy. In time, he also earned both a master’s and Ph.D. in the same field.”
A short biographical statement on the ADF website notes, “Jean (Drum) Pagano is the current ADF Archdruid as well as a Senior Priest in ADF. He is a frequent contributor to Oak Leaves and he honours the Earth Mother and Manannan mac Lir is his daily workings. He is a poet and a writer and the author of Arise from Vapours and Willow Flow, both available at amazon.com.”
Arthur Uther Pendragon (1954-; born John Timothy Rothwell) [Loyal Arthurian Warband page; Wikipedia page]
One of the more colorful and visible figures of Modern Druidry, Pendragon is, to quote Wikipedia, an “English eco-campaigner, Neo-Druid leader, media personality, and self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur,” after a legal name change.
He is perhaps best known for his legal battles with English Heritage (custodian of such sites as Stonehenge), regarding their exclusionary policies restricting public access. He has also contested the treatment of ancient human remains discovered near Stonehenge, petitioning the government for their respectful reburial. Disputes about poll taxes and the right to wear his chosen regalia have also garnered headlines and in some cases brought about legal changes.
Karl Schlotterbeck [Keltria page]
Adapted from an older Keltria website entry (now defunct): Former archdruid Karl Schlotterbeck, MA, CAS, is a longtime student of the Druid way (including the Druid grade of OBOD), a shaman, drummer, and licensed psychologist. He was elected to the Councel of Elders in 2003 and selected as Archdruid in July of 2009. Karl was reelected in 2012 for another nine-year term.
He is the author of Living Your Past Lives: The Psychology of Past-Life Regression, The Karma In Your Relationships, and Lion of Satan, Lion of God. He lives in Minnesota with his wife, children and assorted animals.”
Philip Shallcrass (Greywolf) (1953-) [Wikipedia entry; British Druid Order page; Huffington Post page]
Shallcrass founded the British Druid Order (BDO). The Wikipedia entry notes that Shallcrass, “often known by his Druid name, Greywolf, is Chief of the British Druid Order. He is an artist, writer, poet, musician and singer-songwriter who pioneered a ‘shamanic’ Druidism.”
The BDO page offers a timeline of the development of BDO principles and influences, documenting Shallcrass’s experiences with Native American and other shamanic spiritualities.
Dave Smith/Damh the Bard [website; Youtube channel]
Damh is a musician and the current Pendragon of OBOD. A Wikipedia user page names him as “a contemporary pagan musician whose songs celebrate Druidry, nature and pagan spirituality. Writing primarily acoustic music, Damh the Bard performs live around the United Kingdom and had released seven CDs as of 2012.”
His genial personality, stage presence and singable tunes have made him a very popular performer worldwide. In addition, his regular monthly Druidcast podcast features music, interviews, talks and other things both Pagan and Druidic.
R. J. (Robert John) Stewart (1949-) [Wikipedia; website]
Stewart is an author of over 40 titles, musician, magician and teacher — his influence on Druidry lies in his work in magic, particularly in the Underworld, faery and Western Hermetic traditions.
According to the biographical notes on his website, “In 1996 R.J. was admitted to the USA as ‘resident alien of extraordinary ability,’ a category awarded only to immigrants of outstanding achievement in the arts or sciences. He now lives in the Pacific North West and in Glastonbury.
R.J. has developed, and teaches, an international program, Inner Temple Traditions Inner Convocation®, exploring original techniques for spiritual growth and transformation. ITIC was founded in the 1980’s and continues in the 21st century with a core group of experienced teachers trained by R.J. and his partner Anastacia Nutt.”
Wren Taylor [Keltria page]
Taylor was the last Archdruid of Keltria. As the Keltria page (now defunct) noted, “Archdruid Wren Taylor has been active in the Neopagan community since 1979. She is an avid festival participant and conducts classes and workshops in Keltrian Druidism and related subjects. Her focus is on the disciplines of Bard, Seer and Druid. Wren served as president of the Henge from 1997 to 2003, and as vice-president from 2003 to 2009. During her tenure as president, Wren spear-headed the move to organize the Henge as a religious order. She is a Ring of the Oak member and was elected to the council of elders in 2000 and reelected in 2009. In 2015, Wren was elected archdruid. She also served as art editor and contributor to ‘Keltria Journal’ and ‘Henge Happenings.'”
Kirk Thomas [website; ADF biographical note]
Thomas is Archdruid emeritus of ADF (Ár nDraíocht Féin) and a Druid priest. As he remarks (ADF website biographical note), “One of the things that attracted me to ADF was Isaac’s [Isaac Bonewits; see listing above] vision of the future — a time when ADF congregations support their own buildings and land, their own day-care centers, their own retirement homes, etc. and become visibly active and respected parts of the community. As a public religion, we reach out to the Pagan community with our open, public rituals and activities. But we need to grow. Member services need to be streamlined and made more efficient, and our clergy need to reach out beyond their own groves to those solitaries and smaller groves whose members can never make it to an ADF festival.”
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