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New Order of Druids
The New Order of Druids is a worldwide Celtic and Druid organisation, with its headquarters established in Belgium.
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Overview[edit]
Some believe that present-day Druids are people who live with their minds in the past, and that the Druidic wisdom had its place in time only, and thus cannot be applied any more today. But in our current society, it may well turn out that this very same ancient wisdom will be our future.
The concept of the New Order of Druids was founded by David Dom (Belgium) in 2002, and was opened in January 2003. The fundamental ideas on which he based this organization, is to offer a totally free-of-charge alternative for people through the means of internet, with three main goals: to learn, to grow, to exchange.
The New Order of Druids (N.O.D. in short) is, in truth, a free online community Circle for people of all ages, from Europe, America, Australia and even Turkey.
History of the N.O.D.[edit]
The New Order of Druids was originally founded under the name "Gate To Avalon", on August 16, 2002, as a simple and small Celtic website with but very limited information.
The actual New Order of Druids was founded on January 24 2003, having begun the formation of a free online community, although it was not until June 11 2003 that the N.O.D. had transformed into an actual "Druid Circle" with the formation of the Council.
The Grove of Dana, the online Druid College of the N.O.D., was officially launched on May 30 2004, and the Nervii Nemeton, the Mother Grove of the N.O.D. (and thereby the first local grove), was founded in Belgium on September 2 2005.
The Circle[edit]
The Circle is what the New Order of Druids calls its message board. A place where people talk, debate, discuss, and share knowledge about Druidism (Druidry). The admins and moderators encourage as well as promote a family like atmosphere for all to enjoy a piece of sanctuary from narrow minded societies. To find out more about the N.O.D. visit and take a virtual tour:
The Nine Ideals[edit]
These are the Nine Ideals of the New Order of Druids.
1. Approach nature with reverance and respect.
2. Always uphold the truth.
3. Walk the way of balance.
4. Preserve the harmony upon your actions.
5. Always abide to the laws of nature.
6. Use wisdom in service to the universe, not to promote selfishness.
7. Never profit from knowledge or the use of powers for the sole purpose of monetary riches.
8. Respect all others, even if their opinions are different.
9. Never break a sworn oath, lest you be forsworn.
The Council Board[edit]
The Council Board exists of three members, who form the "HeadQuarters" of the N.O.D. in Belgium. These three members are vital to establish a non-profit organisation according to Belgium law. The Board members are:
- Willow Mist, otherwise known as Jenni Heiden
- Roma Aeternae, otherwise known as Hans Roggeman
The N.O.D. Council[edit]
The Council is formed by members of the New Order of Druids, who work together to increase the quality of the services they offer to their members, and vote on decisions that need to be made. These members are not necessarily all Druids, some are also Bards, and Ovates, both men and women from different parts of the world, some are young and some are older people. The intention of this Council is to guide the Circle and sometimes, make decisions in the best interests of all the members. It's intention is not to RULE, but to guide where and if necessary. The Council generally presides over the N.O.D.'s online community.
Prominent Council Members are, among others:
- Torc, P.A.C. Bloos, otherwise known as Pac Bloos, a prominent member of The Druid Network in The Netherlands.
- Crow Dragontree, a professor at the Grey School of Wizardry in the USA.
- Idircheo, otherwise known as Jason Kirkey, Faculty at the Avalon College of Druidry in the USA.
N.O.D. Groves[edit]
The New Order of Druids intends on having both a global and local presence, by setting up local groves in the world. The following N.O.D. local groves are in existence:
- Nervii Nemeton, Belgium (see below).
The Mother Grove[edit]
The Nervii Nemeton, the Mother Grove of the New Order of Druids is established in Belgium, the country of the foundation of the N.O.D., and began its monthly gatherings on September 2, 2005. The main language spoken during these gatherings is Dutch.
The Druid Senate[edit]
The Druid Senate is an organ within the New Order of Druids particularly overcoupling all its local groves through online interacting using a forum. Of each grove, two representatives act as "Druid Senator" within the Senate: the Grove Leader and a second member of the grove, chosen as the grove itself sees fit.
The Druid Senate is intended to bring the different local groves closer together by increasing communication and cooperation between the groves, to maintain the N.O.D. goals on the same level and continuously attempt to increase the quality of the organisation and each of its branches.
Once a year, a Druid Senate election is held, in where two Senator candidates can be elected to the following functions:
- Chief Druid (representative of the Druid Senate, can only be held by a member who has attained a confirmed level of Druid)
- Chief Bard (secondary/assistant representative of the Druid Senate)
The Druid Senate is able to work out and vote on propositions related to one, more or all local groves. Any proposition that has passed the vote, will then be brought before the N.O.D. Council for a final decision.
Chief Druids of the New Order of Druids[edit]
- September 8 2003 - March 30 2004: Teperis
- March 31 2004 - 2005: Position abolished by Council Reformation
- 2006 - 2007: To be elected
The Grove of Dana College[edit]
The Grove of Dana was created under the auspices of the New Order of Druids 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, they welcome those who are interested in or practising other traditions.
The Grove works towards the goal of fostering a true understanding of the self and the universe, by exploring the trinity of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Many educational programs merely require the student to learn by examining things as if they are outside objects, without allowing the student to feel their inherent connection to their studies. Knowledge is the area of the mind and the intellect, and is important to any educational endeavor, however knowledge alone will get us nowhere. As well as offering intellectual readings and assignments, our courses will also require the student to gain experience through certain exercises and meditations. Only through experience can one come to understand the knowledge one has, and thus gain the third part of the triad: wisdom. Wisdom is the product of experience and knowledge, just as mist is the product of water and air.
The college remains entirely free of cost and open to all people with an interest. The only requirement for enrollment is membership in the New Order of Druids, which is also free of charge. 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.
N.O.D. Universal Druid Prayer[edit]
The Official N.O.D. Universal Druid Prayer is written by Karayana in 2005, and goes as follows:
Awaken Gods, Goddesses all,
And hear our heartfelt earthbound call,
To see beyond what we can see,
To know the truth that lies with thee.
To know the truth of Earth's firm touch,
To feel the truth of the fires rush,
To breath the truth of rich clear air,
To drink the truth of water fair.
We ask for the solid strength of stone,
For warmth to heat our hearth and home,
We ask for the wisdom of the oak,
For food and water to feed all folk.
Please guide us down our chosen path,
So we may sing and dance and laugh,
And love and give and hope and dream,
To live the life that we have seen.
