Druids believe in the holistic connection of all life.  To deliberately harm another aspect of Divine Creation is to set in action repercussions that will eventually return against the one who sent the harm.  That is a Law of Karma, and is empowered by the Threefold Law –  which means that what is sent out by them returns to them threefold.   Druids do not believe in doing harm (not even to themselves.) 

There are NO such figures in the Druid Spiritual system.   Although early Christians saw Druids honouring horned and cloven-footed animals, such as deer, what the Christians then did not understand was that, because Druidism is a Spiritual Path that concentrates on the holistic sense of all life, including Divinity, the Druids saw these animals as aspects of God, also, and used the symbolism of their God-given virility in their Rituals.   The deer were admired for their gentle yet strong Spirit, which could survive and populate the forest in spite of the Hunters who sought them out.   Symbolism is a Way of Understanding things, like using metaphors.  

To Druids, God appears in many and varied expressions, including ourselves.   The male and female aspects of God can appear as separate entities, yet are One and the Same.   Both Light and Dark have necessary roles to play in the Universe, just as day and night, and activity and rest, have roles to play in our lives.   Druids seek to understand the positive Ways in which both Light and Dark are expressed, and to express those Ways in themselves, and their lives.   Again, the Threefold Law deters negative expression.

A wizard, in ancient times, was a learned and wise person.   The Three Wise Men of the Christian Bible were WIZARDS.   It is said that the Merlin of mythological Camelot was a Druid.    
However, Druids in ancient Celtic (pronounced Kell-tick) times were the lawmakers, the judges, and the advisors, for and of the rulers and nobility.   As Keepers of the Spiritual Truths, which underpinned the physical reality of the Mortal World, their judgement was final when a decision needed to be made by the landholders and their Clans.   These were the Wizards, the Wise people.   (Druids were both men and women, though women were titled, Dree.)   On top of all this, Druids were also the Master Craftsmen, the Poets, Singers, Actors, Wandering Minstrels, News-bringers and Story Tellers, who travelled from noble House to noble House bringing new knowledge, teaching the Arts, and entertaining and uplifting the mundane lives of the landholders and their Clans.   These Arts are still practiced by Druids today as a Way of bringing Spiritual Gifts into the mortal World.

Some Druids prefer to wear white, black, or grey robes during Rituals and Festivals.   However, All colours and styles of clothing are okay.   Divinity does not recognize you by what you wear, but by your Intentions.   In ancient times, Druids often wore multi-coloured, black or grey robes when travelling; and green, blue, or brown robes ,edged with gold embroidery, for ceremonial occasions.   White or blue were the spiritual colours for Rituals.

Druids can be professional and responsible people in your community, such as Lawyers, Doctors, Scientists, Policemen, Teachers, etc.   Druidism does not discriminate against others, in any way, because it views everything and everyone as equal in the eyes of Divinity, and as different aspects of Divinity.   Druidry respects and tolerates others, as well as one Self; and respects all religions, and the importance other Spiritual Paths have in the hearts, minds and lives of others.   Druidism does not differentiate between the various names and aspects of God and Divinity.   All Gods and their Names are the Same, and All Paths are One.   Therefore, you will find Catholics, Presbyterians, etc. who practice Druidry.   Druidry is a Spiritual Path, and Druidism encapsulates all religions.

Magic is the Divine Force which lives within us all, and creates the World around us.   In other Spiritual Paths you might call it the Power of Prayer.   You might also call it Wishing.   In modern times, you might call it the Power of Positive Thinking.   Magic is a thought, a projection, or a prayer, often sent during Ritual  (but not necessarily so)  to produce an Intended Result (by the Laws of Right Action).   It does not imply doing harm.
 
As well, Druids use Magic only for Right Purpose and by the Laws of Divine Right Action manifesting in the World.   Druids are mindful of the connection between all people and all things, and realize that Magic can do as much harm as good, if misused.   Therefore, Druids only Wish for what is rightful, and only make Wishes under Serious Intention, with full and responsible Knowledge of the Possible Outcome.   When all life in the Universe is inter-connected, changing one thing can have a domino effect on a whole Chain of Existence.  
Without proper understanding of the consequences, you could get more than you bargained for from a Wish misdirected.

No matter what images you’ve seen on Film or Television, the Truth is that Druids use these Tools to direct Energies for healing and prayer. 

They use the Knowledge given them to employ the Natural Magic of the Divine Earth on which they live, so that all life is enhanced and harmonized to tune in with the cosmic vibrations of Divinity. 

The Collins English Dictionary defines a “Druid” as a member of an ancient Order of Priests (and Priestesses) in Gaul, Britain, and Ireland, (although Archaeologists have discovered they covered a much wider area).   In Old Irish, a Druid was a Wizard (see above.)   In Scottish, the female title, Dree, means to endure; and, in Old Norse, it meant to perpetrate, which means to "perform or be responsible for," as in the leader in the performance of Sacred Rites.

Druids share the same Eight Annual Festivals that Wiccans (Witches) celebrate because their origins are from the same Celtic background, but Druids are not Wiccans.   You could liken the two Paths to two alternate Paths of Christianity.   The basic beliefs and Rituals are similar, but the processes and embellishments are different: e.g. like Catholicism and Presbyterianism. 

This is a curling, three-armed Symbol representing the Forces and Elements of life: Earth, Air, and Water, with the Fire of Spirit inspiring all from its centre. 

Druids do not forget that the Earth is our physical and spiritual Home.   They also believe that the Earth is as much an aspect of Divinity, of God, and Spirit, as anything and anyone else.  
The Earth’s life force is also our life force, for all life is inter-Connected.   A Druid learns to be aware of all Worlds, and all dimensions; and to take responsibility, and have respect, for the traversal of them. 

You may read of ancient Druids who supposedly did so, but written History is based on the views of biased Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans, who were at war with the Celts.   The propaganda put out to convince their people to become enemies of the Celts has stayed in such Histories until modern times, mainly because the Celts did not write of History themselves.   They used Rune letters mainly for contracts or for Sacred Purposes, such as blessing a sword or cup.   All other Histories and Sacred Rites were passed down through generations by word of mouth.   That is one reason why it is difficult to properly understand the History of Druidism today.
 
That is not to say that people did not die then as part of some of their religious Rituals.   But this must be taken in the context of the Historic Times they lived in, and in the context of their Spiritual Beliefs in those times.   Druids believe in reincarnation but, in those times, they believed that reincarnation was an instant process.   You don’t kill someone you don’t want to come back.   The people who died then were specially blessed, and were given a new chance at another life: that was the spiritual context.   On the other hand, the Romans, Greeks, etc. were pretty good at making human sacrifices of their own back then, e.g. Crucifixion, Impaling, and Child Sacrifice (as written in the Bible).

The propaganda put around by the enemies of the Druids in ancient times enabled the Romans to sever the control of the Druids over the Celtic people.   But the ancient people still held onto their Spiritual Beliefs and Practices.   The Romans had to let them continue to celebrate their Festivals, and only changed the stories a little to make them acceptable.   So, today, people still celebrate the Festival of Ostara, the Goddess of new life, as Easter, with all the symbols of eggs and rabbits that have always been.   There is still a Mother’s Day, which once celebrated the Mother aspect of God.   Lent is still a process of fasting, leading up to Celebration.   (Lent was the word for the lengthening of the days, as the days became longer when Summer approached).   And, Yule is still celebrated as the renamed Festival of Christ Mass, (Christmas), and retains all the elements of the sacrifice of the Yule King in the form of the red (blood) and white (on snow) figure of Santa Claus, who gives presents to all.   (The Yule King died willingly for his land when times were especially hard, so that all other life would benefit from his Sacrifice.  But, he believed that he would be reincarnated, instantly, into a new and better life: A new King is born)!

Funnily enough, because of the Druids belief that all Gods are One God and all the Names of God are just the many Names of God, a lot of usurped Druids and Drees became the Priests and Nuns of the new Christian Religion; and a lot of the new Saints of that religion were based on the symbolic aspects used previously by the Druids, e.g. The patron Saint of animals, etc.   

Today, the modern Druid makes sacrifice only of part of their Feast Meal, to lie upon the Earth to be eaten by animals and birds, so that they never take for granted what is given to them but will always remember to return something to the Cycle of Life.

THE BARD DANCE MIDI