Life in a Druid Family
By Guinivere

 What’s life like in a Druid family?
 Many of you may ask this question over and over, but never hear an answer. Well, I can answer that question for you.
 I live in Cornwall, UK with my mum, dad and little brother. We all follow the Druid path and are known as the Young Tribe. Being part of a Druid family is great because you can share your beliefs with your family members and you can all learn together.
 But lets look on the other side of the scales for a moment; life when you practise alone. I don’t know what it’s like, but I can imagine it is hard, because you can’t tell your parents what you are doing. Having the family involved is good, as you can turn to family if you don’t understand something. If you’re going to meditate or something like that, you can tell your family and you don’t have to make up an excuse. You can also take walks together in the woods or down the beach. You then can talk about the leaves and twigs you see, or the rocks and shells lying on the sand, and you can discuss their meanings.
 So, there are many advantages to being a child in a Druid family. Hopefully, having read this article may have answered the common question: What’s life like in a Druid family?

Celtic Virtues
By Guinivere

The Celtic Virtues were the set of morals that our Celtic ancestors lived by and are what we as Druids today should strive for.

1. Honour: To earn respect by being honest and trustworthy
2. Loyalty: Being reliable to people and dependable
3. Hospitality: Kindness in welcoming strangers or guests
4. Trustworthiness: Worthy of being trusted
5. Justice: Being fair to everyone by not being judgemental
6. Courage: The power or quality of dealing with or facing danger or your fears
7. Independence: Being responsible for one’s choices
8. Self Rule: Showing individuality and knowing one’s boundaries
9. Industriousness: Perseverance (not giving up)
10. Resolve: Showing determination (being determined to do something)
11. Initiative: Enthusiasm and energy to do something
12. Cleverness: Being alert and intelligent
13. Wisdom: The ability to think and use your common sense and being fair
14. Creativity: Building things, playing games and using one’s imagination
15. Excellence: Achieving something, being skilful and successful

 
Respect for Nature
By Eagle Owl

A respect for Nature is an important part of being a Druid and by observing how the changing seasons affect the flora and fauna around us, we can gain a better understanding of the cycle of life. From the cold dark days of winter to the long hot summer days, Nature is constantly changing. The animal kingdom in winter sees some creatures in their winter sleep – hibernation. Some birds migrate to warmer countries in order to avoid the colder temperatures. Even fish will change their habits as water temperatures change.
The deciduous trees have shed their leaves and their skeletal outlines silhouette against the grey backdrop of the winter sky. The grass is covered in frost, and snow has begun to fall, sending an eerie silence as the landscape becomes transformed in its thick white blanket. Things are moving slowly now as it is the dark half of the year when we see less of the sun as the days are short and the nights long.
As we move into spring and the snow begins to thaw, the animals that have been hibernating throughout the winter months rejoin their fellow fauna. The fields come alive again as the first lambs are born and the forests are alive with birds as our feathered friends build their nests. Some of us have high rainfall now and the rivers are flowing as the water levels swell. Here the water birds are busy building their nests too. It’s a flurry of activity everywhere in the animal kingdom.
Beneath the ground, things have been stirring. Roots are spreading among the soft, gradually warming earth and shoots are pushing towards the surface. The spring flowers have arrived to add colour to our world again as the trees too are sporting their new season’s growth of leaves. As the sun becomes stronger, we can smell the damp earth around us after the spring showers. A walk in the woods brings that wonderful woody aroma and spring woodland flowers compete for our attention.
By summer young animals abound and the trees are filled with fledglings and birdsong. Lakes, oceans and rivers are well stocked with aquatic life too. Summer also sees the return of the migrating birds and also welcomes summer visitors for some of us. We watch the bees and other insects buzzing from flower to flower and butterflies too.
Now the trees are fully clothed again, they provide welcome shade to wildlife and us. For after all, we too are a part of Nature itself and are affected by the changes that take place. This is the most colourful time of the year for we are really able to see the various shades of Nature. From the varying blues of the sky to the numerous shades of green. Gardens, parks and roadsides are ablaze with colour. The sun is at its strongest now and soon it will begin to lose strength gradually as the wheel of the year turns towards autumn/fall.
Once again the animal kingdom is aware of the changing temperatures and many are gathering and storing food for the dark winter months ahead. We too can feel the autumnal chill in the air, as the warmer days have drawn to a close and our summer activities become just a memory. Nature begins to slow again as we prepare for the shorter days and longer nights.
Now the first leaves start to fall as the air cools. For some, autumn brings high rainfall and strong winds and so some trees are stripped of their leaves prematurely. You can almost feel them shiver. Gradually the vibrant colours begin to fade from the natural world as the first frosts nip at the remaining flowers, causing them to wilt. We see more grey skies than blue, more brown earth than colourful flowers. There will always be plenty of green though and this colour reminds us of the eternal life cycle – and as the wheel of the year turns towards winter, we know it will all begin again in the spring. By observing the flora and fauna through the seasons we can better understand the need for preserving our beautiful planet, and therefore ourselves.