Originally posted by Mike

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wow

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Mike, this is a warning. Please make sure you put a little more to your post here.

Pocket, I think you might want to try your hand at Rune stones. I get the feeling you would do well with those.

*WhiteRose just sits there quietly, thinking* "No, I have everything I need for now. I'm ready to leave whenever everyone else is."

*WhiteRose took some of the fruit and nibled on it* "I hope we can find the source quick. It paints to hear all of this happening to nature. They don't deserve this. They did nothing."

ROFL, I've read this before. Always find so funny. Would be sad if that was real.

Originally posted by ff_freak

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Please..can someone tell me...im quite curious..what is druidry? And..does anyone read any books by Silver Ravenwolf? They are good books...well..please..someone tell me...muchly appreciated.

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Sure, I'll be glad to answer the question. Drudry is a pagan religion in which we focus around nature. That is pretty much it down in a nutshell, the details get very long. If you would like to learn more, there is a lot of helpful books like Druid Magic. You can also find information(lot more information) on http://druidry.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=30#section2

Originally posted by ff_freak

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I know about wicca and all, for my friend is too a wiccan, but..out of curiosity, what is druidry?

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I'll answer your question, but I'll post it in the Druidry forum to keep things on topic.

*she turns to Rhyven* "I'm afraid I don't know the source exactly. I did however sense a disturbance in nature. That is what lead me here...I wish I knew more. I might be able to find out more once we are out in the forest."

*WhiteRose walks next to Nerina* "You have my full coaporation in this. I am a druid and I rarely loose my temper, but if anyone, be they man, beast or god, messes with nature and her children, I will make them see the error of their ways. I understand that if it come down to it, every creature marred with this evil must be killed. I just hope we can find a way to have them go back to normal." *Her face was set with a grim expression on her face*

I found this really interesting little short essay about druidry and wicca written by a member of the the OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids). It's interesting little piece that I think you all might find interesting:

THE HARMONY OF WICCA & DRUIDRY

by Donata

I'm both a Druid and a Wiccan. These are my very personal feelings about the two pagan paths I'm on and don't reflect what anyone else may feel or believe. I'm a Druid in OBOD. I'm also a Traditional Wiccan, of Gardnerian and Alexandrian lineages.

Both paths honor the Earth. Both recognize that we must care for the Earth if we are to survive. Both seem, to me, to see the divinity (however defined) in all beings on the Earth - humans, animals, trees & plants, and in less 'animate' beings such as stones and crystals. Both paths recognize the equality of women and men, as partners. Both seek to view the world through intuitive inner knowing at least as much, if not more, than the more 'mainstream' linear analytic way. Both emphasize the importance of accepting personal responsibility for our choices in life. Most people in both of these paths believe in reincarnation and karma, and a version of the Wiccan Three-fold law - what you send out will be returned to you (3-fold, per wicca!).

Wicca is a religion as well as a spiritual path. It is non-dogmatic, but has definite ethical codes, the most prominent being the Wiccan Rede, "Do as ye will and ye harm none". Wicca believes in a Source and worships Its emanations of God and Goddess. Our Circles are fairly structured, and honor the elements, the Guardians of the four Quarters (or directions) and the God and Goddess. In Wiccan Circles, these powers are strongly invited to join us. In traditional Circles, we have 'cakes and wine', which is seen as a sharing with the God &Goddess, and an offering to them. Wicca works with the polarity of the God & Goddess, as seen in the Priest and Priestess in Circle. Wicca practices magic, in which we do positive work to change events/energies/situations according to our will. Magic should not be done when a clear practical, pragmatic course of action is apparent - it is not a subsitiute for action, or for responsibility. (remember the 3-fold law? - it WILL return to you! Magic should also never be done to manipulate the free will of another.) Wiccan is usually considered to be more female-oriented, more lunar oriented. We celebrate the Eight Sabbat fire festivals, and the Full Moon. (some of us also honor the Dark/New Moon). Although lunar, I find Wicca to be more outer-directed than Druidry! We do active work, and then send the results out to complete our will.

Druidry, as taught in the OBOD course, celebrates the same 8 fire festivals (Samhain, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas/Lughnasadh, Fall Equinox) as Wicca, but not the moon cycles. The Circles are less structured, and less firmly inviting - there is no "I call you..." but rather, an invitation & waiting for the energy, e.g. of the quarters, to come into the Circle. Druidry is more a philosophy, a spiritual path, than a religion per se, as I see it. OBOD focuses on the Divine Child (the child we are all birthing) rather than on the polarity of the male and female. The OBOD course is very inner directed, an excellent way to get to know onself and understand ourselves. Magic is not taught. Methods of personal growth are emphasized, including meditation and visualization. It is, in a sense, a gentler path. Druidry is solar -oriented, yet I find it to be more inner, concerned with developing the intuitive, than outer, as in Wiccan magic work. Druidry (OBOD) is not a religion so is compatible with other religions. While most OBOD members are pagan, there are Christian members as well. For myself, these two branches of western spirituality work very well together. They dovetail together and complement one another to make a harmonious whole. Both are very important to me, and make up the major part of my spiritual path.

Well, I've heard of a few places where pagan can hang out, especially in Long Beach. Commons places would be like pagan bookstores. Something that I've been noticing are Pagan Cafes. I've been trying to hunt down the address to some of these places and I finally found one . It's called the Garden of Pan. Sadly it doesn't looks like they have a website, but incase anyone is interested in the place, I do have the address and phone number:

Garden of Pan
510 E Broadway,
Long Beach, CA
562-435-8522

I'm hopping in dragging my friends there soon .
Anybody else know of any other places like this or just pagan hangout in general?

I must have missed it. I'm trying to find another website that has more things like this, but I can't seem to find it. It also had what is refered to as a Witche's alphabet. It looks like a combination of runes and zodiac symbols.

Originally posted by pockets

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I wan to learn the different divination forms but I'm still trying to just get past learning the basic information about my own religion that WhiteRose pretty much has memorized verbatim.

need to find bookstore with good resource material.

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Actually Pockets, Points of Light in Long Beach has a really good selection last time I checked on druidry and just paganism all together. I love that shop!

Wow, that's a really cool site. Thought they don't have the Ogham, what the druids use as an alphabet. Here's a website to show it: http://www.csupomona.edu/~jcclark/ogham/ogh-alph.html
Each symbold actually it assigned to a tree, which I thought was pretty cool.

*she listens intently at Nerina explaining the creatures* "Then it seems like our quarrel isn't so much with these beast as it is with the god." *she looks pensive and mutters to herself "Never killed a god before." *she looks at the rest of the group* "Well once more, I am WhiteRose, a druid and protector of nature. I offer my blade and magic to this cause and hope that I may be of use." *she stays quiet till the man leads them across the street, which she follows.*

*she looks at the woman who walked in.* "I get the feeling we can use all the help we can get. What is your name my Lady?" *as she speaks, she begins to put the pouches and viles away.*

*WhiteRose first gets everything out of the wound and then begins to cast a healing spell on it. The wound is suppose to close, leaving a pink mark where the woud is* "The pink area will go away in a few days. You should be able to work with that arm fine, but don't push it too much." *she takes one of the glasses of wine* "This is fine sir and yes, well at least I am, I can't speak for the rest of this group."

LOL, well I can see that being a problem unless your friend wants to give it up, which I doubt. Crystal balls, as well as scrying mirrors are very expensive. Before I move on to that type of scrying, I'm going to practice with a bowl of water. It works just as well.

Foe me it was an almost 3 year relationship with my ex fiance before he broke up with me for another girl. I thank him for that now since I found someone better. Right now we have a year and seven months and I couldn't be happier.

*WhiteRose smiles at him* "Well today you lucky star shines brightly, for indeed I am a druid. However, if you prefer, I can still use the herbs and ointments over my magic. I wouldn't want you to be hurt longer than necesarry." *she begins to rumage through her bag and pulls out pouches and small viles*

Oh yes, that is a very important thing to keep in mid with any divination tool. It has to have a special feeling for you. Any will do to learn, but to get the best possible response from them, you must have a special link with it. I have one that I found at the renfair and I still remember the way is sort of just drew me to it. I bought it without even thinking about it.