AnonymousThanks Dowrgi, that sounds like a good idea. I am looking forward to that. I need to do some more research on calenders and how people measure time, especially the Coligny calender, but I can get around to doing that soon. I have more or less abandoned any idea of digging for a Celtic tree calender, I think we both agreed there that there might not be anything there to find. But I might come up with some more on that, or on the Ogham language. Languages are something that I am very interested in. I have been trying to pick up some Gaelic but I am a very slow learner. I think that the Ogham language is key to understanding the Celts as it embodies tree knowledge not just divination. It is clear from this that trees and tree worship were a crucial part of Celtic culture. Did you know that there were different classes of trees and that you could be fined a weregild for damaging them as if damaging trees was a criminal offence? Some trees like the oak were considered to be chieftain trees, like the leading trees, other trees possessed a lower class or grade. The Celts had a caste system running for all trees, within their culture trees were that important. I think the fine system was part of what used to be called Brehon law.
I find it curious how much of an influence Wicca has on some Druidic practices. As far as I am aware the Celts never practiced Wicca. Wicca is a very modern invention, starting with Gerald Gardner in 1951 with the repeal of the Fraudulent Mediums Act. There seems to be a lot of talk about Wicca even within Druidic circles. I think this is a little bit misleading. I don’t think that you have to follow a Wiccan style of practice in order to be a Druid, or that you have to follow Wiccan beliefs or a Wiccan hierarchy, yet many people do. Is this really a good idea? Isn’t this really limiting the definition of what Druidry can be?