An introduction to Brigantian Druidry

Here is an introduction to my understanding of Brigantian Druidry, based on what I know from my own studies. What I mean by this, is that I have connected to ancestors claiming to be Brigantians, and they have been training me in the ways of Brigantian Druids as applied within their Druid School. I am not suggesting any of this has to be “true” for you. But as you will see. Brigantian Druidry was all about finding your own Personal Truth, within the context of your own experiences and ancestry. Druid School was a framework for spiritual exploration. Not a claim for a single path or understanding to be held up as an “only truth”.

As I understand it, although Druids tended to work within specific localities, the reality of the Iron Age, much more so in Brigantia, due to our structure, that each tribe could have very different beliefs and practices. Our druids understood that overall, the same core archetypes were in play, simply expressing themselves in a unique way, specific to those people.

This was especially the case for Brigantia, were there were possibly as many as 20 tribes in a confederation, and was a unique and highly cosmopolitan mix of both internal tribal units who arrived here at different times and through different routes. We also have a regular flow of temporary visitors and also longer term visitors, who may have come to be taught in our druid school, for example, as part of an exchange program.

Because of this, a Brigantian Druid had to understand the entire history of the development of belief and our interaction with the divinity in all it’s expressions. As a result, basic training for a druid was typically 10 years. This included options to visit other druid schools for a term or two, and also, to work with a number of tribes during training, in order to find one to be “home”, after they have graduated. The starting point for their career as a Druid, and the beginning of their exploration of what they came to understand as their “life mission”.

Druid School for not only Druids?

Within Brigantia, and most other places, our approach to education was very different. We have a myth in our tribe that the first people to start talking to the ancestors and deities were our children, and this happened when the first settlers moved into the area known as Kingsdale today. Very quickly, their children found they had what you might call invisible friends. We were expecting this. Druids from another tribe had come to us a few years previously, and told us that the Gods had started talking to us, and the children were highly receptive.

They showed us how to let the deities show us how to find them, and they told us simply to let the children play there.  Pretty soon, our children attained the knowledge that informed our beliefs and societal structures, which developed slowly, over time, as we worked with the divinities to embody them in the entire landscape of our kingdoms.

Embodying is the process where by the spirit of an ancestor is “brought to life”, through, amongst other things, being recognised as “living” at a place, or in an object, and honoured, respected, and most of all listened to.

We can see this process reflected today, when new churches are created and rituals are done, often, to move the spirit of one or more Christian archetypes into that new location. Christians may call it something different. But the fact is, in England, there is no difference to the location of our Iron Age shrines and points of veneration, and the location of most churches believed to have been built prior to the 1600’s.

In Brigantian society, we encouraged young children to have invisible friends, and when we thought they were old enough, we would take them to those places where out ancestors had strong embodiments, and we would let them play. This play, had a subtle purpose: The idea was to gently tease out and understand what each child is good at, their skills, their way of thinking, and also, their dreams. The ancestors would do this, during those play sessions. The children would come to realise and connect with those early threads and indicators of their interests and drivers. We would start helping them see their own unique value, and take that into their imagination, for that seed to grow.

Nothing is decided at that point, no influence is placed on the children, no expectation. We might visit for a picnic, then see if the children like the idea of staying for a week or two. They know it’s a special place, of course, and that we regard their invisible friends as important for their future. But the idea is that the child has to grow into themselves with the ancestors help. Not with anything but the slightest guidance from ourselves, directly.

It is not we, the people that call the shots, it is our ancestors, it is they that have conquered the challenges of the past, it is that long thread of wisdom that each child will ultimately connect to, and embody in their lives.

From the age of say, 8, to 12, the children may visit those places, to play with the ancestors, as often as wished, dependent on circumstances such as distance and the child’s ability to make that journey. Back then, we had no fears for our children’s safety within the entire tribal area, and usually, the older they got the more time they would spend there. Over that time the child will realise that they are being tested, and the relationship usually gets more focussed with some specific ancestors.

It is important to understand that in most of our belief systems, if we trace our ancestry back far enough, we will find the same source. Therefore, each of us has a ancestry directly to the deities. Usually, our children would work with more recent ancestors at first, however, as time progressed, those deeper roots to our lineage would be explored.

Typically, by the age of twelve, most will be ready for druid school. By this time, they will have a strong telepathic link with one or more ancestors. They will have a favourite, and it is typically this ancestor that leads their first year of Druid School.

On the first day of school, we explain the structure of the school, and inform the children that their invisible friends, their ancestors will introduce them to their teachers, and we will be there to help and advise. That most of their knowledge and learning will come from their inner conversations with those teacher ancestors.

,Just about everyone went to Druid school, and just about everyone who came to druid school was to some extent, telepathic. The Druids of our Druid School were mainly advisors who helped and guided people to find their true guides – the ancestors and deities that embody all collected wisdom from that lineage based life path. Our job was to help them maximise their learning, and also, we were there for safety, and also we tested the pupils. But they told us their aims, and our test was to help them see how well they were progressing towards that aim.

Druid School was not only a school for druids. It was a school run by druids, for everyone. Those ancestors were farmers, they were cooks, they were expert at making clothes and at leadership, all manner of divisions of skills and labour existed. And since all you really need in order to access that information is a strong telepathic connection to the correct ancestor, it was therefore simply our job to enable that connection. Hence our Druid School had an annex that specialised in animal husbandry and agricultural practices.

The Master Pantheon and non-path specific practices

In Brigantian Druidry, just like most other belief systems of the day. We understood that all pantheons had been formed from a common set of archetypes. We tended to agree that the first sixteen archetypes in a pantheon “flourish”, where generally the most important, and that each of us can trace our lineage to a combination of those sixteen archetypes, but each pantheon was created to fulfil a specific local need. Hance we call those archetypes different names, and we can see differences between the same archetype as it is expressed within different pantheons.

We as Brigantians, for example, know that our triple Goddess Brigantia, whilst being the mother of all creation, and of all feminine archetypes, that it is her first three expressions that are the most fundamental of the rest, and it is these that act as one to form the triple goddess Brigantia. Thus, the Roman’s syncretised her to be three Goddesses in their own pantheon, which also equated her to three goddesses in the Greek pantheon, etc.

Therefore we created a system that does not require a specific name to be equated to one’s first archetype, or any that follow afterwards. And we typically understand that each new archetype that has been embodied in the individual is regarded as another step up the staircase to “The High Ones” – The likes of Brigantia herself, and those first sixteen that created our lineages.

We therefore created structures that reflected those steps. We called the top of each step a level. Your archetype would choose if you needed to stay on that level, and acquire the skills and knowledge made available by accepting the challenges presented there. Or to move on upwards in search of a different archetype. There would still be work to do one every level. But for some, that may take one day, for another, someone who is to become an adept in that particular ancestral skill or wisdom, they might take three months.

In ten years, an individual may climb perhaps 100 levels. Those levels may be spread about the country or wider still. If you imagine that out of those 100 levels, then that is approximately 6 layers of sixteen archetypes. In that 10 years, typically, the individual would have realised that each step of one of those archetypes, is like collecting all the hues of that particular “colour”. For the majority of steps, they will only stay long enough to write a postcard. But usually, for two of those archetypes, they will have stayed on those steps long enough to write several books about it, they will have become adept in understanding of two of those sixteen. Once they leave Druid School, there work will guide them to further levels of adeptness with other archetypes.

Hopefully, you can see that this creates a very different picture of society. One where everyone is adept at something, and that something is part of their own uniqueness and way of being. That everything that was done, was done, based on divine guidance and help. And that therefore, everywhere was to some extent, part of a ritual landscape.

Translating this to modern times

In modern terms, we could think of these ancestors as imaginative thoughtforms which we druids helped people to connect with and make friends with. A very similar process is seen with “Parts Based” therapies such internal family systems. However, our job was much simpler, because we as parents were not telling our children to dissociate from their “invisible friend” thoughtforms. Which meant these invisible friends never felt the need to hide, and “go dark”, in the shadows of our unconscious mind. Therefore this was not therapy, it meant our children never needed such therapy, we simply allowed them to grow towards their truest expression of self, working with, not against those “thought-forms”, that we call our ancestors.

The idea was that we keep the child whole, to try to not to give them a hard time about anything related to their creative play, or imaginative self concepts. We encouraged that imagination, until that whole person, became so visionary in those imaginative thoughts that the magic of genius tended to happen.

The Brigantian Druid can therefore be equated to a certain extent, with a person-centred counsellor that specialises in a combination of parts working and Jungian based theory, but they rarely worked with people who they considered to be mentally unwell. We simply helped people individuate as part of their normal growth cycle.

Druids also tended to be advisors to the leadership, they led our group rituals and ceremonies, they helped us plan for the future developments of the tribe. But most of all, they mediated between the different tribes as each looked to change their relationship with another tribe. Trade agreements, boundary changes, anything where the issue at hand needed careful management and handling. In Brigantia, with it’s 20 tribes, as you can imagine, this was often the most pressing matter.

Comparative Analysis of Brigantian Druidry

Brigantian Druidry, as understood through ancestral teachings and historical reflection, was a system deeply rooted in finding personal truth within the context of individual experience and lineage. It was a framework for spiritual exploration, not an assertion of a singular path or universal truth. Druids in Brigantia often adapted their teachings to their locality, yet they understood that the same core archetypes were at play across diverse expressions.

With over 20 tribes forming a cosmopolitan confederation, Brigantian Druids required an understanding of both the diversity and shared spiritual roots of these groups. Training typically spanned 10 years and included exchange programs with other Druid schools, as well as working with different tribes to discover one’s home tribe and life mission.

Educational Approach: Brigantian Druid School vs. Modern Druidry and Other Belief-Based Systems

Brigantian Druidry

The Druid school was not solely for Druids but served as a communal institution where individuals, regardless of their future role, learned through ancestral connection and play-based exploration.

Children were encouraged to maintain connections with their “invisible friends” (ancestral guides) from a young age. This was viewed as an essential part of their growth, fostering imaginative thought that aligned with their future roles.

No singular curriculum existed; instead, learning was highly individualized, based on each person’s ancestral interactions and life mission.

Modern Druidry

Often incorporates structured learning modules, focusing on history, ritual practice, environmental stewardship, and mythology.

While imaginative and spiritual exploration is encouraged, many modern Druid groups emphasize community gatherings and seasonal rituals over individualized ancestral guidance.

Comparison with Religious and Secular Systems

Traditional religious education (e.g., Christian catechism or Islamic madrasa) often involves a set curriculum cantered around doctrine, faith practices, and moral teachings.

Secular systems prioritize standardized education, focusing on measurable outcomes, intellectual development, and often downplaying imaginative or spiritual exploration.

In contrast, Brigantian Druidry resembled modern Montessori or Waldorf models, where self-directed learning and creative exploration play key roles. However, its foundation in ancestral telepathic guidance adds a uniquely spiritual dimension.

Social Roles and Skills Development

Brigantian Druidry

The Druid School’s annexes specialized in practical skills such as farming, craftsmanship, leadership, and diplomacy, ensuring that all roles were infused with spiritual purpose.

Individuals honed specific talents under the guidance of their ancestral archetypes, gradually mastering “levels” associated with particular ancestral skills.

By adulthood, each person had developed an area of expertise uniquely their own, yet interwoven with collective tribal needs.

Modern Druidry

Emphasizes spiritual practice, environmental stewardship, and ritual performance but often separates these from vocational training.

While some groups encourage the exploration of practical skills like herbalism and storytelling, these are often considered optional rather than core aspects of identity.

Comparison with Modern Societal Structures

Secular education systems channel individuals into defined career paths based on standardized assessments rather than spiritual guidance.

Vocational education focuses on practical skills but lacks the metaphysical framework that Brigantian society integrated into every skill and trade.

Brigantian Druidry viewed the activities of every role, from farming to leadership, as part of a greater ritual landscape, aligning spiritual guidance with practical societal contributions.

Leadership and Mediation

Brigantian Druidry

Druids served as spiritual advisors, ritual leaders, and mediators between tribes. They facilitated agreements and boundary changes, ensuring tribal relations remained balanced and harmonious.

Their guidance was sought during critical decisions, not because they enforced rules but because their ancestral connections provided insights that aligned decisions with long-term collective well-being.

Modern Druidry

Modern Druids often take on community leadership roles but generally focus on environmental activism, public rituals, and cultural events rather than formal mediation roles.

Comparison with Other Systems

Religious figures (e.g., clergy or imams) serve as moral and spiritual authorities but often within hierarchical structures where leadership is centralized.

Secular leaders, such as politicians and mediators, base decisions on legal frameworks rather than spiritual guidance.

Brigantian Druids blended spiritual insight, relational wisdom, and political acumen, functioning as impartial advisors whose authority came from their connection to the ancestors rather than institutional power.

Spiritual Development Frameworks

Brigantian Druidry

Spiritual development was framed as a climb up an ancestral staircase, with each “step” representing an archetype or aspect of ancestral wisdom.

Students did not move at a uniform pace but progressed based on their readiness and the guidance of their ancestral archetypes.

Some students might master a specific archetype deeply, while others progressed broadly across many levels.

Modern Druidry

Modern systems often use a more linear progression model (e.g., degrees of initiation) based on prescribed teachings and ritual experience.

Comparison with Modern Therapeutic Models

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy encourages individuals to engage with “parts” of themselves, similar to the Brigantian practice of communicating with ancestral archetypes.

Unlike IFS, where the goal is often healing trauma and integrating parts, Brigantian Druidry focused on growth and individuation as part of normal development, without assuming fragmentation or dysfunction.

Integration with Daily Life

Brigantian Druidry

The entire landscape was seen as part of a ritual framework, with sacred places serving as focal points for connection with the ancestors.

Daily activities, whether related to farming, crafting, or leadership, were considered acts of spiritual embodiment.

Modern Druidry

While there is reverence for nature and sacred spaces, daily life is often viewed as separate from spiritual practice.

Comparison with Religious and Secular Models

Traditional religious systems may integrate daily rituals (e.g., prayer or dietary laws) but often separate the sacred from the mundane.

Secular societies typically compartmentalize spirituality as a personal matter, separate from work and daily responsibilities.

Brigantian Druidry’s holistic approach blurred the lines between sacred and secular, embedding spirituality into every aspect of life.

Summing Up

Brigantian Druidry offers a unique educational and societal model that integrates personal growth, spiritual exploration, and communal responsibility. Unlike many modern systems that separate practical education from spiritual development, Brigantian Druidry embraced a holistic approach where ancestral wisdom informed every role and vocation.

Compared to modern Druidry, religious institutions, and secular educational structures, Brigantian Druidry stands out for its emphasis on relational learning, imaginative play, and telepathic guidance. By nurturing individuality within a collective framework, it fostered a society where every individual’s gifts were honoured as part of a larger spiritual narrative.