The Druid’s Primer is an excellent book on the subject of Druidry and is an inspirational read for anyone who is seeking to tread this spiritual path Published by Moon books Paperback price: £15.99 e-book price: £4.96 www.lukeeastwood.com
This book is a culmination of fifteen years of research and ten years of experience by the author, Luke Eastwood, who studied under the Wiccan tutor, Barbara Lee amongst others. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, he spent many years in England and now lives in Ireland where he facilitates a small Druid group. He is the co-founder of the Irish Druid Network (irishdruidnetwork.org) and writes for pagan and arboriculture magazines, has contributed to other books. His first book was titled ‘The Journey‘ under the pseudonym ‘Joseph Dawton’ and he has written extensively on subjects, such as politics, horticulture and spirituality in addition to a children’s book written for his daughter which was published in 2000, ‘The Bumbly Bee‘s Big Adventure‘. He has also written a collection of poetry and is a qualified Graphic Designer and Illustrator.
The Druid’s Primer is written from an Irish perspective and the title was inspired by the medieval Irish ‘Scholar’s Primer‘. Luke’s book is not just a practical introduction but a comprehensive guide to Druidry and Celtic Spiritual practices. The author shares his extensive Druidic knowledge of theory and practice and bases his teaching on ancient texts and surviving Celtic lore and customs which he has taken from verifiable ancient sources.
The Druid’s Primer is bursting with vast Druidic knowledge. It is a rare find and a great learning tool for the seeker of the Druid crafts, history and philosophy.
The information contained covers everything the would-be druid would need to begin their journey and I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in paganism or seeking spiritual enlightment in general.
An insightful foreword has been provided by Philip Carr-Gomm, Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. The beginning of the book covers historical aspects and explains how to incorporate Druid beliefs and ways of living into the modern day world and also explains how to re-connect to our spiritual self and tap into the inner wisdom that lies dormant within us. This is a treasure trove of wisdom, knowledge and practices of the ancient Druids and there are very interesting examples of Celtic mythology and the Ogham tree calendar and use as a divination tool. I enjoyed reading The Druid’s Primer immensely and my particular favourite chapters were about the Celtic Gods and Goddesses, the myths and legends of Druidry, cosmology, divination and the chapters on the medicinal and healing properties of trees and plants. Also covered are the Elemental forces, animal worship, cycles of the sun, moon and earth and method to use the tools of the trade so to speak, along with some practical and easy to follow meditations which I have tried and tested and can say I will be using in the future. My favourite meditation was the ‘light body’ as it helped me to feel calm, centred and focused.
After reading this book I have a thirst to study Druidry as it has enlightened me and I feel more spiritually in-tune with myself and the earth. I would highly recommend this book to all neo-druids and those who are following similar spiritual pathways. Reviewed by Candy Dawn Holdstock.
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