The Druid Plant Oracle by Philip Carr and Stephanie Gomm

Druidry is above all a spiritual path rooted in the green world of Nature. Much has been written about the Druids’ love of trees and about the mysterious lore that has grown up around the Celtic tree alphabet of Ogham (also spelled Ogam), an ancient form of Irish writing. Far less is known about the wider herb and plant lore of ancient and contemporary Druids, but we hope that this plant oracle will help to uncover this treasure trove of information.

Druids today use plants to bring health and inspiration. They cultivate plants for their beauty and their properties, they use them to decorate their homes and sanctuaries, and to make incenses, elixirs and magical baths — and they turn to them for the healing of both body and soul.

In doing this they often remember and invoke Brighid — a goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft first recognized in Ireland in pre-Christian times. She was later embodied in the figure of Saint Brighid, a woman who was born and raised as a Druid, but who converted to Christianity. Brighid’s blessings are invoked to this day all over the world, and in particular at the festival time dedicated to her — Imbolc, on 1 February — and at holy wells dedicated to her in Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall.