Authors' 2024 Plans: Ellen Hopman on Celtic Druidry

Ellen Evert Hopman writes wonderful books on Druidry and herbalism. I’ve interviewed her before, but was delighted to chat with her again and find out about her plans for 2024.

Q: What book have you got coming out next in 2024?

A: My newest book is called Celtic Druidry – Rituals, Techniques and Magical Practices. The publication date is May 2024 but it is already available for pre-order.

Q: What’s it about?

A: It’s a handbook for becoming a modern Druid, with a special Celtic Reconstructionist slant. It covers the Druid path as I understand it, and as practiced by CR Druids such as The Order of White Oak and Tribe of the Oak.

It includes basic tools, clothing, seasonal rituals, divination, plant magic and life blessings, and outlines the elements of Druidic liturgy, enabling readers to create Druid rituals for seasonal rites such as baby blessings, house blessings, hand-fastings, funerals, and other sacred observances.

I cover some of the more than four hundred Celtic deities known to us, as well as Celtic cosmology and history, starting with the ancient Roman reports and discuss the ancient Tribal Laws (Brehon Laws) of the Irish Celts.

There are charms and incantations for abundance, protection, and healing as well as plant spells for performing magic with herbs. Druidic divination is covered, including interpreting omens and divining with the ancient Irish alphabet, the Ogham.

The book describes the special connection between humans and Nature, a core component of Druidic practice, with suggestions on how to how to bond with Nature and the sacred land, as well as examining the connection between Druids and trees.

Q: What event or events are you planning around the launch?

A: I will be speaking at several events including Summer Magick Festival in Orlando, Florida, in June - https://www.summermagickfest.org/ - and I will be doing the usual podcasts and interviews, I expect.

Q: What are you currently working on?

I have just started working on a sequel to my book Once Around the Sun – Stories, Crafts and Recipes to Celebrate the Sacred Earth Year. It will be another book for covens, groves and families to use as a template for seasonal observances, with original stories to read out loud, crafts to make and recipes associated with each festival.

More about Ellen Evert Hopman

She is a herbalist, author and Druid who lives in an oak forest in western Massachusetts. Her volumes are far-ranging, including Celtic herbals, a trilogy of Druid novels, and children’s literature. All her books can be found at www.elleneverthopman.com and they can also be ordered on line in the usual places. She is the Archdruid Emerita and founder of Tribe of the Oak (Tuatha na Dara), a Celtic Reconstructionist Druid Order www.tribeoftheoak.org

Celtic Druidry – Rituals, Techniques and Magical Practices can be pre-ordered from the publisher and viewed on Amazon and other places including Simon and Schuster

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