A druid study program

Various druid groups offer druid study programs.  I started with AODA, but then went my own way.  Below is my own druid study program.  It is similar to the AODA program, but it removes magic and divination, and adds additional optional areas of study such as mythology, languages, yoga, and gardening.

First Degree

Spend at least a year on the following activities:

Druidry

1) Read books by at least two different authors about modern druidry.

Billington, PennyThe Path of Druidry: Walking the Ancient Green Way.
Bonewits, Isaac.  Bonewits' Essential Guide to Druidism.
Carr-Gomm, Philip.  Druid Mysteries.
Carr-Gomm, Philip.  The Rebirth of Druidry. 
Carr-Gomm, Philip.  What Do Druids Believe?
Ellison, Robert.  The Solitary Druid.
Greenfield, Trevor.  Paganism 101
Greer, John Michael. The Druidry Handbook.
Orr, Emma Restall.  Druidry.  
Orr, Emma Restall.  Living Druidry: Magical Spirituality for the Wild Soul.
Taelboys, Graeme K.  Way of the Druid: Renaissance of a Celtic Religion and its Renaissance.
Treadwell, Cat.  A Druid's Tale.
van der Hoeven, Joanna.  The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid.
White, Julie, and Talboys, Graeme K.  The Path Through the Forest: A Druid Guidebook.

2) Read books by at least two different authors about the historical druids. 

Alhouse-Green, Miranda.  Caesar's Druids: An Ancient Priesthood.
Cunliffe, Barry.  The Ancient Celts.
Ellis, Peter Berresford.  A Brief History of the Druids.
Hutton, Ronald.  The Druids.
Hutton, Ronald.  Blood and Mistletoe.
James, Simon.  The World of the Celts.
King, John Robert. The Celtic Druids' Year: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts.
Markale, Jean.  The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature.

3) Read Druidry and the Ancestors by Nimue Brown.

Meditation

4) Practice meditation every day, at least 10 minutes a day.

Brown, Nimue.  Druidry and Meditation.
Nichol, James.  Contemplative Druidry.
Patterson, Rachel.  Meditation. 

Ritual

6) Practice  rituals to celebrate the wheel of the year. Rituals may be found in:

Greer, John Michael. The Druidry Handbook.
Greer, John Michael. The Druid Magic Handbook.
White, Julie, and Talboys, Graeme K.  Arianrhod's Dance.

Nature 

7) Spend at least 15 minutes a week outdoors observing nature. Observe the turning of the day and the turning of the seasons.

8) Read a book that cultivates your observation skill, such as Reading the Forested Landscape by Tom Wessels.

9) Find a field guide about an aspect of nature that interests you, and study it to learn more about what you are observing.

Sustainable living

 8) Identify three things you can do to live more sustainable, and integrate these practices into your lifestyle.

Specialization area

9) Choose at least one area of specialization, and spend at least 30 minutes a week studying and practicing it.  Examples include:

• Nature: birds, trees, insects, rivers, stars, rocks, etc.
• Arts and crafts: music, dance, poetry, storytelling, metal-working, carpentry, print-making, painting, drawing, sculpting, carving, weaving, knitting, crocheting, pottery, basket-making, etc.
• Human studies: history, mythology, folklore, genealogy, anthropology, archaeology, education, mediation, restorative justice, community building, etc.
• Sustainable living: gardening, permaculture, renewable energy, etc.
• Healthy living: nutrition, herbalism, yoga, tai chi, etc.

Second Degree

 After spending at least a year on the First Degree practices, you may be ready to expand your practice.  Throughout your life as a druid, you will always:

1. Practice meditation every day, at least 10 minutes a day.  
2. Practice  rituals to celebrate the wheel of the year.
3. Spend at least 15 minutes a week outdoors observing nature. Observe the turning of the day and the turning of the seasons.
4. Integrate sustainable living practices into your life.

In addition, you will build on these practices.  You may:

1. Read additional books about druidry, meditation, ritual, nature, and sustainable living. 
2. Write your own rituals.
3.  Practice rituals on additional holidays that have meaning to you.
4. Spend more time in meditation and nature observation.
5. Find additional ways to live more sustainably.
6. Advance your study of your specialization area.
7. Practice additional specialization areas. 
8. Find ways to provide service to your society and the earth.

Third Degree

After spending at least two years on Second Degree practices, you may wish to further expand your practice by embarking on a major project which will provide service to your society and/or the earth.