SOURCE: Associated PressFor the first time and thousands of years after it emerged in Europe as a Celtic faith Britain has recognized druidry as an official religion.
The Druid Network, an organization representing the religion in Britain, was granted charitable status in a decision that not only gives it tax breaks but also lets the religion take its place alongside more mainstream beliefs.
“This has been a long hard struggle, taking over five years to complete,” the Druid Network said in a statement after its application to be registered as a charity had been accepted by the Charity Commission.
In its ruling on the group’s application, the commission said it accepted that druidry was an “ancient pagan religion” in its own right involving the worship of nature, particularly the sun and the earth.
Druid rituals involve “commonality of practice” across the faith including solar and fire festivals, ceremonies at various phases of the moon, seasonal festivals and rites of passage in life.
There had also been some official recognition already, it added, including a provision by Britain’s Prison Service for the practice of druidry and the attendance of a pagan chaplain at services.
“The board members concluded that The Druid Network is established for exclusively charitable purposes for the advancement of religion for the public benefit,” the Charity Commission said.
Druidry emerged in ancient Ireland and Britain and spread further afield during the Iron Age, especially into France, but became largely supplanted as Christianity took hold across Europe.
It has gained recent popularity because of its pantheistic nature and concern with ecology.
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MY TAKE: The Druids have long-overdue recognition coming to them. This is a religion that has spilled over into nearly every ecological and economic facet of British society for years, as well as those around the world. There is a great deal of misunderstanding of the religion and during their ceremonies and rituals it’s been common for folks to think of their clothing as silly Halloween costumes, and their incense and other herbal products as black market natural aromatherapy. But this religion goes way beyond whether their costumes for ritualistic ceremonies make sexy Halloween costumes or they are more in tune with organic skin care than faith. The signal flags of the faith are rooted in nature and the solar system and call upon the four seasons of the year to serve as passage ways for change.
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