Druid Priestess, New Edition

by Emma Restall Orr

A compelling picture of the Druid spiritual life of one of the world's leading Druids.

Genres: Paganism, Spirituality, Witchcraft, Nature, Nonfiction, Religion

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

[from Wikipedia] -- Emma Restall Orr is a British neo-druid, animist, priest, poet and author. She worked for the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids in the early 1990s, becoming an Ovate tutor. In 1993 she became joint chief of the British Druid Order (BDO) staying until 2002. Together with the Order founder Philip Shallcrass, she developed the BDO into one of the largest and most influential of its time. Feeling the system of Orders too limiting, in 2002 she created The Druid Network, which was officially launched at Imbolc 2003.

Since the late 1990s she has organized the largest annual gatherings of Druids and those interested in Druidry, first at The Awen Camp with Philip Shallcrass, then since 2001 The Druid Camp with Mark Graham. In 2004 she founded Honouring the Ancient Dead. Since 2004, she has been involved with PEBBLE (The Public Bodies Liaison Committee for British Paganisms) encouraging positive and productive interaction between modern British Pagan groups and British government departments, and other institutions.

Over the course of her life in Druidry she has been on numerous television and radio programmes in Britain and around the world, featured and quoted in the print media and on the internet.

She is daughter of Robin Restall, renowned ornithologist, writer and artist. Her brother is Matthew Restall, history professor and writer.

Reviews

[Tamara Lampard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my desert island books - I just love it. I re read it regularly and it has not failed to inspire and uplift me every time. The weaving together of real mundane life with real magical life and educational examples and passages is masterful. You are immersed in layers of each season and ritual observance. Each one revealing deeper and more subtle understandings of the path of the Druid Priestess. Gentle humour mixes with rich personal observation and experience. It is a very satisfying read.

I would describe it as a beautiful lyric personal journey. If that does not appeal to you, don't bother.

[Tommy /|\ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Emma Restall Orr's writing style. Her pace in what she writes is a casual one. And though I stopped and started throughout the book, it had nothing to do with needing to assemble what I was reading into a visage that I could understand. She presents her topics quite well, and provides small story pieces to demonstrate parts of what she is writing about. It is an introductory text, and thus the concepts are a bit rote for folks who have studied Paganism in its many guises, particularly where the Wheel of the Year is concerned. And while I have been on my Pagan path since (mumble) 1987 (mumble),her little story snippets provided a fresh perspective from "new eyes" - so to speak. A very enjoyable read.

[Nimue Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book journeys I believe this is the first incarnation of Emma Restal Orr's book - it was republished as Druid Priestess, and then re-published a second time as a Pagan Classic, by Moon Books, where it's reverted to the original title, and found a new cover. I've tagged all three versions of the cover for clarity. Emma Restall Orr is person featured on the Druid Priestess cover, not a model. 
 
The original paperback version of Spirits of the Sacred Grove can occasionally be found second hand, as can Druid Priestess, but the most recent version is also available as an ebook, which hasn't previously been an option.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. Emma Restall Orr takes you on a journey of self-discovery along the Druidic path. She shares her personal story along the way, personally, I love it when authors do that! It's like getting to know a new friend...it just makes the reading experience that much more intimate. If you are curious about Druidism, or in this author's quest in discovering her path, then this book may appeal to you.

[Britta Stumpp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books on the topic of Druidry and Earth centered worship. Emma has her pulse on the vein of my spirituality.

[Eliška · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I bought because it looked interesting, but couldn't get into immediately. I put it in a pile of other books and promptly forgot about it until I was cleaning out my book-piles, quite a few years later, and at that point it was exactly what I needed to read.

This book reads like fiction, kind of - it's presented as the author's experiences, but for some people many of those experiences will seem like either an overactive imagination, or a made-up story. It's organized by holiday, starting with Samhain and proceeding around the pagan Wheel of the Year through to Mabon. Each holiday has a basic breakdown of what Orr feels the holiday represents, and how it fits in the agricultural year, as well as various anecdotes to demonstrate Orr's interpretation of the holiday/time of year.

There are still a few holidays in the Wheel that I don't really resonate well with, so it's been useful for me to keep this around for reference as the year turns.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would actually give this book 4 and a half stars if I could, not 4. To people like me, who best learn through being told a story or example, this is an excellent beginners book into the basics of Druidry. The book follows the author through her experiences during a year of her life as a Druid Priestess, and although at some points she lays it on pretty thick (I don't honestly believe that all of the experiences of the book 100% happened, especially not during the course of just one year...it is more likely that it's a culmination of many years of experiences on given pagan holidays, combined with a bit of imagination), it does however make a wonderful case for the joys and trials of Druid beliefs.

Proceed with some caution, but still a recommended book.

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a hugely inspirational read when I first read it back when I had just discovered paganism. Emma Restall Orr has a beautiful writing style that captivates me every time.