The Way of Druid Life

Today, most who practice the way of the Druid live far from the forests and tribes of centuries past. To learn what the life of ancient Druids was like, you could read boring books filled with cold facts that only give the externals. Or, you could get to the heart and soul of the way of the Druids the same way they used to, in stories and tales of wonder and trial and amazement.

In the tradition of books like The Mists of Avalon, Llewellyn is proud to present the tale of a Druidic journey through life. As with any good tale, it is filled with love and passion, responsibility and duty. Written by herbalist and Druid Priestess Ellen Evert Hopman, Priestess of the Forest weaves a tale that will take you back to a time of change almost 1,800 years ago when Christianity was moving to take over the areas that had the Druids as their spiritual leaders. Within this fictional Ireland is the story of Ethne, a Druid priestess, herbalist, and healer. She becomes torn between her love of a man and responsibility to her people. She rises to become the queen of her island, but faces opposition from her people, incursions from Christianity, and a personal loss of terrible proportion.

Priestess of the Forest is a passionate, thrilling tale as exciting as any fantasy novel you will ever read. But unlike those novels, Hopman follows the ancient Druid tradition of turning stories into teaching tools. As part of the experience of the story you'll learn

• Herbal lore
• The culture and daily life of the ancient people
• Magical rites
• Hand fasting
• Baby blessing
• Sword blessing
• Battle magic
• Rituals for holy days

Also sprinkled throughout this story are some of the famous Celtic triads and aphorisms that will give you wisdom and inspiration no matter your spiritual path.

More Than a Story
Priestess of the Forest is going to be the best new novel you'll read this year. But it is far more than just an epic tale of long ago. Beside the wisdom and rituals, the book includes a full glossary giving pronunciations and meanings of the ancient Celtic words as well as an interview with the author about modern Druidism.

This is the book that has it all. It's an amazing fantasy novel of long ago. It's a historical romance of epic proportions. It reveals well-researched information about an ancient culture within the context of a thrilling story. It shares a great deal of herbal lore. In includes rituals and rites, spells, and magic that are every bit as useful today as they were nearly two thousand years ago.

Never before has the sheer excitement of what life was like in that place, at that time, been so well captured.