The Two Basic Tenets

A lot of ink has been spilt over what Reformed Druidism is about, and what qualities are most admirable in a Reformed Druid, but there is a general agreement on the minimal standards of what makes a Reformed Druids: the belief in the Basic Tenets.

The founders of Reformed Druidism believed that all religions began from the observation of Nature, including Ancient Druidism, therefore our first teacher has always been Nature. Therefore, the Reform has only required two Basic Tenets of its members for the last 40 years.

In the original Carleton College Grove constitution in 1963, the basic tenets were simply indicated as:

1. North American Reformed Druids believe that one of the many ways in which the object of man's search for religious truth can be found is through Nature, the Earth-Mother.

2. North American Reformed Druids believe that Nature, being one of the primary concerns in man's life and struggle, and being one of the Objects of Creation, is important to manfs spiritual quests.

But this apparently wasnft very inspiring. So, a year later, in the flowery prose of the gDruid Chroniclesh publication in 1964, they are mostly vividly described and elaborated by Frangquist as:

1. The object of the search for religious truth, which is a universal and a neverending search, may be found through the Earth Mother, which is Nature; but this is one way, yea, one way among many.

2. And great is the importance, which is of a spiritual importance, of Nature, which is the Earth Mother; for it is one of the objects of Creation, and with it we do live, yea, even as we do struggle through life are we come face to face with it.

However, most Druids can't even remember this, much less recite them clearly, so we nowadays sometimes use a shorthand:

1. Nature is good.
2. Likewise, Nature is good.

Myself, personally, I like summarize it as 'Nature is Nature'. Which is less debatable for me, but I most like the version in the Chronicles as the most expressive.

So, I feel that belief in the two Basic Tenets means you are a generic Reformed Druid. Some folks believe that just the affirmation of the Basic Tenets also makes you a First Order Reformed Druid, but others also require the partaking of the Waters of Life at a Grove service. Being a Reformed Druid doesn't necessarily mean that others have to like you or that you're particularly amazing.

See Chapter 1 of Customs in the Druid Chronicles at the back of this booklet for a more confusing explanation.