"The origins of Druidry are lost in remote antiquity, but its history, so far as we can trace it, has been one of continuous evolution; a process which continues to the present day. Unlike Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, Druidry had no human founder, nor does it have a fixed canon of scriptures. Perhaps its nearest equivalent is found in Hinduism, where the Brahamana caste have much the same socio-religious role as the Druids in pagan European society. Like the Brahmins, the Druids of old were teachers, priests and priestesses, doctors, historians, prophets, guardians of lore and givers of law. Brahmin and Druid were both noted for their devotion to the concept of a transcendent and all-encompassing Truth. The word Druid may indeed derive from an Indo-European root 'dreo-vid,' meaning 'one who knows the truth.' In practice it was probably understood to mean something like 'wise one,' or 'philosopher-priest.' Some Druids did (and still do) perform priestly functions; officiating in public and private worship, initiating and instructing, healing and blessing.
As far as we know, the religion practised among the Celtic peoples of pre-Roman Europe had no name, just as adherents of what we call Hinduism refer to their faith simply as 'the eternal religion.' Again like Hinduism, Celtic religion seems to have consisted of innumerable localized cults based around local or tribal deities. It seems likely that the rites of these local cults were overseen by members of the Druid caste, just as those of Hinduism are overseen by Brahmins. Their function was to ensure that rites were performed correctly, and their presence in itself lent spiritual authority to the proceedings, for they were professional 'walkers between the worlds;' mediators between Gods and people.
One of the strongest trends in Druidry today is the growth of ecological awareness and activism. Such concerns come naturally to a philosophy that has always regarded trees, stones, springs, rivers, lakes, hills and mountains as sacred and imbued with spirit. Part of this ecological movement has led many Druids to rediscover sacred sites in their own neighbourhood and to find appropriate ways of working with those sites both in spirit and in active conservation. This represents something of a return to the localised cults which flourished in pre-Christian times.
Another significant trend in contemporary Druidry is the re-emergence of a 'shamanic' understanding and practice, working directly with spirits of place, of the land, of trees and plants, animals and ancestors. This has been inspired by the discovery of 'shamanic' practices described in the medieval literature of Ireland and Wales and also by study of and contact with other indigenous earth-ancestor spiritualities. Native American practice has been particularly influential. The living example of Lakota sweat lodge ceremonies led to the re-introduction of sweat lodges into Druidry. Britain and Ireland actually have a native sweat lodge tradition that dates back at least to the Bronze Age, but it had been lost until its reintroduction in the 1980s."
~Greywolf~