Advaya Course Supplement

Druidry & Psychedelics

The Benefits of a Druidic Set and Setting in Psychedelic Experiences

Austen M Fisher

DPhil, Anthropology

Green Templeton College, University of Oxford

February 2025

Utilizing a Druidic framework for psychedelic experiences can offer numerous

advantages, particularly for individuals with Western European ancestry or those who

feel a connection to the Druidic/Celtic revival. These advantages are outlined as follows:

1. Connection through Ancestry and Identity

Many individuals in Western cultures have ancestral ties to Druidic or Celtic traditions,

either genetically (the bloodline) or culturally (the milk line). Employing a Druidic set and

setting resonates naturally with these individuals, as it aligns with their innate or

cultivated sense of identity. This resonance enhances their psychedelic experiences

significantly, especially compared to using frameworks that are culturally distant or

unfamiliar.

2. Potential Epigenetic Benefits

Although research on psychedelics and epigenetics is still emerging, there is reason to

suggest there may be meaningful interactions between psychedelic substances and

one’s genetic background. Engaging with psychedelics native to one’s ancestral

regions, such as psilocybin in Europe and North America, may uncover beneficial

epigenetic interactions, offering deeper insights, healing, and personal growth.

3. Environmental and Cultural Sustainability

Using a Druidic approach can also mitigate the negative impacts associated with

“spiritual tourism.” For example, the surge in Westerners traveling to the Amazon to

consume ayahuasca has resulted in ecological strain and cultural disruption.

Conversely, psilocybin mushrooms, indigenous to Europe and widely available in North

America, provide similar therapeutic and spiritual benefits without these environmental

and cultural drawbacks. Encouraging individuals to explore psychedelics within their

native geographical and cultural context can protect both ecosystems and the integrity

of indigenous traditions globally.

4. Expanding Community Healing Potential

Adopting a familiar and accessible cultural framework such as Druidry can empower

more individuals to engage confidently with psychedelics. This may cultivate more

effective healers within communities while increasing their numbers, leading to broader

healing opportunities and outcomes.Recommended Practices and Rituals for a Druidic

Psychedelic Experience

Several practices and rituals within Druidic traditions are particularly conducive to

enhancing psychedelic experiences:

1. Establishing a Ritual Frame

Creating a clear and meaningful ritual structure is fundamental. Druidry already provides

well-defined ritual tools, including calling for peace, casting circles, and invoking the

quarters. Participants can contribute actively to this setting through focused attention,

movement, visualization, and vocal or percussive practices—such as chanting the

Awens or collective singing. Such activities deepen engagement and set a profound

context for the psychedelic journey.

2. Sensory Immersion

Incorporating distinctly Druidic or Celtic sensory elements (sounds, scents, tastes, and

imagery associated with the land and traditions) enhances the distinction between the

psychedelic ritual and everyday life, reinforcing the depth and effectiveness of the

experience, with the potential of evoking deep cultural memory.

3. Experimentation and Discovery

Given the ongoing reclamation of ancestral traditions, Druidic psychedelic practice

involves experimentation. Techniques such as singing traditional Celtic songs,

percussion, pathworking, and journeying can be explored and adapted based on

feedback from participants, making the psychedelic ritual a living, evolving practice.

4. Utilizing the Druidic Three-Grade Structure

Adapting the traditional three-grade structure of Druidry—Bard, Ovate, and Druid—to

psychedelic contexts provides a robust, progressive framework:

• Bardic Grade: Establishes foundational knowledge, personal cosmology, and

prepares participants by developing their “set,” thus ensuring they enter

psychedelic experiences from a grounded and informed perspective while

embodying core “Druidic” meanings (e.g., myths, images), which can then

“blossom” within the psychedelic experience. Because the classical elements are

generally deeply embodied within the Western psyche, they are particularly

helpful to work with. If part of an ongoing retreat or working group, the Bardic

grade can also help build community.

• Ovate Grade: Represents the psychedelic experience itself, providing a

structured container for deep exploration, healing, and insight.

• Druid Grade: Focuses on integration, ensuring that insights and transformations

from the psychedelic journey are meaningfully incorporated into daily life and

personal development.This structured progression aligns with concerns raised by experts, such as Rosalind

Watts, about the importance of establishing a solid foundation before deep psychedelic

exploration. It also supports the thoughtful and sustainable growth of psychedelic

practice within communities, potentially guiding the development of structured Druidic

psychedelic retreats and healing programs.

In short, Druidry has much to offer the psychedelic experience, both locally and globally.

Author Contact:

Austen M. Fisher, DPhil

Anthropologist, Researcher

Email: austenmfisher@gmail.com

Profile: https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/students/student-profiles/profile/austen-fisher-2/

Provided as material for Philip Carr-Gomm’s Advaya course, Spring 2025