The Druids venerated certain plants and attached spiritual meanings to them. They also understood their practical earthly use as healers and helpers. The authors have rediscovered this lore by treading several paths including archaeobotany, herbalism, and mythology.

For Fellowship of Isis members, this set is especially relevant, as one unique feature of the Fellowship is the prominence given to the Oracle. As a candidate entering the Druid Clan of Dana, we are asked, “What did you gain from the Oracle?” The Oracle can speak to us through various channels, and I am enjoying communion with Flora’s muses via this Druidic deck. The emphasis of the Druid Clan of Dana is the development of psychic gifts through the elemental powers of the earth. This oracle set is useful here.

The Goddess has a presence in the Druid Plant Oracle from the beginning. As I review this for Brigantia, I am delighted to find that the first part of the introduction is titled Brighid’s Blessing.

“Druid’s today use plants to bring health and inspiration…in doing this they often remember and invoke Brighid – a goddess of healing, smithcraft and poetry first recognized in Ireland in pre-Christian times.” In legend, Brighid (Bride) is the daughter of a Druid.

The Goddess is shown to be the source of much herbal wisdom: “The Spirit of the Goddess, of the nurturing and healing power of the feminine is present in the Welsh herbal healing, said to come from the Druids but emerging in the Middle Ages in the lineage of healers known as the Physicians of Myddvai. They trace the source of their knowledge to the inspiration of a spirit, the Lady of the Lake, who taught their first physician, Rhiwallon, the healing properties of herbs.” 

As a psychotherapist and psychologist, who has trained in Montessori education and developed play therapy for children, Philip brings unique insights to the re-membering of druid plant lore. Stephanie is Scribe of OBOD and Will is Pendragon. Some years ago this same inspired triad produced ‘The Druid Animal Oracle’, which really speaks to my heart. In the Fellowship we honour the Animal Family of Isis, and I am experimenting with using both decks simultaneously. The Cards are the same size and they work well together.

The book shows spreads, including a Bridhid’s Cross spread, and of course gives the meanings of the cards, upright and reversed. The reversed cards here are not bad omens, but they may show us that the way ahead may be challenging, so we will hone our skills to resolve our problems. The Oracle offers guidance and advice, rather than predictions. There are blank cards in the deck, which can be used to create our own additions with plants that are, or become, significant to us. The Oracle may also be consulted by drawing a card for ‘on the spot’, synchronistic divination. I am looking forward to using the cards out in nature, sitting by trees, in a field or by a stream. I may have to wait until the weather improves. However, Will Worthington’s cards are such luscious and inviting doorways, it is not difficult to step into them and journey, as Mary Poppins stepped into the chalk pavement pictures!

I asked Philip a couple of questions for The Circle of Isis:

How can we best experience and research plants as wisdom teachers in the landscape? He told us:

“The most obvious way to sense how plants can be teachers for us is to sit beneath say an oak and then a pine tree and simply open yourself to their influence or meditate beneath them. After doing this for a while it becomes easier and easier to sense the difference between how it feels beneath or beside different plants. But it’s not just a question of ‘feeling’ the differences, and saying ‘Well it feels stronger beneath an oak, and clearer beneath a pine’, or whatever. The wisdom or value comes in receiving this feeling or energy and allowing it to alter your state so you receive healing or calming or energising and then inspiration too. In Druidry we have this idea of Awen and Nwyfre – two kinds of energy: Awen being inspiration and Nwyfre being life-force. Plants offer both to us. Once you can sense these energies coming to you from trees, you can then try it with plants too. It can be harder because their influence may at first seem much subtler, but like everything, with practice, it gets easier. And with Awen comes ideas, new thoughts, wisdom.

When researching the Oracle, did Stephanie or yourself find the plants 'speaking' to you, or guiding you - in realisations, dreams, or Synchronicities?

Philip Carr-Gomm: “Sometimes yes, but with the Druid Plant Oracle, just like the Druid Animal Oracle, we very much wanted the material we presented to NOT be mediated through our own experience. This may seem strange, or the opposite to what you might expect, but we were very clear from the beginning that we wanted to communicate traditional lore and not what we had been ‘told’ in our own psychic experiences. In other words these oracles are attempts to transmit traditional lore which can be found in obscure books and tradition, not attempts to convey Philip and Stephanie’s visions and insights...”

The Druid Plant Oracle, like the many drawers of an apothecary’s chest, offers aid and restoration. It is also a useful tool for problem solving, journeying, and re-connecting with nature. It is not just for Druids, I have given it as presents to a keen gardener, a counseller and a homeopathist and I am getting very positive and highly excited feedback!

For this review of The Druid Plant Oracle for The Circle of Isis, Olivia Robertson remarked:

“At last we have enterprising Druids who do the field work which was the essence of Ancient Druidry. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington have actually gone forth and smelled, touched and appreciated real plants! The results of their careful research, and understanding of the plant world they share to us in this book, combined with their Druid Animal Oracle insight is provided not only to the use of plants for healing but also the inter-relation with the spiritual realm that provides Oracles.”

Philip Carr-Gomm is Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, a position he has held for nineteen years. He trained with the founder of the Order, Ross Nichols, starting at the age of fifteen. Philip is a writer and psychologist. Stephanie Carr-Gomm is the current Scribe of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, responsible for administering the training program of the Order. Stephanie studied at Bath Academy of Art before travelling extensively. Returning home from her travels, she trained as a scenic artist at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has since worked as a freelance artist for many theatre, opera and ballet companies in the UK. Philip and Stephanie have been initiated in both Druidry and Wicca. Will Worthington is a highly respected artist who has worked as an illustrator for the last thirty years. He serves as Pendragon of the Order, and is a Grove leader of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. The authors and illustrator have collaborated on previous published works, "The Druid Animal Oracle" and "The Druid Craft Tarot."

You may learn more about the work of Philip Carr-Gomm here: http://philipcarrgomm.druidry.org/

Order of Bards Ovates and Druids website: http://druidry.org/