S7-E8 -Druidry and beyond-Philip Carr-Gomm

My guest in this very special 100th episode of the show is author, psychologist and Chosen Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids of more than 30 years, Philip Carr-Gomm.

We start our conversation by bringing up childhood memories of apparitions that could be seen only by 4-year-old Philip followed by his experiences just a few years later at age 11 when he was already an avid reader of Beck L. Adams, The Life of the Buddha which actually made him feel that the only thing worth pursuing in life was enlightenment.

As Philip’s father ran a history magazine and knew a lot of interesting people many of them were guests in the family’s home. This was how teenager Philip met Ross Nichols who was the Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids in those days and was asked to take some photographs of outdoor ceremonies. Philip was immediately fascinated by The Order and after two more years of study finally initiated at Glastonbury Tor.

After studying many years with Ross Nichols, Philip and his first wife met legendary Guru Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov and not only joined his ashram but also started a publishing company in England to make his works known to readers. 7 years later they started to realise something was wrong and this ‘Guru issue’ will be a highly interesting topic of this episode. We’ll be exploring this impact on groups as well as the necessity of awareness by any leader regarding projections of his followers.

We’ll be talking about the state of The Order after Ross Nichols’ death and how Philip was first called by the invisible worlds to lead it, or rather rebuild it, and how the mundane part of this call was soon about to follow.

Our further conversation will explore the streams of druidry which although ultimately woven together represent different layers of understanding and practice and how hierarchy versus the act of ‘going inwards’ has to be looked at in this context.

Another very prominent question will be why Western spirituality in general and druidry in specific sense is relevant for our days in helping humanity with the challenges that need to be faced. We’ll furthermore discuss the kind of spiritual activism that Philip himself prefers to work with.

Philip will also elaborate on how much ‘classical occultism’ has been influencing druidry and in what ways exactly as well as on the delicate question how handing over the leadership of The Order after more than three decades went and what the ‘power of getting out of the way’ means in this context.

Link to Philp Carr-Gomm’s personal webiste

Link to the website of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids

Music played in this episode

It is my honour and pleasure that the Pendragon of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Damh the Bard, has allowed me to use his music for this special 100th episode, where I had the pleasure of interviewing his former Chief.

Damh was already once guest on this podcast, with his music and also with a short interview. It is great to have him back again with his art.

We play three of his tracks from different periods of his creative time, among which also his latest single release, “Under the Trees”.

1) TOMB OF THE KING – From the CD “The Cauldron Born

(Track starts at 6:16)

2) UNDER THE TREES – Recent Single release

(Track starts at 46:22)

3) THE WICKER MAN – From the CD “Sabbat”

(Track starts at 1:24:23)

Intro and Outro Music
especially written and recorded for the Thoth-Hermes Podcast by Chris Roberts