glawarelmagolben:

Hello my dear, thank you for such an interesting question, and
sorry it’s taken me ages to reply, a cold and not being anywhere near my laptop
did not assist!

So, I’m a very bookish person and so this is going to be
rather book-centric! The books I own that I associate with my Druidic practices
– other than the CDs and booklets provided by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
(OBOD) when I took my Bardic course – are as follows:

What Do Druids Believe? – Phillip Carr-Gomm
Anam Cara – John O’Donohue
Trees of the Goddess – Elen Sentier
Elen of the Ways – Elen Sentier
Following the Deer Trods – Elen Sentier
Horns of Power – Sonia d’Este
Celtic Rituals: An authentic guide to ancient Celtic Spirituality – Alexei
Kondratiev
DruidCraft – Philip Carr-Gomm
The Druid Way – Philip Carr-Gomm
Kissing the Hag – Emma Restall Orr
Ritual: A Guide to Life, Love & Inspiration – Emma Restall Orr
The Isles of the Many Gods – Sorita d’Este
& David Rankine
Finding Elen – Ed. Caroline Wise
The Old Straight Track – Alfred Watkins
Turning the Wheel – Kevan Manwaring
The Ancient Paths – Graham Robb
Ogam: The Celtic Oracle of the Trees – Paul Rhys Mountfort
Druid Magic: The Practice of Celtic Wisdom – Maya Magee Sutton & Nicholas
R.Mann
Blood & Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain – Ronald Hutton  
Witches, Druids and King Arthur – Ronald Hutton
The World of the Druids – Miranda
J. Green
Exploring the World of the Druids – Miranda J. Green

As you can see these are mix of books written specifically
for modern day Druidry, history books looking at what Druidry might have been
like at the time it was first practiced (I especially recommend the Ron Hutton
ones, which are incredibly well researched and, at least to me, very readable),
and quite a few other, slightly tangential, books that follow interests of mine
that sprang from my foray into Druidry. Although not sold as books, I also find
the companion books to my Druidcraft Tarot and Druid Plant and Animal Oracles
invaluable – especially the Oracles – for understanding the importance specific
flora and fauna have to the Druidic path.

I also have a shelf full of history books about the original
time period which have, in the background as it were, informed my understanding
of what Druidry might possibly have been like. I won’t list them all but
hopefully this picture will suffice:

In respect of the books on Modern Druidry (and, in fact, in
respect of all the OBOD information), I want to make it clear that I do not
agree with all of it and would not never suggest that anyone accept point blank
everything that is written in them. For example, whilst Emma Restall-Orr’s
Kissing the Hag really helped me accept aspects about myself I had struggled
with for years, there are parts of it that I reject outright, and I also have
trouble with how she often comes across as if she believes hers is the only way
to practice, which is simply not the case.

Likewise, Phillip Carr-Gomm, who is currently head of OBOD,
is a very knowledgeable and writes very accessible books (I recommend the
little “What Do Druids Believe?” book to anyone who wants to get a fast but
accurate feel for Druidry as practiced by OBOD) he is working within his own
paradigm and subscribes to quite a lot of Wiccan law. His book Druidcraft
combines Wiccan Witchcraft with Druidry and is a very interesting read,
although again, I’ve taken from it only what sits comfortably with me.

The Old Straight Track by Alfred Watkins, whilst not
actually related to Druidry directly, is tied into the land and to
understanding its magic. Likewise the books on Elen of the Ways, Trees of the Goddess,
Ogham and the Gods of the British Isles were bought as I sought to find more of
the magic in the earth, to some degree or other, and they have formed a part of
my overall understanding of how I fit in the world and how I interact with the
earth.

And now I’ve wandered off from the original question quite a
lot. Apologies! I have a tendency to waffle, and that tendency this is not
something I’m good at curbing. Anyway, you specifically asked what my essential
druidic reference was:

Well, the thing I refer to most isn’t either a book or a
website, but a small poster that OBOD sent to me when I enquired about how they
worked. It was the thing that made me think their approach to Druidry was one I
could work with and it says the following:

Druidry … encourages
us to love widely and deeply.

It fosters: Love of
the Land, the Earth, the Wild – reverence for Nature.

Love of Peace –
Druids were traditionally peace-makers and still are: each ceremony begins with
Peace to the Quarters, there is a Druid’s peace prayer, and Druids plant Peace
Groves.

Love of Beauty –
The Druid Path cultivates the Bard, the Artist Within, and fosters creativity

Love of Justice –
Druids were judges, and law-makers. Traditionally Druids are interested in
restorative, not punitive, justice.

Love of Story and Myth
– Druidry recognises and uses the power of mythology and stories.

Love of History and
reverence for the Ancestors – Druidry recognises the forming power of the
past

Love of Trees –
Druids today plant trees and Sacred Groves and study treelore.

Love of Stones –
Druids today build stone circles, collect stones and work with crystals.

Love of Truth – Druid
Philosophy is a quest for Wisdom.

Love of Animals –
Druidry sees animals as sacred, and teaches sacred animal lore.

Love of the Body –
Druidry sees the body and sexuality as sacred.

Love of the Sun, Moon,
Stars and Sky – Druid Starlore, embodied in the old stories and the stone
circles, teaches a love for the Universe.

Love of each other
– Druidry fosters the magic of relationships, of community.

Love of Life –
Druidry encourages celebration and full commitment to life – it is not a
spirituality that wants us to escape from life.

This pretty much covers how I want to fit in the world and is
also written openly enough to allow me to interpret the words in a way that
suits me best – for example the Love of the Body line means, to me, that I need
to take care of myself and keep myself healthy and that all sexualities are
sacred and to be included in my understanding of the world. When I needed it
most, OBOD’s type of Druidry gave me a framework to think around and to build my own
personal spirituality and craft on, which is why it remains a huge part of my
life.

If you do read any of the books above, I hope you find them
interesting and useful. If you don’t, apologies! Regardless, come and tell me what
you think of them – I love to chat about what I’ve read.