Hey Danni! Just found this. What a great review - thank you! Just a little detail - there is a cumulative index. I hope you've received it by now. If not, do email the office and they'll send it to you. Many blessings, Philip
I'm not sure why, but it took me so long to notice the Bardic index and teacher names and song credits. LOL! So much more useful with my research now. Thanks for this review. I still need to get going on the Ovate grade. Blesssings. /|\
Thank you for these OBOD reviews! Also I must ask everyone to take a moment and appreciate those gorgeous and unique glasses! As a 4eyes myself I get excited about interesting frames!!!😊😊😊😊
Being a pagan for many years, I have found the Bardic course very slow, a repeat of what I have learnt already and I have lost motivation in the middle where the elements start. This motivates me some to finish Bardic to get to the Ovate course. Thanks!
Hi Danni, I did the Bard grade years ago and loved it. I waited a bit and then shared the Ovate with a fellow member. They dropped it and I then a few years later ordered the newer Ovate course text version. I started it and then life got in the way. I am now back ready to restart my Ovate path. I have been an Eclectic Solitary Witch since 98'. I had to have them find me a new mentor or find my olde one because I couldn't find me and his emails. Turns out he stopped being a tutor. So they gave me a new one and I am planning to redo my first gwers path work with that first one. I love the Ovate grade, as I am one that is one that is so connected with nature and herbal work and other aspects as well. Glad to see someone do a video on this. I plan to share a bit of my Ovate path on my blog. Sort of an online journal along with my personal journal.
Thank you for your honesty and info on these courses! I am loving my journey with OBOD. I am in Virginia and the nearest groups are a bit away from me. Your videos and the podcast keep me feeling a sense of connection to the order while practicing in solidarity.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Danni for your insight and review into this wonderful course and journey. I'm so grateful for your videos and OBOD. I just received my second bardic package! Druidic blessings!
Very excited to see your video. I stared obod a few yrs ago but didn't really give it my all. I just restarted and I'm very excited about it. Your videos really gave me more motivation to really dig my heals in a really stay dedicated. Thank you!!!
Thank you. I've been doing the bardic course. And it's been slow moving for me. Mainly because a lot of it is somewhat boring. I was in the Reclaiming tradition for almost 30 years. And so much of it's the same.but I want to get through it and move on. Because it sounds like the next step is exactly what I need.
yes, yes, yes I think you'll find way more of what you are looking for in the Ovate course. There is some fun, beautiful wisdom in the Bard course, but Reclaiming traditions would have given you such a strong foundation already.
I just purchased the Bard course. I wasn't sure that I would do it or that I'd go to Ovate. Now I want to go all the way through. It will be good that it is a tad slow as I am doing several other courses as well. This way I will have a day for each and will work on each of my courses daily with one day each to do the deeper stuff. So, I like that the Bard course is slower. By the time I get to Ovate I should only be working on one other course. I'm doing a Shaman course that will be about 2.5 years. Between the two I look forward to the growth. Thank you for the review as it did help in my decision. I have subscribed to your channel. I am working on starting mine. I'm such a beginner. LOL. Hopefully over the course of the next couple of years there will be great improvement and I will be able to edit and come across as helpful as you.
Hey Danni - I wanted to offer my compliments on your videos here on TH-cam. I come from a primal animist tradition and have been walking the path of the Old Ways for well over 30 years now. However there is always room for more learning. Since I came across your videos on Druidry I have been inspired to investigate this path as a supplement to my own. I may even sign up for the OBOD Bards course as a result. So thanks for the inspiration ;-)
I’m just coming to the end of the Bardic course and have been debating moving onto the Ovate course. It’s interesting that you say the Bardic grade may seem slow or basic as this is how I’ve often felt which had put me off progressing a little. However, your comments about the greater depth of the Ovate course are encouraging, so thank you.
I'm glad! I really wanted to help people find the answers to their questions about the course differences since I had so many myself. You can always reach out to your mentor from OBOD too if you want another take on moving to Ovate. :)
Thank you for the wonderful and honest review, I’m already anticipating being able to start it. However I’m only starting Bardic Gwers nine, so it will be a while. I would like to touch on what you said about the Bardic Course in this video and the previous one. First of all dealing with the OBOD office has been a real pleasure so far. They have been very quick to answer questions and send replacements for damaged material, even when not their fault. As you said the packaging is weak for international mail, maybe the USPS is just rougher on mail than the Royal Post. The Touchstone, for me, is a little better than I expected based on your first review so I think it must have improved as you say in this video. Still not quite what I would expect from an International Organization. But in OBOD’s defense, I have noticed a downgrade in the quality printed publications from similar groups overall. The Bardic Course, so far, is a lot slower paced than I thought it would be. But for me that’s a good thing as it forces me to go back and reexamine and reevaluate learning from other paths I have explored. Working through some of the basics with a more Druid flair is what I need, but I can see how it might be seen by more season individuals as too basic. A true seeker should be able to overcome this, I would hope.
What a fantastic point to end on, "I can see how it might be seen by more season individuals as too basic. A true seeker should be able to overcome this, I would hope." I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the Bardic course and finding new kernels of wisdom to add to your already rich path. It's also nice to hear I'm not the only one to be surprised by the Touchstone. They HAVE improved the design slightly. I really like a sister publication that is online called the Druid Magazine (druidmagazine.com) It's got more flair lol. Please do report back as your journey though the Bard grade continues!
SQUEEE!!!!! Katey, how exciting! Please let me know your first impressions when you receive it :D Also if you'd like some snail mail, I'd love to send you something. Do you have a mailing address posted somewhere or could you DM me with it, please?
Thank you so much for this review! It was actually because of you and your Bard review that I began the OBOD Bard course. I am almost to the end and so your Ovate review is perfectly timed for me. Can you please tell me who you used to bind your Bard course as I think it’s a fabulous idea and would like to have mine done like yours. Thank you again for supporting me and my journey!
+Liz Huff I used Grimm bindery out of Madison, Wi. You can ship them the materials and tgey will ship it back. I think the link to their site is in the description of the Bard Course review video.
Hi Danni, Thank you for these videos, I've been pondering whether to take on a druid training with OBOD or a Priestess Training with the Glastonbury Goddess house, I still can't decide but your videos certainly help! maybe i'll win the lottery and i can just do all of them! :D x
That sounds like a tough choice! I'm glad the videos help a bit. I'm sure when the timing is right you'll figure which is best for you. . . Or the lottery win. LOL
I'm ALMOST done the Bard Course, it's taken me so much longer than a year to complete it, but I would LOVE to move forward with study because I'm obsessed with learning :D I'd love to chat with you a bit more about OBOD if you're interested. My friends who started it with me haven't continued.
+Emily Donnelly I'd be thrilled to chat more about OBOD with you. The best place to reach me with personal messages is messages on TH-cam, DMs on Instagram, or a letter to my P.O. Box address.
Thank you! OBOD's website is full of great information but they are so very secretive about the details of the course. It was hard for me to know what I was getting into when I started. I hope the video reviews help others feel confident about, what I think, is a fantastic distance learning opportunity.
True I can kinda understand to a degree so many just want stuff handed to them. I mean we pay for college and OBOD basically offers a type of trade school in spirituality. I greatly appreciate the amount of material in the bardic grade (still working with the material 5 years later :D)
Hi Danni! Thank you so much for these course review videos! I have recently started the Bard course after seeing your review video of that and I am absolutely thrilled! You are such a light and I am so happy I found your channel. I don't a Grove nearby so its just me and a friend who is only vaguely interested getting to talk about Druidry so thank the Goddess for your channel for a reprieve from my own mind! :D I think we follow each other on Instagram so if you see riversonglovestardisblue please say hello!
Oh what a wonderful surprise to meet you here on TH-cam! It's so nice when we can chat on both platforms. I don't really have a grove nearby either, especially after moving. This is my online grove instead!
Hello! I have a quick question about your hardcover Bardic Grade book. When you had it bound by Grimm, did you choose the base binding or the signature binding (which allows it to lie flat, but costs an additional $2 PER PACKET, adding over $100 to the total.) Just wanted to get an idea of which you got and if you were happy, especially since you mentioned having them do the Ovate grade as well. Thanks!
I did the base binding and was happy with it. However, it is a chunky book. The signature binding could be useful. They were super great to work with both times!
Nope, the OBOD material is meant to build upon itself. You'd miss a lot of references to techniques and ideas even if you could start at the Druid grade.
While the Ovate grade does deal more with prophecy and psychic arts, OBOD doesn't require an "inherent talent" for those skills. There are other aspects of the Ovates that can be developed with study, journeying, and ritual. Is it possible to be an Ovate WITHOUT a going through the OBOD course? Most certainly. Is the OBOD Ovate course one way to study the mysteries of the Ovate if the order aligns with your personal practice of Druidry? Most certainly.
So, basically I'm financially strapped, and have been walking my own solitary path for a little over a year now. I don't see my financial situation changing anytime soon, due to family related issues. I want to make room for this in my life, and rather walk a solitary path, be in tune with a community, have access to a mentor to turn to, learn the proper steps, etc etc. Are all the courses as expensive as I'm seeing on the website? Is there a way to work the cost around? This sucks, I really enjoy this spiritual connection I have found through druidry, but cannot afford to attain the knowledge I wish to attain.
You should email the order and ask about scholarships. At different times they've had a few available. Also know that you can continue to find peace, connection, and inspiration as a Druid without taking the course. There is lots to be gained by continuing to practice solitary. *hug* I know it's hard though!
At the time, it was about $220 for the text version, for me. It will depend on the exchange rate whenever you order it. They do offer the option of doing 3 payments or monthly payments to cover that.
And that's for a whole course that typically takes about a year, just to put that in perspective! I've seen amazing courses on a more specific topic or skill that cost that much for TWO MONTHS. And they are worth it. That price (or that range, since you did say it depends on some factors exactly what it will be), for something so extensive and associated with an Order like this, is more than worth it. =)
Something about all this doesn't sit right with me. Paying hundreds of pounds to undertake a course for a religion/belief that has no set dogma or doctrines. It feels too much like exploitation of druidry rather than encouraging a deeper and fuller understanding of the belief system. Like druidry has been turned into a product to purchase rather than a belief to understand. Hmpf
It isn't for everyone. I say over and over again on this channel that there are MANY ways to study Druidry and OBOD isnt the only way. The cost covers materials. Doing the distance learning course with OBOD gives you a lot of printed materials, shipped every month. The mentors aren't paid, the order is covering costs, you get a well researched starting point for your practice along with a community. While there isn't a set dogma like some traditions, there are commonalities and practices that set OBOD Druids a part from others. It's a flavor not a dogma.
Dear Danni, Thanks so much for these videos. I will be borrowing some of your book choices from the library. You are a good ambassador for Druidry and I may just give myself the OBOD course as a present. Your review was very helpful. Maxine Rogers Druid Apprentice AODA
Hey Danni! Just found this. What a great review - thank you! Just a little detail - there is a cumulative index. I hope you've received it by now. If not, do email the office and they'll send it to you. Many blessings, Philip
Awesome, thanks for the heads up! If I don't see it soon, I'll check in with the office. :D
I'm not sure why, but it took me so long to notice the Bardic index and teacher names and song credits. LOL! So much more useful with my research now. Thanks for this review. I still need to get going on the Ovate grade. Blesssings. /|\
Thank you for these OBOD reviews! Also I must ask everyone to take a moment and appreciate those gorgeous and unique glasses! As a 4eyes myself I get excited about interesting frames!!!😊😊😊😊
Being a pagan for many years, I have found the Bardic course very slow, a repeat of what I have learnt already and I have lost motivation in the middle where the elements start. This motivates me some to finish Bardic to get to the Ovate course. Thanks!
Yes! I def think the deeper, more varied topics in Ovate will appeal to you. So much is covered in this course!
Hi Danni, I did the Bard grade years ago and loved it. I waited a bit and then shared the Ovate with a fellow member. They dropped it and I then a few years later ordered the newer Ovate course text version. I started it and then life got in the way. I am now back ready to restart my Ovate path. I have been an Eclectic Solitary Witch since 98'. I had to have them find me a new mentor or find my olde one because I couldn't find me and his emails. Turns out he stopped being a tutor. So they gave me a new one and I am planning to redo my first gwers path work with that first one. I love the Ovate grade, as I am one that is one that is so connected with nature and herbal work and other aspects as well. Glad to see someone do a video on this. I plan to share a bit of my Ovate path on my blog. Sort of an online journal along with my personal journal.
Thank you for your reviews. I have just signed up for the Bard course and am looking forward to working through it.
Thank you for your honesty and info on these courses! I am loving my journey with OBOD. I am in Virginia and the nearest groups are a bit away from me. Your videos and the podcast keep me feeling a sense of connection to the order while practicing in solidarity.
What a wonderful honest review. Though I have no started my Bardic course, I greatly appreciate your insight. Thank you for your videos.
I really appreciate these videos! It has helped me make the decision to join and study with OBOD as well!
Thank you for making these videos.I have felt pulled to Druidary all my life.I know Exactly who was in a past life.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Danni for your insight and review into this wonderful course and journey. I'm so grateful for your videos and OBOD. I just received my second bardic package! Druidic blessings!
OBOD mail makes for the best happy mail! I always get so excited when a package comes in :D
Very excited to see your video. I stared obod a few yrs ago but didn't really give it my all. I just restarted and I'm very excited about it. Your videos really gave me more motivation to really dig my heals in a really stay dedicated. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you've found the inspiration to travel the path of Druidry through OBOD again. :D
Thank you. I've been doing the bardic course. And it's been slow moving for me. Mainly because a lot of it is somewhat boring. I was in the Reclaiming tradition for almost 30 years. And so much of it's the same.but I want to get through it and move on. Because it sounds like the next step is exactly what I need.
yes, yes, yes I think you'll find way more of what you are looking for in the Ovate course. There is some fun, beautiful wisdom in the Bard course, but Reclaiming traditions would have given you such a strong foundation already.
I just purchased the Bard course. I wasn't sure that I would do it or that I'd go to Ovate. Now I want to go all the way through. It will be good that it is a tad slow as I am doing several other courses as well. This way I will have a day for each and will work on each of my courses daily with one day each to do the deeper stuff. So, I like that the Bard course is slower. By the time I get to Ovate I should only be working on one other course. I'm doing a Shaman course that will be about 2.5 years. Between the two I look forward to the growth. Thank you for the review as it did help in my decision. I have subscribed to your channel. I am working on starting mine. I'm such a beginner. LOL. Hopefully over the course of the next couple of years there will be great improvement and I will be able to edit and come across as helpful as you.
Thank you! It sounds like you are a busy student! I'm sure that you will find a way to balance the courses as your practice grows and changes.
Hey Danni - I wanted to offer my compliments on your videos here on TH-cam. I come from a primal animist tradition and have been walking the path of the Old Ways for well over 30 years now. However there is always room for more learning. Since I came across your videos on Druidry I have been inspired to investigate this path as a supplement to my own. I may even sign up for the OBOD Bards course as a result. So thanks for the inspiration ;-)
Welcome to the grove! Thank you for the very kind note.
Hey Danni - you are most welcome ;-)
Hi Danni I love your videos and I'm interested in learning more!
I’m just coming to the end of the Bardic course and have been debating moving onto the Ovate course. It’s interesting that you say the Bardic grade may seem slow or basic as this is how I’ve often felt which had put me off progressing a little. However, your comments about the greater depth of the Ovate course are encouraging, so thank you.
I'm glad! I really wanted to help people find the answers to their questions about the course differences since I had so many myself. You can always reach out to your mentor from OBOD too if you want another take on moving to Ovate. :)
Do you have to do Bard first, or can you do the courses in the order that you are drawn to?
Thank you for the wonderful and honest review, I’m already anticipating being able to start it. However I’m only starting Bardic Gwers nine, so it will be a while.
I would like to touch on what you said about the Bardic Course in this video and the previous one. First of all dealing with the OBOD office has been a real pleasure so far. They have been very quick to answer questions and send replacements for damaged material, even when not their fault. As you said the packaging is weak for international mail, maybe the USPS is just rougher on mail than the Royal Post.
The Touchstone, for me, is a little better than I expected based on your first review so I think it must have improved as you say in this video. Still not quite what I would expect from an International Organization. But in OBOD’s defense, I have noticed a downgrade in the quality printed publications from similar groups overall.
The Bardic Course, so far, is a lot slower paced than I thought it would be. But for me that’s a good thing as it forces me to go back and reexamine and reevaluate learning from other paths I have explored.
Working through some of the basics with a more Druid flair is what I need, but I can see how it might be seen by more season individuals as too basic. A true seeker should be able to overcome this, I would hope.
What a fantastic point to end on, "I can see how it might be seen by more season individuals as too basic. A true seeker should be able to overcome this, I would hope."
I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the Bardic course and finding new kernels of wisdom to add to your already rich path. It's also nice to hear I'm not the only one to be surprised by the Touchstone. They HAVE improved the design slightly. I really like a sister publication that is online called the Druid Magazine (druidmagazine.com) It's got more flair lol. Please do report back as your journey though the Bard grade continues!
I've been seriously considering doing this for the past year and I think I will now.
I hope it's a wonderful experience for you! I love hearing about everyone and where they are on the courses and their Druidry path.
I ordered the introductory material before Christmas, so I'm hoping it shows up soon! It all sounds so interesting! Thanks for sharing, Danni :)
SQUEEE!!!!! Katey, how exciting! Please let me know your first impressions when you receive it :D Also if you'd like some snail mail, I'd love to send you something. Do you have a mailing address posted somewhere or could you DM me with it, please?
I'm really excited, too! And snail mail!? How exciting! I'll DM you now :D xx
Hey Danni
Wanted to say love your videos, signed up for the basic course and your really inspiring with videos you do.. Thanks
OH how wonderful! I hope the course brings much joy and Awen to your life. Keep me up to date on how your work with OBOD goes please!
Thank you for this review, I am more than ever wanting to finish the Bard and move on :)
Enjoy the rest of the bardic grade, but I'm glad I help inspire you to keep growing with OBOD!
Thank you a lot for your review, this has helped me a lot with trying to figure out my Druidic Path!
You're welcome! I'm glad it was insightful for you!
Thank you so much for this review! It was actually because of you and your Bard review that I began the OBOD Bard course. I am almost to the end and so your Ovate review is perfectly timed for me. Can you please tell me who you used to bind your Bard course as I think it’s a fabulous idea and would like to have mine done like yours. Thank you again for supporting me and my journey!
+Liz Huff I used Grimm bindery out of Madison, Wi. You can ship them the materials and tgey will ship it back. I think the link to their site is in the description of the Bard Course review video.
And 7 months after my last comment here I've gotten my intro pack to Ovate grade and now I'm In the contemplation stage :)
How exciting! Enjoy this seeding, resting, and thinking time.
Hi Danni, Thank you for these videos, I've been pondering whether to take on a druid training with OBOD or a Priestess Training with the Glastonbury Goddess house, I still can't decide but your videos certainly help! maybe i'll win the lottery and i can just do all of them! :D x
That sounds like a tough choice! I'm glad the videos help a bit. I'm sure when the timing is right you'll figure which is best for you. . . Or the lottery win. LOL
I'm ALMOST done the Bard Course, it's taken me so much longer than a year to complete it, but I would LOVE to move forward with study because I'm obsessed with learning :D
I'd love to chat with you a bit more about OBOD if you're interested. My friends who started it with me haven't continued.
+Emily Donnelly I'd be thrilled to chat more about OBOD with you. The best place to reach me with personal messages is messages on TH-cam, DMs on Instagram, or a letter to my P.O. Box address.
How does this only have 100 views? Great video and something I have considered making a video on as well. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thank you! OBOD's website is full of great information but they are so very secretive about the details of the course. It was hard for me to know what I was getting into when I started. I hope the video reviews help others feel confident about, what I think, is a fantastic distance learning opportunity.
True I can kinda understand to a degree so many just want stuff handed to them. I mean we pay for college and OBOD basically offers a type of trade school in spirituality. I greatly appreciate the amount of material in the bardic grade (still working with the material 5 years later :D)
Hi Danni! Thank you so much for these course review videos! I have recently started the Bard course after seeing your review video of that and I am absolutely thrilled! You are such a light and I am so happy I found your channel. I don't a Grove nearby so its just me and a friend who is only vaguely interested getting to talk about Druidry so thank the Goddess for your channel for a reprieve from my own mind! :D I think we follow each other on Instagram so if you see riversonglovestardisblue please say hello!
Oh what a wonderful surprise to meet you here on TH-cam! It's so nice when we can chat on both platforms. I don't really have a grove nearby either, especially after moving. This is my online grove instead!
OBOD Bard here. Thank you for the review! /|\
Another OBODy named Danielle! Thanks for watching my video. It's always nice to meet more OBODies. :)
Your videos are soooo helpful ‼️
Thank you great review!
Do you need access to nature to benefit from the course?
Hello! I have a quick question about your hardcover Bardic Grade book. When you had it bound by Grimm, did you choose the base binding or the signature binding (which allows it to lie flat, but costs an additional $2 PER PACKET, adding over $100 to the total.) Just wanted to get an idea of which you got and if you were happy, especially since you mentioned having them do the Ovate grade as well.
Thanks!
I did the base binding and was happy with it. However, it is a chunky book. The signature binding could be useful. They were super great to work with both times!
So, do you get graded? How do you move on to the next course. Is there a test?
As far as you know, can I start with the druid course? is the only one that Im interested.
Nope, the OBOD material is meant to build upon itself. You'd miss a lot of references to techniques and ideas even if you could start at the Druid grade.
Is it possible to do a course to become an ovate? Doesn't it require a certain inherent talent? Telepathy, foresight.
While the Ovate grade does deal more with prophecy and psychic arts, OBOD doesn't require an "inherent talent" for those skills. There are other aspects of the Ovates that can be developed with study, journeying, and ritual. Is it possible to be an Ovate WITHOUT a going through the OBOD course? Most certainly. Is the OBOD Ovate course one way to study the mysteries of the Ovate if the order aligns with your personal practice of Druidry? Most certainly.
So, basically I'm financially strapped, and have been walking my own solitary path for a little over a year now. I don't see my financial situation changing anytime soon, due to family related issues. I want to make room for this in my life, and rather walk a solitary path, be in tune with a community, have access to a mentor to turn to, learn the proper steps, etc etc. Are all the courses as expensive as I'm seeing on the website? Is there a way to work the cost around? This sucks, I really enjoy this spiritual connection I have found through druidry, but cannot afford to attain the knowledge I wish to attain.
You should email the order and ask about scholarships. At different times they've had a few available.
Also know that you can continue to find peace, connection, and inspiration as a Druid without taking the course. There is lots to be gained by continuing to practice solitary.
*hug* I know it's hard though!
For the text version, approximately how much a month was it in American dollars?
At the time, it was about $220 for the text version, for me. It will depend on the exchange rate whenever you order it. They do offer the option of doing 3 payments or monthly payments to cover that.
And that's for a whole course that typically takes about a year, just to put that in perspective! I've seen amazing courses on a more specific topic or skill that cost that much for TWO MONTHS. And they are worth it. That price (or that range, since you did say it depends on some factors exactly what it will be), for something so extensive and associated with an Order like this, is more than worth it. =)
And now hearing in the video that this one took you two years to get through. Yep. The math is good!
How is this form of druidry different from Wicca?
What is the song that plays at the end?
Thank you for sharing this. I joined many years ago but fell off soon after, as life became very busy. Again, thanks for sharing.
I feel you! Life and the things that keep us busy can slow our progress. But there is no rush or deadline, that's what helps me!
Something about all this doesn't sit right with me. Paying hundreds of pounds to undertake a course for a religion/belief that has no set dogma or doctrines. It feels too much like exploitation of druidry rather than encouraging a deeper and fuller understanding of the belief system. Like druidry has been turned into a product to purchase rather than a belief to understand. Hmpf
It isn't for everyone. I say over and over again on this channel that there are MANY ways to study Druidry and OBOD isnt the only way.
The cost covers materials. Doing the distance learning course with OBOD gives you a lot of printed materials, shipped every month. The mentors aren't paid, the order is covering costs, you get a well researched starting point for your practice along with a community.
While there isn't a set dogma like some traditions, there are commonalities and practices that set OBOD Druids a part from others. It's a flavor not a dogma.
cringe
Dear Danni,
Thanks so much for these videos. I will be borrowing some of your book choices from the library. You are a good ambassador for Druidry and I may just give myself the OBOD course as a present. Your review was very helpful.
Maxine Rogers Druid Apprentice AODA