Our Story

Oakheart Grove is an OBOD-based Grove that honors Spirit and Awen in many ways. We have been gathering together since 2022, and currently have a myriad of members from a variety of spiritual paths. Oakheart Grove is women-led by two co-chiefs who share a combined 40 years of experience with Druidry and paganism. OBOD membership is not required to be part of our Grove. Oakheart is an open grove, membership in the Grove is not required to come to or participate in our rituals. We typically meet for ritual on each Sabbat in Hillsboro, OR, and also meet once a month at a coffeehouse for Druid Drinks to cultivate our community ties.

Oakheart Druid Grove believes community is not something that just happens. Community is the living, breathing relationships we have with each other, with the spirits of each place, and with the gods. We consider community as an active verb— it’s not for consumption, it’s for creation. Being an active part of a community means processing, holding space, self-reflection (even when it’s uncomfortable), having compassion, extending grace, and compromise. It’s an ongoing, ever-evolving process between many different individuals, philosophies, cultures-- and that’s what makes it sacred.

There is no ‘sacred text’ or the equivalent of a bible in Druidry and there is no universally agreed set of beliefs amongst Druids. Despite this, there are a number of ideas and beliefs that most Druids hold in common, and which Oakheart Grove adheres to:

  • Love of peace & beauty

  • Love of justice

  • Love of the God & Goddess/Spirit

  • Love of story & myth

  • Love of history & reverence for the ancestors

  • Love of trees & nature

  • Love of truth

  • Love of the body

  • Love of the sun, moon, stars & sky

  • Love of each other

  • Love of life

Since Druidry is a spiritual path – a religion to some, a way of life to others – Druids share a belief in the fundamentally spiritual nature of life. Whether they have chosen to adopt a particular viewpoint or not, the greatest characteristic of most modern-day Druids lies in their tolerance of diversity: a Druid gathering can bring together people who have widely varying views about deity, or none, and they will happily participate in ceremonies together, celebrate the seasons, and enjoy each other’s company – realizing none of us has the monopoly on truth, and diversity is both healthy and natural. Nature forms such an important focus of their reverence, that whatever beliefs they hold about Deity, all Druids sense Nature as divine or sacred. Every part of nature is sensed as part of the great web of life, with no one creature or aspect of it having supremacy over any other. Unlike religions that are anthropocentric, believing humanity occupies a central role in the scheme of life, this conception is systemic and holistic, and sees humankind as just one part of the wider family of life.

It’s an attitude, an understanding, an exquisitely simple and natural philosophy of living. For a great many it is a rich and ancient religion, a mystical spirituality. For others it’s simply a guiding way of life. It is absolutely open and free for anyone to discover.

-Emma Restall Orr

If you are interested in joining our Grove or joining us in ritual, you can request to join our Facebook group here, or you can reach out to us at info@oakheartdruids.com for more information.