Becoming a Druid starts with a quest for strong knowledge and a search for truth in everything (even within oneself). That quest is pursued throughout many years of study (that's right I said many years, from maybe 12 to 20 years). The curriculum included such things as Ogham, memory techniques, Celtic traditions, and other more general areas such as music, philosophy, science, work with Nature, a study of law, a study of languages; the practice of techniques in meditation, techniques of imbas, disciplines of focus and Magical energy. It's not necessary to belong to a group to achieve a Druidic awareness and capability but it would probably help shorten the length of time one studies to attain the desired goal. In The Summerlands, we are working toward developing a curriculum for Druids and establishing a Pagan Seminary for their education. I expect that it will take about 7 to 12 years for a person to complete their Druidic education (though one could be on the Druid path to a degree before the attainment of a clerical ranking). I think other Druidic groups have training programs that may allow a person to attain the status of Druid in their communities that are not as lengthy, though those still take 3 to 4 years as far as I can determine.
