Philip Carr-Gomm
For over three decades, Philip Carr-Gomm guided the world’s largest Druid teaching order, shaping a global community of seekers across fifty countries. A psychotherapist, bestselling author, and co-creator of the beloved DruidCraft Tarot, Philip brings a rare depth to his teaching, weaving together the wisdom of ancient traditions with the insights of modern psychology.
Biography
The Druid's Path
Philip Carr-Gomm is one of the most recognized figures in modern Druidry. As an author, psychotherapist, and spiritual teacher, he has spent over four decades bridging the worlds of psychology and spirituality. His work with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) helped transform Druidry from a niche interest into a living spiritual practice embraced by tens of thousands of people around the world.
Born in London in 1952, Philip’s spiritual journey began remarkably early. At the age of eleven, he met Ross Nichols, the founder of OBOD, and by fifteen he had begun formal study under Nichols’ guidance. After Nichols’ death in 1975, Philip spent several years studying with Bulgarian teacher Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov before turning to psychology in his thirties. He earned a BSc in Psychology from University College London, underwent Jungian analysis, and trained as a Psychosynthesis psychotherapist at the Institute of Psychosynthesis. This dual grounding in both ancient wisdom and therapeutic practice would come to define his life’s work.
In 1988, Philip was asked to lead OBOD as its Chosen Chief. Over the next thirty-two years, he organized the Order’s teachings into a comprehensive distance-learning programme and grew it to over 30,000 members in more than fifty countries, making OBOD the largest Druid teaching order in the world. Alongside his leadership, he published more than twenty books with major publishers including HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Granta. With his wife Stephanie and artist Will Worthington, he co-created the DruidCraft Tarot, the Druid Animal Oracle, and the Druid Plant Oracle, all of which have become staples of the divination world.
Philip stepped down as Chosen Chief in 2020, passing the role to Eimear Burke. Today he continues teaching through his online school, The Art of Living Well, and his courses on Global Spiritual Studies. He lives in Sussex, England, with Stephanie, where he hosts the weekly “Tea with a Druid” YouTube broadcast and the “This Magical Life” podcast. You can learn Druidry online with Philip and Stephanie at Global Spiritual Studies.
Specializations
Areas of Expertise
- Druidry & Celtic Spirituality
- DruidCraft Tarot
- Tarot as Transformative Tool
- Jungian & Transpersonal Psychology
- Psychosynthesis Psychotherapy
- Kabbalah & Western Mystery Tradition
- Sacred Animal Divination
- Active Imagination & Visualization
- Querent-Centred Reading
- Court Card Psychology
- Sophrology & Yoga Nidra
- Nature-Based Spirituality
- Ritual & Ceremony
- Sacred Sites & Pilgrimage
- Celtic Mythology & Symbolism
- Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Integration
Approach
Teaching Philosophy
At the heart of Philip’s teaching is a conviction that psychology and spirituality are not separate disciplines but complementary pathways to self-understanding. Drawing on his training in Psychosynthesis, Jungian analysis, and decades of Druidic practice, he approaches tarot and divination as tools for inner transformation rather than mere fortune-telling. His guiding principle is simple: the purpose of a reading is to empower the seeker, never to create dependence on the reader.
Philip’s method is integrative by design. He weaves together three strands in every teaching: traditional lore, modern psychology, and the living practice of Western mystery traditions. Students learn not only the meanings of the cards but how to enter the images through guided visualization, how court cards mirror psychological types, and how the act of reading can become a form of therapy in its own right. His approach to court cards is deliberately inverted, beginning where most teachers end, because he believes they hold the key to understanding the people and dynamics in a reading.
His teaching style is warm, unhurried, and deeply personal. Whether guiding students through a Sacred Grove meditation, exploring the four directional animals of the Druid tradition, or demonstrating how a single “rogue card” can unlock an entire reading, Philip creates an atmosphere of trust and openness. As he tells his students: your purpose is not to show how brilliant or psychic you are, but to hold space so that the querent can discover their own wisdom.
Bibliography
Published Works
Philip’s publishing career spans three decades and includes works with HarperCollins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Granta, and John Murray. In addition to his books on Druidry and tarot, he has co-created three oracle and tarot decks with Stephanie Carr-Gomm and artist Will Worthington: the Druid Animal Oracle, the DruidCraft Tarot, and the Druid Plant Oracle. His writings have been translated into numerous languages and continue to serve as foundational texts for students of the Western mystery traditions.
The DruidCraft Tarot
Affiliations
Professional Affiliations
Philip’s professional life reflects the integration of psychology, spirituality, and education that defines his approach. Beyond his teaching and writing, he maintains active roles across several organizations dedicated to transpersonal development and the renewal of ancient wisdom traditions.
Chosen Chief · Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids
Philip served as the Chosen Chief of OBOD for thirty-two years, guiding the Order from a small community into the world’s largest Druid teaching organization, with over 30,000 members in more than fifty countries. He developed OBOD’s comprehensive distance-learning programme, which historian Ronald Hutton has described as “arguably one of the major documents of British spirituality from the late twentieth century.” He passed the role to Eimear Burke in 2020.
Non-Executive Director · Institute of Psychosynthesis
Philip trained as a Psychosynthesis psychotherapist at the Institute and continues to serve on its board as a non-executive director. Psychosynthesis, developed by Roberto Assagioli as a contemporary of Freud and Jung, is one of the few therapeutic modalities that explicitly bridges psychology and spirituality, making it a natural fit for Philip’s integrative worldview.
Faculty · Alef Trust · Transpersonal Education
Philip teaches Psychosynthesis for the Alef Trust, an organization offering accredited postgraduate programmes in transpersonal psychology through distance learning. His involvement reflects his ongoing commitment to making psychological and spiritual education accessible to students worldwide.
Founder · The Sophrology Institute
Sussex, England
Philip founded The Sophrology Institute to teach this body-mind practice, which blends Western relaxation techniques with Eastern meditation. He holds a Sophrology Practitioner Diploma from the Sophrology Center in Geneva and authored Empower Your Life with Sophrology (CICO Books, 2019), bringing this lesser-known discipline to an English-speaking audience.
Programme Faculty · George Washington University CEPL
Center for Excellence in Public Leadership
Philip serves on the faculty of the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership at George Washington University, where he contributes to programmes that bring contemplative and transpersonal perspectives into leadership development.
Learn
Classes by Philip Carr-Gomm
Explore Philip’s classes on Global Spiritual Studies, spanning the wisdom of the DruidCraft Tarot, the intersection of Kabbalah and Druidic practice, and the transformative power of sacred animal divination. Each course reflects his signature approach: weaving ancient tradition, modern psychology, and hands-on practice into a rich learning experience.
Connect
Connect with Philip
Philip continues to teach and share his work through his online school, The Art of Living Well, his weekly “Tea with a Druid” YouTube broadcast, and the “This Magical Life” podcast. Follow his writing and reflections on nature, psychology, and the spiritual life.