However, in modern Druidism, people can choose any grade which suits them and then study that level or all three. There are formal Druid organization which require members to work through each grade. Alex told me that the Chief Ovate was Tina. Tina is a women I often tease because she is very small and has to buy shoes in the little boys department. She is like a fairy.
Druidic philosophy points to knowledge as the key to self-awareness.
Druids view the realm of the ancestors not as a realm of the dead, but as the repository of wisdom where the ancestors awaited reincarnation. Ovates are trained to communicate with the spirit world, so they may receive a vast amount of knowledge from their ancestors. When death comes, the soul can travel to the Summerland, or any view they find of the afterlife. When they return, though, is what makes the difference. Some might even remember details from their past lives.