Aontacht ISSNVolume 2044-1339 4, Issue 4
Sacred Places
Aontacht • 1 Volume 4, Issue 4 aontacht
creating unity in community
Z 3 Contributors Page 8 Jenne Micale Feature Interview 5 From The Desk Richard Fox Editor
7 News from the Druidic Dawn 15 Sacred Space and Sacred Place Management Team Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT Nigel Dailey Druidic Dawn Representative 24 Cape Split, a sacred part of Nova Scotia's Ocean Playground 31 Community Calendar Debra Lewis 35 What is in our next issue 27 Swallow Spring Llewellyn ap Dafydd
17 Nature as Living Story: Lectio Divina in the Natural World Alison Leigh Lilly
23 Sacred Vision
26 Tea Tree Oil
30 Shadowland: Wales 3000 – 1500 OBC Cover photo: Under the Oak © Faye Boyd
Aontacht • 2 Volume 4, Issue 4 aontacht Contributors creating unity in community
Editor Richard Fox Jenne Micale is a writer, singer, priestess Co-Editor and musician whose endeavors include the Vacant ethereal/wyrd music project Kwannon Production Manager Druidic Dawn Rep. and, in former times, the wyrd folk band Nigel Dailey Belladonna Bouquet. She us a member of Feature Editor - Wild Earth the Henge of Keltria. Alison Leigh Lilly Feature Editor - Formulary Faye Boyd Feature Editor - Poetry Llewellyn ap Dafydd was born in the par- Sarah Ward ish of Llanwonno and brought up in the Publisher mining valleys of South Wales. He now Druidic Dawn, CIC lives in self-imposed exile in a Yorkshire Original Layout Design Aestas Designs full of the reminders of its days as a part of aestas.dieromantic.com the ancient kingdom of the Celts. He is the General Inquiries author of the Wisdom of Rhiannon, All questions, comments and et- (www.wisdomofrhiannon.co.uk) and can cetera can be sent to the follow- ing address: be contacted at [email protected] [email protected]. Advertising At the moment we are offering ad space. To the community of Maya St. Clair resides in Kuwait, is an Irish Druidic Dawn. This is subject to change. Polytheist, and a mechanical engineer with a love of history, mythology and culture. Aontacht is published four times a year by Druidic Dawn, CIC. She is editor of the Oran Mor, the official Aontacht, Volume 4, Issue 4 © newsletter of the New Order of Druids. She 2012 Druidic Dawn, all rights re- served. All contained content is also serves on their Council. Maya is an copyright to its respective own- Irish Gaelic student and regularly writes a ers, including art and photos. The wide variety of articles and book reviews contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in on Celtic and religious topics. part without the consent of the copyright owner. Charlton Hall has been on the Druid path Environmental Benefits since 1979. He is a Family Therapist, jour- Statement Aontacht magazine is only nalist and author. Charlton Hall, MMFT, available online as a free .pdf LMFT, aka Sencha the Druid, was initiated download; thereby saving into the Emerald Coast Grove of Druidry trees, water, solid waste and greenhouse gases. It is de- on Samhain 1979 in Pensacola, Florida. He signed on an Energy Star rated is the Chief Druid of the Black Mountain computer. Druid Order and the Executive Director of Opinions and views expressed the Culture Artist organization are not necessarily those of (www.cultureartist.org) the editors, publisher or staff. OAontacht • 3 Volume 4, Issue 4
Editorial Notes
Contributors You do not have to be a Caroline Queen of Celtica has a great love of member of the Druidic nature and meditation, and lives in Y Drenew- Dawn community to submit ydd in Cymru, in the beautiful Welsh moun- to the magazine. tains. Presently runs the record label Great Please submit contribu- Oak, with a mission to create a sustainable tions directly to the edito- green Celtica, filled with Great Oaks and High rial staff via email to: Consciousness. [email protected]
Faye Boyd has been interested in Nature and all Refer to the last page of things Celtic for many a year. She is a member this issue for writer’s guide- of OBOD, Druidic Dawn, Ord Brighideach lines and more informa- International, Celtic Reiki Master, Hot Stone tion, before you submit Therapist, Guided Meditations and is a spoken inquiries or contributions. word artist. Fae resides in Canada. Below is the theme for the next issue Debra Lewis is originally from Nova Scotia, Canada and has lived in the Northwest of Eng- land since 2005. Currently studying the Ovatic path of Druidry with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Deb also works as a medical labo- ratory assistant with the NHS. Debra other great joys include writing, online shopping, baking and ceaselessly reading fiction.
Alison Leigh Lilly resides in the lovely, thrice- rivered city of Pittsburgh. She devotes her time to cultivating a spiritual life founded on peace, poesis, and attentive engagement with the inner and outer landscapes of wildness, wilderness and nature in all its complexity. She explores these themes through essays, poetry and photography, and her work has appeared in a number of publications both in print and online. More information about Alison and her work can be found on her website: alisonleighlilly.com Sarah Ward (Heddwen) is a Pagan Priestess who lives in the mountains of Mid Wales. She practices an earth based spirituality and en- joys poetry, writing, mask making, belly danc- ving and walking in the sacred landscape. Sarah is a member of OBOD. Aontacht • 4 Volume 4, Issue 4 News from the Aontacht Production Team
where spiritual and metaphysical ceremonies and cultural passages were marked for many genera- tions by our ancestors. Think of the stored up This issue of Aontacht is focused on sacred sites. memories and power that must reside there. But what is a sacred site and what makes it sacred? That said, some sacred sites may be energized by In many cases, the site has unique physical features shorter duration, but high intensity activities that where natural forces are more potent or present. took place there, like the passing of a powerful Every natural hot spring is special in this way, Priest, Priestess or King. though few would class every hot spring as a sacred site. Some people believe that Earth herself (GAIA) purposefully communicates with us at sacred In other places, like the vapor caves of the Oracle places. In other situations it might be a place of Delphi, the unique and very potent characteris- where she is doing her evolutionary magick and is tics that were found there reacted with humans in observed by us. a profound and mystical way. As to why GAIA might step forward at any partic- In many cases, it is these powerful activities like ular place, far be it for us to know the will and those at the Cave of Prophecy that occur at these ways of GAIA, the four billion year old intelli- special physical places that combine to make a spot gence and spirit of our planet. sacred. There are surely many ways to define sacred sites Most of us experience to varying degrees the in- beyond my brief structural look. tense power that exists at sacred sites. I believe this power is often built up by powerful forces In his book Places of Peace & Power for instance, being played out over an extended time. A nature- Martin Gray lists 32 categories of sacred places based example is the feeling you get when you are including: standing in a grove of extremely large and very Ÿ Ancient ceremonial sites, such as Machu old trees, like the Redwoods and other legendary Picchu in Peru, species. Adding in human based activities, anoth- Ÿ Ancient astronomical observatories, such er example is the power that is gathered up in a as Stonehenge in England, ceremonial area like many of members and friends Ÿ create and use in their spiritual practices. Beyond Sacred mountains, such as Kailash in the today's use, think about the old Druid oak groves Himalayas,
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Ÿ Human-built mountains, such as the Great Go visit this sacred site, where Bards were trained Pyramid in Egypt, and Druidry in Wales last bloomed. Visit in rever- Ÿ Sacred bodies of water, such as Lake Titi- ence where the Romans destroyed the sacred oak caca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia, groves after slaughtering all who lived on this legendary Isle of Power. Ÿ Oracle sites, such as Delphi in Greece, Ÿ Labyrinth sites, such as Glastonbury Tor The island has been almost barren of trees ever in England, and since the razing of the groves by the Romans. But Ÿ Sacred islands, such as Iona in Scotland. now, due to the strong leadership overlooking the island these days, a reforestation project has been I believe that many of these and many other sacred successful and as part of those trials, the first new sites still retain a direct link to those past activities oaks have been restored to Bardsey Island. Let us and the people who lived then and that much of join in visiting and welcoming these new trees and their accumulated power lies dormant, yet capable especially the new oaks who are descendents of of being accessed, explored and revitalized. the Sacred Oak Groves of Bardsey Island.
Who can say what memories are waiting out These new and relatively frail oaks are a living there? What memories might be tapped of past bridge to the great oak groves that once grew Druid, Pagan and other earth based spiritual paths there. Let us work to keep them healthy and and practices? strong and awaken the memories of power and the presence of our past great teachers and caretakers. And many of the sacred sites are direct links to As these new trees grow, who can say what old GAIA - a place to reconnect with our planetary memories will be awakened and brought once mother, who has shaped our evolution for a very again into the world of men? long time. The Druidic Dawn is looking into how more oaks So I present this simple but powerful might be established there on Bardsey Island and Call to Action: possibly at other sacred sites. So come...join our efforts at the Druidic Dawn...or if that is not for To every druid who loves the earth. To all my you, forge a sacred site campaign of your own. Let fellow pagans and every person who walks a this be a Year of Awakening - within our hearts and earth based spiritual path - I ask each and every within our sacred sites. one of you - hear the Call of Awakening and make a commitment to visit some of our impor- Surely it is time to protect our sacred sites, but also tant sacred sites this year. to visit them, experience them, and activate them with our hearts, our minds and our unwavering Make a commitment to also visit some of the dedication to serving the needs of this planet. lesser known sites that have been abandoned and seek out ways to reach, restore and activate them. Awaken your own spirit as you create a new way to honor the old ways! Here is a simple example, though just one of a thousand possible paths you might choose to take. Blessed Be... Go to Bardsey Island off of Wales. Bardsey is a powerful Isle some have called Afallwch (Avalon) Editor and now goes locally as Ynys Enlii. It is the Island Aontacht Magazine of 20,000 Saints and where Merlin reputedly came to die. Aontacht • 6 Volume 4, Issue 4
Welcome to the Spring/Autumn Equinox edition Druidic Dawn behind the Scenes of Aontacht. Some things have been happening at Druidic Dawn, and we like to keep our readers The Management Team which facilitates Druidic updated on what's going on. Dawn on behalf of its community membership has recently been joined by Jonathan Cleaver (UK), Druidic Dawn working in the Community and Richard Fox (USA), Faye Boyd (Canada), and Alan on the website. Sutcliffe (Brazil). All are active contributing mem- bers of this community. Druidic Dawn continues Fresh exciting media content has been added to on its restructuring. the resources; Grove Radio is broadcast from the United Kingdom. It’s brought to the internet via At the end of February one of the team members members of the Iw Hearg (The Yew Grove). The were interviewed on an Italian radio station Keltio music is Pagan and they offer additional inter- Radio, where both Druidic Dawn and matters re- views with both Musical artist folk and interesting lating to Druidry were discussed. It’s hoped in the Druids and Pagans. near future Keltioradio will become an additional resource to the expanding knowledge base on Dru- In addition, Practical Druidry introduced by idic Dawn relating to Druidry. Chuck, aka Sencha the Druid from the Black Mountain Druid Order on the East Coast of USA, The Aontacht Magazine Production Team has re- has its own space within Talking Stick. Chuck cently been joined by Nemetona. brings a host of topical subjects concerning Druid- ry from practicing Druids which are relevant to Welcome Nemetona! Druidry today. They are broadcasted on Pagan Radio Network at 3 p.m. EST in the USA.
Aontacht DD Representative
Aontacht • 7 Volume 4, Issue 4 Druidic Dawn Feature Interview
A Conversation with Jenne Micale, Renard and the Druidic Dawn Community.
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Jenne is a writer, singer, priestess and musician whose endeavors include the ethereal/wyrd music project Kwannon and, in former times, the wyrd folk band Belladonna Bouquet. A member of the Henge of Keltria, she also has had work published in "Talking About the Elephant: An Anthology of Neopagan Perspectives on Cultural Appropriation," "To Fly By Night: The Craft of the Hedge- witch" and "Brighid and Me: Experiences with the Goddess," as well as the forthcoming poetry anthology "Mandragora."
: Thank you for taking the time to do this of the infant Krishna when his mother went to clear interview with the Druidic Dawn and responding to dirt from his mouth; she pries his baby lips open and questions from our global community. sees the entire universe in there.
: You are an extremely talented poet and musician. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time, only that What were your early experiences that drew you down this is my answer and the meaning would show itself. this creative path? Three months later, I felt an irresistible urge; I to get professional voice lessons, and I had to arrange it : My parents tell a story of when I was 3 or so, and I dove for the phone in my grad we were all hiking in the mountains. Or rather, they school dorm and immediately started calling around, were hiking and carrying me. Apparently, I made up finding a teacher that day in Morristown. I’ve been songs and sang the entire time as my father carried me singing – and taking classical voice lessons – ever since. up the mountain and fellow hikers remarked on it. I don’t remember that incident – I was too young – but The vision, as it turns out, was one of my most pro- singing and writing have always been part of my life. found. It set me on my ultimate spiritual path: that of There’s a sense that my being is intertwined with the Bard. Every time I’ve doubted this path, Brighid sends act of creation, and that creative act is linked with me a sign to draw me back. The path, however, isn’t sound, whether of spoken/written words or my finger- about personal aggrandizement or success in the tradi- tips on a string. tional sense; I sing, write songs and poetry, and play instruments as a way to please the Gods, the nature : In 1997, you had a vision while walking a labyrinth spirits and the ancestors. It’s a spiritual gift given for that inspired you to take up voice lessons again after a spiritual purposes. time away from music. Can you tell us about that and what inspires you to keep exploring sound, cere- “What has been given to you can be taken away,” mony and music? Brighid told me when I groused about my lack of traditional musical success. I take that message to heart. : I was at the Reclaiming Witchcamp in West Vir- This gift isn’t for me; it’s karma yoga, and the fruit of ginia at the time. I was in my early 20s and felt that I my creative endeavors belongs to the Gods. had lost myself, my creative expression, my way; poetry didn’t sing to me anymore. I felt as if I was always : Somewhere along your life, you started to become writing the same maudlin poem. closer to Nature and took on a path that includes Druidry. Can you tell us a bit about your relationship While I played the dulcimer at that point, I hadn’t sung with Nature and what Druidry is to ? since entering high school. I walked the labyrinth seek- ing an answer to the emptiness within. In the center, I : I may have grown up in the wilds of industrial New had a vision of the universe swirling in my mouth. It Jersey, but my parents were always connected with may sound hubristic, but it’s reminiscent of a tale told nature. They took me hiking, fishing and camping as a
Aontacht • 9 Volume 4, Issue 4 child, and as a family we still go bird-watching. My : What do you think is the most important family always kept an extensive garden, and I keep one contribution(s) modern Druidry could make to our at my own home to this day. world today? How can we achieve this?
And it’s not only the palatable parts of nature I’m : An attitude of gratitude, of honoring the larger familiar with: I grew up watching fish gutted on the cosmos and all the beings therein. That’s what I love kitchen table and deer in the garage. I’ve always known about Druidry; it’s not about working your will with where my food originates, and am grateful for the magic, although you have the ability to do that if you plants and animals that give me life through their death. wish. It’s about forging genuine relationships with the Kindreds (Gods, nature spirits, ancestors); the three I dedicated myself to the Old Gods – Greek, at first, realms of Land, Sea and Sky; the natural world and its because that’s most people’s first pantheon – when I cycles. You’re not coming with asking hands, but with was 7 years old. I self-dedicated as a Witch at age 12, offerings of love and friendship. My gripe with more practiced Dianic craft through my teen years and wan- magic-oriented paths is that you’re always working dered into Reclaiming. I never felt satisfied with Wicca your will or asking a boon of the Gods, but not forging or the more magical paths, however; I’m a hardcore any sort of real relationship with them or asking what polytheist and profoundly religious at heart. I stumbled the larger will of the cosmos is and adapting your into an ADF grove when I returned to central New actions to suit it. Jersey and found my spiritual home: Druidry. : I have listened to your music and you include an Granted, I ended up leaving ADF some years ago when amazing range of instruments including kantele, moun- I moved out of the area and left the grove due to tain dulcimer and harp to name but a few. Can you tell distance. I wanted a more Celtic path than ADF offers, us about you bring in so many instruments and and the Henge of Keltria was and remains an excellent what unique contributions they make? choice. : Easy – I never learned to play guitar! My brother is So, how do I link the two – my Druidic path and the guitar player, so I deliberately never learned to play nature? Nature spirits and spirits of place are the it. The guitar is the default instrument for many musi- second of the three Kindreds and I do my best to honor cians. them by living lightly on the land, by offering blessings and awareness wherever I walk, run or drive. My Gods My first instrument – not counting my disastrous pi- are integral parts of the multi-verse, and I seek always ano lessons as a kid – was the mountain dulcimer. My to honor and acknowledge the beauty and wonder father played it first and lost interest, but I loved it: therein. the modes, the drone. It’s like a string bagpipe; that’s how dad always described it. : Are there some influential people who have assist- ed you along your spiritual path? My dad, who always loved woodworking, saw my interest and became a luthier, an instrument-maker, as : Many. As to my current path, my first senior Druid a hobby. He made two of my three mountain dulci- – Norma of Grove of the Other Gods and her partner, mers, my hammered dulcimer and both of my kan- Ed, a priest of Brighid. Tony Taylor, my mentor in the teles, as well as a psaltery, a marimbula (it’s a giant Henge. My friend Dave Miley, also a priest of Brighid. thumb piano you sit on) and sundry other instru- On a more literary level: Alexander Carmichael, com- ments. The psaltery and hammered dulcimer were his piler of the ; authors Aedh Rua, ideas, but I requested the kantele after listening to it Erynn Rowan Laurie, Emma Restall Orr and Alexei in Finnish music. Kondratiev. In my younger years, Starhawk as well as Dianic authors and practitioners. I know Dianics get a My instruments are fairly simple; even my harps have bad rap in some circles – and I totally understand that, 22 and 19 strings, respectively, and not a ton of reso- hearing some of the flap over the segregated ritual at nance. But I have a love of folk instruments. Sounds Pantheacon -- but it’s a damn good path for a teenage that “professionals” may consider tinny, I consider fas- girl. cinating. I love the modal way of playing, and have specific modes I play on my 22-string harp when I do
Aontacht • 10 Volume 4, Issue 4 solo Druidic rites; each mode has its own feeling, its : Can you also tell us about the experience of using own power associated with it. your voice as such a key part of your music experi- ence? : Can you address and tell us your perspective on this? : I’m primarily a singer; my instruments are essen- tially background to my voice, although we do the : Ah, yes. I wrote an essay on the cultural appro- occasional instrumental piece. (I’d like to point out priation of Hinduism by modern Druids for an an- that Kwannon, these days, is a “we” that involves my thology called . It’s a sore husband.) My vocals draw on my experience as a clas- point with me, and one I can talk about endlessly. sically trained singer and can be a bit operatic and high-pitched, since I’m a lyric soprano. I admit that it’s If you’re borrowing texts, rites or concepts from a a bit of an acquired taste; in Western culture, we tend living culture, you better damn well respect that cul- to appreciate low-voiced singers who are more bluesy ture. That doesn’t mean you have to adopt that cul- or folksy. I can’t sound like that; it’s not in the vocal ture wholesale or avoid it entirely, but you need to cords. acknowledge its larger context and not feel as if are the true and only inheritor, and not those to My voice is the prime mover of some of my religious whom the tradition has actually been passed down. experiences as well. In my own rites, I sing liturgy when I speak it, spontaneously create songs as offer- When I was in ADF, I took umbrage with folks who ings and move energy (or “make magic,” if you prefer) were “reconstructing” Vedic religion and calling Hin- with singing. Singing can put me in a trance state and dus inauthentic and even charlatans. Like it or not, inspire visions, especially if I’m participating in a larger the Vedas are a part of the Indians’ spiritual tradition; group such as a drum circle. we pale-skinned folks on the other side of the pond don’t automatically know better than they do. It’s a : I know as we write, our creations take on a sort personal issue with me because I grew up in Little of life and personality of their own. Is there one of India – that’s what my town was popularly called – your own poems or songs that particularly stands out and have gone to Hindu rites and even participated in or is particularly meaningful to ? puja. I’ve also read the texts, including translations of the Vedas and the Upanishads, while minoring in reli- : Ah, so many! There are all born of experience, of a gion as an undergrad and studying comparative my- moment in time. It’s hard to pick just one. My last thology as a graduate student. This doesn’t make me a album, “The Twisted Book,” is a series of poems I wrote Hindu – much less a pandit, mind you – but I’ve gen- one winter; they’re based on the myth of Deirdre (or uinely tried to learn about and understand the various Derdriu) of the Sorrows, but they also tell a story of faiths and practices that comprise Hinduism. what I was feeling at the time I wrote them. There’s a poem called “And the morning” that I recite during one I admit it’s probably more of an issue with Native song; the song itself is an invocation to Boann, the River American practices, for most Pagans anyway; I see the Goddess. The poem itself came from a simple experi- Hindu side of it mainly because of where I’m from. ence: It was morning and I was working on my roof, and As an American, I’m going to end up appropriating saw the light glinting off the Susquehanna River in the something or other, since we’re a mixing pot culture distance. It’s a poem I associate with the New Year, and, like many of my countrymen, I don’t have a since that was around the time I wrote it. But that’s only “root” ancestral culture of my own. The key is respect. one such example.
I wonder sometimes if I’m appropriating the myths, “Love, a leaf” isn’t one of my favorite songs on the Gods and reconstructed religion of the Irish, since I’m album, but I love the poem. It encapsulates the experi- not of Irish background myself. But then again, I don’t ence of loneliness, but refusing to give up hope and claim to be. I’m a mutt and I think there can be spirit- seeing the larger meaning of the journey. Who hasn’t ual virtue in being a mutt! felt that way at some point or another? But I like all of the poems on the album. Whatever you think of the music, the poems are the true achievement in “The
Aontacht • 11 Volume 4, Issue 4
Twisted Book.” Which sounds like a boast but hey, the We’re all products of our influences, and I’ve been ancient Celts liked to boast, so why not? reading mythology since I first learned to put sentenc- es together. I have a doctorate in English and was Other favorites are the Yeats pieces on the album exposed to a wide array of literature during my educa- “Oisin,” particularly “He Mourns for the Change….” I tion. I think it’s natural that I draw on that background love Yeats and what his words evoke; I tried to cap- for my music. ture the sense of transformation, mystery and desper- ation in that piece. “Hearth and Heart,” the song to Could you expand on the White Cat Grove? Brighid, is one I often play in my own rites to her. On the album “Anahata,” I like the feeling of “Mariana,” a : There’s the physical and the metaphysical ver- Tennyson poem with beautiful yet miserable imagery; sions. The physical is a study group in the Henge of I think the bleakness comes through. On my first Keltria that started meeting a few years ago. The album, “Clear Star,” I’ve always been fond of “I Have a physical group is on hiatus, however, because mem- Young Sister,” a 15th century riddle-poem. bership has dwindled and I need the time for my own creative and spiritual projects; running a group tends As for my non-musical work, I have a poem called “A to eat your life. Druidry just doesn’t have the popular Prayer to Brighid in Time of Violence” that sings to draw that, say, eclectic Wicca does since it takes study, me. I don’t want to say I’m “proud” of it because of the isn’t particularly spellwork-oriented and is limited as subject matter. It’s about fostering compassion for to pantheon. I’m also a dedicated introvert, and I think both the victims and perpetrators of violence. I’m not extroverts have an easier time keeping groups going! sure whether it constitutes a literary achievement, but for me, it’s a spiritual one, that realization. Compas- The non-physical version is my blog of musings at sion, alas, seems out of vogue these days. whitecatgrove.wordpress.com. I post my thoughts on Druidic topics there, as well as poetry. It’s updated By the way, you can read all the lyrics to my albums intermittently, usually weekly or biweekly. at www.kwannon.net. : You write that White Cat is a small Druid grove : You bring a lot of different influences into your in the… , and I’m wondering if music from medieval and ethereal music to chant, there is a specific part of the Earth that you feel par- opera, Pagan, Romantic and Victorian poets, as well as ticularly attached to? the Carmina Gadelica. Can you tell us about that process of bringing these diverse components together : I’m a northerner, specifically a northeasterner. into your music? I’m drawn to places with trees and lot of hills, and have been that way since I was a kid … which is a : It’s a reflection of who I am, and what I read and little strange when I realize that I grew up on the listen to. I’ve never been a rock’n’roll sort of gal and we coastal plain, a half-hour from the Atlantic Ocean, don’t have television service at our house, so I’m and don’t particularly enjoy winter sports. When I pretty out of the loop with what’s popular. From the first contemplated leaving New Jersey, I had a series little I’ve heard of popular music and other media of dreams that told me to move north, to a place that (television in particular), this is probably a good thing. rained a lot with a lot of hills or mountains. So here I am! I read a lot and keep a number of poetry anthologies about. Sometimes, I just flip through them and partic- Weirdly enough, I also enjoy reading about far-north ular poems stand out, begging to be put to music. This cultures, such as the Inuit, the Siberian reindeer past year, I’ve been in a William Blake mood and put tribes, the Mongols. I’ll never see these places, but some of his work to music. I also have another Tenny- I’ve always been fascinated with the so-called blank son poem I’ve written music for, although I haven’t spots on the map. They have a history just as long recorded it yet. What I like about older poetry is the and storied as the rest of the human world, but it’s so recognition of both the musicality and evocative pow- little known. er of words.
Aontacht • 12 Volume 4, Issue 4 : Could you tell us more about your connection era lists that involve trees, but also ones that involve with the Henge of Keltria? Perhaps include a bit about birds, castles, even Christian saints. You can think of its history and purpose? the lists in the same way as “A is for apple, B is for ball, C is for cat.” They’re associations that help you remem- : The Henge of Keltria is a Druidic tradition that ber the system. I’m reading Ronald Hutton’s “Blood and reveres the Gods of the ancient Irish, the nature spirits Mistletoe” now and he points out that many of the and the ancestors. It broke off from ADF to focus on a ogham-carved stones seem to date from the Christian more Celtic path. Unlike ADF, it has an initiatory path, era. We can’t say definitively whether the ogham was although you can also practice most Keltrian rites with- pre-Christian or Christian. I’d opt for the former, but out being an initiate. You can find out more about the that’s conjecture. There’s no definitive proof. Henge at www.keltria.org. They have e-mail lists, too, that you can join to meet folks. Erynn Rowan Laurie goes into this in her book, which is without question the best book on ogham I’ve read. Like I’m a recent initiate in the Henge, completed its study runes, ogham feda have names – and those names program and frequently contribute to its newsletter. It’s And that something isn’t necessarily a tree. my spiritual path, and I honor the Keltrian year-wheel, means “birch,” it’s true, but usually glossed which includes the eight holidays common to many as holly, actually means “ingot.” the fid most Pagan paths as well as two floating feasts, the Feast of often associated with hawthorn, actually means “terror.” Age and Feast of Remembrance. We also have Mistle- often associated with heather, means “soil.” The feda toe Rites, healing rituals held on the sixth night of the have true names and traditional poetry associated with moon. There is also another rite, the Vervain Rite, re- them; this is what gives a glimpse into their meaning, served for initiates. not Robert Graves’ made-up tree calendar or similar associations. : Regarding the craft of the Hedgewitch, what has been your most successful working or spell? I understand you have been pagan since your youth. Along your path, you became a priestess : That’s a tough one. I do spells, but very occasion- of Brighid. What do you see to be the role of a Priestess ally; I view such workings as essentially a last resort. I in regards to yourself and other pagans, but also prefer, instead, to divine the larger pattern and accom- more generally in today's society? modate myself to it rather than impose my will on the world. When I have done spellcraft, it’s usually in re- : I seek to do the will of the Gods I honor, and to live sponse to tough situations – protection is a big one, as my life in accordance with the sacred and the virtues I well as hex-breaking, turning paths or creating harmo- hold dear. Being a priest or priestess is ultimately about ny -- so forgive me for not offering too many specifics service – service to the sacred, to the larger cosmos, but in that regard. also to the human community. It’s not about gaining or using power for one’s own ends; that would be the role Overall, the kind of spellcraft I do involves ogham. I of the magician. call the appropriate Gods for aid, sing and chant the spell, intone the name of the ogham as I draw it in the A Druid traditionally has three roles: as bard or poet, as air and, at the height, draw the ogham on a stick as a seer and the “legal” role as sacrificer, law-giver and talisman. You’ll find ogham sticks on my main altar, liturgist. Obviously, we don’t give advice to kings these downstairs with our basement cat Schnoogie (who days. But I do use my seership skills to guide people -- needed some magical intervention), even in my purse. I’m a tarot reader in the community – and my arts to I’ve made them for friends in a tough spot, too. speak truth and beauty. I make offerings to the Gods and spirits frequently. I try to weave my life into the : Your poems on the Ogam are a treasure. In the sacred round. article you posted in December about Druids and can- on you write: “Heck, there’s Biblical interpretations of To be a priest or priestess is, above all, to be a faithful ogham as well”. That’s fascinating and I’m wondering if servant to the sacred. you can tell us what they are? : Do you still sing opera with the : We tend to think of ogham as being a “tree alpha- What is it about opera that draws you to it? bet,” but that’s not really the case. There are medieval-
Aontacht • 13 Volume 4, Issue 4 I’m afraid not; it disbanded about two years ago I’m continuing my writing, and will have poetry pub- when the director retired. I love opera for the technical lished in the anthology . I plan on becoming skill, the achievement of it. Opera singers use their more active with the Keltrian newsletter as well, and voices in glorious ways, doing incredibly difficult things writing more in-depth articles on the Gods and spirit- with ease of effort. It’s that ease of effort that keeps ual practice. them from hurting themselves, and is probably the toughest thing to learn. : Of all the books you have read, can you recom- mend to our readers? : What are future plans, both personally and professionally? Anything new evolving for : Alexander Carmichael’s , Erynn ? Rowan Laurie’s Aedh Rua’s Alexei Kondratiev’s : Well, at the moment, I’m continuing to work , and, to balance it all out, Ronald Hutton’s intermittently on new music. My albums usually have I’ll probably replace that last with a theme or feel and this time, it’s a bit more fierce, but I just started it. more Morrigan-like. It draws on William Blake. As an aside, I’ve switched to digital recording as opposed to : Do you have a website, blog etc for those who my analog tape machine in the past year or two and I’m want to know more about you and the work of White still honing my skills with that. Cat Grove?
White Cat continues to evolve, and I don’t know : Sure do. For Kwannon, www.kwannon.net; Kwan- where it will end up. Right now, it’s probably going to non also has a Facebook page. For White Cat, remain in the metaphysical realm, with musing on whitecatgrove.wordpress.com. Druidic topics and poetry. Whether it returns to its physical form as a grove-with-people depends on a : Do you have any closing comments that you number of factors, mainly interest, and whether anyone would like to leave with our readers? else is willing to step up and shoulder part of the load. I’m still dedicated to my spiritual work, and have been : Hi Bob! That’s my husband. Behind every weird working on a new Full Moon ritual for Manannan, my woman is a weird guy. Or is that supposed to be patron along with Brighid, to add into the ritual round. “great”? Either way, it works! Next Interview - Caer Australis Sydney, Australia
I have recently listed my 176 acre property with www.sellwithoutagents.com.au/yamba11/ and would like to share this with people of like-mind. Forest and wildlife are protected by council bi-laws, built from local timber, is powered by gas and generator but not connected to the grid. Adequate water. Working circle/grove. The land is ready for its next guardian.
Aontacht • 14 Volume 4, Issue 4 Sacred Space and Sacred Place
Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT
The original meaning of the word ‘sacred’ is ‘to be From a psychological perspective, setting aside a set apart.’ Therefore, sacred spaces and sacred sacred space allows you to enter that space, step places are places that are set apart for contempla- outside of time, and do your own work of contem- tion of the divine. While Druids hold that all places plating the divine within. If you have a special are sacred, we also consider that special places place set aside for this activity, and only for this have a power to facilitate meditative states and activity, then entering it puts you in a special state contact with the divine realm. of mind. Psychologists call this ‘situation-specific learning.’ In other words, if your sacred space An example of such a place would be the Sacred becomes associated in your mind with relaxation, Circle. Traditionally, many Druids don’t wear meditation and contemplation, then after a while watches or other timekeeping devices inside the simply entering your sacred space will put you Sacred Circle. This is because the Sacred Circle is a into a meditative state. place where time has no meaning. Many Druids believe that time and space are not separate things. If you don’t have access to an outdoor place to The stone circles in Europe were aligned to mark create your own sacred space, you can create one the passage of time. In these places, time was indoors. Set up a small altar table somewhere in a measured in sacred places. The perception of time corner of your home. Cover it with things that is therefore linked to space. Because sacred places help you to achieve a meditative state. You may exist ‘outside of time,’ the magic of the ancient use candles, incense, house plants, or pictures of sacred sites has never been lost, and cannot be lost. nature scenes or loved ones. You can use anything Visitors to sites like Stonehenge, Avebury Circle, that might help you to connect with the divine and Glastonbury Tor still speak of the power of within you. these places, so obviously the magic is still there! This might be a good time to talk about the con- Avebury - Photo Druidic Dawn CIC cept of ‘prayer,’ and what it means to a Druid. Prayer in the way it is usually understood has no meaning for a Druid. What others might call prayer, a Druid would consider communion with the divine. There is no need to make petitions or requests, as an omnipotent deity would already know what you need. For Druids, there is no need for prayer in the traditional sense, because we already know what we need as well. To a Druid,
Aontacht • 15 Volume 4, Issue 4 prayer is more of a meditative state that allows us mony. As the wind blows through the tree during to seek the Awen; that harmony of Wise Mind that the Beltane Rite, we remember all the friends and comes when Emotional Mind and Rational Mind family who’ve hung bells on the tree. are in perfect balance.
There are places unique to each individual that would help to achieve the meditative state neces- sary to find the Awen. These places are sacred spaces and sacred places.
Temple Bells: Photo Ravindraboopathi
You may choose your own variation of the Hang- Sacred Place and Space ing of the Bells, or you may come up with some Photo Druidic Dawn CIC other ceremony that helps to make your sacred space special to you and the other members of your Grove. The ultimate goal is to create a space If you are fortunate enough to own a parcel of land that has special meaning to you and to anyone in a rural or semi-rural setting, you can mark out a whom you invite to use it. Create an atmosphere sacred space for your own rituals. Stone circles of peace and tranquillity that makes it possible for mark sacred places all over Celtic Europe, and one entering the space to relax and seek peace and many modern Druids have continued this practice inspiration. As the energy and love of your tribe is by erecting stone circles for their ritual space. You poured out into your sacred space, you will create don’t have to build another Stonehenge. A circle of your own timeless place for meditation and con- small stones, big enough to accommodate the templation. members of your group, should be sufficient.
If you are in solitary practice, you may still create Charlton Hall, MMFT, LMFT your own space. If you have access to an appropri- ate outdoor space, you may make it your own by adding your own personal touches. Perhaps an altar, or a small pile of stones, or a statue will help to make your sacred space special to you.
My Grove has created a tradition that has helped to define a sacred space. There is an oak tree near our ritual circle. Every year at Beltane, each mem- ber of the Grove brings a bell or a wind chime to hang from the tree. Before the Beltane Rite, we each hang these bells from the tree in a brief cere-
Aontacht • 16 Volume 4, Issue 4 The Wild Earth Stories of our World
Nature as Living Story: Lectio Divina in the Natural World
Alison Leigh Lilly Many of us cultivate a spiritual life grounded in meditation sessions along with their usual Bible the Celtic tradition of our ancestors as well as a studies. Western medicine has even recognized reverence for the natural world revealed to us by the physical and psychological health benefits of modern science and our own direct encounters regular meditation. Eastern meditative practices with nature. As pioneers striking out to revive or are no longer just for New Agers, Pagans and reconstruct a spiritual heritage that has been bro- occultists — these days, everyone's doing it. ken and sometimes lost completely over the inter- vening centuries, we are hungry for regular What many enthusiastic practitioners might not practices that can help us connect more deeply to know is that Western culture has its own heritage these wellsprings of authentic religious experi- of contemplative meditation to be explored. One ence. Pagans and polytheists today draw on many such practice is Lectio Divina, or "divine reading," different traditions and cultures from all over the an approach to spiritual study and prayer devel- world in search of helpful techniques and ap- oped in the late twelfth century within monastic proaches to the spiritual life. One of the most communities throughout Europe, and still prac- popular forms of religious practice is the use of ticed to this day by Catholics all over the world. meditation to still the mind, seeking enlighten- Lectio Divina involves four stages of spiritual ment or sacred union from a place of stillness and practice: reading, meditation, prayer and contem- silence. plation. Within the Christian tradition, it is most often used as a way of studying the Bible as the It is often assumed that the West has no equivalent Living Word of God, a key to intimate relationship to the Eastern religious practice of meditation. with the Divine, rather than as a text to be ana- People living in modern Western cultures today lyzed from an historical or theological perspective. increasingly look to the variety of spiritual practic- es of stillness and contemplation to be found in The practice of Lectio Divina is not limited to the religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism: Christian Bible, however. Those of us who see the from zazen or "sitting" meditation, to yoga and Tai natural world itself as a place full of sacred beings Chi. Community colleges offer classes in transcen- and divine presence can adapt the techniques of dental meditation, and local churches host group "divine reading" to engage more authentically
Aontacht • 17 Volume 4, Issue 4 with Mother Earth. Moving gently and reverently instance, the Zen Buddhist approach to medita- through the four stages of Lectio Divina not only tion. Instead of striving to quiet the mind com- connects us with the uniquely Western traditions pletely, the meditative stage of Lectio Divina is a we've inherited from our ancestors, but it also gentle exploration of the passage's meaning and helps us to open up and listen more deeply to the living relevance. Meditating on the sacred text on-going story of wild holy earth. allows the practitioner to seek out the personal relevance that the passage has for her, and how its But before we look at how we can adapt the prac- message speaks to her in the moment, here and tice of Lectio Divina as part of our earth-centered, now. Celtic spirituality, let's take a closer look at the four stages as they're usually practiced within the • Oratio (Pray) — The first two stages of Lectio Christian tradition. Divina — in which the practitioner first reads and then reflects on the passage — leads naturally to The Four Stages of Lectio Divina the third stage: response. In Christian tradition, prayer is seen as a conversation or dialogue with Originally, the practice of "divine reading" simply God. By reading and reflecting with receptivity, meant studying the holy scriptures with attention the practitioner opens herself to the promptings of and reverence, making the sacred texts of the spirit. In the third stage, she responds spontane- Christian tradition a foundation for both solitary ously and naturally to those promptings, guided and community prayer on a regular basis. By the by her own deepest longing for connection and late twelfth century, however, the term had taken authentic relationship with the Divine. on a more specific meaning as a form of methodi- cal prayer used in monasteries, and by the six- • Contemplatio (Contemplate) — In the fourth teenth century the practice of Lectio Divina had and final stage of Lectio Divina, the practitioner at been formalized into the four-stage approach still last enters a state of quiet stillness or "silent love," in use today. Each of the four stages has a unique in which prayer gives way to restful, silent con- role in preparing the practitioner to enter into the templation of the Divine presence. This stage is stillness and receptivity of contemplation. most similar to the meditative states reached in many Eastern practices, in which the mind is • Lectio (Read) — The first stage of the practice is stilled and the practitioner's sense of self-identity pretty simple and straightforward: reading the becomes porous, transcended by an experience of selected passage from scripture. Rather than read- mystical or ecstatic union. The first three stages ing scripture in order to gain an analytical or intel- help to prepare the practitioner to enter this con- lectual understanding of the text, however, a templative state, but they also serve to ground her practitioner of Lectio Divina approaches the pas- in the community (through reading and reflecting sage as a kind of mantra, to be read slowly several on a shared sacred text) and in herself (through the times, calming her mind and body so as to enter act of articulating her response through prayer). into a state of attention and receptivity. Unlike a For this reason, the final stage of contemplation in mantra, however, the same passage or verse is not Lectio Divina is not mere "navel-gazing" or escap- used every time, and so the experience of Lectio ism, but a culmination and fruition of the spiritual Divina is always changing, shaped by the nuances work done during the first three stages. of the passage being read. Practicing Lectio Divina in Nature • Meditatio (Meditate) — The second stage is to meditate on or ponder the passage that's been The four stages of Lectio Divina are simple enough read. The term "meditation" here is not used in that they can be readily adapted to many spiritual exactly the same way as it is when referring to, for paths both within and outside the traditional
Aontacht • 18 Volume 4, Issue 4 Christian community as a way of engaging with beings who share the land with you can help you sacred writings and exploring their deeper mean- see the "bigger picture" and your place in it. ings. However, Celtic spirituality presents a unique challenge to the practitioner of Lectio Divi- After you've done a bit of research, go outside and na: the ancient Druids, priests of our Celtic ances- spend some time quietly observing the natural tors, did not write down their holy texts but world around you. It doesn't matter if you live in preserved them instead as an oral tradition passed a secluded hermitage out in the woods, or in a on through the generations. What little of this busy urban center full of bustling people, or even sacred oral tradition that we've managed to pre- in a carefully landscaped suburban neighborhood. serve until today comes largely from tales and Nature is not something "out there" beyond hu- legends written down by monks, with glosses and man reach — we are deeply embedded in the layers of Christian interpretation overlaying the natural world all the time. Learning about your original myths. Of these we often have to rely on bioregion will help you to recognize the unique translations and reinterpretations in order to ways that human life has adapted to the natural render relatively obscure myths a little more acces- patterns of the area where you live, and how the sible to the modern reader. Lectio Divina can be a land, its animals, plants, and weather have fruitful practice for engaging with these ancient changed and adapted in their own ways. Celtic stories and uncovering their personal rele- vance and power, but there will always be limits Of course, you don't need to be an expert in ecolo- on how deeply we can delve into these texts gy to be an attentive observer of the natural world passed down disjointed over a millennium or around you. Although there is power in knowing more of broken tradition. the names of things, there are also many non-ver- bal ways of "reading" nature. One of my favorites Luckily, there is another approach we can take is drawing or sketching while out in the field. that will connect us with our Celtic ancestors Settling down to capture a breath-taking pano- through our love of the natural world, an essential rama in watercolors or sketching the expressive aspect of Celtic spirituality both then and now. posture of a bird or the delicate gesture of a flower When we see nature itself as a constantly-unfold- forces us to really look at what we are seeing, to be ing story about the deepest, most sacred truths of receptive and attentive to the subtle details and life and death, we can adapt the practice of Lectio nuances of nature. With practice, the act of draw- Divina as a creative approach to meditation that ing and the act of observing become one and the can strengthen our relationship with the earth. same — almost as though our sketch is a kind of Here are just a few ideas about how to use the "reading out loud" to ourselves as we capture our practice of Lectio Divina to engage with the stories observations on the page. of nature. Meditatio Lectio Once we've spent time in attentive, reverent obser- We can "read" the natural world in many ways. vation of nature, we enter the second stage of One of the simplest ways is to head on over to Lectio Divina. Now is the time to ponder, to day- your local library and find an ecology book about dream, to explore the personal meaning that the the bioregion where you live — any book that natural world holds for you as a denizen of the includes basic information about the geology, flo- land. In ancient times, seers and oracles studied ra, fauna, climate, weather patterns and some of the patterns of weather and bird flight in order to the natural history of your area. Familiarizing divine messages of guidance or warning from the yourself with some basic facts about the natural gods. This was not just a code in which certain landscape that surrounds you and the other living events corresponded one-to-one with specific in-
Aontacht • 19 Volume 4, Issue 4 terpretations or meanings, but a much more intui- to the landscapes and natural forces of the earth. tive, receptive way of opening to the messages of For some, even the planet Earth is herself a god- the landscape itself. In the same way that the alarm dess, a fecund mother of all creation. Praying to cry of a single chickadee can put all the other birds these gods and goddesses of the natural world is in the area on sudden, silent alert as the hawk an act of communion and connection — in fact, it swoops by overheard, we can learn how the pat- can be hard to tell the difference between praying terns of activity and attention in the natural world to the goddess of a river or a mountain, and pray- around us shape our perceptions and influence ing to the river or mountain themselves. In the our own behavior. same way that Christians view their holy scripture as the Living Word of God, seeing the presence of One way of approaching this kind of reflection is Spirit in the text itself, modern Pagans see the what Druid author John Michael Greer calls "dis- unfolding story of the natural world as the mani- cursive meditation." In discursive meditation, festation of the gods' presence in our lives. rather than attempting to quiet the mind and si- lence any stray thoughts that might arise, we set Besides praying to the gods, there are other ways off on a hunt, pursuing a particular idea or impres- you can adapt this stage of Lectio Divina to a sion wherever it might wander, allowing our spirituality grounded in nature. If prayer is simply minds to lead us deeper into the dark, forested a form of reverent conversation, then you might recesses of the soul. As you spend time outside feel moved by your observation and meditation on observing the natural world, you may find your- nature to converse with the many beings around self captivated by certain images or experiences. you — even beings with whom you might not Through discursive meditation, you can probe normally strike up a conversation. If you're feeling more deeply and reverently into the meaning be- inspired by your spiritual work, you can speak hind these intriguing scenes or inspiring events, with the robins about the coming spring, or con- exploring the connections that weave you into the verse with the tree that stands tall and patient in natural world and how they express themselves your backyard to learn what lessons it has to teach uniquely through your personal experiences and you. You might even feel moved to speak out observations. loud, to tell your own story to the waterfall or the evening breeze. There is a long tradition in indige- Oratio nous and animistic earth-centered religions of speaking openly and devoutly with the plants and This kind of meditative reflection quite naturally animals who share the land with us. leads to the third stage of Lectio Divina, the crea- tive, spontaneous response of prayer. Poets, Verbal prayer is not the only form of prayer, ei- priests and shamans alike throughout the ages ther. Just as we can "read" the natural world by have been moved by the beauty and inspiration of sketching or drawing it, we can also respond crea- nature to respond in kind, engaging in creative tively through works of art: painting, sculpture, works of ritual, prayer and worship to express the poetry, music and dance. These acts of self-expres- reverence they feel for the world around them. sion can be a way of responding spontaneously Prayer can be a solitary act of praise or petition, or and organically to a world that often defies our it can be a community ritual shared with others in ability to describe it with mere words. As a practi- a way that heightens our sense of how our person- tioner of an embodied spirituality, you might try al relationship with nature is reflected in the rela- turning to ritual, dance and art as reminders that tionships of those who live in this land with us. you are not merely an abstract mind trapped in- side a meaty body. Your body is itself an aesthetic Many of the gods of modern Druidry and Celtic expression of who you are, and you can respond polytheism are gods of nature, intimately related
Aontacht • 20 Volume 4, Issue 4 to the world through movement, color and sound most benefit from this kind of spiritual work when as well as through language. we bring them together into a single coherent, continuous practice. After you've spent some time Contemplatio exploring each of these stages separately, set aside at least thirty minutes to an hour (or more, if you Finally, we come to the final stage of Lectio Divina: feel up to it) to explore different ways that you can the stage of contemplative silence. After we have bring these activities together. Find what works spent time in careful study and observation of for you and helps you to connect more authentical- nature, experienced the thrill of the wild hunt as ly with the natural world. Here are some ideas that we chased after its meaning for our personal lives, you might want to try: and responded with our own acts of creative self- expression as a way of connecting and conversing with the sacred beings and gods that dwell here with us — we come to rest at last in the still center of our being. We enter into the silence and solitude of attentive listening, receptive to the experience of loving union with the natural world in all its com- plexity, diversity and mystery.
Within the stillness and silence of contemplation, we discover that the boundaries of self-identity • Talking to a Tree — Find a comfortable place to that usually appear so firm and solid are actually sit near or underneath a tree, in your backyard or far more porous, flexible and fluid than we real- in a local park, anywhere where you won't be ized. From a centered place of calm, we lose our disturbed. If you can, bring along a tree guide. strict sense of separation and isolation from the Spend some time studying and observing the tree rest of the natural world. We enter into a liminal (lectio) — its bark, leaves and overall shape, along space in which we can experience the myriad con- with any nuts, seeds, fruits or flowers it has. (If nections that weave us together with poignancy you don't have a guide book, just take some time and clarity. This kind of contemplation is not an to carefully observe these details.) After ten to escape into a silent void of nothingness. Rather, it fifteen minutes of careful observation, begin to is the practice of communing with the sacredness allow your mind to wander, following your of the Many, joining in the ecstatic dance of natural thoughts and feelings as they meander through forces in a way that brings us more fully into our associations and memories (meditatio). Do this for own truest self without destroying or subsuming another ten to fifteen minutes, but don't get so lost our individuality. in thought that you become distracted and lose sight of the real presence of the tree before you. We carry with us all of the work that we have done When you're ready, allow your meditations to during the first three stages of "divine reading," inspire you to speak to the tree (oratio). You can entering more fully and completely into the al- speak the words silently to yourself, as though in ways unfolding, ever-evolving story of the world. prayer, but you might be amazed at how powerful In this way, we come to know nature as a living it is to address the tree out loud, even if only in a story of which we are an intimate, integral part. whisper. You can tell the tree about a memory that has surfaced during your meditation or describe Bringing It All Together an experience or event that's been troubling you, or you can simply express your praise and grati- Although we can approach each of the four stages tude to the tree for its beauty and strength. You of Lectio Divina as distinct activities that we can can even ask the tree to share its story with you. do one at a time on their own, we experience the Finally, quiet your body and mind and enter into Aontacht • 21 Volume 4, Issue 4 a calm, receptive state of attention (contemplatio) and sings over the rocks. After ten or fifteen min- — spend another ten to fifteen minutes listening utes of listening and observation, allow your deeply to the tree, opening yourself up to its pres- thoughts free reign to wander (meditatio), follow- ence. Don't expect to hear a response in words ing the rhythm of the water as it moves as though (though you might!), just allow yourself to sit in dancing its way deeper into the porous recess of silent contemplative love with the being before your soul. Drink in the insights that the water you. carries for you, pondering them, turning them over and smoothing them like round river stones. • Painting a Landscape — Head out with your When you're ready, begin to sing, chant or play sketch pad and art materials on a pilgrimage to music (oratio) — if you've brought along a flute, find a quiet spot with an amazing view. The view drum or guitar, you can use that instrument to try might be of rolling hills and meadows, or an ocean to micmic the sound of the falling water — joining shore, or a cityscape of buildings and treetops. your music with the sound of the waterfall in a Once you've found a good place, spend some time kind of shared prayer. Your song doesn't need to observing and sketching the panorama before you have words, but it can if you feel inspired. After (lectio), sometimes examining the details of tex- another ten to fifteen minutes, fall back into atten- ture and contour, other times pulling out to see the tive silence (contemplatio), listening to the music "big picture" and notice the patterns of light and of the World Song as it sings through your own shadow, shape and balance. After you've finished being and the being of the waters before you. your sketch, don't move on to your final drawing or painting right away — instead, spend ten to There are many other ways you can incorporate fifteen minutes pondering the image you've creat- Lectio Divina into your practice of nature-centered ed (meditatio), asking yourself how it reflects the spirituality; these are only a few examples. In each physical, emotional and spiritual sensations that example, though, we see how engaging in the full, the landscape around you provokes. Once you've four-stage practice of Lectio Divina requires self- spent some time reflecting on your observations, discipline and some preparation beforehand — for begin the work of drawing or painting (oratio). As example, gathering together art supplies, learning you work, think of your creative act as a prayer of a musical instrument, finding an appropriate spot thanksgiving and praise for the land to which you out of doors. The preparation and intention put are a witness. After you've completed your work, into this practice is an important part of the spirit- set aside your colored pencils or paintbrush, quiet ual work, for it challenges us to take our work your body and mind and sink into a receptive, seriously as something worthy of devotion and attentive state of listening (contemplatio). Allow attention. That attentive devotion is carried into yourself to release the work of your hands as the work itself, and we can draw on it as we med- something which is now complete and separate itate and engage with the natural world around us. from yourself, a gift that you've given back to the land. Listen to the silent depths of the landscape The fruits of regular practice of Lectio Divina is a before you as you sit in silent, contemplative love. soul-deep understanding of how attention, medi- tation, prayer and contemplative loving silence • Serenading a Waterfall — Seek out a place with arise from each other in a sustaining, nourishing falling water, whether it's a waterfall in the woods, cycle. As with all cycles of nature, when we open a small cascade in a creek that runs through the ourselves to the fullness of such experience we local park, or a desktop fountain in your home. As discover that we are already a part of this turning, with the practice of tree-talking, spend some time spiraling dance — and we can embrace our place observing and studying the waterfall (lectio), no- in the dance with gratitude and joy. ticing how the light reflects and refracts off the surface of the moving waters and noting especially Alison Leigh Lilly the myriad sounds the water makes as it rushes Aontacht • 22 Volume 4, Issue 4 hBardic Whispers Expressions from the Soul
Sacred Vision
Eyes, eyes watching me through the night,
Visions to haunt me for most of my life,
Fearsome they were, glowering huge, filled with rage,
So I did stare at them, from this solitary stage,
For years, peering through the dark of the room,
And spoke to them lovingly, caressed them so blue,
Then the eyes began to cry, as the fear melt away,
And the anger dissolved, into gushing tears of the day,
Those eyes, staring at me, now heavy with love,
Found me peace, through the visions at night, from above,
Love to all, conquers, with simple friendly might.
So we reach out in caring & all becomes right. Caroline Mulcahy Aontacht • 23 Volume 4, Issue 4
One of the most magical places I have ever been is "Inner alignment". as old as the Earth herself. There is nothing man (http://www.crystalcavern.com/amethyst.html) made there, apart from the walking trail, of course. It also is supposed to "activate spiritual aware- And let's be honest, there aren't many places that ness" which may account for the high population we humans haven't somehow marked as "ours" if of pagans and other earth-based spiritualities in for no other reason than to let people know that the area. others were there first. (http://www.charmsoflight.com/amethyst-heal- ing-properties.html) Imagine a two hour walk through mostly un- touched forest, then suddenly entering into a meadow with the noon day sun beating down upon you; the wind whipping your hair from your face fast enough that your breath is stolen from you. Imagine the sun gleaming off the blue water of the bay below; the sound it makes as the rough, powerful waves crash against the cliff base. Imag- ine, at the far end of the split away piece of land, a whirlpool rotating naturally just off the coast, and the fishing boat that knows the area well, navigat- ing well away from it. The beauty and simultane- ous power that is Nature exists in full frontal glory in this place. Cape Split: Photo David Dermott This is Cape Split, near the famous Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, Canada. It has been consid- Perhaps the amethyst deposits are tied into the ered a sacred place by many for centuries. The popular belief that there are ley lines in the area. local pagan community knows the draw it has, In particular, it is said that one big one runs and all the surrounding landscape. It is a natural through Cape Split, Scots Bay, and Wolfville. The formation, formed by the transformative process ley line is reputed to be responsible for much of of erosion that dominates much of that coastline. the paranormal activity that occurs there, at least On the same peninsula in nearby Blomidon, is a in the sense that the paranormal entities are drawn rich reserve of amethyst, a stone renowned for its to the natural energy formed by or carried by the peaceful qualities. One source says it is good for ley line.
Aontacht • 24 Volume 4, Issue 4 From a different perspective, when you're driving end road. However, once you do park, go past down the highway just passed Windsor, Nova the fence and then set off on path which is usual- Scotia, the promontory of Blomidon comes into ly muddy at the start. At this point, the journey is view. It is reputed to be the head of a god, name- through woodland and aims gradually and con- ly Glooscaps’, the creation god of the Mi'kmaq tinually up hill for a nice two hour walk. I've people. He is laying down, head back, eyes done it quicker than that, but two hours each way closed. And sure enough, if you look for a face, is the average. Just when you think you should you will see it. You will see his prominent nose, have been there by now, you emerge into a wide his closed eye, his chin, and his hair flowing be- open, natural meadow on top of the cliffs, an ide- hind him. al spot for meditation and reflection, a picnic, or both.... well, in the summer anyway. If you decide to venture to Cape Split, it is impor- tant to know that parking is limited at the dead
Aontacht • 25 Volume 4, Issue 4 The Formulary Recipes from the Community
I thought that this issue I might discuss Tea Tree Oil, it has become somewhat of a 21st century staple in the medicine cabinet.
Tea Tree Oil is indigenous to New South Wales, Australia, but a variety of clones are grown com- mercially in plantations within Australia and North America.
First I must state the contra indications: If applied to the skin NEAT such as for spots, boils, etc it Tea Tree, Bairne Track, Australia. Peter Woodard can cause exfoliation of the dead layers of the skin. It must not be used on sensitive tissues, This oil is ideal when applied diluted in cream or unless it has been well diluted first. There are a mixed in water to help relieve itching of hemor- few rare reports of susceptible people having rhoids and to disinfect the area. It is also excellent excessive skin irritation, if this occurs stop using for minor burns, such as those caused by kettle the oil. Historically an infusion of tea tree leaves steam, ironing or from the oven. You can apply was used for flu symptoms, wounds, bacterial this NEAT immediately to help relieve the pain and fungal skin irritations. as well as disinfecting the area. You can repeat 5 or 6 times over the next few hours to maintain Tea Tree Oil may be used in the same way as relief. You can mix this with Lavender oil and it Eucalyptus. It can be sprinkled on a handkerchief makes a great combination to keep in kitchen for and inhaled frequently, or a few drops in hot minor burns. water and the vapours inhaled. It is ideal for colds, coughs in chronic bronchitis, chest sore- Tea Tree can be blended with other healing and ness and for nasal congestion. antiseptic essential oils such as; Chamomile, Ca- juput and Hyssop to enhance the overall effects. You may add 6 - 10 drops to your bath to help Adding a drop of Fennel to 5 ml. of Tea Tree is an relieve some of the above conditions. Some peo- effective booster of the antifungal activities and ple with skin conditions such as eczema or pso- reduces the odour of the Tea Tree. riasis may find a little tea tree in the bath will help relieve the itching. Also may assist with fungal or bacterial skin infections. Faye
Aontacht • 26 Volume 4, Issue 4
Swallow Spring Llewellyn ap Dafydd
I write this article with reverence and gratitude the surface of the Welsh valley that I called to an unknown person who had a profound home. They too turned the ground into a mud- effect on me, as I shall show and tell you. Several dy morass that threatened to pull the very boots years have passed since the event, and I have off your feet if you walked through it. shared the effect with no one, although the pho- tographs I have shared with a few close friends. As I grew closer to the source of the spring, it It feels as though now is the time to share my appeared even more ordinary and unremarka- experience with a wider circle of people who will ble. There was a low bank surmounting the understand. source of the water, and a few straggly trees of varying size added to the apparent ordinariness Like many people, Avebury is a special place for of the scene. me, and I return from time to time to bathe in its unique otherness.
The very first time I visited there I was seized by a strong and powerful dream, but that is a story for another day. On this particular day, I was walking away from the stones towards the com- manding Silbury Hill. It was a very non-descript day, grey, overcast with clouds, and quite wet underfoot. Perhaps I had become a bit jaded with the wonders of Avebury, which after a few days had become diluted by the tourists and the noise and the traffic.
If so, it made me even more receptive to the huge shock that I was about to encounter. I took a path that said Swallow Spring, sacred waters, and crossed over the stream that emanated from the spring. I don’t recall what I was expecting. Usually if there is a reference to a sacred spring, it is generally a source of water that comes out of Then came my first surprise, as I made out the a spout or bubbles into a stone trough, the results fruit that hung from the branches of the trees. of the early Christians “converting” the waters. The tree was garlanded with ribbons and crys- This spring though felt more like the waters of tals that fluttered and blew in the wind, and as I my youth, where many sources of water rose to got nearer, I could see teddy bears and other
Aontacht • 27 Volume 4, Issue 4 offerings that had been placed in the trees. Swal- tered and blew in the wind, and as I got nearer, I low Springs was a living place of sanctity, where could see teddy bears and other offerings that had people still came to make their offerings, and to been placed in the trees. Swallow Springs was a ask for their wishes to be met. I was overawed, living place of sanctity, where people still came to and almost shocked by the muddiness of the wa- make their offerings, and to ask for their wishes to ter, the ordinary way in which the spring emerged be met. I was overawed, and almost shocked by from the ground. the muddiness of the water, the ordinary way in which the spring emerged from the ground.
By the mouth of the spring, I could see other offer- ings that had been made recently, as far as I could judge. Yet the place was deserted, although clear- ly there had been many people coming here to place their gifts.
I was stunned and overawed by the unexpected- ness of Swallow Spring. Avebury, Silbury Hill, cc, had all seemed to be cloaked in a blanket of “tour- ism”, their spiritual meaning cloaked and buried, but here the covering had been torn aside, reveal- ing a glimpse of another time and place that is generally lost.
If so, it made me even more receptive to the huge Yet awaiting me was an even more profound ex- shock that I was about to encounter. I took a path perience. that said Swallow Spring, sacred waters, and crossed over the stream that emanated from the Of course I came back to Swallow Spring several spring. I don’t recall what I was expecting. Usual- times, to marvel, to worship, to drink in the spe- ly if there is a reference to a sacred spring, it is cialness of that place; always it was deserted, but generally a source of water that comes out of a always I felt that someone had just departed from spout or bubbles into a stone trough, the results of there even as I arrived. the early Christians “converting” the waters. This spring though felt more like the waters of my Then, on what was to be my last visit before re- youth, where many sources of water rose to the turning home, I came across the Face that you see surface of the Welsh valley that I called home. in the picture. I cannot easily describe to you the They too turned the ground into a muddy morass sense of sadness that reached out to me as I gazed that threatened to pull the very boots off your feet down on it. It was immense and overwhelming, if you walked through it. bringing tears to my eyes as I saw the tears of the Face. As I grew closer to the source of the spring, it appeared even more ordinary and unremarkable. The Face had been constructed with care and great There was a low bank surmounting the source of artistry, as the picture shows, but another ingredi- the water, and a few straggly trees of varying size ent was also present, not visible but no less tangi- added to the apparent ordinariness of the scene. ble. I cannot name it, but it needs no name. It drew out of me a huge sense of compassion, of Then came my first surprise, as I made out the fruit reverence, of awe, that entered into the depths of that hung from the branches of the trees. The tree my soul. I took my photos, but with hesitation, for was garlanded with ribbons and crystals that flut- I had no wish to demean or under-value that Aontacht • 28 Volume 4, Issue 4
moment. But the picture of the Face remains with me, in many senses, and I gave thanks to whoever was its author, and continue to do so today.
I have written this article with hesitation, not wishing to belittle the profoundness of the Face in any way. But it feels the time is right to share my experience, and, if she is also reading this article, (and I feel sure it was a she), to thank her for enlightening my spiritual path so brightly on that day at Swallow Spring.
Llewellyn ap Dafydd
Aontacht • 29 Volume 4, Issue 4 ReviewsJ
prehistory. In part, these shadows have fallen by choice: from 3000 to 2200 BC, people built few monuments and buried very few of the worldly goods which they must certainly have possessed while, for the period 2200 until 1500 BC, monu- ments were built in profusion and the dead were buried in great numbers. The lives revealed seem filled with rituals that defy easy comprehension and the motivations of those who lived them are difficult to grasp. While thousands of burials are known and dozens of meeting places and ceremo- nial centres have been uncovered, hardly any set- tlements or houses are known. But the legacy of these people can even be seen far beyond their Shadowland: Wales 3000 – 1500 BC own lands: they provided stones for Stonehenge and began carving copper ore from the hills, in a Steve Burrow process that would eventually create the largest mine in prehistoric Europe. In this beautifully il- ISBN-10: 1842174592 lustrated book, Steve Burrows coaxes these shad- ISBN-13: 978-1842174593 owy figues back into the light.
Reviewed by cuardai Review: This was certainly an interesting book to read. I don’t know much about Wales Prehistory Synopsis: This is the story of life in Wales over a but this book really filled me in. This is an arche- period of 1,500 years, as gleaned from the remains ology book, and you really get a sense of how its inhabitants left behind. These people had no these people lived, what they might have done for writing so they have left us no names and no their burial rites, as well as how industrialized records of their deeds. Instead we have the posses- they were (for their time). I found a lot of great sions they treasured in life, the broken remains of similarities between the Welsh prehistory and the their bodies and the marks they left on the land- Irish one. I would highly recommend this book to scape. The people of these 15 centuries have re- all of my friends who are interested in Wales. mained essentially anonymous, in the shadows of
Aontacht • 30 Volume 4, Issue 4
Community Events Calendar Listing your event is free and you can submit up to five entries at a time. Note: We reserve the right to edit or omit entries. To submit, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with ‘DD Event Listing’ in the subject line. Include the date, title of event, location (including country), a short description and any contact details.
Note: Inclusion of events here does not imply endorsement from Druidic Dawn, magazine or its editors.
General on going events for 2012 ere og vende tilbage til cirklen. Her vil hver enkelt deltager have mulighed for at fortælle om sine oplev- Anam Cara - Weekly Meditation Group elser, hvis nødvendigt, vil jeg gå ind og hjælpe med mine clairvoyante evner. Dernæst holder vi en pause, 'A Weekly Meditation Group to be held in Oswestry, hvor vi får noget te og noget godt at spise. Så fortsæt- (UK) to explore everything from the Breath technique; ter vi med endnu en meditation. mantra/ chanting’ to hopefully movement and sha- http://www.sosha.dk/kurser.html manic journeying.' To participate and for further details, see Pathways http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1070 A named Pathways, in Ellesmere, Shropshire, on the NEW MOON MEDITATIONS every new moon, Den- Welsh borders. The time together will be used to mark; ring 004575757131 for next meditation: discuss anything that anyone wants to about spiritu- al pathways. All are invited, from those who have a We’ll make a circle and connect with the powers of clear idea about where they are going, to those who Earth and Sky, I will then play channelled harp are just curious, and all explorers in between. Come music from a time past, and the participants will be to raise questions, talk about books you are reading, guided into some deep mediation to the Holy Grail workshops you have attended, stuff that is coming within our hearts. Go beyond time and space to up, etc. Self-advertising is allowed/encouraged, if previous incidents/ present problems/ diseases. See relevant to the spiritual pathways subject. Meetings them, solve them, let go. Afterwards we’ll discuss are held on the third Thursday of each month in the what happened, and I will aid with my clairvoyance. Function room of the Ellesmere Hotel. Parking is To participate and for further details, see plentiful very nearby. Meet in the bar from 7.30pm; http://www.sosha.dk/kurserUK.html go to the room from 8pm. If you are late, come in anyway! There is no charge, and the drinks are cheap. NYMÅNEMEDITATIONER I BRYRUP: Ring for tilmelding og nærmere tidspunkt Ellesmere is part of what is locally known as the Vi vil danne en cirkel, forbinde os med Himlens og Shropshire Lake District. The energy of the town is Jordens kræfter og jeg vil spille kanaliseret musik fra given by the fabulous Mere in the edge of en svunden tid på min harpe, under det første num- town. Future meetings might include a walk down to mer vil mine hjælpere fortælle mig om den første the Mere and through the public gardens. This is the meditation, derefter vil jeg videregive den til cirklen beginning of something new, and the direction will som en guidet meditation, med den forskel, at medi- evolve with time. tationen først påbegyndes når jeg atter begynder at spille på min harpe og undervejs vil mine hjælpere If you need any more details, you can contact John følge alle deltagerne og støtte dem. Jeg vil spille mens and Rachel on [email protected] deltagerne rejser til deres destination i den anden Or see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1698 virkelighed, derefter vil jeg bede deltagerne vende tilbage samme vej som de kom fra, takke deres hjælp-
Aontacht • 31 Volume 4, Issue 4 March April
24th March: Oestra Rite with the Sassafras 14th-15th April; Singer Shaman Sage, workshop Grove located in Pittsburgh, USA. Further de- in Zurich, Switzerland with Philip Carr-Gomm, tails see further information available from http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/187 or http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and http://www.sassafrasgrove.org/?page_id=156 http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org #date=2012-03-01,mode=month 14th-15th April, 2012: Temple of the North with 24th March: Alban Eiler with the Druid Order of RJ Steuart, Louisville, Kentucky, USA: Further the three Realms, Georgia, USA. Further details details see see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1369 or http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and http://druid3realms.org/home/calendar/# http://www.rjstewart.org/images/Temple-of- the-North2.pdf 24th-25th March: Temple of the North with RJ Steuart, Santa Cruz, CA, USA: Further details 15th - 18th April; Thresholds of Power and see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; Healing, Somerset, UK. Led by Caitlin Mat- http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and thews and Margot Harrison, further details http://www.rjstewart.org/images/Temple-of- available from the-North2.pdf http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211; http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.html 25th March: Autumn Equinox with the Grove of and the Southern Stars, Pukerua Bay, New Zealand. http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Shaman Further details see ic%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20M http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/64 or athews.pdf http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~thewoolshed/g ro_festivals.htm 23rd-25th April; Tending the Hearth: House Clearing in Celtic Countries, Stroud, UK; facili- 30th March-2nd April 2012 Lucius Artorius tated by Cait Branigan and Cailtin Matthews, Castus: The Real King Arthur Conference in further details available from Split, Croatia. http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211; Further details see http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.html http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/172 and and http://www.druidry.org/events- http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Shaman projects/events-0 ic%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20M athews.pdf 31st March - April 1st: The Faery Oath of Oak Ash and Thorn, a Faery Ritual Magic workshop 26th-29th April; Druidry & The Druid Animal with RJ Stewart and Anastacia Nutt. Eugene, Oracle -The Ancient Celtic Tradition and the Oregon, USA. Further details see Wisdom of the Animal Realm and retreat in Sin- http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; tra, Portugal with Philip Carr-Gomm further http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and details available from http://www.rjstewart.org/images/Oak-Ash- http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and Thorn.pdf http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org
Aontacht • 32 Volume 4, Issue 4 27th-29th April, 2012: Temple of the North with 5th-6th May: The Faery Oath of Oak Ash and RJ Stewart, The Star House, Boulder, Colorado, Thorn, a Faery Ritual Magic workshop with RJ USA: Further details see Stewart and Anastacia Nutt. Boston, Massachu- http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; setts, USA. Further details see http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; http://www.rjstewart.org/images/Temple-of- http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and the-North2.pdf http://www.rjstewart.org/images/Oak-Ash- Thorn.pdf 28th April: Samhain / Haratua / Last Light / Halloween with the Grove of the Southern Stars, 6th May: Beltane Rite with the Sassafras Grove Pukerua Bay, New Zealand. Further details see located in Pittsburgh, USA. Further details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/64 or http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/187 or http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~thewoolshed/gr http://www.sassafrasgrove.org/?page_id=156# o_festivals.htm date=2012-04-01,mode=month
28th April: Samhuin Ceremony with the Mel- 17th-27th May; Talks and workshops in Italy bourne Grove, Victoria, Australia. For further de- with Philip Carr-Gomm further details available tails see from http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2949 or and http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org http://themelbournegrove.org/events/categorie s/tmg-events/ 19th May - Damh the Bard and Spiral Dance in concert at the English Ale, Mylor, South Austral- 29th April; Beltane Rite; Three Cranes Grove ia. further details available from ADF, Ohio, USA. Further details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/172 or http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/186 and http://www.druidry.org/events- http://www.threecranes.org/calendars/ projects/events-0 and http://www.theenglishale.org 29th April; Beltane Ritual Shining Lakes Grove ADF, Michigan, USA. Further details see 24th May: Spiral Dance and Damh the Bard Con- http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/184 and cert, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. For further http://www.shininglakes.org/schedule.html details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2949 or May http://themelbournegrove.org/events/categorie s/tmg-events/ 5th May: Open Beltane Ritual, Nervii Nemeton De Mothergrove van de New Order of Druids, 31st May -3rd June; Ogham Healing Course Swit- Antwerp, Belgium. For further details see zerland. For details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/182 or http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2856 and http://nervii.druidcircle.net/index.php?option=c http://trinitygrove.weebly.com/ogham- om_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=3 healing.html
5th May: Beltane Ritual Eiler with the Druid Or- 31st May - 3rd June; Talks for the 2nd Internation- der of the three Realms, Georgia, USA. Further al OBOD Camp, Netherlands, with Philip Carr- details see Gomm further details available from http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1369 or http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and http://druid3realms.org/home/calendar/# http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org
Aontacht • 33 Volume 4, Issue 4 23rd Jun: Winter Solstice Ceremony with the Mel- June bourne Grove, Victoria, Australia. For further de- tails see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2949 or 1st-3rd June; Reality: the Imaginary World with http://themelbournegrove.org/events/categorie Robin Williamson & Greywolf, Shropshire, UK s/tmg-events/ http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/872 or http://www.druidry.co.uk/bdoworkshops.html 23rd Jun: Winter Solstice /Te Maruaroa o te Takurua / Matariki – Herald of the New Year 6th-10th June: The Spirit of the West Druid Gath- (Stonehenge Aotearoa) with the Grove of the ering, Western Canada. Further details available Southern Stars, Pukerua Bay, New Zealand. Fur- from ther details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/594 and http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/64 or http://www.druidgathering.ca http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~thewoolshed/gr o_festivals.htm 9th-10th June; Talk for OBOD Summer Gathering, Glastonbury, UK with Philip Carr-Gomm further 24th June: Summer Solstice Rite, he Three Cranes details available from Grove, Columbus OH, USA. F further details http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and available from http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/186 or http://www.threecranes.org/calendars/ 18th June: Talk for GOD (The Genesis Order of Druids) at Portsmouth, UK with Philip Carr-Go- 28th June - 1st July Tarot Workshop in Birkenfeld mm further details available from Germany, with Philip Carr-Gomm further details http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and available from http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 and http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org 19th-21st, June; RJ and Anastacia are delighted to be back at Fairy Congress to give workshops and a concert. For more information and details see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197; http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.html and http://www.fairycongress.com
20th June: Summer Solstice with the Sassafras Grove located in Pittsburgh, USA. Further de- tails see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/187 or http://www.sassafrasgrove.org/?page_id=156# date=2012-06-01,mode=month
22nd June: Alban Herruin with the Druid Order of the three Realms, Georgia, USA. Further de- tails see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1369 or http://druid3realms.org/home/calendar/?mont h=jun&yr=2012
Aontacht • 34 Volume 4, Issue 4 DRUIDIC DAWN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Aontacht – Summer/Winter Solstice 2012
We hope will participate in the by being the next issue of our You do not have to be a member of magazine. Send us your News, Events, Reviews, Editorials, Articles, Essays, Recipes, Devotion- the Druidic Dawn community to sub- al Pieces, Photos and other materials to us at: mit to the newsletter.
Please submit contributions directly to the editorial staff via email to: We specifically want you to be part of our upcoming interview with Caer Australis. This is an [email protected] incredible time to ask your personal questions and get a direct response from brothers and sisters following the faith down under. Refer to the writer’s guidelines, before you submit contributions or inquiries. Caer Australis is based in Sydney, Australia and uses the Grove as a form of expression through Below are our upcoming issues in case poetry and songs from times past and also original poems by the members. The celebrations you'd like to get ahead on submissions. are a time and space for inspiration and creativity. They have the alternative view of Paganism Be sure to specify which issue you are throughout the year, hailing from the Southern hemisphere- Beltaine being in November and submitting to. Samhain being in May. They celebrate a great Celtic cultural pride in their four Gorsedds throughout the year at Beltaine, Lughnasa, Samhain and Oimelc through the sharing of poetry, music and mythology.
You can find out more information about Caer Australis at www.caeraustralis.com.au.
So send in your questions that you would like to ask. Don’t be shy! We love to hear every perspective, and we value all questions received from our members. Take a moment out and become an important part of Druidic Dawn! i Submit original work only. Essays & articles should be between 1,000-2,000 words (footnotes and bibliography included). There is not a word limit for poetry, however, please do not submit epic verse. ii You may submit multiple pieces. Only electronic submissions are accepted and should be either compressed (.zip/.rar) and attached (preferred for photos & artwork), or pasted into the email body. Document submissions should be in Plain Text (.txt) or Rich Text (.rtf) formats only; Photos/artwork as .jpg or .png. Please cite your sources and clearly mark when using UPG [Unverified Personal Gnosis] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unverified_Personal_Gnosis) iii Articles should be relevant to the Celtic/Druidic communities (refer to Subject Areas below) and must match the theme of the issue (if the issue is themed). iv Run a grammar/spell check on your work before submittal. v Keep work in a friendly manner. No racism, bigotry, violence or hated.
· Pre-Christian: Discussion of history, anthropology, archeology and more, but also of the current Reconstructionist or Traditional movements happening today. · Modern Druidry: Discussion of Druidism within the last 300 years; includes Revivalist and Neo-Druid. · Modern Celtic: Talk on surviving beliefs, folklore and superstitions still alive today on the Celtic isles, i.e., Fairy Faith. · Celtic Christianity: Looks into this truly beautiful and unique branch of Christianity. · Inter-Faith: How people incorporate other cultures into their Celtic/Druidic practice, or getting along with those of other faiths.
Submissions can be sent to [email protected]
: International copyright law will protect all materials published. However, submitting your work will not guarantee its publication. Also note that as is a free publication, which generates no profit, you will not be paid for your contributions.
Aontacht • 35