Aontacht ISSN 2044-1339 AontachtVolume 3, Issue 3 Volume 3 Issue 3 | Winter /Summer Solstice 2010 creating unity in community Brought to you by Druidic Dawn (www.druidicdawn.org) Aontacht • 1 Volume 3, Issue 3 aontacht Zcreating unity in community 10 Graeme Talboys 40 Goddess is on my Featured interview Mind Druidic Dawn community Richard Fox (Renard) 41 Between the shore and the sea. Nigel Dailey (Astrocelt) 20 Celtic Calendar 42 The Battle Thickens John Bonsing, PhD and Scott Rhys Richard Fox (Renard) 34 The Fifth Direction Sacred centres in Ireland Bob Trubshall 46 Wassailing 48 The Way of a Druid Holger Burkhardt (Oak King) Maya St. Clair (Cuardai) 49 Passing Faye (CD) Paul Mitchell 50 Understanding the Universe 29 A Wildcrafted Spirituality in Seventh-Century Ireland Final part of: Nigel Dailey In the bush of Ghosts Dr. Kenneth Proefrock 3 Aontacht Contributors From the community 43 14th Century Hungary Water 6 From the Desk ... Caryl Dailey letter from the Aontacht Production Team 44 Heather Mead 8 Keeping Up With the Dafydd/Calon Ddraig Management Team 45 May Blossom Wine latest news & updates at Druidic Dawn Holgar/Oak King 51 Community Events Calendar Ofind gatherings and rituals near you 54 Coming Next a peek at the succeeding issue & our Cover photo: Jerry Segraves: Juvenile bald eagle in flight. submission guidelines Aontacht • 2 Volume 3, Issue 3 aontacht Contributors creating unity in community Graeme K. Talboys has been Druid for a long time. He was a teacher in schools and muse- ums but now works as a writer. His teaching continues through the written word with fic- Editor Jenn MacCormack tion and non-fiction. Since 2001 Graeme has, Co-Editor with his writing partner and fellow Druid Jul- Richard Fox ie White, administered the Hedge Druid Net- Druidic Dawn Rep. work - a loose association of lone Druids. He also runs the small Nigel Dailey publishing house Grey House in the Woods. Graphic Designer Donald Drake Feature Editor - Formulary Caer Australis presents an exploration Faye Boyd Feature Editor - Poetry and celebration of traditions born in the Vacant Heroic age and recorded for centuries Publisher since throughout the Celtic world. To Druidic Dawn, CIC understand the past so that we may meet Original Layout Design the future with knowledge and wisdom Aestas Designs ( aestas.dieromantic.com ) is a worthy challenge, and it is worth seeking with honesty, passion and integrity. General Inquiries All questions, comments and etcetera can be sent to the fol- Robert Trubshaw since childhood I have been in- lowing address: terested in photography and all aspects of land- [email protected] scape, especially geology and archaeology. I Advertising At the moment we are not graduated as an industrial designer and worked in offering ad space. However, various aspects of the plastics industry from the this is subject to change. mid-1970s until 2001. In 1986 I returned to Leices- Aontacht is published four times tershire and became deeply involved in various a year by Druidic Dawn, CIC. aspects of local history and folklore. At the end of Aontacht, Volume 3, Issue 3 © 2010 Druidic Dawn, all rights re- 2010 I moved to Avebury. served. All contained content is copyright to its respective own- Kenneth Proefrock has been a practicing Natur- ers, including art and photos. The contents of this publication may opathic Physician since 1996 and currently serves not be reproduced in whole or in as Vice-President for the North American Board part without the consent of the copyright owner. of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE) and chair- person for the biochemistry portion of the Natur- Environmental Benefits opathic Physician's Licensing Exam (NPLEX). He Statement Aontacht magazine is only is a member of the Council of Elders and current available online as a free .pdf President of the Order of WhiteOak, a Celtic Re- download; thereby saving constructionist Druid Order. He has been a mem- trees, water, solid waste and greenhouse gases. It is de- ber of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids since signed on an Energy Star rated 1994 and achieved the rank of Ovate in 2001. He is computer. also a member of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). Opinions and views expressed He is happily married, living in the rural desert of the Southwest are not necessarily those of United States with with five children. the editors, publisher or staff. OAontacht • 3 Volume 3, Issue 3 Editorial Notes Contributors You do not have to be a mem- ber of the Druidic Dawn com- munity to submit to the Paul Mitchell is a satirical pagan folk musician. For newsletter. several years he's been playing his stuff around Please submit contributions campfires and conferences here or there. He also directly to the editorial staff plays with the Folk group Mad Magdalen, runs the via email to: Overton Folk Club in Hampshire and produced the [email protected] recent Pagan Folk Against Fascism CD. He is a Druid Refer to the last page of this in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. issue for writer’s guidelines and even more information, before you submit inquiries or contributions. Maya St. Clair (Cuardai) resides in Kuwait, is an Irish Polytheist, and a mechanical engineer with Below are our upcoming a love of history, mythology and culture. She is issues. Be sure to specify to which you are submitting. editor of the Oran Mor, the official newsletter of the New Order of Druids. She also serves on their Volume 3, Issue 4 Council. Maya is an Irish Gaelic student and reg- “Hiraeth” ularly writes a wide variety of articles and book reviews on Celtic and Deadline Feb 15, 2011 religious topics. The Celts experienced long- ing as the desire for home- land, re-union, and belonging; how do we relate to and express our own long- Dafydd Monks (CalonDdraig). Dafydd lives in ings? And for those of us not Gwynedd, North Wales. He is a student of Herbal living in Celtic lands, how does hiraeth play a part in Medicine and has a strong interest in the Welsh our spirituality?. language, the Welsh tradition of Druidry, and their place in the 21st century. Production Team Positions Available: Aontacht Editor The Aontacht team is looking Caryl Dailey lives in the Welsh mountains and is for a new editor, to collect and edit material for the magazine, an associate druid companion of OBOD and druid- help with issue production and ic tutor. She is also a belly-dancer, wand maker and help lead the dynamic team that bookworm. A lover of life, cakes and Astrocelt! brings Aontacht to the internet Druid and Pagan community. If you feel that you can spare some time to help us, or if you would like more information, please Email: [email protected] Aontacht • 4 Volume 3, Issue 3 Production Team Contributors Positions Available: "Wild Earth" Feature Editor Holger originally lived in Germany where he worked as a meteorologist before moving to The "Wild Earth" Feature Editor will manage our newest forth- North Wales at the end of 1994. He now resides coming feature on "Wild Earth". and works in the Nantlle Valley and several years This position would entail writ- ago began his journey on the Druid path. His spe- ing a short, succinct and relevant piece on any number of topics cial interests are the rich history, mythology and related to the Earth for each issue. folk traditions of Wales, particularly of Eryri We are looking for diversity of (Snowdonia), the Lleŷn peninsula and Ynys Môn experience and understanding, as well as a clear writing style that is (Anglesey). To this end he has been learning Welsh for over three both intelligent and practical. It is years now, an undertaking proving to be challenging and yet re- possible that if the individual is warding. unable or uncomfortable with writing regularly, instead he or she may procure an appropriate submission on an eco-related theme each issue. The Production Team is flexible and interested in working with the Feature Editor Richard Fox (Renard) is an earth magick practitioner, in developing the "Wild Earth" fire mage and a warrior poet who lived mostly out feature into something fresh and unique. For more details on the doors in the forests of the U.S. for more than 18 years. "Wild Earth" Feature Editor posi- During that time he planted more than 700,000 trees tion and what it involves, please and supervised the planting of more than 26,000,000 contact us at the email below. additional trees. Today he works with Native Ameri- cans from 14 tribes on major renewable energy projects, including solar heating, electric and wind "Bardic Whispers" turbines with a base among the Lakota on the Pine Ridge and Rose- Feature Editor bud reservations in South Dakota. A volunteer position as "Bardic Whispers" Feature Editor is now available. This role is as editor for our poetry feature "Bardic Whis- pers". Do you enjoy poetry and the written word? Do you write Nigel Dailey (Astrocelt) resides in North Wales poetry yourself? Are you interest- and has a variety of interests ranging from Archae- ed in the Bardic Arts? Are you interested in contributing to the ology, Anthropology, Archaeoastronomy, Astrol- future of Celtic creativity? If in- ogy, Druidry, History, Mythology and terested in applying or would Smallholding. All has been gained while travelling like more details, please contact us at the email below. through the journey human beings call "life." [email protected] Or [email protected] r Aontacht • 5 Volume 3, Issue 3 From the Desk ... Letter from the Aontacht Production Team by Jenn MacCormack Last year around this time when I took based, and not surprising.