Summer Solstice and Tansys Golowan 2010

This year's Summer Solstice celebrations started on Solstice eve, where we had a bonfire at Tredethy, and watched the glorious sun setting. The following morning we were up to view the sunrise over the wheat fields behind our house.

Above: Summer Solstice sunrise at Tredethy

Later on Solstice day, we lit the candles on our grove shrine, (pictured above) and fired up our Tansys Golowan. We sat by the sacred fire and watched the sunset, and the afterglow slowly fade into the short summer solstice night (below).

On midsummer's eve we journeyed just a few miles to the ancient Iron Age hilltop fort of Castle-an-Dinas to join with the Old Cornwall Societies midsummer bonfire ceremony. In legend the hill top site is the last resting place of Ygraine and offers panoramic views across Goss Moor towards the north coast. This magnificent Iron Age Celtic fort dates from about the second or third century BC. It consists of three concentric circles of ditch and rampart, 850 feet in diameter and standing 700 feet above sea level.

As the sun dipped into the Atlantic ocean the fire was lit to honour St John and flowers were strewn on the fire by the Flower Maiden in an ancient ceremony, performed each year across the holy hilltops of Cornwall. As the Old Cornwall Society state in their leaflet "...the practice of celebrating Midsummer Eve in such a fashion goes back to remote pagan times: and the perpetuation of this interesting observance thus forms a bond between people of this present age living in Cornwall and their distant Celtic forbears."

Above: The Midsummer hilltop fire blazes at Castle-an-Dinas

Midsummer's Day was spent at our hilltop garden shrine, honouring the fey folk of the ancient land. As darkness fell, we toasted the spirits of the land and left offerings of wine and bread.

Above: Tansys Golowan at Tredethy

The evening after we travelled to Penzance, where we had been invited to re-visit a private stone circle in the heart of the Penwith Moors, where in 2001 we had performed a consecration ceremony and planted a millennium oak sapling. Here, as dusk fell across the land, we shared a meal around a fire in the centre of the sacred circle of stones and trees.

After dark, we headed into Penzance town, where we witnessed the Mazey Eve fireworks and midnight serpent dance, which was led by the Golowan band, the Mock Mayor of the Quay, and Penglaze, the Old 'Oss of Penzance. The following day was Mazey Day in Penzance, and we spent the morning in town watching the colourful parades and listening to a wide variety of music. The town was packed, the festival seems to get busier every year. The sun continued to shine and we felt that it was a perfect end to our week-long celebrations.

On our return to North Cornwall, I discovered that the latest issue of Poetry Cornwall had arrived with my poem Zennor Quoit published within its pages. A great way to celebrate the midsummer full moon, which rose behind the old oak at the edge of the meadow to the front of our cottage.

Much psychic vision and inspiration has come from this intensely magical Solstice, more of which will be written about later this year. Let's just say that more of the mysterious thread of why we were led to leave our life in West Penwith for the wilds of North Cornwall have become very apparent. Watch this space! So a truly magical and special Summer Solstice period for us here at the Druid Grove of Bega and one which is truly unique to the ancient land of Kernow.

We did manage to catch up with some old friends, but we simply ran out of time, so sincere apologies to those whom we didn't quite manage to reconnect with!

Above: The Master of Ceremonies, Golowan band, and Mock Mayor
put out a midnight call for Penglaze.

Above: Penglaze, the Midsummer 'Oss

Above: A colourful dragon at Mazey Day

Beltane 2010

Old Oss at Padstow, Cornwall, UK. Mayday 2010

Vernal Equinox 2010

The inauguration of our new shrine (below) took place at 17.30 GMT at the octave of the Vernal Equinox 2010. The new shrine is built of locally collected Cornish slate, granite and quartz, with locally sourced shells and pebbles and a few crystals and fossils from our collection.

The shrine is built in the shape of a dolmen, to mimic the many mysterious neolithic dolmens and quoits found on the wild and windswept Cornish moors. Such as the very impressive one at Pawton near Wadebridge (pictured below), which is only a few miles from our North Cornwall home. A traditional Druid meeting place in local folklore and a very mysterious and atmospheric place, where the veil is often thin.

Spring Equinox Poetic Meditation

As the light finally
Catches its twin faced dark
A brief truce is called
As the balance of opposites
Merge and entwine.

As new life emerges
From the cold dark earth
And the egg of creativity
Breaks at the crack of dawn
The leaping hare dance.

As the rain and wind swirls
Around the budding branches
The sunset approaches, and equinoctial
Balance allows the suns rays
To burst through the bank of grey cloud.

The illuminating rays of the equinox sun
Allow the daffodils to glow
As they dance in the whirling wind
Joyfully they nod to the descending fiery orb
Beyond the solitary ancient Oak.

Above: The "tinners rabbits" an ancient spring-time fertility symbol
depicting three Hares often found in West Country churches.

Fellowship of Isis Foundation Union Triad

Foundation Union Triad

The Fellowship of Isis has been changing and expanding over the last few years.

To keep pace with the global changes the Right Rev. Olivia Robertson, co-founder, has recently issued the following statement on the future of the global family of the Priesthood, the Druid Clan of Dana and the Order of Tara.

Please see here to read the statement. See here for further information.

Click here for a directory of ArchDruid Union members

Posted by Alex Langstone

The Druid Circle

The Druid Circle is a new blog developed by the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. It is a space where the Order can share some of the creative projects produced by its members.

This blog is a welcome addition to the Order, and will surely allow for greater communication between the worldwide membership. Comments can be left on the site, and are replied to quickly.

The description below is from the site.

"The Druid Tradition is ancient, and represents one of the wellsprings of inspiration of the Western Spiritual Tradition. But even though it is ancient, it is as relevant and alive today as it ever has been. All spiritualities grow and change – and Druidism, or Druidry as it is also known, has changed too – and now it is experiencing a Renaissance.

Druidry has become a vital and dynamic Nature-based spirituality that is flourishing all over the world, and that unites our love of the Earth with our love of creativity and the Arts. And flowing through all the exciting new developments in modern Druidism is the power of an ancient tradition: the love of land, sea and sky – the love of the Earth our home."

To view the blog, click link: http://druidcircle.wordpress.com

Imbolc Prayer

The following prayer was written at dawn on Imbolc 2010, as the sun was rising and the snow was falling simultaneously. For a while the early morning glow was enhanced by the snow and the clumps of snowdrops beneath the huge ancient beech trees at the edge of our garden became a sanctuary of Brigit, before a blizzard struck and the sunlight was temporarily gone.

Imbolc, ancient festival of the sacred fire of Brigid lies right in the middle of this cold winter season. And once we reach this sacred time paradoxically Spring has already begun to poke her head above the soil under the bare winter trees. Snowdrops suddenly appear marking the Imbolc feast, and we may gather round the Hearth Fires with the saintly patron of poetry at our side.

Above: Brigid by Paul Atlas-Saunders

Imbolc Prayer

As the snowdrops rise from the frozen earth
And the snow falls from the steely frosty leaden sky
The waxing sun rises o'er the eastern snowy hills
Casting light onto a new day.
As we sit by the warming hearth
Contemplating the ancient fires of Brigit
The rising sun and the sacred flame become as one
And the Fiery Goddess of the dawn
Reaches out and touches each of us
Warming, loving, healing,
Her solar rays reaching out
Spreading across the earth
Seeking all who need the ancient
Sanctity of Her healing rays from
Deep within Her ancient well and
The sacred oak ringed spring by the eternal flame
Which lights the way to
The earth's stirring womb of creation.
Be at our side Brigit
Guide us and show us your holy light and
Lead us to your sacred sanctuary
Where we can safely and quietly contemplate
Life's strange mysteries.

Above: Tredethy Imbolc Sunrise

UK White Out January 2010

I couldn't resist posting this unusual photo of the UK covered in snow. Taken by the NASA MODIS satellite imager on 7th January 2010. A fantastic image, and hopefully it will be a rare one! You can click the image to enlarge it.

Montol Festival 2009

Druid Grove of Bega and friends celebrating at the magical Montol festival in Penzance. December 21st 2009.

Celebrating on the ancient Lescudjack Hill Fort, high above Penzance

Getting ready for the grand procession

Celebrating in Chapel Street

Penglaz and Bucca-Dhu

For further information on the festival see www.montol.co.uk
or Alex Langstone's article Montol and the Lord of Misrule

With thanks to Lisa Stewart for the fabulous photographs

The Feast of St Bega

7th November 2009. The Feast of St Bega.

The Druid Grove of Bega marked the occasion by building a shrine under the old beech trees which mark the ancient boundary of our woodland garden. The Celtic cross motif was chosen as it represents the connectedness that St Bega has to the sacred centre of the British Isles at St Bees Head, Cumbria. The yellow rose at the centre of our cross symbolises this most sacred spot, whilst each of the four arms reach outwards to the four cardinal points of the land. The circle represents the holy relic of St Bega, her sacred ring, which in turn brings us back to the centre of the land.

We placed sacred objects on Her altar, including gold and silver rings, amethyst, flowers, fruit, candles and incence.

Bega is truly a lady of sovereignty, She is of the ancient lands of the British Isles and has her roots in Western Ireland on Inis Mór. She spreads her ancient wisdom through her teachings, which we may glean from the legends surrounding her visionary journey from Inis Mór to Cumbria. In this we may discover many things, not least our very own visionary journey through life. Bega teaches us to seek the mystery of life, to look for portents and sacred signs and to speak directly with deity. We can each find our own unique spiritual path by following this simple yet profound philosophy. For She is called Bega of the Gifts, and her gifts can be many things, not least the gift of remembrance. We remember Her at this time of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain for good reason. This too, is part of Her Holy Mystery, for another of Her gifts is healing.

May the Holy Spirit of Bega be with you at this time of remembrance, may you be blessed with Her gifts.

We processed Her sacred image to the shrine at dusk and lit candles and incence. We sent prayers and healing across the land. We entered communion with Her and received Her blessing. All Hail St Bega, All Hail Bega of the Gifts.

St Bega, drawn by
Paul Atlas-Saunders

Samhain 2009

To mark Samhain 2009, my article Samhain: Remembering the Dead, which was originally published on this website exactly a year ago has been published in the latest issue of the Mirror of Isis.

Click here to view.