Ceremony - Alban Arthan (winter solstice)

Wear a light colored robe or clothing, with a dark cloak or shawl covering.

Sit, facing the central candle, and meditate on this darkest time of the year. 

I proclaim the Winter Solstice. It is the turning point of the whole world. The time of nadir and rebirth. I proclaim the time of greatest night. The Winter Solstice is marked throughout the whole world and belongs not to one area or one people, but stands for truth universal. 

Now is the time to mourn that which is finishing and dying. Now is the time to acknowledge all that has gone before and is no more. 

The warm breezes of the high summer are a memory. I am far from that place and now I witness the darkest point. The oak is bare, the earth is cold, the sky is black - from where could hope arise? I am as far from summer as  I could ever be. It seems the very land around me is dead. The cold and the dark have grown strong. I mourn the passing of the bright days.

My eyes are wet with the tears of dreams lost to the dark. My inner vision is misted by grief. The world is spiraling in the darkness, lost to the light, with the sun veiled in a dark disguise.

Now extinguish the candle and sit in the darkness. 

I stand at the centre of a mysterious universe. Let the silence enfold as I take a moment to feel the power of this place... the power around me... the track of the sun around the earth... the pulse of the earth beneath me... the power of life and of death...

Visualize the Earth and the Sun in space, the distance between them, their movement, the tilt of the Earth’s axis away from the sun. Picture where you are sitting on the globe. Feel the power of the earth beneath you, the pull of her gravity, and, if it feels right, let yourself gently sink down into the deep dark Earth.

Let the darkness be felt with my mind and heart. Only out of darkness does light arise, for darkness is the fosterer of splendor. Only when I have mourned the passing of the old can rebirth occur... I know well that there will be a new dawn tomorrow, after this the longest of nights. Yet often I forget this simple truth. When I let go of my longing for the past, I am free to nurture the still small light of hope in my heart.

Let yourself forget about time, about work, about your cares and concerns. The Earth is deep and dark, all enfolding, all absorbing. It is deeply restful, just to lie within the earth. You don’t have to do anything or make anything or change anything.

In the darkness of the longest night, we await the dawning of the waxing year…

Cast away whatever impedes the appearance of light.

Remove your dark cloak/shawl and stand up. Feel yourself reborn with the light, and willing to carry that light out into the dark world. Light the central candle again, saying: 

The light is reborn on Earth as it is in my soul. I proclaim the creation of all things, the revolution of all that is past towards a new good.

Every death is the seed of birth. Each new life brings a gentle flame of hope into this world. May we all protect this sacred flame. May the earthly guardians of wisdom unite together in peace and harmony to protect this planet, our home. This I ask for the children of the world.

From the one source of all Life, Light and Love, our own tiny flames have been kindled. Feel the strength of those flames united. Within our daily lives, let us unite our thoughts and our actions with all those who work for peace in this world - with all those who work to build a safer Earth for the generations to come.

May the power of this moment inspire me, here at the rebirth of the light. May the light pervade me. May my soul be strengthened. May the power of this moment inspire us, here at the rebirth of the light. May our lives and our hearts be filled with joy.

Ceremony closing

As the radiance of this ceremony fades, let it remain as a light in my heart. May my memory hold what my eye and ear have gained.

I swear, by peace and love to stand,

Heart to heart and hand in hand.

Mark, O spirit, and hear me now,

Confirming this, my sacred vow.

May the harmony of the land be complete.

May the blessings of the Spirit be always with me. I declare this ceremony of  ________________ closed in the apparent world. May its inspiration continue within my being.

Ceremony opening

Pause for several breaths, consciously leaving your daily concerns aside, allowing yourself to relax. 

Together with the Earth beneath me...

Together with the Sky above me...

Together with the Sea around me…

Feel the earth beneath you and the sky above you, feel yourself grounded and centered.

O Spirit, I ask for your blessings on this my ceremony of  _________. I ask for your blessings, guidance and inspiration on this my ceremony.

Take a few moments to meditate on peace, and to feel peace within you.

Deep within the still centre of my being, may I find peace.

Silently within the quiet of the grove, may I share peace.

Gently within the greater circle of humankind, may I radiate peace.

May there be peace in the North.  …South …West …East

May there be peace throughout the whole world.

Let all disturbing thoughts be laid aside.

Grant, O Spirit, your protection,

and in protection, strength,

and in strength, understanding,

and in understanding, knowledge,

and in knowledge, the knowledge of justice,

and in the knowledge of justice, the love of it,

and in the love of it, the love of all existences,

and in the love of all existences,

the love of Spirit and all goodness.

The horizon is a circle. Of our lives and lands, of time and of the year,

of seasons and of goodness, of birth and of growing, of dying and of rebirth. The enchantment of the apparent world subsides. I stand (in the eye of

the sun/by the light of the stars), here and now, between past and future. The earth below, the heavens above, and the plants and animals around me. 

This is sacred time. This is sacred space. I am fully present, here and now. With every breath I take, I breathe light and life. May the harmony of my life be complete.

Samhain Ritual

I had been praying off and on for months about whether to attend the group rituals. I didn't know if they would be too different from what I was comfortable with. I just kept thinking I would try one out and see. 

When I woke up this morning, I started praying about it again. Mostly asking for it to be a meaningful experience for me. As I prayed, a song popped into my head that I haven't thought about in a long time. It came out 20+ years ago. There was a time when I often played the CD on repeat, and I've listened to it here and there through the years, but not recently. "I'm Ready" by Eowyn:

https://open.spotify.com/track/6GvqMjj7SRNprnrlIA5p55?si=67d65409f56549ca

I didn't listen to it while getting ready, but I queued it up to play when I got in the car.

I walked out a few minutes later than I had planned, mostly because I hit snooze a few more times than I had planned. But when I walked out... One of my crows was waiting for me, talking up a storm! It wasn't his usual "talk." As I was talking to him, others came. I felt they were wishing me well, coming to see me off on my adventure! They had left me a pretty leaf, which I tucked into the pocket of the plaid flannel shirt I was wearing open over a long sleeved henley. I tossed them a handful of peanuts in gratitude, and verbally thanked them. 

I got there about 8:20 and was able to park in a spot facing the playground, very close to Cafe du Monde where we were meeting. I made a quick trip to the bathroom, and then found the others. We chatted for a while while we waited to see if the other member was going to come. At 8:30, we headed to the nearby spot where the rituals are done. 

Of all the places in the park... 1,300 total acres... What are the chances that the ritual would be held in the exact area where hubby and I stood 9 years ago almost to the day to make our relationship official and exclusive?! It's a space with a high table (the height to use when standing), with benches a couple of feet behind it. We did the ritual at the table, and the benches are where hubby and I had our discussion that day...

The ritual itself was shorter than I expected. I followed along with the script, participating, but not taking a turn to read. The "leader" paused a few times to explain some basics, like which direction to rotate when we turned to face the directions. There was nothing unexpected in the ritual. I think for my first one, it went fairly well. I didn't really "feel" much during it. Today was more about just getting my feet wet, trying it out to see if I wanted to continue. After the ritual, we discussed when to have the between-rituals Zoom call to discuss questions about the gwersi etc.

The most amazing "magic" happened after the ceremony though. We were almost back to Cafe du Monde when a ray of sun shining on a rose covered with dew drops caught my eye. I told the other two grove members bye and stopped to take a picture of it. When I got home and looked at the pic, it isn't very clear. But it led to what happened next. 

I felt drawn to go back to the place we had the ritual. When I got there, I could hear what sounded like geese approaching overhead. I don't have any recordings of geese in my bird ID app (Merlin), so I pulled out my phone to try to get it. By the time I started the recording, they had already passed by and Merlin couldn't pick them up anymore. I remembered that during the ceremony I heard a few birds, so I kept it running to see if it could identify what they were. 

I did not expect what happened... Overhead, a whole symphony of bird song began. It was beautiful! Merlin identified ten different birds, some of which are marked as rare for the area. It was an amazing experience! The recording lasted about two and a half minutes. I ended it when the flock quieted as other people started coming closer. 

At that point, I just took some more pictures and video of where I was before heading home. The park was getting more crowded, and the energy wasn't the same. I was eager to get home and type up the experience.

My crows left me an artistic gift for when I got home. There are at least 5 different pieces to it! 

Until I get a God-nudge that tells me differently, I am going to continue with the grove. I want to be a part of the local community, and though my church comes first, it is nice to have this group as well!

Adding pictures and videos from my experience... 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GcHYua8fvKj53JWGjmlBqgAPEk7pZsRS

Just a quick check-in...

 I've been reading the gwersi here and there. I have not had the spoons to do more than read them unfortunately ☹️ As I feared, my autoimmune meds are not working, and I have been on a downward health spiral that has led to me being prescribed a short-term, high-dose, round of steroids by an ER doctor. I will be starting my new med tomorrow evening, which will hopefully make me more functional longterm. Then it will be much easier to get back into this journey!

Hanging in there by the hardest,

LilacPhoenixCMB

Bardic Grade - Gwers 1

Welcome to the real deal! Here is where the actual bardic course begins. 

The first gwers opens with a poem, and a short letter, again introducing the subject matter for this booklet. Most of the Teaching consists of an initiation ceremony. 

WHOA!!! Put on the brakes! Initiation ceremony???

It's not what you think 😉

For starters, the letter is mostly about encouraging you to wait until if/when you want to do it, the time is right, you're in the right headspace, etc. He encourages you to take time and read it through in its entirety. That if you feel anxious or concerned about doing it, to not do it, or wait until you feel more comfortable. 

The first paragraph of the Teaching explains exactly what the initiation is about:

p. 31

An initiation is an inner experience. A ceremony such as this can only act as an aid or catalyst for this inner process. For this reason the right moment and attitude when performing this ceremony are vital. Only you Inner Self and Guides can tell you whether the right moment has arrived. The ceremony appears to be simple, but in its very simplicity lies its depth and its power. If you perform the ceremony, you perform it solely for yourself - you enter into no obligation to the Order. When the ceremony is performed in a Grove, you are told: "Just as in freedom you chose to enter the fellowship of the Bards, so must you know that our fellowship is one of freedom. Here there are no bindings, and as in freedom you joined this fellowship, so in freedom may you leave, should ever you, your guides or stars ordain so."

The ceremony is basically your commitment to be fully alive and engaged in the process. One of the lines of the closing:

p. 32

May the blessings of the Uncreated One, of the Created Word, and of the Spirit that is the Inspirer be always with me.

Hmmm, that sounds very Christian to me! 

After the initiation ceremony, there are three other sections of the Teaching. The first introduces the symbol of the Bardic grade and explains its symbolism. The second is about creating an optional sacred space in your home that can act as a physical counterpart to your Inner Sacred Grove (p. 33). The third is a home blessing you can use that is based on Celtic blessings from the Scottish Highlands.

Triads

p. 35

Three gains of those who heed the advice of the Old Ones: illumination, wisdom, and clarity.

Listen to the voice of (God) in the wind and the waters. Listen to the still small voice of your intuition in the darkness of the night. This way lies vision and understanding. 

Eisteddfod

p. 36

The Bardic Grade is that of the Arts. Through story, poetry and music, painting, dance and sculpture, we develop our finer aesthetic natures which are part of our eternal spiritual Being. In nearly every Gorsedd (gathering) of the Druids, a part of the meeting is dedicated to the Arts and is called an Eisteddfod.

This one is a short story written in lines like poetry, of a person having a conversation with a lake. The lake says that in it, the person can come to know the very breath of God which moves the hours. Another that follows right in the path of how I'm using druidry in my life - as an avenue to become closer to God. 

I am now caught up with journaling all of the gwersi I have studied so far! Between starting a new job, getting used to working again after over four months, and what I fear is my autoimmune meds not working, I haven't had the spoons to dedicate to this lately. And I miss it! I am keeping up with the online forum, so at least I have a bit of that most days. And of course I'm looking for the moments in everyday life. I may be up for doing a new gwers today. After writing three posts today, I may not. I am pretty sure that even if I go through it today, journaling it will wait. I like doing it that way anyway, so the ideas have time to process in my subconscious before I review the gwers and write the post.

Bardically,

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜

INTRO Gwers 2

The second of two intro gwersi... This one also begins with a letter, briefly introducing the theme of this gwers. 

The Teaching of this one is titled "The Role of the Bard in the Druid Mysteries." It starts with an overview of pre-Christian spirituality, and how many of these traditions are apparent in indigenous people worldwide. It then explores the history of Bards more specifically, along with their function and practices. 

p. 21

Three things that enrich the Bard: Myths, poetic power, a store of ancient verse. Welsh triad

p. 23

Today ... we need to connect to the same intent, the same purpose and essence, as did the Bards of old: whose goal was to be filled with divine inspiration, to fully express their innate creativity, to bring joy and magic to those around them, and to grow in wisdom.

YES!

Triad (p. 23):

The three great melodies of Creation: the wind in the trees, the stream at snowmelt, the cry of a new-born babe

Treasure life and you will find its gifts at every turn.

Practicum (p. 24)

Sacred Groves were places of sanctuary and worship for the Druids. Like a temple or chapel set within the natural world, they were places of spiritual refuge: places to calm the mind, refresh the spirit, and give comfort in times of distress. 

The natural world does this for me as well.

The main part of the practicum guides you through making a sacred grove in your own inner world. It encourages you to use as many of your senses as possible, and as detailed as possible. Why? By firmly establishing this Sacred Grove in your inner world, you will be building a place of peace and harmony to which you may return at any time, even while you are busy, to gain inspiration, refreshment and calm. I really like this concept! It reminds me of "happy place" visualizations in psychology. I haven't done this yet, but I recently "visited" different habitats in Nature Treks VR to get inspiration. I would like to get a start on my sacred grove soon, especially with being back at work in a chaotic environment.

This practicum also introduces the OBOD symbol (p. 25), and explains its significance. Of particular interest to me is the 3 points of light - the triple aspect of deity. It also represents where the sun rises on the equinoxes and solstices.

Within this symbol of the Order is a richness and depth of teaching which includes mythology ... psychology in the triune nature of the Self, and philosophy in the triune nature of Deity.

Eisteddfod (p. 25)

As you read each Eisteddfod section in the Gwersi, imagine you are seated in an ancient hall, being entertained and enlightened by one of the Bards of old. Here is how one contemporary Druid describes the scene that would have greeted you, if you were seated in such a hall one winter evening in the sixth century:

What follows is a description of how the bard would've dressed, the setting of the hall itself, who would've been there (including the hunting dogs), and how the bard would've told the stories. There is also a short poem.

The next gwers will be the first in the Bardic grade!

Ready to dive in, 

LilacPhoenixCMB 💜