the raven

There is a sponsored walk to raise funds for tree charities from Lewes Mount to the Long Man of Wilmington on Saturday 9th July. Contact Firinne for details on firinne@blueyonder.co.uk. It will be led by Philip Carr-Gomm and will follow one of the oldest pathways in Britain.
I will be going.
Anna

Alex and I went to Kew Gardens on Monday and we had a really good time. Near the end of our visit we came across a wild flower meadow, which was stunning. I shot this image, which I’m rather proud of, so I’d like to share it with you. It’s my Solstice present to you all because I’ll have to miss the ceremony.

In the ceremony for Alban Hefin, the summer solstice, much emphasis is placed on the energy of the Sun. We celebrate its zenith, call upon its fire, acknowledge its fiery work on all the other elements, greet it in joy, celebrate its beauty, feel its deep connection through many ages to Druidry, and experience the energy of the inner teachers who work in its light.

In Liz’s compact garden, under the shade of a fully grown fig tree, this is how we spent Sunday afternoon on 19th June. And how I needed that celebration of the energy of acting more than thinking, of making more than losing. Our grove has missed out, I have felt so very strongly, in not formally celebrating the two summer ceremonies in previous years. It has been as if we collectively had a limb cut off, and the spirit of the grove itself, if there indeed is one, has been suffering from seasonal depression, due to the over-concentration of the energies of the dark half of the year.

And so for me, it was simply lovely to celebrate this festival with grove members. Though only four of us were present (lowest turnout for a long time, and I must confess a bit disappointing for the organisers) we bravely struggled through three parts each, and the ceremony felt good. I hope it will prove a healing experience for the grove’s spirit.

Afterwards, we enjoyed some quiches offered by Liz, then repaired to the local pub (the Bollo) for a quick drink, followed by a walk round the local nature reserve (Gunnersbury Triangle), which is full of birch and, Liz assured us, foxes. We found a strong contender for a site for a future ceremony in the nature reserve, and Liz says she is happy to try to get permission to use it at some point.

Thanks to Liz for staying around to host the event (she could have been off at another ceremony at the Rollright Stones today).

Most of us have heard of Arthur: we know he has been a significant force in some of the most effective protests of recent years. This is the story of a man who found himself in the identity of a Dark Ages King, and how he got there. It shows us a man who embraces the energy of the Sun and the Earth to fight, unhesitatingly, the wrong around him. It is a book about living your own legend, and a book about acting as Druid in the world. It speaks with the greatest passion of truth and of love.

And it is suffused by the spirit of this season (Summer Solstice). In episode after episode, throughout the book, the vision arises of Arthur holding his sword aloft, a beacon of light standing – alone or with others – against the dark forces of unknowing. And he wins. Gently and stubbornly, he becomes the puzzle that those “in charge” of our society cannot solve: and often it is they, not he, who change.

It has shown me both how good I might be, and how far I am yet from where I need to be. I recommend it for some true inspiration. (And Liz has a few copies available at a reduced price right now, should you be interested).