the raven

Having been away from Druidry for a couple of years, I was a bit
apprehensive about going and meeting all new people in the group. We met at Wanstead
Tube Station and there were seven of us in all, four men and three women, which
is a more or less an equal balance, which I thought was good. I had been
told the ritual was going to be an ad hoc one which meant that we would decide
on the nature of the ceremony when we got there, so I did not know what to
expect.

The reason for the impromptu nature of the ceremony, I was told, was because
they had been following OBOD standard rituals read out from a script and
wanted to get away from this and see where inspiration lead them.

Trui lead us down to Wanstead Park where we found a place in the wood by the
ponds where the sounds of ducks, coots and herons punctuated throughout our
ceremony. We passed around the Talking Stick (which someone had picked off
the floor!) and we talked, first, about ourselves and what we were doing with
our lives, and then the second time around we talked about what the onset of
Autumn and Winter meant to us to see what sort of themes came out of it.

Someone mentioned about how the balance of the seasons seemed to represent
the efforts to balance out the need to work for a living and to find
fulfilment in life. I joined in and talked about how this time of year always seems,
paradoxically, a time of new beginnings as the academic year starts at this
time so the onset of Winter can be a time for study and expanding the mind
during the long Winter evenings. Others said how they had a certain fear of
Winter due to the long nights and lack of sun and how it can be a time of
depression for them – but how, at the same time, they knew that the ‘sleep’ of
winter is necessary for the renewal that comes in Spring.

We then discussed what the main part of ceremony would entail, which I have
to admit seemed simple but effective.

We began the opening and most of us were experienced enough to be able to ad
lib all this and it was nice to hear people speak simply and through
inspiration rather than read off a script (though I had a lot of difficulty
remembering the words to the Druid Prayer!).

For the central part of the ceremony, as agreed, we held a quick meditation
and then all stood forward one by one and briefly stated the things that had
come up during the Talking Stick session: balance in life, pursuit of
studies, the resting before the renewal of spring etc. Then a door was cut in the
circle and one by one we all went outside to walk round a little path we had
found to come back into the circle under an arch formed by some nearby trees.
This was to represent us walking boldly and without fear into the ‘long
night’ of winter (if I remember correctly!). As we came back into the circle
Trui gave us all stalks of wheat that he had brought and said something to us,
which I cannot remember but was quite appropriate to the ceremony.

This all done, we held the closing of the ceremony (including the Druid Vow,
which, fortunately, I could remember – Just!)

Afterwards some food and drink was passed round, oatmeal bars, and cashew
nuts and even some mead went around (and a libation was given to the Earth!)
and some tea was brewed on a little primus! Someone read out a poem by Keats
and this made for a very nice Eisteddfod.

I have to say, maybe it was because everyone was so friendly or perhaps
because the ritual had tuned my energies more in line with every one else, but
felt very welcome and relaxed at this point and more a part of the group and I
felt I was making friends with the other members.

We then went for a walk around the woods and the lakes after that and I had
a chance to get to know every one better. We had a look at ‘The Temple’
which looked like it might be a converted stable that belonged to the ‘Big House’
that used to be in the park.

When we got back to the station I had to head off as I had a long way to go
home, while everyone else went off to the pub for some much needed libation
of their own!

I would just like to say thank-you to every one for making me feel so
welcome and for giving me a lovely day, and I would also like to say how glad I am
to be back and active in the Order again. I have apologise though, for not
remembering peoples names, but I am sure I will get to know you all soon.

Mike