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StorytellingBrought to you

by the community of Druidic Dawn(www.druidicdawn.org)

Aontacht   ISSN 2044-1339

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Zaontachtcreating unity in community

Cover photo: Oak Tree in Mist © Nigel Dailey

8 Pamela Meekings-StewartFeature Interview

15 The Five Directions: A true story Simon Danser

31 Mistletoe, John L. Cowen

35 Re-uniting the God and the Goddess(or it takes two to tango)Luke Eastwood

22 Seven Wonders of the Natural World In Your Own Backyard

Alison Leigh Lilly

34 Lavender Oil

28 Inspiration

29 Dance of Life

30 Climbing

38 The CR FAQ: An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism

39 War, Women, and Druids

40 The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites, andSanctuaries

3 Contributors Page

5 From The Desk

7 News from the Druidic Dawn Management Team

41 Community Calendar

44 What is in our next issue

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Contributorsaontachtcreating unity in community

Environmental BenefitsStatement

Aontacht magazine is onlyavailable online as a free .pdfdownload; thereby savingtrees, water, solid waste andgreenhouse gases. It is de-signed on an Energy Star ratedcomputer.

Aontacht is published four timesa year by Druidic Dawn, CIC.Aontacht, Volume 4, Issue 3 ©2011 Druidic Dawn, all rights re-served. All contained content iscopyright to its respective own-ers, including art and photos. Thecontents of this publication maynot be reproduced in whole or inpart without the consent of thecopyright owner.

EditorRichard FoxCo-Editor

VacantProduction Editor

Druidic Dawn Rep.Nigel Dailey

Feature Editor - Wild EarthAlison Leigh Lilly

Feature Editor - FormularyFaye Boyd

Feature Editor - PoetrySarah WardPublisher

Druidic Dawn, CICOriginal Layout Design

Aestas Designs( aestas.dieromantic.com )

General InquiriesAll questions, comments and et-cetera can be sent to the follow-ing address:

aontacht@druidicdawn.org

AdvertisingAt the moment we are offeringfree ad space to the communityof Druidic Dawn. This is subjectto change.

Opinions and views expressedare not necessarily those of

the editors, publisher or staff.

Pamela Meekings-Stewart has been amember of the Order of Bards, Ovates andDruids (OBOD) since 1998 after meetingChosen Chief, Philip Carr-Gomm. In 1999,Philip created the Grove of the Summer Stars(GOSS) at ‘The Woolshed’, Pamela’s beauti-ful farm near Wellington, Aotearoa NewZealand.

Simon Danser is the author of 'The Mythsof Reality' (published by Alternative Albi-on in 2005). The five directions article willbe included in a long-delayed sequel withthe working title 'Living in a MagicalWorld'.

Luke Eastwood is originally from Aberdeen,Scotland although he has  lived mostly inEngland and Ireland. He became involved inpaganism  in the early 90’s and was involvedin the formation of Wexford Pagan  Mootafter moving to Ireland.  He joined a druidgrove in 2003 and  OBOD shortly after. Lukeis now facilitator of the grove, a member ofDruid Clan Of Dana and Ord Na Druí. In2006 he founded irishdruidnetwork.org net-working site and he facilitates a one dayevent - Éigse Spiriod Ceilteach every Au-gust. He is also author of The Druid's Primer,published in Feb 2012.

Maya St. Clair resides in Kuwait, is an IrishPolytheist, and a mechanical engineer with alove of history, mythology and culture. Sheis editor of the Oran Mor, the officialnewsletter of the New Order of Druids. Shealso serves on their Council. Maya is an IrishGaelic student and regularly writes a widevariety of articles and book reviews on Celticand religious topics.

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Caroline Queen of Celtica has a great love ofnature and meditation, and lives in Y Drenew-ydd in Cymru, in the beautiful Welsh moun-tains. Presently runs the record label Great Oak,with a mission to create a sustainable greenCeltica, filled with Great Oaks and High Con-sciousness.

Faye Boyd has been interested in Nature and allthings Celtic for many a year. She is a memberof OBOD, Druidic Dawn, Ord BrighideachInternational, Celtic Reiki Master, Hot StoneTherapist, Guided Meditations and is a spokenword artist. Fae resides in Canada.

Contributors

Alison Leigh Lilly resides in the lovely, thrice-rivered city of Pittsburgh, where she lives on theedge of a wooded park with her husband, hercat, her pet frogs and her houseplants. Shedevotes her time to cultivating a spiritual lifefounded on peace, poesis, and attentiveengagement with the inner and outerlandscapes of wildness, wilderness and naturein all its complexity. She explores these themesthrough essays, poetry and photography, andher work has appeared in a number ofpublications both in print and online. Moreinformation about Alison and her work can befound on her website: alisonleighlilly.com

Editorial Notes

You do not have to be a mem-ber of the Druidic Dawn com-

munity to submit to themagazine.

Please submit contributionsdirectly to the editorial staff

via email to:aontacht@druidicdawn.org

Refer to the last page of thisissue for writer’s guidelinesand even more information,before you submit inquiries

or contributions.

Below are our upcomingissues. Be sure to specify towhich you are submitting.

Volume 4, Issue 4“Sacred Places”

Deadline Feb 15, 2012

Tribal Celts and Druidshad their sacred placeswithin the local landscapeand further afield, whichheld specific meanings andspiritual significance. Howdoes those relate to con-temporary Celts and Dru-ids? Do they hold the sameessence as in times past?What makes a modern “sa-cred place”?

Sarah Ward (Heddwen) is a Pagan Priestesswho lives in the mountains of Mid Wales. Shepractices an earth based spirituality and enjoyspoetry, writing, mask making, belly dancingand walking in the sacred landscape. Sarah is amember of OBOD.

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What is it to be a Druid, especially one in the 21stcentury? There are certainly some who wouldargue that Druidism is a religion. Others feel it ismore of a philosophy. But for me, I believe it is allabout having a relationship - a living, ongoing,day-to-day, relationship with this living planetthat many now call Gaia.

Since before the mists of time, Gaia has been grow-ing a vast array of different life forms. Initially,these were simple life forms, but over a very longperiod of time and countless generational itera-tions, these simple life forms developed into morecomplex life forms and slowly began to generategreater intelligence and more diverse capabilities.Throughout all of time every living creature thatwalks, crawls, swims and flies - all manner ofdifferent plants and animals have been manifestedby our planetary mother Gaia.

Including us - our species and every one of usindividually.

And because of this, our bodies and minds areendowed with millions of years of engineeringbuilt into them and have received the benefit oftrillions of experiments.

And evolution is not something that happened along time ago. Even today, Gaia continues to createnew life forms and further evolve the already cre-ated forms. It is her role to nurture, to love hercreations unconditionally - and constantly use theavailable life force to manifest new bodies. Gaia is

a conscious sentient web of life that connects everyliving creature on this planet.

But we also live in a time when more than 50% ofour species are now living in cities. And a lot ofpeople just aren't feeling that connection with na-ture in their day to day life any more. As a result,many believe they have somehow become separat-ed from the natural world and live apart and haveneither the need, the time or the capability to be apart of nature.

Yet, that is not true of Druids.

Whatever our different rituals and practices, Dru-ids understand it is about keeping open the chan-nels between us and the rest of nature. That thereis power and peace in embracing our natural herit-age and accepting our rightful inheritance - aninheritance given freely to every child of Gaia - herunconditional love and the right and ability tocommunicate with all aspects of nature.

Druids seek this knowledge and value deeply ourrelationships with Nature in its many forms.

We strive to be in Nature. We want to get face toface time with Gaia and enjoy the wisdom andpeace and love that comes from respectful contactwith Her.

For thousands of years, Druids and other earthbased paths would conduct ceremonies and com-municate with Nature in tree groves. Trees are a

News from the AontachtProduction Team

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natural conduit into the earth...with roots thatgrow deep and intertwine into the Gaia network.The Groves of old were powerful and also servedas a known place for many to gather across theland. Today, few sacred groves are in use, thoughI am sure there is much power still stored in theplaces where the old sacred groves once grew.

What we do still have available are many smallernatural places - a meadow, a local streams orpond, all of them a potential sacred place wheredirect communication can happen. Visiting themgives us energy and strength and often a sense ofserenity.

And in our daily lives, we can talk with our plantsand companions, whistle with the wind, growfood and care for flowers and maybe even be luckyenough to tend to bees or in my case to be a firedancer. Ultimately, whatever our circumstances,we can elect to make contact more often - every day,maybe even every hour or less.

As Druids, we always have the ability to evolveour own lives and change our busy schedules toincrease the time we spend plugged into the natu-ral world - a natural world that has developed andnurtured us for millions of years and misses us asmuch as we miss Her.

For me, this is what makes us Druids. That choiceto build a positive, living, ongoing relationshipwith Nature.

May we each find peace and joy and deep connec-tions with this planet as we each walk our ownPath of Spirit.

Blessed Be...

EditorAontacht Magazine

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Welcome to the 2011Winter/Summer Solstice edi-tion of Aontacht. Some things have been happen-ing at Druidic Dawn, and we like to keep ourreaders updated on what's going on.

Druidic Dawn working in the Community andon the website.

The Fraternal Druid Archivist has also been busywith corresponding with various inquires fromwithin England, Europe and the USA. Further-more the on-site fraternal index has grown consid-erably since its commencement hosting nearly 400Lodges, with additional off site resources whereapplicable.

The very talented Folk singer, storyteller PaulNewman has been added to Druid Sound duringthe 4th quarter of the sun. Community memberscan keep up to date with Paul's latest podcastwhich is produce on a monthly basis. If you’ve notheard this yet its well worth a listen.

A new course has been added to the Open DruidicCommunity Learning dealing with aspects ofChristian Druidry this is being tutored by BishopAlistair Bates. For interested community membersfurther information is located in this area reacha-ble from the main front page..

Druidic Dawn behind the Scenes

The Management Team which facilitates DruidicDawn web site and associated projects on behalf

of the community is presently being restructured.There are presently two unpaid volunteer direc-tors giving their time freely, supported by a teamof volunteers. Distance is no object in this virtualworld, as the volunteers’ span from Australia,Canada, England, U.S.A. and Wales.

If any community member hears the call of awen;and would like to become involved with steeringDruidic Dawn and Aontacht into the future, andhave time to spare email, admin@druidicdawn.orgwith details of your areas of expertise.

In a similar situation, Aontacht has also seen someslight changes. The co-editor has become AontachtEditor; while the Graphic Designer has been re-placed by the Production Editor. This is beingmanaged by one of the Directors of Druidic Dawnassisting the Editor in the producing the maga-zine.  In addition a Wild Earth Feature Editor hasjoined the production team, and will be overseeingthis area of the magazine, working closely with theEditor.

Some additional exciting projects are being dis-cussed further behind the scenes at the moment,although we are not in a position to make anyannouncements just yet. So keep an eye on thewebsite and also in the next edition of Aontacht.

On Behalf of the Management Team

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Druidic DawnFeature Interview

A Conversation with Pamela Meekings-Stewart,

Renard and the Druidic Dawn Community

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Pamela has been a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) since 1998 aftermeeting Chosen Chief, Philip Carr-Gomm. In 1999, Philip created the Grove of the Summer Stars(GOSS) at ‘The Woolshed’, Pamela’s beautiful farm near Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. ‘TheWoolshed’ is 136 acres situated on the hills of Pukerua Bay looking out over the sea and KapitiIsland. The Grove holds 7 seasonal rituals at The Woolshed as well as the Winter Solstice atStonehenge Aotearoa. Pamela is also a film and video producer and runs the extremely popularStress Management Retreats and Total Pampering Days at her farm. Pamela is also a registeredmarriage celebrant who is in demand to provide ‘druid-like’ marriage ceremonies and civil unions.

DD: How did you personally become interestedin Druidry within New Zealand?

Pamela: I attended a 3-day workshop run byPhilip Carr-Gomm in Auckland (NZ) in 1998.

DD: You live and work in a place called "TheWoolshed" - 136 acres that overlooks the Sea,Kapiti Island and Pukerua Bay. When did youfirst become connected to this land and whatdoes that relationship mean to you?

Pamela: I had been looking for a piece of landon which to live and run a Health Retreat on theKapiti Coast for some time. I had 5 criteria forthe land – it had to be within commuting dis-tance of Wellington and Wellington Airport; ithad to have a view of the sea; it had to have acertain amount of native forest (which we call‘bush’); it had to have pure spring water; andthere were to be no power pylons. It took 3 yearsfor the agents to find me the right place and theday I first visited it, as I stepped through the gatethe land sang to me and I knew I was home. Myconnection to this land is not intellectual or evenpossibly sensible; it is emotional and spiritual.

DD: The Grove of the Summer Stars appears tohave been established by Chosen Chief PhilipCarr-Gomm in 1999. Can you tell us more aboutthat beginning and how you became involved?

Pamela: Well before we were a Grove, a fewpeople had started honoring the seasons andcalling in the quarters, etc. after some of us at-tended Philip C-G’s workshops in Auckland andWellington in 1998. These seasonal events wereheld at ‘The Woolshed’, a beautiful farm of 52haat Pukerua Bay outside Wellington. Philip Carr-Gomm and family came to New Zealand onsabbatical in 1999 and Philip created the Groveof the Summer Stars at ‘The Woolshed’ wherethe family stayed for 6 months before renting ahouse in the same area. Philip connected verystrongly with the land here.

DD: Your Grove is not only a spiritual con-struct, but an actual Grove of te kouka trees(cabbage trees). You have evolved that locationwith various plantings and have a "Grove Mas-ter". Can you tell us about your evolving rela-

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tionship with this Grove and the value of havinga living ceremonial location?

Pamela: The Grove is a true grove of native trees(te kouka – cabbage tree) set in a natural bowl inthe land. The physical location of our Grove isimportant. We cleared it of gorse and rubbishand clothed the Grove herself and the walk inwith many varieties of native plants to provide aplace out of space and time where we could doour rituals. This space is used for nothing otherthan Druid rituals and as such has a true feelingof the sacred. The trees we have planted protectus and speak with us

DD: Can you tell us more about your Grove Mas-ter who is responsible for making decisions aboutwhat is planted in the Grove and on the land andkeeping people informed about the changes heobserves?

Pamela: So important are the native trees in ourSacred Grove that Richard Self, who is a Druidand a native tree expert who manages the plant-ings, now takes a formal role within our rituals as‘Grove Master’. He is responsible for makingdecisions about what we plant in the Grove andon the land and at each seasonal festival he re-minds us what is happening within the plantsand within ourselves at this time. This stronglyconnects us to the time of year and how impor-tant seasonal wisdom was to our ancestors.

DD: Some of the events you have organized atthe Woolshed are called Tree Nurturing Days. Canyou explain how this came about and what itentails?

Pamela: Tree Nurturing Days’ are when we havea ‘working bee’ to weed around the trees we haveplanted, clear any creepers or climbing plantsthat do not belong and clear the path to the Groveso that we can have a closer relationship with thetrees.

DD: There is a movement to restore the some ofthe old sacred groves around the world, such asthe sacred oak groves of Bardsey Island. Do youbelieve reconnecting with the ancient groves canprovide a new connection to the old ways and toour Druid ancestors?

Pamela: If the ancestors call us to restore some ofthe old sacred groves around the world then wewill do it.

In New Zealand, as Druids, I think we connectwith the ancestors in different ways. Here Tane,Maori God of the trees, is not just an ancient Godbut a living presence within every plant and treeand is as present now as he was in the beginning.An oak Grove in New Zealand does not connectme with my Scottish and Welsh ancestors but inour sacred Grove of te kouka I can speak withthem, as well as speaking with non-genealogicalMaori ‘ancestors’ and ‘ancestors’ of other cultureswho arrive from time to time! When I went to theUK and visited Calloden I connected with myScottish ancestors and wept at their needlessdeaths. When I visited an ancient oak Grove inthe UK, I experienced the spirits of the ancestorsand the land as if coming from some deep, far offplace, whilst the spirits and ancestors of the landin Aotearoa are almost immediately accessibleand close by.

DD: Could you explain how the indigenous cul-ture with their close connection to sky, land andsea becomes integrated within your style of Dru-idry?Te kouka

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Pamela: There appears to be very little differencebetween Maori and Druid connection to sky, landand sea, only the names of the Gods are different.When Maori attend our rituals they relate imme-diately to the way we connect to Nature.

DD: Relatedly, in your ceremonial work, you sayyou use the OBOD Bardic Grade rituals as a"spine" and then incorporate Maori and otherelements important to the land and your people.Can you elaborate on this?

Pamela: The Celebrant (the Kaitiaki, Host orGuardian) and two Druids check in with eachother each time to see if the ritual is still relevantand then it is sent around our OBODies andHonoraries for people to put their names forwardfor particular roles. They can also suggest chang-es they would like and our Maori speaker oftensuggests a Maori component or ritual relevant tothe season. The basic rituals as set out in theOBOD Bardic Grade stay the same, i.e. cast thecircle; consecrate; Peace to the Quarters; call inthe Directions; Druid prayer, etc. However, aswe are in the Southern Hemisphere we transposethe meaning of North and South (North=Light;South=Dark) and we also turn all the seasonalrituals around to better work with what is hap-pening in the land at the time, i.e. we celebrateWinter Solstice in June; Spring Equinox in Sep-tember; Summer Solstice in December; and Au-tumn Equinox in March and the Quarter Festivalsare also transposed. After we have called in theFour Directions and the Spirits of the Land, oneof our Maori speakers will then call in the MaoriSpirits of the Four Directions and of the land(Papatuanuku, Earth Mother; Ranginui, Sky Fa-ther) using the Maori chant form (karakia). ‘TheWorking’ stays much the same but during Ei-steddfod we will always have a Maori legendpertinent to the season and sometimes storiesfrom other lands as well.

DD: We understand you have a Druid Lughnas-dh camp planned for January 19-24th, 2012 withthe theme Dancing with the Four Winds, Haka Ki

Nga Hau e Wha. Can you elaborate on what willhappen during the retreat, who might benefitfrom attending and how they can get more infor-mation about attending?

Pamela: Druid Camp information is up on TheWoolshed website – www.thewoolshed.com - un-der ‘Grove’. I am putting it here for convenience:

Druid / Lughnasadh Camp 2012

Thursday 19th January to Tuesday 24th January2012 (Wellington Anniversary Weekend.)Arrivals start on Thursday afternoon but you willneed to look after your own evening meal forThursday night.

Theme and Workshops

The theme for Camp is: Dancing With The FourWinds, Haka Ki  Nga Hau e Wha, honouring theSpirits and Gifts of the Four Directions and allpeople.

Possible/probable formal and informalworkshops so far are: Ogham/Greenman inAotearoa; 4 Elements/Elemental Weaving usingritual and dance; personal healing using animalsand myth; learning waiata; storytelling; creating aCamp song; laughter yoga, tai chi, belly dancing;and a live video workshop with Philip Carr-Gomm. Over the period of Camp, there will alsobe time for ‘doing your own thing’ –bushwalking, etc.

$35/day (or part thereof) for adults; $18/day forchildren under 12; free for children under 5.  $175 peradult for the entire duration of Camp.  These very lowcosts include food, workshops, camping space, etc. butrequire that everyone volunteers for cooking, washingup, cleaning, workshops, wellness, etc.  So as soon asyou get your 2012 diary, mark in the dates.

If camping is not your thing and you’re not bringing acaravan, accommodation is available in the Woolshedas follows:

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$10 per person per night for a room$5 per person per night for ‘marae-style’ sleeping inthe downstairs sitting room (mattresses & pillowssupplied)

We are also thinking of hiring a large solid tent forsleeping and workshops and this will also be $5 perperson per night to cover hireage.

Information and the Booking Form is now upon line – www.thewoolshed.com

An indication of whether you will be attendingwould be appreciated before Summer Solsticeplease.

This is an ‘open’ Camp so anyone who connectswith Spirit in Nature can attend. We usuallyfind we have about 60% OBODs and 40% ‘Grov-ers’ (those who attend seasonal rituals at TheWoolshed). We had thought of calling ourselves‘GOSSips’ (Grove of the Summer Stars – infinitepossibility)! Lughnasadh is held on the Sundayduring Druid Camp even though it is a littleearly, i.e. the third week of January.

DD: When were the Lughnasdh camps firststarted and how have they changed and evolvedsince you first started them?

Pamela: This January, 2012, will be our seventhLughnasadh Camp. They are run roughly on thesame lines as Lughnasadh Camp in the UK buton a much smaller scale. The format stays muchthe same from year to year: Days 1-4 start witha Morning Meeting, then chores and a morningworkshop (with the exception of Day 1 when wehold our Opening Ceremony and open the Gatesto the Quarters for the duration of Camp); lunch;an afternoon workshop; evening meal; and theninformal workshops, entertainment and generalhilarity in the evening. On Sunday we hold ourLughnasadh ritual and on Sunday evening wehave a live video workshop with Philip Carr-Gomm. Day 5 has our Closing Ceremony, clos-ing the Gates and cleaning and clearing.

The format for Camp has stayed much the sameover the years but the workshop offerings al-ways change. We have a debriefing session aftereach Camp to gather any changes that need to bemade and we hold 3-4 Camp Meetings prior toCamp where OBODies can offer workshops andwe discuss them and the Camp theme.

DD: Has the proposed School of Druidcraft (Av-ronell) started yet? What are the plans for it?

Pamela: I have not heard anything about theproposed School of DruidCraft (Avronelle) forsome time and suspect it has not had enoughsupport to proceed. When Philip returned toNew Zealand he held four Avronelle workshopson four Full Moons between November 2003 andMarch 2004 but there have been no workshopssince.

DD: You celebrate your Winter Solstice at Stone-henge Aotearoa. Can you tell us a bit about thisamazing site, the ritual that you organize thereand your relationship with the Phoenix Astronom-ical Society the group that invited you to use thesite?

How wonderful that they invite you to makeritual. Can you feel the energy building there?How do you organize such a big event and whathas been the highlight of it for you thus far?

Pamela: Although similar in size and appear-ance to the Stonehenge on Salisbury plain, Stone-henge Aotearoa is not a replica. It is a completeand working structure designed for its preciselocation in New Zealand. Situated in the Waira-rapa countryside about 90 minutes drive fromThe Woolshed, Stonehenge Aotearoa is a win-

Druid Camp 2008

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dow into the past where we can rediscover theknowledge of our ancestors. It incorporates an-cient Egyptian, Babylonian & Indus Valley as-tronomy, Polynesian navigation, and Celtic andMaori starlore. The Phoenix Astronomical Socie-ty runs the site and Richard Hall, their ChiefAstronomer has an interest in Druidry and askedus if we would be prepared to hold our WinterSolstice ritual there. We have done so now for thepast 4 years.

Even though the stones are not ancient, manypeople have experience that, over time, the stoneshave received us and now resonate harmonious-ly with us during ritual. Phoenix organizes book-ings from the public (maximum 200) and GOSSorganizes ‘our lot’. With slight adaptations weuse the ancient Winter Solstice ritual written byNuinn and, every year, as the ancient story un-folds and we touch the experience of our ances-tors from a much colder climate than ours, theenergy builds so strongly that we become com-pletely unaware of what land we are in! Eachyear this is the highlight for us. The public isrequired to join the Circle (sometimes 3 deep)and participate as they will. We do not allowspectators although sometimes we do allow pho-tographers and TV cameras because we find thisis a good way to put to rest some people’s reallyweird ideas about Druidry!

With the help of Richard Hall, we have also puttogether a leaflet about Druidry using excerptsfrom Philip’s book “What Druids Believe” thatthe public can read to allay any fears they mayhave.

Richard Hall also runs monthly meetings at TheWoolshed on ancient astronomy, starlore andmythology under the banner of PendragonGroup.

DD: Your portfolio is rather extensive, can youplease share with us the impetus behind the ca-reer change from a successful major media Direc-tor and Producer to one seeking, teaching andsharing mystical enlightenment?

Pamela: There has not really been a career changeat all – my spirituality and my career(s) havealways existed side by side. I have been aware ofthe Nature Kingdom since I was a small child. Istill do film work and my many years in thestressful environment of television taught memuch about stress management and spurred meto find the land to open the Health Retreat. I amwhat is called in New Zealand a ‘Portfolio Per-son’ wearing many hats that all seem to sit quitecomfortably. I have to say I have had many yearsto acquire the necessary skills! I now only take onwork to which I can answer ‘Yes’ to the question,“Will it bring me joy?” and I still seem to be verybusy as many things bring me joy!

DD: In much of your earlier media work, youfocused on the challenges that different childrenface and their educational needs given a highlyvolatile and changing world. Can you tell usabout what motivated you and what impactedyou most during this phase in your life?

Pamela: I trained to be a Director/Producer withCBC while living in Toronto, Canada. There Iwas fortunate enough to be assigned to the Doc-umentary Department and was able to find a

Stonehenge Aotearoa

Photo: EvaK

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creative outlet for my rather finely tuned sense ofsocial injustice. On returning to New Zealand Iwas employed by TVNZ and a few years laterwas asked to head up their Documentary Depart-ment. I think my passion for social documentaryfound me rather than the other way around!

DD: You facilitate a business workshop calledThe Four Elements - The Elements of Business. Itdraws on your Career and Change Managementskills, and your knowledge of Eastern philosophyand uses the principles of air, earth, water andfire. Can you explain how this is important tochanging organizational environments? Arethese workshops ongoing?

Pamela: The Four Element of Business helps anorganization (small or large) to appreciate thecontribution each of its workers make to thewhole. It is based on the premise that we oftenmake other people wrong when they are not likeus but if we can work out what Element (person-ality) they are and therefore their primary way ofoperating, we can appreciate their contributionand find ways of relating to and communicatingwith them. An organization will often find that itis undervaluing a particular element or has anelemental ‘gap’ in their team. The Four Elementsare also related to the Four Seasons which iswonderfully Druidic and I use the imagery of thecycle of the seasons to help an organization ana-lyze and progress a project.The workshops are ongoing and the last one washeld last month, in November.

DD: Given all of your experience and your inter-actions with the public, how would you explainbeing a Druid or Druidry to someone who hasnever heard of this concept?

Pamela: I have always explained it very simplyas, “To love and honor Spirit in Nature; to loveand honor Spirit in oneself; to love and honorSpirit in others”. As mentioned above, RichardHall and I have also put together a small pam-phlet with excerpts from Philip’s book, ‘What DoDruids Believe?’

DD: What are your future plans, both personallyand professionally for the Woolshed and theGrove of the Summer Stars?

Pamela: As the Goddess wills!

DD: Of all the books you have read, can yourecommend five to our readers?

Pamela:What Do Druids Believe by Philip Carr-GommThe Book of English Magic by Philip Carr-GommCrossing to Avalon by Jean Shinoda BolenThe Western Way – A Practical Guide to theWestern Mystery Tradition (2 vols.) by Caitlinand John Matthews. (Sadly I think they are out ofprint but still available through Amazon UK)And my favourite book of all time – The Mists ofAvalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

DD: Do you have a website, blog etc for thosewho want to know more about you and thework of the Grove of the Summer Stars?

Pamela: A ‘Grove’ page can be found on TheWoolshed website - www.thewoolshed.com -and I can always be contacted by email –pamela@thewoolshed.com . I also send out TheWoolshed Programme by email at the beginningof every month for two months ahead. An emailrequest to me will get you on the mailing list.We do not have a blog. Grove of the SummerStars is an invitation only Facebook group.

DD: Do you have any closing comments thatyou would like to leave with our readers?

Pamela: In Aotearoa/New Zealand, even if welive in a city, the land and the Nature spirits areso accessible.

Photos: Pamela

Next upcomingInterview

Jenne Micale

New York, USA.

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We all have to earn a living – well I did back then,anyway. Hard to imagine but my Monday to Fri-day daytime alter was a suit-wearing salesrep. Well a fairly specialist rep with a good techni-cal knowledge of an obscure area ofmanufacturing. But it meant keeping up an outerappearance of being conventionally middle-class. My boss, the UK managing director, had aspacious modern house in one of the best parts ofthe Cheshire ‘stockbroker belt’. Those who knowthis enclave of affluence will know that it is closeto Alderley Edge. For whatever reasons – I proba-bly never knew them, and have certainly long-since forgotten them – the office Christmas partywas scheduled to take place at a hotel between thetown of Alderley and Alderley Edge itself.

This appealed to me.  I lived nearly a hundredmiles from there and had few occasions to explorethat area. I was well aware that Alderley Edge wasone of the key locations in the early phases ofmodern paganism during the 1950s and 60s, andthe location was chosen not just for its dramaticand attractive scenery but because of long-stand-ing legends linking it with King Arthur and thesleeping knights – the slumbering warriors whowould awaken only if the British Isles were at riskof invasion.

Predictably enough the arrangements included ahotel room to sleep off the food and drink con-sumed at the party. I have little recollection of theparty; pleasant food and chit-chat no doubt butone office Christmas party is pretty much likeanother (well, excluding the time I was seduced by

one of the secretaries, but that was when I wasmuch younger). My memory is of waking up thenext morning – at a reasonable time as the drink-ing had not continued too late – then takingbreakfast. I was pleased because the weather wasmild and bright, although rather overcast, so Icould keep to my original plan of exploring theEdge before I started the drive home.

I know from my ideas book that in the first part ofNovember I had been thinking through some ofmy understanding of chaos magick – especiallythe writings of Peter Carroll – and also exploringways of fictionalising the sense of ‘otherness’ andnot belonging to the ways of thinking of myfriends – a sense of ‘outsideness’ that had charac-terised my childhood and teens.  Quite what I hadbeen thinking in the weeks immediately prior tothe office party is not recorded – certainly nothingthat I considered worthy of adding to my book ofshadows and, so far as I recall, nothing of anyconsequence, as I do remember thinking at thetime that the ideas I am about to describe hadcome ‘out of nowhere’.

The date, for those who are interested in suchpedantry, was 22nd December 2000, the day afterthe Midwinter solstice. The entry in my book ofshadows is headed ‘meditation on AlderleyEdge’. However please do not think that I stoppedto sit cross-legged or any such – since my encoun-ter with Alan Watts’ writings about twenty yearspreviously I was well aware of what he called‘walking Zen’ – the experience of getting deeperinto one’s flow of thinking while maintaining a

The Five Directions

A true storySimon Danser

Photo Rob Lavinsky

Volume 4, Issue 3

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steady pace of walking and breathing. Watts sim-ply made me aware that this was something I hadentered into many times previously – indeed forthe best part of a whole week in 1977 while I waswalking through tranquil parts of Herefordshireand Radnorshire.  ‘Walking Zen’ was not some-thing I consciously attempted – it was simplysomething that happened seemingly byitself. Perhaps it would be better to call it ‘walkingTao’, in the sense that the Tao – usually translatedas ‘the Way’ but perhaps better though of as ‘theProcess’ – is defined as the way that one can nei-ther find nor leave.

I walked down the slope of the Edge, stopping totake photographs, and found some shallowcaves.  Although intrigued about whether thesehad been used by the pioneering wiccans – and,almost certainly, by contemporary pagans – I hadlittle sense of the landscape being spirituallycharged.  Instead it was simply visuallyintriguing. I decided not to explore the woodlandof the slopes but to return to the top, wronglyexpecting better photo opportunities. Crossing theroad I followed a footpath onto a fairly level openarea, with a few trees and ponds. Walking acrossthat area a series of ideas came into mymind. Please do not think that this was accompa-nied by some ‘brilliant flash’ or the sense that I waschannelling the spirit of place, or the thoughts ofArthur’s sleeping knights. Perhaps I was – but if soI wasn’t aware!

So far as I recall my thoughts were mulling over aconundrum I had consistently felt when calling thequarters for the Druid grove – the conventionalassociations of east with air, south with fire, westwith water and north with earth mostly seemedwrong to me.

The main problem for me is that since childhood –and reinforced by awareness of Egyptian mythsduring my student years – my way of thinkingmakes the west as the place of the dead.  This issufficiently compatible with the accepted associa-tions with water in that the Egyptian necropoliswas on the west bank of the Nile and any number

of Greek and Roman myths recognise that thedead need to pay the ferryman to cross the RiverStyx to the Otherworld, the afterlife. But otherwisethe conventional pagan concepts just threw me, asthe attributes of west and north seemed muddled.

The west was, quite literally, the Wasteland (‘westland’) of T.S. Eliot’s 1930s poem despairing ofWestern civilisation’s ‘progress’.  The west wassimultaneously ‘time past’, the realm of the ances-tors, the entrance to which required a guide – apsychopomp (be it a ferryman or, as in north Euro-pean myth, a dog – quite literally a ‘hell hound’who guided the soul to the realms of the goddessHel).  The west symbolised for me all that hadpassed – whether physically dead, or simply ideasor beliefs that had outlived their useful time. It iswhere the sun sets after the toils of the day.  Ienvisioned the west as a place of burial in theearth, or the scattering of ashes on the earth.  Westis where ideas and memories fall into the earth,never to be recalled.  The west was earthy, notwatery. And, for reasons I will mention later, Westis symbolically always to our right.

By a simple act of dualism – the ‘ying and yang’ ofit all, so to speak – then east must be associatedwith all that is imminent and dawning. In a broad-er sense it is ‘time future’.  Indeed the east maycontain much that will never reach fulfilment – itis full of ‘eastern promise’ and potential. East is the

Avebury ‘dawn watchers’

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place of birth, of an opening doorway – onethrough which a bird sits watching the dawnbreak endlessly from the beginning to the end oftime.  Whatever is happening in the east seems‘mystical’, somehow not fully materialised.  Weknow what is happening in the east through divi-nation, not from direct perception. East is, symbol-ically, always on our left.

So the south becomes that place associated with allthat which is fully materialised, everything whichis at its peak. The Sun rises in the east, rises to fullstrength in the south, and sets in the west each day– what could be a more physical manifestation ofthis symbolism of ideas arising, reaching a climaxand then passing into obscurity? Symbolically, weface the south. The south is the realm of our con-scious senses and the ‘embodied mind’ of ourphysical bodies, which are the metamorphosis ofthe Sun’s energy – via the photosynthesis of plantsand the metabolisms of animals. Our emotions arepowered by this same recycling of solarenergy.  Although principally the south signifiesthe most manifest of all these realms of existence,nevertheless it is also the realm of transformativealchemical fires and their associated salamanders.

His Dark Materials

This was quite exciting and, except for the mis-match between modern pagans placing death andearth in the north rather than the west, not a majorchange in emphasis. But what was the counterpartto the manifest energy of the south? What lay atmy back, in the north? The darkness that makesthe dim light of the stars visible, the darkness ofthe new moon. And if south was fiery, east airy,and west – in my thinking at least – watery, thennorth must be the realm of fields of gravity and theever-fluctuating geomagnetism.

Alderley Edge initiated me into an idea I hadnever previously considered, and took me througha threshold that previously had been barred. If thesouth was all that is manifest, then the north is allthat is non-material. It is the realm of our precon-scious thoughts – the ninety-nine percent of our

neural responses ‘filtered out’ before reaching con-scious awareness. It is the realm of those ‘irration-al’ impulses which Western cultures ever since theclassical Greeks have failed to understand andhave chosen instead to totally ignore – with dra-matic consequences over the centuries for Westerncultures with their futile emphasis on the suppos-edly ‘rational’.

The non-material realm is what astrophysiciststhink makes up ninety-six percent of the universe:‘dark matter’ – the mass that is needed to stop ouruniverse expanding faster than it is, yet undetecta-ble by their instruments – and ‘dark energy’,which is both undetectable and unimaginable. Atthe level of sub-atomic physics, it is the realm ofthe ‘imaginary’ part of the complex-number func-tions needed to describe quantum wave functions,and the realm of the multi-dimensional strings andmembranes of Superstring theory and M-theory. Readers of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Mate-rials trilogy will be familiar with his fictionalisedallusions to these scientific theories, as Pullman’snotion of ‘Dark Materials’ is central to the plot ofhis narratives.

For those not previously aware ‘His dark materialsto create many worlds’ is the title of a poem inMilton’s Paradise Lost. The pronoun ‘his’ refers toSatan who is passing through the gates of Hell andheading for the new world created for humanity,and surveying the intervening chaos.  Milton’swork was published in 1667 and the cultural con-text is the collapse of the Commonwealth – whichMilton had advocated – and the Restoration of themonarchy, which he continued tooppose. Whatever Milton’s presumed sentiments,his manifestation of Satan seemingly inspired theenergetic life force of William Blake’s universe andmost certainly inspired Pullman’s LordAzriel. (Pope 2005: 231–2; 234)

As Alan Watts once explained, there are manySatans. While the Satan of Judaism and Islam is anangel administering the wrath of God, the Asurasof Hinduism and Buddhism are simply dark as-pects of the divine, which is itself beyond good

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and evil.  Christianity takes evil more seriouslythan any other religion, and only in CatholicChristianity is there a real Power of Darkness.(Watts 1954: 44)

Satan has oft been confused with Lucifer, andboth with the Devil.  Lucifer has a dark beautyand deceptive glory, whereas medieval mysteryplaysdemoted the Devil to a buffoon who provokedmore mirth than fear.  However the medievalinquisitions restored evil as a force of terror, aterror to be combated by a ‘war on terror’, wagedagainst all those deemed heretics.  However, ifGod permits all things, then God permits theDevil and demons…

Outside of Christianity the dark forces may bechaotic and irrational, but they are not evil. AsMags Anderson observed: ‘The Dark is a powerto be reckoned with but it is a necessary part ofone’s journey if one is to grow as a spiritualbeing. It is not evil or destructive, though our fearsmight lead us to perceive it as such.  The DarkGoddess makes us view the norm from a differ-ent perspective and tests our innerstrengths.’ (Anderson 2006: 3–4) For many mod-ern pagans the Dark is personified by the god-desses Hekate and Nyx (Nox).  However bothClassical and modern thinking about these darkgoddesses has always been fluid. ‘No definitiveform of Hekate exists… she remains the UltimateDark Goddess… ‘ (Oates 2003: 7–12).

However dark goddesses and different manifes-tations of Satan are means to make corporealonly one aspect of what I consider to be thenon-material realm.  They are important meansto enable ‘working with’ non-material butshould not be mistaken for whatever the non-material energies ‘really are’.

Good versus evil

The non-material realm is self-evidently a darkdomain.  Much has been written about the light

versus dark dualism, often closely equated togood versus evil. In order to unpack our notionsof the dark, we need to unpack the blurring withevil.

Strong, bipolar good versus evil distinctions, andthe notion of a cosmic struggle between the two,seem to have originated in ancient Persia. Thegood versus evil combat was personified in an-cient Egyptian mythology by Ra or Horus strik-ing down the great Serpent Apepi or Set, head ofthe powers of darkness, and transmitted to Cop-tic art where Christ is depicted thrusting a spearinto the jaws of a crocodile. On Thracian reliefscavaliers are shown spearing snakes.  ‘The effi-gies of Anglo-Norman prelates were shownthrusting the pastoral staff into a dragon’s jaws;and this device assumed for later cabbalists analchemical significance.’ (Burgess 1963: 243)

[

However modern notions of evil are onlyformed with the Inquisition.  And having beenformed they have certainly taken on an activelife.  Ignoring endless fire-and-brimstone piousdogmatism, evil recurs as a theme in secularWestern literature, reaching its apotheosis inLord of the Rings, widely regarded as a secular-ised Christian parable of Good over Evil. Thewhole army of Hollywood super-heroes can alsobe seen as exemplars of the same mythopoeticstance (see Lawrence and Jewett 2002 for anexcellent analysis). Indeed myths are the breed-ing ground for all social polarities: rich : poor,servan : king, hero : monster, chaos : order, male: female, older : younger, light : darkness,

Stony Stanton typmanum

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Destructive : constructive, socially approved :socially disapproved, gods : humans …'  (Doty2000: 331) And some of the most active good :evil myth making in recent years can be found inAmerican politics (see Flowers 2000). Overall weseem to live in a world which equates light:darkwith good:evil (and with up:down). But, deep-seated as these correlations may be, Westernthinking has constructed and maintainedthem. Arguably such dualisms are inevitable, asthe human brain inherently constructs such dis-tinctions.   But whether we see such distinctionsas eternally opposed or, instead, as a dialecticalprocess of mutual derivation depends whetherour worldview is essentially that of ClassicalGreece (as re-invented by the Renaissance andEnlightenment) or the yin-yang ‘flow’ of classi-cal Chinese thought. More recent Western think-ing now errs in the direction of Chinesesensibilities in suggesting we deconstruct allsuch dualisms.

Suffice to say that my new-found notion of northas the realm of darkness did not extend to mak-ing it the domain of anything ‘evil’.

Characterising north

Since that initial insight into a new way of think-ing about north I have contemplated just whatnorth ‘goes with’.  It is certainly not simply ab-sence or darkness. Firstly, because visual sensesdominate our senses, we are apt to forget thatnon-being is also silent – although silence isalmost impossible to achieve in the modernworld where the sounds of the winter wind orsummer skylarks – and ever-present aircraft –intrude on even the most remote locations. Butisn’t this the point? Silence is not the absence ofanything making sounds, just the absence of anysound reaching our ears – or, more specifically,our conscious awareness.  Likewise the darkestdarkness is simply the absence of light – butdoes not mean that there is nothing to be seenshould a source of light intrude; the darkness ofa new moon is not because the moon has ‘gone

away’ but rather because it is not in a position toreflect sunlight.

W.H. Auden wrote about ‘those four importantbeings which can only be defined in terms ofnonbeing : Darkness, Silence, Nothing,Death’. But just as there is much more to these‘nonbeings’ than mere absence, so too north isnot about ‘absence’ but rather the presence of whatwe cannot directly perceive, such as the new moon,‘dark matter’, geomagnetism, our preconsciousthoughts and all that is seemingly irrational.

By extension north is the domain of sleep anddreams.  Perhaps the sleeping knights of theEdge were infiltrating my walking Zen with awaking dream? Whether or not we think of thisas a metaphor or a literal explanation, north iscertainly the realm of metaphors and allegories,as if all its essential aspects are so immaterialthat they cannot be spoken of directly, but mustalways be alluded to by more palpable compari-sons.

The more I think about the ‘character’ of north,the more I seem to be describing the more imag-inative, allusive, creative, ‘unfiltered’ aspects ofmy thinking and being. Far from being the realmof ‘absence’ it became the realm of much of mythinking.  By contrast the correlations of themodern pagan quarters did not provide a ‘home’for these ways of thinking – meaning quite a bigchunk of my mental processes were missing. Mynew-found notion of north fulfilled a real needand opened up significant new modes of ritualthinking and working – not least giving a ‘home’(or perhaps better, a ‘source’) for the allusionsand metaphors that are essential for ritual think-ing and working.  However rather than getbogged down in such ever-diminishing spirals, Isuggest you spend some time thinking throughthis sense of north – and bid any promising ideas– no matter how ‘irrational’ – to move on to theimmanent and dawning sense of east and then tomanifest in the south.

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The fifth direction – here and now

However so far I have missed out a key part ofthe way I visualise directions. My knowledge ofChinese culture long ago inculcated me with theconcept of five directions – the four cardinalpoints plus ‘centre’. There are closer culturalparallels for the five directions than China – intraditional Irish literature there are ‘five quar-ters (see Aitchison 1994, summarised online byTrubshaw 1996). ‘Centre’ is not simply spatially‘here’, it is also temporally ‘now’. Or more pro-foundly, ‘here and now’ is a mercurial and chi-merical illusion, in that ‘here and now’ is just aspecific situation removed from a broader, gen-eralised view of space and time. Think instead of‘here and now’, the centre, as the cosmic axis,axis mundi or World Tree which binds togethertime and space, both in the manifest world andthe spiritual planes. Not for nothing does a sha-man ascend or descend the World Tree to accessthe Otherworlds.  Such journeys always takeplace at ‘the centre’, wherever that is construedto be.

From an alchemical rather than shamanic per-spective, the centre is the alembic where the fourelements react and transformation takesplace. ‘Here and now’ is the locus of ever-chang-ing mercury, of the processes of change – theTao if you like – that animate the sentient as-pects of the universe.

‘Centre’ is where we are when ‘centred’ in aritual. This is axiomatic as ritual places regulatetime and space – whether the ritual place is apermanent as a cathedral or as transient as amagic circle drawn in the air.  And if we arealways here and now, we are always ‘centred’ –though our minds are most commonlyelsewhere.  Once we endeavour to remain cen-tred in the ‘here and now’ then the words of theBuddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa, ‘Enlight-enment is being awake in the nowness’, begin toseem simplistic. We become as one with thecosmic axis, the transforming alembic…

Left and right, back and front

One last thought. Just as Ireland has ‘five quar-ters’, so too an Irishman can refer to his ‘westtrouser pocket’ – what an Englishman wouldcall his ‘left-hand pocket’.  The Irish sense ofphysical identity is always ‘here’, always ‘cen-tred’ and implicitly faces south. Accepting thatmany modern people – including pagans – havea poor sense of the actual cardinal directionsthen superimposing an I’m-always-facing-southmental map onto the real world – where we areprobably not facing south at all – may be a tadconfusing.  But sometimes we need to confuseourselves, to open the doorways to the irrational– and all the other denizens of the north, and allthat is seemingly situated behind our backs.

Simon Danserhttp://www.hoap.co.uk/danser.htmDeep Myths of Reality

The Five Directions has recently been pub-lished in Silverwheel vol. 3

Photos: Simon Danser

Sources:

Mags Anderson, ‘Editorial’, The HedgeWytch,Samhain 2006, p3–4.

N.B. Aitchison, 1994, Armagh and the Royal Cen-tres in Early Medieval Ireland, Cruithne.

Frederick Burgess, 1963, English Churchyard Me-morials, Lutterworth Press.

Eric R. Dodds, 1959, The Greeks and the Irration-al, University of California Press.

Doty, William, 2000, Mythography: The study ofmyths and rituals (2nd edn), University of Ala-bama Press.

T.S. Eliot, 1922, The Wasteland, Faber.

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Patrick Harpur, 1994, Daimonic Reality: A fieldguide to the Otherworld, Viking; reprinted PineWinds Press, 2003.Betty S. Flowers, 2000. "Practicing Politics in theEconomic Myth." The San Francisco Jung InstituteLibrary Journal 18/4: 59-66; reprinted in T. Singer,2000, The Vision Thing: Myth, politics ands psyche inthe world, Routledge.

Gary Lachman, 2003, A Secret History of Conscious-ness, Lindsifarne Books.

John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett, 2002,The Myth of the American Superhero, William B. Ee-rdmans Publishing Co.

Shani [Oates], 'Hekate: Dark mistress of the soul',The Cauldron, 110 (Nov 2003), p7–12.

Rob Pope, 2005, Creativity: Theory, history, practice,Routledge.

Philip Pullman, 1995; 1997; 2000, His Dark Materi-als trilogy, Scholastic.

Jaan Suurkula, 2001, email on ‘Superstring theorybased Mind and matter research ‘ from to Journalof Consciousness Studies discussion list 19 June. Bob Trubshaw, 1996, ‘The Fifth Direction: Sacredcentres in Ireland’, At the Edge No.2; onlinewww.indigogroup/edge/5dirns.htm

Alan Watts, 1954, Myth and Ritual in Christianity,Thames and Hudson.

Alan Watts, 1976, Tao: The watercourse way,Jonathan Cape.

Fred Alan Wolf, 1994, The Dreaming Universe, Si-mon and Schuster.

Imbolc in Toronto Imbolc through story, movement and ritual.

Date: Wednesday, February 1, 6:30pm-9:30pm.

Community Gallery,Artscape Wychwood Barns,76 Wychwood Avenue,Toronto.

Pre-register by January 20, $10. After January 20, $15.

Contact Seba: radiantflame2001@yahoo.ca

Volume 4, Issue 3

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On Friday, November 11, 2011, the provisionalwinners of the New Seven Wonders of Naturecampaign were announced after a four-year proc-ess that spanned more than 220 countries andincluded more than four hundred sites nominatedfor their ecological significance, historical legacy,diversity and natural beauty.

New7Wonders, the Swiss foundation that coordi-nated the global campaign, works to raise aware-ness, encourage social and environmentalsustainability, and promote global participation inthe conservation of cultural legacies and ecologicalmarvels all over the world. Among the seven win-ners are places of astounding beauty and environ-mental importance, including the AmazonRainforest in South America, Komodo NationalPark in Indonesia, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam andTable Mountain in South Africa. All seven win-ning sites, as well as many others that made theshort-list earlier in the voting process, hope to seean increase in tourism and support for conserva-tion efforts thanks to their involvement in the cam-paign.

But for many of us, traveling the world to witnessthe wonders of nature is just not in the cards. Ourlives are busy and our bank accounts are tight.

Luckily, the wonders of the natural world aren'tjust found in exotic locations and untouched wil-dernesses. They're all around us, unfolding quietlyin abandoned city lots and busy school play-grounds, even in our own backyards. If we take amoment to look carefully, we'll discover that thereare wonders of nature everywhere. Here are seventhat leave me awe-struck every time. What fillsyou with wonder?

1. Balance

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - Karst limestone thrusts out ofthe ocean near the coastline of Vietnam, creating morethan 3,000 jungle-topped islands, many of which loomin towers between 50 and 100 meters tall. The site'sunique blend of tropical forest and marine coastal eco-systems provides a home for a wide variety of plants andanimals, while its geological history has produced im-pressive limestone formations such as the carefullybalanced Kissing Rocks.

A squirrel perches on a telephone wire across thestreet, swinging precariously in the stiff breezethat moves the window shutters to groan againstthe side of the house. My cat's tail twitches excited-ly from side to side where he sits otherwise mo-tionless on the narrow windowsill, wide eyeswatching. I sit still as well, taking in the whole

The Wild EarthStories of our World

Seven Wonders of the Natural World

In Your Own Backyard

Alison Leigh Lilly

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scene for a moment, marveling at the poise andgrace of each animal. A sudden loud creak fromthe wind makes me jump and brings me back tomyself, laughing when I realize that just like thecat and the squirrel, I had also been caught up inthe precarious balance of the moment.

The balance of nature is not simply the carefulweighing of good versus bad or right versuswrong that can be pinned down and perfected.Balance is a dynamic process of give and takethat is always on-going, responsive to the mo-ment. Species vie for food, shelter and mates ina dance of life, death, decay and new growth.For instance, in the forested mountains of Penn-sylvania, too few natural predators means thatthe deer population will swell, food will growscarcer as the cold months approach, and starva-tion and disease will rise until the number ofdeer shrink again and balance is restored.Whether this is good or bad depends on yourperspective: are you a buck, a wolf, a humanhunter? Are you a driver navigating dark roadsat night worried about what animals might sud-denly leap into your path? Or a tree in the woods

whose bark might be stripped too far back byhungry deer? Each of us plays our own role inthe balance of the natural world. Like the squir-rel on the telephone wire, an ecosystem's naturalbalance is maintained by myriad tiny adjust-ments and instinctive responses to the shiftingcurrents of change.

2. Diversity

The Amazon Rainforest, South America - Spanningnearly six million kilometers (and nine nations) in theAmazon Basin, this tropical jungle is the largest andmost species-rich rainforest in the world. One in tenof all known living species of plants and animalsmakes its home in the Amazon.

Squirrels aren't the only visitors I can see frommy window. Even though I live in a bustlingurban center, my small backyard provides shel-ter to a startling variety of plants and animals.My tiny four-by-four foot vegetable and herbgarden attracts rabbits, jays, crows and chip-munks, while the long stalks of wildflowers andweeds growing up along the fence are a popularperch for cardinals, sparrows, butterflies, bees,wasps and a variety of beetles, not to mentionproviding an excellent hiding place for mice andvoles. The neighbor's mulberry tree drapes

Ha Long Bay - Vietnam- Photo: Sang-hwanJung

Amazonian rainforest, upper Amazon basin,Loreto region, Peru. Photo: Shao

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across into my driveway, where its fruit feedsrobins, chickadees, finches and, if too many ber-ries have been squished underfoot, swarms offlies. And of course, there are the neighbourhoodcats always on the prowl, and the occasionalraccoon sneaking around the trash cans in thealleyways at night.

Even among manicured lawns and carefullylandscaped shrubbery, the wonder of wildlydiverse nature is everywhere. Animals andplants of all kinds have adapted and learned tolive alongside human beings in the suburbs andcities as well as in the wilderness of forests andthe vast stretches of farmland. Much of this di-versity is hidden from us: the microorganismsthat live in our air and water; the bacteria, in-sects and other tiny creatures that revel in therotting organic matter of the garden compostheap; the stubborn dandelions that we overlookas "just weeds" pushing their way up throughthe cracks in the sidewalk. Sometimes all ittakes to see the true diversity of nature is tostep outside, breathe deeply and allow youreyes to take in all of the bustling life aroundyou.

3. Depth

Jeju Island, South Korea - The islands of Jejudo arecovered in forest wilderness that remained untouchedand unexplored by human beings until the 21st cen-tury. Dominated by a dormant volcano 6,400 feethigh surrounded by more than three hundred smallersatellite volcanoes, these islands were formed of mol-ten lava and basalt that forced its way to the surfacefrom deep within the earth approximately two millionyears ago.

I'm lucky to live in an old urban neighborhoodjust half a block away from the biggest park inthe city, where miles of woods and wetlandshave been set aside for protection and preserva-tion. Every week, I make sure to get out at leastonce for a long walk along the myriad windinghiking trails that criss-cross these forested hills.After a day sitting at a square, flat desk in front

of a square, flat computer screen, the complexcontours and textures of the woods is a sight forsore eyes. You can see it especially in the lateautumn, when many of the trees have lost theirleaves. The bare limbs weave an intricate web oflight and shadow arching over the path whiletrunks stand like thin, limber dancers poised ingraceful crowds on every side.

Many of us spend almost all of our time insidesquare-shaped buildings full of right angles andstraight lines, staring at the flat surfaces of com-puters, televisions, office memos, books and soon. Even when we take a moment to glancelongingly out the window for a glimpse of sun-light, the experience comes to us through theright-angled, flat surface of the windowpane.But when we have the chance to step out of ourcarefully constructed worlds, one of the mostprecious gifts nature can give us is the profoundexperience of depth. Along with height andwidth, depth is that third dimension that givesus room to breathe, move and explore. Depthinvites us into exploration and investigation. Itbeckons us to reach out to touch the texture ofrough bark or wrinkled leaves or soft snow. Itchallenges us to lean sideways to peer aroundbolders, to change our perspective, to step off ofthe linear path to discover what might be hiddenaround the next bend. Even our human-madeenvironments seem blessed with a new sense ofdepth and texture when we return from our timeoutdoors.

Near the Jeongbang Waterfall, Jeju Island

Photo: Justin De La Ornellas

4

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4. Emptiness

Iguazu Falls, Brazil and Argentina - One of the largestwaterfalls in the world, the 275 falls that collectivelymake up Iguazu Falls extend in a semi-circle for nearlytwo miles surrounded by a subtropical rainforest that ishome to many rare and endangered species. The water-fall known as "Devil's Throat" is the tallest of thesefalls, plunging more than two hundred and sixty feetinto a vast, yawning canyon carved out by the IguazuRiver.

On clear nights, I sometimes climb up onto theroof of my apartment building and spend an houror two star-gazing. The city lights usually drownout all but the brightest of stars, though there's noshortage of airplanes and cell phone satellites trac-ing out their slow-moving paths. Still, I sit for awhile watching the night sky darken and the twin-kling pinpricks of light emerge one by one out ofthe quiet emptiness of the universe beyond ouratmosphere. I think back on the summer I wentstar-gazing on Mount Cadillac, the tallest moun-tain on the Eastern seaboard, and the night was sofull of stars that for a moment I felt a rush ofvertigo as the rocks themselves seemed to tip meinto the vast space that stretched between me andthose far distant suns.

Sometimes what nature can give us is nothing.There is a particular wonder within emptinessand space, a sacred absence that can give us amoment to pause for reflection. After a busy,noisy day full of other people and their demands,it can be real blessing to discover the silence andsolitude of gazing into the wide open reaches ofthe sky to watch the clouds drift by or the starscome out. We find that even in a world so teem-ing with life, in many ways we are each alonewith our own thoughts, unique individuals in avast universe. The emptiness of the sky reflectsthe emptiness within us. Our very atoms aremade up mostly of the space between electronswhirring madly about a tiny nucleus. Yet some-how, we exist even within this great emptiness,just as the emptiness exists within us, and thatreally is a wonder.

5. Death

Table Mountain, South Africa - Approximately twomiles wide, this flat-topped mountain plateau supportsan unusually rich diversity of flora, including the high-est concentration of threatened plant species of any-where in the world. The mountain's natural cycle ofseasonal wildfires helps to burn and rejuvenate the rarefynbos vegetation that grows on its exposed slopes.

Now that the first frosts have long since claimedthe early mornings, turning dew into crystallinejewels on the bent blades of grass in the backyard,I find myself missing the summer mornings Ispent outside working in my herb garden anddoing my best to weed the bed of scattered wild-flowers along the old wooden fence. Now, thestems of these carefully loved and cultivatedplants are brown and dark with rot, their oldleaves hanging limply like abandoned husks. Ishould trim them back, adding their remains to thedecaying heap of grass clippings, fallen leaves, eggshells and orange rinds in the compost bin beforeit freezes over for the winter. But I can't bringmyself to do it just yet. Though the seasons movethrough this cycle every year, there is always agrief that comes with the final, undeniable tri-umph of the winter months.

Iguazu Falls Photo: Juan

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Yet nature teaches us that death is not an ending,but a necessary and beautiful part of life. Thoughit might be a bit gross-looking and full of fruit flies,in that very same compost heap worms, maggotsand countless microorganisms are thriving, gorg-ing themselves happily on the rotten organic mat-ter that my human household considers to bewaste. Through their work, what was once putridrefuse becomes the rich, dark soil that will nourishnext year's flowers, vegetables and herbs. Throughthe sacred and surprising relationships of the foodchain and the processes of decomposition, nothingin the natural world is ever wasted. Even as wegrieve the loss of life and the coming of the cold,dark time of the year, we can see in nature thatwithout the process of disintegration and dissolu-tion that death brings, the new life of spring wouldnot be possible.

6. Persistence

Komodo National Park, Indonesia - This national parkconsists of three small islands that are the native homeof the largest lizard in the world, the Komodo Dragon.It is now believed that the Komodo Dragon is a livingrelic of the ancient "megafauna" that mostly died outafter the Pleistocene age. The park now serves as aprotected nature preserve for many endangered speciesof plants and animals.

Every year as the nights grow colder and longerand the days become ever shorter and darkerwhile the sun slinks lower along its path, I findmyself wondering how the jays and squirrels in

this urban neighborhood manage to survivethrough winter. The crows, on the other hand, areeasy to spot, their black bodies showing up asangular silhouettes against snow-covered rooftopsor low gray clouds as they cruise above the cityskyline looking for restaurant dumpsters to pickover for scraps. Every once in a while out in thewoods, I'll catch a glimpse of a chipmunk rustlingamong old dead leaves, venturing out from thewarmth and safety of its winter home in search offood. I wonder if these creatures long for warmweather again as much as I do, looking forward tothat solstice sunrise and its promise of growinglight and new buds on the trees again. I can't helpbut marvel at the tenacity and ingenuity of life inall its many forms.

The natural process of evolution has ensured, overthe course of billions of years, that the plants andanimals best adapted to survival manage to passon their genetic traits to future generations. Buteven evolution itself is a pretty amazing thingwhen you really stop to think about it. Just consid-er how life continues to survive and even thrive inspite of all of the challenges and obstacles, spread-ing in many diverse forms to even the harshest,most unforgiving ecosystems on the planet. Suchpersistence takes tremendous creativity and pas-sion, and it gives rise to everything from the mostcomplicated social structures of a beehive to thesimplest beauty of a flower blossom. This persist-ence is not just about competition, either. Everyday plants and animals in the natural world worktogether in symbiotic relationships that ensuretheir mutual survival as part of a shared ecosys-tem. Because of their interconnection and interde-pendence, life goes on.

Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa.

Photo: Dewet

Komodo dragon at Komodo National Park,

Indonesia. Photo: Adhi Rachdian

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7. Mystery

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, Philippines - This8.2-kilometer-long underground river winds throughenormous caverns of stalagmites and stalactites carvedout of limestone rock formations beneath a mountainouslandscape before emptying directly into the South Chi-na Sea. It is reputed to be the longest subterranean riverin the world, with much of its caverns and tributariesstill unexplored.

My cat is at the window again, looking out on theworld beyond the smudged pane of glass withsharp, intelligent eyes. Watching the intensity ofhis gaze, I can't help but wonder what he must bethinking. Perhaps he isn't thinking at all, but isinstead lost in some profound meditation that anyZen master would envy. Still, there is a certainsense of mystery in his dark, still features.

What makes us self-aware, intelligent animals? Acat's brain is only about .9% of its total body mass,though its shape and structure is in some waysvery similar to a human brain. It seems unlikelythat such a tiny organ could be capable of some-thing as significant as self-awareness, let aloneintelligence. And yet, there are times when I'msure that I can see in my beloved pet's eyes a depthof understanding and awareness that surpasseseven some of my fellow human beings'. It's asthough the eyes were a window into some deepersoul or consciousness, of which the brain acts onlylike an anchor or a tether. I'm not alone in thisexperience, either. Many ecologists and research-ers have shared similar stories about encounteringanimals in the wild, looking into eyes that held astartling intelligence and connection. Neuroscien-tists are still unable to explain the mystery of con-sciousness or pinpoint exactly why the electricalfirings of neurons in the brain can give rise toeverything from memory and dreams to art andimagination, from love to logic, and even scientificanalysis itself. Despite everything we've been ableto learn about the natural world and its physicalproperties, some things still remain a mystery.

The world is far grander and more complex thanwe know, and holds within it the great adventureof mystery calling us into engaged relationshipwith the wonders of the universe.

Alison Leigh Lilly

A group of tourists prepare to enter the Under-ground River. Photo: Matikas 0805

I have recently listed my 176 acre property with www.sellwithoutagents.com.au/yamba11/ and would like to sharethis with people of like-mind. Forest and wildlife are protected by council bi-laws, built from local timber, ispowered by gas and generator but not connected to the grid. Adequate water. Working circle/grove. The land isready for its next guardian.

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hBardic WhispersExpressions from the Soul

InspirationOh the peace & joy of having a home,

This place to rest & be clean & warm,

How great a dream now within me grows,

To excel in life’s dreams of living to the full.

To soiree & tango in the french summer breeze,

To swan into the theatre & be so brought to tears,

To drink sherry in crystal, in the old library,

To meet journeyers, fine & wise company.

So extreme can life be, from the road, to the jazz,

From meeting hobos on heroin, to leaders of men,

Observing all the journeys the choices have made,

So what say you as your blarney of the way?

Caroline Mulcahy

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Dance of Life

There’s nothing that can describe the feeling,

Of the flight of the heightiest rhythms,

Pounding the soul into speedy convulsions,

Swirling channels of energy to the sacred dance floor.

The prayer of the people, one throbbing voice,

To thrust the way for us to live at peace,

Such a harmoniously, wonderful choice,

To dance through the night, for the love of life’s bliss.

The surges of power fill the being with focus,

The dance travels into the all healing space,

The way to be open to let the flow fire you,

With such beautiful, elegant, prosperous grace.

Caroline Mulcahy

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Climbing

So we choose & we climb& the mountains we find.The molehills jumper overWe walk in fields of clover.

& now at lambing time,As the snowdrops peak up byThe oak & hazel,The old groves.The fresh in the air,

The moist earth repairs,Set for a great roundOf the sun’s raringTo go for a walk,Up in the misty peaks.Reach for the oldest trees,Hugging the earth.

To drop to the knees,So grateful for home ground,The spring birds tweetThe land brings new birth,found.

Up in the misty peaksStay I could till sunset,Run I down steep sideTo the home fire blaze.

Caroline Mulcahy

Photo: Louise Docker

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There is no more interesting field for antiquarianresearch than that pertaining to the origin of pop-ular customs, many of which survive with hardlya hint of their ancient significance. For example,few would suspect that the custom of hanging upa spray of mistletoe at the Christmas season isreminiscent of the pagan rites of the Druids ofancient Britain; and that the practice whereby ayouth claims the forfeit of a kiss from the maidenfound under the mistletoe is an innocent survivalfrom the wild riot and license that prevailed in thefeast of the Saturnalia In old Rome.

Our earliest Information concerning the use of themistletoe by the Druids is obtained from the writ-ings of Pliny. He informs us that the sacred tree ofthe Druids was the oak, and when mistletoe wasfound growing upon an oak that particular treewas regarded as designated by the gods for reli-gious uses, and the mistletoe itself was considereda direct gift from heaven.

As might be inferred from this high esteem inwhich mistletoe that grew upon an oak was held,it was very rarely that the plant grew upon thattree. The favourite host of the mistletoe in Eng-land, is the apple tree, and, next to the oak, theapple was held in reverence by the Druids. It mayhave been for the purpose of facilitating the spreadof mistletoe to the oaks that the Druids made apractice of planting apple trees close to the sacredgroves of oaks. Even with this encouragement. Itappears that mistletoe was not found upon theoaks often enough to suit the purposes of the

priests. So they were accustomed to transplant themystic shrub by stealth from the apple trees to theoaks.

So rare is the mistletoe upon oaks that it is saidthat at the present time there are not more than ahalf dozen oaks in all England thus distinguished.It was essential that the priests of each settledneighbourhood should have a supply of the mys-tic shrub at least once a year, at the time of thewinter solstice, when the sun halted on its journeysouthward. That season was a festival occasionthroughout Europe, as indeed it was among manyof the aboriginal tribes of America. So, when thenatural supply of mistletoe, produced in the prop-er manner, and therefore of due sanctity, was notsufficient, it was quite in accord with human na-ture for the priests to resort to a pious fraud tosupply the deficiency.

Five days after the new moon nearest the wintersolstice, the great ceremony of cutting the mistle-toe from the sacred oak took place. A grand pro-cession was formed, led by the bard and priestsand concluded by great crowds of people.

When the oak tree upon which the mistletoe wasgrowing was reached, a herald climbed the tree,and with a golden scythe, or reaping hook, cutdown the plant. Some of the inferior priests stoodbeneath the tree with a white mantle, in whichthey caught the sprays of mistletoe as they fell.Then two white bulls (or sometime even humanbeings) were sacrificed to the gods, after which the

John L. CowanPhoto

David R. Tribble

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mistletoe was divided into small fragments anddistributed among the people. Each person tookthe small spray given by the priests and hung itabove the entrance to his home, as a proffer ofhospitality to the woodland gods during theseason of cold.

These Druidical rites were continued in Englandthroughout the period of Roman domination.The mistletoe was also employed in a symbolicway by the Romans; and it is not strange that theDruidical ceremonies became somewhat con-fused with the Saturnalian festivities. So the ear-ly church in Great Britain frowned upon the useof mistletoe, not only as an adjunct of the oldpagan worship, but more particularly because itwas regarded as suggestive of the licentiousnessof the Saturnalia. At the instance of the churchthe holly was substituted for the mistletoe at theChristmas season, and the sacred plant of theDruids was relegated to the background.

However, antiquarians assure us that the mistle-toe never lost its popularity among the poorerclasses in England.  It does not appear that Satur-nalian license ever gained a deep or lasting foot-hold in Britain; but a suggestion of Romanfreedom was found in the custom that grew upamong the servants, whereby the man whocaught a member of the opposite sex under themistletoe that was always hung up in the kitchenat Christmas time was privileged to demand andtake a kiss. It was considered bad luck for a girlto escape this salute, indicating that she wouldnot be married for at least another year. In timethe spray of mistletoe, with the accompanyingprivilege of a kiss, was promoted from the kitch-en to the drawing room and parlour; and oncemore the mistletoe enjoyed a midwinter voguealmost as great (although of an entirely differentnature) as in the time of its employment in theDruidical ceremonies.

By the ancient Britons the sacred mistletoe thatgrew upon the oak tree was regarded as a charmor antidote for poisons. Perhaps this explains theorigin of the use of this plant for various medici-

nal purposes during the middle ages, when thepractice of medicine was little more than a spe-cies of sorcery. Even in comparatively recenttimes it was used as a remedy for epilepsy andconvulsions, and was considered beneficial forcounteracting the effects of poison. It is nowknown that its medical virtues were wholly im-aginary. The only economic use of the plant is forthe making of bird lime. Surrounding the seedsis an extremely sticky substance which is some-times employed for the manufacture of that arti-cle. A similar substance is found under the barkof the holly, and it is often extracted and used forthe same purpose.

In Scandinavian mythology the mistletoe figuresrather discreditably as having supplied the ma-terial from which was made the arrow withwhich Baldur, the sun god, was slain. The tale isthat when Baldur was born his mother, Frigga,invoked plants, animals and the elements of na-ture, and obtained from each a promise that itwould do Baldur no harm. Only the mistletoe,on account of its insignificance, was overlooked.

When Baldur grew to the full stature of the godsand took his part in their rough combats all thepowers of nature proved kind to him and theweapons of his foes and rivals did him no injury.Then his enemy, Lokl, dressed himself as an old

Apple tree with mistletoe. This is oneof the largest balls of mistletoe I haveever seen! Photo: Philip Halling.

Volume 4, Issue 3

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woman, gained the confidence of Frigga andfrom her learned the secret of her son's immuni-ty together with the all Important fact that themistletoe had been forgotten when all other ani-mate and inanimate objects had been pledged tofriendliness. Then Loki fashioned an arrow fromthe wood of the mistletoe, gave it to the blindgod Hoder and told him to shoot, as Baldurstood before him.  Hoder obeyed and Baldur felldead.

Everyone is familiar with the song, “The Mistle-toe Bough," written by Thomas Haynes Bayley,who died in 1839. The story is that Lord Lovelmarried the daughter of a baron, and on thewedding night, the bride proposed to the assem-bled guests, a game of hide and seeks. The, bridehid in an old oak chest. The lid closed upon her,fastening: with a spring lock, and her distractedhusband sought for her in vain. Years afterwardthe chest was sold. When opened the skeleton ofthe bride was found and thus her mysteriousdisappearance was explained at last.

So from many sources have legends and tradi-tions gathered around the mistletoe. It seemsunfortunate, then, that we must now consider itnothing but an unmitigated nuisance. It is a par-asite, deriving its sustenance from the juices ofthe tree upon which grows. When many bunchesof mistletoe grow upon the same tree, the teebegins to decline and finally dies, being literallystarved to death, the parasitic plants depriving itof the sap essential to its life and growth.Throughout the regions in which the plant flour-ishes there are numberless trees burdened withmistletoe, but almost or quite devoid of theirnatural foliage. Such trees are dead or dying.Investigations into the ravages wrought by themistletoe in this country have been conductedunder the direction of the department of agricul-ture; and it was stated by William L. Bray, forestpathologist, in an official report, that "there arelocalities in which mistletoe becomes so abun-dant upon the trees, and so harmful to them, asto make its control or extermination a seriouspractical question." It is found abundantly

throughout the southern states — New Mexico,Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington.

There are a large number of species mistletoe,come authorities claiming that there are at least400. Several of these grow in America, differingto some extent from European species, but pos-sessing the same habits and general characteris-tics. The American species, therefore, have fallenheir to many of the traditions of the old worldvarieties.

It is unnecessary to describe the mistletoe. Evenin regions in which the plant does not grow itsuse as an adjunct of Christmas merry makinghas made the thick, fleshy leaves and translucentwhite berries familiar to all. In colour the stemsand foliage vary from almost yellow to darkgreen, the shade depending upon climatic condi-tions. In dry regions, like Arizona, New Mexicoand west Texas it is a golden green; darkening,darkening 'in moist localities, until in theswampy regions of Arkansas its foliage is one ofthe darkest colour forma of vegetation. Theseeds are carried by birds, which eat the berriesfreely. So tightly do the seeds adhere to the birds'bills that it is amusing to watch the birds rubtheir bills again and 'again upon I the bark oflimbs and branches in the endeavour to ridthemselves of the annoyance. It is by the birdsthat the seeds of; the mistletoe are disseminated.Sometimes they are carried for, long distancesbefore the birds succeed in rubbing them off.When transferred to the bark of a tree they havejust the conditions they require for germination,although the seeds of other plants would notgrow at all in such a location. Soon tiny rootletsforce their way through the bark and draw sus-tenance for the plant from the sap of the “host. “ The growth of the parasite is slow, so that it issaid that it does not bear berries until 4 years old.All rights reserved

The San Francisco call, December 17, 1911http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1911-12-17/ed-1/seq-34/

Volume 4, Issue 3

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Greetings to those in the Southern Hemisphere, whoare now shifting into the light, and to those of us in theNorthern Hemisphere who are shifting into the dark.Mother Nature has been kind to those of us in South-ern Ontario, Canada. She has been gently nudging ustowards winter, and for that I thank her.

I thought this month I would speak about lavenderessential oil. It is a great oil to have in your medicinecabinet, as unlike other essential oils it can be usedstraight out of the bottle.

Use 30 ml of carrier oil and add 15 drops of lavenderessential oil use it for: acne, abscess, athlete’s foot andother fungal infections, boils, bruises, eczema, psoriasis,rashes, scabies, scars, shingles, stretch-marks.50 drops of lavender essential oil to a pint of distilledwater in a spray bottle you will have a great spray touse on burns, sunburn, insect bites and stings, coldsores, also for wounds.

Lavender essential oil has a calming affect which makesit an excellent tonic for the nerves. It helps in treatingmigraines, headaches, anxiety depression, nervous ten-sion and emotional stress. Put a few drops on a tissueor hankie to inhale. Great if you have insomnia. If youare going to use in the bath use no more than 6 drops.

When you have a cold or flu, add 4-6 drops to a bowlof hot water. Place a towel over your head and breathein the vapour. Keep your eyes shut. Continue tobreathe deeply for a few minutes, occasionally remov-ing the towel and your head from the bowl.

If you have rheumatism or joint pain, in a bowl ofwarm water add 6-8 drops lavender essential oil andswirl around. Soak a cloth then gently squeeze out andapply to area of your body you wish to treat. Use coldwater for treating new muscular injuries or sprains.

Faye

The

Recipes from the Community

Formulary

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Over the last two centuries there has been agradual re-emergence of the feminine in modernhuman society. This began very slowly and gen-tly and has gathered great pace in the last hun-dred years, the last fifty especially. With thisrevitalizing of women has also come the revital-izing of the many faces of the goddess – thedivine feminine.

This is a wonderful development and long over-due after millennia of patriarchal society that hasbrought humanity and the planet to the edge ofcollapse. This necessary development has em-powered women but unfortunately it does notseem to have done the same for men. Instead ofwelcoming this change from a position of innerstrength and self-knowledge many men havereacted by becoming more aggressive or by be-coming overly passive. What the feminine ren-aissance has clearly demonstrated is somethingthat is not often highlighted - the fact that mentoo need a renaissance, but one of a very differ-ent kind.

Maleness has been hugely damaged by such along period of negative role models, abuse ofeach other, the planet and a failure to deal hon-estly with the inner life. That the masculine inhumanity is degraded is undeniable, but simplyembracing the re-emergent feminine energyalone is simply not enough to heal men. Mencomprise roughly half of humanity, and by ex-tension if men cannot also re-find a place in theworld, humanity will remain damaged as awhole.

The re-emergence of the goddess is vital to re-dress the terrible imbalance of the past, howeverI believe that ultimately we have to find a pathto re-uniting the god and goddess and man andwoman as equals in a way that will bring har-mony. From looking at ancient forms of religionit is clear that there was a dynamic beyondpatriarchy or matriarchy – a form of spiritualitythat embraced both.

In the earliest form of Judaism there were twogods – male and female, although at some pointthe goddess became forgotten. From Egypt, Raand Isis are known today as the god of thesun/creation and goddess of the earth respec-tively. Less familiar to most are their oppositegender counterparts – Nut, goddess of the skywho enrages Ra but later assists him, and alsoGeb – Nut’s brother, father of Isis and also godof the Earth. In Irish mythology we also seeoverlapping deities – Grainne, the solar goddessand Lugh, the solar god; Morrigan, goddess ofwar and death, Donn – god of death. In Hinduculture each god has a female consort, fromwhom his power emanates, for instance the godShiva’s creative force is embodied as the god-dess Shiva. Looking now at Taoism, theYin/Yang symbol succinctly depicts the inter-twining of the divine male and female energiesto create a whole. It is interesting also to notethat the very centre of the black half is white andthe very centre of the white half is black – sim-ply demonstrating that aspects of the one arecontained in the other.

Ph0t0-Bibi Saint-Pol

Re-uniting the God and the Goddess

(or it takes two to tango)Luke Eastwood

Volume 4, Issue 3

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There are probably many more examples of thistype of duality, a double polarized but non-line-ar relationship between dark and light, femaleand male, goddess and god. Unfortunately de-spite the fact that this model of deity still exists,it seems to be largely ignored or forgotten bymost men and women.

It is interesting to note that this spiritual energyis embedded in the fabric in the universe in whatphysicists call the torus energy – two halfspheres meeting but apparently externally notconnected, however they are connected internal-ly through a central vortex. This energy form isfound in the atom, an orange, a human aura, theearth’s magnetic field, the sun’s energy flowsand even in the structure of galaxies. Even morestartling is the fact that this energy matrix wasdepicted in the temples of the ancients, indicat-ing that they knew of its existence, perhaps notin terms of physics but certainly as a spiritualprinciple.

Although women are undoubtedly regainingtheir power, many men appear to be lost in hos-tility or have capitulated to such an extent thatthey have lost their own power. Just as polariza-tion towards male energy was and is dangerous,I think that a polarization towards female energycould be differently but equally disastrous.

However, it is not for women to rediscover whatthe divine masculine should be or what male-ness really is. It has often been said that girlsgrow up to be women but that boys do not nec-essarily grow up to be men. I agree with thisstatement wholeheartedly - men need a secondbirth. This second birth in older cultures took theform of an initiation into adulthood if you will;otherwise the boy often remains the perpetualchild.

Just as women have had to strive to re-establishthemselves over time, most often with the objec-tion of men, men themselves need to wake up tothe fact that they were already lost long beforewomen had the confidence to point that out.

Embracing the feminine in women and also thefeminine side within men is an essential part ofthe healing process. Beyond that, it is also neces-sary for men to rediscover their maleness andthe true virtues of the god energy. Without pos-itive male role models that process is very diffi-cult and often leads to the maturing of men inmid-life or sometimes not at all.

Although women should be critical of men’sinadequacies, it is not always constructive. It isthe initiated man, the elder, the man who knowshimself who should be the one to take youngermen aside and show them what it really meansto be a man, in cooperation rather than in con-flict with women. In order for many men toacquire that knowledge in a world of corruptedmale leaders and negative role models it is oftennecessary for men to undergo a soul destroyingordeal, a divine dismemberment if you will; anevent shown in myth by the death and rebirth ofOsiris. Life can be a hard teacher and without anappropriate teacher, men are forced to learnmaturity the hard way – usually much later thantheir female counterparts. Hence it is a real ne-cessity for men who understand what real malestrength is to ‘break-in’ boys and young men,which will save them and the people they touchfrom the damage done by a perpetual child whois masquerading as an adult.

Ultimately both men and women have to under-go spiritual alchemy – the resolution of themany parts known and unknown within our-selves – male and female, our shadow self, ourEgo etc. The first step in discovering the philos-opher’s stone or metaphysically turning basemetal into gold is the acknowledgement that wemust undertake that journey of integration andself-discovery.

It seems to me that far more than men, womenhave ‘stepped up to the plate’ and are willing toexplore a new, more healthy dynamic in humaninteraction. Now is the time for men also to ‘stepup to the plate’, not submissively or disgrun-tled, but fully engaged in the process of under-

Volume 4, Issue 3

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standing what it means to be human and whatwe are all here to do. If life can be described as adance, then it really does take two to tango,whether that means finding a life partner, learn-ing to relate to others or integrating aspects ofthe opposite sex into our own psyche.

It is my feeling that only through healing the riftsbetween men and women, re-uniting the godand goddess, can we save ourselves from anendless cycle of imbalance and perhaps evenextinction. One can only hope that each of us willfind the divine spirit in ourselves to make surethat equilibrium with one another and creationas a whole becomes our new reality.

Luke Eastwood

http://www.naturespharmacy.org.

Volume 4, Issue 3

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The CR FAQ: An Introduction toCeltic Reconstructionist Paganism

Authors: Kathryn Price NicDhána, Erynn Row-an Laurie, C.Lee Vermeers, Kym Lambert Ní

Dhoireann and other members of the CR Com-munity

ISBN-10: 0615158005ISBN-13: 978-0615158006

Reviewed by Cuardi

Synopsis: The CR FAQ – An Introduction to CelticReconstructionist Paganism is a landmark in thefield of Celtic religion and spirituality. The firstbook completely devoted to the spiritual path ofCeltic Reconstructionism (CR), it is the work of adiverse group of CR elders – including some of thefounders of the tradition – making it a foundation

document for this growing religious and culturalcommunity.

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR) is a move-ment that seeks to rebuild and revitalize an au-thentic, pre-Christian, polytheistic spiritualpractice – one that is true to the ancient sourcesand the ways of the ancestors, yet also containsdeep relevance to our lives in the modern world.Celtic Reconstructionists place a strong emphasison the preservation of Celtic languages and cul-tures, and on respecting the definitions found inthe living Celtic cultures rather than redefiningthem.

Patricia Kennealy Morrison, Celtic priestess andauthor of The Keltiad, says: “There has been aneed for this book for decades. Finally it’s here.Comprehensive, common-sensical, reverent, wit-ty, all-encompassing: it deals with Celtic modes ina way both down-to-earth and tran-scend-ent,honoring the past, sacring the present, hallowingthe future. Anyone who feels the pull of the Celticway of spirit, regardless of ethnic heritage, andwho would like to embody it in their lives, needsto read this extraordinary work.”

With a welcome glossary and pronunciationguide, The CR FAQ also provides a much-neededand helpful introduction to the Celtic languages.Additionally, suggestions for personal practice,along with a resources section, furnish the readerwith an entrypoint to the community as well as thetradition.

Reviews

J

Volume 4, Issue 3

Aontacht • 39

The CR FAQ is the only book on the topic thatspeaks for more than one group’s or individual’svision: As a collaborative work, the core group ofauthors reached a group consensus before finaliz-ing and approving the text. Input from the wider,international community of Celtic Reconstruction-ists was also solicited, and their feedback incorpo-rated. Focused yet accessible, serious thoughhumorous, it provides a thorough introduction toits subject and a great resource for the seeker onthe Celtic path.

All proceeds are being donated to Gaelic languageand cultural preservation charities in the CelticNations and worldwide.

Review: I bought this book for myself even thoughall of it is already on the internet for two reasons,the first is that I like the feel of a book in my handsand enjoy it more than having to read it via theinternet, and secondly because I wanted to reac-quaint myself with the information presented in it.Lately, a lot of the people I spoke to about CR seemto misunderstand what it is.

The book is pretty short (from my point of viewlol) 155 pages of questions and answers and therest is a pronunciation guide with a glossary,which aren’t online. Both are a great addition tothe FAQ. It is very well organized just like thewebsite and the writing is very clear and precise.The information within is very simple yet extreme-ly informative and for a beginner on the pathinvaluable. The reading list provided might needto be updated with the latest books on the subjectof the Celts but the books on the list are still a mustread for anyone thinking of walking this path.

War, Women, and DruidsPhilip Freeman

ISBN-10: 0292725450ISBN-13: 978-0292725454

Reviewed by cuardai

Synopsis: This book draws on the first-hand obser-vations and early accounts of classical writers topiece together a detailed portrait of the ancientCeltic peoples of Europe and the British Isles.Philip Freeman groups the selections (rangingfrom short statements to longer treatises) bythemes–war, feasting, poetry, religion, women,and the Western Isles. He also presents inscrip-tions written by the ancient Celts themselves. Thiswealth of material, introduced and translated byFreeman to be especially accessible to studentsand general readers makes this book essentialreading for everyone fascinated by the ancientCelts.

Review: This is a very short book that puts togeth-er materials from classical writers and even eye-witness accounts about the Celts. The categoriesdiscussed in this book are war, feasting, poetry,religion, women and the western Isles as well as afinal chapter that discusses inscriptions from theancient Celts. It is also indexed and has a furtherreading and references section. The categoriesmake it very easy for people to go directly to whatthey want or just read the whole book through.

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Although the book isn’t as extensive as the HeroicAge (which is similar but has WAY more material)it is still a good quick reference to have in yourlibrary.

The Celtic Gauls: Gods, Rites, and SanctuariesJean Louis Brunaux

(Translated by Daphne Nash)

ISBN-10: 185264009XISBN-13: 978-1852640095

Reviewed by cuardai

Synopsis: This fascinating account of the CelticGauls, their religion and rites of life and death,war and peace, brings alive these fearsome people,whose greatest honor was to die in battle and yetwho produced some of the most sensitive andspectacular works of art in European history.

Review: I managed to finish the book in one sit-ting. It was that enjoyable because it was verystraight forward and simple. And unlike the pre-vious book by Jean Louis Brunaux, this translationwas done so artfully that the text just seemed toflow.

The book itself is divided into twelve chapter dis-cussing the territory that the Gauls occupied, theirsacred spaces, how they perceived time, how theirsociety was structured, their priests, their Gods,their rites and cults, their weapons and wars, andtheir public cults.

The book covers all the main things that youwould want to know about a people and it ex-plains it in a very simple way. I’m not sure if thatis due to the fact that not much is known about theGauls or if this was the intent of the author. Thepoint is, when you are done reading this book youare left with a general idea of who the Gauls were,how their life was, how they worshiped, what theyworshiped and how they were in both war and

Volume 4, Issue 3

Aontacht • 41

Community Events CalendarListing your event is free and you can submit up to five entries at a time. Note: We reserve the right to editor omit entries. To submit, please send an e-mail to admin@druidicdawn.org with ‘DD Event Listing’ in thesubject line. Include the date, title of event, location (including country), a short description and any contactdetails.

Note: Inclusion of events here does not imply endorsement from Druidic Dawn, magazine or itseditors.

General on going events for 2011 - 2012

Anam Cara - Weekly Meditation Group

'A Weekly Meditation Group to be held in Oswestry,(UK) to explore everything from the Breath technique;mantra/ chanting’ to hopefully movement and sha-manic journeying.'  To participate and for furtherdetails, seehttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1070

NEW MOON MEDITATIONS every new moon, Den-mark; ring 004575757131 for next meditation:

We’ll make a circle and connect with the powers ofEarth and Sky, I will then play channelled harpmusic from a time past, and the participants will beguided into some deep mediation to the Holy Grailwithin our hearts. Go beyond time and space toprevious incidents/ present problems/ diseases. Seethem, solve them, let go. Afterwards we’ll discusswhat happened, and I will aid with my clairvoyance.To participate and for further details, seehttp://www.sosha.dk/kurserUK.html

NYMÅNEMEDITATIONER I BRYRUP: Ring fortilmelding og nærmere tidspunktVi vil danne en cirkel, forbinde os med Himlens ogJordens kræfter og jeg vil spille kanaliseret musik fraen svunden tid på min harpe, under det første num-mer vil mine hjælpere fortælle mig om den førstemeditation, derefter vil jeg videregive den til cirklensom en guidet meditation, med den forskel, at medi-tationen først påbegyndes når jeg atter begynder atspille på min harpe og undervejs vil mine hjælperefølge alle deltagerne og støtte dem. Jeg vil spille mensdeltagerne rejser til deres destination i den andenvirkelighed, derefter vil jeg bede deltagerne vendetilbage samme vej som de kom fra, takke deres hjælp-

ere og vende tilbage til cirklen. Her vil hver enkeltdeltager have mulighed for at fortælle om sine oplev-elser, hvis nødvendigt, vil jeg gå ind og hjælpe medmine clairvoyante evner. Dernæst holder vi en pause,hvor vi får noget te og noget godt at spise. Så fortsæt-ter vi med endnu en meditation.http://www.sosha.dk/kurser.html

Pathways

A named Pathways, in Ellesmere, Shropshire, on theWelsh borders.  The time together will be used todiscuss anything that anyone wants to about spiritu-al pathways. All are invited, from those who have aclear idea about where they are going, to those whoare just curious, and all explorers in between. Cometo raise questions, talk about books you are reading,workshops you have attended, stuff that is comingup, etc. Self-advertising is allowed/encouraged, ifrelevant to the spiritual pathways subject. Meetingsare held on the third Thursday of each month in theFunction room of the Ellesmere Hotel. Parking isplentiful very nearby. Meet in the bar from 7.30pm;go to the room from 8pm. If you are late, come inanyway! There is no charge, and the drinks are cheap.

Ellesmere is part of what is locally known as theShropshire Lake District. The energy of the town isgiven by the fabulous Mere in the edge oftown. Future meetings might include a walk down tothe Mere and through the public gardens. This is thebeginning of something new, and the direction willevolve with time.

If you need any more details, you can contact Johnand Rachel on jrpathways@hotmail.co.ukOr see http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1698

Volume 4, Issue 3

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January

19th - 24th January 2012; Druid / LughnasadhCamp 2012, New Zealand. For additional infor-mation seehttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/64 andhttp://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~thewoolshed/grove.htm

29th January; Imbolc Rite Three Cranes GroveADF, Ohio, USA. Additional details fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/186 andhttp://www.threecranes.org/calendars/

February

1st February; Imbolc in Toronto, Canada. Experi-ence Imbolc through story; movement and ritual,additional information seehttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/2887

4th February: Open Imbolc Ritual, Nervii Neme-ton De Mothergrove van de New Order of Dru-ids, Antwerp, Belgium. For further details seehttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/182orhttp://nervii.druidcircle.net/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=3

5th February; Imbolc Ritual: Shining Lakes GroveADF, Michigan, USAhttp://www.shininglakes.org/schedule.htmland http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/184

6 - 8th February Vessels of Change: Ritual for ourTime, Birmingham, UK; Led by Caitlin Mat-thews and Angela Cotter. Further details availa-ble fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211;http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.htmlandhttp://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Magical%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20Mathews.pdf

17-18th February; 'Singer, Shaman Sage' - aworkshop for Sacred Circles, St.James, Barbadoswith Philip Carr-Gomm. Additional informationavailable fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365andhttp://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org

17-20th February: Workshops and concert with RJ Stewart and Anastacia Nutt at the PANTHEA-CON, San Jose, California, USA. For more detailssee http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/197;http://www.rjstewart.org/calendar.htmlandwww.pantheacon.com

March

3-7th March: Philip Carr-Gomm Talk and work-shop at the International Center for CulturalStudies, Fourth International Conference andGathering of the Elders, Haridwar, India. Addi-tional information available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365 andhttp://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org

18th March; Spring Equinox Rite, Three CranesGrove ADF, Ohio, USA, Details available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/186 andhttp://www.threecranes.org/calendars/

17-18th March; Walker Between the Worlds, Ox-ford UK. Facilitated by John Matthews and WilKingham, further details available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211;http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.htmlandhttp://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Shamanic%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20Mathews.pdf

18th March; Spring Equinox Ritual, ShiningLakes Grove ADF, Michigan, USA. Detailsavailable fromhttp://www.shininglakes.org/schedule.htmland http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/184

Volume 4, Issue 3

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April

14-15th April; Singer Shaman Sage, workshop inZurich, Switzerland with Philip Carr-Gomm,further information available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365  andhttp://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org

15 - 18th April; Thresholds of Power and Heal-ing, Somerset, UK. Led by Caitlin Matthews andMargot Harrison, further details available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211;http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.htmlandhttp://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Shamanic%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20Mathews.pdf

23-25th April; Tending the Hearth: House Clear-ing in Celtic Countries, Stroud, UK; facilitated

by Cait Branigan and Cailtin Matthews, furtherdetails available fromhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/211;http://www.hallowquest.org.uk/index.htmlandhttp://www.hallowquest.org.uk/pdfs/Shamanic%20Courses%20Caitlin%20and%20John%20Mathews.pdf

26-29th April; Talk and retreat in Sintra, Portugalwith Philip Carr-Gomm further details availablefrom http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1365and http://www.philipcarrgomm.druidry.org

29 April; Beltane Rite; Three Cranes Grove ADF,Ohio, USAhttp://www.druidicdawn.org/node/186 andhttp://www.threecranes.org/calendars/

Volume 4, Issue 3

Aontacht • 44

You do not have to be a member ofthe Druidic Dawn community to sub-

mit to the newsletter.

Please submit contributions directly tothe editorial staff via email to:

aontacht@druidicdawn.org

Refer to the writer’s guidelines, beforeyou submit contributions or inquiries.Below are our upcoming issues in caseyou'd like to get ahead on submissions.Be sure to specify which issue you aresubmitting to.

Tribal Celts and Druids had their sacredplaces within the local landscape andfurther afield, which held specificmeanings and spiritual significance.How does those relate to contemporaryCelts and Druids? Do they hold thesame essence as in times past? Whatmakes a modern “sacred place”?

Aontacht – Winter / Summer Solstice 2011DRUIDIC DAWN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We hope will participate in the by being the next issue of ourmagazine. Send us your News, Events, Reviews, Editorials, Articles, Essays, Recipes, Devotion-al Pieces, Photos and other materials to us at:

We specifically want to be part of our upcoming interview with Jenne Micale. This is anincredible time to ask your and get a direct response from one of Druidry'smost creative and musical souls.

Jenne is a writer, singer, priestess and musician whose endeavours include the ethereal/wyrdmusic project Kwannon and, in former times, the wyrd folk band Belladonna Bouquet. Amember of the Henge of Keltria, she also has had work published in "Talking About the Ele-phant: An Anthology of Neopagan Perspectives on Cultural Appropriation," "To Fly ByNight: The Craft of the Hedgewitch" and "Brighid and Me: Experiences with the Goddess," aswell as the forthcoming poetry anthology "Mandragora." You can find out more atwww.kwannon.net or read her Druidic musings at whitecatgrove.wordpress.com.

So send in any questions you might want to ask her. Don't be bashful, we appreciate yourperspective and value every question we receive from our members and supporters! Take amoment and be an important part of the !

i Submit original work only. Essays & articles should be between 1,000-2,000 words(footnotes and bibliography included). There is not a word limit for poetry, however, pleasedo not submit epic verse.

ii You may submit multiple pieces. Only electronic submissions are accepted and should beeither compressed (.zip/.rar) and attached (preferred for photos & artwork), or pasted intothe email body. Document submissions should be in Plain Text (.txt) or Rich Text (.rtf)formats only; Photos/artwork as .jpg or .png.

Please cite your sources and clearly mark when using UPG [Unverified Personal Gnosis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unverified_Personal_Gnosis)iii Articles should be relevant to the Celtic/Druidic communities (refer to Subject Areas

below) and must match the theme of the issue (if the issue is themed).iv Run a grammar/spell check on your work before submittal.v Keep work in a friendly manner. No racism, bigotry, violence or hated.

· Pre-Christian: Discussion of history, anthropology, archeology and more, but also of thecurrent Reconstructionist or Traditional movements happening today.

· Modern Druidry: Discussion of Druidism within the last 300 years; includes Revivalist andNeo-Druid.

· Modern Celtic: Talk on surviving beliefs, folklore and superstitions still alive today on theCeltic isles, i.e., Fairy Faith.

· Celtic Christianity: Looks into this truly beautiful and unique branch of Christianity.· Inter-Faith: How people incorporate other cultures into their Celtic/Druidic practice, or

getting along with those of other faiths.

Submissions can be sent to aontacht@druidicdawn.org

: International copyright law will protect all materials published. However, submitting your workwill not guarantee its publication. Also note that as is a free publication, which generates noprofit, you will not be paid for your contributions.