The Druidic College

The Void

It was dark, so very, very dark that the nonexistent stars feared to shine.

It was silent, so very, very silent that even the unborn wind could not hear itself breathe.

And then, it shattered, exploded into a million fragments; a million million. In an instant too quick to be measured in “time,” for time implies passage and movement, and there was no “time’ for either, it happened so quickly that it did not happen.

What do we remember Of a past gone by Do we see subtle images Of stones that don't die Do we see the suns glory Peeking from a cloud Or shadows and images Wrapped in a shroud See our great Goddess Through mists in the tress Reflected in a shadow cast From stones standing free Come into our center To the core waiting there Rituals to be celebrated Our paths to be shared Join one and all Our hands holding tight Blessing our memories On this glorious night Remember the Ancestors Their wisdom does tell Visit their images Their truth they will tell

The Never Ending Spring

As I sit and visualize you in my mind, I see you seeping out of a wall in the dark forested mountainside. I walk quietly to the still pool you have made and slowly, gently step into your waters. I feel the tendrils of your of your veing pull me down, the cool refreshing water comes into me. It invades my eyes, my ears, going down my nose, my throat, filling me with your liquid fire. Yet I do not feel like I am drowning. There is no struggle or gasping for air, for I am now floating in your warm magical womb.

Yule is an Old Norse word, which literally mean “Wheel.” For the Norse, Celtic and Roman Pagans this was a time when the Goddess turned “The Wheel of the Year” to its beginning point, the “New Year.” The tarot card “Wheel of Fortune” is linked astrologically to the Tropic of Capricorn, when the sun reaches the lowest point of the year, Yule - the Winter Solstice. The Wheel represents a cyclic time, the year and its seasons.

Many decks show the Wheel of Fortune with a crank.

Elder
by
Tallis Dracos

As winter settles in around us
Cold, damp and grey
Now is time for looking back
Finding that which pleases
Happy, solid and positive
Times that bring us joy still
Finding that which saddens
Loss, grief and sorrow
These also need a closer look
Finding the lessons contained within
Forgiveness, simplicity or gratitude
Our future is shaped by lessons learned.

Winter By Tallis Dracos

Watching dark, heavy clouds
Threatening storm impending
Growing darker by the moment
Air so cold your breath shows
Crisp, smelling of sweet frost
The sky is charged with the storm’s energy
Blizzard potential not yet realized
All stills for one brief moment
As a single flake slips wistfully to the ground
Was it really ever there
Clouds burst, releasing their payload
Thousands come to join the brave scout
Ground succumbing to the invasion
Within minutes all is white
Fresh, Clean and New
Within hour

Samhain marks one of the two great portals of the Celtic Year. For our Celtic ancestors, day began with the darkness of night, so too the New Year begins with the darkness of winter. In this sacred time, we celebrate the beginning of a new cycle of life, death and rebirth. It is in
the silence that we hear the whisperings of new beginnings, the stirring of the seeds hidden below in the ground. Samhain is the beginning of the cycle, welcoming the darkness of Winter and thus one of the most magically powerful time of the Wheel.

The Perils of Popularity

In the fast paced, ‘I-want-it-yesterday,’ world of today, understanding the philosophy and values of an ancient philosophy such as Druidry can be a challenge to many. This is by no means exclusive to Druidry alone in the pagan community. Many seek a new (or should we say ‘old’), more fulfilling path than those that have devolved into the western traditional norms. In doing so, some of these seekers dart about trying this, then that, and then another alternative.

It is nice to see that Druidry is getting some press on YouTube. There are a variety of interesting videos: Eisteddfod excerpts, summer solstice and other rituals from OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), some postings relating to ADF (Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship), and more.

And it is even better to see how our Groves harmonize with Other Druidic Events going on in our world. Ah, the greener grasses of home....

In peace,
Arvanna Redmantle
Prifardd, Order of the Sacred Oaks
Chosen Chief, Silver Birch Grove, OSO

Fall Equinox marks the still point at which dark and light are equal in the turning of the wheel. We are moving from the triumph of the Summer Sun toward the Winter Darkness.