Druid

Druid Camp , July

This has been the high point of my camping season for the last 5 years. Rainbow2000 put up the infrastucture; the cafe, workshop spaces, the water and toilets, and the Druid Network and Charnwood Grove put on the event. This year, it was the Shamanic tradition within druidry, talks on dreams, astrology, madness, death and dying and much more. 250 people on site and workshops all day long.

The camp kicked off with a sweat lodge; I guessed it would be heaving, but surprisingly .. or maybe not .. just enough people turned up to fill the lodge.

The Ovate path within druidry; not of this world but walking between this and the otherworld. I found the workshop by Kris, the Anglesey druid on death and dying very insirational. He works with the dead and has a scary understanding. Its important that we think about our own death; how we want it be handled. The importance of living wills, and our resting place. Cremation, burial; a wilderness burial?

The food in the cafe is always fantastic; fried breakfast (vegitarian sadly) but with egg, sos mix, mushroom, beans fried bread.. fresh bread and pastries and croissants from a local baker too. Coffee with brandy and squirty cream too.

	Druid Camp , July This has been the high point of my camping season for the last 5 years. Rainbow2000 put up the infrastucture; the cafe, workshop spaces, the water and toilets, and the Druid Network and Charnwood Grove put on the event. This year, it was the Shamanic tradition within druidry, talks on dreams, astrology, madness, death and dying and much more. 250 people on site and workshops all day long. The camp kicked off with a sweat lodge; I guessed it would be heaving, but surprisingly .. or maybe not .. just enough people turned up to fill the lodge. The Ovate path within druidry; not of this world but walking between this and the otherworld. I found the workshop by Kris, the Anglesey druid on death and dying very insirational. He works with the dead and has a scary understanding. Its important that we think about our own death; how we want it be handled. The importance of living wills, and our resting place. Cremation, burial; a wilderness burial?

It was held on the same site near Monmouth as the Space for You camp, and the weather held and held. Such sunshine I havnt seen for years. Apart from heavy and wonderful workshops, there were some wonderfull sheep skins for sale, (Very cheap) and market with crafts; Only on one day, its not commercial, but theres some beautiful things to buy It being the year of the Lunar Standstill the moon was very prominant, not just in the sky, but in the camp. The big group ritual was based around the moon and her 8 phases, from New Moon to Full and back to dark moon. All those who wanted to get involved were divided into 8 groups, depending on the phase of their moon, and went away to create a ritual of how they experienced that aspect of their pesonaility. It was quite extraordinary how similar our life experiences were; I can only speak for us new mmon people; hiding away, withdrawn, secretive, and passing the light onto the next phase to manifest. It was extraordinaly beautiful!

	The full moon above, and the dark moon on the right. Powerful stuff. On the Saturday evening there was a performance by the Daughters of Elvin, playing medieval music on authentic instruments, border bagpipes, crumhorns and hurdey gurdy, all powered by the famous cylce generators; two cycles powering car generators charging batteries! Space to dance and jump up and down at the end of an eveing of wonderful music

	The food in the cafe is always fantastic; fried breakfast (vegitarian sadly) but with egg, sos mix, mushroom, beans fried bread.. fresh bread and pastries and croissants from a local baker too. Coffee with brandy and squirty cream too.