OakDragon , August

Oak Dragon Camps were the first I got involved with, nearly 20 years ago, and as the leaflets said, "these camps can change your life".
They showed me two important lessons:

There are other ways of organising people than in a hierarchy
Magic happens when people gather in a field
Your life can change

Interpersonal dynamics seemed to predoinated in those camps, and it hasn't changed. The talking circles empower people to speak, but the same lessons still need to be learnt again and again by some people.

Thats the negative. On the positive, seeing friends I havnt seen in 20 years; meeting new ones. Mask making workshops, felting and drumming. All in a rather windy and exposed field in Gloucestershire!

Some of the clay pieces were placed round the centre pole of the marquee, the focal point of the camp as it was pretty windy and not too comfortable out in the field

The facilites were excellent. Over the years, the technology of the showers and water tub has changed and matured.. in fact its become very middle class!

Ron Hutton gave a talk of Gardner and the Druids; it makes a load of sence that the two paths are in fact closer than I thought.

A great workshop on knots by Jon; a very seasoned and respected camper.

Drumming with Lydia, who I havnt seen for years

A concert by more renaisance musicians, and wild dancing

One of the things that used to happen at the old camps were handfastings, and the tradition still goes on. A day taken out to dress the glade and celebrate the coming together of two people before their family