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By Jaguar
The past three months have been busy for the folks in Shining Lakes Grove. (SLG - hmm - probably should have thought of initials before picking the name...) On March 15, we declared ourselves to be an ADF Protogrove, and elected Fox as Senior Druid, Jaguar as Scribe and provisional Chronicler, and Eric as Pursewarden/Registrar. Our charter for full Grove status was approved by the Mother Grove at WellSpring '94. Between March and May, we became the third largest grove in ADF, with ten full members, and many more who join us at events.
We're very active already! We hold grove meetings on the first and third Thursdays of the month, and in past meetings Fox has talked about the history of Druidism and Indo-European cosmology, both interesting and useful for understanding ADF and its approach to Druidism. (These talks will be repeated at future meeting, so if you missed them, don't despair. ;-) A couple of meetings were also devoted to pre-ritual panic. After the meetings we go out to dinner, and have rousing discussions (recently Paganism vs. Christianity - everyone's favorite topic <grin>).
The very first ritual the group held was one to consecrate the site of our permanent outdoor nemeton. It lies at the heart of a twenty-acre wooded lot, in a dip in the hills. We held a very powerful ceremony, calling to the spirits of the land and those who had dwelt there before, and letting them know that we were here now, and that while their ways were not our ways, still we honored them. Our seers saw the welcome we received, and our site became our sacred ground.
Speaking of rituals, we also had a very memorable Beltaine. It was our first public ritual, and about a dozen hearty souls attended. Hearty not for enduring the ritual, but for what the elements gifted to us. It was cold. It rained. A lot. We erected a tarp over part of the ritual site, and it periodically dumped significant amounts of water over whomever was closest (usually Jaguar). We invented a new Beltaine tradition: dancing the mudpole. And a new expression: So mud it be! But in the end our perseverance paid off: the fire did not go out, we created a beautifully beribboned mudpole, and a good time was had by all (more or less).
Other events we've attended have included performances at the Ark by the Green Fields of American, and extremely talented group of traditional Irish musicians, and by Robin Williamson and John Renbourne, singer/songwriter/storytellers who provided an evening of traditional Celtic music and stories.
On the more active side, we went up to Hell Creek Ranch and went horseback riding (I didn't realize I had muscles there!) and in early spring, we took a hike in Osbourne Mills Park, finding lots of wildflowers and birds and bugs and... had a lovely time.
In May, Fox and Jaguar went to WellSpring, joining many other ADF members and friends. There were a number of workshops, ranging from outreach in the pagan community, to pagan child educational programs, to Celtic history. We also attended the membership meeting, a videotape of which is available for loan from Fox. It's highly recommended for anyone wanting a wider sense of where the organization is now. At the Board of Directors meeting we had the pleasure of witnessing our charter's approval. Of course, there was lots of time for meeting old friends and new, and drumming, and hottubbing, and rituals, and eating, and drinking, and generally making merry in fine pagan tradition.
The months ahead promise plenty more fun and magic, from rituals to strawberry-picking to grove campouts and more. We are always sniffing around for ideas for new activities, so if you have an idea, please let us know. We won't even volunteer you to tun it (maybe!). See Shining Lakes News for all the great activities in the next season, and we hope to see you there!
By Jaguar and Fox
A few days ago I managed to corner our Senior Druid, Fox, and ask him a few questions about his vision for the Grove and for ADF. He did try to tell me that he had lost his glasses, and besides there was only one activity properly done in corners and it wasn't talking. After hauling his mind out of the gutter and putting his glasses on his nose, we began.
What made you decide to start a grove?
Well, to be honest it was attending WellSpring in 1993. I had been a member of ADF for three years but had only read the publications and met the other members at festivals. At Wellspring I saw the Groves together and saw the bond that their members shared. It brought back memories of the year that I spent with a Native American tribe and the true community that they shared. It made me realize that there was a whole dimension of ADF that I had missed!
Why ADF?
I ran into ADF when I answered a little classified ad in the back of Mother Earth News in 1989. I joined and started reading Druids' Progress. I was amazed at the scholarship and the critical approach to Paganism. Later, at festivals, I met other members and was impressed by their knowledge and vision. ADF has done the work of building a strong structure, and the emphasis on scholarship and excellence was just what I was looking for.
Why the name 'Shining Lakes Grove'?
It is meant to represent our homeland, here in the midst of hundreds of lakes. Not to mention some of the largest in the world! Part of our spiritual focus is to reconnect with our natural surroundings, so this name is intended to help us identify with our home. We are the people of the Shining Lakes!
ADF is a pan-Indo-European group. Why did you choose a Celtic theme?
The Celts have always had a romantic appeal to me. My ancestry is actually more Norse, and I tried that for a few years, but I have always been drawn to the lands, legends, and artforms of the Celts.
But I should mention that, since we are part of a Pan-Indo-European organization, we are open to exploration of other I-E pantheons when their is interest among the membership.
How do you see our grove interacting with other groves?
We currently have a cordial relationship with our closest neighboring Groves (Stone Creed Grove in Cleveland, OH and Kalamazoo Proto-Grove in Kalamazoo, MI). I hope that someday we will sponsor join regional events with these organizations, or at least have attendees at each other's functions. I think that it is important that the Groves share their experiences and lend support to each other.
As the membership of ADF grows, we will undoubtedly see the formation of new Groves in our region. We will be here to offer advice and support to these younger siblings and hopefully they will benefit from the lessons that we have learned. Our combined strength will benefit us all and give us an even greater sense of community. The advantage of belonging to an international organization of like-minded people gives us an even greater strength and community.
The sharing of ideas through our publications and electronic communication will widen our experiences of our world. Individual members of Shining Lakes Grove will form interest groups and guilds with people in Groves around the world, strengthening our ties and enhancing the pool of knowledge available to us. On the individual level this communication provides a network of support so that, no matter where you roam, whether attending a festival or moving far away, you will be able to contact a person or local Grove to help you feel at home.
What is your immediate, intermediate, and long-term vision for the development of the grove?
My short term vision for the Grove mostly involves (1) building a sound organization, (2) creating a group indentity and common goals, (3) deepening our individual understanding of cosmology and magical practice, and (4) fostering a supportive family atmosphere. Much of our energy up to this point has been focussed on putting on social events and High Day rituals. We have had a very aggressive start and our efforts are paying off, but soon we will need to begin the work of consolidating what we have gained and strengthening our interpersonal bonds. Rapid growth can be a curse as well as a blessing!
My intermediate vision for the Grove is for us to begin to define our role within the local Pagan and mundane communities. We will begin to take on larger projects to assist us in being good neighbors in SE Michigan and to begin to be a source of learning and healing for member and non-member alike. Accompanying this external philanthropy will be an increased intellectual growth of the membership as individuals within the Grove begin to specialize and make great gains in their personal knowledge and skill.
My long (way long) range vision (if you think you're ready for this) is that the Grove will become an established and permanent Pagan Church. It will obtain land for rituals and buildings for conducting workshops and seminars. It will begin the work of hallowing scared sites and erecting shrines in the region. It will become an important member of the local ecclesiastical community and the touchstone of many peoples' lives. It will be a goodwill ambassador to the rest of the population and an institution of great intellectual, social, and environmental works. Most importantly, it will demonstrate the legitimacy of our faith and practice to the rest of the world.
What sort of responsibility do you see the Grove having to the Pagan community, and to the larger community?
Since we are among the most public groups around, I think that the way we conduct ourselves will have a big impact upon the rest of the Pagan Community. We must demonstrate to the rest of the world that despite our different belief system, we can be valuable, contributing members of both communities. We must work to dispel the old myths about our kind and show that we are caring, moral people just like our neighbors. This means that we must strive to live according to our beliefs and place high standards upon ourselves as individuals.
Many people in our community came to paganism after actively rejecting organized religion, and yet ADF's stated goal is to become that very thing. Do you see this as a problem? What do you think ADF needs to do to avoid making the same mistakes that caused those pagans to become disenchanted with mainstream religion?
This is a tough one and I don't pretend to know the answer. I feel that some level of organization is needed to accomplish anything and if you are as ambitious as we are, you need a bit more. Anarchy and personal autonomy can be wonderful but without some guiding principles and common goals it is very hard for a group to move in any direction or even continue to exist.
The rejection of 'organized religion' is a little confusing to me. I rejected Christianity because the dogma that I was told to believe in did not fit my view of the world. I did not leave it because it was organized. I have known people who left it because they didn't like having to go through an intermediary to get to God, or because they didn't like the patriarchy, or they didn't like the money grubbing, or they couldn't handle the inflexibility of the 'one true path' or they didn't like how the church tried to control them. All of these reasons are perfectly valid but I don't think they are synonymous with organization. Our Grove and ADF have to address these issues if we are to avoid alienating those people.
I can imagine that some other people left 'organized religion' precisely because it was organized. These individuals would prefer to follow their own path and see no need to have a shared experience with anyone else. In fact they would probably find the inclusion of other people in their preactices constraining and frustrating. I would say that we are probably not what they are looking for.
ADF as a group tends to emphasize the external workings of a religion, i.e., the public rituals, the social events, the fund raising, and so on. What about the magical training and deeper inner workings? How do you see those needs being met?
These are the areas in which I believe we are going to see a great deal of growth in the near future, both in ADF and in the Grove. Up until now the outward portions of our duties, which have to be performed if we are to grow and survive, have been done by a small number of individuals. Now that the Grove is growing this workload is beginning to be shared by more people. This is opening opportunities for us to begin doing inner work.
We have a great diversity of individuals in this Grove, with a large variety of things to share. My hope is that we will begin to have workshops and study groups that are dedicated to deepening our experience of Druidism and to increasing our knowledge of the old ways.
Some of the personal work that is needed is difficult to accomplish in an open setting. To meet this need, we will soon begin holding members-only 'Grove Intensives'. These meetings will be day-long or overnight sessions. During these meetings we will begin to do experimental ritual, experimenting with various magical techniques and generally begin working for a deeper spiritual connection with the spirits and each other.
Eventually I think we shall see the formation of mystery religions within ADF and the Grove as individuals are drawn together by their mutual desire to delve deeper into a specific aspect of our lore.
While some in the pagan community are open about their path, many others cannot be, often for reasons of job or family security. ADF is an organization dedicated to providing open public pagan worship. How do you believe these contradicting needs can be met?
This is a difficult dilemma. One of our primary goals is to make our way of belief acceptable to the general public, so that Paganism is a safe and accessible alternative for those who are drawn to our ancestral ways. It's ironic that in striving to reach that goal we may create uncomfortable situations for the very people we are trying to benefit.
We have made efforts within the Grove to allow people to seek their own level of public exposure. If they feel that they need to, they can use magical names, use the Grove P.O. Box for mail, and we keep membership information confidential upon request. We respect the decisions of others regarding their personal security and will not push anyone to become public.
We are planning to start Grove intensives that will be open to members only, which should help those who are concerned about attending functions where anyone could show up. Ultimately, there may be those, feeling that they can take no risks, who may find that we are not a very good match for their needs.
If you had to sum up your experiences thus far as a Senior Druid in one sentence, what would it be?
It has been the toughest part-time volunteer job that I've ever had and I've been richly rewarded for every minute of it!
For decades, there has been speculation that the Egyptian pyramids were built with alien help. This arose mostly from the fact that measurements of the sides, heights, etc., are often perfectly divisible by the number pi, of which the ancient Egyptians had no knowledge. Recent studies have shown that the standard practice for measuring off large distances was to construct a wheel with a diameter of one cubit (the standard unti of measurement at the time) and roll it along the ground. One rotation was a unit of measure of distance. Here is the key to the mystery: the circumference of a circle is 2*pi*r, or pi*d, where r was the radius, or d was the diameter of the circle. No knowledge of pi is necessary to invent or use such a device.
This section is devoted to poetry and other creations submitted by our members. There are three poems written by Kami Landy for use in this year's Summer Solstice. These are followed by contributions by the multitalented Dave Wilson (aka Qr*finder, pronounced 'Crawfinder'). Finally, Fox has shared his Mother Earth invocation. Please feel free to contribute poetry, artwork, prose, meditations, rituals, opinion pieces, essays, commentaries, and anything else with which the muses grace you.
By Kami Landy, Summer Solstice '94
Sorrow of birds
it is
To see the sun's last hour
of increase.
From now
gives way to dimness;
The cool depths claim their day.
By Kami Landy, Summer Solstice '94
In this sacred
well do waters rise
Which flow from the realms
Below.
Wild gods, first gods,
Spirits of land and sea,
Open now this
gate for me.
A portal for our magic be.
Biodh se!
By Kami Landy, Summer Solstice '94
Brid! Mother,
Lady Bright
Three your sons, one in might
The land as well,
your child aright.
Brid! Shining one
Bright tresses form
a cape
A cloak of inspiration 'round me drape
And words of
honey to your glory shape.
Brid! Besides your well I stand
Hands dipping healing and
Eyes seeking vision's flight.
Brid! Flame haired warrior
Yours the fires of hearth and altar
Gifts you give to son and daughter
Nor hand nor tongue you
leave to falter.
Brid! Here I lay
That work in which you
guidance gave
Now done, release I pray
The ban you set, that I
may say
Your name in love and praise and light.
By Dave Wilson (Qr*finder)
The Branch
That
will not Bend
Is easily Broken
Virtue
Is not
One-sided
The Peace
That we seek
Is not for us
Alone
It is not ours to Give
For we do not
Own it
We must accept
That there are others
Who seek the
same goal
But do not Walk
The same Path.
By Dave Wilson (Qr*finder)
I have five stones
One is BLACK as the night
When the day is done
It stands in
the WEST
Where the EARTH greets the sun
I'm a MedicineWheel
I have five stones
One is WHITE as the foam
On the
wild WATER's flow
It stands to the NORTH
With the Glaciers and
Snow
I'm a MedicineWheel
I have five stones
One is
RED as the FIRE
Of the rising sun
It stands in the EAST
Where all souls come from
I'm a MedicineWheel
I have
five stones
One is rich and YELLOW
As the sacred corn
It
stands in the SOUTH
Where spring WINDs are born
I'm a
MedicineWheel
I have five stones
One is EMPTINESS TEAL
Like both Sky and abyss
It stands in the CENTER
The
World turns around this
I'm a MedicineWheel
BLACK WHITE
RED YELLOW TEAL
I'm a MedicineWheel
And I have five
stones
By Fox
Oh Mother Earth, we praise thee,
for blackened crags of misty mountains
thrust from watery depths
scoured by rain and cracked by ice
life sustaining minerals
flow in our veins
precious jewels from living stone
we
praise thee
for swirling skies of cool clean air
we
suckle at your unseen breast
you give us voice and carry sweet
scents
and feed our inner fires
we praise thee
for cooling rain and salty sea
the womb of creation, great
cauldron of plenty,
rivulets of blood, we carry within us,
and
float each generation in your gentle pool
we praise thee
for all of these blessings in perfect balance
and pledge to
heal our great benefactor
who gives so freely, that we might live
By Jaguar
Several folks have asked for books on Celtic/Druid studies. Following is a list of suggestions, most of them listed in ADF's Study Program Guide (get one from SLG). The publication dates are relatively recent. This is because up until the 1950's, research into the Druids was heavily influenced by a couple of hundred years of publication which ranged from mere inaccuracy to pure fantasy. It is only recently that scholars have begun to tease out a more accurate picture of who and what the Druids really were.
This list obviously covers only some of what is available, but it's a start. If you read on of these, please consider writing a review and submitting it to Ripples - we'd love to share the wealth!
Enjoy!
Mix the dry ingredients together well. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender. Mix in the water and knead until the dough is very smooth, about 15 minutes. You can do this in much less time with a powerful electric beater, but you get a much less magical effect! Think about the ritual purpose, and knead it into the bread.
Grease a black frying pan, including the sides, and press the dough into the pan. Bake on top of the stove over low heat. Watch carefully so that the bread does no brown or burn before the center is cooked. When the bread is free from the pan, turn it over and continue to cook. The total cooking time will be about ten minutes on each side.
(From The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American, by Jeff Smith)
By Fox
Shining Lakes Grove is a local branch of Ár nDraíocht Féin, A Druid Fellowship, Inc (ADF). As such we join hundreds of individuals and small groups throughout the world who are working within the framework of ADF to better ourselves, our local communities, and our world. We are bringing the philosophies of ADF to life at the grass roots level and introducing our Pagan beliefs to the mainstream.
We are a growing group of friends and families working through both magical and mundane means to bring our dreams into fruition. These dreams include: building a bridge of good relations with the SE Michigan Pagan and mundane communities; providing accessible opportunities for personal and spiritual growth through Druidism; and becoming a valuable and respected member of our community through public service, public education and right action.
We are working together to revive those practices of our Indo-European ancestors that are found to be rewarding and suitable for our modern needs and sensibilities. We are actively working to create spiritually and artistically effective magical practices to promote personal spiritual growth and greater communion with the Earth, the Spirits of Nature, our Ancestors and our Deities.
We join together to work, play, learn, teach and celebrate the seasons of our lives, the seasons of Nature, and the mysteries of our Deities. Our activities are open to all who wish to participate and our members are welcome to belong to as many other organizations/paths as they wish.
As we nurture our dreams and aspirations we are building an ever stronger sense of family and community. Together we are creating a Pagan way of life which will be carried by our children's children to the generations of the future.
By Jaguar
In Kootenay National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, there is a very large deposit of iron-rich soil known as ocher. It builds up around natural springs of mineral-laden waters which deposit their iron as the reach the surface. The deposits build until the pressure of the rising water is no longer sufficient to crest the rim, and a still pool forms. The waters and the surrounding area are orange, yellow, and green, appearing very much like industrial filth, but in fact are natural deposits. The natural ocher is a dull yellow-orange when deposited, but in the areas near the trees, where it has been oxidized by forest fires, it is the more familiar bright red/orange. Ocher from this deposit has been found all over North America, and must have been a valuable trade commodity for the local population.
In the Gaul region of France, many statues honoring the Celtic goddess Sirona have been found. She was variously depicted with dogs, snakes, and eggs, and her statues were often found near thermal springs. Thermal springs were traditionally places of healing, and dogs, snakes, and eggs were all symbols of regeneration or rebirth. These associations suggest that she was a goddess of healing and fertility.
It was standard surgical belief in various cultures from ancient Egypt to Hippocrates' Greece and as late as the 19th century that the presence of pus in a wound actually helped to prevent inflammation. Even if a wound was healing well, doctors might induce the production of pus, as it was considered to be a normal and necessary part of healing.
Shining Lakes Grove
P.O. Box 15585
Ann Arbor, Michigan
48106-5585
Phone: (313) 480-2082
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