Contents Contents

From the President............................1 From the President............................1 Secretary's Report..............................2 Secretary's Report..............................2 News from the Groves........................2 News from the Groves........................2 Sword, harp and singing bird: Sword, harp and singing bird:

Aonghus Óg........3 Aonghus Óg........3 A Guide to Irish Pronunciation............8 A Guide to Irish Pronunciation............8 Deepening Our Druidic Identity II......10 Deepening Our Druidic Identity II......10

Druidism for the 21Druidism for the 21stst Century™ Century™

The Henge of Keltria The Henge of Keltria Henge HappeningsHenge Happenings

Imbolc 2016 - Issue 109Imbolc 2016 - Issue 109Public editionPublic edition

From the President From the President

With the darkest days of the season behind us, even in the cold of winter, we feel the stirring of renewed life. We (in the Northlands) look forward to warmth and green. Right now we tend the hearth fires to keep warm. Equally important, we tend the fires of inspiration through study, celebration, practice and service. Speaking of service, there will be opportunities for service as the Henge serves its members. This year, two trustee positions and the board secretary for the Board of Trustees will be coming up for election. Watch for future communication regarding these elections and, perhaps,running for office yourself.

Sometime during the year, we will hold our annual Gathering with members serving members as we celebrate together. This is the one time most officers, elders and other members can meet for face-to-face discussions, ritual and social events.

With the Book of Keltria completed, the elders’ attention has turned to the Book of Ritual, as well as

our Keltrian training courses for grove and individual use. Keltrian Druidism, like most anything else worthwhile, is about our relationship with a greater vision and, therefore, what we get out of it depends on what we put into it.

Walk with Wisdom,

Karl Schlotterbeck

President, Board of Trustees of theHenge of Keltria

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Henge HappeningsHenge Happenings

Editor: Jenne Micaledulcimergoddess@keltria.org

E-mail: http://www.keltria.org/E-Mail.htm

All material published in Henge Happenings is ©Copyright 2016

by the Henge of Keltria Inc.

All rights reserved.This publication is also

protected by the Berne Convention.

Secretary's Report - Imbolc 2016Secretary's Report - Imbolc 2016The Henge has seen steady membership

renewals since ourlast Samhain HengeHappenings. We alllook forward to what2016 will bring toKeltria in terms ofgrowth andadditional resourcesbeing offered foreveryone's personal development. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Please note that the office of Secretary will be open for election this year for the Board. Please consider stepping forward and offering your energy and service.We have worked hard to create what we hope are reasonably organized and detailed procedure guides forhandling the regular Secretary duties. I am happy to make this document available to any with an interest inpursuing this position. We are also still looking for our host site for the 2016 annual Gathering. If interested, please submit your proposal to the President for Board overview.

I have been working on getting our Book of Songs recorded with my harp and hope to be submitting that to the Board for discussion and verification of the musical score to confirm our document is true to the original tune and energy of the songs.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to hold this position for the last four years. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow with all ofyou.

Walk with Wisdom, Strength and Gratitude,

Ulchabhan

Grove Report: Gryphonsong ClanGrove Report: Gryphonsong ClanOur Clan has made great steps forward in the

building of our outdoor storage facilities at our Circle site. One of the storage containers doubles very nicely as additional seating for attendees as well. The additional of water-tight bins generously donated by Clan members and additional outdoor site specific supplies will greatly reduce the amount of ritual items

that have to be taken down and then back for each gathering. Over the last nine years, we have been blessed with land that welcomes us and ritual space that grows more solid and functional. We love to stand as a Grove of Trees in our nemeton. We will be opening up our doors to new students this fall and lookforward to seeing what new energy and dynamics our next classes may bring.

From the Writings of "Fiona Macleod" [pseud.- William Sharp], Volume 6 also The Winged Destiny: Studies in the Spiritual History of the Gael:

...I am Brighid-nam-Bratta (Brighid of the Mantle), but I am also Brighid-Muirghin-na-tuinne (Brighid of

the conception of the waves),and Brighid-sluagh (Brighid of the immortal host),

Brighid-nan-sitheach seang (Brighid of the slim faeryfolk),

Brighid-Binne- Bheullbuchd-nan-trusganan-uaine(Brighid of sweet songs and melodious mouth),

and I am older than Aona (Friday) and am as old as Luan (Monday).

And in Tir-na-h'oige (Land of the Ever Young) my name is Suibhal-bheann (Mountain traveler);

in Tir-fo-thuinn (Country of the Waves) it is Cu-gorm (Grey Hound);

and in Tir-nah'oise (Country of Ancient Years)it is Sireadh-thall (Seek-beyond).

And I have been a breath in your heart.

And the day has its feet to it that will see mecoming into the hearts of men and women

like a flame upon dry grass,like a flame of wind in a great wood...

May your Feast ofAwakening plantglorious seeds ofpotential for yourupcoming cycle.

Walk with Wisdom,GryphonSong

Clan

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Sword, harp and singing bird:Sword, harp and singing bird:Aonghus ÓgAonghus ÓgBy Jenne Micale

Edain came out of Midhir's hill, and layBeside young Aengus in his tower of glass,

Where time is drowned in odour-laden windsAnd Druid moons, and murmuring of boughs,

And sleepy boughs, and boughs where apples madeOf opal and ruby and pale chrysolite

Awake unsleeping fires; and wove seven strings,Sweet with all music, out of his long hair,

Because her hands had been made wild by love.When Midhir's wife had changed her to a fly,

He made a harp with Druid apple-woodThat she among her winds might know he wept;And from that hour he has watched over none

But faithful lovers. - William Butler Yeats, “The Harp of Aengus”

Amid the falling snow, the lightlengthens; buds began to swell on the icicle-laden branch. The green force of life tricklesand then flows in tandem, rising forth aswinter's cloak melts from the land.It is at this time – the birth of spring and its slowswelling – that Keltrian Druids honor Aonghus Óg, the Young Son with the swan wings.

His name has been variously spelled, andvariously interpreted. Scholar and linguistMarie-Louise Sjoestedt interprets his name as“unique force,” while Celticist Mary Jonestranslates it as “Chosen One.” Writer Aedh Rua,drawing on other research, connects it to the oldCeltic/Gaulish name Oinogustus, interpreted as“one choice” or, occasionally, “one strength.”His title is a bit more consistent: Mac Óg means“young son,” and Óg simply “young.” Thereare, however, variants: Mac ind Óg “son of theyoung/son of youth” and even Mac in Dá Óg,“son of the two young ones,” which perhapsrefers to his parents, Boann and the Dagda(Sjoestedt 41-42).

He is associated with swans, whichappear in a variety of myths, as well as four

birds that continually circle his head, bringing joy and love (Rolleston 121). Some descriptions have him playing a harp of gold, drinking the ale of immortality and using his cloak of invisibility to protect chosen lovers (McKillop 138). In a larger sense, he appears to be the same god as the Welsh Mabon and Gaulish Maponos, the Divine Youth whom the Romans interpreted as Apollo. To draw on a wider range of Indo-European mythology, he has qualities in commonwith the Indian Kama, the Slavic Lado/Yarilo and the Norse Baldur.

But don't let the swans and the flowers fool you; Aonghus is more than a winged Victorian Cupid

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Victorian-era painting of Aonghus Og by an unknown artist, via Wikimedia Commonz

figure. To use a Greek analogy, he's equal parts Eros, Apollo and Hermes: the lover, the poet and the trickster. His is the primeval force that shatters the arbitrary chains of tradition — a bit like sex itself. Love may have swan wings and a harp, but he also carries a sword. And he’s not blind; in fact, he’s sharp-sighted and pretty darn smart.

A love that crosses boundaries

Aonghus' parents, “the Two Young Ones,” are the river-goddess Boann and father-god Dagda. There is a catch, however; Boann is already married to a god named either Elcmar or Nechtan, who may be the sameas Nuada Airgetlám, the Tuatha de Danann god associated with rulership, justice, the sword and law. Associated with fresh water and a magic well that eventually transforms Boann into a river, Nechtan mustbe tricked the allow Aonghus Óg to be born; when the Dagda sends him off on an errand, the gods stop the passage of time to make a single day last nine months, allowing for the birth of the Young Son, who is then sent to his brother Midhir (“judge,” whom I interpret as the Celtic moon god) to raise. Upon his birth, his mother said, “'Young is the son who was begotten at break of day and born betwixt it and evening'” (Rees and Rees, 216), the origin of his title and also a hint of the god's interesting relationship with time.

While Boann never leaves Nuada, it is perhaps telling that Aonghus is born of an affaire de coeur rather than a sanctioned partnership. He later helps his foster-father Midhir in his own matters of the heart, winning him the hand of lovely Etain (or Edain) via a series of impossible tasks with some help from dad – and conveniently ignoring the fact that Midhir is already married to the goddess Fuamnach. His brother and new wife live with him for a year, perhaps circumventing the rule in which the elder wife would be able to work her will on the new bride during the first days of partnership. When Fuamnach turns Etain into a jeweled insect, he provides Etain a home and protection in the form of a glass room. When the elder wife tricks Aonghus and Midhir away from Etain and blows the latter away with a Druidic wind, it is Aonghus who seeks vengeance, ultimately beheading Fuamnach in a rare act of violence (Heaney 25).

In short, propriety and social rules do not matter to the Young Son; throughout myth, he supportsthe path of the heart, no matter the cultural ramifications or consequences. He's probably a great fan of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, although he'd likely give the titular couple more time together before the inevitable disaster.

He does meddle in human affairs of the heart, although in a protective role rather than the typical Cupid-armed-with-arrows image. His foster-son, Diarmuid of the Love-Spot, has the magical ability to inspire transgressive love, which he tries to curtail by keeping the infamous spot covered. He inevitably slips up and Grainne, new bride to his chief Finn, falls in love with him – although, dismayed by an arranged marriage to a man older than her father, she was admittedly on the lookout for a better opportunity. She forces Diarmuid to run away with her via a potion and a geis, over his protests. Interestingly, Aonghus seems to bless this love – spiriting the couple away in his cloak of invisibility over the heads of Finn and his men, giving Diarmuid advice on how to keep one step ahead of Finn, and later also spiriting away Grainne alone as Diarmuid fights on. As Diarmuid fights, he uses Aonghus' sword, Manannan's spear and a hefty dose of trickery to win the day.

Love and Time

Aonghus has a complex relationship with time and its manipulation. As seen above, his birth comes after an alteration of time – an illusion that allows a day to last nine months. He is also heavily involved in the myth of Midhir and Etain, which involves the repeated transformations and ultimate reincarnation of the latter, who is continually gained and lost by her love, a cycle reminiscent of the waxing and waning moon.

He gains Brug na Boinne, his home, through the verbal manipulation of time-concepts. He asks the occupant at the time, the Dagda, to borrow the house for a day and a night. Feeling generous as Aonghus does not have a sídh mound of his own, his father grants the request. When he shows up the following day, Aonghus won't hand over the house-keys. Irish, asit happens, has no article that differentiate “a day”

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from “day” itself. Or as the god explains it: “'It is clear,' said the Mac Óc, 'that night and day are the whole world, and it is that which has been given to me'” (Rees and Rees, 88). It's a bit of trickery that would make the Greek Hermes proud.

From his conception, Aonghus alters the perception of time – although not time himself. He doesn't stop the sun's passage or count the years of Etain's loss; other gods do that. Instead, he's an illusionist, making us question the reality of what we see and experience and to look to the loopholes in the contract. In some senses, the Young Son stands outsideof time, a perspective that influences the One Choice that must be made. These choices aren't only limited tolove; he advises his father, for example, to trick the ravenous Fomorian satirist Cridenbel by mixing gold coins in his food (Blamires 101), thus poisoning theFomhoire and providing an alibi all at once. Standingoutside of time and recognizing the limits ofperception are, in essence, the key to cleverness.

Aonghus interacts with time in another way:by freeing the light and warmth of spring. Accordingto a Scottish myth, the Cailleach – a goddess ofwinter – imprisons his sister Brighid in the mountainBeinn Nibheis, and Aonghus rides on a white horse tosave her (Kondratiev, 152). The god associated withyouth, poetry, love and springtime frees the fire-goddess, and together they bring the spring to thewintry land.

The fort of the yew-berry

While Aonghus plays a role in many myths,he's the focal point of Aislinge Óenguso, the Vision ofAonghus. For a year, the god sees a beautiful womanin a vision or dream; she plays the lute or harp. Hefalls deeply in love with this vision-woman andbegins to pine away, unable to rouse himself from histrance-state. Physicians call in his mother Boann, whosearches the world for this woman to no avail. Thenthey call in his father, the Dagda, who has a rathercomical, if pragmatic, response: “What is the use oftalking to me? … I know no more than you do”(Celtic Miscellany, 94).

The Dagda, however, calls in another of his

sons: Bodhbd (Bodb) Dearg, whose name means “Red Raven” and who is associated with arcane knowledge. Bodb's search is successful and he finds the woman at Loch Bél Dragon, the Lake of the Dragon's Mouth. Her name is Caer, a name that appears to be connected to the word cathair, which means a city or rocky fort; she is also called Ibormeith, or Yew Berry. Bodb takes his brother to the lake, where he recognizes the womanof his dreams – who wears a silver band around her neck, connected by gold chains to 150 other young women.

Unable presumably to catch her attention, Bodbrefers Aonghus to the rulers of the land, the famous Maedhbh (Maeve) and Aillil, who summon Caer's father, Ethal Anbhuail, to their hall. He refuses to come, and their forces – aided by the Dagda – overun

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Aonghus Og, from the 1914 book "Heroes of the Dawn," via Wikimedia Commons

Ethal's sídh. Amid threats to his safety, Ethal tells themthat he cannot give Caer to them, for she is a shapeshifter whose own power exceeds his own – and possibly that of Aonghus. After a little ungentle prodding, he admits to them how she may be approached: she changes shape each Samhain at the lake. Caer's hand, as it turns out, cannot be won by either force or trickery.

Come Samhain, Aonghus goes to the lake, where he picks out Caer from 150 identical swans linked by silver chains. He simply calls to her, introduces himself and asks her consent to the match. She gives it, provided that he permit her return to the lake. He happily grants this and they fly off together in the shape of swans, singing the song that puts all into blissful slumber for three days. “The girl stayed with him after that,” the eighth century version of the tale ends (Celtic Miscellany, 97).

In some senses, the story is reminiscent of the Roman Cupid and Psyche, save that the roles are reversed; it is the god who must pursue the vision of his soul and win her hand. Force and flattery cannot win her, only the ability to choose the beloved correctly from others – a task that resurfaces in Midhir and Etain, except the king mistakenly chooses his own daughter rather his wife. After the choice is made, the beloved is asked her consent, which she gives in exchange for free will. Perhaps tellingly, she never leaves him – even though she has the right to leave andreturn to her lake at any time.

The Rees brothers compare this story to Indian tales of Gandharvas, or nature-spirits who appear as half-bird and half-man; their wives, the Apsaras, are water-nymphs (276). Kama, the Indian god of love with his flower-tipped arrows, “is also called 'The Gandharva,'” they note (278); Aonghus turns into a swan alongside his bride, in essence, becoming a nature spirit. To take a larger view, shape-changing swan-maidens persist in folklore throughout the world,as part of a larger theme of animal brides.

The Fort of the Yew Berry is obviously something other, a boundary-crosser with great power, the last according to the admission of her father. Where, or what, is the City of the Yew Berry? James

MacKillop provides this answer: “Her nickname Ibormeith (yew berry) implies something of the nature of her character. The long-living evergreen yew is commonly a symbol of immortality in European tradition and is still often seen in Christian cemeteries. Wood from the tree is hard to burn and was the favoured material in druids' wands” (167). The City of the Yew Berry represents a kind of immortality, the numinous, shape-changing power of spirit that lies behind magic.

The story of Caer and Aonghus can be seen as the definition of ideal love: seeking, finding, asking consent and granting free-will. It can also be seen as the artist's pursuit of the “Muse,” the creative spirit behind the work. (MacKillop, interestingly, sees Aonghus as a god of poetry rather than love.) It can also be interpreted as the sacred's courtship of and relationship with the soul, who has her own free will and agency.

Restorer of the soul

On swan wings, we alight on another of Aonghus' roles: the restorer of the soul. Caitlin Matthews considers Aonghus as a powerful “healer of souls” (283), and a primary guardian of the soul-shrinewith his sister Brighid (328). In support of this, we may remember the songbirds (or swans, depending on the story) that circle his head, whose tunes inspire joy, love and release from depression. Aonghus and Caer also bring bliss and restful sleep to all those who hear them sing. In some tales, when his brother Midhir losesan eye breaking up a quarrel, Aonghus is the one who brings the physician Dian Cecht to restore him.

Matthews in particular cites Aonghus role in protecting Etain when she was in the shape of a fly, and thus vulnerable to Fuamnach, and his treatment of Diarmuid after his foster-son's death. While Aonghus cannot restore him to human life, he brings him to the brug, where he breathes the spirit into him every day, allowing the two to converse for a while. Diarmuid experiences, in short, an eerie kind of half-life similar to that of the speaking head of Bran the Blessed in Welsh lore. To Matthews, “Aengus is concerned with the harmony which should be in the soul-shrine” (328),

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which perhaps explains his violent reaction to the repeated disharmony caused by Fuamnach.

As spring edges into fullness, allow your soul to listen to the song of Aonghus – his birds and his harp, his longing and his love. Like springtime itself, he is fresh and new – the “force that through the green fuse drives the flower,” as poet Dylan Thomas puts it. That force – chi, prana, spirit – is a powerful one binding us to the cosmos and its cycles as long as we live, and to art, love, music and visions. Aonghus Óg isa manifestation of this force, which is not limited to lovers or the young, but feeds all who drink from its sweet waters.

Bibliography

A Celtic Miscellany. Ed. and trans. Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson. New York: Penguin Books, 1951.

Blamires, Steve. The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition. Cheltanham, UK: Skylight Press, 1992, 2012

Heaney, Marie. Over Nine Waves: A Book of Irish Legends. London: Faber and Faber, 1994.

Jones, Mary. “Óengus mac ind-Óg.” Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia.

http://www.maryjones.us/jce/oengus.html. Accessed Dec. 29,

2015.

Kondratiev, Alexei. The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual. New York: Citadel Press, 2003.

MacKillop, James. Myths and Legends of the Celts. New York: Penguin Books, 2005.

Matthews, Caitlin and John. The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom: A CelticShaman's Sourcebook.

Rockport, Mass.: Element, 1994.

Rees, Alwyn and Brinley. Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales. London: Thames

and Hudson, 1961.

Rolleston, T.W. Celtic Myths and Legends. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1917.

Rua, Aedh. Celtic Flame: An Insider's Guide to Irish Pagan Tradition. New York: iUniverse, Inc.,

2008.

Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise. Celtic Gods and Heroes. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2000.

“The Wooing of Etain.” from Heroic Romances of Ireland Volume II, ed. and trans. A.H. Leahy. London: David Nut, 1906. Published on http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/etain.html, Accessed Dec. 30, 2015.

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Swan in snow. Photo by Jenne Micale.

How do I say that again? A GuideHow do I say that again? A Guideto Irish Pronunciationto Irish Pronunciation

Do you want to add some Irish phrases to your ritual, but have no idea how to say them? Can't remember the correct pronunciation of holy days or theGods?

The Henge of Keltria's Steward of the Woods has you covered, with the help of Topaz Owl and the ever-useful The Henge of Keltria Book of Ritual. This cheat-sheet of pronunciations makes Irish easy! Review it before your next ritual.

Irish Gods and Goddess, Feast Days andPlaces

Name Phonetic Pronunciation*Gods and Goddesses

Aonghus Óg ANG-uss Ugh

Airmid AIR-i-midj (j like the end of “bridge” in English)

Bíle BEE-luh

Boann BOW-ann

Brigid BREEJ ( j like the end of “bridge” in English)

Cailleach KAL-yuck (gutteral K, as in Scottish “loch”)

Dagda DAHG-tha

Danu DAH-noo

Dian Cécht JEE-n kyekht

Goibhniu GIV-ah-noo (or GEHV-ah-nuh)

Lugh LOO

Manannán Mac Lir MAHN-ahn-nawn MACK LEER

Miach MEE-uck

Mórrígán MOR-i-gahn (or MOR-ree-gawn)

Nuada NOO-ah-tha

Ogma OG-mah

Tailtiu TAIL-chew (or TAHL-tuh)

Tuatha Dé Danann TOO-a-ha jay DAHN-non

Masters and Mythical Cities

Esras EHS-rahs

Falias FAH-lees

Findias (or Finias) FIHN-jees (or FIHN-ees)

Gorias GUH-rees

Semias SHEH-mees

Morfessa MOR-fehs-sah

Murias MUH-rees

Tuan TOON (or TOIN)

Uiscias IHS-kees

Feast Days

Beltaine BYALL-tin-uh

Imbolc IM-mulk (gutteral k, as in Scottish “loch”)

Lughnasadh LOO-na-sah

Samhain SOW-in

Places

Connacht KUHN-nahkt

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Gealtacht GYALL-tahkt (Irish speaking area of Ireland)

Leinster LEHN-ster

Magh Mór MOY-mohr

Mide MIJEH

Munster MUHN-ster

Tír Andomain CHEER AHN-duh-mahn

Uisneach ISH-nyak (gutteral k, as in Scottish “loch”)

Ulster UHL-ster

Other Useful Words and Phrases

Aer AHR (air)

Abhainn AH-vahn (river)

Aos dána ees DAH-nah (People of the arts)

Bíodh sé amhlaidh! BEE-oh shay OWL-ee (So be it!)

Cloch KLOK (stone)

Coill KWILL (forest)

Crann KRAWN (tree)

Draoi DREE (Druid)

Draoithe DREE-uh (Druids)

Oiche EE-huh (night, eve)

Ollamh UHL-lahv (teacher, professor)

Talamh TAL-uv (earth, soil)

Tine CHIN-eh (fire)

Uisce ISH-kah (water)

Uisce beatha ISH-kah BYAH-hah (whisky; “waters of life”)

*Pronunciation of Irish words are subject to regional dialects; hence, there may be other valid pronunciations for these words.

SourcesIrish spelling taken from:Collins Irish Dictionary. Glasgow: Harper Collins.

2006Ellis, Peter B. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford:

Oxford University Press. 1992.

Mackillop, James. Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1998.

Irish pronunciations from:Taylor, Pat and Tony. The Henge of Keltria Book of

Ritual. 2004. 4th Ed. Cafe Press. pp. 80-82.Topaz OwlSteward of the Wood

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Image from the 1885 book "Picturesque Ireland," via Wikimedia Commons.

Deepening Our DruidicDeepening Our DruidicIdentity, Part II of IIIIdentity, Part II of III

By Karl Schlotterbeck, MA, CAS, LP –President, ArchDruid Emeritus

In the last issue of Henge Happenings, I discussed some of the Bardic Disciplines of the Invisible Druid Order. In those disciplines, attention is directed toward becoming more aware of one’s place on the land within the Circle of the Horizon, and the development of poetic skills. Only some of these “disciplines” can be presented in text as many of them build on one another over time. Nevertheless, there are some that are easily applicable (with discipline) to all aspirants ofDruidic ways.

During the Ovateyear, attention isdirected towardcommunicationwith elements,beings and cycles,which also meansdeveloping relationships withthem. The beingsand elementsaround us are notjust objects of ourattention, but weacknowledge thatwe are alsoobjects of theirattention.

The first half of the Ovate Year emphasizes hospitality or receptivity to the spirits and elements around us as we become aware of their presence, both physical and non-physical. Here’s one way to do that:

In your daily activities and travels around your community, make note of nine “elements” that stand out for you. These elements could be particular trees, a stream, hill, roadway or

human construction. Of course, there are endless things that could be included, but you would select those that, in some way, call to you or stand out. Note also that the elements of our world can include human-made things, too. This is done over a month’s time as a contemplative practice that requires awareness of the environment around us and, at the same time, any response from within us.

Once these nine elements are identified, the next step is to address each one individually, contacting the consciousness that is there (yes, including human-made things, too) and asking each one how it perceives you and what it sees in you. Stuck in our own self-centered habits ofthought and cultural biases, we too often

perceive things and people in theworld around us as objects, rather than sentient beings with their own points of view – including stars, trees, ants, streams, roadways, etc. We thus remain unaware of their observations

of us.

The second half of the Ovate Year is more active as we journey out into the Otherworld for various purposes, similar to shamanic journeys. Thus, we practice both active and receptive modes of relationship with the beings of this and the Otherworld.

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Photo by Cypresseyes

There are some activities that span both phases of the Ovate Year. One is taking notice each day of specific animals that unexpectedly appear to us or familiar animals that behave strangely in that day. Another is to engage in daily divination (such as a rune, card or whatever system one is most comfortable with), and look at patterns in terms of which divinatorythemes repeat themselves over the course of a month, and which are absent.

Also throughout the year, specific activities are coordinated with seven phases of the Moon – each intending to use the energy of that phase to break attachment to our routines and habitual patterns of thought, increase creative thought, and expand awareness. Some of the activities are aligned with traditional meanings of the waxing and waning of the Moon’s cycle, while others are more related to our druidic purposes.

Here are those phases and activities. Note that the “New Moon” here refers to the traditional meaning of the first visible crescent rather than the conjunction of Sun and Moon as it has come to mean today. This conjunction is here referred to as the “Dark of the Moon” for it is the time during which the Moon shows us its dark side.

Dark of theMoon –During thisphase, makeevery effort tobreak uproutines and dothings indifferent waysNew Moon(meaning thetime of the firstvisiblecrescent) –Spend timeenvisioningand dreamingof possiblefutures

Waxing Quarter – As best you can, practice mindfulness, being present in all you doFull Moon – During this day, look beyond the obvious, to see the spirits behind everything, asif everything you see is the manifestation of a spiritWaning Quarter – Honor what is important to you; celebrate it as an expression of your valuesWaning Crescent – Imagine walking the worldas a spirit, living without namesBalsamic/Last Crescent – (the last crescent before the Dark of the Moon) – Fast, cleanse, and let go into the DarkThese disciplines may sound demanding and

time-consuming but, taken as day-to-day practices, they require only a small amount of time, a journal, a bit of attention and, above all, discipline. The purpose of these disciplines is to help us realize how embeddedwe are in nature and entwined in the consciousness of nature and all her elements – to become aware of our relationship with all that is around us and to make that relationship worthy of a Druid’s consciousness.

In part III of this series, I’ll present some of the Druidic Disciplines of this path.

11Photo by Cypresseyes

Interested in meeting up withInterested in meeting up withlike-minded Druids?like-minded Druids?

Steer your browser tohttp://www.keltria.org/contact.htm to find out all the

different ways you can reach us!The Keltria-L E-Mail List provides a discussion

arena to share ideas, questions, answers and a chance to get to know other Keltrians. Non-members are welcome to subscribe as provisional subscribers for sixmonths.

While many Keltria members practice as solitary, we do have an assortment of groves and study groups across the country! These include:

• GryphonSong Clan and Olde Stone Grove, bothin the Atlanta, Georgia, area

• Slaibh Anam Druid Grove Study Group in Durango, Colorado

• Garrán an Eich Órbhuí (Grove of the Golden Horse) in the Syracuse, New York, region

• The Red River Grove study group in the Shreveport, Louisiana area

• The White Oak study group in Raleigh, North Carolina

• The Celtic Earth Haven Study Group in Green Bay, WI

• The White Cat Grove study group (currently onhiatus, but pondering resurrection if there's renewed interest) in Binghamton, New York

• Garrán na Talún Cáiliúil - Grove of the FamousLand study group – in Sanford, FL

CContact usontact usU.S. Mail: The Henge Of Keltria

P.O. Box 1060 Anoka, MN 55303-1060

Website: www.keltria.org

E-Mail: Please email the Henge Office at henge-office09@keltria.or

Also, search for Henge of Keltria on Facebook, or apply for membership to the Keltrian Druid discussion group.

What are the hallmarks of Keltrian Druidism?What are the hallmarks of Keltrian Druidism?We celebrate the Gods and Goddesses of ancient

Ireland.This is accomplished through our rituals and sensing

their inspiration in our lives.

We revere the Spirits of Nature.This is also achieved through ritual and awareness oftheir messages received as we move though our daily

routines.

We Honor our Ancestors.As with our Gods, Goddesses, and Nature Spirits, our

Ancestors provide us with guidance andencouragement.

We respect all life and do no harm withoutdeliberation or regard.

It is wrong to kill or maim without reason, regard, andnecessity. We place the responsibility of choice firmly

in the hands of the individual.

The virtue of an action is judged by the action itself,the intention behind the action and its outcome.An individual determines their own ethics based on

self-respect and consideration of others.

Justice is sought through restorative measures.Justice is best served not by reward or punishment,freedom or confinement, but in the efforts towards

restoring the health of broken relationships.

We gain knowledge and develop wisdom bylearning what we can and teaching what we are

able.Our purpose in life is to grow and evolve in wisdom.

We encourage people to follow their own paths.We do not have the “one, right, only true way.” The

Henge of Keltria provides a framework for self-exploration and choice.

We endorse the growth and evolution of The Hengeof Keltria and the membership.

The Henge of Keltria is prepared to accept new, provenscholarship even if it alters core practices. We

recognize the importance of an individual’s evolutionand provide guidance when requested.

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