Location: East Lancashire
Contact: lynda_ryder [at] btinternet [dot] com or philryder [at] btinternet [dot] com
The grove was born to facilitate the celebration of the eight festivals by a group of friends within the Druid tradition. This we do by coming together to share laughter, tears, music, poetry, food and drink and to give honour and respect to the spirit(s) of the land together with our ancestors of blood, land and spirit. We acknowledge that each member has the right to view and work with deity in whichever individual way they choose and we respect those choices.
Our celebrations take place at various local sites and include a pre-christian healing well and stone circle. We have children within our group and try to include these within the celebration and to this end we keep the celebrations as light as possible and try hold them at the weekend closest to the festival. In this way members are free to perform deeper ritual when they feel the time is right either on their own or in smaller groups and by including children we hope that they will be inspired with a love of this sacred land and a respect for that which has passed before them.
The grove is based in East Lancashire in the midst of the West Pennine Moors and is open to all who wish to celebrate life within the Druid tradition. We have neither set rules for membership nor any requirement for previous experience or membership of any order. Rather it is the intent of the individual to celebrate life by honouring the land, their ancestors and deity and to respect all life and the rights of others to tread the path of life in whatever way they choose.
Grove History:
The dream of belonging to her own local grove was one that Lynda, one of the founder members, had nurtured for a number of years, but having no other local pagan contact it remained a dream. A letter inviting her to a pub moot in a neighbouring town organised by one of the other founder members, Michelle, provided the much needed contact and the seed was sown. After organising and attending open celebrations with all of the moot members, who came from varying paths, it became apparent that it was impossible to please everyone and so the Grove was born to satisfy the spiritual needs of those inclined towards the Druidic path. We held our first “official” celebration at the Autumn Equinox 2003 at a pre-christian healing well near Darwen.
From these roots it is hoped that the Grove will blossom into a place that all its members can call their spiritual home. Somewhere where the Awen inspires and empowers us to tread the path of life ethically and with integrity and somewhere that endows us with roots deep within the landscape of this Sacred Land.
