Some thoughts from Phil Ryder
I must confess to some trepidation as to the venue for the Groves Day, the centre
of Birmingham hardly seemed to be the ideal location for a meeting of druids. My fears were put to
rest as soon as we entered the gates of this wonderful oasis. The entrance walk past herb gardens
planted in ritual category and fruit trees laden with a ripening harvest couldn’t help but
lift ones spirit. We were greeted warmly by both Bobcat and Morgan and shown into what was to be the
“classroom” for the day. Any remaining fears were instantly allayed; the room had been
set out as a circular seating area with floor cushions and a central “altar”, but this
wasn’t your classical sterile layout for an altar and although it had all the usual “
ingredients” there was additions that reflected the spirituality of its creator and it was
beautifully done in its spontaneity. The noise of the city dimmed and a peaceful air pervaded.
To begin we had opening prayers led by Bobcat and the circle gelled as spirit
touched spirit and connected with the spirits of the beautiful surroundings. There followed
introductions all round with groups and individuals having come from as far away as Edinburgh and
Kent. The rest of the morning was taken up with Bobcat, Kes and Morgan explaining what TDN offered
to both those who were running affiliated groves and those thinking of starting one, together with a
pledge of support when and if needed. Lynda and myself fall into the latter category. Lynda has long
dreamt of starting her own grove and more recently with some friends from Bolton this dream has
taken on an air of possibility but by the end of the morning the grove had become a reality and we
had begun thinking of a suitable name. A new grove was born and the air of positive encouragement
given by the organisers largely facilitated this. Further encouragement was the realisation that
others were in the same position as us and still others had succeeded in starting and successfully
continuing to run a grove.
A break for lunch gave us all a chance to further explore the gardens and engage
in lighter conversation and then we were back in the “classroom” for the afternoon
session. We were encouraged to write questions, no matter how simple, and place them in a basket to
be drawn at random and discussed with the group. Most of the questions I wanted answers to had been
satisfied in the morning but jointly Lynda and myself had one regarding ritual, children and the
casting of circles so Lynda duly wrote it and placed it in the basket. We were pre-empted however
because the question had also been put by someone else and was drawn first, a discussion ensued but
the consensus of opinion gave us the answer we were hoping for. Many of the questions placed by
others in the group were equally applicable to us, it was very comforting to know that others had
the same doubts and insecurities that we had, and so the whole session was enlightening and
comforting.
To end the day we all gathered around the medicine wheel that is hidden in a
secluded grove within the garden. A small fire was built in the centre and a simple spontaneous
ritual led by Bobcat saw us all place our offerings and end the day by thanking the spirits. Towards
the end of the ritual Morgan drew our attention to the treetops and three blackbirds were
attentively observing us, a fitting end to a wonderful day.
I’ll finish by saying a big thank-you to Bobcat, Morgan, Kes, the owners and
workers of the gardens, all those attending and anyone else behind the scenes that made the day
possible.
Some thoughts from Carole Birley
Around twenty-five people gathered in Birmingham for Groves' Day, representing a
dozen groves and proto-groves. We had travelled from the farmland and ancient stones of Kent, the
extinct volcanoes of Edinburgh, the moors of Lancashire, the mountains of North Wales, the flat
lands of East Anglia and many places in between. Some were experienced at leading Groves, many of us
were just starting to work with others.
But why would we seek to do so, in a tradition with such fierce emphasis on
personal responsibility, in which we each strive to honour and follow our own truth? This was the
question that Bobcat addressed in our first session, and she had several answers.
A grove allows us to develop intimate connections that are primarily spiritual, rather than sexual
or emotional, giving us the opportunity to share our spiritual journeys with those who know our
daily lives. But more than that, having others present brings another dimension to ritual.
Expressing ourselves openly in sacred spaces builds our strength to do so in the mundane world, and
interacting with the spirits with voice and gesture forces us to face our inhibitions - and helps us
to work through them. What matters is our truth, and the non-judgmental observations of
other people can help us cut through our evasions.
It's all too easy, when making first tentative steps into something new, to be
caught in the fear of 'not doing it right'. When I first encountered modern Druidry I was relieved
to find that it was not so much a mapped-out path as a way of learning to follow my own inner
compass. I felt a similar sense of relief as we shared our experiences of very different groves -
groves that ran public rituals, intensely private groves, groves that had led to bedrock
friendships, and groves whose members were free to share nothing beyond ritual.
Morgan described this variety as an archipelago of groves, each one intensely
unique. She described the ways in which the Network can support affiliated groves, including listing
events publicly on the website, posting information about the grove in the members-only part of the
website, or providing webspace restricted to members of that particular grove. She explained how a
grove is allowed to affiliate only when the Druid Network co-ordinators know that its facilitators
are trustworthy - so even as the network grows, the connections between us can stay personal and
real.
After a delicious shared lunch and a chance to soak up the sunshine in the
beautiful garden, we re-formed our circle for a round of very diverse questions. What was the best
way to advertise grove meetings? Should children attend rituals? Was an aggressive landowner trying
to restrict religious freedom, or manifesting the spirit of a site that wanted to be left alone? How
could grove leaders inspire commitment? Why was there a tomato on the altar? (It came from the
garden.) There was also advice on finding a place to meet, setting ground-rules, deciding which
festivals to celebrate together, setting meeting dates well in advance... and not forgetting the
mead.
We concluded the day with a ritual at the Gardens? medicine wheel, where we
committed to earth or flame the offerings we had brought from across the country, and spoke our
honouring of the place and our commitment to the intent that had brought us there.
For me, that intent has since led me and the two other members of our nascent
grove to make our first ritual together. We haven't got a name yet, but we do have a foundation to
build on, and the advice and insights offered at Groves' Day will be invaluable to us as we go
forward.
Thank you to everyone who facilitated and shared in the day, and especially to
Morgan for her superb organisation, unmistakably precise bus-hunting instructions, and above all for
giving us all such a warm welcome.
