A review, by bish
This year's ritual was in front of the remarkable Tenbury Wells Pump Rooms. Built in the 'Chinese Gothic' style in the middle of the C19th to promote the springs that give the town its name, they offered a dramatic backdrop to the gathering.
Under pale but dry skies a circle of a couple of dozen formed about the mistletoe, gathered onto a tripod and yet to reach the ground, while another looser circle of interested folk surrounded them - and interested town residents and casual visitors made an even wider third circle about them!
The focus of the ritual was the property of Mistletoe to be a potent herb of healing - indeed it it known as All-Heal. Tenbury Wells, in common with many west country towns and villages, had suffered greatly in the summer floods and the heart of the ritual was a blessing of healing and peace for the Town. The day, 1st December, is National Mistletoe Day and although the actual mistletoe auctions took place on another day this time the whole town was alive with the Mistletoe Festival, with a mistletoe queen, carnival and street performers.
The circle being established, a call for peace was made and the blade of the syckle was libated from the drinking horn before being used to ritually gather the mistletoe. Druids and pagans had gathered from all over the country, Dorset, Leicester, Gloucestershire... and also from the environs of Tenbury Wells itself. The local Druids called a personal blessing of healing for the town
Mistletoe from the ritual bough was distributed to those attending, to take back to their own homes along with the healing energies raised within the intent of the rite. After the ritual was completed Stefan and Paul moved inside the pump-rooms to perform 'Dreaming the Land', a mixture of song and word on the subject of mistletoe in myth and medicine and the symbology of the herb.
They also sold a goodly quantity of their CD 'Mistlemas' with the profits going towards future Mistletoe Foundation works.
It is hoped that the local Druids will become the driving force behind blessings at the actual auction each year and that this powerful and inspiring rite will take place again next year.
With thanks to everyone who donated photographs for this review, including Malcolm, Neil (Red Raven), Neal P and Gwen SE. Copyright for all these pictures resides with the respective authors, which are all used with permission.
