The Four Directions usually acknowledged in modern Druidry are the cardinal directions of North, East, South and West. Do you use this distinction in your ritual? If so, why? And how?
Emma Restall Orr : My Grove meets at the cross-quarter festivals that for us mark the beginning of the seasons. We therefore don’t call to the cardinal directions or their (most common British) elemental associations, but to the cusps between elements, where earth meets air at Imbolc, air and fire at Beltane, fire and water at Lughnasadh, water and earth at Samhain. This adds to the depth of understanding how our Grove is one that faces the gods of change, uncertainty and creativity. No call is written down, each person speaking from their heart, waking the Grove to the aspects of nature held within that symbolic cross-quarter, and making sure the spirits know they are honoured.
Phil Ryder : As a grove we call to the four directions, usually starting in the East and working through South and West to North with their traditional associations, each being called by a different member of the grove. We have found that there is a familiarity that most people are comfortable with and each element is called to in a way that places the group firmly at the current point of the yearly cycle.
Willow : I always make it a point to call the four directions because they are the building blocks of all life. They are woven into the tapestry of everything and it is as important to acknowledge them as it is everything else in nature.
Ximena Eduarda : Before I start, while I distinguish the natural disposition of the place and indoors, in order to locate myself in the space, I stand together with the offer looking South. When I need to invoke additional force, I call first the North Wind for it brings greater potency in its blow, leaving all beginnings to the East. During the ritual, I apply the eight magical moments of the Wheel of Life and its powers, remaining implicit the four directions. The moment we are crossing in the cycle, from that direction I will gather the influences, and apply its solar or lunar potencies depending on the date and purpose of the ritual.
Robin Herne : Within our Clann we no longer call upon the four directions, but focus instead on praise of the Ancestors, the Gods, and the Land itself.