Dispatches from RDG’s
Autonomous Collectives
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Medford, OR:
Finally after many months of blood, sweat and tears our Sunna Room and firepit are ready for use by the Grove. For pictures please see:
http://home.earthlink.net/~triplehorses/id18.html
AND we invite you to attend our Beltane Maypole Dance, Sunday, May
18 at our outdoor firepit!!!
Our ritual will be followed by a potluck lunch. At 2 p.m., we will have a special guest, Heather who will provide a “The Unified Voice” workshop. She will also perform pieces from her new cd: Closing the Divide. Her original music is powerfully sacred with traces of Celtic, Pop, Folk, and
Middle Eastern styles. Learn more at: http://heatherhutton.com/
We also look forward to seeing everyone in the Redwoods in August!!!
Blessings,
Aigeann
triplehorses@gmail.com
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Eureka, CA:
The Mother Grove
The big news here in the Sacred Redwoods is that at least one battle
in the war to save the trees is over. Maxxam/Charles Hurwitz has lost all interest in Pacific Lumber Co, and it’s 200,000 acres of Redwood forest in bankruptcy proceedings that began just about a year ago. As it stands, it looks like most of the company will be transferred to Mendocino Redwoods, a company known for it’s ecologically sound and sustainabe logging practices.
The forest itself may be auctioned to the highest bidder. Harvard University and The Nature Conservancy are said to be two of the interested parties.
In other news, the Mother Grove is perfecting the art of live-and-in-person
ordinations. At our Calen Mai celebration on April 27, we bestowed the Fifth degree on Druid Mark (aka Darkcryst), as a complete surprize to him! Kudows to him!
Our next big concern is the planning and exectuion of this years Druid Gathering, which we’ve renamed “Sequoia Pan-Pagan Gathering,” in order to broaden it’s appeal (also, the past few years attendees have only been about 50% from the Reform – the others were feeling a bit left out). But this Gathering is still very much a Reformed Druid convention!
The main ritual will still be drawn from the tradition of the ARDA, and this year we expect to be performing ordinations for even the Third Order! This thing is getting bigger and better every year, and Druids are coming from farther and farther away (in fact we expect some visitors from the East oast and from the UK this year — come and see!).
In Gaia,
Ceridwen & El
Past & Present AD’s
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Colorado Springs, CO:
Circle of Stone had our first kick off meeting from Meet up.com on the 21st of April, 2008. 8 people were in attendance and it was splendid aside all noise at Starbucks. We have decided to study the Ancient Celts to start out then move into the Druids then devote some time to the Irish Path.We are looking for another venue to hold our meetings, and decision was made to have 2 meetings, one meeting is a study group scheduled for the 1st of the Monday month the second meeting is the Meet Up and it is scheduled on the 3rd Monday of the month. The second meeting is the meet and greet of new members as well as the gathering on current members to share in wisdom and drink. We also decided to hold one meeting on the North side of town and one South/West of town to accommodate all who are driving or taking the bus.
Circle of Stone Calan Mai Ritual
Circle of Stone will be holding their Calan Mai ritual, on the 5th of May at 7 pm MDT at Helen Hunt Falls, located in North Cheyenne Canyon, CO. The ritual will presented by Arch Druid Dyddgu and is titled the Triple Spiral, followed by an attunement to the The Great Megaliths of the Celtic Lands. This ritual is a great way to introduce our new members to ritual and to our energies as well as learning about Celtic Ritual in general. A small potluck follows.This is a family friendly ritual. Site is discreetly wet, (alcohol in discreet containers only) please dress for the weather, bring your chairs and feast gear (your own plate, utensils and drinking cup). Hope to see you there!Grove membership-17
http://druid.meetup.com/267
http://www.circleofstone.ning.com
nt-Arch Druid Dyddgu /|\
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Philadelphia, PA:
Currently meeting in the lush emerald woods of Fairmount Park in the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection (commonly know as Philadelphia), Aelvenstar Grove honors Mother Earth. The grove was formally founded Beltaine, 2004 and is a proto grove of the Reformed Druids of Gaia/Order
of the Mithril Star and the Reformed Druids Of North America. In addition, we are associated with other pagan organizations such as Per NTR Sesen and Temple Harakhte.
Looking to our ancestors and the ancients, Aelvenstar Druids respect
all life and receive inspiration from Nature and the heavens. We believe it is the natural state of Mankind to live in harmony with Nature. and that it is our responsibility to respect and protect the Earth. As activists, it is our responsibility to do our part collectively and individually to heal the environment.
Emphasizing development through the practice of Druidcraft, focus is placed upon personal growth through the development of body, mind, and spirit. Through study, discussions, rituals, retreats, fellowship, and meditation, a spiritual framework is provided through which Druids may further develop themselves.
Aelvenstar Grove holds eight celebrations a year, on the solstices, equinoxes, and cross quarter festivals. We sometimes meet on other occasions for outings and initiations. Online meetings and initiations are held too, as some members live a distance away.
We welcome new members of all backgrounds who love nature and seek spirituality permeated in the divine beauty and wonder that surrounds us. Nature is groovy!
Courses available: Reformed Druidism 101
Website: http://www.aelvenstargrove.org
Email: aelvenstargrove@yahoo.com
For more information about Reformed Druidism, visit http://rdg.mithrilstar.org
Grove of the Oaken Staves
Middleburg, FL:
No new news at this time…
Penda, Archdruid
hdivinemad@bellsouth.net
White Horse Protogrove
Live Oak , FL:
Another of our newly formed Protogroves – Florida is sure becoming a popular place for Druids! More news on this group as it progresses…
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Wilverly Raven Grove |
New Milton, Hampshire, UK
Well, this is our very first report for the Order of the Mithril Star and I am afraid that there is not very much to tell you about. Although as a Grove we have been holding ritual together for a long time, we have yet to hold our first rite since aligning ourselves with OMS. So what can we tell you about?We currently consist of just three members but we are often joined by two others when we hold rites, blots and sumbels. Sometimes it is more than two others but more often than not we are just the five. So the first plan has to be to expand and get more members both for ourselves and for the OMS. Secondly we want to attract more people to our environmental concerns. We live in a very wonderful place. A place virtually unspoiled by human contact. However, it does not stay that way by accident. It takes a huge team of volunteers to keep the forest in good shape and we are always looking to recruit new litter pickers, new wildlife protectors and new bird spotters.On the whole Pagan folk seem to be the best for this type of work. First off they care. Second of all they are generous with their time and thirdly they don’t have any religious delusions about having total Dominion over the beasts of the earth, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. In short Pagans make great conservationists and Druids make perfect ones. So the Wilverley Raven Grove (OMS) is going to be all about recruitment. Recruitment not just for OMS but for Mother Jorth herself – as all of our High Day Rituals will be followed by at least an hour of conservation work. Want to join us? Then please do! All of our rites, moots and rituals will be advertised on the OMS message board and all Pagans are welcome to join us both for the ritual, the work and, it goes without saying, the water (Guiness) sharing in the pub afterwards.Until the next time,Slainte Derfel /|\
No news this season from:
Grove of Erde
Euless, TX USA
“Proto-Grove”
TSU Proto-Grove
San Marcos, TX USA
The Thorn & Rose Grove
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
RDG “Proto-Grove”
Seasonal Almanac
Today is Beltane, Calen Mai, or May 1, 2008 CE.
The Festival of Beltane began at Sunset on April 30th.
It is the 1st day of the Season of Samradh, and the 1st day of the Month of Mi na Bealtaine.
It is also Thursday, in the common tongue, or Dydd Lau in Welsh.
It is the Druidic day of the Oak.
The Reformed Druids of North America were formed on this day in 1961, at Carleton College in Northfield MN.
5 Samradh. Sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. Many Druid groups celebrate Beltane on this day. It is also National Naked Day.
5 Samradh – NEW MOON
20 Samradh – The Sun enters Gemini.
20 Samradh – FULL MOON
21 Samradh – Birthday of Gwydion Pendderwen, Pagan Bard. 27 Samradh – Birthday of Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart.
32 Samradh – Me·n Samradh (June) begins (a Sunday – Dydd Sul – Day of the Birch)
34 Samradh – NEW MOON
49 Samradh – FULL MOON
51 Samradh – Midsummer / Alban Heruin, or the Summer Solstice.
The Sun enters Cancer.
62 Samradh – Deireadh Samhraidh (July) begins (a Tuesday – Dydd
Mawrth — Day of the Holly).
64 Samradh – NEW MOON
66 Samradh – BGR 05: The members of what was then called the “Covenant of the Mithril Star” unanimously joined the Reformed Druids of North America , thus becoming the “(New) Order of the Mithril Star,” one of the “side orders” of the RDNA.
67 Samradh – Birthday of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama. He will be 73.
68 Samradh – Birthday of Robert A. Heinlein, author of “Stranger In A Strange Land.” Celtic tree month of “Holly” begins.
73 Samradh – Birthday of Henry David Thoreau, author and naturalist.
79 Samradh – FULL MOON
83 Samradh – The Sun enters Leo
91 Samradh – Birthday of Ellen Evert Hopman, Druid herbalist.
92 Samradh – The Season of Foghamhnar begins at Sunset (1 Foghamhnar,
1 MÌ na Lÿnasa, August 1, 2008). The Festival of Lughnasadh begins at Sunset.
The State of the Reform
1 Samradh Y.G.R. 02
As of today 392 Druids have registered with the RDG:
28 members are initiated Second Order Druids
3 members are eligible for ordination into the Third Order
18 members are ordained Third Order Druids (Clergy)
During the Season of Earrach, we experienced a net membership gain of 13
Total Groves chartered: 11
Total North American Members: 370
Total Members in CELTIC Lands: 8
Total International Members: 22
Total Countries represented: 11
The Druids Egg — 1 Samradh YGR 02 — Vol. 6 No. 3
NEXT ISSUE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON
Lughnasadh – 1 Foghamnhar YGR 02
WANT TO JOIN THE REFORMED DRUIDS?
http://www.hunters-moon.org/oms/joinrdg.htm
WANT TO DONATE TO THE REFORMED DRUIDS? http://rdg.mithrilstar.org/donate.htm
Published four times each year by The Mother Grove of the
Reformed Druids of Gaia
Cylch Cerddwyr Rhwng y Bydoedd Grove
Ceridwen Seren-Ddaear,
Editor-in-Chief / Webmaster
Archdruid El Arseneau
Eureka, California USA
“An autonomous collective of Reformed Druids”
Copyright © 2008No portion of this newsletter
may be reproduced by anyone for any purpose
without the express written permission of the
Editor-in-Chief, Ceridwen Seren-DdaearSend letters, submissions to druidsegg-owner@yahoogroups.com
There is no guarantee that your submission will be published.
All submissions become the property of RDG.
All images are believed to be public domain, gathered from around the internet over the years. and/or sent to us by friends. However, if there is an image(s) that has copyright information associated with it and the copyright holder wishes for it to be removed, then please email us and we will remove it. Or, if any of the artwork is yours and you
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The Mother Grove wishes all of you
a most inspiring Beltane, a joyous Litha,
and abundant blessings throughout the season!