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All too often, groups, organisations and indeed Druid orders become, 'faceless' well-organised machines that produce the monthly newsletter and correspondence, Individuals are lost admidst the hoards of members. And then we have the BDO! When I first herd of the meeting 'a grove for grove leaders' I was interested from the start. The opportunity to meet with other members, to see other grove leaders and people interested in running a grove was very appealing, an opportunity to exchange ideas, put faces to names on the network list. I arrived in Birmingham, with Morgan's excellent directions, such as "you come to more trees" what pure druidic directions they were, and soon found the Martineau Gardens. As I entered the gardens the smell of the vegetables and the buzz of the bees led to the stress of the journey and the week gone by, to drift away. This place truly is an oasis in the urban jungle of Birmingham, and place of connection and well being through horticultural therapy and environmental education (well worth a visit if you are in the area). The warm welcome received by all that attended, allowed everyone to feel at ease and as though you have met up with long lost friends. With prayers lead by Bobcat to the spirits of the place we gathered in our circle. Everyone was urged to write questions on to a piece of paper and place them into the centre, randomly drawn out of an old tree stump the question was answered by group discussion. It was in these discussions from subjects far ranging as 'How do you start a grove?' to 'What is Druidry?' It was as if everyone present poured their experiences and feelings about Druidry, working in groves of various forms and paganism in general, into a cauldron. The resultant brew being a sharing that inspired, encouraged and urged people to express their Druidry in groups of deep connection, friendship and kinship; with each other, the BDO, the land and their traditions. We gathered for a simple yet connecting ceremony in a medicine wheel that was built in the gardens. We had a small fire and it was as if the trees, stones and birds and the gentle peaceful spirits of that place confirmed all that we had said or done in the morning. Each person present sharing their own style of creating sacred space and ritual, a mixture of deep words, joyful songs and movement. Soon the tranquillity and special peacefulness of that place was offered to those who require healing, to encourage peace and tolerance throughout our world. It seemed that if the heads of state and governments were present what else but peace would have been achieved. For myself, as someone who has nurtured many pagan groups and groves, was still inspired and indeed urged to carry on with the responsibility of running such a group. I hope that some of my experiences helped those just making the first tentative steps in forming a grove, as they helped me to re-evaluate and examine all that I do in my groups. It was a wonderful day for sharing, meeting old and new friends. If you are interested in running a grove or experienced in running groves, I would say that next year this is a day not to be missed. Gathering of the Clan ROB WILSON |
