In the modern spiritual scene and especially in the Druid and Shamanic communities, there is very little in terms of male groups, which come together to explore their paths solely with other men. There are lots of mixed groups and increasingly many female groups and Wild Stags aims to address this, to explore the male mysteries.

The Male Mysteries, what are they? Do they exist? Well, this depends on whom you ask!  We can’t explore what male mysteries are by looking back at our past; for what evidence does survive archaeological, historically and ethnographically all belongs to a time where the role of the male was very different to today. We have to explore what the male essence is today. Indeed we have to be careful for the modern rival of Druidry was believed to have been borne out of exclusive male, gentleman clubs in 1700’s trying to validate their practices and secret societies, and this is not the expression of modern Druidry that inspires the Wild Stags!

In 2005 at a workshop at the annual Druid Camp in the Forest of Dean , the idea of male mysteries was. A long and very fruitful discussion was had by all, and soon it was concluded that this gathering of men was a ‘male mystery’, the coming together of liked minded spiritual men, sharing, talking and supporting each other as men. A community, a tribal gathering where every man present found his own place within the circle, depending on his own unique expression of what he felt it was to be a man here and now. This gave rise to the already infant grove, Wild Stags.

Wild stags - a tribe of men

Druidry and Shamanism is inspired by nature, and the modern secular world gives very little opportunity to live utterly dependant upon nature as our ancestors did; however, as we evolve and adapt to this new world, we can at least attune our senses to the seasons. It is though the Stag that this seasonal connection is made, it lives and breaths the land, it knows its land just as the ancestors did, its sees the year unfold and responds to it but Wild Stag grove does not worship or label the stag with the name of deity. Wild stags do not expect other men the come to bow down to the shy strength of this animal. It is about spiritual menfolk coming together to share the mystery, wonder, power and inspiration of being a man deeply connected to nature. Here we see the so-called Male Mysteries as simply being the stories we weave as men in this modern day world; sharing these mysteries in our own way. Some men will share they stories of their land, its history or folklore; some men will share bushcraft or survival skills, others will sit back and listen, waiting for the moment to share.  The grove is not a place for male dominance to run riot and unchecked, yet we do honour the testosterone fuelled passion and drive and channel it creatively for our spiritual journey and the land. It’s a place were men folk come together to share, to help and support other like minded men folk through the highs and lows of life in this modern day world; whether it be a teenager honouring his progression into adulthood, or the older man who acknowledges his age and status in society. Honouring the diversity of masculinity in the modern world through the inspiration of our ancestors of the past is both challenging and rewarding, however is not about healing the male psyche or indeed inflating its ego, but finding time, space through honour and sharing as men, with nature, in nature.

The purpose of men gathering is not necessarily just to make ritual, but also to gather, share and find our place as men upon this land with full honour, inspiration and respect. These gatherings are expressed in the light of the full moon, with rituals being very raw, inspired by our forefathers and those ancestors who also found an affinity with the cycle of life and power of these animals. The rituals often consist of drumming, chanting, rites of passage, or the profound moments of silences, storytelling and feasting. Wild Stags has three seasonal rituals, to coincide with the stag and its connection to the land: -

Casting (Mid- March/Early April) – As the Red Deer Stag sheds its antlers, so the grove comes together to honour the turning of the cycle once more. This is a time of initiation, rites of passage for young boys into adulthood.

The Rut or Breakout (Late September/Early October) – As the Red Deer Stags begin to seek their harems of hinds and fight for the right to mate with them, the grove honours this time and rather than seeing it as a time of conflict and external fight with each other, we look at the battle within ourselves, and we find our own space to quest and work alone.

The Gathering (End of November) – The rut is over the stags leave the hinds once more. As a grove we gather to share our experiences of the breakout, the quest. It’s a time of honouring the community and tribe, of sitting around the wild fire and to share our stories of land, love, life, and power within us all.

The grove is open to any man who identifies with the ethos of Wild Stags and everyone has the opportunity to share a skill, a talent, to offer their services to the tribe, or simply to feel a part of a gathering. Wild Stags is very new and exciting journey, there will be in time and a number of bigger tribal gatherings of menfolk, workshops and more.