Ceremony Reports
Contents
1. Beltine 2012
2. Lughnasa 2012
3. Samhain 2012
4. Imbolg 2013
5. Beltine 2013
6. Full moon Beltine 2013
1. Beltine 2012
2. Lughnasa 2012
3. Samhain 2012
4. Imbolg 2013
5. Beltine 2013
6. Full moon Beltine 2013
1. Beltine Ceremony on Monday 30th of April 2012 report
It was wet and windy when we set up for our Beltine Ceremony on Monday 30th of April. On this day the bright star of Taurus and the Sun make an alignment over the volcano in Dublin Bay to a hilltop sacred site in the west of Dublin called Cnoc Lugh (Lyons Hill). The sun rises from the exact same place on the horizon twice a year at Lughnasa with the Star Regulus in the distance and again at Beltine with the Star Alderbaran in the distance. Our ceremony for Bile is held when the Sun is at 10* of Taurus with the bright star Alderbaran making an incredible alignment to an ancient Irish temple. There is more info and graphics on this at http://www.druidschool.com/site/1030100/page/472352
We lit one fire in the outer temple and then made it into two fires by simply taking half the burning sticks and bringing them to the second fire pit. The east wind softened and even the rain stopped. Once both fires supported a dancing fire spirit and a core of red hot embers could be shared; we took some hot embers and made a third fire inside the womb of the Torc – the seed fire. During the early part of ceremony we each added a long stick to both fires in the outer temple. Ceremony to honour Bile was held as Gaeilge and we walked a figure 8 around the two fires. Then with a rush each of us brought two flaming sticks to the egg fire inside the womb of the Torc. We were fertilizing the egg fire with intention for a new beginning / adventure. Now we watched the seed fire grow and the new energy we had added made the fire spirit dance vigorously. After the later part of ceremony Niamh saw a White Mare and her foal in the neighbors’ farm and we all looked out the gate sharing the real world vision of a White Mare grazing and her brown foal laying flat on the grass. We watched this for a while as it was simply so beautiful… We felt blessed to be at ceremony for Bile declaring the start of summer and to have a Goddess of the Summer in the form of Eachtra aka a White Mare appear in our line of seeing. We were all smiling at this and we offer this as a blessing from Bile and Eachtra from us to you.
It was wet and windy when we set up for our Beltine Ceremony on Monday 30th of April. On this day the bright star of Taurus and the Sun make an alignment over the volcano in Dublin Bay to a hilltop sacred site in the west of Dublin called Cnoc Lugh (Lyons Hill). The sun rises from the exact same place on the horizon twice a year at Lughnasa with the Star Regulus in the distance and again at Beltine with the Star Alderbaran in the distance. Our ceremony for Bile is held when the Sun is at 10* of Taurus with the bright star Alderbaran making an incredible alignment to an ancient Irish temple. There is more info and graphics on this at http://www.druidschool.com/site/1030100/page/472352
We lit one fire in the outer temple and then made it into two fires by simply taking half the burning sticks and bringing them to the second fire pit. The east wind softened and even the rain stopped. Once both fires supported a dancing fire spirit and a core of red hot embers could be shared; we took some hot embers and made a third fire inside the womb of the Torc – the seed fire. During the early part of ceremony we each added a long stick to both fires in the outer temple. Ceremony to honour Bile was held as Gaeilge and we walked a figure 8 around the two fires. Then with a rush each of us brought two flaming sticks to the egg fire inside the womb of the Torc. We were fertilizing the egg fire with intention for a new beginning / adventure. Now we watched the seed fire grow and the new energy we had added made the fire spirit dance vigorously. After the later part of ceremony Niamh saw a White Mare and her foal in the neighbors’ farm and we all looked out the gate sharing the real world vision of a White Mare grazing and her brown foal laying flat on the grass. We watched this for a while as it was simply so beautiful… We felt blessed to be at ceremony for Bile declaring the start of summer and to have a Goddess of the Summer in the form of Eachtra aka a White Mare appear in our line of seeing. We were all smiling at this and we offer this as a blessing from Bile and Eachtra from us to you.
What we celebrate is our freedom to be outstanding in the field. We have a laugh and enjoy the wind and the wildlife noises and the full on contact with Nature. Our outer temple is surrounded by bog oak roots that stand upright in gravel beds as guardians of our sacred space. These roots are from trees aged 5000 years or more. They come from the other side of the hill we live on. Bog oak is very old oak preserved in peat bogs for thousands of years and the oils inside make a very unique incense. We always add bog oak to our sacred fires – an aroma thousands of years old – a time capsule of fragrance. There are more bog oak pieces (from Belfast bogs) – these are flat and connect the space between the standing ones. Outside of this ring of bog oak guardians there is a shallow drain and then we have a dense grouping of three kinds of willow tree for about 15 foot or so. This outside living wood temple is shaped as a ¾ Moon. These trees will form an outer visual and wind break as they grow taller each year.
As always – our ceremonies to honour the cycles of the sun and moon year are free and open to all. By working with the ancient alignments for timing ceremony we step out of false time / slave time / catholic calendar time and so on – into the time cycles our ancestors knew. This is crucial for escape into the way of the Lightworker and if you can escape: it is good to know where to go, especially if you intend to stay free to walk your own Path. The summer has started.
Con Connor, Ard Druí, Beltine 2012
As always – our ceremonies to honour the cycles of the sun and moon year are free and open to all. By working with the ancient alignments for timing ceremony we step out of false time / slave time / catholic calendar time and so on – into the time cycles our ancestors knew. This is crucial for escape into the way of the Lightworker and if you can escape: it is good to know where to go, especially if you intend to stay free to walk your own Path. The summer has started.
Con Connor, Ard Druí, Beltine 2012
2. Lughnasa Ceremony on Thurs 2nd of August 2012 report
The midday ceremony at our purpose built enclosure; the Torc, was quiet and timeless. It was just Niamh and I together celebrating our harvest during a quiet moment before we began the Celtic Camp Lughnasa Games for its 5th year in a row. We know it is difficult for people to join us during mid week mid day ceremony due to work commitments etc but we design our lives around the true calendar of the 8fold solar year and the full moon cycles; this brings with it a quality of connection to true time that is very empowering. On Thursday 2nd of August the bright star Regulus in Leo and the Sun make an alignment over the volcano in Dublin Bay to a hilltop sacred site in the west of Dublin called Cnoc Lugh (Lyons Hill). The sun rises from the exact same place on the horizon twice a year and at Beltine we see the Star Alderbaran in the distance. Our ceremony for Lugh is held when the Sun is at 10* of Leo with the bright star Regulus making an incredible alignment to ancient Irish temple. There is more info and graphics on this here
We brought our feather, shell and antler as symbols of the three realms / cauldrons and the accompanying offerings of fresh bread, holy water and living salt. We sat in our round tent in the Torc and just chatted about ‘stuff’. Then we knew it was time to begin and Niamh did the Blessings and facilitated ceremony for both of us. We did not light a fire in the Torc tent because there’s no smoke hole in it, nor did we light a fire in the outer temple as we had other things to do for the Games. It was good, calming and deep – the inner peace and connection to Source, it’s like a big hug from a good friend. We gave thanks for our harvest so far this year and looked forward to the exciting weekend we had organized to express our Celtic connection.
Before, during and after our quiet private Lughnasa ceremony we acknowledged the wonderfulness of our world, the success of our efforts, the strength of our relationship to each other and to Source and we reminded each other how the trees were doing, the bees buzzing, the spuds growing, the tobacco plants shooting up, the herbs overflowing, the wild strawberries from Sliabh na Callighe flowering and forming little red berries… and so on. It was good.
Our Celtic Camp Lughnasa Games is the most potent celebration of our Culture. Young and old, boy and girl, man and woman – we all made the weekend event happen. There was a specialist mead brewing course where 5 gallons of mead brew were made on a camping gas ring in a tent shelter. This was the first prize for our competition winner. There was a wool spinning workshop where people got to use the drop spindle and hand spun raw wool into balls of wool. The uses of this wool for making cloth and for fancy braids were discussed and examples shared around. There was a women’s self defense course – pretty hand’s on stuff and very effective if you’d ever need to do something quick to stay free and safe.
Then there was also the tournament competition. See here for pictures. 3 arrows, 3 spears and 3 axes each was the first round. We had been practicing in the morning and in the afternoon we were ready to show our skills. A Bulgarian woman to her own great surprise was in first place at the end of the first round. 2nd place had 3 people and in 3rd place we had 2 people so there were 6 people to begin the second round. 3 went through to the final round and I tried my best but I was beaten by 1 point by a 13 year old young lad. Fair play to him! His dad told us that he had decided to be here with us instead of getting on the team for the county hurlers. Well he made a good choice because he won and is entered into our records as a champion. His dad got the mead… The young lad got a handcarved leather key fob with his name in Ogham and a wooden plaque with a symbol of the three realms carved on it. He was pleased. So were we all, another good weekend of fun as we shared our knowledge and understandings and expressed our heritage as Celtic Warriors and Druids.
As always – our ceremonies to honour the cycles of the sun and moon year are free and open to all. By working with the ancient alignments for timing ceremony we step out of false time / slave time / catholic calendar time and so on – into the time cycles our ancestors knew. This is crucial for escape into the way of the Lightworker and if you can escape: it is good to know where to go, especially if you intend to stay free to walk your own Path.
The midday ceremony at our purpose built enclosure; the Torc, was quiet and timeless. It was just Niamh and I together celebrating our harvest during a quiet moment before we began the Celtic Camp Lughnasa Games for its 5th year in a row. We know it is difficult for people to join us during mid week mid day ceremony due to work commitments etc but we design our lives around the true calendar of the 8fold solar year and the full moon cycles; this brings with it a quality of connection to true time that is very empowering. On Thursday 2nd of August the bright star Regulus in Leo and the Sun make an alignment over the volcano in Dublin Bay to a hilltop sacred site in the west of Dublin called Cnoc Lugh (Lyons Hill). The sun rises from the exact same place on the horizon twice a year and at Beltine we see the Star Alderbaran in the distance. Our ceremony for Lugh is held when the Sun is at 10* of Leo with the bright star Regulus making an incredible alignment to ancient Irish temple. There is more info and graphics on this here
We brought our feather, shell and antler as symbols of the three realms / cauldrons and the accompanying offerings of fresh bread, holy water and living salt. We sat in our round tent in the Torc and just chatted about ‘stuff’. Then we knew it was time to begin and Niamh did the Blessings and facilitated ceremony for both of us. We did not light a fire in the Torc tent because there’s no smoke hole in it, nor did we light a fire in the outer temple as we had other things to do for the Games. It was good, calming and deep – the inner peace and connection to Source, it’s like a big hug from a good friend. We gave thanks for our harvest so far this year and looked forward to the exciting weekend we had organized to express our Celtic connection.
Before, during and after our quiet private Lughnasa ceremony we acknowledged the wonderfulness of our world, the success of our efforts, the strength of our relationship to each other and to Source and we reminded each other how the trees were doing, the bees buzzing, the spuds growing, the tobacco plants shooting up, the herbs overflowing, the wild strawberries from Sliabh na Callighe flowering and forming little red berries… and so on. It was good.
Our Celtic Camp Lughnasa Games is the most potent celebration of our Culture. Young and old, boy and girl, man and woman – we all made the weekend event happen. There was a specialist mead brewing course where 5 gallons of mead brew were made on a camping gas ring in a tent shelter. This was the first prize for our competition winner. There was a wool spinning workshop where people got to use the drop spindle and hand spun raw wool into balls of wool. The uses of this wool for making cloth and for fancy braids were discussed and examples shared around. There was a women’s self defense course – pretty hand’s on stuff and very effective if you’d ever need to do something quick to stay free and safe.
Then there was also the tournament competition. See here for pictures. 3 arrows, 3 spears and 3 axes each was the first round. We had been practicing in the morning and in the afternoon we were ready to show our skills. A Bulgarian woman to her own great surprise was in first place at the end of the first round. 2nd place had 3 people and in 3rd place we had 2 people so there were 6 people to begin the second round. 3 went through to the final round and I tried my best but I was beaten by 1 point by a 13 year old young lad. Fair play to him! His dad told us that he had decided to be here with us instead of getting on the team for the county hurlers. Well he made a good choice because he won and is entered into our records as a champion. His dad got the mead… The young lad got a handcarved leather key fob with his name in Ogham and a wooden plaque with a symbol of the three realms carved on it. He was pleased. So were we all, another good weekend of fun as we shared our knowledge and understandings and expressed our heritage as Celtic Warriors and Druids.
As always – our ceremonies to honour the cycles of the sun and moon year are free and open to all. By working with the ancient alignments for timing ceremony we step out of false time / slave time / catholic calendar time and so on – into the time cycles our ancestors knew. This is crucial for escape into the way of the Lightworker and if you can escape: it is good to know where to go, especially if you intend to stay free to walk your own Path.
Samhain New Year Ceremony on Tue 13th of Nov 2012 report.
Each year we hold multiple ceremonies on the Dark Moon of Samhain at Tlachtga, near Athboy in Co. Meath each year, this is our High Pilgrimage. We gather at Tobar Tlachtga (the Druid’s Well) and add water taken from other Holy Wells by sprinkling while adding our own blessings and thanks. Then we paint our faces… some of us plan new designs for this event and some just do what feels good… It’s to help us get into the sacredness of spirit awareness on this holy day/night. Painting your face with a group who have also painted their faces is a strong protection as well. The holy well had further degradation but was still mostly as last year – see http://www.druidschool.com/site/1030100/page/4392478
Then, as we do every year we went to the top of the sacred hill to create a new fire spirit. Niamh and Red John did this using ancient bush craft techniques as shown in the pic below.
Each year we hold multiple ceremonies on the Dark Moon of Samhain at Tlachtga, near Athboy in Co. Meath each year, this is our High Pilgrimage. We gather at Tobar Tlachtga (the Druid’s Well) and add water taken from other Holy Wells by sprinkling while adding our own blessings and thanks. Then we paint our faces… some of us plan new designs for this event and some just do what feels good… It’s to help us get into the sacredness of spirit awareness on this holy day/night. Painting your face with a group who have also painted their faces is a strong protection as well. The holy well had further degradation but was still mostly as last year – see http://www.druidschool.com/site/1030100/page/4392478
Then, as we do every year we went to the top of the sacred hill to create a new fire spirit. Niamh and Red John did this using ancient bush craft techniques as shown in the pic below.
Of to Tara to light the second fire of the night of the Celtic New Year. It was cold and very wet so we decided to set up in the totally empty car park. We were determined to have fire… By the time we had set up others began to arrive, friends, student druids and some Shaolin Monks joined us. When the fire was started the rain stopped but we stayed where we were and held our second fire ceremony of the night.
Soup and sandwiches got the heat back into us – we had been in ceremony since 4pm and it was now nearly 10pm so we all had a bit of a chill. Having done this before we (the hardcore gang) had a change of robes or capes so we soon recovered.
On to Navan for coffee, our faces still painted but now so blissed out with the experience we had forgotten about the painted faces. This always amuses us because the attendants / clients etc at the petrol station where we get coffee seem to pretend that there’s no paint on anyone’s face and they never say anything… Maybe they do after were gone but never while we are there simply buying coffee or tea.
From Navan we go on to Sliabh na Callighe near Loughcrew for our third fire. All the time the flame is kept in a candle lantern so it can get transported safely and then transferred safely to start the next fire. When we got there it was clear and our third fire lit quickly. We acknowledged our guardians and each other and held the third of of fire ceremonies for the night.
On to Navan for coffee, our faces still painted but now so blissed out with the experience we had forgotten about the painted faces. This always amuses us because the attendants / clients etc at the petrol station where we get coffee seem to pretend that there’s no paint on anyone’s face and they never say anything… Maybe they do after were gone but never while we are there simply buying coffee or tea.
From Navan we go on to Sliabh na Callighe near Loughcrew for our third fire. All the time the flame is kept in a candle lantern so it can get transported safely and then transferred safely to start the next fire. When we got there it was clear and our third fire lit quickly. We acknowledged our guardians and each other and held the third of of fire ceremonies for the night.
A few days later I got to look at the images of our Pilgrimage that were taken by 2 different camera phones. An amazing selection of fire animals had been digitally captured. None were seen or recognized as they appeared but when the pics were looked at after the event it is wonderful to have so many fire beasts join us.
A great night with great people and great fire beasts is how I sum up the night of the Celtic New Year of the Dark Moon of Samhain 13 Nov 2012.
Ard Druí Con Connor Winter 2012.
Ard Druí Con Connor Winter 2012.
4. Imbolg Ceremony on Wednesday 30 Jan 2013 report
Just two of us gathered here for a noon ceremony on Wednesday 30th of January to honour Imbolg. Brigid is the Goddess of this time of year and in honouring the tradition of the letting go of the old and bringing in of the new – we did this at the night of the Imbolg Full Moon and at the Imbolg Sun ceremony too. Samhain and Imbolg share the same Sunrise position on the horizon and so are very linked.
Just two of us gathered here for a noon ceremony on Wednesday 30th of January to honour Imbolg. Brigid is the Goddess of this time of year and in honouring the tradition of the letting go of the old and bringing in of the new – we did this at the night of the Imbolg Full Moon and at the Imbolg Sun ceremony too. Samhain and Imbolg share the same Sunrise position on the horizon and so are very linked.
Simple things can be very profound when done with the right intention. We conceived the thing we most wished to let go of and then wrote it down on paper and added it to the fire saying ‘amach, amach, amach’ (out x3). Private gesture, but spoken out loud as well. This aspect of our Full Moon and Solar Imbolg rituals allows us to give voice to letting go and at the same time as a counter balance – we call in the new.
Original Brigid's Well Co Kildare
Original Brigid's Well Co Kildare
Then the two of us went for an adventure.
We got into one landrover and headed north and in less than an hour we were at our destination. We had an agenda but we also had the whole afternoon. We stopped at Carrowntemple to take pics of the Celtic Spaceman. Concrete copies of Celtic knotwork of a wide range of motifs found in the area have been set into the wall for tourism purposes. The originals were being stolen so they got copied and are in the museum now and the copies are left on display. This is the best evidence of spacemen in Ireland!
We got into one landrover and headed north and in less than an hour we were at our destination. We had an agenda but we also had the whole afternoon. We stopped at Carrowntemple to take pics of the Celtic Spaceman. Concrete copies of Celtic knotwork of a wide range of motifs found in the area have been set into the wall for tourism purposes. The originals were being stolen so they got copied and are in the museum now and the copies are left on display. This is the best evidence of spacemen in Ireland!
Next we drove through the village of Ballymote famous for its medieval book that contains many spoof stories to make the man who paid for it out to be more noble than he was. But importantly, also in this book are a series of Ogham alphabets. These pages / folios are shown on our fb page.
Next we went to the cliffs on the west side of Kesh / Carrowmore. There were bones of artic Lemming, Bear and other animals from pre-history found in these caves. Great kings of Ireland stayed in these caves and there are numerous legends about them. Our interest was their alignment to Sliabh Crom (aka the Reek, Cruachan Aigle, Croagh Patrick) and the Imbolg setting Sun. Well, as you might guess it was too cold and wet and too far to climb on Jan 30 so we simply took pictures. The big cave is named for Cormac McAirt who stayed for a while. Some of these caves have tunnels and chambers inside them. My new camera from Jess has great zoom and the pic below looks like we were close but we were a long way off.
Next we went to the cliffs on the west side of Kesh / Carrowmore. There were bones of artic Lemming, Bear and other animals from pre-history found in these caves. Great kings of Ireland stayed in these caves and there are numerous legends about them. Our interest was their alignment to Sliabh Crom (aka the Reek, Cruachan Aigle, Croagh Patrick) and the Imbolg setting Sun. Well, as you might guess it was too cold and wet and too far to climb on Jan 30 so we simply took pictures. The big cave is named for Cormac McAirt who stayed for a while. Some of these caves have tunnels and chambers inside them. My new camera from Jess has great zoom and the pic below looks like we were close but we were a long way off.
Then off to the hilltop cairns on Carrowkeel. Famous and accessible these stone built temples have passages and chambers like the one at Brú na Boinne (Newgrange). They mostly face nw to capture the setting sun in the bright part of the year.
The pic above is of Cairn 'K' at Carrowkeel. Taken from the east recess looking west. The triangular stone is the message = if you could see through the wall you would be looking at the pyramid shape of Sliabh Crom! A magnificient temple but it has one more incredible thing that needs to be shared. At Brú na Boinne the alignment is for the Sunrise after the longest night. At Cairn 'K' Carrowkeel the alignment is for the setting Sun after the longest day!
Isnt that simply fantastic? After all the deliberate destruction and disinformation and being ignored this special temple still holds true time.
We'll return near to the Summer Solstice and try to experience this Sun setting first hand. I'll write about this in the Lughnasa Journal.
What a great afternoon we had after ceremony for Brigid at Imbolg!
Ard Druí Con Connor, Imbolg 2013.
Isnt that simply fantastic? After all the deliberate destruction and disinformation and being ignored this special temple still holds true time.
We'll return near to the Summer Solstice and try to experience this Sun setting first hand. I'll write about this in the Lughnasa Journal.
What a great afternoon we had after ceremony for Brigid at Imbolg!
Ard Druí Con Connor, Imbolg 2013.
Beltine Ceremony on Saturday 4th of May report
This year we changed from our usual routine of holding ceremony for Bile when the Sun is at 10* of Taurus and chose instead the nearest Saturday as we had 3 events to host here at Ireland’s Druidschool on the 4th of May 2013. Firstly, we held our Beltine ceremony in the Bog Oak outer temple with twin fires and our gathering walking in a figure eight around these twin fires symbolising eternity of time and the cleansing before Summer. I facilitated the ceremony at this Beltine gathering of family and friends and children and many (including me) openly acknowledged our many blessings. Some children climbed up the earth bank of the Torc and quietly watched us knowing they were free to stand with us or run / climb / explore etc once they stayed a bit quiet... You may notice that men, women and young ones have swords, axes and daggers in the pic below - armed to the teeth lol preparing to be at a Celtic Handfasting and protecting our Culture!
Beltine Gathering 2013
This year we changed from our usual routine of holding ceremony for Bile when the Sun is at 10* of Taurus and chose instead the nearest Saturday as we had 3 events to host here at Ireland’s Druidschool on the 4th of May 2013. Firstly, we held our Beltine ceremony in the Bog Oak outer temple with twin fires and our gathering walking in a figure eight around these twin fires symbolising eternity of time and the cleansing before Summer. I facilitated the ceremony at this Beltine gathering of family and friends and children and many (including me) openly acknowledged our many blessings. Some children climbed up the earth bank of the Torc and quietly watched us knowing they were free to stand with us or run / climb / explore etc once they stayed a bit quiet... You may notice that men, women and young ones have swords, axes and daggers in the pic below - armed to the teeth lol preparing to be at a Celtic Handfasting and protecting our Culture!
Beltine Gathering 2013
Introduction to Crom
After the Beltine ceremony everyone paid respects and honoured Crom, the God of Fertility who sits over the Tribann Gate to the wooden roundhouse in the Torc and then they entered the roundhouse. This carved representation of Crom was installed on the Eclipsed Full Moon on the 25th of April by Druí Eugene and Martin and I. It was a special moment - in the Full Moon ceremony afterwards we distinctly felt a new energy flowing in the ether about us and around the temple. In the sky above us there were so many long wavy clouds with heads and horns, both high and low and even appearing to go clockwise and anti-clockwise that we felt a total support from the spirit of the Celtic Dragon declared in the Realm of Sky above us. It is our special memory of a unique time in the return of Crom.
The Return of Crom
After the Beltine ceremony everyone paid respects and honoured Crom, the God of Fertility who sits over the Tribann Gate to the wooden roundhouse in the Torc and then they entered the roundhouse. This carved representation of Crom was installed on the Eclipsed Full Moon on the 25th of April by Druí Eugene and Martin and I. It was a special moment - in the Full Moon ceremony afterwards we distinctly felt a new energy flowing in the ether about us and around the temple. In the sky above us there were so many long wavy clouds with heads and horns, both high and low and even appearing to go clockwise and anti-clockwise that we felt a total support from the spirit of the Celtic Dragon declared in the Realm of Sky above us. It is our special memory of a unique time in the return of Crom.
The Return of Crom
Our Celtic Handfasting
Then with the gathering mostly seated Niamh and I got handfasted by Ard Druí Red John who was assisted by Druí Jess. Our thanks go to both of them. Our good friend, Shane O'Feargall sang our chosen song sweetly for us (as he did through the party later) and we say thank you to Shane as well. We got many thoughtful and useful presents that we will always treasure. As we had set the plan for the day - the adults then had dinner in the marquee with the young people eating at tables in the Hemp Hall. Special thanks go to Druí Martin for doing the driving to collect the prepared food and to Sharon and Michelle for serving the food. The Sun also came out! As planned, after 6pm the familys with young people left and the homebrew appeared.... Special thanks must go to Druí Frank for the ‘Con and Niamh’ picture he put on the (no sugar) beer bottles and of course for the 70 pint home brew beer keg! Singing, drinking and the dancing shadows from the charcoal fire in our sacred fire box brought us to a timeless zone and our multiple celebrations on this special day and night will never be forgotten.
Posing for the camera, Niamh, Red John and Con
Then with the gathering mostly seated Niamh and I got handfasted by Ard Druí Red John who was assisted by Druí Jess. Our thanks go to both of them. Our good friend, Shane O'Feargall sang our chosen song sweetly for us (as he did through the party later) and we say thank you to Shane as well. We got many thoughtful and useful presents that we will always treasure. As we had set the plan for the day - the adults then had dinner in the marquee with the young people eating at tables in the Hemp Hall. Special thanks go to Druí Martin for doing the driving to collect the prepared food and to Sharon and Michelle for serving the food. The Sun also came out! As planned, after 6pm the familys with young people left and the homebrew appeared.... Special thanks must go to Druí Frank for the ‘Con and Niamh’ picture he put on the (no sugar) beer bottles and of course for the 70 pint home brew beer keg! Singing, drinking and the dancing shadows from the charcoal fire in our sacred fire box brought us to a timeless zone and our multiple celebrations on this special day and night will never be forgotten.
Posing for the camera, Niamh, Red John and Con
Three adventures began...
Three adventures began that day - The Beltine Ceremony for the start of Summer and outdoor activities, our group introduction to our new Temple Crom and our Pagan Handfasting. The triple adventures will be remembered each Beltine for us from now on.
Since the 4th of May we have held part of our weekend introduction to becoming a Celtic Druid in Temple Crom, the flames from the firebox caused dancing shadows on the inside of the high conical roof for our entertainment. We have a naming and welcoming ceremony and a handfasting to host here soon. All Pagans and Druids are welcome to join us at Temple Crom on the night of the Full Moon, you must email us first at [email protected]
Three adventures began that day - The Beltine Ceremony for the start of Summer and outdoor activities, our group introduction to our new Temple Crom and our Pagan Handfasting. The triple adventures will be remembered each Beltine for us from now on.
Since the 4th of May we have held part of our weekend introduction to becoming a Celtic Druid in Temple Crom, the flames from the firebox caused dancing shadows on the inside of the high conical roof for our entertainment. We have a naming and welcoming ceremony and a handfasting to host here soon. All Pagans and Druids are welcome to join us at Temple Crom on the night of the Full Moon, you must email us first at [email protected]
6. Full moon Beltine 2013
(Pre script - the title 'An Geallach Bán Lán Anois' means The White Moon is Full Now)
On Tara, Druidschool Ireland has held open and free ceremonies for every Full Moon since the Spring Equinox 2003. I have been holding the space since Samhain 2010. Attending this ceremony over the years has become an important part of who I am & has led me down a path I never expected to travel. Standing on the Hill of Tara over the last number of years has helped me step out of man-made time & become more in-tune with the natural cycle of the earth and nature itself. I have stood on Tara in all weathers & have enjoyed every experience associated with it. Many people have attended the full moon ceremony both in spirit and in person. I have held the ceremony with a group of up to 40 people, but I have also held the ceremony just by myself. Each experience is always special.
(Pre script - the title 'An Geallach Bán Lán Anois' means The White Moon is Full Now)
On Tara, Druidschool Ireland has held open and free ceremonies for every Full Moon since the Spring Equinox 2003. I have been holding the space since Samhain 2010. Attending this ceremony over the years has become an important part of who I am & has led me down a path I never expected to travel. Standing on the Hill of Tara over the last number of years has helped me step out of man-made time & become more in-tune with the natural cycle of the earth and nature itself. I have stood on Tara in all weathers & have enjoyed every experience associated with it. Many people have attended the full moon ceremony both in spirit and in person. I have held the ceremony with a group of up to 40 people, but I have also held the ceremony just by myself. Each experience is always special.
It’s not long after the Full Moon in Leo that fell on the 27th January 2013 and I though it might be a good opportunity to share with you some of my feelings and experiences from holding a Full Moon Ceremony. Firstly I find that I have started to measure time from Moon to Moon. I have become aware of the flow of energy through this moon cycle. I especially see it when out in Nature, free from the distraction of everyday life. I have found at times when walking the dog on Tara with my wife that while I might be seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting & touching what is around me, I am also feeling the energy, the life force, of the place. Everything feels alive on a different level. I sometimes find it particularly strong at the lone fairy tree on the Hill. I have discovered that her energy flows with the moon, I have noticed around the new moon she does not want to be approached. It’s as though she is in a deep state of mediation. While at other times she welcomes all with big open arms, hugging all who approach with open hearts.
Leading up to a Full Moon I find my thoughts drawn to the forthcoming ceremony. I often wonder who will join me on the night. Will I see old friends or what new friends I will meet? I often think to myself I must get myself prepared, get the fire box ready, sort some wood into the bag etc. However I am usually pulling the fire box out of the shed and sorting out the wood an hour before I leave the house. This last full moon I was well prepared as we did not light a fire for the previous ceremony. That night weather conditions were very poor & there was a strong wind blowing. We instead took shelter under an ancient Beech tree in the grounds of the church. The tree embraced us & kept us safe. It was a short, very special ceremony with only a few people in attendance including an eight year old boy. His parent said they noticed a difference in him for days after, saying he seemed more grounded & connected.
As I drive to Tara, I am looking to see if the Moon is out, hoping for a clear night with no rain. I wonder if many will be joining me.
We usually meet in the car park, we greet, pile on the layers. Even on a summers night you can have a cold wind whipping around you on Tara. And we all know what the Irish weather can be like, four seasons in one day; and you can often get four seasons in one hour on Tara. So those layers of clothes are always welcome. We pause at the gate, taking a moment, asking the spirits of the place for permission to enter. As we feel we are ready to enter, we then make our way up the path towards the church, turning right at the statue of Patrick and after a short walk across the grass we arrive at the gravel path. This gravel path, where we have held so many Ceremonies, was installed by the OPW some years ago to give access to emergency services and a place where we can light our scared fire in a fire box without causing any damage to the ancient hill and the treasures that may be buried beneath her surface. The fire box (a mini Bar-b-que) is unpacked & the fire is set. I have noticed over the last year or so that the day of the Full Moon Ceremony I have a knot in my stomach around the Solar Plexus region. I have come to expect this feeling, almost welcome it because as it builds I know that the Full Moon Ceremony is getting nearer. And once I light the fire that feeling is gone and I step into a different space.
As every day & night is unique & special so every full moon ceremony is unique and special. Every ceremony brings a different group of people, each carrying their own energies, wishes and expectations. As the fire takes and the heart of the fire is created, we gather, we energise our Aura with the Celtic Cross of Light; we send the blessing to the Three Realms, call blessings from the seven directions including here, above & below. As we have come together in circle our auras intermingle and we connect on a higher level. We are creating a new light in the centre of our circle; this light starts with a little bit of all those in the circle and all those around the globe who connect with us. We add to it, calling our ancestors, our guides, our teachers, the spirit of the lands, Tara, Sliabh na Callighe to come and stand with us in our ceremony. We connect with the moon, the stars & their constellations, all the time the ball of light within our circle is building, getting stronger. We send healing to those who need it. We walk around the fire three times warming the blood & stiring up the energy, sending a little bit of light out to those who are carrying a little bit of heaviness in their hearts and who are open to receiving it. Sometimes words come that need to be said; other times standing in the stillness with our own thoughts is enough.
And before we know it our ceremony is drawing to a close. We take a moment, open the circle to all present for some final words, song poems, some humour. As always we go around the circle, with a “Shin é” (that’s it). We have thrown this ball of light in four directions, calling Oberstown, Dunsany, Balgeeth and Corballis, the outer townlands of the Tara complex. We then hunch down, knees bent, shoulder to shoulder and tickle up the ball of light we have lovingly created. With “a haon, dó, trí” (one, two, three) we throw the light out to the cosmos, with a shout of Saoirse (freedom). And our ceremony is done. On the cold nights we gather around the last remains of the fire; warming our hands, having a bit of craic. The fire turns to embers, which are eventually tipped onto the gravel patch. The embers are moved around with a staff, as the hiss & sizzle on the wet gravel, we look into the embers to see what shapes or face we can see. As the last ember fades we turn & head back to the car park & home for a warm cup of tea or on occasion something a little stronger.
I like to stand in stillness for a few moments after the ceremony, sometimes I have a tingle in my head, on occasion I have been gifted with a poem, a story, or an insight, and sometimes I just need that moment to say Aaaah to myself & let it all just go. I have found that the stillness I feel after a Full Moon Ceremony stays with me for a couple days after the ceremony. It is often in the couple of days after the ceremony that I might realise that poem or insight. It doesn’t always happen but when it does its special. In those days following that time on Tara, I find myself looking to the sky at night and in the mornings to see what stage the moon cycle is in. It amazing how quickly the Moon turns from full to it waning stage. Watching the moon cycle is a reminder that we are all part of a cycle.
You can join us on Tara or in Castlerea either in person or in spirit. Connect with Moon Cycle and you may discover something special.
Ard Druí Red John, Beltine 2013
Leading up to a Full Moon I find my thoughts drawn to the forthcoming ceremony. I often wonder who will join me on the night. Will I see old friends or what new friends I will meet? I often think to myself I must get myself prepared, get the fire box ready, sort some wood into the bag etc. However I am usually pulling the fire box out of the shed and sorting out the wood an hour before I leave the house. This last full moon I was well prepared as we did not light a fire for the previous ceremony. That night weather conditions were very poor & there was a strong wind blowing. We instead took shelter under an ancient Beech tree in the grounds of the church. The tree embraced us & kept us safe. It was a short, very special ceremony with only a few people in attendance including an eight year old boy. His parent said they noticed a difference in him for days after, saying he seemed more grounded & connected.
As I drive to Tara, I am looking to see if the Moon is out, hoping for a clear night with no rain. I wonder if many will be joining me.
We usually meet in the car park, we greet, pile on the layers. Even on a summers night you can have a cold wind whipping around you on Tara. And we all know what the Irish weather can be like, four seasons in one day; and you can often get four seasons in one hour on Tara. So those layers of clothes are always welcome. We pause at the gate, taking a moment, asking the spirits of the place for permission to enter. As we feel we are ready to enter, we then make our way up the path towards the church, turning right at the statue of Patrick and after a short walk across the grass we arrive at the gravel path. This gravel path, where we have held so many Ceremonies, was installed by the OPW some years ago to give access to emergency services and a place where we can light our scared fire in a fire box without causing any damage to the ancient hill and the treasures that may be buried beneath her surface. The fire box (a mini Bar-b-que) is unpacked & the fire is set. I have noticed over the last year or so that the day of the Full Moon Ceremony I have a knot in my stomach around the Solar Plexus region. I have come to expect this feeling, almost welcome it because as it builds I know that the Full Moon Ceremony is getting nearer. And once I light the fire that feeling is gone and I step into a different space.
As every day & night is unique & special so every full moon ceremony is unique and special. Every ceremony brings a different group of people, each carrying their own energies, wishes and expectations. As the fire takes and the heart of the fire is created, we gather, we energise our Aura with the Celtic Cross of Light; we send the blessing to the Three Realms, call blessings from the seven directions including here, above & below. As we have come together in circle our auras intermingle and we connect on a higher level. We are creating a new light in the centre of our circle; this light starts with a little bit of all those in the circle and all those around the globe who connect with us. We add to it, calling our ancestors, our guides, our teachers, the spirit of the lands, Tara, Sliabh na Callighe to come and stand with us in our ceremony. We connect with the moon, the stars & their constellations, all the time the ball of light within our circle is building, getting stronger. We send healing to those who need it. We walk around the fire three times warming the blood & stiring up the energy, sending a little bit of light out to those who are carrying a little bit of heaviness in their hearts and who are open to receiving it. Sometimes words come that need to be said; other times standing in the stillness with our own thoughts is enough.
And before we know it our ceremony is drawing to a close. We take a moment, open the circle to all present for some final words, song poems, some humour. As always we go around the circle, with a “Shin é” (that’s it). We have thrown this ball of light in four directions, calling Oberstown, Dunsany, Balgeeth and Corballis, the outer townlands of the Tara complex. We then hunch down, knees bent, shoulder to shoulder and tickle up the ball of light we have lovingly created. With “a haon, dó, trí” (one, two, three) we throw the light out to the cosmos, with a shout of Saoirse (freedom). And our ceremony is done. On the cold nights we gather around the last remains of the fire; warming our hands, having a bit of craic. The fire turns to embers, which are eventually tipped onto the gravel patch. The embers are moved around with a staff, as the hiss & sizzle on the wet gravel, we look into the embers to see what shapes or face we can see. As the last ember fades we turn & head back to the car park & home for a warm cup of tea or on occasion something a little stronger.
I like to stand in stillness for a few moments after the ceremony, sometimes I have a tingle in my head, on occasion I have been gifted with a poem, a story, or an insight, and sometimes I just need that moment to say Aaaah to myself & let it all just go. I have found that the stillness I feel after a Full Moon Ceremony stays with me for a couple days after the ceremony. It is often in the couple of days after the ceremony that I might realise that poem or insight. It doesn’t always happen but when it does its special. In those days following that time on Tara, I find myself looking to the sky at night and in the mornings to see what stage the moon cycle is in. It amazing how quickly the Moon turns from full to it waning stage. Watching the moon cycle is a reminder that we are all part of a cycle.
You can join us on Tara or in Castlerea either in person or in spirit. Connect with Moon Cycle and you may discover something special.
Ard Druí Red John, Beltine 2013