Earth Day 2011

We are planning now for this springtime event. We aim to plant a Rowan, perhaps surrounded by whitethorne, blackthorn. As usual we shall have a ceremony to mark the occasion. We have promise of the Rowan, but need the thorn trees. If anyone would like to donate some thorn trees please let us know.

Next Moot

The next moot will be on Thursday 10th February 2011 at the 8 Bells Carisbrooke, from 8pm onwards. We would love to see you there.

The Next Moot November 2009

Merry Moot All,

The next moot will be at the usual venue, the 8 Bells Carisbrooke on Thursday 12th november, from 8 pm onwards.

Bright blessings

Paul RC IoW

Peace Day – The Movie

THE video of excerpts from Wight Druids’ Peace One Day/Autumn Equinox celebration is now online.

To download the full version, visit vuze.com

Our heartfelt thanks to all who joined us to make this event such a special highlight of our ritual year, but especially to Robin Whitehead of Longstone Films, who acted as cameraman, sound recordist, director, producer, film editor – and still somehow managed to find time to join the ceremony.

Thank you so much!

RCs/|

The Glastonbury Experience

Chalice Well, Glastonbury.

FOURTEEN people and one dog climbed aboard the minibus on a misty autumnal Saturday morning last weekend for our Pagan awayday to Glastonbury.
After an outward journey not entirely devoid of incident, we all arrived intact at the object of our pilgrimage and dispersed for a while to do the shops, or the abbey, or the coffee house, before meeting up at Chalice Well, where we also met with some old friends to enjoy the peace and beauty of those gorgeous gardens – and sample the power of the sacred waters.
Afterwards, we boarded the bus again for what can only be described as an interesting drive down the lanes to visit the ancient oaks, Gog and Magog – highlight of the trip for some of us. Everyone seemed captivated by these powerful and venerable trees, already quite ancient when the Romans marched across these lands.
After a suitably humbled yet inspired walk back to the bus, we wended our way back to the Tor, making the steeper ascent as the sun was beginning to slide into the west, with the autumn mists creeping back into the hollows. A beautiful experience to stand that ancient high ground, watching the lights of Glastonbury twinkle into life far below, as twilight descended and a reverent hush fell on the many folk variously gathered on this high sacred top.
The long journey home was good-natured and without major incident, despite some challenging fog banks along the way. And despite missing the ferry back to the Island and having to wait a good couple of hours or more for the 1am sailing! The time wasn’t wasted, however, as it gave some of us the space to get to know each other better than perhaps we had before.
We should probably gloss lightly over the entertainment provided by R and L, as well as M, in the ferry lounge on the voyage back to the Island. But it was hugely amusing, nonetheless, to the few of us still vaguely awake!
From the feedback we’ve had so far, it seems the day was greatly enjoyed and all have so far said they would like to do something like it again.
Whether you were part of the experience or not, please feel free to comment here, or drop us an e-mail note direct. We’re always happy to hear from you.
Meanwhile, our heartfelt thanks to Robin B for making this journey possible and to Paul for bringing us all safely home.

Bendithion

M/|\M

RCs

Our twilight view from Glastonbury Tor.

Moot

A GENTLE reminder for those online in this curious space, the PF Wight moot is this Thursday, October 9, from around 8pm at the Eight Bells.

Top of the agenda is this weekend’s Pagan awayday to Glastonbury with, possibly, also a run-through of last weekend’s Perennial Druidry module for those who would also like that.

An update on the recent changes in the upper echelons of the Pagan Federation will also be available.

Blessed Be.

MnM /|\

Peace One Day

ACCOMPANIED by the Island buzzards soaring high over the Mottistone barrow down, the event held on September 21 to mark Peace Day was, in many ways, quite extraordinary.
The temple created at The Longstone, with its gorgeous flowing gateway flags at the Quarters and the dressing of the central altar, were simply beautiful, as was the sight of a blue kite soaring above, which greeted many of those arriving for the event.
And the weather was perfect, sublime, autumn sunshine.
Through The Druid Network, as well as the Peace One Day organisation, this event – blended with Wight Druids’ celebration of Alban Elfed, the Autumn Equinox – connected with people all around the world.
Yet there was a great intimacy about it, too, as each person in turn around our circle chose and offered up inspirational words on the theme of peace, meditated in sacred space on its individual meaning for them – to the sounds of Brian’s lovely flute playing – then sang out their powerful Awens in all directions, so the energy and reverberations of this lovely, simple chant might flow out to the greater apparent world … and far beyond.
A lovely day on which peace was, indeed, with us.
So many thanks to all who joined us and helped make it just so.
Thanks to Robin’s efforts, we hope to soon have video footage available of this event – a still from the movie appears at the head of this article.

- RCs

Autumn Equinox/Peace One Day

A PARTICULARLY special open public celebration of the Autumn Equinox is being offered and facilitated by Wight Druids this year at The Longstone, Mottistone, from around noon on Sunday, September 21.

As the date also marks the official global recognition of Peace One Day (www.peaceoneday.org), the idea is to link with Druids worldwide, via The Druid Network, to celebrate this extraordinary vision, offering a form of ritual that will simultaneously be played out from London’s Hyde Park to the outback of Australia.

If you don’t already know about the extraordinary vision that is Peace One Day, click on the link in the second paragraph above (or in the sign-off, below) to visit the website.

If you have drums, musical instruments, a voice, a love of dance, poetry, or just an open heart and mind … please join us, bring your passion with you and let’s make this a landmark event.

Blessed Be

Maurice and Mary-Ann

RCs

PF Wight

21 Sept

For Peace Day on 21 September… I will email someone and say I’m sorry. What will you do? Visit www.peaceoneday.org

Bestival 2008

Slipping and sliding in a brief sunshine moment at Bestival on Friday.

AS MANY of you will already know, we’re at Bestival this weekend, creating opening and closing ritual for the healing circle, helping to build – and rebuild – the odd structure challenged by the weather … and mud skipping.

We’re heartily hoping to have dried out for the moot on Thursday (September 11 – usual time and place), but if we haven’t, completely, please forgive the earthy odours!

Bright Ones

MnM

RCs

Changes

The Green Man Tree at Sandy Lane, Newport, on one of the Histree Trails. Photo by Mary-Ann.

IF YOU have visited this website in the past, you will notice a change.

This is because we have decided to try moving away from the static website format to a more dynamic way of keeping you updated on what’s happening with PF Wight – and, hopefully, more broadly within the PF, too.

The aim is to update this site at least once a month, before each moot, so you will know (a) exactly when and where the next moot is being held; and (b) what, if anything, might be up for discussion.

So … the next moot will be from around 8pm on Thursday, August 14, at The Eight Bells, Carisbrooke, in the garden, weather permitting.

Top subject up for discussion is a proposed ‘minibus’ visit to the mainland, sponsored through a generous donation of £100 from Robin B. One idea is a trip to Glastonbury, taking in some major sacred sites along the way, and including Pagan ritual at one of the sites we visit. We are, of course, open to any and all ideas – come along and tell us what you think.

Next up, we now have a full set of leaflets for the Island ‘Histree’ trails (launched at the weekend) which take in some of the Island’s oldest and most interesting trees – see picture above – and carry some fascinating information on the Dryads along these routes. If you like hugging trees and/or enjoy walking, come and have a look.

Also … we need your input on our commitment to organise an Island event to mark Peace One Day in September. The IW Council is proving very prohibitive and demanding around what we originally proposed, but we are committed to make something happen – and it will. However, any suggestions you might have, particularly about the venue, would be most welcome.

And … we have a box of past issues of Pagan Dawn in the boot of our ‘new’ Blue Bus that you’re welcome to look through and either borrow or take away permanently, as you wish. There’s some good stuff in there, too.

There’s more stuff - like info on the forthcoming rituals, the free Perennial Druidry course, etc – but we won’t bore you with that here … for now.

What’s much more important is what YOU want. Why not come along to the moot and tell us? Or e-mail rc@pfwight.co.uk

Blessed Be.

Maurice/|\Mary-Ann

Your RCs