Solstice - Rollright Stones (Sunday 20th June)Sunday 20th June - a warm summers day for the Solstice celebration. The time of the year when the sun is at the height of it's reign; a time when the sun moves into Cancer, a time of mid-summer and the longest days of the year. The Ceremony is a celebration to honour the time of year and all are welcome to join these celebrations. We all gathered outside the circle and issued a challenge to the Portal Keepers to enter the sacred stones. After walking once around the stones we formed a circle. We started our ceremony by calling for peace and welcoming the four Quarters; a short meditation followed, to allow people to attune to the stones and their energies. Members of the Coven and the Sacred Wellhead and Coven of the Silver Chalice then performed a psychodrama - explaining the meaning of the festival - celebrating the Sun King entering his adulthood. One of our group had requested to be baptised into the Celtic faith. The Celtic baptism is an initiation with all four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. He was anointed and baptised, and presented with a token of his beliefs. Next the mead and flapjacks were blessed, and offered to everyone in the circle. The Talking Stick was passed around for everyone to make a contribution of their own within the ceremony. some of those present had just come on a day out to visit the stones, and expressed their pleasure in being able to take part in the celebrations. We all recited the "Druids prayer", and closed the Quarters. To close, we all held hands, and with a loud "HO!" we released the energy to the four winds. We exited the stones through the Portal, and retired to have a picnic and socialise before leaving for home. A few people stayed on to await the sunrise the next morning. BBC Radio 4 taped the whole event, and some of it was broadcast as part of programme in the "Open Country" season later that summer.  Midsummer - Stonehenge (Saturday 26th June)On 26th June 2004, 100 people gathered at Stonehenge for a celebration of the summer Solstice. English Heritage had given permission for the Cotswold Order of druids to hold a ritual at noon. The ceremony was jointly conducted by the Arch Druid of the Cotswold Order and the High Priest of the Inner Circle of Stonehenge. At 11:30am we processed to the Stones and stopped at the eastern entrance, where the Squire to the Cotswold Order blew three times on a Golden horn. The High Priest asked for permission to enter into the sacred Stones, and the Squire blew one long note in return. Inside we formed a large circle. The Arch Druid called for peace, and asked for the Quarters to be opened. The Quarter callers in turn invoked the guardians of the four directions. The Arch druid made an introduction, and asked all present to participate in a short meditation to attune themselves to the stones. The ceremony is held at midsummer to honour the sun at the height of it's reign - to pay homage to the importance of the sun: for without it there would be no life on this planet. A set piece was performed by the Members of the Coven of the silver Chalice (with thanks to Maz, Adam, Conrad and Diana!) enacting the change of the solar year from waxing to waning through the battle between the Holy King and the Oak King. The Goddess then danced around the fallen oak King to the sound of chanting: "Dance Lady, Dance!" There was also work to be done: the High Priest blessed four ceremonial knives, then, with the Archdruid, performed two baptisms and a Hand-fasting. Mead and cake was offered to everyone in the circle, and whilst these where being handed around, Smiles the Bard told a story and sang a song. The Squire took the Talking-stick around the circle, giving everyone a chance to make a contribution to the ritual. The Druids Prayer was recited, and all the quarters where closed. we then held hands and shouted "HO!" to release the energy to the winds The ceremony was then closed, and we processed out of the Stones. The rain had drizzled steadily all morning, stopped for two hours whilst we where in the Stones, and restarted when we came ou. Veronica Hammond All contents and graphics ©:
Updated July 2004 |