Initiations can often be very powerful experiences. I was initiated into the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids on the Spring Equinox of 1995, having joined the Order in April 1994. I hadn't rushed in. I wanted to be sure I had found my home. I remember the
So you've found this wonderful thing called Paganism. You might be called to explore a particular path, be that Wicca, Witchcraft, Asatru, Druidry or Shamanism, or you might just want to go with the flow of the eclectic and take stuff from all over. There are magazines,
Close the door keep out the storm, Far Away, Far Away... It's nearly here. In two weeks time the major Sabbat of Samhain will arrive, bringing with it dark evenings and opening the door to the cold of Winter. Lanterns will be lit and placed in windows.
It was the Anderida Gorsedd camp this past weekend. Me and Cerri started the camps back in 2003 and our intent was to create space that focussed on magic and community. There were a lot of camps that had various workshops and rituals, but with Anderida camps
"Welcome to Damh the Bard's therapy session!" It's what I say when I'm getting towards the end of Wild Mountain Thyme live. It's meant as a bit of fun, to encourage those who might be reticent about singing along, to join in. It builds community. Brings people
Yesterday I spoke at the Brighton Interfaith AGM. It was held at the Quaker Friends Meeting House, a venue I played a concert at many year's ago at Brighton's sadly defunct World Sacred Music Festival. I've spoken at three of their interfaith meetings and they are always
Last night I posted a short and simple question on my Facebook page: What are the most spiritually inspirational books you've read? By the morning there were over 100 replies and it made for fascinating reading. Most of us have at least one book that has been
Over the years I've had many discussions with friends and seen quite a few talks about the nature of the Gods. One of these is the idea of local deities. For instance in a recent edition of the Down at the Crossroads podcast (thoroughly recommended if you've
We had a discussion last night at our local moot about Christmas and whether it's right that some Pagans celebrate it. The discussion came about after a member of the moot read a Facebook update from a Pagan in absolute meltdown about the topic. They thought is
It was the OBOD Winter Gathering on Saturday. Twice a year, around the time of the Solstices, members of the Order gather in Glastonbury for workshops, music, ceremony and community. At the Winter Gathering we always have a morning ceremony in the Chalice Well Gardens, then down
