The House of Danu in California, an alliance of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids) groves and seed groups is hosting a historic Gorsedd for the Festival of Lughnasadh featuring some noted figures in modern Pagan Druidry.

“This is an unprecedented gathering of numerous Druid organizations in the West, and anyone interested in exploring the California Druid experience is invited to attend. This is a rare opportunity to acquire knowledge from the most celebrated scholars of Druidry.  The Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids (OBOD), Philip Carr-Gomm is traveling from Sussex to help ground participants in Druid culture.  The Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), John Michael Greer, is coming down from Oregon to share his extraordinary knowledge of Druid history and magic. Archdruid Emeritus and founder of Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF), Isaac Bonewits, is coming from New York to do assist in our discussion of Druid rites and ritual.  The Gorsedd will be a festival of learning, drumming, storytelling, games, initiations; Bardic evenings around the campfire, a magnificent Eisteddfod of our best performing artists, and a grand procession for the sacred ritual of Lughnasadh that you can help create.”

One has to wonder, with such a esteemed assmblege present (and no doubt several other prominent Druids will be attending in addition to the three “headliners”) if we will hear any pronouncements or plans for the future of Druidry in America. Movement on getting the Awen approved for military headstones and markers? Perhaps some statement on American environmental policy under the Obama administration? Maybe plans for greater cooperation and resource sharing between the different Druid groups in America? The speculation, and possibilities, are endless. Whatever happens, this is a rare confluence of influential individuals, and the results should be noteworthy to say the least. The Gorsedd will run July 31 to August 3, in the coastal redwoods above Watsonville, between Santa Cruz and Monterey, at the Buddhist retreat center Pema Osel Ling, in California. You can register now online.

Historian Ronald Hutton’s “Blood and Mistletoe: The History of Druids in Britain”, the more academic-minded companion to his 2008 book “The Druids” (now out in paperback), is now out in the UK (and will soon be out in the US) and reviews are starting to trickle in. So far they have been extremely positive.

“This book is a tour de force: surely the definitive work on our perception of the Druids. The only thing missing from this exhaustive account is an overview, however brief, of today’s colourful Druid groups – an odd omission by the acknowledged historian of neo-Paganism. For that, you need his earlier book.” – David V Barrett, The Independent

“This is an ably researched and well-written book. It charts the history of an obsession, representing the strange creation of a wholly fabulous people who by dint of repetition become lodged in popular consciousness. They then become part of history. They become real. Hutton explains this alchemical process very well, in a study notable for its humour as well as its scholarship.” – Peter Ackroyd, The Times

“His real concern is with the constantly developing role the Druids have played in Britain’s various cultures since the 17th century, and their place in changing notions of nationality in these islands. From the first of the “antiquaries” through the foundation of the thoroughly modern Ancient Order to the Stonehenge solstice-celebrations of recent times. The result is an engrossing, endlessly thought-provoking read.” – Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman

You can read an excerpt of the new book, here. It seems a shame that, as David Barrett reports in his review, there is little information on modern Druid groups in this book. Perhaps it was an issue of space? If so, maybe we’ll be graced with a third tome on Druids from Hutton, this one giving an extensive focus to modern Druidry. Still, despite a lack of focus on modern Druid groups, I can only imagine that anyone interested in the history and evolution of perceptions concerning Druids in Britain will find much to enrich themselves with in “Blood and Mistletoe”. I can’t wait to pick up my own copy.

The Telegraph, Guardian, BBC, Salisbury Journal, and Daily Mail all report that Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon (no, not that Arthur Pendragon) has been given notice by authorities to vacate his position in front of Stonehenge by May 3rd or face prosecution for trespassing. Pendragon (the Druid formerly know as John Rothwell) has been living in a camper at the edge of the site for the last 10 months protesting issues of access, lack of upkeep, and long-promised improvements.

“[King Arthur Pendragon] believes visitors should be allowed to walk close to the stones and touch them rather than being confined to a visitor centre and a pathway well away from the monument. Pendragon also believes the fence designed to keep visitors out has a damaging impact on the stone circle itself, holding it “in a stranglehold like a snared animal”. Wiltshire county council launched legal proceedings to force Pendragon to move away. Salisbury crown court granted a possession order, in effect giving him until Sunday to pack up and leave. But outside court, bearded Pendragon, who was flanked by supporters in white robes, said he would not be budging.”

Pendragon has already vowed to fight the issue in court and to stay in his camp despite threat of arrest. The Druid leader also claims to have the full support of the Council of British Druid Orders (though it is unknown how much support among modern Druidry that really entails). There are certainly British Pagans who do not support the idea of allowing unfettered access to Stonehenge, especially considering the damges that were inflicted on the site leading up to imposed restrictions in the 1970s. Meanwhile, while Pendragon kept his vigil, British beuracracy continued to slowly trawl forward in finding a solution to Stonehenge’s issues. Specifically the now-published and approved proposal from the Future of Stonehenge Public Consultation.

“Although the Government decided that the A303 road improvements were unaffordable, it has made a commitment in December 2007 to review the Management Plan as the overarching strategic document for the Site, and to complete environmental improvements at Stonehenge, including new visitor facilities, in time for the 2012 Olympics. This work includes examination of the case for closing the A303/ A344 junction to improve the setting of Stonehenge. A new Stonehenge Project Board, chaired by the Ministers for Culture and for Transport, has been set up to oversee this work.”

While Pendragon’s stance may be noble and heroic, it is far more likely that the impending 2012 Olympics will finally spur the government to make the needed improvements in order to avoid international embarrasment over the state of a World Heritage Site. Still, you simply can’t buy the kind of publicity that gets you listed in all the major British newspapers, so I suppose this is something of a PR coup for Pendragon and his followers. Whether anything constructive will come of this limelight remains to be seen, but having raised the stakes it’s jail or go home now.

Thought I’d share a few quick items with you that I missed in yesterday’s “News of Note”. First off, Reclaiming co-founder Starhawk opines about the recent ARIS data suggesting that modern Paganism is growing while other faiths contract.

“Why are we growing? In a time when the very life support systems of the planet are threatened by environmental destruction and global warming, many people seek a faith rooted in love and respect for nature. Women have especially been drawn to the Goddess traditions because we offer positive images of women’s power, our tealogy and religious imagery reflect women’s lives, cycles, and name our bodies as sacred, and we offer women respect and leadership roles. But many men also are drawn to a community that does not make gender a condition of power. Gay, lesbian and transgender folks find a welcome in our circles. And many people are drawn to traditions that encourage imagination, honor intuition and respect each individual’s spiritual authority.”

Starhawk also praises the Internet as a boon to modern Paganism’s growth. For more ARIS reactions from the rest of the On Faith panelists, click here.

Will Witch School give up on building a “Salem of the Midwest” in Hoopeston, IL and instead just pick up and move to the already existing Witch-mecca of Salem, Massachusetts? That is apparantly one of the agenda items for its annual international conference in Salem from April 17th – 19th.

“The group also plans to vote on whether to relocate its headquarters to downtown Salem. The move would include the relocation of Magick TV, an Internet television station broadcast on YouTube. Hubbard said he envisions a downtown TV studio that could broadcast such programs as the Pagan Nightly News. He has already been in talks with Salem landlords, he said. “My goal is to be on Essex Street,” Hubbard said.”

Considering the reception they rcceived in Hoopeston, I can hardly blame them for wanting to move, and I suppose that since Salem is a land of big personalities and ambitious impressarios they’ll fit right in.

MN Artists (and MinnPost) run a profile of “freelance druid” Bill Watkins on the publication of his third memoir “The Once and Future Celt”.

“The Once and Future Celt documents the last leg of Bill Watkins’ winding path; this final volume of his memoir trilogy, preceded by A Celtic Childhood and Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish, traces Bill’s self-definition as a Celt and, more specifically, as a modern druid and a bearer of the old traditions. Bill was raised in England by an Irish mother and a Welsh father who were both fluent in their native Gaelic languages and passionate about their ancestral traditions. Each bestowed Bill with divergent but strongly felt religious beliefs — Irish Catholicism from his mother and, from his father, an abiding faith in the old druidic beliefs held by the Celts before their conquest by the Romans.”

“Wild” Bill Watkins resides, naturally enough, in Paganistan (Minneapolis/St Paul) and performs regularly at Merlins Rest Pub.

That’s it for now!

The National Secular Society has released a response to the The National Trust and English Heritage holding a public consultation on the proposed reburial of a neolithic skeleton found at Avebury that has been dubbed “Charlie”. An issue raised by The Council of British Druid Orders (and a CoBDO splinter group) on the grounds that these remains represent their spiritual and genetic ancestors, and that it is ‘disrespectful’ to treat them differently from exhumed Christian remains. Unsurprisingly, the NSS takes a dim view of these demands, and the deference shown to them by The National Trust.

The NSS believes that the National Trust and English Heritage have abdicated their clear responsibility to the nation to turn down the requests from the Council of British Druid Orders (CoBDO), an unelected and unaccountable group, for the reburial of ancient human remains at the Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury. It is important that the demands of one small group are not allowed to overwhelm those of the general public and interested groups, including those of scientists seeking to understand and to spread understanding of the lives of our ancestors in prehistory. Rather than take issue with the theology of the various “druid” groups represented by the CoBDO, the NSS wishes to stress the danger of creating a precedent in this case, whilst also refuting any claims that one specific religious group has over important scientific material which is the property of everyone.

The NSS goes on to call the demands, and the process of CoBDO setting itself up as “indigenous” spokespersons “an act of political expediency” rather than stemming from any real grievence. This particular criticism is echoed by cultural sociologist Dr Tiffany Jenkins in a recent article for Spiked.

CoBDO is an organisation which represents some Pagan groups. The request fronted by Paul Davies claims a genetic relationship with the human remains that are aged between 4,000 and 5,700 years old. But the demands are less about old bones than about winning affirmation of the legitimacy of Paganism from cultural organisations. These are, fundamentally, claims for recognition.

In the end, if the demands by some modern British Druid groups are met, it will raise a host of issues about the future of archeology in the UK and who exactly gets to speak for remains that are thousands of years old. Even if there was proof of some sort of spiritual link between these bones and modern Pagan practice, is CoBDO (or ‘CoBDO West’ for that matter) the organization that British Pagans want representing their interests and views? While secularists and scholars can be needlessly snarky about this issue, they do raise awareness of some important problems with these issues of identity and ownership. There has to be a better way of introducing a measured Pagan perspective to these debates than to allow scattered (and often self-appointed) individuals to claim the authority to speak with our collective voice.

The Independent does a profile of author and academic Ronald Hutton on the release of his latest book “Druids: A History”. The article points out that this book isn’t so much about “real” Druids (ie the historical priestly caste of the pre-Christian Celts), as it is about the modern invention of Druids (and Druidry) from Iolo Morganwg in the 18th century to the present day.

“Hutton gives us chapters on “The Patriotic Druids”, “The Wise Druids”, “The Green Druids”, “The Demonic Druids”, “The Fraternal Druids”, “The Rebel Druids” and, perhaps most important to his popular readers, “The Future Druids”. Like the Knights Templar, at least in the British Isles, the Druids have been a handy peg on which to hang a backpack of imaginative, insightful, and sometimes half-baked ideas, dealing with national identity, religious revelation, ancient societies, nature and ourselves. When I mentioned that it seemed like a history of what people have thought about the Druids, Hutton eagerly agreed. ‘My colleagues would kill me for saying this, but historians are increasingly conscious of the fact that we can’t write history. What we can write about is the way in which people see history and think history happens.’ And turning my remark back at me he continued, ‘So, is this a book about Druids with no Druids in it, or are the real Druids these amazing characters like William Price, William Stukeley, Iolo Morganwg and the rest?’”

The interviewer also touches on the fact that Hutton has courted controversy with his books on modern Paganism. From some modern Pagans who have disagreed with his findings, and from academic colleagues who feel he is a bit too chummy with the Pagans.

“Predictably, Hutton finds himself defending his position on two fronts. Neo-pagans, clinging to the notion that their beliefs are part of an ancient nature religion, and radical feminists upholding the idea of a primeval matriarchal society (which Hutton finds “rather delightful”), scorn Hutton’s refreshingly cheerful acceptance that there seems little evidence for either of these. And his less unbuttoned colleagues shake their heads at his optimism about Druidry and other “alternative spiritualities” as valid contemporary religions. He has a very pragmatic, creative attitude, recognising that factual error can still produce beneficial results. We may not be able to “get it right”, about the Druids and other people of the past, but ‘we can look upon the past and how it works for us, and call upon it in order to make the future’.”

But despite the criticisms Hutton has received from some Pagans, his obvious love and respect for modern Paganism is apparent.

“Paganism today, he says, is “a way of trying to get the best out of modernity, while discarding the bits that most of us hate”. And while he wouldn’t call himself “a spokesperson for paganism” … he acknowledges his debt to it. “I could never have managed to write the books that I have without the welcome and the support I’ve received from pagans and Druids.” Given that the West has been reinventing its identity since the Renaissance, that we should continue to do so today shouldn’t come as a surprise. “It’s part of our reclaiming ourselves as modern,” Hutton says. ‘Of getting a sense of who we are and what we’re doing here, where we’ve come from , and why we are who we are. It’s simply thrilling.’”

If “Druids” is anywhere near the quality of works like “Triumph of the Moon” or “Stations of the Sun”, then it will become essential reading for anyone interested in modern Druidry/ism (whether curious outsider or veteran practitioner). Works like this help add another piece to the puzzle of modern Paganism’s sometimes complex and confusing history.

My semi-regular round-up of articles, essays, and opinions of note for discerning Pagans and Heathens.

We all know that modern Druids in Britain have a special connection to Stonehenge, but it seems that Druids in New Zealand are getting in on the action with a Stonehenge all their own.

“As the sun set last night at the Kiwi-style Stonehenge, built on a hill east of Carterton, druids from across New Zealand – along with Britain’s Chief Druid, Phillip Carr-Gomm – gathered to be part of the ancient ceremony of Alban Elfed, the autumn equinox…Stonehenge Aotearoa is an adaptation of the 4000-year-old ring of stones on Salisbury Plain in England. The 24 pillars that make up the circle are not stone, but the cement-and-plaster structures look the part. Stonehenge Aotearoa took its final form in 2005.”

Will Druids in America soon want their own Stonehenge? If funds are a problem, they could always use Carhenge as a substitute.

Wiccans are the victims in a new novel “White Night” by Jim Butcher. The book, part of a series called “The Dresden Files” (now a television series on the SciFi channel), stars a hard-boiled magician who solves occult-related crimes.

“Further investigation reveals the presence of a serial killer preying upon Wicca practitioners and worse, folks on the street keep seeing a tall man in a gray jacket, a description that fits Dresden. Harry soon uncovers evidence that implicates his brother Thomas as the killer but before he can clear him, he’ll have to battle ghouls in a showdown…”

If your a fan of the “Wiccans getting off-ed” motif in occult-tinged stories you might also want to check out M.R. Sellars’ Rowan Gant Investigations series, and possibly Rosemary Edghill’s “Bast” mysteries.

Ireland has launched its first (and only) Mumming center near the Fermanagh border.

“Ireland’s only mumming centre was officially launched this morning in a former national school close to the Fermanagh border. The 266,000 Euro cultural centre, built in the restored listed building of Aughakillymaude National School on the shores of Lough Erne, is set to become a major attraction for tourists plying the Fermanagh waterways. The key attraction will be an exhibition dedicated to the vanishing tradition of mumming, in which eerie straw-masked figures perform a midwinter folk drama whose origins are lost in pagan times.”

For more on mumming, check out the Wikipedia article, and of course the final third of the original Wicker Man features some lovely mumming (and a bit of human sacrifice, but its all for the good of the land).

Washingtonian profiles Sally Quinn in her new role as religious master of ceremonies for the Washington Post blog “On Faith”.

“I’ve been an atheist all my life, Jon convinced me not to use that word. He said I was defining myself negatively. So I don’t call myself anything, a seeker, perhaps. I had been interested for a couple of years in religion and how it affects policy. I was thinking of writing a book about religion in Washington.”

The article also makes special note of the inclusion of Starhawk in the proceedings, and makes much ado over Quinn’s affection for labyrinth-walking as a possible sign she has “found” religion.

Bloomberg reports that the Louvre is presenting a special show of the 4th century BC Attic sculptor Praxiteles, famous for his images of Aphrodite.

“Several versions of the lady can be admired at the Louvre, which has organized a rare Praxiteles exhibition. Most of his works survived only in the form of Roman copies. The originals were destroyed by the ravages of time, natural disasters or Christian zealots who, like the Taliban, wouldn’t tolerate images of pagan sensuality.”

They also point out that the pure-white statues we see now aren’t quite what the ancients looked at due to the fact that statutes back then were often painted in vibrant colors.

Finally, for fans of Pagan-created music, the amazing Hungarian Pagan band The Moon and The Nighspirit are releasing a new album entitled “Rego Rejtem” (which in English means “I conjure with magic”) on April 2nd. Unlike their first album “Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold”, this album is recorded entirely in their native tongue instead of English.

“This time they have traveled further into times bygone, rekindling the flames of the Taltos (Hungarian shaman) and reawakening the spirits of the Elders. The music has acquired a more varied and colorful tone through the use of varied ethnic instrumentation (such as kaval, tapan, jew’s harp or zither), and has also become significantly more energetic and vibrant, without sacrificing the unique ambiance that the band had found on their debut album.”

You can download an Mp3 of the title track, here. Expect to hear more from this album on my weekly “Darker Shade of Pagan” podcast in the very near future.

That is all I have for now. Have a good day!

Some new developments have arisen in two stories I recently reported on for this blog. First is the case of John J. Anderson, who I wrote about in my March 9th (Pagan) News of Note. Anderson is charged with the murder of teenager Natasha Miller, and his defense team moved to have his confession thrown out of court. During the confession Anderson described himself as a “Druid” and a that Miller was a “Wiccan”.

“…for hours he talked about religion … and his life as a druid – part of an ancient pagan Celtic religion. He placed Miller’s body in the river, he said, for religious reasons, to reunite her with the spirit of water … he attempted to paint himself as a scholar of the universe and told investigators he had studied religion since age 5. Miller, he insisted, was a Wiccan – a paganist – who practiced witchcraft.”

Now it seems that the judge has ruled that a large chunk of his confession be thrown out due to the police refusing to stop the interrogation after Anderson requested it be stopped.

“Judge Nanci Grant said police should have stopped interrogating John J. Anderson, a 24-year-old Wixom man who is accused of murdering Natalie Miller and dumping her body in the river, after he tried to stop the interrogation after several hours. The ruling means that many details – including information police say they have on why he would have killed Miller – will be lost to a jury.”

This will make conviction of Anderson harder, though the police still have access to hours of statements by the alleged killer.

The second story involves a somewhat more law-abiding group of Druids and Pagans that I reported on five days ago. In the original blog post, I talked about how a reporter did a nice story on the Weymouth-based Dolmen Grove and how they were planning a ritual for a ancient felled tree at the “Nine Ladies” stone circle at Winterbourne Abbas.

“A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft beech at Winterbourne Abbas has been reduced to a 10-metre stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches. Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform a ‘re- balancing’ ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to mark a new beginning for their holy site.”

Now that same group are facing a string of threats and abuse, perhaps due to the increased publicity they have received recently.

“Pagans in Dorset claim their growing popularity is making them a target for threats and abuse. The Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, says a dead bird with a noose around its neck was left on the windscreen of its van. Then nails were left under the wheels of the van the night after a music gig.”

Despite the threats, the group still plans to go forward with their ritual for the tree on March 24th. The article itself has created quite a back-and-forth in the comments section, generating over sixty comments, many with the typical “why do you dress funny” put-downs. Luckily, unlike nails in tires or dead animals left on vehicles, you can always choose to ignore stupidity and ignorance on web sites.

The Dorset Daily Echo has a nice piece up about how a local Pagan group dealt with the death and removal of a 200-year-old tree that rested in the middle of the famous “Nine Ladies” stone circle at Winterbourne Abbas.

“A 200-year-old tree at the centre of worship by druids and witches has been chopped down to size after it became diseased. The 80ft beech at Winterbourne Abbas has been reduced to a 10-metre stump by English Heritage because of fears it would die and fall over. The tree has become a dominant feature at the site, famous for the ancient stone circle standing beneath its branches. Now the Dolmen Grove, a Weymouth-based druid group, will perform a ‘re- balancing’ ritual in mourning for the loss of the tree and to mark a new beginning for their holy site.”

Chris Walsh, Arch Druid of the Dolmen Grove, seems very respectful of the site and speaks eloquently about the group’s plans for the ritual honoring the ancient tree.

“I think that many trees have come and gone in the 3,000 to 4,000 years the stones have been here and we accept there has to be change and renewal in nature … We believe in the spirits of the land and we want to honour the tree by putting it in peace with the elements – a re-balancing of nature’s forces. We cannot be certain but we believe that ancient people met and worshiped at the stones very much as we do today. We’re very respectful of the land and anyone who visits the stones and we like to see them maintained.”

This is a nice bit of reporting that respectfully deals with the importance of stone circles (and the natural world) for British Pagans and Druids without the usual sarcasm or pull-quotes from local Christian clergy. This may partially be due to a sympathetic journalist, but I think having a media-savvy Pagan or two didn’t hurt.

On February 1st, during Imbolc, Tim Sebastion, chief of the Secular Order of Druids in the UK, passed away after a long illness. No papers that I can find have printed an obituary, but several friends and acquaintances have posted remembrances on the web, giving tribute to a singular force within Druidry in the UK.

Tim Sebastian, photo by Andy Letcher

“Tim was Chosen Chief of the Secular Order of Druids – and still is for a while longer. Unlike the heads of some Orders and religions, Tim’s title says what it means. Tim was chosen to be the chief of the Secular Order. He was chosen by the Secular Order. He never claimed, as far as I know, to’ve been chosen by a deity, not even by an ancestor like Wally. He rarely asserted authority over others. Most often he provoked, suggested, seduced. There are people around who think they started something, and there are events which they claim to’ve founded. But some of us know better. Tim’s vision thrives in the lives and projects of many people (whether they know it or not). While others identify Druidry with a noble priesthood disseminating wisdom to worthy followers, the truest expressions of the Secular Order are cucumber dancers, fools, jesters, picnics, punk protests, rave tree blessings and ceremonies on the road outside Stonehenge … Tim got us all to do things. Some of them have improved the world in small or great ways. If anyone else had achieved some of what Tim achieved their name would be emblazoned across some sign of ownership. Tim just smiled. Told us things that we only ever half believed but often wondered … what if?” – Graham Harvey, author of “Listening People, Speaking Earth: Contemporary Paganism.”

“What I remember about him most was his grumbling voice, his booming laugh, his ribald and unrestrained sense of humour, and his ability, almost stretching to genius, to knock over any ashtray, any pint, any table or any tent that he was even vaguely associated with…He was a tireless fighter for justice, an inspiration to us all, a model of courage and conviction, funny, generous, honest and a truly decent person to boot. Having Tim chant the Awen over you was to be transported to another, better world.” – CJ Stone, author of “The Last of The Hippies”

“Tim Sebastion, chief of the Secular Order of Druids in the UK, died on February 1. He was always in the swirl of controversy around Stonehenge…His order was formed in 1975 and the acronym was chosen deliberately, or so I have been told. Based on my couple of meetings with Tim (the last in a Bath pub in 2004), it seemed that by appearing to not be totally serious, he was able to be very serious. He also held the Bardic Chair of Caer Badon (Bath) after founding a gorsedd (poetic competition) in 1995.” – Chas Clifton, author of “Her Hidden Children”

“He was a bridge-builder, a peace-maker – adept at walking between the secular and sacred. With his gentle hand at the helm of many a circle, he made all feel welcome – making the Mysteries accessible and relevant to the present. A lover of ’sacred cricket’ and ‘West-Country produce’, he was a Bonzo soul and a Druid through and through. With impeccable Druidic timing, he passed on from this world on Imbolc, 1 February, 2007, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, surrounded by close friends. His legacy lives on.” – Kevan Manwaring, 3rd Bard of Bath & Scribe of the Gorsedd of the Bards of Caer Badon.

“Tim was a wonderful fellow. I first met him at a meeting he had convened in Mells in Somerset together with Ted Williams, a member of the Ancient Order of Druids. John Michell was there and I remember us all sitting in a lovely English country cottage garden in the summer holding the first meeting of COBDO. I particularly remember his deep rich voice with its West Country accent and his sense of humour. He was unique and I shall miss him greatly. May his journey to the Summerlands be swift and sure!” – Philip Carr-Gomm, Chosen Chief, The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids

“I have rejected Christianity on all levels other than I think it’s a system that has as much a right to exist as we do. I believe in the Goddess; I’d rather live under a matriarchal system than a patriarchal system. I also think the time is long past where we need to have these stupid arguments about Christianity versus Paganism. It’s irrelevant in the modern world. The world is collapsing unless we all come together and love one another.” – Tim Sebastion, from an interview in Keltria magazine

May he rest in the arms of his Goddess. My respect and sympathies go out to all who knew him.