New Moon ♋️
I suppose the term ‘Druid Meeting’ conjures images of old men with long hair and beards (usually white long hair and beards) in a dusky room; yodelling some kind of chant with a fog of incense around them. Or of several of the same long haired bearded men dressed in white robes to go with their white beards performing weird rituals at a stone circle…
Usually the term ‘Druid Meeting’ doesn’t evoke images of being in a tapas bar in Nottingham’s creative quarter on a red hot day with amazing food, cold cider and cold sparkling water. One of us had long hair, one of us definitely has a beard (if either have white in our hair we aren’t saying!) and the third had neither, but wore a blue dress because it was definitely warm. There were no dusty rooms or open stone circles as we enjoyed our catch up with the busy street behind us.
And yet that’s exactly what we did!
Not really having any over arching theme, we caught up and as I had arrived later than anticipated (failed driving test means carrying on with my driving lessons and this particular day was when my instructor was next available), I met up with Tatterhood and Bex in the Nottingham Contemporary then led the way to the tapas bar.
If there was an over arching theme to the meeting it was one of healing: whilst waiting for me; Tatterhood and Bex managed to share some very personal experiences that simply had to be let out. This was obviously why my arrival was delayed- it allowed them both to discuss what they needed to and find solace for doing so.
We discussed food and caught up with where we all were in life. Where we individually were with our Druidry. And of course we discussed the Grove of the Corieltauvi…..
Of what happened and what led to its closing down in early 2019 (lots of mistakes leading to a fall out between friends and the shutting down of the Grove itself). In fact, I need to thank both Tatterhood and Bex here as I got quite emotional in telling the full story of what happened. My turn for a healing conversation.
Of what the led to the Grove being revived (a textual conversation between myself and Cthulhudruid after watching A Druid’s Pilgrimage in 2020…. Which led to the formation of a social media chat forum with some of the previous members- I want to say this was later that same year, I could be wrong. This forum also included newer members who had contacted us in various ways. We all discussed what we’d like to do and it was in late 2021 our forum voted that the Grove of the Corieltauvi should be opened up again).
Of what the Grove presently is (right now it’s a chat forum on a social media outlet that has only recently started meeting IRL).
Of what where we’d like it to go (holding meetings and ceremonies again, a group that comes together in peace and friendship with Druidry in mind).
Of the challenges we need to face (we’re a diasporic group. Rather than being in one concentrated area we are scattered throughout the East Midlands- Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and even one member out in London. This has made organising any kind of get together a bit of a nightmare as not everyone can drive (in my case- not yet!) and some live quite far away to warrant meeting up for a couple of hours).
In fact, on this last, we discussed we might have been trying the wrong method: rather than try to do what we used to do- meetings on the second Tuesday of every month and ceremonies as close to the actual celebrations of the eight-fold year as much as possible…. How about we accept this is what the Grove used to be like and that things have changed for everyone since then?
Instead of forcing the issue of what we want to do we should rather aim for having monthly meetings again and then build up the momentum to the point we can start discussing ceremonies again. This way by having the meetings more regularly, and hopefully, having more people come, we can find a regular day or date to have them that’s more suitable for all.
This seemed so simple that we had to remind ourselves the Grove was closed during a tempestuous time. Being revived, both it and us will require healing: from the burns of the fall-out, from the closure of the original Grove, from coming out of the pandemic.
In reviving the Grove, we must take care to nurture it like a freshly planted sapling. Giving it the water of our care and attention, giving it the mulch of our lessons learned in order to never let history repeat itself; and giving it the sanctity it requires, allowing it to take root and see how it grows.
A Wise Fool 