Pagan Veterans of the United States

The Philly Burbs ran an article "Pagan vets urged to come out of the closet". Of course, we have long supported the establishment of the penticle as a symbol of faith for many, we also promote the establishment of the awen as a symbol of faith for Druids on veteran's headstones.

They [Asatru wizards and spirit shaman, Wiccan witches and Druid priests] want respect equal to any Christian, Jew or Muslim who served in the armed forces, said the commander of the Pagan Veterans of the United States.

The article indicates that Charles Arnold is national commander of the Pagan Veterans of the United States. I did some looking and the website link mentioned in the article doesn't work. It appears that the organization is still mostly a Yahoo Group -- Pagan-Veterans-USA. That said, Charles has been long involved with Pagan Veteran issues and was the National Coordinator for the Pagan Veterans Headstone Campaign.

Goin' Druid in Minnesota

Being a native of Minnesota but no longer living there, I occasionally see evidence of why it is a great place to live and why I miss it. The  StarTribune is reporting that Carver Park is hosting:

GOIN' DRUID
Celebrate the longest night of the year, as people have done since ancient times. Discover the scientific and cultural significance of the season at the Winter Solstice Celebration. Enjoy a peaceful solstice quest, as you walk a trail discovering wooden animal figures, each holding the answer to a quiz that you carry. Join in singing ancient winter carols around a bonfire, and help with the communal "tie down the sun" ceremony, which is said to never fail in making the days get longer! Meet a live barred owl and create an owl mask. Listen to solstice stories while you enjoy cookies and wassail. (3-5:30 p.m. Sat. $5. Reservations required. Lowry Nature Center, Carver Park Reserve, 7025 Victoria Dr., Victoria. 763-559-6700. www.threeriversparkdistrict.org.)

It looks like a lot of fun.

The Good Search

What if The Henge of Keltria earned a penny every time you search the Internet?

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charity you designate! Set your home page to www.goodsearch.com. Type "Henge of Keltria" in the box as your charity, then search away. Every penny helps, and this one is just too easy.

Goddess Senua Found

We are still learning about the gods and goddesses. Using one of the plaques from the finding, the British Museum finally ascribed a name to a goddess figure found in 2002 -- Senuna (aka Senua). She is probably a local spring goddess who was adopted by the Romans in much the same way that Sulis was adopted at Bath.

See Guardian UK News - Senua, Britain's unknown goddess unearthed and the Pagan Examiner Celtic Goddess Senua for more information.

There is also a website dedicated to her www.senua.info.

(Photo: British Museum via Guardian UK)

Aontacht Magazine & Druidic Dawn

If you haven't checked out Aontacht magazine and Druidic Dawn, you should do so.

Aontacht, Volume 2 Issue 2 Autumn-Spring Equinox 2009's
theme was "Devotion and Practice," which is being shared with the wider Druid Internet community.

Check it out.

From the US Mail - The Lunar Calendar

I received a post card from the folks at The Luna Press that The '10 Lunar Calendar: Dedicated to the Goddess in Her Many Guises is now available. It consists of 32 pages with fresh works from 24 artists and writers. $23.00 plus S&H. Tell them that Tony at Keltria sent you.

Newgrange Lodge near the Newgrange Heritage Site

Received an e-mail from Sara Farell of Harcourt Hospitality regarding the Newgrange Lodge near the Newgrange Heritage Site in County Meath in Ireland. They are offering "preferential introductory rates" on our next visit. It sounds like they are interested in business from "special interest groups" who visit close to ceremonial times. Interesting phraseology. Anyway, I'll probably give them a try when I next head to Ireland and am interested in the "Mythical Boyne Valley Tour"

Newgrange Lodge B&B

Formerly an old farmhouse, Newgrange Lodge provides a unique venue that offers hotel accommodation and traditional Irish hospitality at bed and breakfast rates to both groups and the independent traveller alike. We are located opposite the world famous UNESCO Heritage site of Newgrange, a tomb predating the Pyramids and Stonehenge by 400 years.

Marketing Support Needed

For Henge Members,

The Henge is in need of new and improved marketing materials, particularly offering various resources available to new members and to renewing members. The goal of this project is to replace Resource Form NM and similar forms with a better, more marketing savvy document and/or process that will improve sales of books and other ancillary products for the Henge.

The volunteer for this project should be a member of the Henge of Keltria and should have experience or knowledge in marketing. The Project is expected to be small (take less than 10 hours) and take less than 4 weeks to complete.

Volunteers should submit their name, email address, and a short “what they bring” to the project to the project manager at: tonytaylor08@keltria.org

Tony is Interviewed by Christopher Blackwell of AREN.

I would be remiss if I didn't highly recommend the interview that Christopher Blackwell of AREN (Alternative Religions Educational Network) did with me.

See ACTION - Lammas 2009 - Article 3 for the interview.

Henge of Keltria
Interview with Tony Taylor By Christopher Blackwell

In the process of interviewing one set of Druids, I heard about another group, The Henge of Keltria. I got in touch with them and asked for an interview. Tony Taylor, one of the founders offered me a bit of time out of his busy schedule.....

Christopher: How long have you been a Druid and how did you come to the path?

Former Keltrian

There was an interesting article on Recordnet.com regarding a former member of the Henge. "When belief means a battle" is about "Prisoners whose faith falls outside the mainstream say the walk toward equality continues to be uphill."

The article begins with Morgan Kane , who was a member of the Henge of Keltria in the early 1990's and again until 2004. and describes some of his problems in being able to practice Druidism in the California prison system.

The article highlights many of the difficulties that Druids have in the system. The Henge has supported Morgan in his endeavors to worship the Gods and Goddesses as he wishes.

Druid owns shop in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

The Queensland Times (Australia) reports that Jackie Pope is Ipswich's first and perhaps only Druid. She has a new tarot card reading centre, Wyrd Sisters on Brisbane Street in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The report indicates that she found, in a reading, the photographer to be a skeptic. I'm sure the reporter is a skeptic too. I wish her well.

2nd Annual Golden Oak Awards

(The “Oakie” Awards)

It looks like this year's Golden Oak Awards will occur.  There may be separate categories for Novel and Short Story this year. .

Submissions for consideration are through the individual Druid Orders involved with the awards, The Henge of Keltria (HoK), Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF), the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA), Order of the White Oak (OWO), the Order of the Mithril Star (OMS), and the Missionary Order of the Celtic Cross (MOCC).

The categories include:

*The most interesting grove project.
*The most inspiring activist project.
*The greatest hardship overcome by a member. (Publicly admissible.)
*The best poem released.
*The best art project. (Include photo.) Examples include: painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art, clay, collage, photography, etc.
*The best craft project. Examples include: leatherwork, metalwork, clothing, needlepoint, moulding, weaving, jewelry, basketry, woodwork, stonework, etc.
*The best (nonfiction) book.
*The best novel
*The best short story.
*Best "Druidical" essay or article.
*Best movie or video-clip or instructional video that advances the positive perception of Druidism.

All projects to be considered in the 2nd annual awards must have started or completed in 2009, Other entries must have been released or published in 2009.

Upcoming Books

I received the latest Inner Traditions/Bear & Company catalog. Nothing directed specifically to Druids or Celtophiles, however, there were a few offerings that were of interest to me.

The Temple of High Magic: Hermetic Initiations in the Western Mystery Tradition which proclaims to be a practical guide to pathwork and other esoteric techniques from the ancient mystery schools predating Christianity. It is to be released in February 2010 and may be of interest to those on the Druid Path.

Also of interest is Shamanic Breathwork: Journeying beyond the Limits of Self which promises to help you utilize the healing power of breath to change consciousness. It includes a 60-minute CD of chakra-attuned rhythms to play during the journey. Could be good and certainly has the potential to assist in technique. To be released in December 2009.

Finally, The Return of the Dead: Ghosts, Ancestors, and the Tranparent Veil of the Pagan Mind interests me a lot. It promises to demonstrate how Medieval Christanity transformed the more corporeal ghost encountered in pagan cultures with the disembodied forms known today. Certainly I understand how the returning dead were once viewed as troublemakers, but I'll be interested in seeing how they were viewed as guarantors of the social order. To be released in September 2009.