Druids in the News

[Dathi]

Bit dusty around here nowadays Where have all the Druids gone?

Well, they are all over the world, making news in strange and interesting ways. Here we can track them, as well as some of the odd perceptions non-Druidy people have of us.

To start:
Canada, celebrating the Summer solstice:
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/18/ce ... r-solstice

Australia: Inspiring stone circles:
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... 1zp8x.html

Austria, healing with trees:
http://austriantimes.at/news/Around_the ... e_Surgeons

UK, inspiring writers:
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.u ... story.html

Wales, doing what comes naturally:
http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/11344 ... ddfod.aspx

And in Ireland, keeping ancient traditions alive:
http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/local ... -1-3917590

How about keeping this as a rolling thread for the reporting of "Druidy" reports that cross your radar?

Yours aye,

Dathi.

[DJ Droood]

To start:
Canada, celebrating the Summer solstice:
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/18/ce ... r-solstice

Druidry is growing in popularity, he says. “There are around half a million of us in North America, and around two million worldwide,” says Greer, a published author who lives in Cumberland, Md.

I like Greer and all, but I call unicorn poop on this.

[Dathi]

2 000 000

No matter, when people see this, they will be flocking to sign up.

Scoda builds Stonehenge replica in London - Citihenge:

http://cars.uk.msn.com/news/skoda-build ... itihenge-1

"Like Stonehenge, it is also built on ancient and significant ley lines so spiritualists can still feel at one with the land."
So who dowsed this? Some interesting stuff on London's Leys: http://www.kch42.dial.pipex.com/leyslond1.htm

[Michael C. Page]

I found this from this past April: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17766912

While it does not reflect current events, I find it interesting that "Druid" organizations of this time were always involved in some social reform of one kind or another don't you?

[Michael C. Page]

I don't know what to make of this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wiltshire/h ... 752032.stm

My first reaction is to say: "You've got to be kidding." And ....I won't even comment on the litter! Oh I just did! Some one tell me they were made to clean up after themselves!

[DJ Droood]

I found this from this past April: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-17766912

While it does not reflect current events, I find it interesting that "Druid" organizations of this time were always involved in some social reform of one kind or another don't you?

According to Mr Smedley, the town's Druids "collected money and provided money for people in need, sick or for funeral care".

hmmm...the good old days...more of a solitary, self-improvement, self-discovery thing now, rather than focused on the broader community.

[Dathi]

Some great pikkies here from Stonehenge.

Drenched druids! Summer solstice at Stonehenge is the soggiest in years as thousands welcome the sun at prehistoric monument
Around 14,500 people braved the miserable weather to welcome the dawn at Wiltshire landmark
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... t-too.html

And more "Drenched Druids" in the Mirror.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/su ... nge-904880

And dozens more reports here: https://news.google.com/news/story?q=dr ... CC4QqgIwAA

And as part of a crude numbers comparison. Who is more mainstream nowdays?
14,500 at Stonehenge and 11, 500 at the RC Eucharistic Congress: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/bre ... ing22.html

Umm, but only 70 at Tara: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 57213.html

[Dave]

Drenched druids! Summer solstice at Stonehenge is the soggiest in years as thousands welcome the sun at prehistoric monument
Around 14,500 people braved the miserable weather to welcome the dawn at Wiltshire landmark
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... t-too.html

And we were so happy to have 30 people show up at our Litha celebration
Maybe next year I'll see about getting that bouncy replica of Stonehenge. Maybe that will help

[Dathi]

Yeah, this is definitely the business

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOSKkLJdjfA

[Dathi]

The Gorsedd of Druids in Arzano: a rite in which politics has its place

http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/fet ... ts%20place

And the speech under discussion:
http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/pdf ... glish2.pdf

Gorsedd web-site: http://www.gorsedd.fr/galerie/galerie-d ... digor-2012

Dathi

[katie bridgewater]

Drenched druids! Summer solstice at Stonehenge is the soggiest in years as thousands welcome the sun at prehistoric monument
Around 14,500 people braved the miserable weather to welcome the dawn at Wiltshire landmark
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... t-too.html

And we were so happy to have 30 people show up at our Litha celebration
Maybe next year I'll see about getting that bouncy replica of Stonehenge. Maybe that will help

Drenched druids! Summer solstice at Stonehenge is the soggiest in years as thousands welcome the sun at prehistoric monument
Around 14,500 people braved the miserable weather to welcome the dawn at Wiltshire landmark
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... t-too.html

And we were so happy to have 30 people show up at our Litha celebration

I shouldn't worry. The 14.500 people who were at Stonehenge aren't Druids, or even, necessarily particularly Pagan. They are mostly festival goers looking for a cool party, with a selection of insensitive Samba bands who like an excuse to play loudly all night. I can't think of a worse, less magical way to spend the shortest night I went once and I've never been back for it. I'd rather be at something meaningful with 30 people! Count yourselves lucky you don't have to see disrespectful drunks climbing over your sacred stones every year, loud drumming, thousands of people crammed into a small space, and police and security all over the place just to add a frisson of aggression to the proceedings. Not my idea of a temple, but at least we're allowed in now, which we weren't for a long time...The druids here now have to hold their rituals at other times near to the solstice to get any peace and focus...

On a better note, have you heard the bouncy druid song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVs7mPy4aRk
It was written for a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme The News Quiz (R4 is the National radio non-music station)and has quickly become an anthem for the druidic community.

[Dathi]

Plenty of Welsh Gorsedd news recently.

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2012-08-1 ... ns-druids/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19213038
http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/

[Dathi]

Oi, you lot, who has been disturbing the gentle people of Dunstable with all that chanting?

http://www.dunstabletoday.co.uk/news/lo ... -1-4217546

[Ses]

Not me! but it would be interesting to find out who it is

[Whitemane]

Words, and rather lovely words at that, from a BDO Gorsedd were included in the closing ceremony for the 2012 Paralympics:

http://www.druidry.co.uk/2012/09/09/bdo-ritual-in-paralympics-closing-ceremony/

[Dathi]

Nice one, thanks for sharing.

Details and (spectacular) vid clip here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2 ... emony.html

[Bracken]

It is just amazing to me that somebody got paid good money for the Dunstabletoday logo which by means of a colour change prominently features the word 'unstable'. What were they thinking?
I did enjoy that story, though. Spooky Druid chanting and all that.
And in the same world, we have an entirely Druidic olympic ceremony showing this island to be worshipers of the sun God. Gobsmacking.

[Whitemane]

It is just amazing to me that somebody got paid good money for the Dunstabletoday logo which by means of a colour change prominently features the word 'unstable'. What were they thinking?

They were unstable that day.

[Dathi]

Well done, the Tamworth Druids!

Support flows in for Tamworth Druids' call to uncap town's historic well
http://www.thisistamworth.co.uk/Support ... story.html

[Dathi]

Oh oh!!!! This is serious!!!!

A warning to all Druids, Pagans, Wiccans or, indeed, members of any other ancient religion that may have been invented over the past couple of months

Stonehenge is bad for your health, the insurance people say so.


http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Ron-Ben ... story.html