DRUIDS of ALBION

About Druids of Albion

My name is Chris Turner. I currently occupy the Chair of the Druids of Albion. It is my pleasure to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to welcome you all to this Druids of Albion homepage. I was born on the Isle of Wight on Christmas Day 1940. I left my home in 1965 and have spent periods of the Pilgrimage-that-is-a-Lifetime in the West of England, Mid-Wales, Tyneside and now in Strathclyde. Measured by experiences, a Long Journey indeed!

My first formal steps along the Path of the Druid were taken in the Central Circle at Stonehenge at the Winter Solstice Sunrise of 1966. I stood alone, having hopped the single strand of wire (ah! those were the days!) and greeted the rising newborn Sun. I did not not know how and I did not know why, but I felt the weight of the ages and the movement of the Spirit within the Land and saw, however dimly, the Druid Path I was to tread. Now, in the new Millennium, I find myself still walking the Path that is Ever New, but now in the company of good friends and boon companions of the Druids of Albion. To you all I say - “ Bright Blessings and Merry Meet!”

During the course of the 1990s, I became increasingly aware that Druidry in Britain was coming under the influence of new and significant forces. To me, the most important of these was a heightened public awareness and acceptance of Druids and Druidry. I became convinced that the way was being prepared for Druidry to emerge from the shadows of a thousand years and take its proper place in the public forum.

In 1996, I discovered that the pattern of Solar Eclipses over the Millennium was to take a curiously Druidic form. The very first Total Eclipse of the Third Millennium will be seen on the one day for ever associated with the Druids - June 21st, 2001, Midsummer’s Day, and the Moon’s shadow will cross the longitude of Stonehenge within minutes of noon. Significantly, the eclipse will not be visible from Britain, it will cross southern Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans. I believe that this is as clear an indication as it is possible to get in the Apparent World that great changes are to come about in the Druid Movement in the new Millennium, not least that Druidry will expand to cover both Hemispheres as a truly universal Spiritual Path.

In 1999, I was made aware that I had some part to play, however small, in the forthcoming transformation of Druidry. I saw the additional Druidic significance in the last total Solar Eclipse of the Old Millennium - August 11th 1999, Old Lammas, the Feast of the First Cut of Harvest. The gathering in of the Harvest of Old Druidry for the New Loaves of the New Millennium. I saw the Eclipse in all its glory in a clear sky on a ship at sea and declared the Order of the Druids of Albion in the shadow of the Moon. From that point there was much thought, work and prayer until I was ready to open the Order into the external world on January 1st 2000. =====================================
DECLARATION OF THE ORDER
AT THE MOMENT OF THE SUN’S ECLIPSE AUGUST 11th 1999

------------------------------------------------------

IN THIS PLACE WHICH IS NO PLACE
AT THIS TIME WHICH IS NO TIME
AT THE DYING OF THE OLD LIGHT
AT THE BIRTH OF THE NEW
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
I DECLARE THE ORDER OF THE DRUIDS OF ALBION IN THE APPARENT WORLD,
I CALL TO WITNESS AND ASK THE BLESSING AND INSPIRATION OF
THE GOD AND THE GODDESS, ETERNAL LORD AND LADY
POWERS OF THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH
POWERS OF THE EAST AND THE WEST
POWERS ABOVE AND POWERS BELOW
THE ELEMENTS OF FIRE AND WATER
THE ELEMENTS OF EARTH AND AIR
THE GUIDES AND THE GUARDIANS
THE ANCIENTS AND THE ANCESTORS
THE SPIRIT OF OCEAN AND THE ABIDING EARTH.
MAY THE WORK OF THE ORDER EVER PROSPER

DIVINE CREATOR, ETERNAL SPIRIT OF LIGHT
I DEDICATE THE WORK OF THIS ORDER TO
THE GREATER TRUTH WHICH IS YOUR TRUTH
THE GREATER BEAUTY WHICH IS YOUR BEAUTY
THE GREATER GOODNESS WHICH IS YOUR GOODNESS
NOW AND ALWAYS. ================================================
AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE DRUIDS OF ALBION
Who can join? Anyone with an interest in Druids and Druidry is welcome to become a Member of the DOA.
What are the commitments? There are no commitments or obligations to Membership of the DOA.
Why should I join? To make contact with other people, near and far, who are also interested in Druidry, to exchange views and to keep in touch with Druid news and events.
What do I get as a Member of the DOA? Your Membership Card, a quarterly Newsletter to which you are invited to contribute, copies of the Rituals and other occasional publications.
How do I join? Send your Membership Fee
> UK Annual Membership Ł10(cheques/POs payable to "Druids of Albion")
> US/CAN Annual Membership $20 (banknotes - i.e. cash - only)
> Aus/NZ Annual Membership $25 ( banknotes - i.e. cash - only)
to the address below -
Druids of Albion PO Box 8513 Ardrossan KA22 8YE SCOTLAND UK ==============================

About Druids and Druidry

The Order of the Druids of Albion presents the spiritual traditions of Britain in a form that is relevant and meaningful within the modern world through a process of personal inspiration and widened awareness of Divine Creation and our place within it.

========

The symbol of the Order of the Druids of Albion is a glyph representing the combination of the three tapering bars of the AWEN and the disc of the Sun.

The bars of the AWEN traditionally represent the instant of Divine Creation, manifested by three rays of Sacred Light emanating from the One Source. This symbol appears in Druid iconography throughout the world. It also underlies the Druid principle of triplicity in matters sacred, spiritual and philosophical.

The Sun, especially as the agent of the turning year, has always been significant in Druidry. In this combination, the brightest and most important light in the physical Universe is seen to support and be eclipsed by the infinitely brighter Light of the Spirit.

Other meanings, and other levels of meaning, lie embedded within this symbol. They are best accessed through meditation.

===========

Principles and beliefs of modern Druidry are the product of personal inspiration and spiritual awareness. There is no dogma and no canon of obligatory observations or practices. There is, however, a broad base of traditional Teaching and consensus to which most modern Druids adhere as far as is consistent with their own internal vision and guidance. These Teachings are not "secret" or arcane, and the Druids of Albion believe that they provide a beacon along the path of spiritual development for the whole of Humanity, not just for Druids. Some of these Teachings are summarised below -

=========

Do Druids believe in God? Most modern Druids recognise One Divine Creative Spirit, originating and supporting the whole of Creation.

How about Gods and Goddesses? The presence or manifestation of the One Divine Spirit takes many forms and these may be interpreted as masculine or feminine by different people in different places and times. For example, most Druids regard the Earth as a living Goddess. This does not conflict with the concept of the One Divine Spirit.

Do Druids have a Holy Book? Druids have no sacred texts. The Tradition is not governed by a set of written rules, ancient or modern.

How then, do Druids receive their Spiritual knowledge? Druids believe that the Divine Spirit exists within all of Creation; animal, vegetable and mineral. All that exists contains the Divine and is therefore sacred. Druids train to access the Divine through the natural world as well as other recorded sources of wisdom.

Do Druids believe in the Devil? No. Druids do not believe in an externally manifesting source of evil. Druids see no case for some outside agency being to blame for extreme anti-social human behaviour nor do they believe that such behaviour is the product of Divine predestination. Druids believe strongly in individual personal responsibility for ALL our actions, good or evil.

Didn’t Druids go round sacrificing people? The Romans were keen to justify their campaigns against the Celts and record them making sacrifices. Later Christian writers in Ireland make mention of Druids putting a stop to human sacrifice. We will probably never know exactly what happened so long ago, but sacrifice in any form, real or allegorical, plays no part in Druidry today.

So what happens when we die? Druids have always believed that the soul is immortal with Druidry teaching a Western Tradition of reincarnation. Between and after incarnations, the soul is believed to dwell in the light of the Otherworld or Summerlands which is neither ‘above’ nor ‘below’, but rather ‘within’.

==================

Druids believe in One Eternal, Divine Creator, whose attributes are Truth, Beauty and Goodness. These are reflected back from the physical Universe as Love, Harmony and Joy. Druids do not believe that such a Divine Spirit expresses itself in terms of Anger, Jealousy or Retribution.

Druids believe that the Divine Spirit dwells within all physical nature; animal, vegetable and mineral. Druids do not believe that the Universe is simply a mass of inert or inconsequential objects to be exploited and despoiled as the fancy takes us.

Druids believe that the Divine origins of the Universe will ultimately result in the return of all the Spiritual elements into a reunion with the Eternal Creator after countless developmental reincarnations. Druids do not believe in Hell or in some eternal banishment from the Divine Spirit due to human imperfection in a single make-or-break incarnation.

Druids believe that evil is a peculiarly human condition that has its origins in the fear that stems from ignorance or insecurity about our Divine origins and destiny. Druids believe that evil is eliminated by a conscious re-engagement with the Divine Spirit. Druids do not believe in an externally manifesting source of evil such as Satan, the Devil etc.

Druids believe that the duty of all created matter is to acknowledge its Divine origins and to express this belief through Love, Harmony and Joy.

Some Druid Prayers

Here are some prayers and exercises used by the Druids of Albion. You are invited to read them and use them if you feel comfortable with them. You do not have to be a Druid or a Member of the Order; as a Spiritual Being, you already have the right to use them for the benefit of Humanity.

=============

THE DRUIDS' PRAYER

Eternal Spirit of Light, grant us protection;
And in that protection, security;
And in that security, knowledge;
And in that knowledge, awareness;
And in that awareness, the awareness of the rightness of things;
And in that awareness, the love of it;
And through that love, to come to the love of all Creation;
And in the love of all Creation, the love of the Divine Spirit
And all Goodness, Beauty and Truth.

=============

A DRUID'S PRAYER AT ANCIENT PLACES

You who made these ancient monuments,
You who raised these ancient stones,
We acknowledge you
We honour you
We respect you.
Your names are lost
Your faces are forgotten
Your bones are scattered,
But Spirit calls to Spirit
From your unimaginable future
To our unfathomable past.
See us in the visions of your young people
And in the fireside dreams of your old folk.
Know we are here
And know we walk with you in the far fields.
Blessings of the Spirit to you
Peace of the Spirit to you
Joy of the Spirit to you
From place to place and time to time
In the One Eternal Light.

=============

THE HEALING POOL

The sending of Healing is an important part of Druid activity. Wherever possible, The Healing Pool should always be included in the work of the Grove as well as being an integral part of your private Druid work. The basic elements are a bowl of water containing a lighted candle and a selection of small stones, crystals or other tokens.. These tokens are taken one at a time and identified with specific healing intentions before being placed into the water. Don't forget to include yourself if you also require healing! You may declare your intentions by reciting a suitable Bidding Prayer such as -

Sweet Lady of the Waters,
We ask your blessing on all those in sickness and in pain,
on those in turmoil and distress,
and those whose Path leads into darkness and sorrow.
Especially, we ask your blessings on those represented here in this
Pool of Healing.

Bless them with freedom from pain.
Bless them with peace of mind.
Bless them with strength and endurance.
Through the One Eternal Light

Allow the tokens to remain in the water until the candle burns out or until the Grove is closed. The tokens may be retrieved and the water used for indoor or outdoor plants or other suitable purpose.

=================================

CONTACT THE ORDER

Druids of Albion ©
P.O.Box 8513
Ardrossan KA22 8YE
Scotland
U.K.

E-Mail "Druids of Albion" Here

Under all International Laws


	DRUIDS of ALBION



	About Druids of Albion My name is Chris Turner. I currently occupy the Chair of the Druids of Albion. It is my pleasure to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to welcome you all to this Druids of Albion homepage. I was born on the Isle of Wight on Christmas Day 1940. I left my home in 1965 and have spent periods of the Pilgrimage-that-is-a-Lifetime in the West of England, Mid-Wales, Tyneside and now in Strathclyde. Measured by experiences, a Long Journey indeed! My first formal steps along the Path of the Druid were taken in the Central Circle at Stonehenge at the Winter Solstice Sunrise of 1966. I stood alone, having hopped the single strand of wire (ah! those were the days!) and greeted the rising newborn Sun. I did not not know how and I did not know why, but I felt the weight of the ages and the movement of the Spirit within the Land and saw, however dimly, the Druid Path I was to tread. Now, in the new Millennium, I find myself still walking the Path that is Ever New, but now in the company of good friends and boon companions of the Druids of Albion. To you all I say - “ Bright Blessings and Merry Meet!” During the course of the 1990s, I became increasingly aware that Druidry in Britain was coming under the influence of new and significant forces. To me, the most important of these was a heightened public awareness and acceptance of Druids and Druidry. I became convinced that the way was being prepared for Druidry to emerge from the shadows of a thousand years and take its proper place in the public forum. In 1996, I discovered that the pattern of Solar Eclipses over the Millennium was to take a curiously Druidic form. The very first Total Eclipse of the Third Millennium will be seen on the one day for ever associated with the Druids - June 21st, 2001, Midsummer’s Day, and the Moon’s shadow will cross the longitude of Stonehenge within minutes of noon. Significantly, the eclipse will not be visible from Britain, it will cross southern Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans. I believe that this is as clear an indication as it is possible to get in the Apparent World that great changes are to come about in the Druid Movement in the new Millennium, not least that Druidry will expand to cover both Hemispheres as a truly universal Spiritual Path. In 1999, I was made aware that I had some part to play, however small, in the forthcoming transformation of Druidry. I saw the additional Druidic significance in the last total Solar Eclipse of the Old Millennium - August 11th 1999, Old Lammas, the Feast of the First Cut of Harvest. The gathering in of the Harvest of Old Druidry for the New Loaves of the New Millennium. I saw the Eclipse in all its glory in a clear sky on a ship at sea and declared the Order of the Druids of Albion in the shadow of the Moon. From that point there was much thought, work and prayer until I was ready to open the Order into the external world on January 1st 2000. ===================================== DECLARATION OF THE ORDER AT THE MOMENT OF THE SUN’S ECLIPSE AUGUST 11th 1999 ------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS PLACE WHICH IS NO PLACE AT THIS TIME WHICH IS NO TIME AT THE DYING OF THE OLD LIGHT AT THE BIRTH OF THE NEW IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON I DECLARE THE ORDER OF THE DRUIDS OF ALBION IN THE APPARENT WORLD, I CALL TO WITNESS AND ASK THE BLESSING AND INSPIRATION OF THE GOD AND THE GODDESS, ETERNAL LORD AND LADY POWERS OF THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH POWERS OF THE EAST AND THE WEST POWERS ABOVE AND POWERS BELOW THE ELEMENTS OF FIRE AND WATER THE ELEMENTS OF EARTH AND AIR THE GUIDES AND THE GUARDIANS THE ANCIENTS AND THE ANCESTORS THE SPIRIT OF OCEAN AND THE ABIDING EARTH. MAY THE WORK OF THE ORDER EVER PROSPER DIVINE CREATOR, ETERNAL SPIRIT OF LIGHT I DEDICATE THE WORK OF THIS ORDER TO THE GREATER TRUTH WHICH IS YOUR TRUTH THE GREATER BEAUTY WHICH IS YOUR BEAUTY THE GREATER GOODNESS WHICH IS YOUR GOODNESS NOW AND ALWAYS. ================================================ AN INVITATION TO JOIN THE DRUIDS OF ALBION Who can join? Anyone with an interest in Druids and Druidry is welcome to become a Member of the DOA. What are the commitments? There are no commitments or obligations to Membership of the DOA. Why should I join? To make contact with other people, near and far, who are also interested in Druidry, to exchange views and to keep in touch with Druid news and events. What do I get as a Member of the DOA? Your Membership Card, a quarterly Newsletter to which you are invited to contribute, copies of the Rituals and other occasional publications. How do I join? Send your Membership Fee > UK Annual Membership Ł10(cheques/POs payable to "Druids of Albion") > US/CAN Annual Membership $20 (banknotes - i.e. cash - only) > Aus/NZ Annual Membership $25 ( banknotes - i.e. cash - only) to the address below - Druids of Albion PO Box 8513 Ardrossan KA22 8YE SCOTLAND UK ==============================

	About Druids and Druidry The Order of the Druids of Albion presents the spiritual traditions of Britain in a form that is relevant and meaningful within the modern world through a process of personal inspiration and widened awareness of Divine Creation and our place within it. ======== The symbol of the Order of the Druids of Albion is a glyph representing the combination of the three tapering bars of the AWEN and the disc of the Sun. The bars of the AWEN traditionally represent the instant of Divine Creation, manifested by three rays of Sacred Light emanating from the One Source. This symbol appears in Druid iconography throughout the world. It also underlies the Druid principle of triplicity in matters sacred, spiritual and philosophical. The Sun, especially as the agent of the turning year, has always been significant in Druidry. In this combination, the brightest and most important light in the physical Universe is seen to support and be eclipsed by the infinitely brighter Light of the Spirit. Other meanings, and other levels of meaning, lie embedded within this symbol. They are best accessed through meditation. =========== Principles and beliefs of modern Druidry are the product of personal inspiration and spiritual awareness. There is no dogma and no canon of obligatory observations or practices. There is, however, a broad base of traditional Teaching and consensus to which most modern Druids adhere as far as is consistent with their own internal vision and guidance. These Teachings are not "secret" or arcane, and the Druids of Albion believe that they provide a beacon along the path of spiritual development for the whole of Humanity, not just for Druids. Some of these Teachings are summarised below - ========= Do Druids believe in God? Most modern Druids recognise One Divine Creative Spirit, originating and supporting the whole of Creation. How about Gods and Goddesses? The presence or manifestation of the One Divine Spirit takes many forms and these may be interpreted as masculine or feminine by different people in different places and times. For example, most Druids regard the Earth as a living Goddess. This does not conflict with the concept of the One Divine Spirit. Do Druids have a Holy Book? Druids have no sacred texts. The Tradition is not governed by a set of written rules, ancient or modern. How then, do Druids receive their Spiritual knowledge? Druids believe that the Divine Spirit exists within all of Creation; animal, vegetable and mineral. All that exists contains the Divine and is therefore sacred. Druids train to access the Divine through the natural world as well as other recorded sources of wisdom. Do Druids believe in the Devil? No. Druids do not believe in an externally manifesting source of evil. Druids see no case for some outside agency being to blame for extreme anti-social human behaviour nor do they believe that such behaviour is the product of Divine predestination. Druids believe strongly in individual personal responsibility for ALL our actions, good or evil. Didn’t Druids go round sacrificing people? The Romans were keen to justify their campaigns against the Celts and record them making sacrifices. Later Christian writers in Ireland make mention of Druids putting a stop to human sacrifice. We will probably never know exactly what happened so long ago, but sacrifice in any form, real or allegorical, plays no part in Druidry today. So what happens when we die? Druids have always believed that the soul is immortal with Druidry teaching a Western Tradition of reincarnation. Between and after incarnations, the soul is believed to dwell in the light of the Otherworld or Summerlands which is neither ‘above’ nor ‘below’, but rather ‘within’. ================== Druids believe in One Eternal, Divine Creator, whose attributes are Truth, Beauty and Goodness. These are reflected back from the physical Universe as Love, Harmony and Joy. Druids do not believe that such a Divine Spirit expresses itself in terms of Anger, Jealousy or Retribution. Druids believe that the Divine Spirit dwells within all physical nature; animal, vegetable and mineral. Druids do not believe that the Universe is simply a mass of inert or inconsequential objects to be exploited and despoiled as the fancy takes us. Druids believe that the Divine origins of the Universe will ultimately result in the return of all the Spiritual elements into a reunion with the Eternal Creator after countless developmental reincarnations. Druids do not believe in Hell or in some eternal banishment from the Divine Spirit due to human imperfection in a single make-or-break incarnation. Druids believe that evil is a peculiarly human condition that has its origins in the fear that stems from ignorance or insecurity about our Divine origins and destiny. Druids believe that evil is eliminated by a conscious re-engagement with the Divine Spirit. Druids do not believe in an externally manifesting source of evil such as Satan, the Devil etc. Druids believe that the duty of all created matter is to acknowledge its Divine origins and to express this belief through Love, Harmony and Joy.

	Some Druid Prayers Here are some prayers and exercises used by the Druids of Albion. You are invited to read them and use them if you feel comfortable with them. You do not have to be a Druid or a Member of the Order; as a Spiritual Being, you already have the right to use them for the benefit of Humanity. ============= THE DRUIDS' PRAYER Eternal Spirit of Light, grant us protection; And in that protection, security; And in that security, knowledge; And in that knowledge, awareness; And in that awareness, the awareness of the rightness of things; And in that awareness, the love of it; And through that love, to come to the love of all Creation; And in the love of all Creation, the love of the Divine Spirit And all Goodness, Beauty and Truth. ============= A DRUID'S PRAYER AT ANCIENT PLACES You who made these ancient monuments, You who raised these ancient stones, We acknowledge you We honour you We respect you. Your names are lost Your faces are forgotten Your bones are scattered, But Spirit calls to Spirit From your unimaginable future To our unfathomable past. See us in the visions of your young people And in the fireside dreams of your old folk. Know we are here And know we walk with you in the far fields. Blessings of the Spirit to you Peace of the Spirit to you Joy of the Spirit to you From place to place and time to time In the One Eternal Light. ============= THE HEALING POOL The sending of Healing is an important part of Druid activity. Wherever possible, The Healing Pool should always be included in the work of the Grove as well as being an integral part of your private Druid work. The basic elements are a bowl of water containing a lighted candle and a selection of small stones, crystals or other tokens.. These tokens are taken one at a time and identified with specific healing intentions before being placed into the water. Don't forget to include yourself if you also require healing! You may declare your intentions by reciting a suitable Bidding Prayer such as - Sweet Lady of the Waters, We ask your blessing on all those in sickness and in pain, on those in turmoil and distress, and those whose Path leads into darkness and sorrow. Especially, we ask your blessings on those represented here in this Pool of Healing. Bless them with freedom from pain. Bless them with peace of mind. Bless them with strength and endurance. Through the One Eternal Light Allow the tokens to remain in the water until the candle burns out or until the Grove is closed. The tokens may be retrieved and the water used for indoor or outdoor plants or other suitable purpose. ================================= CONTACT THE ORDER Druids of Albion © P.O.Box 8513 Ardrossan KA22 8YE Scotland U.K. E-Mail "Druids of Albion" Here

	This Page is Copy written 1998 to 2001 © by Druids of Albion* © and Chris/Coifi & Louise Turner ©* Under all International Laws