ALBAN ARTHUAN

Winter Solstice


They're singing Christmas carols today
in our local shopping mall,
and the seven metre
recently slaughtered Pine
is decorated with glitter and
flashing rainbow lights.
This unnecessary taking
of the life of so noble a being
grieves me, yet
could there be a more fitting
sacrifice to the One God
who has overshadowed the Many?

And you stop
to hug and kiss me
as you pass, and wish me
'Happy Christmas,' your breath
reeking of whisky.
And I nod
then smile, wondering
why you assume
I'm a Christian, simply because
I'm white and live
in England.

Beyond your thunderous celebrations
I hear a more harmonious song, subtle
but immeasurably powerful, issuing
from the roots of time itself.
The Song of Taliesin.
Pulsing through my veins,
it infuses my entire being
with a sense of identity;
is a solemn reminder
that I am a daughter
of the Great Goddess,
a woman of the trees
dwelling within, but not of
your society.

For mine is the much older Path
that leads away
from noisy, crowded places
and into the quiet sanctity
of Oaken Grove, where
communication with The Bright Ones
requires no intermediary, but is
direct and natural.

I have no need of  holy buildings
because no Deity had a hand in
their construction.
They are the work of man alone.
Being inside a Church
makes me feel alienated and cut off
from genuine Spirituality.
A free Spirit such as mine
could never conform to the
unreasonable rules and regulations
set out by the upper hierarchy
of an orthodox religion.
And however well schooled
in ecclesiastical circles, a priest
is still human and is
therefore as prone to misinterpretation
as any layperson.

What I need is the Earth beneath my feet,
the wind in my face - only then
am I being true to my inner nature.
This is what it means
to be a Pagan Druid.

Unfortunately, the
coming of Christianity to these Isles
has robbed us of many
of our Traditional Sacred Sites,
for they now lie buried
beneath Church foundations,
as do the Old Ways
of our Ancestors.
Not a single person wished me
'Solstice Blessings' today,
although it is the native birthright
of so many of us.
I find that rather sad.

Here, tonight,
under these Midwinter Stars,
I feel the crisp frost
crunching underfoot, the
cold air penetrating my robes.
And it feels so good to be home,
in our Place of Unity.
You will find only living Trees here,
adorned by Nature Herself
with spiralling Ivy, crimson berries
and shimmering pearls of Mistletoe.
There is no other beauty to equal
such a magical sight.

As we enter into the Silence now
at this Hallowed Place,
the unmistakable presences
of the Old Gods and Goddesses
permeate the very air around us,
instilling their ancient wisdom
into our living Souls.
This utter Truth
of direct understanding
eliminates the need of faith.
There is simply a profound
inner knowing.

And as the Old Year draws to a close
at the approach of the midnight hour,
we cast away everything
that has been holding us back
these past twelve months,
allowing us to embrace this
New Beginning unburdened
and receptive to new influences.
There is a wonderful sense
of weightlessness and elation.

Now,
as the Druidic New Year
is reborn and we ignite the
Light of Arthur in the East,
won't you join us for a
celebratory glass of wine
and slice of Solstice cake?
For this Festive Time of Inspiration
belongs to Everyone, not
just an elite few!

May the Light of Arthur illuminate your life!

Solstice Blessings Everyone
               X X X