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Beltane Edition 2015
KINDRED
CONNECTIONS
A Welcoming Community to all persons regardless of their race, nationality, or sexual orientation
Inside this Issue
2. Among the Trees - Jonathan
3. Beltane Celebration - Members
4. The Song of Columbia - Arin
5. From the Lyceum - Amber
6. Nine virtues:Wisdom - Dickey
7. When in Rome - Jonathan
8. Celtic Corner - Amber
9. Seer’s Lantern - Mama Gaea
Upcoming Events
5/17 Meet and Greet 4:00 pm
5/19 Study Group 6:30 pm
6/07 Meet and Greet 4:00 pm
6/09 Study Group 6:30 pm
6/14 Greek Ritual 3:30 pm
Study Group is held at a
p r iva t e h o m e . Fo r m o r e
information on our study
program, visit our website.
For locations of events, please
see our calendar on our
website:
www.ColumbiaADF.org/Calendar
Established in 2014, Columbia Protogrove ADF (a Protogrove of Ár
nDraíocht Féin), brings Pagan, Indo-European spiritual traditions to life.
We are committed to demonstrating the importance of coming
together and practicing these spiritual systems in a modern world. We
fulfill this commitment by providing open, inclusive rituals to the
public.
Our Protogrove invites its members and the public to explore the spirit
and lore of all Indo-European traditions through public rituals,
workshops, and festivals. Grove members have the option to
participate in ADF’s Dedicant Program, special interest groups and
guilds within the Grove, and attending private rituals and social
gatherings.
BARDS WANTED
Hear ye, hear ye! Columbia Protogrove is calling for all available bards
to join our bardic circle! Do you play an instrument? Do you sing? Do
you have theater experience? Can you tell stories? Would you like to
learn to do these things? Then our Columbia Protogrove’s monthly
Bardic Nights might be for you. Come perform with us during events
like our High Days and our Columbia Community Camp! Email
ColumbiaADF@gmail.com for more information.
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
Among the Trees: Message from the Grove Organizer
We belong to the gods and the gods belong to us, so let us pray with a good fire. Let us offer
with a full heart, knowing that when we do, we nurture our connection to them and support
the very gods themselves. In remembrance, we strengthen their powers. In honor, we
balance the worlds. In love, we bring peace and keep the Old Ways alive and present.
-Opening prayer of Columbia Protogrove
From the very beginning, Columbia Protogrove has centered itself around one central idea: Creating and
nurturing a thriving community by offering accessible public ritual. Our last Beltane ritual, the outpouring of
support Columbia has received from this community so far this year is simply amazing. A Big Thank you goes out
to all of you who attend our rituals and support us through donations. We have some big plans coming up
involving the greater Pagan and non-Pagan community. So stay tuned!
Yours among the trees,
Jonathan
Celebrate the Summer Solstice with us!
Come join the Portland Druids of Columbia Protogrove, ADF as we honor the sun Titan Helios
with ritual and song. We will also be honoring: Gaia, Aries, Hermes, and the Muses.
We assemble at 3:30pm, and ritual begins at 4p sharp & lasts around an hour and a half,
followed by food and fellowship afterwards. We do not close a circle, so you are allowed to
arrive late; we simply ask that you join us quietly.
We'd love for you to bring a dish to share in one of our famous potlucks, but no one will be
turned away from the table for lack of contribution; you'll find that our spread is always
impressive and delicious, and many food sensitivities are regularly taken into account. Also, if
you wish, feel free to bring a personal offering for any Ancestor, Nature Spirit, or Deity of your
choosing to offer during our Praise Offerings. We welcome you to pray at our good fire!
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
Columbia’s Beltane Celebration
Visitors, Friend and Members of Columbia Protogrove, Blessed Beltane to you all!
Columbia Protogrove, ADF held our Irish Celtic Beltane in the afternoon of April 26th
2015 and with a grove full of amazing guests we celebrated the High Day in a
beautiful display of springtime!
Our Beltane was honored by 34 wonderful guests including several small children,
teenagers, and adults, overall representing a beautifully diverse and spirited
community of worship.
This marks the second ritual for Columbia Protogrove graced by our growing Bardic choral group and we thank
them endlessly for their contribution to each ritual. This rite was lead by members Amber and David, however,
members Jonathan, Arin, and Tigres also lead and wrote several parts of the ritual as well making this ritual truly
a collaborative expression and a wonderful display of grove teamwork.
This Beltane, we invited the Goddesses Danu, Columbia, Brigid, and Ainè, and the Gods Lugh, Manannan Mac
Lir, Aengus Mac Og, and the Noble Ones, the Sidhe. We danced around the Maypole and made offerings to
Kindreds in celebration of Love, Passion, Life and Springtime.Our Omen’s from the Kindreds for this ritual were:
The Ancestors: the Mirror-Moon Nature Spirits: the Guardian- Devil
Gods and Goddess: the Stag- Strength
Leaving an overall feeling of emphasis on inner strength, reflection, and encouragement to walk each of our
paths with honor and purpose and to not let the condescending voices of others, personal insecurity or
negativity derail us from our intentions. Be strong, walk (or strut) you
path; use the drive and momentum of Beltane at this time to fuel you
for we have their support and encouragement.We thank everyone
who could join us and too all those who have supported us in our
Beltane 2015 ritual!! We invite everyone to join us for our Hellenic
Summer Solstice ritual on June 14th!
Thank you again to our wonderful community from the Members of
Columbia Protogrove, ADF. Without you, we could not do what we
do!
Blessed Beltane Everyone!
Kindred Connections – Submissions Wanted
Kindred Connections is a new publication. Members are welcome to submit articles, photographs, artwork, poetry,
puzzles, and newsworthy items which are relative to Druidry and topics of interest to the Grove. All submissions
should be the sole creation of the submitter, or the persons submitting work which is not their own must secure the
rights to use said item before submission. By submitting items for publishing you grant Columbia Protogrove free
license to use the materials (unless otherwise arranged).
Please send submissions to ColumbiaADF@gmail.com.
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
The Song of Columbia
By Arin Dwulf
The amount of talent that can be found among the Bards of Columbia Protogrove is humbling.
Everyone has something unique and beautiful to offer, from those who are new to the art of the stage,
to those who have been doing it their whole lives. Awen, the gift of poetic inspiration, is found in each
of our members.
I was a little daunted by taking on the task of bringing the bards together as a unit. I have been singing
and performing on stage since the age of 8, I love music. The way it winds itself around the listener, the way music
can influence an emotion and set the stage. Music is a means to create a scene. And so what better chance to use
it, than in ritual?
After a successful Beltain ritual, I am no longer daunted, I am honored. I have seen how, as bards we get to set the
stage for the Kindreds, and for the people who walk among them. For a short time, we get to help paint the world
with magic.
I am honored to be the person who gets to bring the Bards together, to set the stage for ritual.
Ritual is not the only thing on our plate however. We have plans to record those songs that we already feel
confident in, to upload to the ADF website, as a tool for other groves and solitary druids, and any songs and
chants we may use in the future as well. And we are working on plans to extend the bardic practices from simply
musical practices, to an opportunity for all those who walk the path of performance art, to come together as peers.
Awen is the inspiration of all performance art, and the Bards are open to all performers. Let us lift our voices in
offering to the Gods and Goddesses, let us offer back to them the gift that they have given us.
Protogrove Fundraising
Columbia Protogrove is now selling handmade wooden Deity
Altar Images and Handmade High Day ritual offerings.
For the wooden altar Images we have the following Deities:
Bridget, Morrigan, The Dagda, Manannan mac lir, and Lugh. These
would look great on your altar or would make a great Yule gift
(Never too early to start thinking of that special Pagan).
Forget to bring offerings to the Kindreds or the Deity(ies) of the
occasion? We sell special small offerings specifically made for the
High Day being celebrated. They range from food items to small
pouches of incense and stones. Next time you’re at our ritual,
check out what we have to offer!
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
From the Lyceum
by Amber McCarley
Scholarly adventures with the Columbia Protogrove Study Group:Summer Solstice
Hey everyone! As some of you know (and others might be interested in knowing more about) Columbia
Protogrove has a study group of ADF members who are going through their year-long Dedicant Program. Just as the Druids in antiquity devoted their attention (and lives) to religious learning and academic endeavors so
do Neo-Druids of today! Columbia Protogrove is an ADF (Ár nDraíocht Féin, popularly shortened to ADF) group
and as mentioned above, there is a year long course/dedicant program for those who want to look deeper into
their personal spiritual paths, discover the history of various hearth cultures, understand ADF Ritual structure and
honestly, the core values and roles of Neo-Druidry in general. The study group is available to members of
Columbia Protogrove who are ADF Members (as the materials are all available via the ADF website upon
membership). Columbia Protogrove Study Group meets once a month in person or via Skype and provides a community of
support for those devoted to the scholarly path of Druidry through ADF. Assignments include mini essays, journal
entries, meditation reflections, book reports, etc. We currently have 8 members at various levels of progress in
their Dedicant work so please don’t hesitate to jump in! If you have any questions, or would like to join us, feel free to contact Amber McCarley (Study Group leader) at
Onyxspider@gmail.com.
We would love to have you join us! For more info on ADF: https://www.adf.org/about/basics/index.htm
The Dedicant Program: the Nine Virtues
Wisdom
by Dickey McRobert
Wisdom ADF Definition:good judgment, the ability to perceive people and situations correctly, deliberate about
and decide on the correct response. Wisdom to me means using experiences from your past to help you through
current or future problems. Some people believe that intelligence and wisdom are the same thing. Not so.
Intelligence is being able to do a certain task correctly while wisdom is the ability to know the consequences of
those abilities. Anyone can learn how to build a basic computer but wisdom shows us that there are many
different types of computers and that you need to first determine what the computer is used for. I am lucky that I
live with my Dad. He passes on his wisdom to me almost on a daily basis. Through him I am better prepared to
perceive things correctly and act appropriately. He has greatly shaped the person I am now by passing down his
wisdom to me and I hope I am able to do the same thing for my son
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
When in Rome
Celtic Corner
By Jonathan Levy
by Amber McCarley
May 1st : Women's Festival of Bona Dea
Bona Dea was the perpetually virginal goddess,
associated with virginity and fertility in women. She
was also associated with healing, with the sick being
tended to in her temple garden with medicinal herbs.
She was regarded with great reverence by lower-class
citizens, slaves and women; who went to her seeking
aid in sickness or for fertility. Bona Dea was invoked
for healing and for freedom from slavery; many of her
worshippers were freed slaves and plebeians, and
many were women seeking aid in sickness or for
fertility.
Since Columbia Protogrove’s Beltaine ritual is
concluded, lets focus on another Celtic Diety highly
celebrated this time of year. Belenos! She was worshipped in a temple on the Aventine Hill,
but her secret rites were performed in the home of a
prominent Roman magistrate. The rites were held on
December 4, and only included women. Even
paintings or drawings of men or male animals were
forbidden, along with the words "wine" and "myrtle"
because she had once been beaten by Faunus with a
myrtle stick after she got drunk. The rites were
conducted annually by the wife of the senior
magistrate present in Rome and were assisted by the
Vestal Virgins. Very little is known about the
ceremony, but the worship seems to have been
agricultural in origin.
Belenus (Belenos, Belinus, Bel, Beli Mawr) is a Celtic
god of the Sun and light. The name Beltaine means
“Fire of Bel” or “Bright Fire” and it is Belenus that
often takes the form of the Green Man in other pagan
faiths at Beltaine time. Because of his solar attributes
he is connected to fertility and growth. He is also
associated with hotsprings, and healing. At Beltaine
he contributes specially to warming and healing the
Earth post wintertime. With his smolderingly fire-like characteristics he is
also a warm and sensual god at this time of year. It is
his union with the Goddess, Mother Earth that creates
life for the remainder of spring and through summer.
One of the most common Beltaine practices linked to
Belenus, were huge cleansing bonfires lit on country
sides. Farmers would pass their herds between these
fires to purify the livestock and bring them into the
new summer pastures warmth of Beltaine with the
blessing of Belenus. ~Just for fun~ The (common) Irish/Gaelic word for “Fire” is Tine Summer Solstice
White Salmon Druid Sanctuary
Archdruid Kirk Thomas
June 20th 6:30pm
46 Stoller Road, Trout Lake, WA 98650 Tel. 509-395-2030
Join us as we take our annual High Day field trip up to Washington!
This rite will honor the god Taranis, Lord of Thunder, where we will ask Him to spare us from dry lightning storms,
that our forests not burn, and that rains may come this summer to keep the land green. We shall also burn the
Wicker Man that he may carry our prayers to the gods.
Website: http://www.druidkirk.org/circle/TLA-circle.html
Email: druidkirk@embarqmail.com
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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Beltane Edition 2015
The Seer’s Lantern
by Mama Gaea
Druid Plant Tarot
For those of you who have the Druid Plant Oracle, you know it comes with three blank cards so you can add
some of your own plants into themix. But what to include! So many choices! One day, my herbalist/kitchen witch
guide threw a word into my brain. You know, where you have no idea what it is or how it's supposed to be used
until you look it up and then go "OH! That's what it's for!" What was that word?
LOBELIA. What in the heck is that? Turns out it is perfect for an Oracle deck, and
here's why.
Lobelia Inflata, also known as Indian Tobacco, is a dual purpose herb. It can be used
in rituals and spellwork for either beneficial or malevolent intent. In fact, in the
language of flowers, or floriography, Lobelia symbolizes malevolence. Associated with
Neptune and Water, it has a long history of being used to both attract and repel love,
to aid in trancework and clairvoyance, to halt storms, to invoke Faery folk, and to
express hate.
Warning: if used in hexing magick, be prepared for nasty and
unpredictable results.
If you decide to include Lobelia in your deck, upright can represent attracting love, a
need to develop your clairvoyant skills, time to concentrate on dream working, or time
to listen to the messages from the Faeries. Reversed can mean hate and malevolence
is blocking your path, or you need to seriously look at what sort of hate or malevolence you may be putting out
into the world. Either way, be prepared for a storm.
Columbia Community Camp
Reservations Now Available
Return again this summer to the beautiful outdoors for a little light rest and recreation with the Columbia grove
members and friends. We will have a wonderful time in a beautiful forested setting. Our destination will be an easy
drive from Portland and have running water and flush toilets.
Each year we have presentations and classes on various pagan topics. This year there will be a Hearth Cultures class, a
full ADF ritual, a Bardic sing along, and much more. Special guests to be announced.
There will be campfires and plenty of hot food available with our meal plan. Last years plan included wonderful
meals made by our Grove Co-Organizer, Deb. Once we have determined how many people want to participate in the
meal plan, we will create a meal plan and come up with a fair cost for everyone. Notify us once you make your
reservation if you are interested in joining in the meal plan. If you have special dietary needs please give us that
information also.
There is plenty of room for more campers but reservations fill up quickly. Don't miss out on the second annual
Columbia Community Camp! We look forward to enjoying your company.
Date: Sept 10-13, 2015 – Cost: $20 per person Meal Plan: TBD – please let us know if you are interested
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
To reserve a spot email: ColumbiaADF@gmail.com
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Beltane Edition 2015
Would you like to get involved with Columbia
Protogrove, ADF?
If you answered, YES! We would LOVE to have you join us!
Columbia Protogrove, ADF is looking for excited people with new ideas to help us grow and strengthen our
community!
Many exciting activities (like our annual camping trip, outreach programs, ritual trips to Trout Lake Druid
Sanctuary, and more!) are available to those who join our Protogrove as a “Friend of Columbia Protogrove1.” It is a
great way to get involved and support your local grove!
More info can be found on our website at: columbiaadf.org/membership-information
Help us run our rituals!
Grove Leadership opportunities, writing and speaking ritual parts, and ADF path studies (via the Dedicant Study
Group) are available to Full Members of Columbia Protogrove. Full Membership is the next level up from Friend of
the Grove and requires you to be a full member of the ADF. ADF is the framework and fellowship model
Columbia Protogrove uses for public rituals. Using the ADF Fellowship allows us to we bring to you the rituals and
events we host. If you like what you see we encourage you to consider joining ADF.
To read more about ADF please visit www.adf.org
As always, please contact us at Columbiaadf@gmail.com if you have any questions! Thank you for your continued
support!
1
ADF membership is not required to be a “Friend of Columbia Protogrove”
Columbia Protogrove, ADF
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