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Post by olorin on Jun 12, 2007 10:49:15 GMT -1
G'day to all
I just joined the Caer Feddwyd Grove and am posting an introduction to myself as requested.
My craftname is Olorin although I'm known by many names. I'm a high level initate of Opal Wicca. My home is near Broome in The Kimberely, Australia. I am going to be living in Wales, Britain for the next 5 months where I'm going to be learning Welsh at the Univeristy of Wales Bangor campus on the Superwlpan course.
I've joined this grove on the advice of Dewin Fawr who tells me that some of the people I want to meet during my time in Wales are grove members here.
First Ranger of the Ashdown Grove - My English roots are in the village of Fairwarp and I'm told that you know the Ashdown forest better than anyone. There are some places that are important in the stories of my family but there exact locations are lost to us now and I hoped that perhaps from a description of them you might recognise them?
Also Master Feral Druids Craig Cartmell and Steven to learn of Feral Druidry and take it back to Australia where it is little known. Also I'm looking to spend this summer solstice in the Oak groves outside Betws-y-Coed sacred to Rhuddlwm Gawr, but I don't know their precise location and believe you might be able to show me?
Also Little Raven, Kes and Arthur Pendragon.
In return I can offer teaching of what I have learned over ten years dedicating my life to my craft.
In anticipation of an exciting 5 months in the Greenest of Green Blessed Isles ;D
Olorin
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Post by Craig on Jun 12, 2007 11:13:47 GMT -1
Hi Olorin, Welcome to Caerfeddwyd "Also Master Feral Druids Craig Cartmell and Steven to learn of Feral Druidry and take it back to Australia where it is little known. " :lol:roflmao: Oh you must excuse me but it's taken me ten minutes to get back on my chair... Thanks I needed that, phew! Just in case you are not joking I should explain that: a) there is no such thing as a 'Master Feral Druid', b) Feral Druidry is not something you can learn, it is something you are, a self-descriptive label, c) I think you will find that the native inhabitants of Australia have been at it a fair bit longer than Stephen or I, possibly 40,000 years longer. If we get the chance I'm sure we can chat about this over a pint or two. You will have to ask Stephen about the "Oak groves outside Betws-y-Coed sacred to Rhuddlwm Gawr". I'm from Merionydd and really don't know that area well. Little Raven is a regular here, but I haven't heard from Kes for a while - you might wish to try TDN. As for Arthur Pendragon, well he'll almost certainly be at Stonehenge for Solstice, but other than that you'll need to ask a member of the Warband for his likely location. I hope you enjoy your stay over here and that the course is good. Perhaps you'd like to explain what Opal Wicca is, I for one have never heard of it...? Blessings,
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Post by Francis on Jun 12, 2007 12:27:00 GMT -1
I've joined this grove on the advice of Dewin Fawr who tells me that some of the people I want to meet during my time in Wales are grove members here. Also Master Feral Druids Craig Cartmell and Steven to learn of Feral Druidry and take it back to Australia where it is little known. Also I'm looking to spend this summer solstice in the Oak groves outside Betws-y-Coed sacred to Rhuddlwm Gawr, but I don't know their precise location and believe you might be able to show me? Hi Olorin I'm not really a simile user myself but ;D ;D A Master Feral Druid? Where on earth did you come across that idea? I'm genuinely lost for words! I can't say I know where exactly you mean by Oak groves sacred to Rhuddlwm Gawr. There are only a few groves of very old oaks near Betws these days but I'd be happy to show you those. Most of what was once old Oak woodland around Betws-y-Coed is now a mixture of conifers and mixed middle aged broadleaves- although there's plenty of young mixed oak woodland coming along there now too. I hope you don't think it offensive of me to say but in my oppinion I think the writings, places sacred to and places visited by Rhuddlwm Gawr need to be taken with a bit of salt... his geography of North Wales often seems quite strange to those of us who live here- and I've never been quite convinced his described biography has a great deal to do with his actual life history. Just out of curriosity where did you get my familyname from? I usually deliberately don't mention it online and would be grateful if you could edit your first post to delete it. I know that sounds very secretive of me- what am I hiding or hiding from! Good luck with your Welsh course, whilst I'm a very long way from being a fluent speaker myself I could probably give a beginner a hand if you wanted! Anna (my wife) did an Wlpan course when she moved here and thought it was very good. It's very Gwynedd (although not caernarfon where they speak Serbo-Croat) some people argue it's a bit slangy but then I guess the idea is to understand how people actually speak! Blessings Stephen
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Post by littleraven on Jun 12, 2007 14:15:22 GMT -1
Hi Olorin
Yes, Rhuddlwn Gawr and Betws-y-coed in the same sentence, that brings up a great big fat neon sign of "YTT". I don't know about your involvement there but I'm afraid you won't find many who look favourably on YTT around Wales. Who is Dewin Fawr btw?
But anyway, welcome to Caer Feddywd, hope you find something interesting in your travels here.
Little Raven
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Post by Craig on Jun 12, 2007 17:14:29 GMT -1
Ah LR, now I understand - the Twitchy Teg huh? Olorin - I am sure that once you get here and settle in you will find that Wales is all you could wish for and more. Be a little wary of written texts about this land and be prepared to surprised, delighted and most of all, make your own mind up! Another point from your intro', Caerfeddwyd is a meeting place, a place to share stories, knowledge and opinions. I would not go so far as to call it a 'grove' though, with all the baggage such a term implies. I hope you will not be disappointed by this disparate, yet sage and truthful band that gather here. We will do what we can to guide your visit and answer your questions, though I worry we may not live up to your hopes and expectations. Good luck,
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Post by littleraven on Jun 12, 2007 18:37:54 GMT -1
Ah LR, now I understand - the Twitchy Teg huh? That's the one, yep.
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Post by arth_frown on Jun 12, 2007 19:30:23 GMT -1
First Ranger of the Ashdown Grove - My English roots are in the village of Fairwarp and I'm told that you know the Ashdown forest better than anyone. There are some places that are important in the stories of my family but there exact locations are lost to us now and I hoped that perhaps from a description of them you might recognise them? Hi Olorin welcome to Caer Feddwyd I know Fairwarp it's a nice little village and a nice pub it's not far from the airman's graves. If you want to know anything about the Ashdown forest just ask.
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Post by Midori on Jun 13, 2007 8:13:26 GMT -1
Hi Olorin,
welcome to Caer Feddwyd.
Cheers, Midori
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Post by Blackbird on Jun 13, 2007 12:46:21 GMT -1
Posts modified to remove Stephen's surname - for future reference, unless folks have given permission, it's best to stick to usernames on internet fora. Anyhoo, welcome to CF The recommendation is flattering, and I do hope you have the time to stick around here, look through the archives and resources on the main site too. We're gathering a wealth of knowledge here that you are welcome to participate in. A word of advice - don't mention YTT while in Wales - or the rest of Britain... While they seem to be quite well thought of abroad, here... let's just say they are not flavour of the month. However while I welcome discussion on any organisation, I'd prefer to do it while a member of that organisation is here to put their case too - failing that, I'm sure we can keep it civil among ourselves
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Post by suelittleowl on Jun 13, 2007 13:37:59 GMT -1
YTT??
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Post by littleraven on Jun 13, 2007 17:26:56 GMT -1
"Y Tylwyth Teg", a American group, FLorida(?), who have made some very high proclamations of themselves in the past. They have a reputation of being rather serious plagiarists. Judge for yourself: www.tylwythteg.com
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Post by Sìle on Jun 13, 2007 18:22:20 GMT -1
G'day to you, from a former resident of Oz - Queenslander to be more accurate. I just joined the Caer Feddwyd Grove I must say I was unaware I was a member of a Grove. Certainly, I am not a member of any druid group, nor to I consider myself to be on that path. You will find CF has a range of members and so outlooks may differ, too. I am going to be living in Wales, Britain for the next 5 months where I'm going to be learning Welsh at the Univeristy of Wales Bangor campus on the Superwlpan course. Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy living in Wales. ;D
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Post by littleraven on Jun 13, 2007 21:25:49 GMT -1
I must say I was unaware I was a member of a Grove. Don't think any of us did.
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Post by Francis on Jun 14, 2007 8:28:13 GMT -1
Posts modified to remove Stephen's surname - Thanks for your time doing that Blackbird. Stephen
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Post by Blackbird on Jun 14, 2007 9:02:46 GMT -1
Indeed I prefer to think of as a gathering point. Certainly not a grove... I don't actually think druids are in the majority here. No problem
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Post by jez on Jun 14, 2007 10:23:54 GMT -1
Indeed I prefer to think of as a gathering point. Certainly not a grove... I don't actually think druids are in the majority here. Ah, but what is a druid? And is it the same as what /was/ a druid? -- Jez - scop, rather than bard...
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Post by olorin on Jun 14, 2007 12:25:26 GMT -1
Hi all What a lot of replies! yes I know YTT is not well thought of by quite a few in Britain. Is that because a prophet is never well thought of in their own land I wonder? Probably there have been some exaggeration and some claims made that aren't wholly true. A lot of his writing and reported writings have been channeled by others, and this doesn't produce Black and White results. interpretation is difficult and sometimes yes I think it's just been got plain wrong ;D Also I think that you have to remember to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater though. There is much treasure, opals even to be mined from his writings. I'm a seer myself and I know that much of the work I do gives answers that seem like plain nonsense at the time - maybe they are but also maybe one day I will be able to see what they really mean. Sorry to expose you Stephen I didn't know our given names were to be secrets here ;D. You ask how I know yours and perhaps you already know mine also! We are very distantly related. My welsh roots are in the same Watkin family of Betws y Coed and the Machno valley as yours, with the same link to the Wyns of Gwydir and the Kyffins of Maenan. Is this perhaps why you dislike the YTT? You've met my son and daughter already in Coed Dolgarrog Spring 2005 when they were travelling and working as conservation volunteers for the Countryside Concil for Wales. You caught squirrel for them and cooked it with pignuts and wildgarlic. they've talked about it many times you made a big impression. They hope to volunteer for C.C.W. again so maybe you will meet again. Perhaps you and I could get together soon? Craig you ask about Opal Wicca. Well in very brief explanation. I say this when my family arrived in Australia 6 generations ago they came to a land unlike anything they had known before. In the far north of Australia we don't have the same change in day length you have over the year or the same sorts of seasons, the equators only a hop away. This new land didn't fit the craft of my ancestors at all. Also they became friends with aborigine peoples, and learned a lot from them. This new craft was practiced by my family until my grandfathers generation. He came over to England and became initiated into wicca. When he returned to Australia he brought his learnings and Book of Shadows with him and everything came together to form Opal Wicca, which now free from our families overcontrol is now spreading rapidly in Northern Australia, and will soon have an internet presence. Thanks Ranger Arth Frown for your offer of help. Could there be any chance I could catch up with you sometime down there this summer? I can only offer to look after the bill for pub grub and refreshment in return. Thanks also Craig for heading me to Kes at TDN. I can't meet Arthur Pendragon this solstice as there is a rite I have to perform near Betws y Coed this solstice but I will meet him before I leave. Hope to All Olorin
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Post by olorin on Jun 14, 2007 12:30:41 GMT -1
I mean no offense calling this place here a grove. Dewin Fawr described it as a grove to me.
And I suppose it is just a question of definition. In Australia we would probably call it a grove. We often live so far away from each other there where the distances are so huge that we sometimes don't see each other for a long time. We see the intrnet as a grove meeting place of sorts. Friends prescence at rites even as a lap top in the circle ;D
Olorin
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Post by littleraven on Jun 14, 2007 12:53:20 GMT -1
Olorin
I take it then you *are* involved with YTT?
In which case, considering the history of plagiarism that group has you may find it that people may be a little hesitant in talking to you.
LR
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