Druid Gorsedd of the First Circle Greetings! Welcome to the Gorsedd of the First Circle's homepage. Here you will find some basic information on our group and Druidry as a whole. I hope you will take a moment to read the paragraphs below and check out the links, newsletters, photos and message boards as well. Feel free to post on the message boards, we welcome your input. Also check out our satellite group, the Druid Wisdom Exchange, the links are at the bottom and right of this page. You may Email me at Wytserpent7@yahoo.com. -Nathairwen WHAT WE ARE: We are a group of somewhat self-styled Druids, not affiliated with any larger order. We come together to observe the eight-fold year and to honor the gods and goddesses of our ancestors. Rituals are open to anyone who will join us in the spirit mutual respect. Our Mother Grove meets in our circle of standing stones in southeast Tennessee. We have members in various other places, and are open to the ideas of establishing groves, or inducting established groves into the Gorsedd. Each grove will remain independently run by it's members, but will have access to the Gorsedd's resources, online and physical, as well as an atmosphere of fellowship and comaraderie as we continue to grow. Cool Slideshows Through the three-fold path of Ovate, Bard and Druid (Priest/ess) we seek to promote a practical form of Druidry for the current age, to give us guidance for this life and those to come. Each member is encouraged to seek wisdom according to his/her own inspiration and at his/her own pace, with minimal input from the elders of the Gorsedd. We seek to promote growth of spirit, pursuit of wisdom, and attainment of inner peace through personal study, and communal celebration of the ways of our Celtic ancestors.

Our Eldest Druid Myrddin We encourage a closeness with nature and a harmony with both the physcical and metaphysical worlds around us. We hold that all living things have within them a spark of The Divine and that all life is sacred. We also believe that all gods are one god and that the one god is many. Here is an analogy given by Myrddin Faolwen, Eldest Druid of the First Circle: The Divine can be likened to a very large crystal, shrouded in mist, perfect in shape with many facets, radiating pure white light from within. Seekers often come upon one facet of the crystal, drawn to the light cutting trough the mist and look in it to see one aspect of the light of The Divine refracted there. They say to themselves and anyone who will listen, "I have looked upon The Divine and it is thus...". The crystal, like The Divine, is so awe inspiring and seemingly boundless, that many cannot perceive the numerous other facets just beyond sight. Other seekers come upon other facets and have similar experiences. The seekers are all convinced that the facet they discovered is The True Divine, and often argue and war between themselves to assert their beliefs. The enlightened ones are those who will climb the mountain of wisdom and look down to see that while the seekers have come from many different paths, they have all come to the same Divine Power. Druidry is not for everyone, but if the gods have set your feet upon this time honored path, It is my hope, that your path will bring you to walk with us, here at the First Circle. By the will of the Druid and the power of the Gods, may it be so. "Y gwir yn erbyn y byd" (The truth against the world). All Blessings, Nathairwen (Arch-Druid)

Winter Solstice Sunset at Dunraven A FEW COMMENTS ON DRUIDRY: "Why Druidry? It all comes down to two simple concepts: freedom and balance. In Druidry I have found the freedom to explore who I am and what my place is in the universe. There are no constricting rules, no "thou shalt nots", no restrictions on my studies. Druidry is not a religion of extremes or extremists. We seek a balance between man and nature, between mankind and the gods, between the physical world and the spirit realm. But perhaps most importantly, we seek personal balance". (Grey Badger, AODA) Moral code: Druids do not follow the Wiccan Rede which states (in modern English) one is free to do anything, as long as it harms nobody. The closest analogy are the Celtic Virtues of honor, loyalty, hospitality, honesty, justice and courage. "Daven" briefly describes the Virtues as follows: "Briefly stated the virtue of Honor requires one to adhere to their oaths and do the right thing, even if it will ultimately hurt others or oneself in the process. A Druid is obligated to remain true to friends, family and leaders thus exhibiting the virtue of Loyalty. Hospitality demands that a Druid be a good host when guests are under one's roof. Honesty insists that one tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to yourself, your gods and your people. Justice desires the Druid understands everyone has an inherent worth and that an assault to that worth demands recompense in one form or another. Courage for the Druid does not always wear a public face; it is standing-strong-in-the-face-of-adversity, alone or with companions. Sometimes Courage is getting up and going about a daily routine when pain has worn one down without complaint or demur." (ReligiousTolerance.org) "Druidry is a path that honours the ancestors and the spirits of nature and celebrates individuality and creativity." -(Emma Restall Orr) "Druidry is not a complicated path. It may not even be a path. Appreciating it involves reorienting oneself so that one can aproach the mysterious, the feminine, the Arts, both aesthetic and esoteric, in a way that allows us to let go of our assumptions and presumptions about life and instead carries us, as in a Druid ceremony, around the circle of our life towards the still point at the centre of which is our True Self and the Divine Source". -(Philip Carr-Gomm) Here's a link to our satelite page, please check it out. Click to join Druid_Wisdom_Exchange