Notes and Additions to Chapter Six
The Celebration

1. Jeanne Andrew pointed out that perhaps I do not say enough about, in her words, the value and worth (but not the strict importance) of people attempting to have some of their rituals and celebrations outside. While I appreciate some people’s preferences for privacy and solitude, I feel more and more that to be out in the open air with the beauty of earth, sky, water, air, plants, trees, animals at close hand is astounding. To try to suggest to readers that they do this not only in good weather but in less clement situations may be a bit cheeky but I feel it is worth saying. One of the best rituals I have taken part in was this Eostre, where my circle travelled in a couple of cars out to Loch Lomond. It was a wild night – winds howling and near-horizontal rain but a few brave souls walked in the dark up to the foothills of Ben Lomond. I felt drawn to a tree that in candlelight we could see had female like forms of breasts and swollen belly in the trunk and bark. As we made our ritual circle, the wind dropped, the rain eased and it was a powerful rite if a bit quick! We have since been back and it is a lovely spot. Also to stand soaked to the skin at an open ritual, barefoot and laughing while you ask of the Ancestors if they would have been as daft as you to stand in the pouring rain or would they have had more sense to seek shelter, as other more po-faced Druids look on and tut, is like nothing else on Earth. I am lucky enough to have a garden and to have a fire in a bucket in your ritual and a barbecue afterwards helps gel a group I feel.

2. The clarity of my words here has been questioned, John Newton pointing out that while I state that Nichols came up with the idea that was first put into practice by Gardner, in Ronald Hutton's latest book he states that Nichols copied it from Wicca when he set up OBOD. What I understand to be closest to the truth is that, while it was Nichols who came up with the initial idea of there being eight solar and seasonal rites, Gardner took these and crafted them into eight festivals for his coven. When Nichols founded OBOD some years later, he revisited the idea and, taking inspiration from Gardner, brought for eight festivals into Druidry.