A Day of Midwinter Traditions in Glastonbury

Last weekend we held the Order’s annual Winter Gathering at Glastonbury. Overseas members will know what Glastonbury – the Tor, Chalice Well etc. – look like from photos, but perhaps not the actual building where we meet – so here’s a photo of the Town Hall. As we learnt how to wassail and Morris, a brass band played outside for the town’s Frost Fayre. In the morning we held a ceremony in Chalice Well Gardens followed by a meditation in the Town Hall. In the afternoon we listened to ‘Horse Queen and King of the Birds: Exploring the Mysteries of Midwinter’, with songs, stories and explanations from Angharad Wynne & Eric Maddern; this was followed by a session on how to work with the old traditions of wassailing, hunting the wren (not real ones!) hobby horsing and acting out a mumming play, led by Kate and Corwen of Rigantona. Then we were entertained by Mythago Morris – who gave us a Winter dance and then invited us to join them in a Morris workshop. The day was crowned with a feast and Eisteddfod. Damh the Bard is busy downstairs putting excerpts from that amazing evening on to the next ‘Druidcast’ – The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids’ podcast. Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge these photos.