This time, the opening and closing ceremonies of the camp will be conducted by our guests from the UK, with, JJ, Adrian, Penny, Arthur, Melanie, Anne-Marie, Damh and Cerri.

These, and the Morning Meeting on Saturday, are the only activities where ALL participants are expected to join in.

Clothing
Although a lot of you will be very happy to sort out their closet for ritual gear; capes, beautiful dresses, gowns, robes etc., for those of you who haven’t got al this ceremonial paraphernalia, it is perfectly alright to enter the circle just the way you want to be...
Jeans are as welcome as druidic outfits, as long as your intention is connected to an inner sense of openness to what our opening ceremony is going to be.

We therefore ask you to be aware of that inner intention, and meet up with the full circle that will be the source of this camp, connected by the heart.

 

- Opening ceremony: Friday Evening 21.00 till 22.00.
- Closing ceremony: Monday morning 11.00 till 12.30.

Morning Meeting

'Morning meetings' -as the 'Dance of Life'- are traditions brought back from the English camps.

Where the Dance of Life is a dynamic meditation with which we honour the rising sun together with the quarters and the earth in the early morning hours. The morning meetings have a completely different purpose, although we do honour each other in that moment as well for being here…!.

The morning meeting on Saturday and on Sunday are held after breakfast and have a practical sequence where the unfolding day will be explained by the organising team.
But foremost the morning meeting is the one moment of the day where we can all meet again in a full circle, being aware that we, as a community, are connected together, open to meet and learn & enjoy each others presence.

At camps in England mostly this is also the moment where the tasks are shared: the kitchen duties: cleaning of the toilets: refilling of the lanterns: shoppings to be done: wood to be cut...
Regarding this, the only thing we ask from you during this camp is to assist with some kitchen duties, leaving the shower and toilet clean after you've used it, and the tidying & cleaning of the place together at the end of the camp, conform the duties indicated on the list of participants.
all the rest will be taken care of... :)

When we chant the Awen /|\ in the morning meeting, it is a privilege to be conscious of all who are present there, and be able to honour that connectedness to take responsibility for the whole with each and every one of us: as if the weekend is a ceremony in itself.
'Being' in ‘the morning meeting’ makes the wonder of this connection visible and heartfelt.

So we -the organising team- sincerely hope, and expect, that everyone will attend and meet each other at the cental circle before the workshops begin!

- Morning meeting: Saturday and Sunday morning 10.00 till 10.30.

 

Meetings in groves

At this camp you'll have the chance to meet your fellow bards, ovates or druids in a grove meeting of these grades. Apart from that we have a meeting for teens and non-members, and a meeting for kids.

The Druid Grove will be facilitated by Egbert
The Ovate Grove (A) will be facilitated by Guenter
The Ovate Grove (B) will be facilitated by Marjolein & Kees
The Bardic Grove (A) will be facilitated by Remco
The Bardic Grove (B) will be facilitated by Judith
The Guest & Teens Circle will be facilitated by Taco
The Kids Circle will be facilitated by Ezra

- All meetings: Saturday afternoon 17.00 till 18.00.

 

Dance of Life & Beating the bounds

Dance of Life
On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before breakfast, you may like to join in the Dance of Life to greet the new day.
It's a great spiritual and practial way to start the new day. It consists of a series of ongoing movements, that are performed by the participants in a big circle, accompanied by a the singing of a song. In this Dance the four quarters (E,S,W,N) and the Earth and Sky are connected.

Beating the Bounds
At the same time, or probably starting even a bit earlier, will be the 'beating of the bounds'.
A group of participants will walk the boundaries of the place to thank the spirits of place, and ask for protection and blessings for the lands we're on. In this ceremony the group will stop at particular landmarks and the quarters to beat the bounds and their drums. With this ceremony we also want to keep the energy and protection of the circle that has been cast at the opening ceremony alive, until the circle will be unwound at the closing ceremony.

Origins of Beating the Bounds:
Before the Roman invasion of the British Isles “beating the bounds” was part of the pagan Celtic festival of Beltane. It involved people in a locality walking around the boundaries of a farmstead, village or larger settlement, pausing as they passed certain trees, walls, and hedges that marked the extent of these boundaries, and beating these particular landmarks with sticks as part of the ritual. It also had connections to the pagan Celtic festival of Samaine. At the end of the Celtic year, birch twigs were cut and made into besoms. These besoms were used to beat specific stones or markers to drive out the evil spirits and to purify the land.

Everybody is welcome to join in at these events.
The Dance of Life will be in the big ceremonial circle; Beating the bounds will start at the Gate.

- Saturday morning 08.00 - 08.30.
- Sunday morning 08.00 - 08.30.
- Monday morning 08.00 - 08.30.

Ongoing activitiy: Making music & songs

On Saturday and Sunday, after the morning meeting, until dinnertime (at 18.30) at the Barn ('Polaris'), there will be an ongoing event where everyone can participate in. This time it's: Making music & songs.

So please bring your musical intstruments, and your voice, to join in this musical activity.
This ongoing activity will be co-ordinated by Arthur Billington (UK).

We will sing and play to bring the awen spiraling into camp - experienced musicians & beginners alike, come to the Barn and let your creativity flower! We plan to:
Showcase your talents & provide on-going entertainment for fellow-campers, particularly at break- & meal-times.
Bring self-penned & popular songs to share; for your try-outs & experiments, feel supported as you work up your performance skills among friends.
Conjure up a piece of music/song, for performance at the Eisteddfod.
Compose & learn a song in line with the theme of the Camp for us all to sing.

Arthur ZZ Birmingham, who is an Honorary OBOD-Bard, discovered Druidry at OBOD’s first SummerCamp (1993) and soon gained a reputation as a formidable enabler of others to blossom and shine - camp, residential event or more formal circumstances; wherever there’s a call for a fund of music, story and song: in ritual, eisteddfod and round the campfire. His accessible style, and versatility insists on the music in every one of us.

 

- Saturday and Sunday all day, after the morning meeting.

Market

On Saturday or Sunday afternoon there will be a small market, where everyone can show/sell their products of creativity, or other products. Usually some musicians will be playing at the marketplace too!

- Sunday afternoon 16.30 till 17.30.

Druid Give Away Ceremony

With this invitation I would like to ask all participants to participate in the ‘Give away’ ceremony during the time the market is scheduled.

The give away ceremony is a sacred path lesson that is worth noting at this time of year when abundance shows itself everywhere you look. It is the practice of giving away useful and truly beloved possessions to others. Not with the thought of having strings attached to the gift or having regrets from having given the gift but to sacrifice something important to ourselves in order to allow for personal growth. I am not talking about giving away useless or broken items but things that would benefit someone else and be a sacrifice on our part.

When I was a Bard I could be in complete awe to all the niceties and ritual gear some of the Elder Druids were wearing, hoping one day I would be so fortunate to own myself these meaningful ritual paraphernalia. And over the years I have collected many stones and bones, wands and wings and other niceties and magical things. To some extend, I hardly use some of it anymore but it could be just that specific item others are looking for.
That what you donate to the give away can be an item that still has a good potential for use but we are not using it any longer. It is a way to honour both the item and the person who will use it now. The Give-Away is a way for us to release encumbrances that block our forward movement in personal growth.
So clean out your cupboards and other ritual sacred stacks from valuable ritual paraphernalia: belts, amulets, chains, rings, earrings, cups, glasses, amulets, scarfs and the odd bones, sceletons and stones. Find an extra place in your suitcase and serve the community to donate them to who ever feels attracted to them, to give further attention and meaning to use on our mutual Druid way.

NOTE: the items, although presented at a market, are NOT for sale but to truly give away, but when it feels good to donate money in order to make you feel it will be truly yours that way: give as the fool would want to give: put your value in money in the jar and we will take responsibility it will come of good use to any good purpose within the community. That way: ‘our’ give away serves 3.

With love and light /|\Robbin

- Sunday afternoon 16.30 till 17.30 at/near the market.

 

Qigong Ba Duan Jin

Ba Duan Jin betekent letterlijk: de Acht Brokaatdraden.
Deze meer dan duizend jaar oude Qigong vorm bestaat uit acht dynamische oefeningen en maakt van oudsher deel uit van de training voor de monniken van het Boeddhistische Shaolin klooster en Daoïstische kloosters in het Wudang gebergte in China. Omdat het accent ligt op rek- en strekoefeningen, wordt deze Qigong vorm ook wel omschreven als Chinese Yoga.

Ba Duan Jin is zowel een medische Qigong als een Martial Arts Qigong. Het is een eenvoudige, maar zeer effectieve Qigong vorm. De acht oefeningen zijn erop gericht de meridianen te openen, de interne organen te masseren, de spieren en pezen te versterken en de lenigheid te bevorderen.

De traditionele benaming van iedere oefening bevat zowel de uit te voeren beweging als het beoogde effect. Samen vormen de acht namen een gedicht. Veel kennis werd vroeger in dichtvorm overgedragen.

Beide handen dragen de hemel om de driewarmer te reguleren.
Span de boog links en rechts alsof je op een adelaar schiet.
Reguleer milt en maag door één hand op te heffen.
De 5 klachten en 7 stoornissen verhelpen door naar achteren te kijken.
Draai het hoofd en zwaai met de staart en het hart-vuur verdwijnt.
Beide handen pakken de voeten om nieren en middel te versterken.
Bal de vuisten en sper de ogen open om qi en kracht te vergroten.
Laat de rug 7 keer schokken en honderd ziektes verdwijnen.
San jiao - de driewarmer of drievoudige verwarmer - is een soort overkoepelend orgaan voor drie regio's in de romp:
- bovenste verwarmer: ademhaling-longen
- middelste verwarmer: spijsvertering-maag/milt
- onderste verwarmer: uitscheiding-nieren/blaas/darmen.

5 klachten (wu lao) = klachten voortkomend uit problemen met de 5 yin organen: longen, nieren, lever, hart en milt.

7 stoornissen (qi shang) = klachten voortkomend uit de 7 emoties: vreugde (opwinding), boosheid, verdriet, angst, piekeren, zwaarmoedigheid, shock. Dit zijn de interne ziekte-veroorzakers.

Met de staart zwaaien = draaien met je achterste.

Hart-vuur. Het hart heeft vuur als element en huisvest de geest (shén). Als het hart-vuur oplaait vindt de geest geen rust.

Acht delen brokaat staat bekend als een hele eenvoudige maar zeer effectieve qi gong. Net als in Tai Ji Quan zijn de bewegingen er op gericht de meridianen te openen, de interne organen te masseren en spieren en pezen te versterken. Er is een staande en een zittende variant van deze qi gong. Hij is ook heel geschikt als opwarmingsoefening voor Tai Ji Quan. Je moet tenminste 100 dagen oefenen voor een duurzaam effect.

- Sunday morning 7.30 - 8.30 !

 

Damh the Bard is a Pagan musician, singer/songwriter, poet and storyteller with a growing international reputation. He is also the current Pendragon of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). Damh describes his music as “mystic folk music”, and takes his inspiration from the ancient myths, legends and folk customs of the British Isles and Ireland.
Visit his website on www.paganmusic.co.uk.

- Saturday evening, starting at 21.00 hrs.

 

Campfires

At the camp, in the evenings there will be a campfire at the central fireplace. Here you can meet old and new friends round the fireplace!
Firekeeper at this camp will be Menno van den Hout.

You may want to bring your own dinks and snacks to share. At the Eisteddfod, which is also by the central fire, some drinks and snacks will be available for free. Be sure to drink reponsibly.

- Friday evening after the opening ceremony.
- Saturday evening
- Sunday evening

 

Eisteddfod

At this camp there will be a tradtional Eisteddfod, on Sunday evening.

If you would like to contibute with music, song, dance, poetry, storytelling, etc, please mail us at dryade @ obod.nl stating your gigtype and duration.

- Sunday evening, starting at 20.30 hrs.

 

Workshops (general info)

At this camp there will be a total of 32 workshops for adults, and 8 for kids, all to be held on Saturday- and Sunday morning- and afternoon, in the 10 colourful shamyana's at the camp.

We are delighted to announce that at this camp several druids from OBOD in Britain, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands will be hosting a wonderful variety of great workshops.

Unless otherwise stated there is a maximum of 15 participants for workshops.

More info about all sceduled workshops is to be found below to this section.

- Saturday and Sunday morning and afternoon; (11.00-12.30 and 14.30-16.00 hrs.)

 

Life - harmonious cycles or ever decreasing circles?

How can Druidry help us to dance with the dynamic of both linear and cyclic time? What tools and techniques might help us in leading a magical and harmonious life? Let's take time together to discuss, with maybe a couple of exercises along the way...

 

Penny is a Druid author and speaker who has been active in OBOD for over 20 years, and has edited Touchstone for 16 of those. She has written 2 books on Druidry - 'Path of Druidry; Walking the Ancient Green Way' and 'The Wisdom of Birch, Oak and Yew' - and with Ian Rees has co-authored 'The Keys to the Temple: unlocking Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah through her occult novels.' (All pub. Llewellyn Worldwide)

- Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.

 

The Rite of the Hearth and Temple Fires

This Rite will run across two workshops.
During the first we will look at our everyday lives to identify the things we have to do to simply survive in the world. Things we acknowledge, and things we might resent, and we will do this through discussion, and meditation. These will form the basis of the Hearth Fire. The Hearth fire must be strong before the Temple Fire is lit.
We will then identify the things we love about our spiritual lives, our paths, the things that nourish us, the things we would like to invite more of into our lives. These will be the basis of the Temple Fire.
On the second day we will gather together and hold the fire ritual itself.

To be at the ritual, you need to have been at the first meeting. So a commitment to both workshops is necessary.

- Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. -maximum of 15 participants.

 

'Plugging into Joy: Daily Energy Cycles for Better Health'

We will be exploring Energy Medicine. I will share information about the body's innate energy cycles through meridians and radiant circuits, and we will learn practical routines that can be used daily to improve health on all levels. These techniques can relieve pain, improve memory and cognitive function, boost energy and bring a higher state of joy and happiness to the participant. Handouts included.

 

Known as The Wholistic Health Coach, Melanie Cardwell is also a Master Herbalist, Healer and Druid of 20 years. She has a passion for Green issues, positivity and self-empowerment through using Nature’s gifts. Author of ‘Herbcraft’: an accredited diploma course in Herbal Medicine & Wholistic Wellbeing, (also available as a Home study course), and an online Kitchen Medicine Course, she facilitates ceremony, and gives talks and workshops in the UK and overseas. www.melaniecardwell.com www.naturespharmacy.org.uk

- Saturday morning.

 

Teens Herbal Potions Workshop

We will go for a walk to discover local medicinal plants and gather them to make a simple herbal salve. You will also discover the medicinal properties of local herbs and how to make a variety of herbal preparations at home. You will leave with your own home made herbal salve and handout.

 

Known as The Wholistic Health Coach, Melanie Cardwell is also a Master Herbalist, Healer and Druid of 20 years. She has a passion for Green issues, positivity and self-empowerment through using Nature’s gifts. Author of ‘Herbcraft’: an accredited diploma course in Herbal Medicine & Wholistic Wellbeing, (also available as a Home study course), and an online Kitchen Medicine Course, she facilitates ceremony, and gives talks and workshops in the UK and overseas. www.melaniecardwell.com www.naturespharmacy.org.uk

- Sunday afternoon.

 

Wand crafting

We will be exploring carving and decorating our own Wands.

Bring along a piece of wood the length of of the crook of the elbow through to the tip of the middle finger and wide enough to carve maybe an inch or an inch and a half around the width.

If possible choose a Tree that is included within the Tree Ogham collection of trees so we can carve onto the wands the Ogham signs and runic signs.

We will also have a small ceremony to bless and consecrate our wands.

There will be a short history of why and how we use a magical tool like the wand within our everyday practise.

So, please bring along your own wood, and know from which tree it is. Remember that freshly cut wood won't carve, its needs to have dried a week or two before you can carve it!
Also bring a small knife, like a craft knife, that is good to carve detail onto the wood and any other tools you may want to bring along.
Maximum 12 participants

I have been an active member of the order of bards Ovate s and Druids for over 20 years, having been a tutor for many of those years, i currently enjoy the role of press liaison officer for OBOD, which offers its own wonders and challenges. I am a generic counselor and supervisor managing and working in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit in the uk, and also a holistic healer using a variety of mediums such as massage and mindfulness in the work i do with clients . I have also had the pleasure to facilitate a series of mens workshops in The Netherlands and Italy opposite Thea Worthington who has worked with the women following the wheel of Annu.
Also I have had the privilege to work as a celebrant, conducting new baby blessings, handfastings and funerals.
I consider myself very blessed to be able to share this path of openhearted connection with each other and with mother nature and all her creatures seen and unseen.

- Saturday morning (for kids) and Sunday morning (for adults).

 

Enchanting the Void

Workshop 1: Enchanting the Void -"Earth Songs"

We will be coming together to share a journey of inspiring song and simple silence. Very healing, great fun and also deeply meditative. Drawing on a wide selection of chants honouring and celebrating the earth and our relationship as humans within that. Coming into beautiful and deeply healing space together, through simple chants.

You don't even have to sing - just come and be bathed in sound if that is your preference.

Circles and cycles of song in celebration of this sacred land.

 

Workshop 2: Enchanting the Void - " Harmony and Healing"

We will be coming together to share a journey of inspiring song and simple silence. Very healing, great fun and also deeply meditative. Drawing on a wide selection of chants celebrating the magic and mystery of sound and its healing properties. Coming into beautiful and deeply therapeutic space together, through simple chants.

You don't even have to sing - just come and be bathed in sound if that is your preference.

Circles of harmony and healing in the spiral of life.

 

JJ is a long time OBOD member and Druid who has given many workshops over the years (often with his dear friend and fellow OBODie - Adrian Rooke) -including The Netherlands, with which he has a very deep and fond connection.

He runs regular and very popular workshops in the UK - and occasionally more widely in Europe - called Enchanting the Void. These are a western form of devotional music, through which simple yet deeply profound chants, bring us into resonance and harmony - with ourselves, each other and the land. Music as medicine.

- Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

 

Blessing Way Ceremony: creating community and support for a time of transition on your life’s path

The Blessing Way is a ceremony based on a Navaho tradition to mark a time of transition in the cycle of life. It is used to create and reinforce community and support and to make one mindful of the fears and blocks regard the particular transition. In Western society the Blessing Way ceremony is mainly used when women transition into Motherhood (again). This workshop will be an actual Blessing Way Ceremony so you can all get a feel of the various parts and activities that can be applied. And to create a circle of women in the web of life! For this ceremony I welcome any woman, mother or maiden, ‘pregnant’ with a plan – project – creation, or even if you are willing or needing to create community and give support.

About me: I am a doula (birth – life – death) and a celebrant with DunaLife in Somerset, England. I have lived with ritual and ceremony in a Pagan tradition for all my life and have worked with them for myself and others for 14 years now. I find ritual, and ceremony to support me in where I am: up lift and nourish me when darkness is upon me and celebrate joyfully and abundantly when light is in my heart www.dunalife.org www.dunalife.org

Maximum 10 participants (minimum 3). WOMEN ONLY

Language: English or Dutch

- Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

 

Getting in contact with the fragrance messages of incense

Maybe you know about the cleansing effects of using incense or you might have experienced the magic when smelling the scent of burning herbs in a ritual before... today we are going to work with incense in a different way. Each plant resp. the part of it that is used as incense has its character, its own sort of personality... from a shamanic point of view you could even say it has a fragrance message for us.

Let us sit down in a circle and get in contact with herbs, resins, berries, blossoms... in a ceremonial manner we meet some of them. It is not necessary to know even one of them, they introduce themselves via their scent, via their fragrance on the fire of a small candle or on a piece of glowing charcoal. How do you like each of them? Let me then tell you something about each of these incenses and their messages or statements.

The idea of this kind of incense ritual ist to gain insight in your own mood and feelings without intellect, without judgement, without the need to discuss it with others... just by your olfactoric sense/limbic system, by your perception and your emotional reactions which one cannot influence. You do like a fragrance or you do not like it or, which is also possible, you are blind for it and cannot smell it consciously.

Well, let´s meet and find out how incense is talking to you...

 

Some facts about me:
I come from Northern Germany and live there with my husband, two nearly adult daughters and two cats in quite a rural surrounding called „Teufelsmoor" nearby Bremen.

For nine years now I have been an OBOD Member, but even any years before joining I could gather experience with teaching and counseling, shaman work, Tarot, Bach remedies and psychological aroma therapy etc.

Using incense is one of my favourite topics, I have it in my every day life as well as in rituals and ceremonies. With my workshops I invite you to meet the magic of burning different varieties of incense and maybe inspire you to transfer your experiences with it into your own practice.

- Saturday afternoon. -maximum of 12 participants.

 

Manufacturing a blend of incense

For a very long time burning incenses has been used to purify homes, but the body and spirit also need regular energetic cleansing. There is a great variety of resins and herbs, which can be used for a stunning manifold of effectiveness. Olibanum and myrrh are of the most popular substances, but native herbs like mugwort, sage, lavender and others can be used as well and are quite effective.

Our ancestors knew the effect of using incense against vermin and "unwelcome spirits" as well as for use in rituals and ceremonies. But with the time passing this wisdom has fallen more and more into oblivion... let´s make a try to revive old knowledge.

This workshop is quite practical, we will manufacture an incense mixture... sitting in the round of a circle, working in a ceremonial manner, letting oneself in a cyclic process of working together and by the way learning something about different incense materials.

The blend we are going to make can be used for any ceremony of consecrating or blessing.

 

Some facts about me:
I come from Northern Germany and live there with my husband, two nearly adult daughters and two cats in quite a rural surrounding called „Teufelsmoor" nearby Bremen.

For nine years now I have been an OBOD Member, but even any years before joining I could gather experience with teaching and counseling, shaman work, Tarot, Bach remedies and psychological aroma therapy etc.

Using incense is one of my favourite topics, I have it in my every day life as well as in rituals and ceremonies. With my workshops I invite you to meet the magic of burning different varieties of incense and maybe inspire you to transfer your experiences with it into your own practice.

- Sunday morning.

 

Mindfulness

From the cycle of breathing to stop turning in circles…

We all know those moments when we are functioning on automatic pilot and continue to turn in the (often well-known) circle of reacting mechanically to events, without being really aware of it. If we succeed in weaving the spiral of mindfulness through our life, we learn to act consciously instead of reacting unconscious to the events.

Starting from the cycle of breathing, and exploring through other exercises, Jo lets you experience the power of mindfulness and what it can mean for you.

 

Jo Philips is a druid and one of OBOD’s mentors for the English version of the course, mainly for Ovate grade students. He’s living with his wife Nicole and their 4 Irish wolfhounds in a small village in the north of Belgium, near the Dutch border, on a fair piece of woodland, surrounded by trees and nature.

He is a psychologist in education and works for the Belgian federal public service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue as a general advisor in management support. He had a profound training in human centred leadership, including a training in mindfulness. He also obtained a degree as a counsellor in existential wellbeing. Last year he developed a mindfulness training program for the middle management of his organization.

His interests are very broad. His poems are published in Dryade regularly. He’s particularly interested in the contemplative aspects of druidry (meditations, visualisations, mindfulness, zendruidry, …). Druidry is really a way of life for him.

- Saturday afternoon.

 

Balancing the 4 dimensions of human existence in your life cycle

We can see human functioning as a circle with 4 quadrants, containing the 4 dimensions of human existence. Human happiness (or existential wellbeing) consists in finding a balance between these four dimensions (physical, social, psychological and spiritual dimension) in our life cycle.

Jo takes you on a journey of discovery along this circle and teaches you to see how these four dimensions relate to each other in order to help you find a balance in your own life cycle.

 

Jo Philips is a druid and one of OBOD’s mentors for the English version of the course, mainly for Ovate grade students. He’s living with his wife Nicole and their 4 Irish wolfhounds in a small village in the north of Belgium, near the Dutch border, on a fair piece of woodland, surrounded by trees and nature.

He is a psychologist in education and works for the Belgian federal public service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue as a general advisor in management support. He had a profound training in human centred leadership, including a training in mindfulness. He also obtained a degree as a counsellor in existential wellbeing. Last year he developed a mindfulness training program for the middle management of his organization.

His interests are very broad. His poems are published in Dryade regularly. He’s particularly interested in the contemplative aspects of druidry (meditations, visualisations, mindfulness, zendruidry, …). Druidry is really a way of life for him.

- Sunday morning.

 

De Cyclus van de Fenix

(English below)

De Fenix (Phoenix) is de mythologische Vuurvogel, die eeuwig leeft door cyclische regeneratie. Het is een krachtig beeldend archetype van de eeuwige cyclus van geboorte, dood en wedergeboorte. Vanuit de Ziel ontstaat er een drang naar Creatie, Conservatie en Destructie. Het vuurelement is hierin toonaangevend. De Fenix die na een grote hoogte bereikt te hebben terugvalt in zijn nest, in vlammen opgaat en als Ei weer aan nieuwe cyclus gaat beginnen. In de workshop wordt dit universele thema persoonlijk gemaakt.

Want wie kent niet de hoop, enthousiasme, verwachting, ploeteren, doorzetten, succes, vervulling, mislukking, verlies (rouw) verval, vervaging, overgave, acceptatie om vervolgens toch weer overeind te krabbelen en weer opnieuw te beginnen?

Met uiteenlopende werkvormen wordt het aangepakt & doorgewerkt.
Van meditatief, creatief tot demonstratief.

 

Henk Herne Post
Ik ben al lang verbonden met de Druïdische Traditie. Daarnaast nog vele paden bewandeld (en nog ), zoals Wicca, Ceremoniële Magie en diverse Esoterische Stromingen. Verbind graag het Universele met het Praktische, met verwondering en relativering als leidraad.
Naast het geven van meditaties, healings, counseling en spirituele ontwikkeling (w.o. training NatuurMagie en Priester-es Opleiding) begeleid ik ook mensen met beperkingen.
Doorgewinterde Fenix ervaringsdeskundige.

 

The Fenix (Phoenix) is the mythological Firebird, which lives eternally through cyclic regeneration. It is a powerful visual archetype of the eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth. From the Soul there is an urge for Creation, Conservation and Destruction. The fire element is leading in this. The Fenix, who after having reached a great height, falls back into his nest, goes up in flames and as an Egg starts a new cycle again. In the workshop this universal theme is made personal.

Because who does not know the hope, enthusiasm, expectation, floundering, perseverance, success, fulfillment, failure, loss (mourning) decay, fading, surrender, acceptance to stand up and start again? It is being tackled and worked through with various working methods. From meditative, creative to demonstrative. Henk Herne Post
I have long been connected with the Druid Tradition. In addition, walked many paths (and still), such as Wicca, Ceremonial Magic and various Esoteric Streams.
Like to connect the Universal with the Practical, with wonder and relativisation as a guide.
In addition to giving meditations, healing, counseling and spiritual development (including NaturalMagic and Priest-ess Training), I also guide people with disabilities.
Seasoned Fenix experience expert.

- Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

 

Astronomy workshop

The night sky is filled with movement.
The Sun and Moon, the planets and the stars, Mother Earth, they all dance a complicated dance together.
We can see it in the sunrise and sunset, in the fases of the moon, in the solstices and equinoxes, and in the alignment of ancient monuments like Stonehenge.

At first glance it seems a mysterious and chaotic pattern that only astromomers or astrologers seem to understand.
But there is a clear order of circles behind it, which can be simply understood once you participate in this cosmic dance.
I will not only show you, I will let you experience it, if you come to my astronomy workshop."

 

I am Nico Vermaas, a dutch OBOD member since 2005.
I work in the astronomical community as a software engineer at the Radio Observatory in Dwingeloo. In my druid life I find meaning in the movements of Sun and Moon. In my work life I help to calculate their positions and to gather facts about them with our telescopes.
Apart from that, I hike, camp, travel, make music, dance and enjoy life.

- Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

 

Familie-systeemopstellingen

(English text below)

We zijn allemaal geboren in een lichaam, geslacht, onder een gesternte, in een familiekring, een cultuur en velen van ons na eerdere incarnaties. Al deze velden beïnvloeden ons bestaan en hoe we het bestaan ervaren.

In de opstellingsworkshop verkennen we de invloed van deze velden aan de hand van levensvragen van deelnemers. We representeren de kringen en velden waaruit we geboren zijn en die ons leven zowel bekrachtigen als belemmeren. Vandaaruit vind heling plaats, krachten komen vrij, belemmeringen vallen weg. Niet altijd en niet altijd direct.

De methode is bijzonder krachtig en de opstellingen kunnen confronterend zijn. Je hebt een zekere moed nodig om dit met jezelf aan te gaan. Als je die hebt, ben je van harte welkom om deel te nemen.

 

Systemic Family Constellations

We are all born in a body, sex, under a star, in a family circle, a culture and many of us after previous incarnations. All these aspects influence our existence and how we experience existence.

In the constellations workshop we will explore the influence of these fields on the basis of questions of life of participants. We will represent the circles and fields in which we were born and which both empower and obstruct our lives. Hence, healing takes place, forces are released, obstacles fall away. Though not always and not always instantly.

The method is very powerful and the constellations can be confrontational. You will need a certain courage to meet the self-confrontation the workshop has to offer. If you have courage, you are welcome to participate.

Claes-Berend, Familie- en systeemopsteller en regressietherapeut DeeperLevels.nl

- Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.

 

Tarot - Circling and Spiraling through the Cycles

This year's theme 'Circles, Cycles & Spirals’ is a wonderful theme and spot on when it comes to the tarot. Tarot cards are true treasure maps that help you find your way within, and by circling and spiraling through the cycles you can connect to your heart. This workshop is to find out more about yourself and about the personal tools you carry in your tool box. Do you know what you’re good at, your strengths, your passions? The cards you pull are mirrors that show you an image of you and your circumstances. Do you dare to look into that mirror?

Maximum 8 participants (Dutch & English spoken)

 

Nicole Maessen is an OBOD Druid and Tarot Mediator. “Within and outside OBOD I facilitate tarot readings and tarot workshops, in which we reconnect with our intuition and work on personal development. During these ‘magical encounters’ for private individuals and companies, I guide them into the realm of the Druids and the world of Tarot.”

- Saturday afternoon.

 

Bedelorakel - Oracle of Charms - Circling and Spiraling through the Cycles

Having facilitated numerous tarot workshops throughout the years, Nicole sometimes ends with some icing on the cake: the Oracle of Charms. As accurate and straight to the heart as the tarot, she found out that working with these simple symbols of life is both fun and revealing. Why not put your hand in the bag and pull out some new insights? This workshop is to discover more about your current situation and together we can make a plan how to make some changes to make life even happier. Do you dare to look into that mirror?

Maximum 10 participants (Dutch & English spoken)

 

Nicole Maessen is an OBOD Druid and Tarot Mediator. “Within and outside OBOD I facilitate tarot readings and tarot workshops, in which we reconnect with our intuition and work on personal development. During these ‘magical encounters’ for private individuals and companies, I guide them into the realm of the Druids and the world of Tarot.”

- Sunday morning.

 

The Cauldrons of Awareness

“I sing of the Cauldron of Wisdom
Which bestows the merit of every art
Through which treasure increases………”

A few lines of a medieval Irish tekst about vessels of change and transformation. The metaphor of these cauldrons can help us opening our awareness of the here and now in the present moment. Through awareness we come home to ourselves and home to our connection with all life around us. When we walk and speak to nature in awareness, and seeing everything alive in their divine light, true wisdom can come to us.

In this workshop we will experience ways of contemplation, of wild mindfulness, of stilling the busy mind in the midst of days packed with activity. So we can open ourselves more fully to the sounds and images of the Wilder Others; the nature spirits and elemental beings bring us. We will work with Celtic Yoga, awareness meditation practice and exercises to sense ourselves more fully awake, listening to the breeze, the trees and the nature beings around our campsite.

 

Marjorie is trained as a psychologist and a certified mindfulness trainer. Her involvement in Druidry and OBOD started in 2000. Since then, the wisdom of nature and the rhythm of the seasons form the source of inspiration in her workshops like the ‘Ancestor Lodge’ and Ovate Retreats with Adrian Rooke. Furthermore, she has been co-facilitating the workshops around ‘the ‘Way of Anu’ with Cairisthea Worthington. Since 2007 she has facilitated the Ritual and Meditation workshop for OBOD Students in the Netherlands. Marjorie divides her time between working as career-counselor, facilitating workshops, volunteering in forestry conservation and pursuing her creative interests.

- Saturday morning and Sunday morning.

 

Voyager Tarot: The voyage of the Moon

Working with the Tarot can help you to make the unconscious conscious, to bring out what was hidden. Images of symbols are strong, give insight and: are fun to play with!
The Moon, as the brightest light in the night sky, can also be a bringer of insight. She reflects the light of the day and helps us to discover what was hidden in the dark.

In this workshop we combine those two: using the cards of the VoyagerTarot to travel through the four phases of the Moon.
This Tarot deck is named after the spaceproject The Voyager, send out to explore the cosmos.
With these cards and the symbols on it, you can explore your own inner cosmos. The Moon cycle of four weeks is familiar to us all . We also can see the dance between Sun, Moon and Earth in the longer cycle of 19 years, a period of time we do not experience in daily life. But the familiar cycle of (a little bit longer than) four weeks, we all know and feel.
Through the four phases of the Moon there is the ongoing possibility to return to your inner self, start anew, plant a seed, letting it grow and bring it into the world, then return again to your own inner space, where you can start again . In this workshop, The Voyage of the Moon, we travel through those 4 phases to explore what is waiting for you to bring out in the world and what you can use to turn those insight into reality.


Maximum number of participants: 12

- Saturday afternoon.

 

De Dans van Maan, Zon en Aarde

In deze workshops gaan we ervaren wat de cyclus van de Maan voor ons kan betekenen, zowel de kleine van vier weken als de grote cyclus van 19 jaar samen met Zon en Aarde Het meest zichtbare licht in het donker is de Maan. In een vast ritme laat zij ons haar gezicht zien, volop stralend, langzaam afnemend tot ze er schijnbaar niet meer is, om dan weer opnieuw zichtbaar te worden. Iedere vier weken zien we haar opdoemen en weer verdwijnen, telkens weer, in verschillende verschijningsvormen.

Er is ook een groter ritme, dat ongeveer 19 jaar duurt. In dit samenspel tussen Aarde , Zon en Maan weerspiegelt zich een symboliek die inzicht geeft in je levensopdracht, via de zgn. Maansknopen. De Maan geeft aan waar je veilig bent. Raakt je hart en je emoties, schijnt haar licht op het onbewuste . De Zon is je kern, laat je stralen, staat symbool voor je wezen, je talenten, mogelijkheden. Aarde is de plaats waar we neergezet zijn en waar we, met onze voeten op de grond maar ons hoofd tussen de sterren, vorm kunnen geven waartoe Zon en Maan ons inspireren. Dat is onbekend terrein en kan spannend en angstwekkend zijn , maar ook vreugdevol, omdat daar de mogelijkheden liggen om te groeien in authenticiteit.. De Maansknopen staan symbool voor de opdracht die ons leven betekenis geeft. Je persoonlijke maanfase geeft (mede) aan hoe je hieraan vorm kunt geven.

Een afwisselende workshop, met stilte en activiteit, met: geleide meditatie, creatieve uiting, uitwisseling, schitterende orakelkaarten en astrologie om je persoonlijke Maansknopen en maanfase te ontdekken.

- Sunday morning.

 

Palmistry

Palmistry is already known for ages. It is said that already 3000 BC they studied the shape, the lines and the color of the hand. Hands always support us in acting, performing, speech. Hands are very involved in our daily lives. But they also give us an insight into what we inherited. In this workshop we will learn a little bit about the shape of our hand, what our fingers can tell us, the colour of our hand, and something about the three main lines.

- Saturday morning.

 

Qigong, Eight therapeutic exercises against pain

According to Chinese Medicine, pain arises when qi and blood stagnate in the body. In ancient China doctors were paid if the patient remained healthy. When the patient became ill, the doctor had failed. These exercises stimulate the free flow of qi and blood in the body and work preventively on pain.
Especially in the spring, when the qi starts to flow faster, it is important that the meridians are open so that they can process this flow. In this series the emphasis is on the stretching and opening of the meridians in a powerful way. The element of wood (which is connected with spring and with the liver and gall bladder) is made stronger by these exercises. This reinforces the qualities of courage, change and creativity.
Tai Chi consists of slow movements, which keeps the muscles supple and gives energy. It is a system of exercise that focuses on balance and coordination, conceived to obtain physical and mental control and health.

 

Jos Jeurissen teaches over 15 years of Tai Chi and Wushu Kungfu lessons in Maastricht and has practiced for 40 years the Chinese Martial Arts. The daily practice of Tai Chi and Qigong gives him more rest and grounding. It improved his way of dealing with energy and balance. Spirals and circles provide growth and creativity.

Saskia Hendriks practices Tai Chi / Chi Kung preferably outside in harmony and connection with nature and the elements. Her daily practice is a source of energy, joy, health and balance. She assists Jos in his workshops.

- Saturday afternoon

 

Introduction to The Baby Snake Qigong

When the spring almost starts, the baby snake crawls out of the egg. An age-old series that is inspired by the growth and movements of the snake.
During the workshop you will learn a series of 6 exercises, each consisting of 2 or 3 exercises and concluded with an exercise that brings the qi back into the Lower Dantien.
It is said that this series is more than 1000 years old and passed down by many generations of Taoist masters. Inspired by the snake, this qigong develops the strength of the spine, the flexibility and the qi flow in the back. By regular practice, awareness in the spine increases, improving the overall posture. The back becomes smoother and you develop a coordination in which parts of the back gently move other parts of the body. In addition, the neck shoulders and legs are also discussed. That is why this series is very complete and also very suitable for beginners.
Tai Chi consists of slow movements, which keeps the muscles supple and gives energy. It is a system of exercise that focuses on balance and coordination, conceived to obtain physical and mental control and health.

 

Jos Jeurissen teaches over 15 years of Tai Chi and Wushu Kungfu lessons in Maastricht and has practiced for 40 years the Chinese Martial Arts. The daily practice of Tai Chi and Qigong gives him more rest and grounding. It improved his way of dealing with energy and balance. Spirals and circles provide growth and creativity.

Saskia Hendriks practices Tai Chi / Chi Kung preferably outside in harmony and connection with nature and the elements. Her daily practice is a source of energy, joy, health and balance. She assists Jos in his workshops.

- Sunday morning.

 

"de kleine cirkel" met stemvorken

In deze workshop werken we met stemvork en edelsteen. We leren hoe een stemvork vast te houden en aan te slaan. Daarnaast leer je de 3 punten van de kleine hemelse cirkel. Als we met de 3 punten van de kleine cirkel werken zijn we in contact met de supersnelweg van het centrale zenuwstelsel en de blauwdruk van ons holografisch energie veld dat door ons hele interne wezen doorvlochten is. Het is de as die we kennen als het centrale kanaal dat tussen de kleine hemelse omloop doorloopt om Yin en Yang te vereningen. Het verbind het aardse en het hemelse met ons innerlijk bewustzijn. We kunnen dat wat de macro en de micro kosmos verbindt en voor een diep gevoel van heel-zijn zorgt in drie gebieden onderscheiden.

De stemvork is gemakkelijk zelf te hanteren en helpt je bewust worden en voelen waar de trilling in je lijf wel of niet goed doorstroomt. Dit doe je door een stemvork aan te slaan en op een plek op je lichaam te plaatsen. In combinatie met een natuursteen die ook een eigen trilling en werking heeft kan je nog gerichter werken. Daar waar de doorstroming minder is kun je de de stemvork met steen meerdere keren plaatsen. Je merkt direct dat deze trilling opgepakt wordt door het lijf en dus verbetert. Met stemvorken is goed en simpel te oefenen en werken op jezelf en vandaar uit uiteindelijk een prachtig tool om in healingen en lichaamswerk te gebruiken.

- Saturday afternoon.

 

Druid Haka

The ritual maori dance "Haka" fascinates many people. It is "a message of the soul expressed by words and posture". And indeed there are also some stunning connections to the ancient celtic culture. In this workshop we will perform a classic Haka together and learn about the qualities of the warrior and the power of tribal connection we find in the Haka for our spiritual path as modern druids. Haka is a powerful experience for men and women ;-).

 

Bettina Frenzke: In 2016 I was looking for a powerful, expressive form of a dance in a spiritual context. I found the Haka and was amazed to find many connections of its meanings to druidism. This lead me to train as a Haka teacher and share this with you at the Dryade Camp, to experience yourself with the Haka as a forceful being, feel a great energy while doing a Haka in a group and have much fun to allow yourself shouting and stomping!

Picture: Haka-performance at the int. Gathering 2017 in Germany

- Sunday afternoon.

 

Vuurvaardigheden / Vuur: Vriend, vijand & fascinatie

Tijdens deze workshop ga ik samen met de kinderen (& evt. oudere kinderen) praten over vuur, zal ik de gevaren van vuur benoemen, brandstof verzamelen voor een vuurtje, een vuurtje bouwen en iets met dat warme brandende vuur doen. De workshop is voor kinderen, maar volwassenen zijn ook welkom. Trek bij voorkeur niet synthetische kleding aan en stevige schoenen. Heb je thuis spullen die jij gebruikt bij het vuurtje stoken, neem je die dan mee? Tot snel bij een lekker warm vuurtje....

- Saturday afternoon.

 

Tarot for Kids

Tarot is een prachtig intuitief orakel waar veel van geleerd kan worden. Het helpt je op gemakkelijke wijze verbinding maken tussen wat je ziet en voelt en dit te vertalen naar woorden. In de workshop gaan we hiermee aan de slag (hoe vertaal ik ik op simpele wijze de afbeelding naar mijn gevoel) en welke kleuren, vormen, cijfers zie ik op de kaart en wat betekent dat voor mij. Zo leer je spelenderwijs de verschillende lagen van de tarot kennen.

- Saturday morning.

 

Poi for Kids

Een poi is een gewichtje aan een koord of ketting dat men rondzwaait en waar men trucs mee uithaalt. Poi is een Maoriwoord voor 'bal aan touwtje' en het werd door de Maori op Nieuw-Zeeland gebruikt door de vrouwen om hun handen en armen soepeler te maken voor het weven en bij mannen om ze sterker te maken en hun coördinatie te verbeteren voor de slag. Het werd ook gebruikt bij het dansen. Poi wordt tegenwoordig dan ook gebruikt bij het opleiden van mensen die oude wapens gaan gebruiken. Poi is heel goed om te leren verbinding maken van linker en rechterhersenhelft dmv hoofd en handcoordinatie In deze workshop leer je basis bewegingen met de poi en samenwerken met een ander terwijl je met de poi draait.

- Sunday morning.

 

Wand crafting

We will be exploring carving and decorating our own Wands.

Bring along a piece of wood the length of of the crook of the elbow through to the tip of the middle finger and wide enough to carve maybe an inch or an inch and a half around the width.

If possible choose a Tree that is included within the Tree Ogham collection of trees so we can carve onto the wands the Ogham signs and runic signs.

We will also have a small ceremony to bless and consecrate our wands.

There will be a short history of why and how we use a magical tool like the wand within our everyday practise.

So, please bring along your own wood, and know from which tree it is. Remember that freshly cut wood won't carve, its needs to have dried a week or two before you can carve it!
Also bring a small knife, like a craft knife, that is good to carve detail onto the wood and any other tools you may want to bring along.
Maximum 12 participants

I have been an active member of the order of bards Ovate s and Druids for over 20 years, having been a tutor for many of those years, i currently enjoy the role of press liaison officer for OBOD, which offers its own wonders and challenges. I am a generic counselor and supervisor managing and working in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit in the uk, and also a holistic healer using a variety of mediums such as massage and mindfulness in the work i do with clients . I have also had the pleasure to facilitate a series of mens workshops in The Netherlands and Italy opposite Thea Worthington who has worked with the women following the wheel of Annu.
Also I have had the privilege to work as a celebrant, conducting new baby blessings, handfastings and funerals.
I consider myself very blessed to be able to share this path of openhearted connection with each other and with mother nature and all her creatures seen and unseen.

- Saturday morning (for kids) and Sunday morning (for adults).

 

WORKSHOP

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- Saturday afternoon

 

KIDS WORKSHOP Acro / Yoga

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- Sunday morning

 

KIDS WORKSHOP Clay Molding

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- Sunday afternoon

 

WORKSHOP Samen schilderen en een levensgroot schilderij maken (English below)

Samen gaan we alle creativiteit loslaten tijdens het schilderen van een schilderij! Iedereen krijgt een eigen doek, maar alle doeken zijn aan elkaar gelinkt door middel van een spiraal. Aan het einde puzzelen we hoe het schilderij in elkaar past en de spiraal -door alle creativiteit- zichtbaar wordt. Wat eerst losse schilderijen waren, worden samen één!

“Het geheel is meer dan de som der delen”- Aristoteles.

Together we will put all our creativity into painting a big painting! Everyone gets their own canvas, but all these will be linked through a spiral. At the end we puzzle how the painting fits together and the spiral becomes visible through all creativity. What were separate paintings first, will become one big one together!

"The whole is more than the sum of its parts."

- Sunday afternoon