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The Struggle to Gain Access to Stonehenge
1992
Immediately after the founding of the Druid Clan of Dana in 1992, members of the DCD joined with other Druid groups working
together in an organization called the Council of British Druid Orders. Among these were Steve Wilson and John Merron.
Lady Olivia Robertson was made an Associate Member of the Council. Associate membership includes those who are prominent in
the academic and Druid communities. The Council had been formed in the late 1980’s with the specific purpose of gaining
public access to Stonehenge for Druidic celebrations at Summer Solstice.
1995
At dawn of Sunday, February 26, 1995, standing on the frosty ground amongst the stones, representatives from the various
Druid orders within the Council were able to conduct an initiation ceremony at Stonehenge. Among these were members of the
Druid Clan of Dana, ArchDruid Steve Wilson, ArchDruid John Merron and ArchDruidess Caroline Wise. These three are
also members of the ArchPriesthood of the FOI.
John Merron writes of his participation in that ceremony: "Opening the quarters in Britain 's most inaccessible monument was a privilege
and one of my most memorable experiences."
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| Stonehenge, Sunday, February 26, 1995 |
In the photo above, ArchDr. John Merron is third from left wearing a white headdress; near the center of the photo
is Dylan Ap Thuin, founder of the Insular Order of Druids, wearing a sash and holding a staff; to the right, wearing
a dark hooded cloak is ArchDrs. Caroline Wise; standing behind her in dark blue is ArchDr. Steve Wilson; to the right is
King Arthur of the Loyal Arthurian Warband holding a staff; and next to him is Rollo Maughfling, one of the two founders
of the Glastonbury Order of Druids. The banner to the right bears the emblem of the Insular Order of Druids.
1998
One Summer Solstice gathering at Stonehenge occurred in 1998, admittance by ticket holders only, with
one hundred tickets sent to various representatives for that occasion. Rt. Rev. Steve Wilson, ArchDruid of the Druid Clan
of Dana wrote at that time: "After 10 years of negotiating with English Heritage, the
Council of British Druid Orders have succeeded in the contentious matter of access for Druids at Stonehenge at the Summer
Solstice, and 100 Druids were allowed in. The Council sees this as a partial success as they are fighting for eventual access
for all Druids who wish to celebrate the solstice there. The Council has never given up on this matter, and has fought ...
on all Druids’ behalf for this right to worship.”
Caroline Wise wrote: "I was privileged to be one of the hundred people given a ticket to
observe the solstice sunrise from the stones - I hadn't done that since 1974. I went with John Merron. It was a wonderful
experience - and surreal, with a huge police escort including motorcycle outriders and blue flashing lights accompanying us
through the half-light from a 'top secret' location in Salisbury!"
The Council of British Druid Orders Today
The repeated and valiant efforts of the Council were rewarded with full public access to Stonehenge at Summer Solstice
in the year 2000. Today, Summer Solstice festivals continue at Stonehenge with very strict rules laid upon
participants in order to protect the site.
The Council also holds annual ceremonies at Summer Solstice at either Primrose Hill or Parliament Hill in London. Druid
Clan of Dana members still join with members of the Council and the other Druid orders to celebrate Summer Solstice at Stonehenge
and in London every year.
Steve Wilson, AU joined the Council of British Druid Orders in 1991. Steve and Johnny Merron, AU have acted as representatives
of the DCD since 1992 within the CoBDO. Steve is a Permanent Officer of the CoBDO, working as Press Officer responsible for
contact with the media. The Druid Clan of Dana is only one of the many groups working within the Council.
The four founding organizations were the Glastonbury Order of Druids, The Secular Order of Druids, The Order
of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and The Ancient Order of Druids. Among the many other Druid groups represented in the CoBDO
are The British Druid Order, Ancient and Modern Order of Druids, The Loyal Arthurian Warband, the Insular Order
of Druids, Druids of Albion, Phoenix Order of Druids, Anderida Gorsedd, Order of the Sidhe, Red Dragon Order, Albion Conclave,
Cumbria Druid Order, Cotswold Druid Order and Wandering Peace Poets, to name a very few. Druid Orders from Brittany
and the United States also joined in support of the work of the CoBDO.
Special thanks to John Merron, ArchPriest of the Fellowship of Isis and ArchDruid of the Grove of the Four Elements,
Druid Clan of Dana, Caroline Wise, ArchPriestess and ArchDrs. and to Steve Wilson, ArchPriest and ArchDruid of the
DCD. You can read more about the current work of the CoBDO here: http://www.cobdo.org.uk/index.html
Back to FOI Archives
The Druid Clan of Dana
Photo courtesy of Insular Order of Druids historic archives. http://www.lugodoc.demon.co.uk/Druids/IOD%20Initiation.htm
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May Isis richly bless all who visit this site. This
central Fellowship of Isis website is officially authorized and chartered by Fellowship of Isis co-founder Rt. Rev.
Olivia Robertson, AU, FOI Foundation Centre, Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland Copyright © 2004-2008
The Circle of Isis Notice of Copyright and Disclaimer of the Circle of Isis Website
Contents: The Circle of Isis website is an officially sanctioned central global website
of the Fellowship of Isis, authorized by Rt. Rev. Olivia Robertson, AU, co-founder of the Fellowship of Isis, Foundation
Centre, Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland. The contents of the Circle of Isis Website are not public domain.
All contents published under the name The Circle of Isis on this website are copyrighted. The URL (www.thecircleofisis.com)
is copyrighted. Direct links to these webpages are permitted. Copying the appearance, content or
format of these pages is not permitted. All rights reserved.
Notice
of Copyright of the Fellowship of Isis Liturgy: Fellowship of Isis Liturgy copyright is legally shared by the
author, Rt. Rev. Olivia Robertson, AU, FOI co-founder, with members of the Circle of Isis Advisory Board. Those
members are Rt. Rev. Loreon Vigne, Rt. Rev. deTraci Regula, ArchDrs. Linda Iles and Rt. Rev. Caroline Wise. The content and
format of the Fellowship of Isis Liturgy presented on the Circle of Isis website are not public domain. The content and
format are protected by a separate copyright. Rt. Rev. Olivia Robertson, AU, FOI co-founder, personally upholds
our copyright. Private or public distribution, private or public reproduction, private or public publication
in any form, by any means, of the FOI Liturgy as presented on the Circle of Isis website, is not permitted. Direct links
to the FOI Liturgy pages on the Circle of Isis website are allowed, printing a copy for private ritual use is allowed.
All other rights reserved. "Circle of Isis" line drawing by Rt.
Rev. Olivia Robertson. Used by permission of the artist. All rights reserved.
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