December's here...

...and it's time to prepare for Midwinter, also known as Yule. Our ritual this month will be held at Spirit Wise Gifts, located at 6590 S. Broadway in Centennial. Gather at 4 pm; the ritual will begin promptly at 5 pm. This site is a basement room accessed by a steep staircase, so plan accordingly. Like all our rituals, this one will be followed by a potluck feast.

Winter's Here

Winter arrived with a bang here in Denver last week. Several snowy days combined with record-breaking Arctic cold weather left us in no doubt as to the change of seasons. Ahead of us lie a variety of winter holidays, both mundane and religious, of  which Chokecherry's next High Day - Midwinter - is one. We hope to be moving to an indoor location for this ritual, and if we will be sorry to miss our blazing Sacred wood fire, we look forward to concentrating on the ritual itself without the discomfort which comes from standing outside in freezing weather. More on this soon - in the meantime, may we all feast in joy with out families and our remembered ancestors on Thanksgiving!

Samhain Week

Traditionally Samhain - modern Halloween - was a multi-day festival marking the last harvest of autumn and the beginning of the Celtic winter season. Its modern Welsh name - Calen Gaeaf, "first day of winter" - reflects this. For us here in Front Range Colorado, the seasonal dynamic is apt; the last few days have been surprisingly warm, but tonight we are expecting a hard frost. The multi-day aspect is with us, too - Chokecherry celebrated Samhain yesterday with a beautiful public ritual at the home of one of our members, while other groups are celebrating next Saturday. And of course, there's mundane Halloween in the middle, plus various other private and public parties. All in all, it's truly Samhain week - a last celebration of abundance before the cold and dark of winter set in. Enjoy, and don't forget to set your clocks back next weekend!

New Feature

Chokecherry is now hosting a Google calendar showing Front Range Colorado Druid activities. Check it out via the sidebar link (ADF-Colorado Druids Calendar).

October update

Chokecherry has been busy planning and growing in the last month. Our next ritual - Samhain - is coming up soon, on Sunday October 26. Due to the changing season, we're moving to a different location for this one, and also a different time. The ritual will be held at a private residence, allowing us to go inside afterwards if the night is cold. Our celebrant Kevin Jenkyns describes it thus: "As the days grow short, we find ourselves looking for shelter from the vicissitudes and inclemencies of the weather. To that end, Chokecherry ProtoGrove will be holding their Samhain Rites at 2929 South Elm Street, Denver 80222 on October 26th. The time will be forwarded later but it will be an evening event. Our intention is to hold the Rite out of doors so dress accordingly. However, fear not, for we will have the option to retreat indoors should the need arise. Gather with us as we enjoin with the Honored Dead." As part of our community service this quarter, we're asking people to bring at least two cans for our food drive in addition to the usual potluck contribution. We're planning to gather at 4 pm and start the ritual at 5 pm as the daylight wanes. Come join us at this feast for the Ancestors!

September update

We've been too busy the last month to keep our blog updated! We held our second official public ritual yesterday, and are making plans for the winter. Our Samhain ritual will be Sunday October 26 at a different location - more information closer to the date.  In the meantime, a photo from yesterday's ritual...

August Update #1

The last month has been busy for Chokecherry! After performing at the Elizabeth Celtic Festival as 80% of the Front Range Druid Players, we followed this up with several important milestones for our little protogrove ("protogrove", btw, is an ADF term for a small new local group). On August 1 our protogrove application was approved by the organizing committee, making us an official part of ADF, and allowing us to affiliate with Chokecherry through the ADF website. We now have five members who are also paid ADF members - an impressive start for a new group. Three of us, moreover, are already experienced celebrants and liturgists - an almost unheard of situation.

Following our approval, we held our second public High Day ritual at Overland Pond Park - First Harvest, or Lughnasadh. The deities honored this time were our bountiful Mother Earth and the Corn King, also known as John Barleycorn. Seventeen people attended and shared fellowship in ritual and afterwards on a relatively mild Denver summer day.

The last act of our busy month was another performance of "Blodeuwedd, or the Betrayal of Lleu" at the Colorado Scottish Festival, once again sponsored by the Colorado Welsh Society. Some of us will also be at the Long's Peak festival next month in Estes Park - stop by the CWS booth if you'd like to chat or get more information.