Women in Druidry Conference
If you were to ask someone to describe an historical Druid, most would overwhelmingly paint a picture of a wise old man with a long grey beard and white flowing robes, but this tells only part of the story.
An elite and learned social caste in ancient Celtic cultures, Druids enjoyed many privileges – such as exemption from taxes and from serving during war – and were accorded a great amount of honor and social power.
They were priests and augurs, teachers and judges, transmitters of history, and holders of sacred memory.
They were educated and deeply respected men, to be sure…
And, they were also women.
As part of an effort to broaden the general understanding and depiction of ancient Druids to include the women who earned this status, as well as to amplify the voices of women who walk a modern-day druidic path, The Coracle and the Sisterhood of Avalon are proud to be hosting the Women in Druidry Conference.
In what we hope will become an annual offering, we have gathered together accomplished women practitioners, leaders, authors, and teachers representing a variety of modern Druidic (and Druid-adjacent) orders and traditions. Together, we will explore Druidic beliefs and traditions, discuss the differences and similarities between these modern pathways, and share some personal experiences and insights about walking a Druidic path as a female practitioner.
2021 Keynote Speaker
Eimear Burke
Eimear is the Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) and lives in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Eimear has private practice as a Counselling Psychologist and her interests in Druidry and psychology have led her to act as a Celebrant, helping people to design and enact meaningful rites of passage. She is licensed to perform legal weddings in the Republic of Ireland and can also offer non legal ceremonies.
Eimear has a deep love of the ancient Irish tales and has a passion for storytelling. She brings the old tales to new audiences, and – while remaining faithful to the stories – often examines them from new perspectives, so that listeners experience them as fresh and relevant. She particularly enjoys showing people the sacred sites of Ireland and telling the ancient tales right where they happened.
Affiliations: In addition to OBOD, Eimear is a priestess dedicated to Danú in the Fellowship of Isis, an Arch Druidess in the Druid Clan of Dana, and a member of the Noble Order of Tara.
2021 Workshops
Exploring the Liminal
We will be exploring the symbolism, depth and power of working with liminal spaces, both mundane and magical. From a ritualist’s point of view, this subtle yet primary energy is worth exploring in a. more conscious level, particularly in light of the past couple of years when life has been forced into a fairly liminal existence for many of us.
Cerri Lee is an artist, writer and druid. A member of the OBOD since 1997, she worked in the OBOD office for a number of years. Cerri has co-facilitated a druid grove since ’98, open seasonal rituals for the eight festivals since 2000 and runs druid themed talks, workshops, camps and conferences. She also is a member of the Anglesey Druid Order and the ADF. Her primary druidic thrust is creating immersive rituals based around ancient British and Irish myths, as well as legends and stories from across the globe. Cerri believes we can use ritual as a form of magical archeology with which to explore ancient themes and gain a true authenticity of experience on a modern druidic path. As well as giving us a powerful window through which to view our own souls, creating a modern ritual experience based on these ancient themes can also guide us to a deeper understanding of and connection to our druidic forebears.
Affiliations: Druid in OBOD, a member of the Anglesey Order of Druids and ADF.
Website: www.cerrilee.com
An Introduction to Ogham Sigils and Practical Tree Magic
Our native British and Irish traditions hold a vast store of wisdom related to our plants and trees, which can be used for a multitude of healing and magical, as well as practical purposes. In this workshop, Danu will discuss a range of these trees and their uses both magically and spiritually, together with their references in our traditional lore such as that found within the ancient Ogham alphabet. Suitable for beginners and those with experience. No materials other than a pen and paper will be needed.
Danu Forest is a traditional wisewoman and Ard BanDrui (arch-druidess), in the Irish Druid Clan of Dana, as well as a druid grade member of OBOD with over 30 years’ experience in the Celtic tradition. Born with the second sight she is a natural seer working closely with the spirits of the land and its ancestral and Otherworldly intelligences as well as plant and tree spirits and the genius loci, the old gods or powers of place. She is a Celtic shamanic healer, a plant spirit herbalist and co-creates her own vibrational essences and tinctures with the spirits of her local sacred landscape, deep in the Avalon marshes near Glastonbury, UK. Danu is noted for her many years’ service to her wider community as well as for her intuitive and practical experience, and her scholarly research. She holds an MA in Celtic studies from UWTSD. Danu holds regular ceremonies as well as workshops and online training, focusing especially on our relationship to the land and re-forging a connection with the ancient guiding spirits of the pre-Christian Celtic traditions.
Affiliations: Druid Clan of Dana, OBOD, BDO, Council of Shamanic Practitioners.
Publications: Nature Spirits, The Druid Shaman, Celtic Tree Magic, The Magical Year, Pagan Portals – Gwyn Ap Nudd, Wild Magic.
Website: www.danuforest.co.uk
2021 Panelists
Danu Forest
Danu Forest is a traditional wisewoman and Ard BanDrui (arch-druidess), in the Irish Druid Clan of Dana, as well as a druid grade member of OBOD with over 30 years’ experience in the Celtic tradition. Born with the second sight she is a natural seer working closely with the spirits of the land and its ancestral and Otherworldly intelligences as well as plant and tree spirits and the genius loci, the old gods or powers of place. She is a Celtic shamanic healer, a plant spirit herbalist and co-creates her own vibrational essences and tinctures with the spirits of her local sacred landscape, deep in the Avalon marshes near Glastonbury, UK. Danu is noted for her many years’ service to her wider community as well as for her intuitive and practical experience, and her scholarly research. She holds an MA in Celtic studies from UWTSD. Danu holds regular ceremonies as well as workshops and online training, focusing especially on our relationship to the land and re-forging a connection with the ancient guiding spirits of the pre-Christian Celtic traditions.
Affiliations: Druid Clan of Dana, OBOD, BDO, Council of Shamanic Practitioners.
Publications: Nature Spirits, The Druid Shaman, Celtic Tree Magic, The Magical Year, Pagan Portals – Gwyn Ap Nudd, Wild Magic.
Website: www.danuforest.co.uk
Laurie Froberg
Laurie Froberg is co-Founder and Scribe for Northern Roots Grove (NRG), a pan-Druid spiritual organization located in the Twin Cities, Minnesota since 2015.
She is also a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin, A Druid Fellowship (ADF) and a First Order member of Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA) through its’ local Minnesota Grove, Oakdale Grove. Prior to adopting Druidry as her spiritual path, Laurie was a solitary witch trained in Gardnerian Witchcraft.
Laurie serves on the Board of Directors for Twin Cities Pagan Pride (TCPP) as their Marketing Director (https://tcpaganpride.org/). Twin Cities Pagan Pride is an educational organization that hosts two large events every year, the Pagan Pride Fall Festival and Paganicon.
Affiliations: Northern Roots Grove (NRG), Ár nDraíocht Féin, A Druid Fellowship (ADF), and Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA)
Contact: northernrootsgrove@gmail.com or laurie@tcpaganpride.org.
Kristal Jenks
Kristal Jenks has been a member of the Anglesey Druid Order for 14 years, helping to facilitate the Order’s residential courses, experiential camps and public rituals in the magical landscape of North Wales. Her own Druidry is forged from a deep connection to the land and to the gods and goddesses of her native mythology. In her professional life, Kristal is a midwife .
Affiliations: Anglesey Druid Order – Urdd Derwyddon Môn
Website: www.angleseydruidorder.co.uk
Cerri Lee
Cerri Lee is an artist, writer and druid. A member of the OBOD since 1997, she worked in the OBOD office for a number of years. Cerri has co-facilitated a druid grove since ’98, open seasonal rituals for the eight festivals since 2000 and runs druid themed talks, workshops, camps and conferences. She also is a member of the Anglesey Druid Order and the ADF. Her primary druidic thrust is creating immersive rituals based around ancient British and Irish myths, as well as legends and stories from across the globe. Cerri believes we can use ritual as a form of magical archeology with which to explore ancient themes and gain a true authenticity of experience on a modern druidic path. As well as giving us a powerful window through which to view our own souls, creating a modern ritual experience based on these ancient themes can also guide us to a deeper understanding of and connection to our druidic forebears.
Affiliations: Druid in OBOD, a member of the Anglesey Order of Druids and ADF.
Website: www.cerrilee.com
Jhenah Telyndru
Jhenah Telyndru is an author, speaker, and educator. She is the founder of the Sisterhood of Avalon, a Celtic women’s mysteries organization with world-wide membership, and is the academic dean of the Avalonian Thealogical Seminary. Jhenah holds a masters degree in Celtic Studies from the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, and did her undergraduate studies in archaeology. She teaches four-day residential training retreats around North America and the UK, and facilitates pilgrimages to sacred sites in the British Isles and Ireland through Mythic Seeker Tours. She is a frequent presenter and guest speaker at academic conferences, religious symposia, Women’s Spirituality gatherings, and Pagan festivals. A priestess in the Avalonian Tradition for over 30 years, Jhenah has been following a Pagan path since 1986.
Affiliations: Sisterhood of Avalon (SOA)
Publications: Avalon Within, The Mythic Moons of Avalon, The Avalonian Oracle, Pagan Portals – Rhiannon: Divine Queen of the Celtic Britons, and Pagan Portals – Blodeuwedd: Welsh Goddess of Seasonal Sovereignty
Website: www.ynysafallon.com
Joanna van der Hoeven
Joanna van der Hoeven is a Druid, Witch, author and teacher. She has written several books on Druidry, countless articles for Pagan magazines and websites, and has spoken at conferences, fairs, festivals and more. Joanna is the co-founder of Druid College UK, which offers a three-year training programme. She is also a singer, musician, poet, dancer, and budding filmmaker/photographer. She has a BA Hons English Language and Literature degree and also has an NVQ with the British Horse Society in Riding and Stable Management. She has been a practicing Pagan for over 25 years.
Affiliations: SOA, OBOD, and Druid College, UK
Publications: The Book of Hedge Druidry, The Awen Alone, The Hedge Druid’s Craft , Zen for Druids, Dancing with Nemetona, The Crane Bag, and Zen Druidry
Website: www.joannavanderhoeven.com
2021 Conference Host & Panel Moderator
Sydney Bell
Sydney Bell (MSW) is a psychotherapist, speaker, body-positivity advocate and priestess in the Avalonian Tradition. She believes that by providing spaces to challenge oppressive beauty and health paradigms and instead promote body diversity and radical self-love, we can turn the tide against rampant body dissatisfaction and the negative health outcomes that go with it.
Sydney currently resides in B.C. with her partner Jon, two dogs and one cat. You can find resources and learn more about her private practice work at: www.sydneybell.ca
