The summer has passed and here is what got accomplished at White Mountain Druid Sanctuary.

The Goddess Brigid’s Shrine

The walls and roof of the Goddess Brigid’s shrine are up and ready to withstand the winter.  Kirk Thomas, the founder and creator of WMDS, decided on a circular theme for Brigid’s shrine.  It is placed over the irrigation ditch so there is a short wall to keep people from stumbling into the water.  

The Goddess Brigid’s shrine, fall 2019 

Her shrine sits on the eastern side of the Druid area of Trout Lake Abbey (which includes WMDS and the Mt Adams Zen Temple).  There is a window that faces due west and will have an eternal flame burning. Normally this will be a real flame but sometimes due to weather or other circumstances, it may be a flameless candle.  

The Goddess Brigid shrine, window facing west

Inside the shrine is a hearth for a coal fire.  She is a hearth goddess so flame and fire are important.  Plus we tend to forget in this modern day and age just how critical flame was to our ancestors for heat, light and cooking.  

Inside Brigid’s shrine

Brigid’s shrine will be completed next summer, 2020.

Lleu Llaw Gyffes’ Shrine

To the southwest of Brigid’s Shrine is Lleu Llaw Gyffes’ Shrine.  He is a Welsh god of transformation. Kirk had the statue made earlier this year and built the shrine around it.  

Lleu Llaw Gyffes’ Shrine

The sign on the left is a description of Lleu and the sign on the right is a prayer to him.  

On the left side

Lleu Llaw Gyffes

(Klay klow GUH-fes)

His name means “Fair Haired One with

the Skillful Hand” and He got His name

from His mother Aranrhod when She saw

His great skill with a sling-shot.

This Welsh God is depicted here as He

transforms from eagle to man (or from man

to eagle) as depicted in the Fourth Branch

of the Mabinogi, a collection of Welsh tales. He is a God of Liminality

and Ecstasy.

As a God, He could only be killed in a very difficult manner, requiring His

cooperation. He was, however, tricked into this so that His enemy, Gronw Pebr,

would have a chance to kill Him.

He cannot be killed indoors nor out of doors; He cannot be killed on horseback,

nor on foot. In order for Him to be killed, someone would need to craft a spear

magically over the course of a year. Then, as He says, “By making a bath for

Me on a riverbank, and constructing an arched roof above the tub, and then

thatching that well and watertight. And bringing a billy goat,” He said, “and

standing it beside the tub; and I place one foot on the back of the billy-goat

and the other on the edge of the tub. Whoever should strike me in that

position would bring about my death.”

Only in this extreme position of liminality can He be killed. But when Gronw's

poisoned spear strikes Him in this position, He doesn't die, but rather He

transforms into a wounded eagle and flies away, landing in an oak tree growing

between two lakes, where He is found by His uncle Gwydion, who transforms

Him back into human form and heals Him.

Like the sun at the Winter Solstice, Lleu almost dies and is reborn.

On the right side

All Hail Lleu!

Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Ecstatic Lord,

God of Transformation,

Your ecstasy was bom of great pain.

We call on You to aid us

That we, too, may transform,

From that which does not serve us

Into that which does.

Give us the courage to face our truths

Give us the strength to hold our course

And give us what we need to make this happen.

As ecstasy was Yours

May it be ours!

And may we fly into our futures

Secure in knowing that You are there for us.

God of transformation and ecstasy,

Accept our offerings!

His shrine will also be completed next summer, 2020.

The Goddess Samona’s Shrine

The final touches are complete.  She also got two signs.

On the left of Samona’s shrine

Samona

Samona is the Goddess of the White Salmon River and Trout Lake Valley. As such, She

is also our local Goddess of Sovereignty, and one of the Earth Mother's many daughters.

The poured glass icon was crafted by Laurel Haqner of Hood River, Oregon.

In ritual, we call upon Her right after we call on the Earth, as befitting Her station.

She provides us with the water we need for all our valley agriculture, and without Her

we could not live here.

On the side of Mt. Adams there is a spring that runs year round as the true source of

the White Salmon River. This spring bubbles out of the ground just below the Pacific

Crest Trail on the side of the mountain

When we call upon Her we see Her descending through the river bed as a great foam

horse, chasing down the mountain towards the Columbia. We can feel the coolness of

the water and hear the thundering of Her hooves

All Hail Samona!

On the right side of the Goddess Samona’s Shrine

All Hail Samona!

Goddess of The White Salmon River

Goddess of Trout Lake Valley

Lady of Sovereignty!

Mighty flowing Lady of Life

You who descends to us from the Mountain

You who brings lifegiving water

We call to You!

May Your bounty ever flow

May Your beauty ever spread

And may Your blessings fill us with joy.

Lady Samona, accept our offerings!

The Wishing Well

In ancient days, people would throw precious metals and

favorite swords and other weapons into bodies of water, as

sacrifices to the deities of the rivers and of the Underworld.

This practice survives today in the form of the

Wishing Well.

Please throw coins into our Well below at the base of

our small waterfall, and the proceeds will be gathered

up and split between the Sanctuary and local

environmental charities.

We thank you!

There is also a new sign at the entrance to the Druid circle which describes what White Mountain Druid Sanctuary is about.

Sign at entrance to the circle

WHITE MOUNTAIN DRUID SANCTUARY

Welcome to our Sanctuary, a place for the worship of the Gods and Spirits!

The shrines you will see are mostly for Celtic deities and the Spirits of Nature, but we are

adding more shrines every year. ADF recognizes all the Spirits of the preAbrahamic,

preZoroastrian, and preHindu cultures of the ancient Indo-Europeans.

ADF Druidry is a religion of many Gods and Goddesses, and other Spirits. We strive to form

relationships with Them through the idea of reciprocity - “I give so that You may give”.

This is what the ancients did, and how we still form relationships with each other to this day

We make offerings to Them and ask for Their blessings in return. We give Them food, drink,

incense, silver and other precious metals, and even poetry and song. We can only give Them

things that are 'of us', or things that belong to us. It makes no sense to take from wild nature

and try to give these to Them because They already own them! But if we make them our

own, by adding value through the sweat of our brows or through our own talents, then these become worthy gifts.