Beltane 1998 Newsletter Interview with a Pagan

We start the interview series with a glimpse into the path of Druidry through they eyes of Sionnach, who lives in Uralla in NSW.

PAN: Tell us a little about your tradition.
Sionnach: It is based in Britain and teaches connection with the land, elements, seasons, animals and plants, especially the thirteen sacred Celtic trees and the Ogham. It also teaches Arthurian myth and about contacting the otherworld.

PAN: How long have you been travelling on this path?
Sionnach: About three years, maybe a bit more.

PAN: Do you work alone or with others?
Sionnach: Alone, but I like to talk to people on the Internet a lot.

PAN: Tell us a little about your path?
Sionnach: The Druid group I am with is called the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. They do a correspondence course out of England and I am partway through this. It has been a bit hard trying to fit a northern hemisphere tradition into southern hemisphere seasons, etc.

PAN: How did you discover Paganism?
Sionnach: I was bought up as a Christian, but as a teenager started asking questions about God that no one could answer. One was "if God made us, who made God?". I wasn't happy with the reply that "No one made him, he was always there". So I started reading books and stopped believing in Christianity and the Christian God. My parents weren't overly pleased when I told them this and mother told me I was going through a faze. I then bought a copy of The Druid Animal Oracle written by Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and in it was an address for the OBOD's, whom I wrote to and started the course. Once my parents realised I wasn't a Satanist, they accepted my Paganism, and are now quite interested in it themselves.

PAN:What is your first or most vivid early memory of being involved in Paganism
Sionnach: I remember as a young child sitting in my bedroom in the dark one night, mixing a magic potion with whatever make up I could find. AS you can guess my mother wasn't very happy. I made quite a mess!

PAN: Which particular holidays/festivals do you observe?
Sionnach: The eight fire festivals: Samhuinn, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Sprinx Equinox, Beltaine, Summer Solstice, Lughnasadh and the Autumn Equinox.

PAN: How do you observe these?
Sionnach: Since I perform them alone, with solitary rituals based on the OBOD's group ones. A simple farewell of the old season and welcome of the new.

PAN: What advice would you give to a newcomer travelling on a similar path?
Sionnach: It can be done alone, but it is great to have others to talk to, the Internet is a great resource. The Order have a web page at: http://www.druidry.org/

A northern hemisphere tradition can be done in the southern hemisphere with a little bit of work.

Don't be ashamed to be different, be proud to be Pagan, but remember there are others who will not understand, who will accuse you of being evil, or something stupid like that, so be careful who you share your beliefs with. Only you will know what is right for you. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it, no matter what others may tell you. This goes for any Pagan path.