Statement of Purpose and Tradition

Merlyn's Grove is committed to the wisdom teachings of the Celts. It strives to uphold the knowledge of the Celtic peoples wherever they are in the world. The Grove recognizes the quest for self-knowledge in the Celtic tradition and honours the keepers of their lore and wisdom, the Druids.

Merlyn's Grove recognizes the central role of the trees in the teachings of the Druids. All nature is divine. The Druidic Grove is the Temple of the Divine. Each tree holds a station in the Temple of the Grove and embodies a particular aspect of Nature. All who enter the Grove hold the trees in honour, and, through the structure and inspiration the trees provide, so they honour all of creation. Merlyn's Grove expects those who initiate into the Druidic Tradition under its auspices to hold a station of a tree and bring its qualities and powers to the Grove for at least one year and a day.

Merlyn's Grove is committed to continuing Druid wisdom through teaching, ritual, and other practical and spiritual work. It holds learning circles, makes information accessible, develops reading lists, treatises, and other publications, and conducts ceremonies. The Grove celebrates four festivals with formal rituals around the wheel of the year, namely: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain, with the Equinoxes and Solstices being celebrated however members desire.

Merlyn's Grove recognizes and respects the many Orders of Druids and other groups around the world, but is not affiliated with any of them.

Merlyn's Grove is autonomous and sovereign unto itself and draws its power from the wellspring of earthly wisdom as it is revealed through the trees and their representatives, the Druids. There is absolute equality in the Grove. Like the trees, the members of the Grove are who they are through their inner nature, and none is greater or lesser for it. Each Druid stands equally in the Grove, manifesting power from within, contributing to the power of the whole.

Merlyn's Grove upholds the pursuit of Truth, the sanctity of the Self, natural virtue, self-responsibility, and Earth veneration. It respects the right of all peoples everywhere to their own spiritual Paths.

Merlyn's Grove studies traditions of the Celtic and Pagan past while being aware of the romance attached to them. It understands that much of what is known as "Druidry" is an invention of recent centuries. The Grove aims to remain true to the existing Celtic source material and to promote critical research of it, but is not confined by it. The Grove remembers the past and draws inspiration from it, while incorporating the advantages of the present to create a new synthesis of Druidic practice.