a propos des rituels

[ejds]

Hauts les mains, faut dire aussi qu’il existe un vicaire de la très tolérante et libérale Église Unitarienne, qui, ne se formalise pas tant.

Dans l’exercice de ses fonctions, il ne craint pas de temps en temps de changer de soutane et se rendre dans le 'tit bois. Huit fois par an, aux grandes fêtes, il revêt une longue robe rouge, prend le nom de druide sionnach ou ‘renard argenté’ et rejoint douze autres membres pour célébrer les rituels antiques de leurs ancêtres : shock:

Vicar gets into the grove



HANDS ON: As well as being a vicar, the Rev Dr Vernon Marshall is a practising druid.

IT’S only natural for one Dukinfield vicar.

The Rev Dr Vernon Marshall explores his wild side by moonlighting in his spare time as a druid.

Eight times a year he dons a red robe, takes on the druid name sionnach or ‘silver fox’, and joins 12 other members of his ‘grove’ to celebrate the ancient rituals of our ancestors.

Dr Marshall sees no clash between his role as a Unitarian vicar at Old Chapel and druidry. In fact he points out that many Christian festivals are based on age-old ceremonies.

"On 1 February we celebrate Imbolc, which is to do with the first signs of coming spring. Because it’s still wintertime it’s celebrated with loads of candles to represent the coming light," he says.

"The church took it over and called it Candlemass. They had to encourage the local people who were very committed to their enjoyable festivals so the church simply absorbed them and gave them new names."

Druidry is not a religious movement but involves following the year’s natural cycles and is distinct from paganism, which worships old gods.
Because of this, Dr Marshall says it can go hand in hand with Christianity.

"In the Unitarian faith you are encouraged to follow your own spiritual path so druidry is not so different in that regard," he adds.

Steve Simon, a 37-year-old programmer from Ashton, is a fellow member of the grove, which meets in Clitheroe.

He tried Buddhism and even wicca – a religion based on an ancient witch cult – before deciding on druidry.

"It seemed like coming home. It was everything I was looking for," he says. "I’m not religious – religion doesn’t come into it. But the answers were there."

Emilene White

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