The Circle of Coll Seed Group/Seattle
Report for 2013
by Moss Magill

2013 marked the Circle of Coll’s seventh year, and as we look back through the months, we see a very active calendar with traditional CoC gatherings as well as new activities, collaborations, and outreach opportunities that could continue on into 2014 and beyond.

We started the year in Ravenna Park joining EarthCorps, Seattle Green Partnership, and Seattle Parks and Recreation, removing invasive plants and preparing planting sites. Our Herb of the Month series continued on with unique group studies of Ferns and Cedar, and we accompanied the Grove of the Scarlet Oaks in bidding a blessed farewell to the pair of trees for which the newly formed OBOD grove is named. Sadly, the twin oaks were removed to make way for a construction project.

Other new activities for the Circle included an implementation of the Sharing Circle which gave us all opportunities to dive more deeply into our relationships with the Circle of Coll and with each other. We also reached out to the Interfaith Community by facilitating a very special Celebration of the Sun Ceremony for the members of the Interfaith Community Sanctuary and School where we gifted and planted a young oak on the grounds.

A new series called the Stone of the Month was launched in 2013 that provides space for the study of sacred minerals and gems. The first session featured the mystical Blue Stones of Stonehenge, and we eagerly look forward to more of these gatherings in 2014. Also new to our events list was “The Bard’s Tent” that we co-created with the help of the Bards of Caer Pugetia and the Order of the White Oak, for the Tacoma and the Seattle Scottish Highland Games. This was our foray into the “Games Circuit” where we tended a society tent providing reading materials, stories, conversation, and general information about Druidry. It was a grand success as we met lots of interesting and curious people, and we will no doubt be asked back to do it again this year.

2013 has been the year for partnerships with the Circle of Coll. It was an honor to be invited by the Airway Heights Corrections Center near Spokane, WA to facilitate a ceremony and workshop for the OBOD members who are incarcerated there. We developed an Alban Arthan ritual especially for the residents of AHCC as well as a workshop entitled Finding the Light of Arthur Within. Permission to enter a corrections facility would have been a first for the Circle of Coll, but unfortunately, a severe snow storm that covered much of Washington State prevented us from traveling to the remote location in person. Instead, we forwarded the ritual script and workshop outline to the chaplain who enlisted a local Druid to assist with the events. We hope that this will be the beginning of a partnership between CoC and AHCC and we are planning another ceremony and workshop for the spring.

Our traditional activities such as the Druid Socials, Hedge School Workshops, Tree Walks and Quarterly Healing Rituals continued throughout the year. One very special healing ritual aligned with the annual Concentric Circles event sponsored by the Our Lady of the Earth and Sky Church and with, in particular, the Warrior’s Call. This global plea was heralded by OBOD to all Seed Groups and Groves requesting that we send energy and healing to the sacred sites in the UK that are currently being threatened by fracking and other endangerments to our Earth. We, of course, heard the call and gladly focused our healing intentions toward this cause.

The theme of our Druid Retreat for 2013 was “Encountering the Greenwood” which featured a Forest Walk through the beautiful grounds at Mosswood Hollow, a Fire Procession, chanting, meditation workshops, an Eisteddfod, and a masquerade.

As usual, the Circle of Coll celebrated all eight Festivals of the Wheel. Our Alban Hefin festivities included a Summer Solstice picnic at Carkeek Park and a Celtic Literary Reading Circle, spotlighting the Vita Merlini (Life of Merlin) written in the 12th century by Geoffrey of Monmouth. At Alban Arthan we invited each participant to commence his or her own internal Grail Quest that will be referenced in the coming months at future rituals.

In addition to the tending of our many scheduled events, the Circle of Coll has been ebbing and flowing like the tides, with growth and contraction while we fondly remember former members, get to know new faces, and become familiar with our recently revitalized charter. A new Council of Three is in place as well as new Stewards, committee members and officers. A year of further spiritual growth and evolution lay before us as we eagerly welcome the changes and traditions ahead in 2014.

If you would like more information about the Circle of Coll, please visit our web site https://circleofcoll.org . Also, please feel free visit the Circle of Coll Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/circleofcoll/ .