singing the ancestors, singing the land

After many years of working for big business, chasing profit for shareholders, I moved on via a few years in the NHS, to working for The Co-operative movement, and last night while spending a few minutes wthcing televison I was lucky enough to see the latest advertisment for the group. I am not often moved to actually write about such an event, but this video is, for me, special and made me feel very proud to work for such an organisation. The video can be seen on the website here:

http://www.co-operative.coop/aboutus/

or here at The Guardian newspaper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2009/feb/16/bob-dylan-co-op-ad

Quote from The Cooperative Blowing in the Wind | The Inspiration Room™ | Daily:

The Cooperative in the UK has launched a 2:30 TV advert featuring “Blowing In the wind”, sung by Bob Dylan. The television commercial, developed by McCann Erickson, London, shows dandelion seeds floating across the UK and Africa, symbolising the many ways in which the company’s ethical work is “good for everyone”.

The “Blowing in the Wind” TV advertisement, aired for the first time during Coronation Street on February 16, points to The Cooperative’s agricultural work, operation of eight wind turbines, sponsorship of walking bus schemes for children, funding of research into global climate change, use of responsible sources of fish, carbon offsetting and engagement in Fairtrade practices.

A voiceover runs: “From community projects to a share of the profits, renewable energy to Fairtrade products, the Co-operative believe that when the benefits are passed around it’s good for everyone.”

Music is the track, “Blowing in the Wind”, released on 1962 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, as copyright is held by Warner Music Group, the video cannot be seen (and heard) on YouTube.

View the ad at The Cooperative and The Guardian.

Bob Dylan has rarely allowed the use of his material for a UK commercial. He apparently made an exception in this case because of the connection with ethical and fair-trade approach to business.

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The small group of priests make there way to the edge of the ancient temple circle of Woodhenge. Here is out of the way, far less in the public eye and perception than its more famous but younger sibling, Stonehenge, which lies but a short distance away as the crow flies – and today there are many crows cawing, exploring, chasing off the threat of beautiful majestic buzzards. The sky is a perfect azure blue, barely a cloud to be seen, and even as the Priest turns to the east, lighting his sage smudge-stick, so does the breeze rise gently in recognition of the gathering. The Priest turns slowly to the south, uttering words of prayer and welcome, seeking acceptance for what they do, casting the circle gently yet strong and deep, an invisible barrier to the outside world – a world that shimmers and sways slightly as he continues to the west, and then back to north, before returning to the east, completing his passage, confirming the circle is complete.

A Priestess takes up the words, honouring the three worlds, each present finding their own space, rooted – balanced – on the sacred earth, between sea and sky; each looking upward to honour the high skies and the air above our heads; the endless skies of cloud and star and moon.

Another Priestess finds the spirit of ancestors long dead move through her, words flowing almost unbidden, unconsciously, through her; words forming, flowing through the air as ancestors of this ancient sacred land are honoured, as ancestors of our own blood and heritage are honoured, and those of our teachers and our guides.

Incense burns bright and strong, wafted eastwards by the breeze, as each in turn finds words to honour the sprit of air, the element of air; of communication, of clarity, of freedom, of breath and breeze and howling gale, of the hope of spreading wings to take flight. Words of spontaneity, inspired by the moment, by the now; unplanned, unrehearsed.

And then as words subside into a sacred silence, the haunting song of the harp is taken up by the fourth present; sacred beautiful inspired music; music inspired by bards of old, by bards of her own lineage and that of this land; plaintive, utterly beautiful and moving. Tears fall from the eyes of the other two Priestesses as emotions mingle with the intellectual understandings of air; air and water moving in their own sweet ways, mingling, melding, molding; music of the three noble strains intermingled, of goltrai, of gantrai, of suantrai; music enchanting those present, hypnotic and beautiful; music of such poetry and emotion.

As the music ends, so does the cool breeze rise a little, the song taken up by the wind and the harp-strings alone, nature in harmony. The group listen, entranced. The old gods are honoured in quiet gentle words, and then the Awens are sounded, loud, strong, flowing; utterly beautiful.

Drum beat rises, then accompanying harp song, the occasional – almost discordant -sound of a rattle somehow a part of the whole; and then silence. A skylark calls, the buzzard calls, the crows call. The ancestors call.  Bread and Mead are shared, gentle conversation is shared between the four and then, when all are ready the circle is uncast, intention released, the rite ended – in peace as it began in peace.

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Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats

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It was really good to see Coldplay pick up three awards for their music at the Grammy wards on Sunday night, not least because their album Viva La Vida is undoubtedly my favourite ‘rock/pop’ album of 2008. Of course the controversy over plagiarism rumbles on – did they rip the tune off from Joe Satriani or not? Well, whatever the answer to that unknowable the music they have produced over the last year has, to this listener, been exceptional and so I applaud their wining the award. I have no doubt that many fans of the hard rock genre will consider the award as unfairly won or not deserved, but I guess it rather makes up for having to listen to bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest for too many years in my younger days!

And talking about my younger days, it was a real turn up to find Robert Plant winning so many awards with Alison Krauss. As a life long fan of Led Zeppelin I’m not too sure what to make of this, but I guess I have mellowed – well, perhaps a little – as I’ve grown older and more ‘mature’ so I can’t really complain at Mr. Plant doing the same now can I?

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These have been interesting times for those who take an interest in our ancient monuments. After years of prevarication and endless consultations, the results of the latest such review on the future of Stonehenge is due early this year. In addition the  Riverside Project in and around Stonehenge has involved a large number of digs, including one where Aubrey Hole 13 was reopened and the bones that had been placed there found during an earlier dig were removed for further study. That particular dig was one that caused considerable controversy, and was one that left an unpleasant taste for many of those present, though perhaps not always for the same reasons. Whilst a small group of Druids had been invited to visit the site of the Aubrey Hole dig to make prayers and ask for acceptance from the ancestors prior to breaking ground, the day became the focus for what may be considered a large scale demonstration based on assumptions, incomplete facts and inaccurate information. Whilst all those present were seeking the same end-result – the return and appropriate reburial of all human remains taken during the excavations – the methods used by some parties seemed to be provocative and unnecessary.

Meanwhile in 2006 one of the Council of British Druid Orders (CoBDO) groups had formally asked for the reburial of human remains found at Avebury discovered in 1929, being those of a child who lived some 5,000 years ago and known today as ‘Charlie’. Once again a goal fully worthy of the support of all Druids and Pagans, but one which, given the DCMS framework on which the decision will be based, is somewhat unlikely to succeed. Indeed, there are complications in terms of custody of the bones should they be returned for reburial and what’s more it is very possible that the decision reached may be used to set a precedent for all future decisions with regard to the reburial of ancient human remains. All of this muddies waters that are already complex and difficult, and where patience may have been prudent, may have played into the hands of the archaeologists themselves.

It is really important to understand that I fully and wholly support the goal of the reburial of all human remains, irrespective of the age of those remains or any known or unknown religious background. However I am not sure that recent events will achieve this goal, or perhaps (and sadly) make the situation worse, creating precedents that will be difficult if not impossible to overturn, as well as causing entrenched positions to become even more so., Dialogue, discussion and patience always seemed the best path, and is one that I would continue to support, both as an individual and as a Pagan Druid priest.

However, having said all the above, it was interesting to watch the latest edition of Time Team over the weekend, broadcast on the 8th February. I confess to finding this programme both intriguing and infuriating in equal measure, especially when it seems time and patience would offer much greater reward that strict adherence to an artificial time restriction, imposed in the name of entertainment. But I digress, for the dig this week took place at Salisbury Cathedral, where human remains were discovered. However, unlike the human remains found at Stonehenge, and Avebury – and numerous other ancient pre-historic site, these bones were NOT removed for laboratory study. Nor were they placed carefully archived away for some undefined future study pending unspecified scientific advances even though one of the archaeologists stated quite clearly that such studies could tell them much about the individual they had found, and the times and conditions in which they had lived. These bones were reburied within the Cathedral grounds, and given due reverence. Why, one wonders, is this not possible for our own native ancient dead, for our own ancestors, the forebears of this sacred land?

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