Whitecougar, a Norwegian healer, had a vision. Birger Mikkelsen, a Sami shaman, made a Drum; the World Drum; the heartbeat of our Mother Earth. The message it carries is that humankind must change our attitude and behaviour towards the Great Mother who feeds, supports and nourishes us, from one of exploitation to one of spiritual connection. Since the first rite at the Norwegian Parliament in 2006, the Drum has travelled to more than sixty groups and more than twenty countries on four continents. From ceremonies these groups have made with the Drum, its song has sounded out, heart to heart, spirit to spirit; the voice of Mother Earth, crying to her children. In April, 2008, it came to us.
Dragon Hill, April 26th, 2008
Together with our friends of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and others, we made a rite with the World Drum at Dragon Hill, below the Uffington White Horse. This magical site is linked, via the White Horse hill figure, to the Ridgeway, the prehistoric trackway that runs right across Southern England, connecting via other tracks with sacred sites all over Britain and beyond. The strong focus of Earth energies in the Hill made it an ideal place for our first rite. The ceremony was focused, strong and beautiful, the sound of the World Drum combining with many other drums and voices. The Drum was carried round the circle and played by everyone as we chanted: "Earth and stone, blood and bone, all are one, all are one," carrying the message that all creatures of Earth are of one substance, bound together in the great web of life. From Dragon Hill, by Dragon paths, the message of reverence and respect for our Mother and all beings spread across the land. Days later, as I write these words, I still feel the heartbeat of the Drum and its message sounding through the Earth. May it be heard, clear and true, by all who need to hear. Avebury, April 27th, 2008 The following day, we carried the World Drum to the ancient stone circles of Avebury in Wiltshire. The circles there are huge, wide and open, with giant entrances at the four quarters, suggesting that Avebury was intended for gatherings of whole communities. It has always seemed to me a welcoming place of powerful Earth Mother energy. It is linked with Dragon Hill by the Ridgeway. The Drum led a procession around the great banks of the henge to the southern entrance. There, the spirit guardian of the place was greeted with an ancient Greek hymn to Gaia, the Earth Mother. Three-quarters of those who joined our circle were local residents or tourist visitors to the site who had never taken part in such a ceremony before. As at Dragon Hill, everyone played the Drum as it was carried around the circle. Beautiful flute music wove the rite together. Again, the spirit was strong, the message sounded forth from the four gateways of the henge, spreading out across and through the land. The Long Barrow After the rite, two of us carried the Drum to the West Kennett Long Barrow, the 5,000-year-old stone-chambered tomb-shrine of our ancestors that stands on a ridge close to Silbury Hill. As Druids, we hold that such places represent the womb of Mother Earth, where the spirits of the blessed dead are held before rebirth. There, we played the Drum in the inner chamber. Shortly after the Drum began to sound, other drums sounded from the stones around us, and a hundred voices began to sing a high, keening song. The ancestors were with us. The Great Mother was with us. Many Blessings
We feel blessed to have been a part of the great journey of the Drum. We give thanks to those who created this gift and sent it out into the world. We send our heartfelt blessings to all those around the world who have made ceremonies with the Drum before us and all who will do so after us. We are proud and honoured to be a part of this great circle of spirit. For more information about the World Drum, its message and its journey, visit www.theworlddrum.com
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image © Richard Crompton richardcromptonphotography.com
