Saturday 4th June, 2022 - installation as Chosen Chief of OBOD confirmed at the Summer Gathering in Glastonbury. Photo courtesy of Quill.

​On June 6th 2020, I had the honour of being installed as the Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, following in the footsteps of my predecessor, Philip Carr-Gomm, and the Order's founder, Ross Nichols.
 
Due to pandemic lockdown, the ceremony could not take place as we had planned, in a Glastonbury meadow.  Instead, we did our work on the inner planes, and shared it with members of the Order in the broadcast below.
However, this year the Order was finally able to gather in person again, at our Summer Gathering, and we held what my friend Peter Cawston called: "The celebration of the confirmation of the installation of Eimear".  
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Even so, Covid 19 affected us, keeping our Pendragon, Damh the Bard, away from the event.  Therefore, in the pic above, his place is being ably filled by Adrian Rooke.

I have a page of photographs of the Summer Gathering here.
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​The OBOD Community
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The Gathering was a reminder that community is vital both as a support in hard times and a source of joy at all times.
Just as my installation as CC happened both online and in the real world, so Covid 19 has taught us to celebrate our OBOD community both in the real world AND ALSO online.  
Not everyone is able to travel to Glastonbury for Gatherings, and indeed if 25,000+ Druids descended on the town, it could not cope!
No Druid is too far away to be at the heart of OBOD.
Therefore,  we have various methods for members from around the world to join in with other Order members via the internet:

• Online seasonal ceremonies via the Order's FB page and YouTube
• Tea With Druids broadcasts by Philip Carr-Gomm - every week on Monday night, 8pm GMT via the Order's FB page and YouTube
• Fireside Chat With a Druid broadcasts by me - every week on Thursday night, 8pm GMT via the Order's FB page and YouTube
• The Order has online forums (here) and a FB page (here), as do I (here), and there is a FB group for OBOD Members (here)
• Various OBOD members maintain online Seed Groups for those who cannot attend group events in person - for details, contact groups@druidry.org
• Druidcast - the Order's hugely popular podcast, hosted by Damh the Bard - find it here

For those wishing to gather in person with other Druids, members of the Order have established a network of Groves and Seed Groups across the globe - there may be one in your area!  Why not look and see: 
Groups & Groves | Druid Grove | Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (druidry.org)
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On top of the Tor - photo courtesy of Pat Booker

Climbing the Tor - photo courtesy of Sean O'Gaoithin

Stonehenge mornings - photo courtesy of Sean O'Gaoithin

The ceremony at Glastonbury Tor - photo courtesy of Sean O'Gaoithin