This summer the Pagan Federation Mid-West and Wales held

their Summer Camp 2008.

The organisers of the event had picked a great location for

this year's event as the Gower Peninsula possesses some of

finest Pagan sites and monuments in the country. Contained

within its small borders are Arthur's Stone, the Sweyne Howes,

Giant's Grave, nine Standing Stones and numerous prehistoric

cairns. Historians and archaeologists have now also identified

the 29,000-year-old remains of Gower's infamously mis-named

"Red Lady of Paviland" - the oldest known ceremonial burial in

Western Europe - as belonging to an important Shaman of the

time.

Tucked beneath Llanmadoc Hill, with its mighty Iron Age

Earth Fort, and with the commanding views over the beautiful

expanse of Whiteford Sands, those attending this year's camp

really could not have asked for a better location on which to

enjoy the weekend's varied line-up of music, dance, workshops,

rituals, lectures and general socialising. Despite heavy rain

and intense winds taking a toll on the numbers attending the

event, the camp was a great success with the worst Summer

weather I have known in a long time failing to dampen many of

the attendees spirits.

Arriving early on Friday evening, it proved a real battle

erecting our family tent against the blustering wind. But the

other campers were some of the friendliest people I have ever

met and with their kind help we soon had our tent up and were

ready to enjoy the festivities ahead.

A colourful, enthusiastic belly dancing display opened the

first night of entertainment.

This energetic dance was followed by more calming and

wistful melodies provided by a variety of singers/guitarists

who set a welcoming charm to the night, despite the ever

deteriorating weather.

The weather on the first morning of the Summer Camp was fine

but gusty. The torrential rain of the night before had stopped

and the sun shone bright and wonderfully upon Llanmadoc and the

beach below the camp. It really was a beautiful scene - a

fitting welcome to what must have been the first large-scale

Pagan ceremony to be held on this landscape for countless

years.

As the ritual opening of the Summer Camp commenced, I could

not help but raise my eyes from the ceremony itself to gaze

upon the immense hill which dominated the landscape to the

south of us. Upon this hill, in the Iron Age earth fort known

as the Bulwark, ancient ritual monuments still remind visitors

of the Pagan ceremonies our Gower ancestors once practised. It

was a moving moment to connect that morning's ceremony to those

undertaken by the people of Llanmadoc all those years ago.

I found the opening of the ceremony - the visualising of

roots growing from our feet and into the earth, from which we

then drew the earth's energies into our bodies and minds -

particularly evocative. The drawing of and farewell to the Gods

of the North, the South, the East and the West was also very

charged as was the passing of food and drink around the circle

of people, the sweetest of greetings, and the wishes that those

eating and drinking would never suffer hunger or thirst. When

the Opening Ceremony came to its conclusion, I could not help

but feel happy, even though the rain had now begun to fall once

more.

Elaine Mein gave a very interesting talk on the history and

power of Runes later that afternoon. Elaine also ran a stall on

the site, selling Runes, charms and other interesting items. I

had a fascinating chat with Elaine after her talk and learned a

little of the pros and cons of selling wares around the various

camps and festivals around the country.

Another fascinating speaker was Karl-James Langford. I had

been particularly interested in hearing his lecture, which was

on what archaeologists and historians can learn from folk

stories about prehistoric sites. His talk included descriptions

of the legends associated with the Welsh prehistoric sites of

Penre Ifan and Tinkinswood - as well as some funny and very

personal anecdotes about his visits to these monuments. A very

amusing speaker, with an infectious love for his subject

matter, his talk was not only illuminating but very

entertaining also. The guy was a real star of the Summer Camp.

I had a nice long chat with Karl later that afternoon and have

continued to keep in touch with him after the camp. Hopefully,

I will get to hear another of his lectures soon.

I only managed to catch one of the bands that played that

evening as a huge camp fire had been built on the edge of the

camp, overlooking Whiteford Sands, and I just could not resist

the allure of its warming flames. 'Telling the Bees' played a

great selection of folk songs and I enjoyed them so much that

they kept my bottom glued to my seat until their gig had

finished. As soon as they had finished though, I headed

straight off to the fire, just in time to catch a trully

magnificent Gower sunset.

I was up bright and early on the last day of the Summer Camp

to catch Tipi Rob's talk on Crystal Healing. Tipi Rob's lecture

was hugely enjoyable and really opened my mind to the subject

of crystals and their various uses.

The following talk, entitled 'What Happened to Pagan

Science?' was so captivating that I could have listened to the

walm-hearted chat about Plato, Belief and Reality for the rest

of the day. The speaker had a real presence to him and is

someone else I would trully love to hear speak again.

The Programme of Events for the weekend closed with a ritual

from Sorita'd Este. As the ceremony proceeded, the skies above

North Gower began to open, heralding another magnificent

evening sunset to enthrall those campers who had remained for

the Summer Camp's fading last hours of reflection.

For many years now, I have been very disappointed with the

Welsh Tourist Board and Swansea Council failing to promote the

Gower Peninsula's rich Pagan history. Sign-posting to many of

its monuments are minimal and there are no information leaflets

published on the area's evocative folklore and legends. Most of

Gower's Standing Stones are next to invisible, having been

swamped by hedges. There is far more to Gower than its beaches

and it is my hope that the Pagan Federation's visit to the

peninsula will help advertise the fact that this peninsula of

our's is richer in history than far too many people seem to

realise.

Here's hoping that the Pagan Federation Mid-West and Wales

hold their Summer Camp down on the Gower Peninsula next year

also.