Frequently
Asked Questions
1. What is a grove?
A grove is a group of trees, oftentimes with a clearing in the center. It
is known that the ancient Druids once frequented woodland groves, presumably
for worship. Modern Druids adopted this term (with a capital G) to refer to
a group of Druids. A Grove, then, is a group of Druids of like mind who come
together regularly to celebrate the seasonal rites, to worship, and/or to
perform Druid magic and healing.
2. What is Keltria?
The Henge of Keltria is a modern Druid organization that is specifically Celtic
in orientation. It is a church recognized by the state of Minnesota. But the
best way to answer this question is to send you to The Henge of Keltria website
at: The Henge of Keltria (www.keltria.org).
3. What is a Keltrian Birch Grove?
The Henge of Keltria charters its Groves. That means that a Grove must meet
certain criteria to be considered a Keltrian Grove. The "Birch" designation
means that the Founder/Grove Leader is a Ring of the Birch Level Initiate (or higher)
within the Keltrian Tradition. To find out more about Initiation into the
Keltrian Path and the Keltrian Ring System of Achievement, go to the Henge of Keltria Bylaws.
4. Why "The Grove of the Golden Horse?"
The horse is a very important animal in Celtic lore. The Chief Druid of Golden
Horse Grove had a Palomino horse named Dusty who died when he was 38 years
old. ("Palomino" is a term used to describe a horse with a golden body coat
and white or flaxen mane and tail.) He was an extraordinary horse and she
loved him dearly. Other Grove members knew him and loved him, too. The Grove
was formed shortly after he died, and so it was named in his honor. The spirit
of the Golden Horse is the guardian spirit of the Grove.
5. Why is it in that strange language?
That strange language is Irish. Yes, the Irish people used to speak a different
language than English, a language also known as Irish Gaelic, and some Irish
people still do speak that language. It is one of the Celtic languages, which
include Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Manx, Cornish, and Breton. We prefer to use the
Irish way to say "Grove of the Golden Horse" (Garrán an Eich Órbhuí) because
the ancient Druids were a Celtic phenomenon, and it honors our Ancestors (both
ancestors of blood and ancestors of spirit) to use one of the languages they
once used. We have specifically chosen the Irish language for our Grove name
because our Chief Druid and Grove Founder is of Irish descent. Other Groves
may choose to use one of the other Celtic languages, or no Celtic language
at all.
6. What does this site offer to me?
Good question. :-) Essentially, it offers whatever you will make of it. Whatever
that is, we hope that it contributes to the positive movement of your feet
and spirit along the path that will take you to what is best in and for you.
Apart from that, here's a brief description of what may be seen on our site: