Chiltern Nemeton Grove​

Welcome to the Chiltern Nemeton Grove website, I'm Paul Sandford and am the Druid founder of the Chiltern Nemeton Grove.  The Grove was founded in Tring during the Summer Solstice 2000ce.   This page will introduce you to the Grove and how you may choose to get involved.

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If you are new to Druidry and Celtic Spirituality you may like to explore some books on the subject which I would recommend the following books below.  We have a more extensive list on the books links page.  If you have any specific questions please feel free to contact me.

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The next step you may choose to meet members of the Grove community, some of them are featured on Meet the Grove page and have a look at the Root and Twig Blog page too.  The Grove usually have a monthly Coffee Morning Social where members and friends of the Grove meet to socialise and is a great way to meet others before going into a ceremony with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the events page you can see that we meet for the eight festivals of the pagan year in various locations in and around the Chiltern Hills.  All are welcome to attend our rituals and many when they come for the first time, like to watch than take an active part and this is perfectly fine, as you can choose how much you engage with ritual that feels right for you.  

 

As mentioned before I founded the Chiltern Nemeton in Tring on the Summer Solstice 2000ce and just a year before I completed the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druid grades of their training programme.  Our Grove at the very beginning have been affiliated to the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and then the British Druid Order a few years later.  You don't have to be a member of a Druidic Order to join the Grove, however please do have a look at their websites and teaching programmes that may be something you choose to do at some point.   I would also recommend you look at the Druid Network's website and Emma Restall-Orr's Perennial Druidry free on-line course that is an excellent course for beginners in the very spiritual undercurrents of Druidry.

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Since the founding of the Grove, its members have co-created a specific ritual formula, practices and culture which I named the Oaken Heart Way.  In 2010 we formed the Order of the Oaken Heart as we launched the Oaken Heart Foundation programme and initiating members as Oaken Heart Practitioners.  You don't have to become an Oaken Heart Practitioner yourself or do any of the training to be part of the Grove community or ritual gatherings.  You can also be members of other different groups and traditions, we are all on our individual spiritual pathways and in the Grove we come together in ceremony to honour the Nature Spirits, Ancestors and Deities of the Druid Tradition not to conform to a specific dogma or orthodoxy.  If you like to know more about the Oaken Heart Way please see the links below:

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The Grove community is very active on facebook which you are welcome to join and we also have a Chiltern Nemeton Youtube Channel although is not always active but have a selection of videos that may be of interest to you.

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Please now read the Grove Policy and Disclaimer 

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