Wizards, Witches and Warriors

RALLYING SONG

My name is Arthur , I am he, once and future, born to be.
Celtic chieftain, Knight of old, I am the story as was foretold.
Loyal Knights must come to me, bowing to their destiny.
Each of them a worthy Knight, standing for what's just and right.
Where're we find them, we'll right wrong, this must always be our song.
The Cauldron and the Cross unite, Christian and Pagan join our fight,
Reuniting the Celtic creed, in it's time of greatest need.
Long ago it was foretold, of our return as knights of old.
We as one shall rise and fight, the Celtic people to unite.
Celtic minstrels rise and sing, now's the time of the future King.
The time is now, we wait no more, for Arthur's back and will restore.
Arrived from Avelon, eighty seven, Arthur Pendragon, June eleven.

The Rallying Song was written as dated after a year and a day as Arthur Pendragon.

~~~

Samhain '97, When I called for Wizards, Witches and Warriors, I got whingers, bitches and worriers - and we still kicked arse.

Some of us are born with a certain wisdom, others in or to the Craft, whilst still others, let's face it, just aren't happy unless they're arguing or fighting over something or other. I for my part, know and can relate to, all three.

It has long since been my belief that Druids - true Druids - are the ancient Wizards and that like Witches and Warriors they just are. They need not belong to an Order or Coven but tend to be drawn together. As are the Warriors, whether they serve with the British army, the local motorcycle club or with their mates down the pub and, again, I have personal experience of all three.

Increasingly they are drawn together out of tribal instinct and a sense of belonging and increasingly all three are being drawn together, out of necessity, on the Battlefield.

Where is the battlefield? Why, it is the very land itself. The protest camps.

A colleague of mine and a fellow Druid was misquoted , at the beginning of the Newbury campaign when his Order went along to support the protest as saying:

"We are Druids, we are not political and we have therefore no views either way as to whether or not the bypass is built."

Well, this posed to me the question as to who was the real Druid, the protester up the tree or the guy on the ground, wearing the white frock? Both were arguable, as was my answer - the guy up the tree wearing his white frock.

One of the many criticisms leveled at me and my Order is how can we be Druids when we are so often being arrested on protest? Quite simply, my order is sworn to Truth, to Honour and to Justice, and I can find no better place to fight for Justice than in a court of law. By the way, the name of my Order, the Loyal Arthurian Warband, abbreviates - thus we are the L.A.W. We do not break it, we fight for it and where necessary. to change it.

There is, I am sure you will agree, too much political in-fighting in the Pagan community as a whole. Next year sees the build up to the Millennium, a Christian bench mark, but a bench mark never the less. Would it not make for us to put our political differences to one side and to pull together?

Druids so not always see eye to eye, neither do Witches and Warriors who oft times find themselves on opposing sides, There will always be problems when all three come together as they do on a protest site. But, if the problems are great, so too is the goal, to protect Mother Earth. Surely something worth uniting and fighting for?

I am not suggesting we should all give up our lifestyle and live on a protest site but each of us in our own way can give moral magical or material support to such a cause,

Go down, meet the Warriors, don't be put off by their appearance. Remember, the British army has long since put their red coats aside for a more practical, if less attractive uniform. Give what support you can to their fight, for in truth it is your fight, it is our fight.

Let us pull together, Wizards, Witches and Warriors, with a sense of purpose and common interest. Be proud of who and what you are. Robe up and speak out, in public assert yourself. Stand up and be counted or sit where you are, and be discounted.

There is a war going on, fellow Pagans are fighting with non-violent direct action to save our Mother. It is time to put up, or shut up. There are many things we can do both as groups and as individuals. The question we should ask is not what can I do but what more can we do?

Use every weapon in your arsenal, turn the enemies' weapons upon themselves. Yet remember, there is no them and us. They are only us who don't know it yet.

If being the "nutter who thinks he's King Arthur" (incidentally my personal belief is unshakable) attracts media attention, then I will use that also, often arranging for the media to meet me on site then not turning up myself, thus by necessity getting them to cover the real issues.

Often I find myself as the defendant in court, nearly as often I find myself prosecuting the State and, I might add, with an amount of success. I have found myself naked in protest at having my robes removed, in the punishment block of a Category A prison, simply for refusing to accept draconian bail conditions whilst remanded on charges that have subsequently been drooped. This is extreme and I would not encourage others to go to such lengths, and anyway if they did there would be little or no use in me doing so, would there?

It is simply a case of horses for courses, do what you can, where you can and when you can. Do what you do best and apply it for the cause and the common good but do, do.

Personally I believe in motivation by example and leadership from the front. It is true that I hold title and office in ten Druid Orders and three Covens (not self-appointed) but doing meant, for instance, that at Newbury the King dug a shit pit. And it may surprise you to know that I do not claim, nor have I ever claimed, any State benefit whatsoever, having led the life of an impecunious mendicant for the past twelve years.

Even if it's whinging, bitching and worrying, I will expect to see you on the Battlefield, for 'tis better the epitaph NO REGRETS than WHAT IF?

talking of 'if'

"If King Arthur never existed, he should have," Winston Churchill

"And if he didn't, he bloody well does now," King Arthur Pendragon '98

by King Arthur Pendragon

This article originally appeared in Pagan Dawn Imbolc 1999