Warband

Week 45

WARBAND

That is the Loyal Arthurian Warband, of which I am a member of and have been for nearly a decade. My role within the Warband is as an Officer, my jobs include Webmaster and Finance Officer. I was raised in Avebury at summer solstice in 2007 as Warrior Priestess. These are my personal views.

I've seen a lot of people come and go and come back over the years. Some times in a blaze of words, some times their lives take them a different path and they drift away.  Each person plays their part in the story of the Warband and however they walk away, it doesn't undo the importance of their part.

A raising

What does it all mean? Well the number of people who have gone under the sword and sworn an Oath of Truth, Honour and Justice is easily in the tens of thousands since Arthur first put his ad looking for Knights in a biker magazine all those years ago.  I had the pleasure of typing up the old Arthurian Warband poetry book, that had been compiled of Warbanders thoughts.  I was left wondering where they all were now, so I asked Arthur and he knew where and what most of them were up to.. none of them are involved with the current campaigns but they were the very foundations of the Warband when it started.  They are part of Arthur's story and journey to where he is now.   Even the haters. It always makes me smile that there's one that can say very hateful things now, but they were very much part of the raising of Arthur as King, they walked along the path with him and put him on a pedestal.  You know the old saying 'they build you up so they can smash you down' and that is true of Arthur.  I have witnessed this many times over.

Moving away from the negative... the Warband is a vast network of people from all over the world, from all walks of life.  You don't have to be pagan to have the same ideals, there are a few of many different faiths too.  There are Groves, Covens and Orders ceded to the Warband, that is they are independently run but pledge their support to the Warband campaigns.  There are members from the USA and Holland who make regular trips over to Stonehenge. Everyone is different, everyone is welcomed.  It's a like a family, there's always bound to be a squabble or two but we stick together and watch each others backs.

Going under the sword - being raised means you took the Oath for Truth, Honour and Justice. It doesn't mean you have to join the Order or be part of the campaigns. I've seen many people go under the sword just because they felt it was something they wanted to do. They then have had no part in the Warband... people confuse this fact.  YOU decide how much you want to be involved.  True there's a lot of nasty people saying nasty things about us, but it's up to you to find out the Truth. For every false accusation, we have the proof, not that is ever good enough for those people.  Ce la vie.

So what does the Warband do?

In Arthur's words:

"We are The Warrior/Political Arm of The Modern Druid Movement, The (Peoples Druids) Loyal Arthurian Warband. Some of the Warriors do not like our Order simply because we are Druids and conversely a number of Druids are not ‘with us’ because we are Warriors. We ‘fight’ for Truth, for Honour and for Justice, we challenge injustice in many arenas and we will not go quietly into the Night. Blessings from the Front."

That about sums it up. Of course, you can read more about LAW on the website www.warband.org.uk.  I need to revamp it again but there's a load of information on there about past and present campaigns; articles written by Arthur; a bardic corner; picket news and loads more. Going to court costs money and the donations received towards this are small and infrequent. I've seen some people claim we have hundreds of pounds donated every month but as the Finance Officer, I can confirm this is a total fiction!  There is just enough to buy fuel/tax/mot/insurance/repairs for the bike to get to the picket or meetings.  Further to dispel any other myths, all donations are used solely for the campaigns, all receipts are kept and available for the tax man.  Also people think that because they have at some point donated something towards the picket fund, that it gives them some god given right to see the books or stipulate what it's used for. It doesn't work like that in the real world, all it does is show these people up as petty minded... all over a tenner. Pathetic.

If you would like to know more about the campaigns, what the Warband does and read some interesting articles, then please visit the website. The current focus is the Honouring the Ancestors, we are fighting to get the human remains reburied at Stonehenge. We are involved in other campaigns but the reburial one has our main focus.

Klasp The Moon December 2013

Yes, that's me...

Kazz, Arthur and Lou at the visitor centre

ATOS protest at disability benefit cuts

Mayburgh Henge 2000

Newbury bypass arrest

Winchester

Call a spade a spade.
People can't hack being a target and leave. One of our members was bullied on the Drove and when it became apparent he wouldn't be bullied into leaving the Warband, he was threatened. His tent was trashed and he was told it would run over with him in it. All from so-called peace and love pagans... yeah right!  This chap is the nicest guy you could hope to meet, he travels hundreds of miles to celebrate at Stonehenge and spend time on the Drove with other pagans and gets treated like this. Another time, a member was ambushed by another group who screamed abuse in her face.  She had only gone to invite them over to the fire and to share the food she'd made.  I wish I'd been there, they would have got my staff full pelt in their faces. And you want to believe these people that do this???  I'm sick to death of all the crap thrown our way. I can honestly, hand on heart say, that I cannot see there being any reason for it other than their jealousy and blind hatred.  I've mentioned this many times in previous blogs.   You need a thick skin to be part of the Warband. Arthur has an amazingly thick skin.  The shit that people say about him, do to him and he just 'hail and farewells' them and lets them get on with it. When they eventually come back, he welcomes them back as old friends... whereas I'm still angry at all the shit they had done and said.  I really don't know how he puts up with it.  I think it's called rising above it.. a skill I've yet to learn lol.

FINAL WORD FROM ME
I am a warrior. I will fight for what I believe in and I will protect that fiercely.  I am the nicest person on the planet right up the point when you try and stab me in the back or do harm to people I care about.  At that point, I get Honest, I say what I think and if you've done a wrongun, by gods you'll know about it.  I am not opposed to asking the Universe to sorting those fuckwits out either. Karma is a bitch but cross the line with me and you'll wish you hadn't.  Not that I like confrontation but I am good at defending myself and I am good at standing my ground.  I am happy to admit when I'm wrong and will eat humble pie if I need to.  So far, I've not had to.  I am part of the Shield Wall.. go ahead and throw yourself at it... or get behind it and push back at those fuckwits.

Other related blogs you many wish to view: Arthur; glamour; hex; justice; karma;  love and light;  stonehenge; trolls; voice  so out of the 44 blogs, there's only a small number of mentions.. just in case you think that's all I go on about lol.

Thanks for reading

Be well, be happy, be you /|\