[Awen is a concept that originates in Welsh mythology and has been interpreted in various ways by Druid groups for many years. We pay reverence and recognition to the cultures that originate this concept as we find our own meaning in its holy wisdom]

Our Ever-Dreaming Mother is the first and most splendid amongst artists, and in Her love of the children of Her Dream She has bestowed upon us the gift of Awen: divine inspiration. As a drop of Her divine gift of Dreaming and Creating, the Awen imbues all sapient life with the ability to imagine, dream, create, and transform. It is the blessing of intelligence that drives a crow to modify a twig into a tool for reaching food beyond the range of its beak. It is the force that inspires whales to dance and sing as they traverse the waves, which drives the complex patterns of a spider’s web. It is the divine blessing from which artists and poets create. Through utilizing the gift of Awen, we draw closer to the Real nature of She Who Dreams, and we breathe richness into Her Dream. For this reason, artistic pursuits are considered sacred in Dèa Noctism, and services of worship and reverence always involve the arts in some form. Music, as humanity’s first art form, is primary among these. However, all forms of creativity are honored and celebrated as acts emulating the Mother and are treated as worthy pursuits. While Awen is primarily spoken of in relation to the arts, this blessing indeed applies to all acts of creation and transformation. For this reason, Awen is represented by fire. Through fire, shadows are cast that can be imagined to be innumerable forms, empty and cold spaces are made into shelters and homes, and matter takes on new forms (flesh to food, wood to ash, water to steam, ore to steel, etc.) Fire is the supreme avatar of transformation, and each instance of it is a breath of Awen within the Dream. Because the Awen is considered the most sacred blessing of the Goddess to Her children, artists are celebrated for pursuing and honing their craft, but art is considered a trait inherent in humanity and all people are encouraged to participate in it no matter what their skill level. Our Mother will always favor the sound of a tone-deaf voice raised in joyous song over the self-critical silence of one who believes their sound inferior. The lesson of Awen is this: create. In whatever way you can or feel called to, simply create.

Lore: our personification of the Awen

The most elaborate type of ritual that the Guild performs for the community is a celebration of the Awen and an offering to the Goddess of our creative talents used in conjunction with the wellspring of divine inspiration. These rituals are usually highly theatrical, and utilize a wide variety of arts- both performing and craft. Here we include a sacred storytelling portion of ritual narrated by LORE: a mask-clad character who acts as the representative of the spirit of the Awen.