Our second issue of Trilithon: The Journal of the Ancient Order of Druids in America, showcases original Druid Revival scholarship tracing our historical roots and reenvisioning two of the most important revival texts: the Mabinogion and Iolo Morganwg's Barddas. Our lead article is a manuscript by Tracy Glomski, who charts connections between astronomy and the First and Second Branches of the Mabinogion. Our Grand Archdruid, John Michael Greer, presents a manuscript examining the historical roots of Iolo Morganwg's Coelbren of the Bards, providing evidence of its possible origins and demonstrating its divinatory power. A running theme in our tradition, and in this issue of our journal, is sacred interactions with nature. Trees have made themselves an informal theme this year, branching through a series of articles. Mark Angelini's compelling discussion of spoon carving as a process of initiation with the trees begins this series of articles, followed by Claire Schosser's experiences in working with elder, Paul Angelini's description of observation and interactions in a variety of landscapes. Finally, we end the tree theme with Dana O'Driscoll's article on sacred trees in collaboration with Scott Smith, a traditional English botanical artist. In each of these tree and land focused articles, our contributors share their own experiences with trees while also drawing upon the roots of our tradition providing scholarship, inspiration, and a blending of inner- and outer-world knowledge. Our issue is rounded out with two additional pieces that speak to core of our practices: Jessica Tess's examination of martial arts and its role with the Sphere of Protection and Daniel Cureton's essay on ancestral wisdom.
About the Author: The Ancient Order of Druids in America is a modern Druid order drawing its inspiration and many of its teachings from the Druid Revival of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Like other modern Druid groups, the AODA evolved out of a three-hundred-year-old movement, the Druid Revival, that found the fragmentary legacy of the ancient Druids a powerful source of inspiration and insight, and drew on a wide range of sources in shaping a nature spirituality to meet the challenges of today. More about the AODA can be found on our website: http: //aoda.org