Over the past few years, Three Cranes Grove has done a great deal of video work, recording rituals and offering them up for the folk, sometimes even livestreaming them (not to mention the bardic concerts, Druidry 101 videos, and assorted other projects by various 3CG members). We’re proud of that work, and we’re hopeful that it’s been helpful to other groves, proto-groves, and solitaries as they grow and explore their druidry alongside ours.
However, we also have to acknowledge that the video work hasn’t been an unqualified good: multiple people have reported to us that they don’t feel entirely comfortable in ritual when there are recordings destined for the public, whether because of concerns about privacy, about safety, or about ritual integrity, all of which are entirely valid. And while we think that the outreach work we do via video is important — and we will continue to explore other avenues to continue that work — we are, first and foremost, a local congregation of Ár nDraíocht Féin: the comfort and safety of our local community is paramount.
And so, we would like to offer a sincere apology: to any who we’ve upset by our video work in ritual, who’ve felt unsafe or uncomfortable, we are very sorry for the hurt we’ve caused. And to those who’ve expressed their concerns, our great thanks for trusting us to hear them and repair that breach.
To that end, we want to make clear our intentions going forward, regarding the recording of rituals:
with the exception of our work at the Dublin Irish Festival,
we will no longer be recording our high day rituals for public dissemination.
While we may occasionally have recording devices present, any recordings made will be destined solely for internal use (e.g. for review and discussion, to further develop our skills as liturgists). We will make a continued effort to be transparent about their presence and purpose when and if they should appear, and we will welcome input from attendees regarding their use.
At the Dublin Irish Festival, we will likely continue to record and stream our Lughnasa ritual and its preceding bardic set. Due to the nature of this large ritual, where there is an almost theatrical separation between the celebrants and the folk, and due to its status as one of many concurrent religious celebrations at a public festival, we believe concerns about privacy and safety are greatly mitigated, and we believe those rituals serve as important examples of the possibilities inherent in public druidry.
Again: if our video work has led you away from our hearth, we sincerely apologize for any hurt or discomfort we’ve caused. We hope that you’ll consider joining us again at our good fire to honor the Kindreds in joyful fellowship and piety.
In ghosti,
The Officers and Clergy of Three Cranes Grove, ADF
